‘It’s the reaction I expected. At least this much.’
Though she tried to steel herself, she couldn’t ignore the disappointment rising from a corner of her heart.
Her fiancé, chosen by her grandfather, had an affair and even produced an illegitimate child. Before being a dishonor to the family, it was her dishonor, and more than that, it was a shock that gave her an indescribable sense of betrayal.
She had hoped for a different reaction this time, something other than reproof, but Weive remained consistent.
Her gaze, which had been wandering around the floor, slowly rose. Ashika directly met those black eyes that resembled her own. Her gaze was tense but not intimidated.
“I apologize for bringing shame to the family. But, Grandfather, I cannot go through with this marriage. I am breaking off the engagement.”
Each word she uttered in her calm voice carried weight. Weive’s brow furrowed deeply at his granddaughter’s resolute tone.
She appeared unyielding to outsiders, but to him, she had been an obedient granddaughter. She was a child who understood her position as the sole heir to the duke’s family and never neglected her conduct.
Yet this Ashika had turned the capital’s social circles upside down. They say that when an obedient child snaps, it’s frightening—Ashika was exactly that case.
“And I would like Lady Schwern to stay at the mansion until the engagement is officially broken.”
“Are you protecting her?”
“She is a perfect witness and evidence.”
Weive looked at his cautiously speaking granddaughter with fresh eyes. He knew she was intelligent and had a strong personality, but she was still a nobly raised aristocratic lady. He was quite surprised by her radical actions and drive that even men wouldn’t have thought of.
‘Confining the mistress pregnant with her fiancé’s child and demanding to break the engagement.’
It was a resolute action, bordering on recklessness, that an ordinary noble wouldn’t dare attempt for fear of social scandal. They say it happened so quickly that no one had time to intervene.
It was either reckless or bold, depending on how you looked at it.
The issue had already grown too large to reverse. Weive made a brief conclusion, not hiding his displeasure.
“Stay out of the matter of negotiating the broken engagement with Marquis Oclein. And.”
His gaze on Ashika became heavy. His lips, hesitating momentarily, continued.
“Return half of your allocated budget for this year. Also, refrain from attending balls and gatherings for the time being.”
Ashika hardly participated in social activities anyway, as she was preoccupied with the duties of the ducal family. So this punishment was essentially just a formality. This was the extent of consideration Weive could show his granddaughter.
“…Yes, Grandfather.”
Her voice, devoid of emotion, sounded somewhat subdued.
Weive quickly changed the subject, shuffling through documents on his desk.
“How is the budget implementation for the grand duchy proceeding?”
“It’s still before the consultation.”
Weive’s eyebrows rose. This was something that should have been finalized long ago.
Realizing her mistake, Ashika quickly responded.
“It just needs a reply. I’ll finalize it within this week.”
A large part of the delay was because she didn’t want to face Drushia. On top of that, with Coral’s issue erupting, she hadn’t had time to focus on it.
Weive’s gaze lingered on Ashika briefly before falling away.
The grand duchy affairs that were previously delegated to an assistant were now Ashika’s responsibility. Even his indifference remained consistent, so Weive had nothing more to say.
“You may go.”
“Yes.”
The conversation ended plainly. Ashika left the office with the same stride she had when entering. The moment she confirmed she was out of Weive’s sight and the door closed, her strength drained.
Despite receiving a lighter punishment than expected, her heart felt heavy.
‘This must be the best outcome.’
Though he was her only remaining family, he was always a difficult person. He was someone who prioritized his position as duke controlling her life rather than being family.
[Was it hard for you? Everything will be alright.] He was someone from whom she couldn’t expect even a single word of warm comfort. That was Weive.
Ashika stroked her tired eyes and headed to her room.
****
The day after sending a letter regarding the grand duchy matter, a reply came from the Talion ducal residence. It was a markedly different attitude from previous years when responses were delayed, putting Ashika in a difficult position.
The meeting place was a modest mansion surrounded by forest, away from the central area. Along the tall walls, roses bloomed inside, while lush undergrowth flourished with flowers outside.
Ashika’s gaze, after stepping out of the carriage, swept the base of the wall and stopped at the main gate. In front of it stood knights, divided on both sides, fiercely facing each other.
“Jeanne, wait here.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Jeanne readily agreed to the instruction to stay behind. Normally, she would have insisted on accompanying her, but not today. Only Ashika’s aide could pass through the main gate from here.
