Married To A Savage Duke - Chapter 83.2

“He’s fine,” came the brief response, as if it was something he had heard before. It was a brusque tone that one might expect from an unsociable man. However, such a somber reaction wouldn’t have come out if he didn’t have the certainty and trust that Cade would be unharmed. As the person closest to him, she had expected him to show signs of concern. If there were any danger to Cade, he wouldn’t be this composed. With a positive attitude, Cherryl glanced at him sideways and then shifted her gaze to the gift box. One corner of the crumpled black wrapping paper was torn, and the gold ribbon surrounding the box was partially untied. Intending to fix the packaging before giving it to Cade, she grabbed the ribbon. As she pulled it, there was a faint noise from the side, and Viper glanced at her briefly.

“I went downtown to buy this.” Cherryl mistook his curious glance for a question and lifted the box so that he could have a look inside. She continued, “I wanted to give a small gift since I received a lot from Cade. I’ve been thinking vaguely about it, but when I found a men’s clothing store, I had a clear idea.”

“…….”

“It wouldn’t have been unfortunate if I hadn’t done this, but I don’t regret buying the gift. I think Cade will be pleased.” Although there was no response from her companion, she wanted to say something. She thought that if she could just vent her frustration thoughts floating in her mind, it might relieve the discomfort in her heart a little. “To be honest, I’m not sure if it suits his taste. I chose a simple design, so I hope he’ll like it.”

Viper watched her complain without saying a word and then belatedly shifted his gaze to the gift box. After a moment of silence, surprisingly, he asked a question.

“What’s your gift?”

Cherryl opened the box and took out what was inside. She extended her palm, revealing a sparkling pair of cufflinks. “These are cufflinks. They are buttons used to fasten or decorate the cuff of a shirt. Do you think  he’ll like it?”

Viper briefly glanced at the shiny metal and responded indifferently. “I suppose.”

“I wanted to give him a meaningful gift, so I want to deliver it soon. When do you think they’ll be back? We had a great day at the festival, but I don’t understand what’s going on now. I keep blaming myself, and I’m worried about Cade. My thoughts are all over the place, and I can’t focus.” Viper, who had been showing a polite reaction, finally turned to look at her directly, giving her an even more encouraging response. He, who extremely dislikes the sound of chatter, had to endure the constant chirping of the leader’s wife all along the narrow path, making sure he didn’t lose track of the tailing spy.

The carriage that passed through the castle gate climbed the hill and headed toward its destination. Soon, the rolling wheels came to a stop, and Viper, who got off first, reached out his arm to help Cherryl disembark from the carriage. Holding the gift box close to her chest, Cherryl looked up at Viper. It was Cade’s order, but she wanted to express her gratitude to him for accompanying her to ensure her safety.

“Thank you for taking me here. I’ll be going now.”

“I’ll escort you to your room.”

Viper gestured with his eyes toward the main entrance of the castle. It seemed like he intended to keep an eye on her until she entered her room safely. Three boys among Cade’s aides approached her in a friendly manner as if they had known her for a long time. However, the rest of the adults were harder to approach. Among them, the man in front of her was undoubtedly the most difficult one. Cherryl, who couldn’t find any trace of sociability in him, absentmindedly headed towards her room in the castle. When Viper opened the main door, Lily, who happened to be passing through the first-floor hallway, spotted Cherryl and greeted her with a bright smile.

“Welcome back, My Lady. Did you enjoy the Winter Festival? Were you not cold?”

“Um. Was everything okay at the castle?”

“Except for the chef forgetting to put lemon juice on the salmon, nothing happened.”

“I see.”

Lily glanced at Viper standing beside her who seemed to be looking for someone.

“But I don’t see the others who went together with you. Did you come back alone? The Lord hasn’t returned yet either.”

“He had something to attend to, so it turned out that way. I believe Lord Cade will be back soon.”

A contented smile spread across Lily’s face as she nodded her head.

“That’s good timing. We have prepared something for both of you while you are out.”

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