The Granduke Evil
Chapter 7

One week before the crown princess's birthday party. For the first time Grace takes Ethan out of the castle, she takes Ethan out to tour and enjoy the view of the capital. In the horse-drawn carriage.

" After the flowers, you really like purple?" Ethan asked who was sitting in front of Grace while watching her.

" Is it inappropriate?" Back asking,

" I only wear dresses that the waiter chooses to dress me up in." Connect her.

Then Ethan fell silent and muttered inwardly,

" Whatever may not be appropriate, just the opposite of what he wears looks beautiful, plus the color of eyes that are blue like jewels and hair that is blue with the color of his skin white , She really looks like a doll."

Ethan smiled as he looked at Grace, "Whatever you're wearing is perfect for you Grace, because your skin is as white as snow, making you fit for anything." Ethan.

" really? " Ask with his innocent face.

" Yes, when you told me to wait in the Flower Garden earlier, I was shocked to see you. Because you look so pretty on top of your shimmering clothes it makes me barely see you clearly earlier hahaha." Ethan ends with a laugh to melt the atmosphere.

But Grace's expression is different from Ethan's, he looks moody when Ethan talks about her.

" The next time I'll wear a dress that doesn't sparkle." Grace said uninspiredly.

Ethan was surprised to hear Grace say, "Eh I said it wrong" he said in his heart.

" That's not how I mean Grace, whatever you're wearing you look beautiful. So stay confident no matter what you look like, it would be nice if you chose the clothes you wear, because it's for you so you can freely determine with pleasure not a decisive servant." Ethan tried to cheer Grace up.

" Can it be like that?" Ask.

" Of course, that's why you're the one who decides." Reply Ethan.

" Thank you, Ethan."

" Yes" he said with a smile.

The horse-drawn carriage continues to run in the middle of the capital, and stops at one of the most famous boutiques there.

" Come on Ethan." Grace.

" Wait!"

Grace's hand stopped when she opened the door, "Let me open it." Ethan.

He opened the door of his horse-drawn carriage and got off first, "Now come down, be careful" he said, extending a hand. Grace just smiled, "Thank you." He received Ethan's hand.

Then the two of them walked together and entered the boutique, The owner of the boutique immediately warmly welcomed when he knew that Grace was coming.

" Merry Day Madam Vena." Sapa Grace's.

" well, look who's here, my cute, pretty girl." Said the boutique owner immediately grasped both hands Grace, Ethan who was beside Grace at that time look confused. " Who is this, the handsome man next to you Grace, his eyes are so beautiful they don't look foreign." Keep talking without pause. Ethan who heard the word instantly diverted his back.

"ahem." Grace's voice cleared her throat, to distract the boutique owner. " I'm sorry madam, I just got back. He's a far-away brother of my uncle." Grace said, introducing Ethan.

" Oh so, it's only fitting that the count order two men's shirts, apparently for his nephew." Said the boutique owner, "Oh yeah your clothes are so , you want to see it?" Ask her.

" Of course I came here for that madam." Reply Grace.

" All right I'll show you."

" Ethan you wait in the living room over there, I'll go inside first with the madam." Grace.

" all right. " Answer Ethan briefly.

...****...

Inside the boutique she sees the clothes she will wear at the crown princess's birthday party later. " Well madam this dress is so beautiful." Said Grace who was stunned to see the beautiful dress she ordered was still on display at Mannequin. " Of course, I'll make you dozens of beautiful dresses if you want Grace." The reply.

" Thank you madam."

"yes the same, Then this suit clothes will be worn by your uncle, according to his request one more suit I do not make too crowded is also simple but still looks luxurious." The shop owner said, Showing the suit still on display at the Mannequin statue, while explaining the details of his clothes.

" It'll look beautiful if she's wearing it." Grace said unconsciously. Hearing Grace's words the boutique owner immediately mocked her

" hooo, what expression is Grace."

" Aren't madam." Said Grace directly diverted the conversation. "if that is so, then please take it to the castle ya madam."

" Well, my men will drive you to Count's Castle." The reply. " Where else will Grace go after this." Keep asking.

" hmm, I still want to walk around here." Her reply.

" If so, give him this robe, tell him to wear it. I feel like he looks uncomfortable when people look at his face" he said, giving the robe.

" Thank you, madam."

" It's with pleasure Grace."

Then Grace reunites with Ethan, who is waiting in the waiting room. " Anythea!" Call her.

" Oh Grace are you done?"

"It."

" Well, where are we going after this." Ask her while getting out of the seat.

"Wait on! Don't get up yet" Grace said.

" Huh Why.?" Ethan asked confusedly.

" Be quiet, you are high." Then put the robe on Ethan, "If you stand up later I can't put it on." Just keep her on and cover Ethan's head. " Now it is."

" why do I have to wear this robe?"

" I know you're uncomfortable when people see you." Grace.