As the Igraine knight approached the main gate, Talion’s knights came forward from the opposite side. The Igraine knight’s face crumpled.
“The Lady has arrived. Please step aside.”
“Verification is required.”
Talion’s knight responded with a stiff attitude. His tense face showed neither goodwill nor hostility. Instead, a glimpse of stubborn determination to adhere to procedure was visible.
“What verification? Are you so dim-witted that you forget faces you see every year?”
“I will inform the Duke.”
“What nonsense….”
As the Igraine knight bristled, Ashika stepped forward.
“You seem to have forgotten who owns this villa. Shouldn’t we be the ones verifying, not you?”
The Talion knight who had been needlessly confrontational turned his head with a look of realization.
This place, fiercely occupied by knights from both families, belonged to the Igraines. However, there was a sensitive issue making it difficult to fully claim ownership.
It was a villa that Vanne Talion, Weive’s wife, had brought as dowry. It was a place Vanne cherished, staying here more often than at the main house. However, this political marriage ended with Vanne’s suicide, becoming the starting point for the deterioration of relations between the two families.
Talion demanded an investigation into Vanne’s death, but Weive ignored it. When they asked for the return of the villa filled with precious memories, he refused this too.
Consistent silence. Weive neither fought back nor responded. That was probably why Talion strongly insisted on this place for the meeting.
Weive had forgotten about the villa’s existence, and Ashika deliberately avoided touching on the issue. After all, Vanne was Weive’s second wife, a stranger to Ashika with not a drop of shared blood.
Ashika didn’t want to make those who remembered her uncomfortable. This is why she turned a blind eye to Talion’s people coming and going as if it were their home. Hence, they had reached this ambiguous situation.
After entering the building, Ashika took a deep breath in front of the reception room door.
“Hah….”
Drushia was waiting inside. He was a man who had never left her mind even amid the chaos with Coral’s issue.
“Lady Igraine.”
“Ah.”
Startled by the voice behind her, Ashika was quite shocked. Before her stood a man of robust build.
“Rushi…..Duke Talion.”
She almost bit her tongue due to the slip in addressing him. Drushia’s eyes narrowed at the sight of her round, wide eyes and flustered face.
“I don’t think I’m that surprising, am I?”
“I thought you were already inside.”
Ashika quickly composed herself. It was their first meeting since encountering each other on the balcony during the banquet.
‘I didn’t even get to thank him.’
But she couldn’t bring it up first, so she would rather he pretended not to know.
Whether aware of Ashika’s discomfort or not, Drushia’s expression remained unchanged. As always, he had that arrogant gaze and somewhat indifferent attitude.
Only his different attire caught her attention. A dark jacket with a lustrous finish, a waistcoat with gold patterns, and pants without a single wrinkle—he was dressed with proper formality.
‘What’s…this? He’s all shiny.’
He looked good in anything, but today he was particularly radiant.
‘Did he use pomade too?’
Didn’t he dislike it, saying it felt too thick?
Ashika hastily dismissed the thought that suddenly occurred to her, realizing she had never had such intimate conversations with him.
Drushia opened the reception room door without asking for permission and strode in. It was an attitude showing he didn’t care much for etiquette. Instead, Drushia’s aide Kalf waited for Ashika to enter first.
“They say a thief feels guilty. Perhaps you have many things to feel guilty about?”
“Surely not. Igraine has nothing to be ashamed of before heaven.”
Regardless of her inner thoughts, her calm, measured voice flowed as usual. Finding this quite fortunate, Ashika entered the reception room with graceful steps.
“You seem to have forgotten about taking away knights without an agreement?”
“If you demand compensation for the knight’s injury, I’d be happy to provide it.”
Drushia’s eye corners shot up sharply.
“As expected from a wealthy family. Are you going to smear money over the knights’ honor too?”
“Since both sides started the fight, all that remains is the result after adding and subtracting, isn’t it? Since our side has no injured people, I’m saying I’ll consider the injured person.”
The answer flowed smoothly as if prepared in advance.
Ashika sat down in her chair with a more relaxed demeanor. She had always thought he was an irritating man, but his usual attitude actually put her at ease.
One corner of Drushia’s mouth lifted slightly. Despite his seemingly indifferent expression, his deep blue eyes were particularly vivid. They were eyes that shone almost overwhelmingly.
‘What is it?’
A mysterious feeling flashed momentarily. Before she could identify what it was, Drushia’s voice was heard.
