Episode 120

I must have spent too much time with the crown prince.

Despite hurrying, by the time I returned to the duchy, the world was already shrouded in darkness.

I got off the carriage, but unlike usual, Lloydin was nowhere to be seen.

‘He must have gone out.’

Normally, I might have felt a bit disappointed, but today I felt relieved and asked the butler about Lloydin’s whereabouts.

“Madam, welcome back.”

“Has the Duke gone out?”

“Yes, Madam. Shortly after you left the estate, the Duke also went out.”

“Really? Where did he go?”

“He said he was going to the imperial palace.”

“The imperial palace?”

Hearing that Lloydin had gone to the imperial palace, I was momentarily surprised but quickly composed my expression.

“Did he say when he’d be back?”

“No, Madam. Please come inside. Dinner has been prepared.”

“Alright.”

I entered the mansion and changed into a home dress before having dinner.

Lloydin had not returned by the time I finished my meal, so I waited for him in the bedroom while resting.

I wondered how much time had passed. Late at night, the butler informed me that Lloydin’s carriage had passed through the main gate.

I quickly threw a thin shawl over my nightgown and went out to greet him.

As I stepped outside, Lloydin alighted from the carriage just in time.

“Duke.”

“Madam.”

I approached Lloydin as I called out to him.

His face looked tense and tired, likely from something that had happened at the palace.

But it was only for a moment; he returned to the familiar expression I knew well upon seeing me.

“I heard you went out shortly after I left.”

“Yes, something came up, so I had to go out.”

“Oh, really? What about dinner?”

“I haven’t had it yet.”

“You haven’t eaten?”

“No, I didn’t have the time.”

His words that he hadn’t eaten dinner made me frown slightly.

“I’ll have them prepare something quickly.”

I quickly turned to the butler standing behind us.

“It’s late, so I’ll just have something light.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

I answered Lloydin and signaled the butler with my eyes.

The butler nodded, bowed to us, and went inside first.

“Why did you come out instead of staying inside?”

“You always come out to greet me too.”

I smiled at him as I answered.

“It’s quite chilly at night. Let’s go in quickly.”

Lloydin put his arm around my shoulders, and I gently leaned my head on his shoulder.

“Yes, let’s do that.”

We walked into the mansion, closely attached to each other.

Lloydin instructed the staff to send the meal to our room, and soon a simple meal was set on the table in the bedroom.

I sat on the sofa opposite Lloydin to watch him eat.

“Please start with the soup to warm your empty stomach.”

“Would you like to join me?”

“No, I ate a lot earlier. Please, enjoy your meal comfortably.”

“Alright.”

However, it seemed that Lloydin wasn’t very hungry, as he didn’t eat much compared to usual.

‘He must be tired.’

After the brief meal, Lloydin, who had finished getting ready for bed, returned to the bedroom.

Instead of lying down on the bed immediately, we sat on the sofa again.

This time, we sat side by side rather than facing each other.

While it was nice to have face-to-face conversations, it was also comforting to feel each other’s warmth without looking at each other.

Occasionally, we would turn to meet each other’s eyes, causing a pleasant flutter in my heart.

“I heard you went to the imperial palace as well.”

“Yes, after you left, I received a letter summoning me to the palace.”

“So we were in the same place at the same time. If I had known you were there, I would have waited to return together. It’s a shame.”

“No, it’s better that you returned first. I went to another place after finishing my business at the palace, so I’m only back now. It was good that you came back earlier. And…”

Lloydin suddenly paused in the middle of his sentence.

I quickly turned my head to look at him.

For a split second, I caught Lloydin’s expression twisting with anguish before he quickly returned to his usual composed look, silently staring at me.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“No, nothing…”

Although he said no, his expression and hesitant tone clearly indicated otherwise.

I gazed up at Lloydin, pondering what to do before finally speaking.

“If you have something to say, please feel free to tell me. Is there anything you can’t say between us?”

“It’s not that. It’s just…”

Lloydin clenched his fists tightly, letting out a low sigh. He seemed determined not to speak, firmly pressing his lips together.

What could it be?

What could trouble him this much?

I was deeply curious about what he wanted to say.

It seemed like he wouldn’t open up if I left things as they were.

So, I decided to take drastic measures.

“…My dear?”

As I cupped his cheeks with my hands and locked eyes with him, Lloydin called my name in a startled voice.

“What’s going on? Is it something you absolutely can’t tell me?”

“It’s not that, but…”

He sighed deeply again, making me even more curious.

Seeing Lloydin’s troubled gaze, I waited patiently until he was ready to speak.

After a moment, he finally began to talk.

“I actually saw you at the imperial palace…”

“You saw me?”

I asked back, wide-eyed, as I hadn’t expected this at all.

“Yes. I saw you coming out of the garden with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Oh…”

So he saw me leaving the garden after my conversation with the crown prince.

“Did you see me while you were leaving the palace in your carriage?”

“…Yes. I wanted to stop the carriage and go to you, but I had urgent matters to attend to.”

Lloydin’s face darkened, perhaps regretting not being able to come to me.

“It’s alright. Work comes first.”

I answered casually, as if it was no big deal.

But Lloydin’s expression hardened further, seemingly displeased by my nonchalant response.

‘Why is he acting like this?’

He looked tense when he got off the carriage, and even now, his expression didn’t seem right.

Puzzled, I kept staring at him until he spoke again.

“Did you talk with His Highness the Crown Prince alone?”

“Yes? Yes. I was about to leave after meeting the princess when he asked to speak with me briefly.”

“He wanted to speak with you?”

“Yes. But it wasn’t anything important.”

There was nothing to hide about my conversation with the crown prince.

However, I didn’t want to unnecessarily worry Lloydin, who was already tired from his work at the palace.

But now that he knew, it would seem odd not to tell him, even if it wasn’t important.

Moreover, Lloydin’s eyes seemed to hold a hint of anxiety since earlier.

“About what the Crown Prince said…”

“Yes…”

“It wasn’t much, but I think I should tell you.”

Lloydin remained silent, watching me.

“His Highness has been alone all this time. But he said he is now planning to welcome a Crown Princess.”

“A Crown Princess?”

“Yes. I think he feels threatened because of Her Highness the Princess.”

I felt truly sorry for Lloydin, but I only told him half of the conversation I had with the Crown Prince.

The earlier part of the conversation could easily be misunderstood, no matter how much I denied it, so I couldn’t mention it at all.

“Was that all he said?”

“Yes, that was all. But I still don’t understand why he told me specifically.”

I had some guesses, but it could just be my misinterpretation.

I had to believe that.

So I feigned ignorance, tilting my head.

“I see…”

But after hearing my words, Lloydin’s expression twisted even more.

The atmosphere around us grew chilly, as if cold water had been poured over us.