Chapter 31
Roman made a bewildered face when he heard my question.
“It looks like we need to change that image first. That’s what got you into all that trouble yesterday.”
Unlike his tired voice, his words sharply pierced the painful spot.
Without realizing it, I looked at him with resentment. Roman nodded his head as if he knew everything.
“Yes, It’s not that easy. Let’s take it slow and get going.”
“Okay.”
As I walked and talked to Roman, I found myself in front of Raynan’s office.
If I had been alone, it would have taken quite a while just to get to Raynan’s office.
As I followed Roman’s steps, I arrived earlier than expected.
“Go in.”
After coming to pick me up, Roman only opened the door and left.
“Roman, aren’t you going in?”
“It’s not my place right now.”
I had the urge to hold on to him and ask him to stay with me.
I have to talk about my engagement with Raynan. Just thinking about it made me choke with awkwardness.
I couldn’t tell if I had become a little more comfortable with Roman overnight, or if it’s just uncomfortable in this position.
“Hurry.”
Roman nudged me in the back, urging me on. I took a reluctant step into the room, and Raynan rose from the couch as if he’d been waiting for me.
“Sit down.”
“Yes.”
It needs to be said anyway, don’t put it off, let’s do it quickly.
I was trying to catch my breath and speak when I made eye contact with Raynan. The way he stared at me, I lost my words.
The breath I’d been holding escaped my lips with difficulty.
“Did you not sleep well last night?”
“… no.”
“Why?”
I didn’t know why he was asking such an obvious question, but I answered honestly.
“I was worried….”
“You were worried?”
Raynan asked back as if it was unexpected. As expected, he was a person with different common sense than me.
Maybe that’s why there was such a commotion.
“Yes.”
“So what is the answer?”
“I’ll do it.”
Unlike my hesitation, the answer actually came naturally.
I pondered all night whether to accept Raynan’s offer or not. I agonized over two very different answers.
However, the fact that it was for Edwin’s sake, and the fact that I could confidently leave the Duke’s residence after a year instead of running away, ultimately played a big part in my decision.
Of course, it wasn’t a bad condition to let me stay if I wanted. Because it meant that my opinion would be respected either way.
“Okay. Roman.”
At Raynan’s call, Roman entered the office immediately.
Did Roman wait outside because he didn’t know about my decision?
Do I really have a prejudice against these people like Roman said?
One of the things I thought about the most last night was, ‘Is this really a choice I can make?’
Although it was in the form of a suggestion, it felt like it wasn’t, but surprisingly, Raynan seemed to give priority to my decision.
Raynan said as he looked at Roman, who came in and just stood there instead of sitting down.
“I could explain, but he said he wanted to do it himself.”
It seemed like the meaning of my gaze was conveyed differently, but I nodded without saying a word.
“I thought it would be possible to explain at eye level.”
“Please at least write a contract before that.”
“Contract?”
Roman asked back as if he was surprised, but Raynan was not surprised and nodded.
“I’ll have it ready by tomorrow.”
“All right.”
“Thank you.”
There won’t be much to worry about for at least a year.
I sighed and relaxed. Roman looked at me and started explaining what he was going to say.
“As you have done so far, you will have tea time with the Duke every day for the time being.”
“Yes.”
“Starting next week, it would be a good idea to visit the Duke once or twice in addition to tea time…”
“One or two more times?”
“Oh, by any chance you haven’t heard the rumor.”
“What rumor?”
“In order to become a Duchess, she tried to become Edwin’s nanny. She did everything in her power. After bewitching Edwin, she is now approaching the Duke. The father and son are all possessed by her and can’t make good decisions.”
As if Roman had been waiting, he continued to recite rumors related to me.
If this was what Chase was trying to tell me, he had every right to be concerned.
No, no matter what, the fact that I bewitched Edwin and approached Raynan…
“It would be better to utilize everything that can be utilized.”
Raynan nodded and said with satisfaction.
“So now, by all means… I will… the duke…”
I couldn’t bear to say anything. However, Raynan, who was unaware of my shame, dared to continue what I was saying with his calm face.
“It’s a situation where you have to seduce me.”
“… Seduce.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Don’t look forward to it, because I’ve never said such a word in my life.
Of course, I only thought to myself. Instead, I looked at him with a feeling of resentment.
But Raynan was smiling, as if he was pleased.
“Is it really necessary?”
Knowing that I couldn’t get the answer I wanted from Raynan, I turned my head to Roman.
“Since the rumor spread anyway, I’m just trying to make the most of it as naturally as possible. I don’t know what the duke is like, but I don’t expect more than that from you.”
“Thank you.”
Roman also didn’t give me the answer I wanted. But even though he seemed to be in a bad mood, his words calmed me down a little.
“For now, just focus on increasing the number of casual encounters.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t try to do anything more. It’ll be awkward and obvious.”
“Yes.”
