[If you successfully complete His Highness’s business, I’m thinking of passing on the title to you.]
It was the words I had always wanted to hear.
I believed that once I heard these words, everything would fall into place afterward.
“Stupid kid.”
Louis took a sip of champagne and laughed. It was a laugh of self-mockery.
“Now it all seems pointless, but…”
The eyelashes that trembled precariously made the cheeks of many young ladies blush.
In between, a woman in a red dress approached.
With glasses in both hands, she naturally brushed past him, heading towards the empty terrace beside him.
When she gave him a look, Louis naturally opened the door for her, and she went inside as if it was expected.
“She means for me to follow.”
Louis handed his empty glass to a passing servant and followed her.
He tried to recall if there was anything work-related to discuss.
Although he had become closer to Margaret than before, they had never met in a private place.
Click.
As the terrace door closed, she handed one of the glasses she was holding to Louis.
“It’s unusual for you to acknowledge me first at a party.”
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with an answer. As Louis received the glass and joked, Margaret frowned deeply.
“You were looking so miserable just a moment ago.”
“Me?”
Louis asked, touching his face with one hand. He was surprised, as he had always been good at managing his expressions.
“It was visible even from a distance.”
The banquet he was attending today was to secure new investors. It was fine to just stay still now as the party had just started, but it would be troublesome if this continued until after everyone arrived.
“…I’ll be mindful of it. I’m sorry.”
Unsatisfied with the answer, Margaret’s gaze didn’t leave him. Just when her quiet stare started to feel burdensome, she spoke.
“Looks like you’ve been rejected in love.”
“…Pardon?”
“By that little friend of yours, I mean.”
It seemed her guess wasn’t off the mark. Caught off guard by the blunt question, Louis choked on his champagne.
Cough, cough.
“I guess I was right.”
Margaret nodded, saying “So it was that” at Louis’s reaction, which was more transparent than any verbal answer.
After such a reaction, he couldn’t deny it.
Louis leaned his back against the terrace railing and tilted his head back. The cool breeze that had been chilled by days of rain brushed past them.
“How did you know?”
“Because of the Duke.”
It was an unexpected answer. It was also a name he didn’t want to hear.
“…Because of the Duke?”
But Louis couldn’t help but ask again.
“The Duke always used to work through the night, didn’t he?”
“That’s right.”
“But recently, the Duke’s leaving work noticeably earlier.”
“I thought it was because urgent matters were finished and work had decreased.”
“That’s true, but from what I’ve seen, he’s the type to find work to do if he’s less busy. It means there’s another reason.”
“…I see.”
Louis had thought the Duke’s schedule had become more relaxed than before, but he had never connected it to Carol.
“I became certain just now, thanks to you, Viscount.”
He had been arrogant. Even though he knew there were feelings between the two of them.
After Carol left the North, he believed their connection would naturally disappear.
He had planned to inherit the title of Viscount based on his abilities alone, and then formally ask Carol to date afterwards.
“We’re comrades in rejection, then.”
Louis laughed weakly.
It was obvious that Margaret had noticed the Duke’s changes more keenly than others because she still had feelings for him.
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“We’re not comrades.”
Louis’s eyes widened at Margaret’s words as she firmly drew a line.
“…What?”
“I consider my attempt to be the most valuable experience. But you didn’t even confess, did you?”
Margaret asked if that wasn’t the case, and Louis could neither affirm nor deny it.
“That’s…!”
“Am I wrong?”
“I… I was just planning to confess at the right time.”
Louis had a plan. He ran his hand through his hair.
“Are you saying there wasn’t a right time throughout all the time you’ve known that friend?”
“…”
Even the cold wind couldn’t cool Louis’s burning face. When Louis couldn’t answer, Margaret continued.
“It’s not that you didn’t do anything because you were afraid of being embarrassed rather than losing a friend, is it?”
“…Your words are harsh.”
Despite Louis’s comment, Margaret didn’t stop talking.
“You probably thought that if you stayed by her side for a long time, your feelings would naturally be conveyed.”
