TMDFC 16

Chapter 16

Right. So it had already become that time.

The feeling was more like what was bound to happen has finally arrived, but irritation still crept in. Aster leaned back deep into his chair. The old office chair couldn’t support him as comfortably as the long couch where he usually spent his time.

No—there had never been a single moment when sitting in this chair had felt comfortable.

They said troublesome things always came at once. He tried not to sigh, but it was useless. At the end of the breath he couldn’t suppress, a bitter laugh lingered.

What he held in his hand was an invitation to a ball held at the Imperial Palace.

Attached to it was even a handwritten card from the Emperor expressing how he hoped to meet the Duchess.

If possible, he didn’t want to go to the Imperial Palace.

He didn’t have good memories of the place.

The banquet where the Emperor had deliberately summoned him. The whispers directed toward him. The looks as if people were staring at something unpleasant. The suffocating atmosphere from the day he had been ordered onto the battlefield.

Those memories resurfaced like nightmares and weighed heavily on him.

The title of Duke had never brought him comfort for even a single moment, either.

If only he had graduated from the military academy as planned and become an officer.

He would have been a little sad if his family had fallen apart, but not enough to regret it deeply. After all, the family name had no place in what he intended to build for himself.

Aster rubbed his eyes with one hand.

It was better to stop thinking useless thoughts. Nothing changed no matter how much he thought about it. The situation had already happened, and in the end, he was the one whose name now stood beneath the title of Duke.

Suddenly, his breathing caught.

He had thought symptoms like this disappeared long ago.

Flashing blades. Blood and screams—the battlefield had been nothing but those things, and yet he had never felt this way there.

Maybe it was because, in some strange way, he’d believed that was where he belonged.

Eventually, Aster abruptly pushed himself up.

He took a bottle of liquor from the cabinet, poured himself a drink, and settled onto the long couch.

As expected, this was far more comfortable than the Duke’s office chair.

After taking a sip, he stretched out half-reclining with one leg thrown over the couch.

No one would come into the office today anyway.

Maybe because of the invitation from the Imperial family, pointless thoughts kept crowding his mind.

Aster shook his head, chasing away the clutter.

Perhaps it would be better to think about something at least somewhat useful.

After publishing the newspaper article, he had called Jasmine and ordered formal attire.

Aster had hesitated, wondering if it was really necessary, but Lauren had insisted it would be a good idea.

Almost as if she had expected an invitation like this to arrive.

In the end, she had been right.

A man rumored to have changed completely because he loved his wife enough to secretly hold a wedding ceremony with her couldn’t exactly attend dressed the way he used to—with only a loosely buttoned shirt.

Aster ran a hand through his hair.

He’d known for a long time that people paid attention to his background as the Duke’s son, and to his appearance.

When he was a cadet, after participating in inter-school athletic competitions, his mailbox would overflow with letters.

Not that he cared much about any of it.

After inheriting the ducal title, however, he could no longer simply ignore it.

Still, because of his circumstances, he had never considered dating or marrying anyone.

As for marrying Lauren…

Well.

That had been something like an accident.

Though he called it an accident, she was practically unexpected good fortune in his life.

Sometimes he thought he was lucky not to have let her slip away.

Just as Lauren herself had confidently claimed, she truly was capable.

Tasks that Aster and Letty could only barely maintain had become organized once Lauren started leading the work.

On top of that, she had become a good teacher.

At this point, he was beginning to feel reluctant to let her go.

While absentmindedly touching his jaw, Aster realized he was smiling.

He couldn’t understand why.

Deliberately, he frowned.

Naturally, the smile twisted into a bitter one.

Anyway, he needed to talk with Lauren.

About Delania Siaz—her older sister.

And about this invitation from the Imperial Palace.

He hadn’t done anything, yet he already felt tired.

After draining the rest of his drink and leaning his head back against the couch, Aster closed his eyes.

It was better to sleep whenever he had the chance.

Because of the insomnia that had stayed beside him like an old, unpleasant companion, he wouldn’t be able to sleep for long anyway.

* * *

“…Good morning.”

Morning.

As usual, Lauren came into the office and greeted Aster with a somewhat awkward smile.

“Mm,” Aster replied briefly.

Seeing him act as though nothing had happened actually relieved Lauren.

“Letty’s vacation is getting pretty long.”

“Well, if he’s going to the academy, it can’t really be helped.”

“The academy? You mean that academy in the East?”

Lauren’s eyes widened at the unexpected destination.

Letty always smiled easily and acted friendly, but if you looked closely, he seemed like someone born to be a soldier.

An art academy?

Of course, being a soldier didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy music or paintings.

Still…

Letty, who only seemed capable of stacking things neatly and properly—an art academy simply didn’t suit him.

Lauren wasn’t uninterested in art herself.

Unlike daughters of other noble families, she had never attended a boarding school, but the teacher at the village school she went to had been passionate not only about language and arithmetic but also art and music.

