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Chapter 23
“Were you eighteen back then? You were really stupid—how could you fall for that so easily?”
“What?”
“Claude and I were trying to win over the heir of a long-neutral family, but we didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to take the bait that fast.”
“You have no idea what kind of person that guy really is! If you knew his true nature, you’d never follow him so obediently!”
Riena pounded her chest in frustration.
“Do I look like I’m following him that well?”
“Why?”
“I’m trying to, but I’m not sure if I’m doing it right…”
Watching Alec worry over the kids, Riena shook her head. Honestly, when it came to things like this, he was hopeless.
“You seem to be getting along with the young lady pretty well, though. It’s only been a short while since you started living together.”
“Yeah. I was worried she’d be uncomfortable around me, but thankfully she’s not.”
“Then treat her the same way you treat the young master. She’ll feel less uneasy around you.”
“That’s why I suggested we train together…”
As he answered, Alec’s words trailed off—he, too, seemed to realize the flaw in what he’d done.
“You might have wanted to bond with her, but do you think training recklessly with someone that much stronger will work? Besides, you have to check her condition first!”
Riena shook her head, exasperated. She couldn’t believe how terrible he was at reading people. Then again, given his position, it would’ve been stranger if he were used to paying such close attention. And besides, the issue between the young lady and him wasn’t something training could fix.
“You just don’t talk about what’s on your mind enough.”
“I’m talking right now, aren’t I?”
“What’s the point of telling me? You should be saying that to the person who actually matters!”
Oh, this frustrating guy. Riena clutched her chest and let out a long sigh.
“You said it yourself—you want to bring her here, protect her. You even persuaded that psycho who was against it.”
“Are you calling me a psycho?”
The office door swung open, and Cain frowned.
“Well, your head’s not exactly in the right place, is it?”
“True. To someone with no knowledge, I suppose I would seem that way.”
“What?”
They were about to pick up the fight they hadn’t finished earlier when Alec pointed at the door and said,
“Cain, Riena—if you’re going to fight, take it outside.”
“I have no intention of wasting more words.”
“Same here.”
At Alec’s words, Riena and Cain turned their backs on each other. Rubbing his forehead, Alec sighed as if his head hurt.
“Your Highness, if it concerns the young lady, how about giving her a gift?”
Cain, watching Alec carefully, seemed to have guessed what was going on.
“A gift?”
Alec looked at him expectantly. If it could ease the awkward tension between them, he was willing to try anything.
“Yes. Nothing softens the mood quite like a present.”
“That’s… not a bad idea.”
Riena sighed deeply as she watched them.
Not a bad idea, huh.
One man who filled his head only with knowledge, another who spent his life commanding others from a high position—no wonder they had the same clumsy way of thinking when it came to people. A gift wasn’t the worst option, but there were more urgent issues between those two. Still, that wasn’t something that could be fixed just because someone pushed them into it.
Well… this could be a good excuse to buy the young lady a ton of clothes.
Besides, gifts were perfect for melting hearts. Since both of them were such slowpokes, this pace might be just right. Nodding to herself, Riena added,
“If you’re going to give her a gift, make it big—something everyone will notice.”
“That’s what I plan to do. The nobles are bound to find out about her adoption sooner or later, so I might as well make her position clear.”
He really is competent—except when it comes to people.
Perfect. The season’s changing anyway, and her old clothes won’t do. Time to stock up. A sapphire hair ornament, a dress bright as spring… she’d need a lot of them. In her mind, Riena was already dressing Eloise up in all sorts of gowns and jewels.
Sipping the tea Bella had served, Eloise enjoyed the peaceful afternoon. The heavy snow resting on the branches outside was melting under the warm sunlight. The chill that had brushed against her skin was gone, replaced by cozy warmth, and spring was finding its way back into the view beyond the window.
I slept so well last night. Must be because of the exercise. I thought I’d be too sore to sleep properly.
Birds, fluttering through the sky in pairs, had settled on the branches freed from snow. Like the birds, Eloise was savoring the touch of spring—until the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang. The startled birds scattered away.
“Young lady!”
“Ah! Wh-what is it?!”
The quiet atmosphere shattered instantly, replaced by chaos. Bella frowned faintly at the disruption.
“Young lady might be startled if you barge in like that…”
She tried to scold the intruder, but before she could finish, Riena’s excited voice cut in.
“It’s here! It’s here!”
“What is?”
“Hurry, come on!”
Seeing her so impatient, Eloise finally stepped down from her chair and followed after Riena.
“As I’ve said before, please refrain from running inside the mansion and mind your manners in front of the young lady,” Bella said again.
Riena blinked her big eyes. “Were you surprised?”
“Didn’t you just hear her?”
“Hear what?”
“Never mind. What arrived?”
“The things we ordered!”
Riena’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
The things we ordered? What could that be?
Eloise was curious, but judging from Riena’s expression, there was no way she’d get a straight answer by asking. So she just followed her down the corridor and pushed open the door.
“…Huh? Why are you here? Don’t you have sword training?”
Eloise blinked in surprise at the sight of Kylian standing there.
“Riena dragged me along.”
“Riena! You’re Kylian’s sword instructor. You can’t just skip lessons to play around!”
Riena flinched but quickly raised her voice in protest.
“Good things should be shared!”
“What on earth is it?”
Her curiosity piqued, Eloise followed as Riena urged her forward.
“Over there!”
Following the direction Riena pointed, Eloise saw Alec waiting ahead.
“Your Grace?”
“Not me—look right beside me!”
“What—what is that!”
Turning her head, Eloise froze. Piled high beside Alec were stacks and stacks of boxes—so many that she had to crane her neck to see the top. It looked less like a pile of packages and more like a mountain.
“I ordered some dresses and jewelry. If anything seems missing, just tell me.”
The more things he bought, the more hands would be involved—and the faster the rumors would spread. ‘The Duke of Reston must truly treasure the child!’ they would say.
I meant to order even more…
Since this was his first gift to the precious child, Alec hadn’t wanted to choose carelessly. He’d examined each item personally, but that made the selection smaller than expected. Glancing at the mountain of goods with faint regret, he turned to Eloise.
“M-missing?” she stammered.
Some? Missing? Does he even know what those words mean?
Her stunned reaction made Alec’s lips curl in quiet satisfaction.
“Yes. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I told them to pick out nice ones. But you must have your own taste.”
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to admit he’d personally picked them all out—it felt too embarrassing—so he said the opposite instead.
“So these are really…”
Eloise murmured blankly, eyes wide in disbelief. Meanwhile, Kylian and Riena were already diving into the boxes.
“Eloise, this ribbon is pretty. It would look great in your hair.”
“Alec, for something you ordered, these are all surprisingly good.”
“The one that suits the young lady best is this gemstone,” Bella added.
Even Bella?
Normally so calm, even she seemed a little excited, holding up a necklace and bringing it to her own neck.
