Bewildered, Philome was about to say something to Kaien.
“Duke? Milady?”
Sebastian appeared.
Although there was no reason to hide, Philome unconsciously picked up the fallen note and dashed to her room.
She staggered along the way, causing both Sebastian and Kaien to reflexively reach out their hands, but Philome fortunately regained her balance.
“I, I’m fine.”
After uttering words, not knowing whom they were directed to, Philome hurried back to her room.
“What happened to… Milady?”
Kaien hesitated before shaking his head.
“……No, nothing happened. Anyway, what brings you here? I thought you were sleeping.”
“Oh, I came because I have urgent news to deliver.”
“What is it?”
“…The Third Prince has returned.”
Kaien’s face hardened rapidly.
“Finally… he’s back.”
The expression on his face as he spoke those words was a mixture of hatred and anger that he couldn’t hide.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Kaien was listening to Gio’s report in the hall.
“…So, I’ll handle this matter as you instructed last time.”
After talking for a while, Gio sensed a signal and stepped back.
Philome, who had finished dressing, was descending the stairs.
Her light brown hair, almost blonde, fell over her shoulders. Her translucent green eyes met his gaze. The eyes, more transparent than emeralds, were the most captivating feature of Philome’s beautiful face.
When Philome and Kaien’s eyes met, she subtly rolled her eyes. Perhaps she remembered yesterday’s events.
Kaien, suppressing his inward laughter, reached out his hand to Philome.
Milady quietly clasped Kaien’s hand, unlike her demeanor yesterday. Even after getting into the carriage, they exchanged no significant conversation.
“Ah.”
As something dawned on Kaien, Philome’s hand noticeably twitched.
“……What’s wrong?”
There was tension in her eyes as she asked the question.
Since she seemed worried about bringing up yesterday’s events, Kaien had to suppress his laughter.
“Milady, do you want to know the whereabouts of your ex-fiancé, and maybe your friend?”
“…….”
Philome’s eyes widened at the unexpected topic.
“I kind of expected you to have tracked him down, but that’s faster than I thought.” I at least expected to hear the news after the engagement ceremony.”
“They didn’t bother to hide; that’s why I found him easily.”
“It’s understandable if it’s Nadia.”
“So, do you want to hear about it?”
Kaien leaned forward, ready to divulge the information at once.
However, to his surprise, Philome shook her head.
“It’s okay if I don’t.”
“Why?”
“It won’t change anything, and I’m not particularly curious,”
“Are you sure you don’t want to know what kind of hardships your ex-fiancé is in?”
“That’s a bit intriguing,”
Philome laughed softly.
“But they’re both not idiots, so they likely took all the valuables and money. They should still be alive for now. Let me know when they end up as beggars on the street.”
“Why then?”
“I’ll dress up fancifully, go in front of Nadia, and tell her, ‘This was originally your place.’ She’ll probably burst into tears and throw a tantrum, considering Nadia’s personality.”
“No way. Wasn’t Nadia already an adult?”
“Yeah, she is.”
Kaien’s face was a picture of shock, as if he had just heard a tale of pigs walking on two legs and speaking like humans.
‘That’s why the genre turned out that way.’
Observing Kaien’s shocked expression, Philome nodded in understanding.
Now that she was possessed, she could see why the original story turned out that way.
They simply didn’t match at all.
‘I understand why Kaien said such harsh words to Nadia and why Nadia fled from Kaien,’
Nonetheless, the fortunate thing was that Kaien and Philome got along well.
As they engaged in small talk, the carriage soon arrived at the palace.
Those acquainted with the operations of the Wintbell Duchy suspected the identity of the potential Duchess of Wintbell. However, since Kaien hadn’t publicly revealed Philome to people until now, it was natural for all eyes to focus on her as she got off.
First, the carriage displayed the Duke of Wintbell’s coat of arms, followed by Kaien’s escorting of a young lady, leading to the assumption that she was the future Duchess of Wintbell.
“…That’s a lot of pressure. Does the Duke go through his every time?”
“Something like that.”
“That’s very impressive…”
Philome genuinely admired Kaien.
