Kaon momentarily doubted his ears. The voice was familiar, but the way his name was called was overly melodious and velvety, giving him goosebumps.
‘Why is she…’
He couldn’t complete the thought, ‘Why is she like that?’ because Alessia came into view.
Alessia was dressed in a shimmering, deep purple-white gown. From the rounded neckline to the long, flowing sleeves, the dress was meticulously embroidered with gold threads, every pleat and layer crafted with delicate elegance. Even the hem, designed to just graze the floor, was flawless.
The dress sparkled so brilliantly that it could have overshadowed the wearer, but that was hardly a concern for Alessia.
Her hair, styled in lush, wavy tresses, captured the dazzling light from the chandeliers, reflecting it back with a silvery sheen, and her eyes, under white lashes, sparkled just as brightly.
And then…
Kaon had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. Right there in the center of her pale neck was the ruby necklace he had given her.
“Kaon, you made it?”
However, he soon found no need to suppress his smile. Alessia had quickly closed the distance and hooked her arm through his, her proximity freezing his expression.
“Aren’t you smiling?”
Caught off guard, Kaon stiffened, and Alessia’s tone seemed almost menacing. Looking down in the direction of her voice, he saw her smiling up at him brightly.
“Smile.”
Ah… she was telling him to smile…
Kaon sighed as he finally understood. It seemed she also had a knack for ventriloquism. The voice sounded chilly, yet her face looked like a princess deeply in love, though only her expression conveyed that.
Awkwardly, Kaon managed a smile. After all, they needed to put on a somewhat convincing show.
Despite nobody really believing it, they had to pretend that the alliance between Ferdinand and Ingelos was more than just a strategic arrangement—it was a genuine emotional exchange.
The problem was that unlike Alessia, who could improvise effortlessly, Kaon wasn’t quite as quick on his feet.
“Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting.”
“…”
‘You went first.’ That was his initial thought, but Kaon instinctively knew that voicing it could lead to a terrifying outcome.
Luckily, the orchestra began playing a new dance tune at that moment. Alessia naturally pulled him onto the dance floor. As they moved to the slow rhythm, she caught him off guard again.
“Why did you come so late?”
“…Wasn’t it you who left early?”
Kaon was flabbergasted. He had left at the time they agreed to meet yesterday. It was absurd that she was turning the tables on him.
“Lady Leonidas was waiting too, you know.”
“That’s because Leo has a lot to say.”
“Anyway.”
What exactly ‘anyway’ meant was unclear, but Kaon decided not to press further. Rather than bickering in such a public setting, he chose to change the subject to the necklace.
“I didn’t think you’d wear it.”
“Well, it’s not too bad.”
Alessia replied pertly as if there was no reason she couldn’t wear it. Kaon noticed she was only performing very basic dance moves. It reminded him of their first dance at the ball last year.
But it wasn’t his place to comment. If she hadn’t taken an interest in dancing and hadn’t learned deeply, that was perfectly acceptable. For a family as removed from social circles as Ingelos, her effort was commendable.
After finishing their dance, Kaon and Alessia moved to a spot slightly away from the center, near a large pillar. There, they encountered Leonidas, who was engaged in conversation with others.
“Ladies and gentlemen, entering now are Count Bastien Dumont and his eldest son, Viscount Lloyd Dumont!”
As Kaon quietly observed the unfolding scene, the announcement caught his attention.
***
“Leo.”
“I heard it too.”
Kaon immediately called out to Leonidas, whose expression had subtly hardened. Sensing the tension, Alessia alternated her gaze between the two siblings.
“Count Dumont is my uncle.”
Kaon explained tersely.
Bastien Dumont, the count, was the younger brother of the previous Duke of Ferdinand and the uncle to both Kaon and Leonidas.
Back when the previous duke was alive, Bastien was a familiar and friendly face around Ferdinand Estate. However, as soon as his brother became permanently bedridden, Bastien slowly began to reveal his true colors.
“Ah, Leonidas! Kaon! There you are.”
From a distance, Count Dumont, who had been looking around as if searching for someone, finally spotted them and hurried over.
