Ian Cloud was in a rather foul mood.
It was late morning, and he sat in his office, frowning as he stared at a document filled with densely written text. One word had been lingering in his mind, refusing to leave: Why?
Ever since he had left the dining hall, that single word had filled his thoughts.
His cyan eyes, once fixed on the document, shifted towards the newsletter lying on the corner of his desk.
“……”
As he picked up the newsletter, his brows furrowed even deeper.
The contents were outrageous from the very first page.
Mentions of Duke Roger’s shy smile, the supposedly unusual atmosphere between the two, and how everyone was watching for Ian Cloud’s reaction were nothing compared to the absurdity of the comments section below.
– If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t be able to resist either. Honestly, both of them are said to be among the most handsome men in the capital.
– It’s a shame he’s not part of the royal family… Otherwise, polygamy could be a thing. Isn’t it time to amend the law?
– Oh my, such bold words!
– Well, it’s anonymous, so who cares? Besides, the article didn’t say the Grand Duchess had feelings for Duke Roger, did it?
– Who knows? Maybe by next year, she’ll be the Duchess of Roger, not the Grand Duchess of Cloud!
– Oh my, you really can’t say things like that, even anonymously!
– Weren’t the Duke of Roger and the Cloud family on bad terms?
– Yeah, I heard they didn’t get along ever since the Grand Duke’s time as a prince.
– So is he trying to steal her away for real?
– Be careful what you say!
Ian found it absurd how these people were exchanging baseless speculations about Eloise and Duke Hayden Roger.
It was hard to believe that those who had written such lowly remarks were nobles.
‘Pathetic fools.’
Ian tossed the newsletter aside in disgust.
In truth, what the newsletter spouted was not something Ian should have cared about.
At least, that’s how it should have been.
Unless Eloise had actually met Duke Roger in secret, there was no reason for him to be bothered.
The lunch had been something Ian himself had approved.
Of course, he could criticize her for letting her name appear in such a lowly newsletter, but given the other scandals that had surfaced over the past two years, it wasn’t something worth reprimanding her for.
Yet, despite all these reasons, Ian Cloud was overly fixated on the newsletter and their meeting.
‘What is Hayden Roger thinking?’
He and Duke Roger had never been on good terms, not even as a formality.
When Hayden had entered the palace as a childhood companion to Elisio, Ian’s first impression of him had been poor.
Always smiling, Hayden was constantly trying to keep Ian in check, much like his father had done.
When Ian was about six years old, during a boating trip with Hayden and Elisio, he was attacked by a noble from the Empress’s faction.
Elisio had been injured protecting him. While his injuries were not serious, it became well-known that Hayden viewed Ian as a threat to Elisio’s safety after that incident. As a result, whenever the two crossed paths at monthly events in the capital, the tension between them was palpable.
‘And now, suddenly, he’s getting close to the Grand Duchess…?’
But that wasn’t the only thing bothering Ian.
“Ah, well, Hayden—I mean, Duke Roger’s chef—”
‘Since when did they start calling each other by name?’
In their two years of marriage, Eloise had never once called Ian by his name.
As Ian found himself sinking deeper into these thoughts, the usual ruckus heralded Kyle’s entrance.
“Master! I have arriv— Oh, oops.”
Kyle immediately sensed the tense atmosphere and hunched his shoulders.
“Why are you in such a bad mood today? I could barely breathe walking into the office.”
Despite cautiously gauging the mood, Kyle still spoke his mind, as always.
Ian finally tore his gaze away from the newsletter to look at Kyle.
The intensity of his stare made Kyle flinch, but after glancing between Ian and the newsletter a few times, Kyle grinned.
“Aha.”
He had a keen sense for these things.
“Now that I think about it, there’s been a lot of talk about the Grand Duchess and Duke Roger. On my way here, I overheard people gossiping about it. Even in the bustling streets, that’s all anyone was talking about.”
Despite earlier watching Ian’s mood carefully, Kyle now seemed intent on teasing him.