She felt she might develop social anxiety if she received such attention every moment. As Philome’s palm, resting on Kaien’s forearm, grew slightly damp, Kaien added,
“You’ll gradually get used to these things, but I won’t tell you to get used to them right away. However, among those who look at you, hardly anyone would dare to treat you disrespectfully, especially not in front of the Emperor.”
“Got it. I’m trying to act confidently right now.”
“You’re doing well. Just keep it up, even in front of the Emperor.”
It felt different from what she had imagined.
Philome barely had time to respond properly, so she just nodded vaguely.
As they headed towards the Imperial Palace, the crowd diminished, allowing them some relief from the scrutiny.
The palace servants, unlike others, didn’t stare at them as they passed. Instead, they stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads respectfully as Philome and Kaien walked by.
This made Philome feel much more at ease as she reached the Emperor’s drawing room.
Until the moment the drawing room door opened, she meticulously rehearsed the proper etiquette in her mind.
“May the eternal glory of Verne be with you. I greet Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Both Kaien and Philome greeted at the same time.
As she gently lifted their dress hems and bowed, a dignified voice echoed above their heads.
“Come in.”
Raising her head not too quickly, she saw the elderly Emperor smiling kindly.
By the way, the relationship between the Emperor and the male lead was quite good, which was rare in the rofan genre.
So, although she had some expectations, Philome couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback by the affectionate look the Emperor gave Kaien.
‘Their relationship seems even closer than I thought.’
While she was thinking about this, the Emperor turned to Philome.
“Yes, Lady Philome.”
When the Emperor called her name, Philome stiffened with nervousness.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Fortunately, her voice didn’t betray her tension.
“I am grateful that you have chosen to marry a man who is like a son to me.”
“No, Your Majesty. Marriage should not be a one-sided affair. I am also grateful to the Duke.”
“Haha. As Philome says, I made a mistake. It’s a marriage of mutual affection.”
Philome, who was not adept at lying, shyly laughed and avoided the Emperor’s gaze.
“So, when is the engagement ceremony?”
“The engagement ceremony is in four days. The wedding is expected to be next spring.
“Four days? Why didn’t you tell me beforehand, Duke? I need to clear my schedule.”
“I was afraid to mention it earlier, in case Your Majesty had other plans. It’s just the engagement ceremony; please don’t bother coming.”
Philome looked at Kaien in confusion.
Kaien was expressing his irritation toward the Emperor.
A cold sweat trickled down Philome’s back, like shrimp in a whale fight.
“Well, it’s a shame. I’m afraid I’ll have to send a proxy for the engagement, but I will definitely attend the wedding next year. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Of course.”
His response was rather dry.
‘Was their relationship really this good?’
Although she couldn’t remember the details clearly, Philome was certain that they hadn’t always conversed so informally. Feeling her head heat up, Philome slowly closed her eyes before opening them.
In the meantime, they exchanged trivial conversations. When Kaien mentioned it was time to go back, Philome barely composed herself and bid farewell. After leaving the drawing room, Philome let out a big sigh.
Seeing Kaien, whom she thought had grown a little closer to her, conversing so effortlessly with the Emperor, made her feel like they had actually grown twice as distant.
Kaien chuckled softly as he looked at Philome’s revitalized expression.
“See. Being assertive isn’t as difficult as you thought, right?”
“Who says? It was quite… intimidating.”
“Mel?”
Suddenly interrupted, Philome froze in her tracks.
Kaien paused for a different reason.
He soon greeted the man, who had revealed himself.
“…Greetings to the Third Glory of Verne.”
“Ah, Duke. It’s been a while.”
Thump, thump, thump.
Philome’s heart pounded fiercely.
“Duke, by any chance, was there another woman here?”
“…No, there wasn’t. There was only me and my fiancée.”
“Your fiancée……? Oh, is this the Duke’s fiancée, as I’ve heard rumors about? Nice to meet you.”
They say you meet your enemies on a narrow bridge.
‘Is this how meeting an ex-lover is?’
Philome thought she’d rather faint.
