FCMD 19

Chapter 19

“You’re late.”

The moment they opened the dining room door, the two were met by Aster, who was waiting for them. Usually dressed in a relaxed shirt, he was wearing a vest and jacket today, unlike his usual self. He looked handsome with his long golden hair neatly tied back, but she couldn’t bring herself to say a word to him. Lauren forced up the corners of her twitching lips to offer him a smile. Aster stared at her with sunken green eyes before shifting his gaze to the ‘guest’ behind her.

“Hello, Your Grace. I’m delighted to share a meal with you.”

Delania, smiling brightly, greeted him in a cheerful voice, acting as if she hadn’t even heard his comment about being late. However, Aster merely stared blankly at Delania with an expressionless face, neither rising from his seat nor returning the greeting.

After staring at Delania like that for a long moment, Aster raised his hand to signal Calvin. At his cue, the servants began bringing in the dishes. Lauren briefly raised her eyes to scan the servants’ faces. Their faces, carrying faint smiles, looked bright. Lauren had wondered if it was really necessary to push such a small number of servants this far, but Calvin had smiled and explained that they were actually showing great enthusiasm. They had even drawn lots to decide who would work today, so it seemed to be going well. Somehow, she felt relieved.

A dinner inviting a guest. To match the dignity of a ducal house, several courses of formal dining should have been prepared, but Lauren had no desire to pour that much care into Delania. Frankly, she was slightly pleased when Aster, lifting one corner of his mouth, told her it was fine to disregard formalities a little. However, if she had known she would hear the phrase “grandeur of the ducal house” several times today, it might have been better to just prepare a full formal course after all. Looking at the dishes that were arranged just enough not to invite criticism, Lauren pondered.

She found herself unconsciously observing Aster. Sharing a meal with him was extremely rare, so simply stealing glances at him wasn’t enough to discern what he was thinking. Lauren forced her hands, which kept threatening to stop moving, into action. Having had only warm milk instead of breakfast and just a bit of bread and soup for lunch, she ought to have been hungry, but she couldn’t even tell what the carefully prepared food tasted like. This would surely end up giving her indigestion.

The dinner came to an end after merely the fourth dish. Delania’s voice, which had been excitedly chatting away when they first sat down, could no longer be heard. Had she grown tired of talking to herself, or did she think she was being ignored? Either way, it didn’t matter. Lauren just wanted to send her back as soon as possible.

“I’d like to catch up with Lauren since it’s been a while. Could you arrange a space for us?”

However, Delania seemed to have no intention of leaving quietly. As she tilted her head gently and smiled coquettishly, Lauren couldn’t even say a word; she simply bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She had hoped Aster might refuse on her behalf, but he remained silent. You said you’d stand up to her. That was probably why Aster wasn’t stepping in. Lauren bit her lip tightly and straightened her back. Catching Calvin’s eye, she gave him a small nod.

“Then I shall prepare dessert in the drawing room.”

The faithful butler said so and departed from the room. As Calvin withdrew from the dining room with the servants, only Aster, Lauren, and Delania remained in the room. Silence joining them in that space was perhaps only natural. Finding the silence rather comforting, Lauren took a quiet, deep breath.

“Come to think of it…”

Delania was someone who couldn’t bear to see Lauren comfortable. Startled by her voice, Lauren tightly clenched the hands resting on her lap.

“When we met last time, Lauren mentioned she would introduce me to a potential groom.”

Lauren whipped her head up. The brown eyes meeting her light-purple ones were curved with laughter. Delania, resting a finger on her cheek, let out a soft chuckle. Ah, Delania had told her to ‘take responsibility for running away.’ Was that what Delania truly wanted? She wanted to scream at her not to speak such nonsense, but their eyes were locked. Lauren could only tremble her lips. The words she wanted to say couldn’t find a voice.

Feeling a gaze on her, she turned her head. A pair of sunken green eyes was quietly watching her. Yet Lauren couldn’t even shake her head at him. In the end, she truly was far from qualified to be a Duchess—unable to even refute such words.

“I told her not to overdo it, though. Isn’t Lauren such a sweet girl to care for her cousin like this? Since Your Grace is here, let me make it clear: I am merely a baron’s daughter at best, so someone of too high a status would be overwhelming.”

The fabricated voice pierced Lauren’s chest. Whenever Delania spoke in that voice, the people around her would always take her side—the servants at the baronial mansion who had been with her since childhood, and even her parents. Would Aster be the same? Unable to look at him directly, Lauren lowered her gaze to her empty plate. This might be a learned response. After all, Lauren was a liar built by a few words from Delania. She couldn’t breathe properly. Lauren tightly gripped her own hands.

“I shall guide you to the drawing room prepared for dessert.”

