Chapter 18
* * *
It was a full twenty minutes later when Kavil appeared.
Claude felt as though his lifespan had shortened by twenty years during those twenty minutes of waiting for Kavil.
Barely holding onto his frayed nerves, Claude approached Kavil.
“My lord! Where on earth have you been? No, that’s not the important part. Do you know who’s in the drawing room right now?”
Kavil handed the reins to the attendant, frowning in annoyance.
“What’s with you? So noisy. Who’s here?”
“Prince Lucien!”
“…What?”
“Prince Lucien is in the drawing room with the madam right now… My lord? Let’s go together, my lord!”
The sound of angry footsteps quickly faded from the entrance. The servants, who had been bowing toward Kavil, confirmed he was gone and began whispering softly.
“Ha, head maid. Did you see that? The master’s expression was terrifying… It was the kind that could haunt your dreams.”
“Shh, be quiet, will you? Has the master’s scary side been new for just a day or two?”
“Ha, but just now, it was really…”
“You said you have three younger siblings below you? If you want to work here long, you’d better watch your mouth. Don’t blurt out whatever comes to mind like that. Do you understand?”
“…Yes, head maid.”
The head maid’s gaze turned toward the hallway where Kavil had disappeared. She carefully clasped her hands and offered a prayer to the gods. She only hoped that the tragedy from the previous duke’s time wouldn’t repeat itself this time.
* * *
Helena, who had paused momentarily at Lucien’s words, soon formed a picture-perfect smile and gazed at him.
“Even if my schedule is free, would that change anything?”
“A lot would change. First of all…”
Just as Lucien was about to speak in his languid manner, bang! The drawing room door burst open without warning.
Helena, spotting Kavil entering through the door, widened her eyes in surprise.
“Your Grace?”
Kavil’s gaze lingered briefly on Helena as he stepped into the drawing room, then shifted to Lucien sitting across from her.
Lucien, who had elegantly taken a sip of tea, slowly turned to look at Kavil.
“You’re here earlier than I thought. I was just worrying I might have to leave without seeing your face.”
“…I greet Your Highness the Prince.”
“It seems I’ve made the duke come in a hurry. There was no need to worry so much. The duchess has been an excellent conversation partner.”
Lucien smiled as he looked at Helena.
“I didn’t expect Your Highness to visit without notice. If you’d informed me in advance, I could have had the pleasure of welcoming you myself.”
“Haha, I didn’t know the duke could say such things. I’ll make sure to contact you next time.”
Kavil sat down next to Helena. Noticing his unspoken gaze asking what he was here for, Lucien narrowed his eyes and said,
“One of the dogs raised by Count Randaph has gone missing. While searching, I ended up here.”
“…A dog, you say?”
Kavil’s eyes sank low as he realized that the ‘dog’ Lucien was referring to was Count Randaph’s henchman who had committed suicide the moment he was captured.
“If you happen to see a black dog, please let me know. It was quite a cherished one.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Lucien stared blatantly at Kavil, who was sitting close to Helena as if protecting her, then let out a small snort and took a sip of tea. With a graceful smile on his lips, Lucien rose from his seat.
“I should take my leave now. It seems I’ve startled the two of you.”
“Not at all, Your Highness.”
“I’ll visit formally next time. The conversation was enjoyable, Duchess.”
Helena slightly bowed her head toward Lucien as he left the drawing room. After Lucien and Kavil had completely exited the drawing room, Helena, left alone, turned her gaze to the bouquet on the table.
The lavish, blood-red bouquet that Lucien had given as a gift stood out starkly in the neat drawing room.
“Madam? Oh my, these are gladioli, aren’t they?”
Marian, entering the drawing room, recognized the flowers on the table.
“Yes. You know these flowers too, Marian.”
“Their flower language is oddly eerie, so it’s one of the few I remember. Isn’t it ‘warning’? Anyway, these flowers… Could it be that His Highness the Prince gave them?”
“Yes. He gave them as a gift.”
At the mention that the bouquet was a gift from the prince, Marian looked flustered. Helena smiled softly and handed the bouquet to Marian.
“They’re beautiful flowers. He probably gave them without any special meaning. I’d like to place them by the window… Could you bring a vase?”
“Yes, madam!”
While Marian left the drawing room to fetch a vase, Helena approached the window. The sight of Kavil and Lucien standing side by side in front of the imperial carriage came into view.
An inexplicable unease welled up in Helena’s heart as she looked down at the red bouquet cradled in her arms.
* * *
Lucien, about to board the carriage, turned back to Kavil as if something had just occurred to him.
