Chapter 15
The glasses legs passed by her ear and a round frame rested on the bridge of her nose. The contrast between the cold metal and the man’s warm body temperature was stark.
“Done.”
As she slowly lifted her eyelids, she felt as if her world was engulfed by Clyde.
Dizzy. Why?
She swayed, her upper body leaning back.
“Whoa!”
His arm swiftly reached out, catching her swaying body.
In an instant, Edith found herself embraced in the broad arms of the man, trying to quell the faintness, whether it was from anemia or something else.
“As expected…”
His voice murmured softly.
“What? What do you mean, ‘as expected’?”
“It’s nothing. Are you okay? Any pain?”
It was just a brief moment of dizziness, and she soon felt better. Blinking to focus her blurry vision, she looked up at Clyde. He had a pensive expression.
First, she needed to break free from the embrace. Untangling herself from his sturdy arms around her waist, she awkwardly increased the distance between them.
Looking around, she noticed a bystander gaping at them in astonishment. A newcomer to the shooting range, not familiar with the warm past between Edith and Clyde, quickly averted their gaze before making eye contact. Others who were aware of their history were trying to maintain neutral expressions.
Unable to bear the embarrassment, Edith awkwardly mumbled words of admiration.
“These glasses… I thought they were non-prescription, but it seems they have a power. I couldn’t see well with them on.”
“Is that so? I’ll have it checked again.”
Clyde accepted her explanation, seemingly justifying her momentarily unsteady state.
“But why did you say ‘as expected’?”
“I meant the glasses suit you well.”
It sounded like an excuse, but with so many eyes watching, Edith simply nodded.
Only the two of them were engaged while the rest of the office atmosphere remained tepid.
Clyde, preoccupied with Edith, failed to catch the murmurs from afar.
An oblivious bystander muttered something about alpha pheromones to their companion. Clyde shot them a sharp look, and the conversation quickly ceased.
Clyde showed genuine concern for her condition, even going as far as leading her to a comfortable spot and seating her with his own hands. It was a couch usually reserved for esteemed guests.
“You can rest here for a bit.”
The lavish gold decorations and plush cushions felt overwhelming. Above all, she was the only person sitting among the attendants.
“Sorry, but may I go up to my own room to attend to personal matters? It’s a bit… uncomfortable here.”
“Just a few matters to handle, then we’ll be done. And feel free to stay relaxed. I didn’t force you to wear the glasses.”
Though Edith knew that wearing glasses with thick lenses wouldn’t cause anemia in just a moment, she didn’t bother to add anything.
She was somewhat worried about signs of health issues arising within herself. She had felt dizzy at the shooting range last time, and this was the second occurrence.
“Yes…”
“If it’s inconvenient to just sit and rest, you could handle some of Edith’s household chores.”
“Is that okay?”
He nodded easily.
In fact, Edith had very little time to attend to her personal affairs. Yesterday, she had been busy gathering the estate staff to declare herself the mistress. There was plenty else to do as well.
Firstly, she needed to ensure her father didn’t recklessly support gambling debts. Now that Pedleton Duchy belonged to Edith, warnings had to be spread far and wide about the risk of borrowing from the previous duke; otherwise, even if Edith suffered minimal harm, it was better to inform her father quickly out of familial obligation.
“I’ll write a few personal letters then.”
Clyde resumed his next task, occasionally casting a glance at Edith. While she concentrated on writing, supported by the writing stand, his inexplicable gaze lingered for quite some time.
The next person responsible for the pending matter outside the office entered. The reporting and discussion proceeded as usual.
Before Clyde picked up another matter, he briefly called the attendants.
“If a trusted subordinate entrusted with important duties is experiencing financial difficulties, how should I assist?”
“Financial assistance, Your Grace?”
“Would providing funds suffice?”
The attendant pondered for a moment before calmly responding.
“Your Grace, if you wish, you may of course utilize your personal funds at any time. However, we can also provide support to the subordinate through formal procedures.”
“Is that so?”
“I recall a similar case from before. About ten years ago, when a palace manager who had served for about a decade encountered a sudden accident, they borrowed funds from the royal treasury at a much lower interest rate than from commercial lenders.”
Clyde nodded approvingly upon hearing the desired response. He had guessed that simply offering his personal funds might not necessarily endear Edith to him, so he sought another route.
“Excellent. Let’s proceed with supporting Lord Ketsmorris through that method.”
“Lord Ketsmorris, Your Grace?”
The subject of discussion was seated right across from the work desk, his ears perked up. After briefly glancing at Edith’s back, the attendant calmly acknowledged the prince’s command.