" How does he know, I'm not comfortable when people look at me." Ethan said in his heart.

" Now let's walk, there's a lot I want to show you." Grace holds Ethan by the hand and invites him out of the boutique.

Ethan continues to follow Grace's footsteps, He doesn't care where the girl will take him, as long as Grace is happy she will continue to follow him. Grace introduced one by one place in the capital from shops, restaurants to street food like in the market was shocked. Ethan, seeing it all for the first time, thinks that in a world that is still unfamiliar to him this is not much different from where he lived before. Tired of walking around they both stopped their steps in one of the satay traders, There is sausage mushroom and also vegetable. Then Grace chose all the flavors that were there, after paying them to devour the satay. In the first bite Ethan felt the familiar taste of the food, The taste of chili also spices mixed into one, the taste of chili, Reminds her of one of the sausage mushrooms she often buys when she goes to the night market with her sister.

" How does Ethan feel?"

" It's so good." retorts Ethan.

"Thank God you liked him." Said Grace standing beside him. " After this let's stop by one of the most delicious desert restaurants here, then go to the lake while watching the sunset. " Hisband.

" All right." Ethan replies to the girl's request.

As planned after a desert meal they went to the lake to see the sunset,

At the lake, Ethan was silent thinking about many things.

" Ethan, what's wrong? I noticed you were just quiet." Grace asked who was sitting next to Ethan.

" No, I'm just remembering things from the past." retorted Ethan.

" What is that thing? until it bothered your mind like that."

" really? Do you miss her so much."

Ethan turned his gaze while looking at Grace, he smiled." Even so, I still won't be able to see her. Because that time is far from now." Her speech.

" hmm, you mean what ?" Grace asked with her innocent face while thinking.

" pft_" Ethan held back a laugh, being anxious to see Grace's face like that. " Let's just say life before I was born into this world." Ethan said while looking at the sun that was sinking.

" Is there anything like that?" Asking again.

" Haha, don't think too much. Since it's getting dark Let's go home ', the sun has set so beautifully earlier."

" alright,. Let's go home later uncle gets angry."

" That's right, Mr. Count will be angry if we go home too late."

And for the first time Ethan feels weird, being able to be gentle like that in front of Grace. Because in the novel Ethan in the picture right with his attitude is cold and does not care about anyone including women. They walked up to the Alun Square, Not long after they got there The horse-drawn carriage that had brought them this afternoon came. He forgot to go by horse-drawn carriage, because all day just walk around this place. " Hehe, I told them to pick us up here this afternoon, so you don't have to put on a confused expression like that Ethan. "

" Oh so." He responded to Grace's words.

Not long after the horse-drawn carriage was on its way, Grace fell asleep while leaning against the window. Ethan, who saw it, immediately moved to sit next to Grace, "If you sleep like that, you can get a sore neck." He said as he leaned Grace's head on his shoulder. While backing up for the girl, Ethan's mind begins to frown again on the plot of the novel he's reading, because of all the events in the world he almost never reads in novels. " In fact, this has entered the core of the novel or not, or the plot has not been started. " Think. " From what I've read, Ethan has a bad personality because of his father's mysterious death, an imperial man who secretly mixes poison every time his father visits the palace, he's a, Then the death of his father that just passed, Ethan's title rise at a young age. All of that became a question that continued to revolve in him, Until finally he decided to take revenge on the empire, He did not intend to ascend the throne but wanted the empire could not have what he had. Ethan, who is in the novel, approaches the girl the crown prince likes to tease him, and then Ethan loves the woman completely. The end of the story he was killed for what yes, I don't really remember." The one who keeps thinking. Then he came back to see Grace still asleep, too,

" Who do you think that girl is? Is that you Grace." Her speech. " Because it's been a long time since I've read it, so I don't really remember the plot." Still in the same position.

...****************...

Arriving at the castle, Ethan doesn't come down right away because Grace is still fast asleep and she doesn't have the heart to wake him up, so she continues to sit next to Grace while waiting for Grace to wake up. Maybe it's been almost three hours Grace just woke up, wrestling like a cat just waking up. " Hmm. Have we arrived?"

" Your sleep is long." Ethan looked out the window.

"Loh! How are you here from when?" Grace asked who was shocked to see Ethan beside her.

" When do you think? If I hadn't been here maybe now your neck would have hurt." The reply.

" Don't I just lean on your shoulder?"

" Well, more or less so." Ethan answered briefly.

" Nah since now you're awake let's get off I also want to sleep in the room. " Connect her then open the door of the horse carriage.

"So I fell asleep on his shoulder, or did he deliberately make me lean on his shoulder so that my neck would not hurt? It's almost midnight now." Grace said inwardly guessing what happened. " Don't let him wait for me to wake up, No!!! shameful Once." the voice of Grace's heart screams was only heard by her.

