Ch 3.7
‘No.’
I shook my head inwardly and tried to pull myself together once more.
Whatever this man wanted, whatever he was thinking when he asked the question, it had nothing to do with me.
Perhaps he didn’t have any particular thought at all.
It could just be a meaningless conversation to fill the time.
Of course, I didn’t actually believe that was the case.
But regardless of how he was, I just needed to keep my wits about me, and once I thought that, my mind cleared.
Accordingly, I intentionally put on an even more radiant smile and replied to him.
“Grence was the most memorable. As you may know, that place is now my personal estate.”
“……Did you say Grence?”
“Yes, Grence has good air and is quiet, so it’s perfect as a resort. I’m even thinking of staying there for a month or two out of the year if I get married and have children later.”
I gave Aiden the exact same answer I had given to Kane earlier.
“I see.”
“Yes.”
Originally, it was polite for nobles to ask and answer each other, but I didn’t want to exchange words with him any longer, so I deliberately gave a short answer.
However, as if he didn’t want to end it, he spoke to me again without pause.
“I am also out often for work, and the most memorable place for me was a place called Peorat, near the capital.”
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at his answer.
However, hiding my expression as much as possible, I struggled to maintain my composure while agonizing over what kind of response to give him.
If it was Peorat, it was the place where we first met two years ago.
It was clear he had mentioned the name of that place on purpose.
“Ah, yes.”
I answered shortly again.
It was a firm message that I did not wish to speak further.
I did not want to get involved with him—no, with anyone in this space except for my parents—whether for good or bad things in the future.
Kane, Adela, and even Aiden were people of no benefit to be entangled with, and since I considered them people outside my interest, I wasn’t very inclined to continue talking like this.
Anyone with a shred of intuition would have realized that I didn’t want to converse any further, but Aiden did not yield and continued the conversation.
“Have you ever been to Peorat, Lady?”
It was once again a question loaded with intent.
“No, I have never been there.”
And I replied concisely.
It meant that we were strangers from the start, and I never wanted to be involved with him in the future.
At my answer, his face distorted slightly.
“……I see.”
It took quite a long time for that response to come out of his mouth.
Still, perhaps my intentional answer worked on him this time, as he finally fell silent.
However, as if wanting me to feel uncomfortable, he just stared at me with a completely stiff expression.
Finally, the voice of the gatekeeper was heard announcing the Emperor’s arrival.
“His Majesty Christian Winston Baltheus, the brightest sun of Baltheus and the noble Emperor, is entering. Everyone, please stand and show your respect to His Majesty.”
Everyone inside stood up to greet the Emperor of Baltheus.
“We greet His Majesty Christian Winston Baltheus, the brightest sun of Baltheus and the noble Emperor.”
And together, everyone showed their respect to the Emperor at the same time.
The Emperor, having received the
greetings, sat in the highest seat and spoke.
“Haha, everyone, please sit.”
At the Emperor’s words, we sat back in our respective seats.
I caught a glimpse of the Emperor out of the corner of my eye.
He looked similar in age to my father and had a surprisingly good impression for the emperor of a nation.
‘I must have read too many novels and naturally thought of a tyrant.’
Then again, a tyrant was something that could never exist in this world.
“Seeing the three Ducal houses gathered together like this after a long time makes my heart feel very secure.”
The Emperor seemed to be good at saying things he didn’t mean.
Unlike the members of the Ducal families, past Emperors only barely held their positions while feeling the sorrow of lacking their own unique and powerful strength.
Especially in this generation, because the relationship between the three houses was poor and they tried to avoid seeing each other if possible, the Emperor had no choice but to periodically create such occasions to seek harmony for the safety
of the Empire.
So even now, although the Emperor sat in the highest seat, he was the one who had to be the most observant of others’
moods, so it was certain he wouldn’t find this occasion pleasant.
“That is true, Your Majesty. I am also truly glad to see the two Dukes after such a long time.”
“Indeed. Thank you for arranging such a place, Your Majesty.”
As expected, the two seasoned middle-aged Dukes replied to the Emperor’s words in turn.
The first to reply was Duke Bayon, and the person who replied as if chiming in was my father.
“Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty.”
And finally, even Kane expressed his gratitude to the Emperor.
With those greetings and the asking after one another’s well-being, the Emperor’s role was over.
After that, the conversation developed centered around the three Dukes.
The other people were focusing on their meal and barely speaking.
After clearing even the dessert, everyone except for the Emperor and the three Dukes stood up from their seats.
Mother said that since she had come to the Imperial Palace for the first time in a while, she was going to briefly meet the Empress, who had been her friend since childhood.
Having nothing in particular to do, I thought about waiting for my parents inside the carriage, but then decided to take a walk in the Imperial Palace gardens since I was already here.