“But honestly, who wouldn’t be? You and she never went to that restaurant, but she went there with Duke Roger, didn’t she? Everyone’s saying the atmosphere was something special. Even my tower’s mages were buzzing about it all morning.”
Ian frowned. The Mage Tower was located far west, far from the capital.
The fact that news had already reached there was surprising.
Those wizards were not only eccentric but also had unnecessarily sharp ears.
The worst among them was the one standing before him, Kyle, who somehow managed to pick up all kinds of gossip and chatter.
“But Duke Roger is quite odd, too. Why would he go there, of all places, with Her Grace the Grand Duchess, as if to show it off? It’s like he’s genuinely interested in her!”
Kyle continued babbling, seemingly unafraid of his master. Ian gave him a chilling glance.
“Kyle.”
“Well, am I saying anything that’s not true?”
Kyle shamelessly shrugged, still emboldened by the fact that Ian hadn’t called him by his full name yet.
That meant he still had time to talk. With a mischievous glint in his red eyes, Kyle smirked.
“You’re bothered by it, aren’t you?”
“……”
Ian’s silence was all the confirmation Kyle needed, and he chuckled. It was hard to tell if he was a loyal servant or an adversary at this point.
“I remember you once said, ‘It’s a matter of family alliances. There’s no reason to care about personal matters,’ drawing a firm line.”
Kyle dramatically mimicked Ian’s expression and raised his eyebrows.
“I knew it would come to this.”
His expression practically scolded his master.
“Honestly, it’s time you admit it. You should be feeling a sense of crisis by now.”
“What crisis?”
“Don’t you get it? At this rate, in a few months, Her Grace could end up becoming the Duchess of Roger, not the Grand Duchess of Cloud—”
“Kyle Elzeir.”
Uh-oh. At this point, continuing to provoke him would be the death of him.
Kyle, with his impeccable timing, shut his mouth and smiled innocently.
Ian gave him a deadly glare, scanning him from head to toe.
Sensing it was time to change the subject, Kyle swiftly pivoted.
“By the way, did you deliver the message I mentioned last time?”
“And what message would that be?”
Kyle gasped in disbelief.
“Did you forget again? Didn’t I tell you that Her Grace the Grand Duchess personally told me she was worried that her efforts as the Grand Duchess weren’t reaching you?”
A few days ago, while trailing after Eloise in the manor’s garden, Kyle had overheard a golden nugget of information.
Eloise likely thought he wouldn’t notice, but as soon as Kyle heard her concerns, he knew they were about Ian.
After all, if anyone had a sharp sense for these things, it was Kyle Elzeir.
He glanced at Ian. Judging by his silence, Ian had probably brushed off the advice once again.
“So, you didn’t tell her, did you?”
“…I did.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, I did.”
Kyle’s face went blank for the first time. Did he say he actually did? Of course, Kyle had relayed the message, but he never imagined Ian would actually pay attention to it.
‘Well, you live long enough, and you see everything.’
After a moment of confusion, Kyle’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“You really did it? Wow, even you are capable of growth, huh. So, how did Her Grace respond? Did she blush?”
Unlike Kyle, whose voice rose with excitement, Ian’s expression was conflicted.
He genuinely didn’t know how to explain it.
He had, indeed, taken Kyle’s words to heart and told Eloise during breakfast that he acknowledged her efforts.
Of course, Kyle would have given him a long speech about how poorly he must have conveyed it, but for Ian, that had been his best effort.
So then, Eloise’s reaction…
After a long pause, Ian finally spoke.
“…She dropped a pea.”
“A pea?”
“…On her plate.”
Thud.
Ian tapped the desk with his index finger, mimicking the moment, as if to paint the scene.
Kyle’s expression soured.
‘What is he even talking about?’
Kyle, now silent, offered Eloise a quiet, heartfelt apology in his thoughts.
‘You must have it rough, Your Grace.’
♧♧♧
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