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Chapter : 13
Astella really appeared in front of Raiden at all hours, without fail. Whenever he went to see Frea, she was always there as well.
“Duke! What a coincidence. I’m so happy to run into you like this.”
How many times had that “coincidence” happened now? Meeting more than three times a week, it no longer felt like a coincidence at all.
“Today I came to visit Sister Frea’s office. She said she’d go shopping with me after work. I’m really looking forward to it!”
Going shopping together more than twice on weekdays and at least once on the weekend. Meanwhile, he barely had time to see her, let alone spend time with her.
‘When on earth is she not with that girl?’
Frea looked like she must be exhausted. He knew she had taken on the role of Astella’s attendant, but was it usually this extreme?
From what he could tell, they were together almost all week. Did Frea even have time to rest?
Administrative work, and on top of that taking care of Astella. Over the past month, he could see the life gradually draining from Frea’s face, which made him worry even more.
‘No matter if she’s her cousin and the Duke of Binok’s daughter, this is too much.’
No matter what kind of attendant role it was, no one devoted themselves so completely. Usually, you only faithfully handled what you were asked to do.
That was only natural.
‘What the Duke of Binok would ask for would be things like noble etiquette or social activities. Surely he didn’t entrust her with more than that?’
From the start, it was standard to assign separate tutors for education. Even lower nobles hired different teachers for each field.
For the Binok ducal house, there would have been more than enough people eager to serve as tutors for a ducal young lady.
So why entrust everything to Frea? Even tasks that maids would normally handle.
‘There’s no way she doesn’t know this.’
As a marquis’s daughter herself, Frea would know how educational duties were usually assigned. So why was she bearing everything alone?
Unable to understand the situation, Raiden worried about Frea, while also feeling frustrated that he couldn’t step in for her directly.
A month passed, then two, and when it became the third month, something happened that he could no longer endure.
“Raiden, is it true that you’re in a romantic relationship with the Duke of Binok’s daughter?”
“Pardon? Mother, what did you just say?”
After work, as he sat down to have dinner with Savanna, he was startled by the sudden, inexplicable question.
“They say you and the Duke of Binok’s daughter are lovers. That you’ll be getting married soon.”
“What kind of ridiculous talk is that? Where on earth did you hear such a thing?”
He and Astella were lovers? Getting married soon?
They had run into each other thirty times—no, even more—but they had only exchanged greetings. There had never been a single touch between them, and he had never proposed to her.
He hadn’t even confessed!
Seeing the disbelief on Raiden’s face, Savanna twisted her lips and said,
“Today at the Earl of Eklin’s tea gathering, I heard the young ladies and wives chattering about it. The rumor seems to have spread quite widely. Judging by it, the source appears to be the Duke of Binok’s daughter herself.”
“Hah, what kind of lie is that young lady going around telling? I’ve only happened to meet her several times at the imperial palace. We are absolutely nothing to each other.”
“Yes, I know. What kind of child do you think you are, to harbor feelings for a girl like that?”
Savanna’s narrowed eyes glinted sharply.
“It seems the gossip spread among the other young ladies, but if it started with the Duke’s daughter herself, there’s no denying it. I just can’t understand her intention. How does she plan to deal with the aftermath?”
“Haah…”
As he listened, Raiden roughly ran a hand through his hair. Aftermath or not, that wasn’t what mattered to him right now.
He wanted to jump up immediately and go confront Astella, demanding to know why she’d told such a lie.
A surge of heat rose from deep in his stomach.
‘When I haven’t even been able to confess to Frea yet.’
He hadn’t even conveyed his feelings to the one person he truly cared for—so what was this?
For nearly four months, she had practically monopolized Frea, making it almost impossible for him to see her. And now she was saying they were lovers, even about to be married?
‘She’s completely lost her mind.’
The fork in Raiden’s hand snapped in half with a crack.
Clang! The broken fork fell, but none of the servants dared to approach.
With such a heavy atmosphere, and with the mistress and the master emitting such ominous energy, how could anyone come near?
The servants waiting to attend them trembled as they watched the two, who looked as though they might overturn the table at any moment.
“Since Frea asked me to take good care of her cousin, I did pay some attention to her. But I never imagined it would come back like this.”
“Did you do anything special for her?”
“No, nothing. I was just kind to her. Perhaps a little kinder than to the other young ladies.”
Because Frea had asked him personally, he couldn’t refuse.
Even so, he had treated her no differently from the others.
If anything, the only issue was how often they met.
Over the past four months, they had passed each other by chance every other day, and met in Frea’s office every three days.
But even meeting that often, he’d never had deep personal conversations with Astella, nor had anything happened that could spark such feelings.
‘Maybe even those “chance” meetings were planned.’
At that point, it would be more accurate to say she came looking for him on purpose, yet every time they met, Astella emphasized how it was a “coincidence.”
Ah, and just as much, she’d worn out the word “fate.”
‘Oh my, to meet you here today, Duke—what a coincidence!’
‘Ah! I was just thinking about you, Duke, and then we meet like this… what a strange coincidence.’
‘For such coincidences to repeat—doesn’t it feel like fate, Duke?’
Coincidence or fate, to hell with both.
Just hearing those two words now made Raiden feel nauseous.
“That level of kindness can be seen as mere courtesy. And if it was at Frea’s request, it’s even more understandable.”
Savanna took a sip of water and continued,
“Then this is something we must protest at the family level to the Duke of Binok’s house. Spreading falsehoods as if they were truth—does that girl have no sense of responsibility as a ducal young lady?”
“I think so too, Mother. This is a matter that concerns both our family and my reputation. And I don’t want my heart to be gossiped about like this, based on lies.”
Even the truth would be hard enough to reveal—yet now he was being dragged into such a scandal with someone else.
‘Frea must know about this too. There’s no way the Duke’s daughter hasn’t told her.’
Even if she hadn’t, it was a rumor spreading through high society; Frea would surely have heard. What would she have said when she did?
Since it involved her cousin—did she congratulate her? Tell her to be happy with the Duke?
…He didn’t want to imagine either.
“For now, the rumor is too overheated, so let’s watch the situation for a bit. When the time is right, I’ll send a formal protest to the Duke of Binok’s house.”
“Yes, Mother.”
He wanted to correct the rumor immediately, but as Savanna said, emotions were running too high. If they moved rashly, it could backfire.
Raiden understood that they needed to proceed carefully.
But not long after, he realized they wouldn’t be able to.
Just under two weeks later, Savanna suddenly burst into tears when she saw Raiden return from work.
“Ra… Raiden…?”
“M-Mother?”
According to the maid, she’d seemed a little strange since waking up from a nap.
Had she had a nightmare? He hurried over, hugged her, and soothed her.
“Are you okay? Did something happen?”
“Oh, my baby. My son, Raiden…!”
“Yes, Mother. I’m here.”
“You’re alive… you’re alive…!”
Tears streamed endlessly from her eyes.
Even though her vision must have been blurry and stinging from all the tears, Savanna stared at him without taking her eyes off him.
Had she dreamed that he died? For her to weep so desperately just because he was alive…
What kind of nightmare could she have had, for his usually fearless mother to be like this?
