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Chapter 16…………………………………..
Taken off guard by Aria and Hasedian’s sudden visit, Rubelia felt a wave of dizziness.
If they had at least given advance notice, she could’ve prepared herself mentally.
But unexpected encounters only damaged her sanity.
Meanwhile, Aria and Hasedian—who had opened the door and walked in—stared at Rubelia clinging closely to Jerden, the two of them wrapped in an almost overly affectionate atmosphere, and looked as if they might cry.
“How rude.”
Jerden’s voice turned cold as he reprimanded them for barging in despite clearly knowing there were guests.
Startled for a moment, Aria and Hasedian quickly offered polite greetings.
“We apologize first. We were too hasty and acted rudely.”
Aria said this while forcing a graceful expression.
“I’m quite curious what kind of urgent matter would make you behave like this.”
“Are you truly asking that because you don’t know?”
Hasedian’s voice was sharp. Jerden’s expression grew even more crooked.
“Um, I don’t really know either?”
Sensing that things might escalate into a fight if left alone, Rubelia stepped in.
“I had a very bad feeling.”
“Yes, that’s why we came to check whether the young lady was injured…”
At Aria’s words, Rubelia flinched. She wasn’t the only one with strong instincts.
Even the marquis—who was more reasonable than Aria and Hasedian—might react unpredictably, so she had hidden her injury. If those two found out…
Rubelia’s face darkened.
“But it seems you were in even greater danger.”
‘Huh?’
Rubelia looked puzzled at Aria’s words.
“Step away from Lady Rubelia immediately.”
Aria warned Jerden sharply.
“I may have ignored the fact that His Grace was kidnapped last time, but I won’t this time.”
Not to be outdone, Hasedian added his voice.
Jerden looked utterly dumbfounded. At the same time, his eyes turned cold with irritation.
“And why would I do that?”
He challenged them icily.
“Lady Stein is not yours, Your Grace.”
“That’s right. Lady Rubelia is a cliffside flower—something no one can ever claim.”
Aria looked at Jerden as if he should already know this.
‘If I were really a cliffside flower…’
Then I wouldn’t have to suffer like this.
Rubelia thought desperately.
“You’re seriously misunderstanding something here.”
Jerden looked exasperated.
“No, Your Grace is the one misunderstanding.”
Hasedian glared back as if he would never lose.
“There’s no need to talk to someone who can’t understand words. Leave. Rubelia is spending time with me right now.”
“We absolutely will not leave.”
“That’s right. How do we know you won’t do something to Lady Rubelia?”
Though it was the first time they had directly defied the Duke, Aria and Hasedian had no intention of backing down.
“Leave. That’s an order.”
Jerden spoke sharply, as if he had heard nonsense.
At those words, Aria and Hasedian flinched. Even though they had challenged him to protect Rubelia, the weight of his authority was heavy. If they refused to step back here, they risked becoming enemies of the ducal house.
“This isn’t the ducal estate, Your Grace.”
Aria, thinking quickly of a way out, spoke.
Meaning: only Rubelia could order them to leave here.
“Just as expected of Jerden!”
Sensing this was her moment, Rubelia stepped forward confidently.
Aria, Hasedian, and Jerden all looked at her in confusion.
“How did you know exactly what I was thinking? Jerden must have some kind of mind-reading ability!”
Rubelia gave an exaggerated thumbs-up.
“W-what…?”
“This is impossible…”
Aria and Hasedian looked completely stunned.
“In that sense, let me repeat myself. Get out.”
Seeing that a simple request wasn’t enough, Jerden spoke more forcefully.
At that moment—
“See! That’s exactly how our Rubelia talks!”
Aria said, recalling how, before Rubelia’s possession, she had once told Hasedian to “get lost” for clinging to her.
“That’s right,” Hasedian agreed.
‘What is this—are they praising or insulting me?’
Rubelia looked dumbfounded.
“But I know. I know the truth behind those words. Lady Rubelia actually likes me.”
Aria’s voice was filled with firm conviction.
“Is that so?”
Jerden asked, looking at Rubelia. She shook her head strongly.
“I see.”
Jerden concluded.
“Oh my, how adorable…”
“Even shaking her head is so beautiful…”
But Aria and Hasedian were already captivated by Rubelia’s appearance rather than her answer.