Lauren had learned the basics too, but eventually gave up because she lacked talent.

Some things belonged to the realm of innate ability.

Even so, she thought learning was worthwhile.

It had taught her how to appreciate paintings and be moved by music.

Though her own abilities never advanced beyond humming when happy or doodling when bored.

But Letty…

Lauren glanced toward the empty adjutant’s seat.

The neatly arranged desk reflected his meticulous personality.

Not just the desk—even the documents he organized revealed that at a glance.

Still, imagining him decorating things or singing was difficult.

Unlike Lauren, he never doodled because lessons were boring or hummed because he was in a good mood.

Yet—

An art academy?

“You seem pretty interested in Letty.”

When Lauren tilted her head in confusion, a low voice slipped near her ear.

Startled, she clapped a hand over her ear and turned.

Aster had approached until he stood right beside her.

“Y-you startled me…”

Ignoring her complaint, Aster crossed his arms and laughed softly.

Was it her imagination, or did the crooked curve of his lips look somewhat fierce?

Lauren pressed a hand to her pounding heart and sighed quietly.

“It’s not like that. I’m just curious because someone who’s always here suddenly isn’t.”

“Whatever. Sit down first. There’s a lot to talk about today.”

Then he walked over and dropped onto the couch he always sat on.

He rang the bell at the edge of the table, summoning Calvin.

At his order, the competent butler brought out a tea set.

Unlike usual, a cup of coffee was placed in front of Aster.

Lauren’s eyes rounded at the dark liquid.

Coffee.

Since it had to be imported from overseas, it was expensive enough that she’d never even considered drinking it at the Baron’s estate.

So people could drink it at a Duke’s household.

Maybe next time she should ask for that instead of tea.

Apparently, she stared too obviously at Aster’s cup.

Noticing her gaze, Aster chuckled.

“This conversation is going to be long.”

Lauren nodded.

He would probably talk about Delania.

Aster had said she could speak whenever she wanted, but she had already heard from Calvin that Delania had been invited to dinner tomorrow.

He had bowed deeply in apology, saying if he’d known Lauren would struggle so much, he never would have allowed her into the estate.

Lauren had stopped him, saying it was fine.

Even she hadn’t expected Delania to come.

How could Calvin have known?

If anyone was at fault, it was Lauren—for publishing a huge article about herself on the newspaper’s front page without considering the Siaz family would see it.

Still, thanks to Aster staying by her side yesterday, she had slept soundly without spiraling into dark thoughts.

After speaking with Calvin and eating breakfast, she had organized her mind somewhat.

So now—

She could talk.

Lauren lifted her gaze from her teacup and looked directly into Aster’s subdued green eyes.

It was a signal:

She was ready to speak, and ready to listen.

But contrary to her expectations, Aster, who had been quietly watching her, placed an envelope on the table.

Lauren tilted her head and looked down.

The edge of the envelope had been cut delicately like lace, and a red seal mixed with gold dust adorned it.

She narrowed her eyes at the seal before making a small sound.

“…Am I allowed to read this?”

Her reaction—frowning while glaring suspiciously at the envelope—wasn’t much different from his own.

It almost made him laugh.

Did she dislike the Imperial family too?

For some reason, that sense of shared feeling amused him.

Suppressing a smile, Aster nodded while lifting his coffee cup.

“It’s something we need to discuss together. You have to read it.”

Lauren pressed her lips together and opened the envelope.

Since Aster had already broken the seal, she didn’t need a paper knife.

After carefully reading the two cards inside, she sighed and put them back.

“This is important.”

An invitation to an Imperial ball.

Of course that took priority over someone like Delania.

The date was two weeks away.

Was that a long preparation period?

Or short?

She’d never attended a ball before and had no idea what needed to be prepared.

At least it was fortunate she had already asked Jasmine to make formal wear for Aster and an evening gown for herself.

“This is serious.”

“Hm?”

“If it’s a ball, people dance, right? I don’t know how to dance. I’ve never been to anything like that…”

Lauren had long since given up entering high society.

Naturally, she had never attended a ball nor wanted to.

She would have much rather read another book or review more documents.

Her parents knew that, too, so they never pressured her into social gatherings.

And now, suddenly—a ball.

The only dance she knew was the village festival dance she had learned as a child at school.

Her wavering pale-violet eyes turned toward Aster.

She hated standing in front of others.

Especially embarrassing herself by attempting a dance she couldn’t do.

Just imagining it made her want to faint.

“Were you athletic, Lauren?”

After setting down his coffee cup, Aster asked.

Wondering why he was asking, Lauren answered honestly.

“I think I was good at running when I was little. Why?”

“At the military academy, they teach dancing as part of an officer’s education.”

I see.

So Aster knew how to dance.

But what did that have to do with anything?

It didn’t seem like the sort of thing he’d mention simply to brag.

“Want me to teach you?”

Aster smiled softly at her.

Lauren could only stare back at him with wide eyes.