" Hey Grace, it's cold down here knowing when you're going down." Ethan said as he extended his hand. Grace received the helping hand, and got off the horse carriage in shame.

" What's this kid?" Wonderful to see Grace bow her head from earlier.

Unexpectedly, when opening the door of Count Etienne's main room the two knights guarding Grace were also the servants gathered there. The two of them became the center of attention for a while, "So where have you been, and you're Grace, aren't you saying goodbye to the boutique.Why did midnight just come home?" Asked the Count with an angry expression.

They both just kept quiet. " Moreover why you're not going with bodyguards, you're Ethan you should know the conditions, how can you go without any bodyguards at all , If anything happens to you how!" His increasingly loud voice made everyone in the room silent.

" But uncle, Ethan and I just walked around the capital, then went to the lake to see the sunset." Grace ventured to explain everything.

" It looks like the count is in a big rage, Freely explaining he definitely won't want to hear." Ethan said in his heart. " I have to give a reasonable reason, so that everything will end soon after all I am also very sleepy."

" Silence Grace!, you shouldn't be like that, you know it's dangerous outside, you should be the one who knows it the most." Count's asserted to Grace.

Ethan stepped up his legs and stood in front of Grace, then lowered his head. " I'm sorry, sir, we're late because the horse-drawn carriage that we were riding broke in the middle of the road, and it took quite a while to fix it." Ethan said politely.

" Hah" the Count sighed after hearing Ethan's words. " It's enough for you two to explain, Go to each other's rooms and reflect on your mistakes. I'll get back to work." The Count left the place, and the servants gathered there returned to work on his duties.

" Miss, you go anywhere all day, we follow Miss but instead lose track of "Sir Leon said as he approached Grace and Ethan.

With a cynical look Grace stared at him, "So you're the one reporting to uncle?"

" It's not me!"

" Because she hasn't been home till night, so I'm telling you, sir, she was about to deploy some troops to look for you, but you abandoned her intentions when you found out you were going out with your friend." Sir Rocco told Grace.

" That means the count knows what happened, was it just a bluff" Ethan thought.

" Huh." Struggling with Breath, "Have it, Ethan go back to your room and rest." Said Grace who was already lazy thinking about what happened.

" Alright, you get some rest too."

...****************...

After that day the Count punishes Grace for not seeing Ethan until the crown princess's birthday party and Ethan's. Grace, who is agitated and wants to see Ethan, pleads with her uncle, but instead of Ethan, she prefers to stay in the room, reading books while looking for information about the imperial family. Even though he was desperate to see Grace, he could still hold her off for just one Week.

While reading a book quietly in his room, someone knocked on the door.

"Tok, Tok," The sound of knocking on the door.

" Ethan, it's me." Count's voice from behind the door.

Ethan walked over, and opened the door. " What's the matter, sir?"

" Can I come in?" The count asked back.

" Of course." Reply Ethan, "Just get in the count."

The Count went into the room and sat down where Ethan used to drink tea with Grace and read books. " I wonder what you do when you're alone in your room, just reading a book. You have no intention of practicing swords with my knights?" Ask Count.

Then Ethan pulls up a chair and sits opposite Count Etienne.

" No sir, from that day on I felt strange as I grumbled the sword." Ethan said, looking at his hand.

" Why feel strange, From childhood you really like the sword, until in the battlefield you can not be separated with your sword." Count told Ethan. " Do you not remember, you are in the middle of the battlefield wrongly aged Fourteen years. I'm really worried about why Gioto brought you to the battlefield at your young age, it's very dangerous. But he said, If it wasn't him who else would protect and look after his family later. The point is he wants to educate you from childhood, so that when he leaves you can replace him. Who would have thought that his words had come true now." The Count continued to tell the story without pause and Ethan just listened.

" Maybe you know that in time he'll be gone, and he wants to entrust everything to me too." Reply Ethan.

" Ah sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

while smiling with an airy chest feeling, "No papa mister." The reply, "Setragis whatever Ethan's story is in this world, no one knows and cares. And now I have to survive in this world no matter what risks I face." His words in the heart.

" Then I want to give you this, these eye drops that have magic in them. Put this in your eyes tomorrow before you leave, your eye color will change, but only about five hours." He explained while giving the medicine to Ethan.

" wah Sophisticated yes, If in my place first have to use softlens so that eye color can change as desired." Ethan said unconsciously.

" Huh what? sof..what?" The Count asked confusedly.

" Ah not what sir, thank you for giving this to me." Reply Ethan.

" It's Ethan's pleasure, whenever you need a rock you can tell me."

" Thank you, sir." Ethan's reply.

" I want to resign myself." Count then left the place.

"Well..." Ethan sighed, "Kira thought what would happen tomorrow huh, This is my first time coming to such a party in this world. Whatever happens I'll keep following him." Ethan said in the room by himself.

Art by me ⁇ ️