WCMP 13

chapter 13

Damn, I forgot the most important point.

I should have brought it up during the meal…

I had planned to subtly suggest having a private conversation with him while I had the chance, but I hadn’t said a word until the meal was almost over.

What should I do? The Duke has finished his work, and the meal is almost done, so he’ll be leaving soon.

My mind went blank with anxiety.

Before he came, I had imagined several situations where we could naturally talk together.

Even then, I couldn’t reach a conclusion, and I’d torn at my hair in frustration.

The safest option seemed to be suggesting a walk.

But anyone with a shred of perception would interpret it as: “I’m interested in you, so let’s go for a walk together.” — so I had initially rejected the idea.

Honestly, it didn’t matter if it seemed forward. I wasn’t completely uninterested in him.

The real problem was if he rejected the suggestion, seeing it as blatant flirting, I would have no choice left.

Ugh, but it seems there’s no other way…

After a brief, fierce internal struggle, I came to a conclusion.

All or nothing. Just go for it!

Besides, this was all for him anyway. If he refused, only I would feel wronged.

So if he refused, you die, I survive.

With my resolve firm, I put down the dessert spoon I had been holding. I moved my stiff facial muscles to curl my lips and said to Arban:

“Your Grace, there’s a glass greenhouse in the mansion garden. Around this time, the sunset casts a beautiful glow. If it’s alright, would you take a light walk with me and take a look?”

Even I knew it was a blatantly obvious date request.

But what else can I do? There’s no other way.

I tried to push forward shamelessly, but it wasn’t easy to hide my embarrassment. I had never been good at acting anyway.

“…….”

I endured the embarrassment as I spoke, but at least give me a response.

Looking at me like that made me feel warm in a strange way, but my face was burning.

As my embarrassment peaked, the Duke, whose face had stiffened at my words, intervened.

“Lily, even so, a walk alone with him—”

“Father, I already asked His Grace.”

I quickly cut off the Duke’s words with determination. If he interfered before Arban could answer, there would be no way out.

Arban glanced at the Duke briefly, then turned to me and spoke.

“Thank you for your kind suggestion. I’m very curious about the greenhouse that Lady Rober says is beautiful.”

The eyes that had been fixed on me glimmered with an unusual light.

What was he thinking right now?

Arban Canellowell walked beside Rielly Rober, escorting her as they moved through the garden.

He glanced down at Rielly, who seemed pleased and wore a soft smile, with a peculiar look in his eyes.

Lady Rober was different from other noble ladies.

Arban had thought that from the first time he met her.

‘Her social debut can’t be far off.’

He was curious whether she would behave as freely in the social sphere as she did in front of him.

To reveal one’s true feelings in society meant showing one’s weaknesses.

People who express their emotions openly are usually in one of two categories: extremely high status, or completely foolish.

Even the highest-ranking nobles could not escape the scrutiny of the social sphere.

Though her status demanded praise in front of her, no one could predict what rumors would spread behind her back.

To Arban, Lady Rober seemed unstoppable.

Before, she had said she hated to let him go, and now she had suggested a walk first.

It was an unusual display for a noble lady.

Before inheriting the title of Duke, he would never have approached someone who did not hide their emotions.

Ironically, that was exactly why he was drawn to her.

In his judgment, she did not fail to hide her emotions. She simply did not hide them herself.

The various emotions shining clearly in her eyes fascinated him.

The first day he met her, he remembered the surprise, delight, and faint pity reflected in her eyes.

Arban had always wondered why she had felt such emotions upon seeing him.

“Here we are. Since the staff aren’t around, we can enjoy it quietly…”

Arban looked down at Rielly as she chattered and led the way.

Her bright golden hair caught the sunset light and fluttered gently.

Feeling his gaze, Rielly lifted her head.

Arban met her violet eyes.

Golden hair, white skin, an ivory dress.

Everything bathed in scarlet, she smiled at him.

“Why?”

Her faint smile made Arban suddenly recall a very old memory.

Back when his father, the previous Duke, had not yet reached out to him, and his mother, backlit by sunset, smiled at him peacefully.

“…I was just worried you might feel cold.”

“Oh, I’m fine! I’m not sensitive to the cold. And the greenhouse will be warm anyway.”

As she said something trivial, Arban looked at her closely.

She accepted her feelings freely and expressed them openly—a free-spirited person.

Being close to her, he thought, might allow him to grasp something he had been searching for.

Sometimes, his late mother’s words echoed in his mind:

“From now on, live your real life. No one will bind you anymore… don’t be constrained by anything. Pursue what you truly desire.”

Whenever he remembered his mother’s will, he felt a stifling heaviness.

‘What I truly desire…’

Nothing came to mind.

He had spent almost his entire life as a puppet of the previous Duke.

From early on, he learned to suppress and hide his emotions, to remain composed in all situations, and never lose dignity.

He had lived according to the framework set by the previous Duke.

It had become habit, and now it was so fixed he could no longer change it.

Even freed from that control, Arban had not yet fully escaped the shadow of the previous Duke.

‘If anyone knew what I was thinking, they’d laugh at me for chasing something invisible.’

But he didn’t care. He no longer had anything to hold onto.

The only thing left was his mother’s death. That absence had taken everything that made him who he was.

The Duke’s wishes, which he had had to follow to protect his mother, no longer concerned him.

Arban, now walking alone through empty, meaningless time, needed something new to hold onto.

“See? The greenhouse is really warm. Let’s go in.”

“Yes, let’s.”

As Arban opened the door, Rielly dashed in first.

Following her into the quiet greenhouse, Arban recalled his mother’s words.

He studied her with a slightly childlike gaze.

He was alive, but his life was empty and meaningless.

Like walking blindly in total darkness, unable to find his way.

When a person’s vision is filled with absolute darkness, instinct drives them to search for light.

If they see a small flicker, they will struggle desperately to reach it.

As Arban stood still, Rielly looked back at him from inside.

Her gaze seemed to silently urge him, “Why aren’t you coming?”

“The greenhouse is bigger than it looks. There are many kinds of flowers, so it’s fun to look around.”

“I see. It’s my first time in a greenhouse.”

There was a brief pause in the conversation. He knew there was nothing to gain by speaking for appearances’ sake.

Still, a strange urge to test her reaction dominated his thoughts.

After battling the impulse, he finally spoke.

“I haven’t visited other nobles’ estates much, so my experience is limited, but it’s well maintained and beautiful.”

It might sound like a minor flaw, and he had visited other estates before.

But only when formally invited or for important matters, like today, had he come.

He had never responded to invitations without obligation, seeing no need to.

Still, he made a remark full of potential misunderstanding simply because he was curious how she would react.

Most other noble ladies would frown with pity and offer comfort.

They would invite him through their parents, as most unmarried men and women do.

Or they would feign sympathy, then mock him in secret.

But no matter how much they pretended, it was useless.

Arban had been trained to read others’ expressions and eyes since childhood. Most acts could not deceive him.

‘I wonder how you’ll react.’