Their gazes were dazed, as if they were under some kind of spell. Jerden briefly wondered if he should arrest them for substance abuse.
“Tch.”
Deciding words would never work, Jerden stood up.
He physically forced Aria and Hasedian out of the room. They struggled, but it was useless.
After throwing them out, Jerden locked the door so they couldn’t re-enter.
“Are you alright?”
He looked at Rubelia, who seemed utterly exhausted.
“Thank you, Jerden. You really helped me today.”
To think he got rid of them so easily.
Rubelia looked at him with teary eyes.
If anything, her mind hurt more from them than her injured arm did.
“I’m glad.”
He had worried he might have overstepped, but her reaction reassured him.
“You really are an angel!”
In that moment, regardless of anything else, Jerden looked like an angel to her.
“….”
Jerden was momentarily speechless—he had never heard such words, and never expected to.
Through the silence, faint voices of Aria and Hasedian could be heard outside.
“Lady Stein, are you safe?”
“Lady! I’ll help you!”
“How dare they do that to Lady Stein…!”
“Break down that door…!”
Sounds of scrambling followed.
Rubelia flinched, worried they might actually try to break the door.
“Let me make one thing clear. This is the marquis’s estate. Damaging the property without the owner’s permission is a grave offense.”
Jerden’s calm but weighted voice carried clearly through the door.
The rustling outside stopped.
That didn’t mean they had given up, however.
“Lady Stein…”
“Lady Rubelia…”
Aria and Hasedian called her name desperately.
Jerden frowned in irritation.
At this point, he finally understood why Rubelia avoided them so much.
“If you don’t want to insult Rubelia, I suggest you leave quietly.”
“Th-that…”
They sounded shocked.
After a long silence, Aria and Hasedian finally left the estate in a lonely silence. Though they wanted to argue, they realized too late that their actions might have been deeply unpleasant from Rubelia’s perspective.
The sound of their footsteps faded.
Finally realizing they were gone, Rubelia looked relieved.
“An angel indeed.”
She murmured in admiration.
“I didn’t expect anyone to ever call me that.”
Jerden replied dryly.
“If anything, I’d expect ‘reaper’.”
“At least, that’s how I see you now.”
“I’m not a good person.”
Jerden said flatly, almost as if it were a reflex.
“There’s no one who’s good to everyone.”
“Maybe.”
“And Jerden isn’t a bad person either.”
“Do you really think that?”
He studied her quietly.
“Yes.”
Rubelia nodded firmly.
“Don’t trust people so easily.”
Jerden said it lightly, though he felt something tighten in his chest.
“Because it’s you, Jerden.”
To her, Jerden was her destined counterpart.
Rubelia said this with a bright expression.
“…That’s strange.”
He looked at her with a complicated expression.
He had never been looked at with such trust before.
Even the Emperor—his own uncle—did not believe him when he said he had no interest in the throne.
Rubelia shifted awkwardly under his gaze. It felt embarrassing, and her heart was strangely racing.
‘Well, with that face…’
She accepted it easily.
“Oh, right—I forgot to serve tea.”
“It’s fine.”
He had only come to bring her back after her injury anyway.
“No, it’s your first visit.”
And he was a guest.
More importantly, thanks to Jerden, she had been able to relax after dealing with Aria and Hasedian.
She couldn’t just send him away without serving tea.
Rubelia opened the locked door and called for a maid.
After asking for tea for two, she fell into thought.
A sudden idea had come to her.
Until now, she had only thought about escaping the marquis’s estate to avoid Hasedian and Aria—but not other options.
“Jerden… do you want to live here with me?”
Then she could stay comfortably in the marquis’s estate.
No need to visit the ducal estate every day.
Jerden fell silent.
Meanwhile, the maid returned with tea. Seeing Jerden’s intense expression, she nervously placed the cups on the table—but in her nervousness, she accidentally spilled the tea.
Rubelia’s dress was soaked.
The maid looked devastated.
Thankfully, the tea wasn’t hot—but it was still a mistake.
If she were punished, she would have nothing to say.
She closed her eyes tightly in anticipation.
But what happened next was not what she expected.
“Wow, that’s refreshing. It actually wakes me up. Thank you.”
Rubelia said this while gently holding the maid’s hands.