It was only after her fingernails had been digging into her palms for quite some time that Calvin’s voice was heard along with a short knock. Whatever Calvin’s inner thoughts were, at this very moment, she had no choice but to rely on him. Lauren took a slow breath and rose from her seat. The sound of the chair dragging scraped against her heart just as it scraped against her ears. At the very least, she didn’t want to fall apart in front of Aster. Right now, she wanted to display an attitude worthy of the ducal house’s dignity—because he would expect it. Proudly, like a true Duchess. She straightened her back and lifted her chin.

With Delania, the guest, leading the way, Lauren followed behind Calvin out of the dining room. Beyond the closing door, her eyes met Aster’s sunken green gaze watching her intently. She had thought she was coming to know Aster a little, but she had no idea what he was thinking. Before the door closed, Lauren turned away first.

​* * *

Lauren dismissed all the servants. Calvin, who filled their teacups, glanced at her one last time as he exited the room, but Lauren was merely staring down at her cup. Calvin bowed his waist to her as she tightly clutched her skirt, and then stepped out of the room. The sound of the door closing heavily filled the room.

“Hmm.”

Delania let out a nasal hum as she scanned her up and down. At that sound, which hadn’t changed at all from long ago, goosebumps broke out on Lauren’s arms exposed beneath the short sleeves of her summer dress. She had to admit it: Lauren was still terrified of Delania. The fear ingrained in her body since childhood hadn’t improved even a bit with age.

“The newspaper articles made it sound like you two couldn’t live without each other, but that’s hardly the case, is it?”

Lauren flinched. The grip of her hands on her skirt tightened. Delania, being quick-witted, seemed to have noticed it after just a brief meal together: that love was merely an excuse, and in reality, there were no feelings between Aster and her. She shouldn’t have let it show. But it seemed already too late, as Delania had figured it all out.

“At this rate, my plan to marry a respectable noble gentleman is going to run into trouble.”

The sound of Delania biting her fingernails reached Lauren’s ears from across the table. The irregular click, click sound felt as if it were suffocating her. What would come next? As a child, the last time she met Delania, she fell into a pond. It was accompanied by this exact sound back then, too.

She felt like she was sinking into mud. She couldn’t remember the reason why at all. Something must have simply displeased Delania. After hearing that click, click sound, nothing good ever followed. Fingerprint scratches appeared on her cheek, and her cherished teddy bear was taken away. Torn dresses were a daily occurrence, and she even lost a precious gift from her mother. What would it be this time? Delania’s voice talking about running away and taking responsibility buzzed around her ears before scattering.

“Hey, are you listening to me?!”

At Delania’s sharp voice pressing her, Lauren barely managed to raise her head. She couldn’t look straight into those flashing brown eyes. I shouldn’t be like this. It’s just a thing of the past. It’s time to break free. Delania was a young lady of a baronial family, but Lauren was a Duchess. She had to uphold the grandeur of the ducal house. Everyone had worked hard for that sake. Lauren closed her eyes tightly and opened them. Her wavering light-purple eyes became impossibly calm in an instant. And at that exact moment, Delania’s eyebrows twitched into a scowl.

“You…”

“Delania Seaz, you know what you’re saying makes no sense, right?” “What?” “I’m sorry that you ended up having to marry an elderly man, but that’s your own affair to handle. Not mine.” “Do you think I would have even had marriage talks with such a person if you hadn’t run away?!”

Lauren offered a soft smile to Delania. It was no big deal. There was nothing to worry about. Yet contrary to such thoughts, her tightly clenched hands shook violently. She forced herself to continue her ragged breathing. I can’t keep suffering like this forever. Lauren forced her back straight.

“How is that my fault? Since it was a proposal your father brought, you should take responsibility for it. Not me.” “What on earth are you saying right now? Hey!”

Delania’s loud voice rang sharply through the room. Her head throbbed, but Lauren opened her mouth once more. She had to say what needed to be said—so that girl would never look down on the Lilywood Ducal House and come seeking her out again.

“Lady Seaz. This is the Lilywood Ducal House. The person you are facing right now is the Duchess, so it would be wise to show a bit of courtesy…”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Lauren’s cheek burned as if on fire. Lauren slowly turned her head back into place after it had been whipped to the side. Delania, who had risen from her seat, was breathing heavily. Her palm was swollen red. Ah, I was slapped. Forgetting the burning sensation on her cheek, Lauren thought of it as if it were someone else’s business. A high-pitched ringing buzzed in her ears. Perhaps because it was hit with considerable force, her vision swayed.

“Who do you think you are to say such things to me? Lauren Seaz, do you really think you’ve become a real Duchess? How dare you…” “If Lauren isn’t the real Duchess, then what is she?”

A man’s low voice etched itself into Lauren’s dazed mind. It was a familiar voice, yet so deeply lowered that it sounded like a different person’s. Lauren blinked her eyes slowly. Having tossed aside his well-tailored clothes, the man was wearing his usual shirt. His unbound golden hair glowed like a lion’s mane under the lighting illuminating the room.