“It’s been a while, Uncle.”
“Yes, you lads seem to have grown a bit more!”
Count Dumont looked at Leonidas and Kaon with a pleased expression, but his eyes gleamed with greed that he couldn’t completely hide.
Kaon clenched his fists out of sight. Even though he was still not of age and thus somewhat excusable, Leonidas was an adult and the current regent of Ferdinand. It was irksome for her to be treated like a child by her uncle.
Moreover, Count Dumont had blocked Leonidas from ascending to the dukedom by rallying other family branches and citing an archaic law that “a woman can only lead the family with her father and husband’s consent.”
Since a Duke of Ferdinand was expected to marry someone of equal status, Leonidas had missed her chance to find a suitable husband during her father’s lifetime. Count Dumont knew this and exploited it.
Not only that, despite Leonidas showing promise as a knight from a young age, her uncle refused to acknowledge her capabilities and even ostracized her.
There was a failure on their father’s part to see through his brother’s ambitions, but those who deceive often come better prepared than those they deceive.
In hindsight, it seemed Count Dumont had never intended to let the dukedom pass to Leonidas easily, perhaps even from the time their father’s health began to decline.
“Lloyd, it’s been a while since you’ve seen your cousins, hasn’t it? You’ll be seeing a lot more of each other, so go ahead and catch up.”
“Leonidas, Kaon! It’s been too long!”
“Lloyd has been quite upset. You should invite him to the estate more often.”
Despite his motives, he was parading his son around, subtly trying to ingratiate him with the family.
“Uncle, you’ve been so busy, I didn’t think to bother you.”
“Ha, busy? I’m sure I’m no busier than you, Leonidas. Remember, you can always rely on your uncle. It saddens me to think I’m not doing enough as an elder.”
Count Dumont was actively undermining Leonidas’ reputation and questioning her ability to govern, while busily networking with various family branches.
When Leonidas subtly pointed this out, Count Dumont’s lips tightened momentarily, but he quickly resumed his ingratiating smile. Turning his attention away from his stiff nephews to the smiling Alessia, he changed the subject.
“Oh, what an oversight on my part! Kaon, congratulations on your engagement. Won’t you introduce me to your beautiful fiancée?”
“Yes, this is my fiancée, Alessia Ingelos.”
Though Kaon was reluctant, he couldn’t refuse. With a sigh, he introduced Alessia.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count Dumont. I am Alessia Ingelos, the eldest daughter of the Ingelos family.”
“Ingelos! I haven’t seen much of you in person, but I have heard quite a bit. You are as remarkable as they say.”
“You truly embody the lineage of Ferdinand yourself, Count.”
“Ha-ha-ha! My nephew’s fiancée really knows how to flatter me!”
At the mention of the Ferdinand lineage, Count Dumont burst into hearty laughter. He began to look at Alessia differently, seeing her as a naïve young lady whose premature praise might be manipulated for his own ends.
‘Damn it.’
Kaon stifled the curse that rose to his throat, sensing the Count’s opportunistic thoughts. He regretted not having spoken to Alessia earlier about his uncle.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it. He had intended to discuss it during their carriage ride to Bellum, but an unexpected cold spell between them had caused him to miss the right moment.
Alessia, unaware of her uncle’s true nature and their strained relationship, treated him with her usual kindness and warmth, which put Kaon in an awkward position.
He had no choice. He needed to find an opportune moment to cut off the conversation and excuse the Count from their presence.
“Flattery? I’m sure just by looking at His Grace, the Duchess of Ferdinand, and Kaon here, you can tell my words are sincere.”
However, Alessia’s following remark made everyone at the gathering pause.
🍉🍉🍉
T/N: after some research, a woman may bear the title of Duchess if she is married to a duke, or if she is the head of a duchy herself. In this case, I think it’s more suitable to refer to Leo as the “Duchess of Ferdinand” rather than using “Duke of Ferdinand”, since she’s a woman after all. And yes, Alessia wore the necklace Kaon gave her :> aaaaaaaaaaa