It hit the mark, making his solar plexus ache dully. He had believed that since he had been by her side the longest, that place beside her would naturally become his someday.
“Opportunities don’t always wait for you.”
Her words were sharp. Louis realized her words came from experience. That’s why he couldn’t refute them.
Louis had thought Margaret was foolish. They were already engaged, and unless something major happened, the marriage would proceed, so he honestly didn’t understand why she had confronted the Duke with her feelings.
‘It was my arrogance.’
But now he understood. She had confronted and moved forward, while he had stood still and stagnated.
“…You’re courageous, Miss Margaret.”
“Isn’t that why I’m in business now?”
Louis laughed without resistance at Margaret’s words.
“That’s true indeed.”
It felt like he had been hit hard on the back of the head. His throat was dry, so he drank his champagne.
Margaret followed suit, leaning against the terrace railing and tilting her head back.
“I wasn’t trying to criticize you.”
“After speaking so scathingly?”
“Oh my. If you think this is scathing, that’s troublesome.”
Her dark golden hair fluttered in the wind. Louis looked up at the night sky.
He remembered the kidnapping incident. When Carol wasn’t at the mansion Louis went to, he headed straight for the harbor.
Because that was the most rational choice.
Catching the culprit was his top priority. But when he asked the culprit about Carol’s whereabouts, Louis regretted his choice.
[She’ll be playing with my son in the basement. I’m just going on a business trip, you’re overreacting.]
[‘Basement? Did you just say basement?]
Contrary to what Louis had thought, the place where Carol was held had no windows, and she couldn’t escape easily. Carol, who had moved through the sewer, even injured her leg.
If it hadn’t been for the Duke, who prioritized Carol’s safety over catching the culprit, Carol and the tutoring center teacher would surely have died.
If such a thing had happened, Carol would never have forgiven herself.
‘She’s safe.’
When he arrived belatedly, he saw Carol with her eyes closed in the Duke’s hands. The Duke was holding her more preciously than anyone else.
[That bird…]
[Ah. If you mean that she’s a beastman, I already know.]
It was the day when his confidence that his feelings for Carol were heavier than anyone else’s was shattered.
Louis downed the rest of his drink.
His thoughts, which had been jumbled by Margaret’s words, began to fall into place one by one.
The reason he believed she would eventually come to his side was because he thought he was the only one who could keep her secret of being a beastman.
As his basest, most vile true feelings that even he hadn’t known came to light, Louis felt disgusted with himself.
“I don’t think I can confess like you did, Miss Margaret.”
He hoped that Carol hadn’t noticed these true feelings.
Margaret, perhaps thinking she had made a mistake given Louis’s attitude, ran her hand through her hair and apologized.
“…I’m sorry if it was presumptuous meddling.”
“No. Thanks to that, I’ve come to my senses.”
Louis muttered with a relieved expression.
He had been content with the position of a friend until now, so he intended to maintain that position from now on.
****
It was much more awkward than she had thought.
“Cough. Teacher Bianca?”
“Yes?”
“I’m going to have some tea. Would you like a cup too?”
“I still have some tea left, so…”
Bianca awkwardly lifted her cup and declined.
“Oh, I see.”
Carol stepped back. Thanks to the children who had gathered around one by one, it wasn’t too awkward, but she kept feeling conscious of Bianca’s presence.
She had wanted to meet during the break. She had sent a letter suggesting they meet after the wounds had healed a bit, but there was no reply.
“Teacher Bianca.”
She approached deliberately making her presence known, but Bianca noticeably flinched when Carol called her name.
“Yes?”
She even avoided eye contact. Carol forced a smile and pretended everything was fine.
“…It’s almost time to finish, so I wanted to ask you to help with tidying up.”
“Ah, yes.”
There was only one reason she could think of.
‘It must be because I’m a beastman.’
Most people disliked beastmen. She thought she had gotten used to it by now. But it still hurt because she had expected Teacher Bianca to treat her the same as before.