“I shall implement it as instructed. Once the application for support is received, since Your Grace’s approval has already been granted in advance, we will process it promptly.”
Royal support funds, huh? That’s a relief. I’ll accept them immediately.
She couldn’t help but think that Clyde was treating her a bit too well.
Perhaps there were old memories she couldn’t recall. However, no matter how much she speculated, nothing specific came to mind. Her hands were busy writing, but her mind was wandering with various thoughts.
There were dozens of places to send the letters. She needed to inform distant relatives about inheriting the title, send letters to friendly households, and of course, notify those with financial obligations. Additionally, she needed to ensure that any unsavory loan sharks her father might contact were informed, even if they agreed to defer to the former duke, she needed to show a firm resolve not to repay on his behalf, which could also help with her father’s gambling addiction.
Writing different content for each recipient was exhausting. It was something she couldn’t delegate to others.
Once again, the person reporting to Clyde had changed. This time it was the royal physician.
The elderly doctor, with his snowy white hair, bowed deeply before the prince and presented his report.
“Your Highness, the rut cycle is nearing its end.”
“Oh, is it already? Time flies.”
Even though she didn’t want to hear it, the conversation naturally entered her ears since it was happening nearby.
The rut cycle referred to the periodic mating season experienced by alphas. In the animal world, it’s when the desire to mate reaches its peak, and instincts to mate become very strong.
During this time, individuals often feel excited and driven by instinct rather than reason. Cases of reckless behavior and even seeking out omegas are common. The stronger an alpha’s temperament, the stronger their sexual desires during this period.
Clyde was widely known as a strong-willed alpha, so it was clear that he would experience a significant rut cycle.
“How do you plan to spend this cycle? Perhaps you should consider following my advice for once.”
“Sounds good. Prepare the usual medication as always.”
The atmosphere was firm as the royal physician’s plea was firmly rejected, and he tried to wrap up the conversation succinctly. The doctor persisted with a perplexed expression.
“As Your Highness knows, your temperament is too strong, so even the medication for the rut cycle needs to be specially prescribed. The suppressants need to be potent enough to counter the strong pheromones, which can be quite taxing on the body.”
“I’ve heard similar things every time the cycle approaches. I’ve heard enough to memorize it.”
“While Your Highness appears resilient now, as you age, you may experience side effects from the suppressants.”
“Thanks for the concern, but I’m fine.”
“Just as a trial, perhaps keeping an omega nearby…”
Interrupting the unheard portion, Clyde cut off the physician with a displeased expression.
“You, it seems you’re overstepping your bounds.”
“…My apologies, Your Highness.”
Unable to say anything more, the physician’s wrinkled eyes were filled with pity.
Clyde gestured dismissively, indicating that there was no need for further ado, and the physician should leave.
As a prince, Clyde’s demeanor was generally like this. He was strict and decisive in his dealings, showing no mercy when making decisions, fitting of his position as the center of the empire and the ultimate authority. He tolerated no challenges to his authority.
For Edith, who disregarded his status, it was quite a surprising event when viewed in light of such precedents. She was the only exception.
Despite several public instances of him reproaching subordinate attendants, there were still some attendants who couldn’t manage their expressions.
Clyde glanced at her again.
“Edith, still a ways to go?”
Without lifting her head, she replied only with her back facing him.
“Still a while. I don’t think I’ll finish today.”
“Has the anemia improved?”
“Yes, much better.”
“I’d like you to go and rest, but the interior renovations in the room are in full swing by now.”
Though Edith didn’t know the specifics of the renovations, it seemed like they were focusing a lot on one side of the bedroom wall. During the day, it was chaotic due to the construction, but by evening, it was neatly organized.
While Clyde had several bedrooms at his disposal, the one with the separate star room was only attached to the main bedroom. So, he usually slept there.
Taking advantage of the moment when Clyde expressed concern about her condition, Edith tentatively threw in a suggestion.
“There’s also a way to leave early.”
“Yeah, I’ll continue writing letters here.”
As expected, her suggestion didn’t fly. She grumbled softly while diligently moving her pen.
Throughout the rest of the day, many nobles and officials came and went in the office. In the solemn and serious atmosphere, Clyde managed affairs of state while Edith drafted letters to creditors.
* * *
After a while, an attendant brought a message from outside.
But it wasn’t for Clyde, it was for Edith. To ensure it didn’t disrupt the prince’s work, a small note was handed to her.
It was a message saying that Adrian was waiting at the palace entrance. He had come to meet her, despite her fears.
Clyde showed more interest in the note than in Edith, who was busy reading it.
“What’s that?”
He kept glancing at it before finally straightening his head to look.
