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Chapter 18
At the edge of the garden, three awkwardly lined-up men were visible. They fidgeted with their hands, seemingly waiting their turn. Odellia glanced briefly out the window and shook her head.
“Even after that kind of interview was printed in the newspaper, there are still people willing to date me… They must really be desperate for that land.”
At that, Calix slowly turned his head and said meaningfully.
“Well, it might not be just about the land.”
“Pardon…?”
Calix gazed fixedly at Odellia and added casually.
“I told you before. Objectively speaking, you’re pretty.”
“Wh—when did you ever say that?!”
“A long time ago. And ever since your debut, people’s interest in you has been consistently steady, hasn’t it?”
With that, Calix naturally sat down at the tea table. He gave a brief bow of his head to the Grand Duchess in greeting, then began drinking the tea that had been set out for him.
“I thought you would have had tea already.”
The undertone was subtle. The Grand Duchess knew that he had a tea appointment with Empress Fabiana today.
Calix, aware that the Grand Duchess was testing him, let out a short laugh.
“I didn’t drink it.”
“Oh my, so you left before the tea even cooled?”
“Something like that.”
The Grand Duchess gazed at him with meaningful eyes, then quietly poured tea into his cup. Odellia, her face flushed, sat back down and cautiously asked.
“I heard you had business to attend to this morning…”
Calix slightly turned his head and shot the Grand Duchess a sidelong glance—a look that seemed to chide her for saying unnecessary things. The Grand Duchess simply shrugged.
“I only mentioned it because Lady Odellia kept pestering me, wondering why you hadn’t come to tea as you do every day.”
“Madam! When did I ever pester you… How can you say that…”
“Fine, let me correct myself. She was anxiously waiting for you.”
“Madam!”
Hearing that, Cedric deliberately pulled a chair over and wedged himself between Odellia and Calix.
“We were just talking earlier about how today’s tea time should be with cognac instead—for Odellia’s sake, of course.”
The atmosphere in the room stirred subtly once more. Calix let out a quiet laugh and raised his teacup.
Odellia, trying to hide her embarrassment, jabbed Cedric sharply in the side and glared at him to shut up. It felt as if her innermost thoughts had been exposed.
“You must have been thinking about what I said during your date, Odellia.”
Calix gazed intently at Odellia and asked teasingly. Startled, Odellia shook her head quickly.
“No, that’s not it at all…!”
Trailing off, she fidgeted with the date cards Calix had brought, flipping through them absentmindedly to change the subject.
“It’s just… from now on, could you just choose for me, Your Highness? Anyone is fine.”
Calix furrowed his brows slightly, as if deep in thought, then made an unexpected proposal.
“In that case, how about Cedric?”
“Exc—excuse me?!”
Cedric, who had never anticipated this turn of events, flushed bright red and stammered.
“I—I’d be happy to!”
At Cedric’s immediate answer, Odellia made a face of disgust and shot him a glare.
“Cedric is… a bit much.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with me!”
To the indignant Cedric, Odellia said firmly:
“Cedric is a precious comrade to me.”
Cedric fell silent for a moment. In her refusal, there was a clear resolve—she valued him too much to use him like that.
Calix quietly set down his teacup and looked at Odellia.
“Then go on a date with Cedric this time.”
Both their gazes turned to Calix simultaneously. He smiled calmly and continued.
“Cedric has been visiting the mansion every single day for tea. If he goes on a date with you, high society will assume he’s your intended match.”
The Grand Duchess raised her teacup and added:
“Funny enough, it’s in these noblemen’s nature to want to take away ladies who already seem taken. The problem is they pretend otherwise.”
After hearing them out, Odellia looked at Cedric with slightly apologetic eyes. Cedric quietly spoke.
“Don’t look at me with such a sorry face. It makes me feel worse.”
His voice carried a different tone than the playful words he usually threw around.
—
***
In the soft afternoon sunlight, Odellia boarded a carriage with Cedric.
He was an unexpected date, but her heart felt at ease. He was a longtime comrade, and she knew he genuinely cared for her.
Still, whenever their hands lightly brushed or their eyes met inside the carriage, she couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed.
“This is awkward.”
Cedric spoke first. He smiled and looked at Odellia.
“Sitting across from each other all dressed up like this—it feels strangely unfamiliar.”
Odellia let out a small laugh. Cedric was right. It was a completely different scene from the times they had crossed the training grounds together, rolled through mud to dodge flying arrows, and bickered during strategy meetings.
Today, Odellia wore a soft pink dress, and Cedric was dressed in formal attire befitting a nobleman’s son.
“I feel the same. It’s strange and weird. A date with a friend.”
“Still, it’s not bad, is it? At least I don’t talk as much as that marquis.”
Odellia answered with a small smile instead of words.
The carriage soon arrived at a street lined with cafés, and the two headed to a famous teahouse with a wide terrace. White-clothed tables, spring flowers decorating the surroundings, and soft music filled the air. Cedric skillfully pulled out Odellia’s chair for her.
“For today at least, I’ll treat you properly like a lady.”
“Stop it. Your tone sounds awkward already.”
Odellia laughed as she took her seat. They ordered cake and tea, and spent a long while laughing and chatting about trivial things.
After leaving the café, the two strolled toward the shopping district.
Among the crowd, Cedric was more attentive than usual—he carried Odellia’s shopping bags carefully, paused in front of a jewelry shop, and recommended earrings that he thought would suit her.
“You should have something like this. It’ll make you look more like a lady, won’t it?”
“Cedric, I know you don’t have money.”
“Hey, it’s not that bad…!”
It was said in jest, but they both understood the sincerity behind the words.
Then, as they walked along the alley, a familiar voice called out to Odellia.
“Lady Odellia!”
Both of them turned at the same time. A lady in a bright sky-blue dress was approaching, waving her hand.
“Lady Herdel.”
Odellia recognized her and bowed politely with a pleased expression. At that moment, a flustered Cedric pulled her upright and whispered urgently.
“Hey, ladies don’t bow to each other like that! That’s how knights greet people…!”
“Oh, right.”
Odellia rummaged through her bag, pulled out her fan, snapped it open with a flourish, and bowed gracefully.
“It’s good to see you again, Lady Herdel.”
Judith smiled brightly at the sight.
“You’re always such an amusing person, Lady Odellia. If I’m not interrupting your date, I was on my way to deliver this to you.”
What Judith held out was none other than an invitation to a tea party hosted by the Herdel family.
“Oh, this is…”
As Odellia took it in surprise, Judith winked and added:
“I do hope you’ll come that day. We’re planning some light entertainment with the other ladies. Oh, and—everyone is very interested in Lady Odellia. Not in a bad way, I mean, more like…”
Worried that Odellia might misunderstand, Judith quickly waved her hands and added. Finding her endearing, Odellia smiled softly and nodded.
“I’d be delighted to attend.”
At Odellia’s handsome smile, Judith unconsciously parted her lips slightly, then—*oh my*—blushed. She glanced briefly at Cedric standing beside her and added unnecessarily:
“Oh. You can come too, if you’d like.”
Cedric stared at Judith’s retreating back with a bewildered expression, then muttered quietly:
“What the…!”
At Cedric’s reaction—his mood shifting so dramatically from a single remark—Odellia let out a chuckle and looked down at the invitation in her hand.
Rather than going on dates nonstop, it might be better to start mingling at social gatherings like this. Odellia carefully folded the invitation and tucked it into her pouch.