“Oh, right. Do you remember we agreed to have lunch together, Duke? How about lunch tomorrow? Of course, with the duchess as well.”
“…….”
“I proposed it to the duchess before you arrived, but she said she’d confirm after checking your schedule first.”
Kavil, who had been staring down at Lucien as if piercing through his intentions, lightly nodded.
“Understood, Your Highness. I’ll assume we’re having lunch together tomorrow. I’ll inform my wife as well.”
“Excellent. See you tomorrow, then, Duke.”
With the unexpectedly smooth response, Lucien boarded the carriage with a lighthearted expression. Once the carriage carrying Lucien had sufficiently distanced itself from the ducal residence, Claude approached Kavil’s side and grumbled.
“See, my lord! What did I tell you? Look at that sly fox of a prince already making his move. He’s definitely suspicious that what happened back then was your doing.”
“It was a trap.”
“Pardon? What was?”
“Remember Count Randaph’s henchman who died back then? The one who committed suicide as soon as he was captured. The prince deliberately let him loose to see what I’d do.”
“…What?”
“Something felt off. Count Randaph, known for his meticulous handling of affairs, leaving crumbs like that. He left them on purpose, to see how I’d react.”
“Then…”
Kavil crossed his arms and continued nonchalantly.
“It means it’s too late to play the fox with the prince now. He’s confirmed that I won’t stand on his side.”
Claude sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“Good heavens. What is this all about… Surely we won’t end up caught between the prince and the princess? The thought alone is horrifying.”
“It’s better this way. Better to be the user than the used.”
“…What do you mean by that, my lord? You haven’t forgotten what I said, have you? To protect what’s precious, you need to be cautious…”
“That’s exactly why I’m doing this—to protect.”
“Pardon?”
Ignoring Claude’s question, Kavil silently stared in the direction where Lucien had disappeared.
* * *
After confirming through the window that Lucien had left the mansion, Helena changed into comfortable attire and headed to the annex.
Tomorrow was already the deadline for submitting to the art exhibition. A satisfied smile appeared on Helena’s lips as she gazed at the painting on the easel. Marian, standing beside her, said,
“Madam, this is completely different from the painting you drew last time, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I thought of something I wanted to paint more, so I redid it.”
“In my opinion, this one is much more beautiful.”
On the easel was not the original painting she intended to submit, but a new one drawn after her lakeside walk with Kavil. There was a man rowing a small boat alone over a blue lake reflecting deep green forests and white clouds.
The man’s profile, backlit by the sunlight, seemed somewhat lonely yet peaceful.
After staring at the painting for a while, Helena called a servant to have it packaged.
“Madam, if you want to make it in time for dinner, you should start getting ready soon.”
“Already? Time flies.”
“Flies? It’s already getting dark outside. Oh, madam! You can leave the art supplies; we’ll take care of them.”
“It’s fine. I prefer doing it myself. That way, I know exactly where everything is and can use them right away.”
“We know where you keep your supplies too, madam.”
“It’s okay, Marian. I can handle this much.”
“Madam, really…”
Marian shook her head at Helena’s resolute gaze. Having successfully submitted her painting within the deadline, Helena began organizing the scattered art supplies with a light heart.
She washed the palette and water container stained with various colors, neatly arranged the brushes, and only then returned to her room.
After a simple wash, Helena sat at the vanity, surrounded by the maids. She quietly listened to their chattering conversations, occasionally joining in with a smile.
“It really is amazing. The head maid said that except when he was a child, the master always ate alone… But lately, unless there’s something special, he makes an effort to dine with the madam, doesn’t he?”
“I find that amazing too, Marian.”
“You too, madam? Oh, this isn’t the time! You should head down to the dining room soon, madam.”
In the dining room, Kavil, who had arrived first, was waiting for her.
Helena found it strange and novel every time that Kavil, who had ignored her to the point of treating her like she didn’t exist in the early days of their marriage, now sat across from her and shared meals.
As she traced back when Kavil had changed, Helena realized his behavior had shifted starting from Eleanor’s birthday party.
What had changed him? Lost in deep thought, Helena’s fork came to a halt above her plate.
Kavil, who had been impassively cutting his steak, noticed her and casually said,
“What’s captured your mind this time?”
“Pardon?”
“There are no lakes or trees here that you seem to like so unusually much.”
Realizing Kavil was referring to what happened at the lakeside restaurant last time, Helena moved her fork with an embarrassed expression.
“Just… I had something to think about.”
“Earlier.”
Kavil, slowly rolling the wine glass in his hand, opened his mouth.
