Chapter 15
“Your grace’s evening schedule?”
“I was thinking of asking him to have dinner together.”
“Oh, I’ll go find out right away, madam!”
Marian’s eyes widened in surprise, but she soon broke into a bright smile and dashed out of the room. Feeling a bit embarrassed by Marian’s reaction, Helena fiddled absently with the calendar.
The maids, watching her with amused smiles, pulled her along, suggesting they go pick out a dress.
“Madam, how about this dress? Since it’s for dinner, it might be nice to go with something bold.”
“…Bold?”
“No way! Madam prefers brighter colors like this over that shade. Isn’t that right, madam?”
The maids launched into a passionate debate among themselves about which dress would suit Helena best.
It was at that moment, as Helena watched them with a small smile, that Marian returned from the study and entered the room with a downcast expression.
“Madam….”
“Marian, what did his grace say? Did he mention that dinner might be difficult after all?”
“Well… It seems an urgent matter arose, and he was preparing to go out. He said he’d return late at night.”
“Ah….”
Well, it can’t be helped then, Helena thought as she nodded. The maids drooped their eyebrows in disappointment, as if they themselves had been turned down.
Catching sight of them out of the corner of her eye, Marian’s lips twitched, and then she spoke in a tone brimming with excitement.
“Instead, he suggested having lunch together tomorrow!”
“Hm? Lunch tomorrow?”
“Yes! And not at the estate, but outside!”
No sooner had Marian finished speaking than the maids covered their mouths with their hands and made a huge fuss. Helena, the only one looking bewildered, asked,
“But why specifically outside…?”
“Oh, come on, madam. His grace is asking you on a date!”
“A date?”
“Yes! Eating out together, taking a walk, watching the night view—that’s what a date is, what else could it be?”
“Did his grace say we’d watch the night view together?”
Helena’s face flushed with confusion.
“Uh, no… He didn’t say that exactly. But surely he won’t send you back right after lunch? You’ll go for a walk together, and before you know it, you’ll be watching the night view!”
Helena tilted her head quizzically. Marian continued, as if exasperated.
“Anyway, madam, just leave it to us tomorrow. We’ll dress you up so stunningly that his grace’s eyes will bulge out!”
Watching the maids burning with enthusiasm, Helena let out a smile tinged with embarrassment.
* * *
At that very moment, as Helena browsed through colorful dresses, unable to resist the maids’ insistent urging.
Behind the imperial capital. A short scream escaped from between the dark, narrow alleyways. Soon, the alley fell silent, and a man cloaked in a black robe emerged.
“My lord!”
Claude, hurrying toward Kavil, caught sight of the limp body dangling from his hand and recoiled in horror.
“So you ended up killing him?”
“I didn’t kill him; he died on his own. The moment I grabbed him, he bit his tongue and took his own life before I could stop him.”
“…Sigh. This is going to be a headache. I thought we’d at least catch a lead on the prince—no, Count Randaph—but for him to commit suicide right away.”
Kavil flung the body to the ground with a flick and irritably shook off the clotted blood from his hands.
“Burn that thing.”
“Yes, my lord.”
At Kavil’s command, the black-robed knights standing behind him swiftly picked up the body and vanished. Claude furrowed his brows as he stared at the bloodstains congealed on the ground.
“Is it really okay to just burn it? Count Randaph will notice soon enough.”
“Doesn’t matter. There are more than a few who hold grudges against the count. How would he know it was me who disposed of the body?”
“Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t! But the timing is tricky right now. It was just recently that you and His Highness the Prince clashed in the council meeting over the murder on Dixon Street. And Count Randaph, who’s handling that case, is the prince’s man. In the middle of all that, one of the count’s key underlings suddenly goes missing? This is practically…”
Kavil let Claude’s words pour out uninterrupted, flowing in one ear and out the other, as he slowly peeled off his gloves.
For some reason, the blood-soaked gloves were especially grating today. Handing them to the knight behind him, Kavil narrowed his brows in irritation.
“Don’t make a fuss. How does that prove I did it? And ‘clashed’? Hardly.”
“They can fabricate evidence even if there isn’t any. What worries me is that, with this incident, the prince might realize you’re absolutely not going to side with him.”
“So what? It’s true—I won’t support the prince. Why does that matter?”
Claude followed behind Kavil, who strode ahead with legs that seemed twice as long as anyone else’s.
“Oh, come on, my lord! Wouldn’t it cost you anything to act like a fox and pretend to support the prince? Sure, plenty hold grudges against Count Randaph, but those with grudges against you number in the dozens—maybe hundreds! What’s the point in adding more?”
“There are already hundreds; what’s the harm in one more?”
Claude slapped his chest in frustration and muttered under his breath.
“Now you have someone to protect.”
“…….”
Kavil’s steps came to an abrupt halt. Seizing the opportunity, Claude quickly pressed on.
