“Was it because of that photo back then? I was really surprised…”
Ciello awkwardly looked back at him and casually said.
“Anyway, it’s all good now. Right?”
Estribal couldn’t answer. He had definitely exaggeratedly escorted Ciello to appear in the photo, just as Ciello said. But for some reason, he wasn’t very pleased when he saw the result with his own eyes.
[What happened to the imprisoned maid Ciello? In fact, the lowlife Duke T…]
He had expected it to some extent, but the level of the articles targeting the two gradually became so low that it crossed the line. The nasty phrase stamped under Ciello’s photo dug into his eyes. Estribal grimaced and quickly turned his head.
“Lowly…”
He muttered quietly. In fact, there was no reason to be angry since the reputation of Duke Trepe had already fallen to the point where it couldn’t fall any further.
The sight of Ciello, the victim rather than him who committed the crime of confinement, was more dirty and hot, and he found it ridiculous and disgusting.
Daring to be intimidated by the name of Duke T, who is nothing but a shell, and to mark his family with the initial T, this situation where Ciello’s name is casually mentioned.
This situation?
No, no. If you throw away an objective view, he just didn’t like Ciello’s name being mentioned.
He wanted to find the people who wrote dirty articles with Ciello’s name and break each pen, or something else. There was no logic or basis. Yes. Just that.
But he was the one who chose to make Ciello’s name mentioned in that way. So he had no choice but to flounder in the guilt of breaking his own neck.
‘Do you hate it that much…’
But Ciello had no way of knowing this. At his openly uncomfortable reaction, Ciello spoke embarrassingly.
“Think of it as work? After the Duke said that…”
“You…yes.”
Estribal took a deep breath.
“You’re okay because you think it’s work.”
Ciello blinked her eyes, not understanding why he was asking such an obvious question.
His behavior towards Ciello was affectionate enough to be misunderstood by any woman. But that night, even after Ciello mixed her lips with his thorn, Estribal clearly defined their relationship as ‘contract lovers’.
So Ciello had no choice but to fold back the heart that had been slowly raising its head. If she didn’t think his attitude was because of work, she couldn’t be okay.
So Ciello shrugged and replied.
“Yes. Because it’s work.”
“…Yes. It’s a relief.”
Estribal sighed as he watched Ciello’s back heading towards another stall.
Contrary to his complicated expression, Ciello’s face, standing in front of the food stall, was full of excitement.
“Ah! This is really delicious…Please give me one. No, two.”
Ciello came back with a strangely shaped skewer in both hands and offered one to Estribal.
“Duke, it’s a gift!”
“A gift?”
Until then, Estribal’s furrowed brow brightened very slightly.
“It’s a lizard skewer. It’s really delicious!”
“A lizard…you say…”
His previously pale expression hardened again.
“This is, really delicious! It’s totally chewy…”
Ciello popped the skewered roast…into her mouth and chewed. Estribal’s yellow eyes shook as if there had been an earthquake.
“Ciello, so I…”
“Don’t you want to eat? Then I’ll eat it.”
Seeing Ciello’s disappointed face, Estribal reached out with a frown.
“First…let me see.”
Estribal took the skewer at a distance and slowly flipped it back and forth. The smell of cheap spices and the strange shape did not suit his taste, who had been living a life of colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
“A gift…”
Hmm. Estribal let out a low hum. But he couldn’t refuse seeing Ciello’s face, which was sparkling and looking at him.
“I understand. I’ll try it. But…”
He had no choice but to take extraordinary measures.
“Wait…go over there for a moment.”
“Huh?”
Estribal stepped back and gestured with his chin.
“This… I don’t want to taste it that much.”
“Huh? Where is that! It’s really delicious!”
“No, it’s not that I won’t eat it…”
At the end of a long argument, Estribal tasted the problematic skewer as much as a fingernail and returned it to Ciello. He tasted other snacks at Ciello’s suggestion, but most of them went into Ciello’s stomach because they didn’t suit his taste.
The two passed through the middle of the market and headed to the promised place where the carriage was to arrive. As the crowd diminished, fatigue faded from Estribal’s face. Sensing this, Ciello subtly asked.
“Duke, then would you like to try this?”
This time, what was in Ciello’s hand was a fig pickled in sugar. Estribal nodded.
“That seems edible.”
At Estribal’s answer, Ciello offered a piece of fig with a happy face. Estribal put his hands in his pockets and ate the fig that Ciello offered. This time, he seemed to like the taste, and Estribal’s expression relaxed.
‘I’ve seen that expression somewhere, when was it.’
Ciello stared at him with narrowed eyes. His high and low features were more distinct in the dark. And also the sight of his mouth, always indifferently closed horizontally, holding something…
“What.”
His eyes turned to Ciello. Ciello, feeling somewhat embarrassed, quickly turned her head and giggled.
“No, just… It’s what the princess ordered. It’ll be fine, right?”
“Well, if you’re worried, stop here.”
Estribal casually replied as he got up. Ciello asked jokingly.
“But if I run away, you’ll come to catch me, right?”
“That’s right.”
Estribal nodded and spoke calmly.