‘I’m quite tired.’
Being in the same space with unwelcome people for several hours was very taxing, both mentally and physically.
Perhaps because the seat was uncomfortable, I couldn’t even remember what the food I ate tasted like.
The man sitting in front of me kept staring at me throughout the meal, and the man sitting diagonally didn’t look openly, but stole glances at me whenever he had a chance.
I pretended not to care about their gazes at all and was just busy putting food into my mouth without knowing the taste.
‘I never want to come again.’
Especially if those two men were there, I never wanted to come to such a dinner again.
But I’ll probably have to come again.
Because that is my duty and responsibility.
However, it was very strange.
Aiden is one thing, but why is even Kane acting like that?
‘Something is wrong.’
Even if I couldn’t know exactly where it went wrong or what was wrong, I could tell that things had gone deeply awry.
While I was thinking about the reason until my head felt like it would burst, I heard the sound of someone’s footsteps
approaching nearby.
I stood still and stared at the place where the sound was coming from.
The footsteps grew closer and closer, and finally, someone revealed themselves.
It was Aiden Bayon.
‘Oh, why again…….’
To think I would run into this man again because there was no one else to run into.
I let out a deep sigh inwardly and tried to pass him after just a slight nod of my head.
However, just as I was about to brush past him, he spoke to me.
“I never imagined the Lady was the daughter of House Hates.”
The same was true for me.
“Same here.”
“It’s been about a year since I saw you in Yulita. Have you been traveling continuously since then?”
“Yes, well, something like that.”
I wanted to answer quickly and leave this place, but as if Aiden had no intention of letting me go, he kept talking to me just like before.
“I heard you visited the orphanage.”
Seeing that he knew I had visited, it seemed the children told Aiden that they had seen me.
“Yes, I went there with Lian. I wanted to show Lian that the children were doing well.”
“As expected, you are a kind and tender-hearted person.”
“Since I took that child in, I just wanted to do what I could for him.”
I spoke as if it were even more insignificant on purpose.
“Is that child, the one named Lian, doing well?”
“Yes, he’s doing very well.”
With that answer, a brief silence fell between us.
Then, Aiden suddenly began to stare at me intently.
“Wh-what is it?”
“Are you uncomfortable with me?”
Is that even a question?
Of course it’s uncomfortable.
“Excuse me, you do know who I am, right?”
I asked Aiden as if protesting, with an incredulous laugh.
“Yes, I know.”
“Then you must also know why I find the young lord of Bayon uncomfortable.”
“…….”
“I believe the young lord also knows the reason why I left on my journey. I broke my engagement with Duke Maxius, and I hurriedly left the capital to forget him.”
“…….”
However, Aiden’s expression was a bit strange, as if it were the first time he was hearing this.
Could it be…….
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”
“……No, I didn’t know.”
No, how could he not know?
Surely, all sorts of unfiltered rumors must have spread in an instant throughout social circles as soon as my engagement was broken.
But he didn’t know?
“Because of work, the days I spend in the capital out of the year can be counted on one hand. This time as well, I returned after being away for quite a while. That is why I did not know about the matter regarding the Lady, my older sister, and Duke Maxius. My apologies.”
Aiden even bowed his head to me and apologized politely.
‘Ah, so that’s why his expression was like that earlier.’
I had been puzzled because he looked at me so gladly as soon as he first saw me, but now I finally knew the reason.
“I responded too sharply to someone who knew nothing. I apologize as well.”
“No. It’s alright.”
“As for the details, I think you can go and hear them from your sister; as I mentioned earlier, I was the fiancée of Duke Kane Maxius. I heard that now Duke Kane Maxius and your sister, Lady Adela Bayon, have broken their engagement, but I am a person who was dumped because of the two of them.”
After returning to the capital at the end of my trip, I intended to escape from Kane’s shadow and live a completely new life.
Things like the broken engagement or having loved Kane—I intended to treat such things as if they never happened and had no intention of speaking of them anymore.
To be honest, since I had no heart for Kane in the first place, I had no particular feelings toward Adela or Aiden.
However, I couldn’t deny that this method was the best to avoid being entangled further with this man who, for some reason, was pleased to see me.
So, I once again wore the mask of the tragic former fiancée who was dumped by the Duke.
“Of course, the young lord must know that the reason the two of them broke up was not because of me. Since I was traveling during that time.”
I said as if emphasizing to him that the reason the two of them broke their engagement was not because of me.
“But apart from that, when my engagement was broken, the world as I knew it collapsed, and because of that, I felt so miserable that I didn’t even want to live anymore. Can a person like me be here so mindlessly with you, the younger brother of Lady Adela Bayon?”