“And in case someone asks about your relationship with the Duke…”
Roman, who continued speaking without the slightest hesitation, stared at me for a moment. Soon he shook his head slightly and spoke in a weak voice.
“Just don’t say yes or no.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s because I think Renee will be seen if she tries to deceive others. Just don’t answer anything. Never.”
“… Yes.”
I felt an unspecified sting of resentment, but I couldn’t say anything. It seemed natural to do what Roman said.
Besides, as he had said yesterday, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to him first if I had a problem.
It was a simple but effective instruction. It seemed like he understood me better than I did.
Whether it was engagement or seduction, I felt at a loss, but listening to Roman’s words made me feel like I could do it.
“All right. I will try my best.”
“Good.”
“No, don’t work hard.”
Raynan and Roman gave completely different answers to my words.
Just like their answers, Raynan smiled happily as if he was satisfied, while Roman was touching his forehead with a worried face.
Neither of them gave me comfort. I’m probably the most confused and worried person out of all the people here.
It was definitely a good decision since it was for Edwin’s sake, but maybe I should have thought about it a little more deeply.
Well, it was a worry that wouldn’t change anything.
But if I don’t think about it, I feel like they’re going to grab me and yell at me on the spot.
*****
“Renee?”
Hah… My efforts to turn around and pretend not to see were in vain.
When I heard Raynan’s call, I sighed internally but smiled naturally and turned towards him.
Eyes filled with interest gathered from all over.
At first, I intentionally timed our encounters by chance.
However, these days, I often run into Raynan by chance without any effort.
Just now, I bumped into her on my way to pick up a snack for Edwin while he was away.
Not long ago, my goal was to escape the Loerian family…
All attention was now focused on what appeared to be Raynan’s lover.
In a way, it seemed like I was on the verge of a rise in status, but my life hadn’t changed much.
I was exhausted and anxious about everything, like when I dreamed of running away.
“Oh my, Duke.”
I approached Raynan with a happy expression and greeted him, and he held out his hand. When I raised my hand, Raynan pulled on it with a little force.
It was a small force, but the distance between him and me became closer in an instant.
Still, this was an appropriate distance. Since accepting the engagement proposal, she had been startled more than once by Raynan’s too intimate attitude.
“A little closer.”
I was so surprised that it seemed like he was giving me time to prepare.
“It’s already close enough.”
I tried to protest very weakly, but Raynan folded the corners of his eyes and smiled.
Now I know very well how this image, whispering in a low voice, will appear to other people.
“That’s enough. This is enough to be considered sufficient.”
He put a little pressure on the hand holding me and pulled me forward a little more.
In the end, their bodies met each other, and only then did Raynan smile with satisfaction.
“Try to smile. A little more natural.”
It was a big improvement for me to not be surprised, and since he didn’t expect much from me either, I shifted my attention elsewhere.
“How was Edwin today?”
I comforted him well, but even so, Edwin couldn’t shake off his anxiety that I would leave for a while.
It was only after he began meeting Raynan more often that Edwin found stability.
For some reason, Edwin now clearly believed that I would not leave.
Thanks to this, Edwin returned to his bright appearance again and was growing steadily day by day. And he was still cute and adorable.
“As expected, just mentioning Edwin’s name changes your expression.”
A hint of disappointment was evident in Raynan’s voice.
Disappoint, why?
Because they were so close together, I couldn’t see his face properly.
I was curious about what kind of expression Raynan was making right now, so I turned my head around.
At that moment, a large hand touched the back of my head. A small force pulled me forward and I ended up leaning against his chest.
Without realizing it, my body stiffened. Is it a good thing that other people can’t see my expressions?
“That’s enough for today.”
Raynan quickly pulled away in an instant.
When I came to my senses, I saw that his back was quite far away.
“In the end, I couldn’t confirm it.”
I must have misheard him.
It wasn’t like Raynan had anything to be disappointed about, but why did it bother me so much?
“Renee.”
Even though it had been a while since I was free from Raynan, I still felt trapped in his hands.
While I was walking in a daze, I eventually arrived at Edwin’s bedroom. As soon as she opened the bedroom door, Marvin appeared as if he had been waiting.
“Can you talk to me today?”
Marvin, who had been asking cautiously at first, was now asking questions aggressively every day.
I couldn’t say yes or no according to Roman’s instructions, so I spoke ambiguously every time.
But even that had its limits.
“I have nothing to say?”
“I heard you’re sitting next to the Duke and drinking tea these days?”
At some point, it became increasingly common to have tea time in places that are visible to people.
As it was so noticeable, it seemed like the rumor began to spread secretly and just as quickly.
People’s interest was so intense that even I, who was blinded, had no choice but to find out.
People who had only exchanged greetings began to talk little by little, and everyone asked the same thing.
What on earth is your relationship with Raynan?
Unable to give a definitive answer, I just smiled awkwardly, which seemed to make the rumor grow bigger.
Thanks to Marvin’s persistence, for once, I wasn’t one of the people who kept up with the rumors.