“This time, I’ll make sure you can’t even think of leaving. That’s what I’m saying.”
“Excuse me! Then why did you tell me to stop?”
Ciello exclaimed as if she couldn’t believe it. Estribal let out a light laugh and turned his head to look far away.
“To be honest, I wish you were out of this, I still want to keep you in the mansion.”
Ciello didn’t answer. Estribal continued to speak.
“I’m looking for another way now, but I’m not sure about this method. If I think this is not the way, I will stop everything and move my way again. I’m warning you again. You…”
Estribal paused for a moment.
“Don’t trust me. Ciello.”
Silence flowed. Estribal was always like this to Ciello.
He gave her a lot of things that no one had ever given to a ragamuffin pickpocket, and at the last moment, he turned his body without hesitation as if all those things were nothing. After that, it was always the same. She was crushed by her delusions, embracing vain flattery.
It’s nothing. It’s just a contract. As Ciello repeated countless times and barely escaped from her imagination, he bloomed colorful flowers in Ciello’s heart again. With such an indifferent face.
“This is really cheating…”
“What did you say?”
“No, I didn’t say anything.”
Ciello asked to change the subject.
“So, Duke, what will you do when you’re free?”
“…I’ve never thought about it.”
At his dry answer, Ciello pouted her lips with a disappointed face. Estribal threw out his words.
“Don’t pout. Why do you keep participating in this dangerous plan? Because of the 300 million you didn’t receive?”
At Estribal’s question, Ciello shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, there’s that too. I also want Peregrine to be independent. Then…”
Ciello stopped speaking. If Peregrine becomes independent, she will also be able to get rid of the label of being a colonial origin at least, and then she will be able to receive a better gaze from his side.
But Estribal himself asserted that he had never thought about their relationship even after he became free. So Ciello swallowed what she wanted to say and lowered her head.
“It’s nothing. From the beginning, I don’t know if it’s a prince or what, but if the country hadn’t been taken away, I wouldn’t have had this hard time…”
For a moment, Estribal stiffened as if he had been stabbed in the back.
“Ah, Duke. There’s the carriage!”
But Ciello, distracted by the carriage coming from afar, didn’t see his face.
“That’s right. Your words are correct.”
Estribal answered calmly, trying to suppress his trembling voice. After a while, the carriage stopped in front of them. Estribal stopped Ciello, who was naturally trying to get on the carriage.
“Hold on.”
Estribal stood next to the carriage and reached out to Ciello.
“Ah, is there someone else?”
Ciello whispered softly and waited for a moment with her hand on his, but she didn’t feel anyone taking a picture.
“…?”
Confused, Ciello looked up at him. Estribal spoke with a blank expression.
“What are you doing? Get on quickly.”
“Huh? But no one took a picture…”
Ciello asked as she relied on his hand to get on the carriage. But Estribal didn’t answer and closed his eyes after getting on the carriage. Ciello looked out the window and at Estribal’s face alternately and muttered.
“Did I see it wrong…”
****
After meeting with Princess Raysendella, the two refrained from going out and stayed in the mansion. After some time, newspapers and magazines began to move slowly.
[Why is the founding ceremony not held?]
In Estribal’s hand, sitting in the office, was a newspaper of the anti-emperor faction. Estribal sipped bergamot tea and flipped through the newspaper.
[Is the throne obtained not by duel but by attack really intact?]
Under the bold headline, there was a strong criticism that the emperor, who had cowardly injured his own flesh and blood during the succession, lost his strength and could not hold the founding ceremony. Probably Raysendella had lit the fuse.
The succession to the throne is bound to be a bloodbath. However, there were some unspoken taboos to prevent the unnecessary loss of noble blood. One of them was that the duel directly involving the royal family should only take place during daylight hours, inside the imperial palace.
[Therefore, the people cannot help but question the legitimacy of the succession…]
Ciello was lying long on the sofa next to him, reading an etiquette book for ladies. In fact, it was an offense to say that she was reading, because the book went from Ciello’s left hand to her right hand, covered her face, and was laid under her stomach without turning a page.
“Do I really just have to wait like this? It’s so boring.”
“To say that, you failed the etiquette teacher yesterday.”
“Sigh…”
“If you don’t want to be disgraced at the founding ceremony, you should know some simple etiquette. Even if you keep your mouth shut, you can’t hide your behavior.”
Ciello, who had been pouting and complaining, straightened up again at the mention of the founding ceremony. This was because she was genuinely looking forward to the founding ceremony itself, not just the work. As Estribal was about to turn the next page of the newspaper with a smirk, Ciello perked up.
“Then, Duke, show me! The etiquette of tea time!”
“It’s nothing special.”
Estribal quietly placed a strainer on the cup and poured the tea. His movements exuded a dignity that had been polished over a long period of time.
“Wow… why does it splash all over when I pour it?”
Despite Ciello’s grumbling, Estribal calmly took a sip from his teacup. Then Ciello’s eyes widened.
“Huh? Duke, that’s not it, right?”
His hand, which had been moving elegantly like a picture, paused.
“When drinking tea, you should also lift the saucer. Drinking from the teacup alone is something that colonial people do…”
got ’em!