“Now you have someone to protect, my lord.”
“…….”
“Even if it’s for the madam’s sake, wouldn’t it be better to act with a bit more caution?”
“…….”
“Yes? My lord.”
As those golden eyes glared murderously, Claude instinctively stepped back. Then, at the low voice that followed, Claude’s eyes widened in shock.
“So. What do you suggest I do?”
* * *
Warm morning sunlight streamed into the duchess’s bedroom.
The maids, more thrilled than the couple themselves about the ducal pair’s first date, had been bustling since early morning to help with Helena’s preparations.
“Madam, fortunately, the wound has healed quite a bit.”
Marian said as she applied ointment to Helena’s hand.
“It seems the new ointment from the physician is working well.”
“Exactly. I was worried about any scars remaining, but it’s a relief. The new doctor’s skills definitely seem solid.”
“Oh, speaking of which, Marian. Do you know why the physician suddenly changed?”
“Well…”
Marian nearly blurted out that it was because the master had angrily demanded a replacement, bringing in someone new, but she quickly clamped her mouth shut.
Avoiding Helena’s clear eyes that waited expectantly for an answer, Marian mumbled evasively.
“The previous doctor apparently got an opportunity to work at a better place.”
“I see. That’s good news, but it would have been nice to at least say goodbye…”
“Uh… He must have been very busy.”
Marian trailed off with a flustered expression. And before Helena could probe further about the physician, she swiftly changed the subject.
“By the way, madam. How about wearing the pink shoes today? If you’re planning to walk as well, those will be the most comfortable.”
“These ones I’m wearing now are fine, since we’ll just have lunch and head back soon.”
“No! My intuition is telling me that you and his grace will definitely end up going for a walk.”
Unable to counter Marian’s resolute tone any further, Helena gave a small nod.
“Madam! It’s all done—how does it look?”
“…How are all of you so talented with your hands?”
Helena marveled, repeatedly angling her head in the mirror. Half of her golden, thread-like hair was braided thickly and half-tied with a light pink ribbon, while the rest cascaded naturally down to her waist.
Paired with the light pink midi dress, it amplified her endearing charm even more. The maids, including Marian, smiled with profound satisfaction.
“You look just like a fairy from a pink rose garden. His grace is truly fortunate to have married our madam…”
Helena offered a soft smile at the maids’ compliments and rose to her feet. As she descended the stairs, she spotted Kavil already waiting by the entrance.
Unlike his usual sharply tailored black uniform, Kavil was dressed in a white shirt and black vest. Standing at a slant, he irritably unbuttoned his shirt as if it felt stifling, and his gaze suddenly shifted toward her.
Seeing his casual attire for the first time, Helena’s mouth formed a perfect circle. For some inexplicable reason, her heart stirred intensely. Come to think of it, in all her life, she had never encountered anyone as beautiful as her husband.
His sharply upturned eyes contrasted with the delicate, long lashes, making him appear both cool and gentle. It was an appearance clearly sculpted by the gods with meticulous care, down to the very last breath.
Meeting those golden eyes fixed solely on her, Helena slowly began to walk. Finally reaching him, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Shall we go?”
Kavil, who hadn’t torn his gaze away since Helena appeared on the stairs, slowly extended his hand. Her small hand carefully settled atop the large man’s palm.
After leaving the estate and traveling for quite some time, the carriage finally came to a halt. As Helena stepped out, her eyes widened in wonder.
Before the restaurant with its pristine white exterior walls lay a lake as beautiful as a painting. Sunlight shattered across the blue waters, sparkling brilliantly.
The scene was so breathtaking that even blinking felt like a waste, and Helena belatedly regretted not bringing her sketchbook.
Even after entering the restaurant, her gaze refused to leave the window. She resolved to soak in as much as she could of the sunlight, clouds, and lake visible beyond the glass.
It was then that Kavil, who had been indifferently slicing his steak, lifted his head and spoke.
“Is the food not to your liking?”
“Huh? No, it’s delicious.”
“You seem to have barely touched it.”
Only then did Helena realize she hadn’t properly eaten her food, and she embarrassedly began moving her fork.
“I must be a little excited. The food really is tasty.”
“…Good to hear.”
“But in such a large restaurant, there’s not a single other person here?”
“Because I told them to clear everyone out.”
“What?”
Helena’s eyes rounded wide at the response to her offhand question, which was more startling than she’d anticipated.
“You mentioned you can’t eat with others around. That you hate sharing the same space.”
“So you ordered the entire place emptied?”
“Yeah.”
As if to ask what the issue was, Kavil elegantly brought the wine glass to his lips. Helena blinked, then hesitated before speaking.
“I’d like to ask the reason… Of course, if you don’t want to say, you don’t have to.”
Kavil’s eyes narrowed, as if assessing her intentions. Slowly twirling the glass in his hand, he finally opened his mouth.
