Episode 64
“Hug me.”
“Yes?”
“Quickly.”
I whispered so softly that only Lloydin could hear me.
In response to my words, Lloydin hugged me without saying anything more and held me close to his chest.
“Don’t forget. Remember that I’m the Duke’s wife.”
So, as a reminder to never falter in front of anyone and to stand tall, I hugged him even tighter.
“…Understood. Don’t forget, my lady. I’m the husband of the madam.”
“Yes, I won’t.”
Being buried in Lloydin’s embrace, I couldn’t feel calm.
Captivated by the energy that always made me feel good, I forgot where I was and just held him like that.
*Cough!*
As I fell from Lloydin’s embrace, I heard Father’s fake cough.
“Oh, sorry. I was reluctant to let go even for a moment.”
*Ahem.* “Can we leave now?”
Father asked, not hiding his irritation.
“Yes, go ahead.”
I answered with a bright smile directed at Father and Lloydin.
“Well then, Duke. Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
As the two men moved away, I turned my gaze from them to my mother.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
But my mother was looking at me with a strange expression.
“It’s nothing. So, how’s married life?”
“It’s good. Everyone treats me well. Just a moment. Ian, come here.”
I called out to Ian, who was standing awkwardly at a distance.
Ian quickly came to my side and, perhaps feeling scared and unfamiliar, slightly hid behind me.
“It’s okay, Ian.”
“Yeah, it’s okay. Ian Blighton, right? You’re very handsome, Ian.”
Mother spoke to Ian in her characteristic affectionate and warm voice.
As Ian looked up at me with surprise, I nodded again to reassure him.
“Thank you, Duchess Anaïs.”
“It’s a matter of courtesy.”
“Mother. Do you know that Ian is learning Polates from Luke?”
“I heard from Luke. He praised Ian, saying he has talent and follows along well when taught.”
“Really? As expected.”
With a satisfied expression, I smiled proudly as Ian looked pleased.
“So, you’re going to the intermediate academy this time?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Do you need anything? If you need anything, I’d like to give you a gift.”
“…It’s okay.”
“Still, if you think of something later, it would be nice if you told me, okay?”
“Yes. Understood.”
It was while the three of us were having a conversation like this.
“Lady Ayla.”
I heard a familiar voice calling me from behind.
Before I could even turn around, that person came up beside me.
“Long time no see, Duchess.”
As he greeted my mother, his pink-tinted brown hair swayed gently.
“Who… Ah, is it Felix? Felix, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Have you been well?”
“It’s really nice to see you here.”
“Me too. It’s good to see you looking healthy.”
“You seem to have grown up just like when you were young.”
“Really? Some people didn’t even recognize me.”
As Felix spoke, he looked directly at me.
“Is that so? You didn’t recognize Felix? Have you two met before?”
“I met him at your 30th wedding anniversary party. I suddenly had urgent matters and had to leave without saying hello to you both. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize. But how could you not recognize him? He looks exactly the same when he smiles as he did when he was young.”
“I recognized him when he smiled.”
“You saw him smile before? You looked at him like you’d never seen him before.”
“No! Oh, I see. I’m sorry. I apologize.”
Feeling upset about that day, Felix kept mentioning it, so I apologized to him again.
“Keep chatting. I’ll go over to the ladies on the other side.”
“See you later, Mother.”
“See you later, Duchess.”
As my mother left, the hem of her dress was slightly pulled back.
When I looked at Ian, his expression seemed stiff, as if something was bothering him.
“Ian, is something bothering you?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then?”
“It’s nothing…”
Even though he said it was nothing, Ian’s gaze kept drifting towards Felix, making it seem like something about the stranger was bothering him.
“Who’s that?”
So I was about to ask Ian if he wanted to go outside for some fresh air when Felix asked him first.
“Ah, I forgot to introduce him. This is Ian Blighton, my husband’s younger brother. Ian, this is Felix Wenger, my friend.”
“As expected of a Blighton…”
Even though it probably wouldn’t happen, I quickly gave Felix a look to signal him not to say anything weird in front of the child.
“Felix Wenger.”
“Ian Blighton.”
Fortunately, they only exchanged greetings without Felix saying anything strange like last time.
“They look very alike.”
“Like the Duke?”
“Yeah. Actually, I was expecting it even before asking. They look too alike.”
“Is that so? Ian is handsome too, isn’t he?”
I felt proud as if I had become a parent bragging about their child.
“By the way, where’s your husband, Duke Blighton? Is he here today?”
“Yeah, I went to greet my father.”
“Really?”
Suddenly, Felix glanced behind me.
“What are you looking at?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
As I tried to see what he was looking at, Felix grabbed my arm, preventing me from moving.
“By the way, I’m still staying in the capital. When can we meet?”
“You’re still in the capital?”
“Yeah. The work isn’t finished yet, and maybe I’ll continue to stay here.”
“Oh, really? Then let’s meet soon. Oh, no, I have some things to do right now, so it might be difficult to meet soon. I’ll contact you later.”
“Later?”
Felix frowned slightly, perhaps not keen on not making plans immediately.
“Yeah. I’m a bit busy right now.”
But with a mountain of tasks waiting after the party, I really didn’t have time for Felix at the moment. Besides, I wanted to have a comfortable conversation with my old friend when I had some mental space.
“When later?”
“About a month later?”
“A month?”
“Yeah. But on the day we meet, I’ll dedicate my time to you all day long.”
As I spoke sincerely, Felix’s expression softened considerably.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I promise.”
“Make sure to keep your promise.”
“I will. Well, Felix, Ian and I are going to take a walk. If someone comes looking for us, tell them we’re in the garden.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, just the two of us.”
I firmly refused Felix’s suggestion to come along.
“Got it. Take care.”
“Yeah. Let’s go, Ian.”
With Ian in tow, I left the venue.
Outside the venue, there was a large garden centered around a vast pond.
Finding a bench in a corner of the garden, we sat down to rest.
“Ian, it must have been uncomfortable, right?”
“…No, it was okay.”
How could brothers be so alike?
Even though he had an uncomfortable expression the whole time.
Ian couldn’t control his facial expressions as much being a child, but still, Lloydin’s perfect expression sometimes made me wonder if he was really okay.
“I know it wasn’t easy. I’m having a hard time too. But you don’t have to endure situations like this yet. You’re only 12, no, 13 now. Anyway, you’re still a kid, so it’s okay.”
I smiled gently and gently stroked Ian’s hair.
“But…”
“Yeah?”
“Are you very close with that person from earlier?”
“Close?”
“Yes…”
Ian suddenly asked about Felix and my relationship, making me feel a little awkward.
But if I asked why he was asking now, we had finally become a bit more open with each other, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to say it was nothing special. So I immediately opened my mouth.
“I’ve been ill since I was young, so I went to a place far away for treatment.”
“Ill?”
Ian looked at me with a worried expression.
“I’m not sick now.”
Such a worried child made me laugh involuntarily.
“Anyway, he’s a friend I met there where I spent a few months. Felix, that is.”
“Um… Is he closer to you than my brother?”
“Your brother? The Duke?”
With a determined face, Ian vigorously nodded his head.
“Well, the Duke and Felix are a bit different.”
I answered like that, feeling a little awkward about how to explain the differences to the child.
Oh, such an interesting question to explain!😜