Episode 16
“Is that so? Then, shall we head straight to the office…?”
“No, I’m feeling a bit peckish. How about we discuss things over a meal?”
Surprised by the unexpected suggestion, I hesitated. The butler, who had been observing the situation, quickly and politely chimed in.
“My lady, the Duke usually eats immediately after returning from work.”
A man who had been working all day and came home hungry wanted to eat first.
And he was an elder, much older than me, suggesting we dine together. I had no reason to refuse.
‘Well, I came all the way here because I wanted to get this conversation over with anyway.’
Though I felt like I was drifting further from my initial resolution to keep a distance from Evgenia’s family, I reassured myself that it was fine since I wasn’t married yet, and I responded.
“Alright, let’s eat together.”
I sincerely hoped that what the Duke had to say was the news I’d been eagerly waiting for.
***
Since waking up in Evgenia’s body, I had always eaten in my room. Initially, it was due to being ordered to reflect on my actions, and later, it was because I was treated as an invalid—or so I thought.
“What? What are you doing here? You always eat alone gloomily in your room!”
Apparently not.
I thought it was fortunate that Alexis wasn’t home, likely off training, but he rushed straight to the dining room after work and exclaimed in disbelief.
“There are days like this and days like that. Why are you making a fuss at the dining table? Isn’t that right, Melissa?”
“Haha…”
Caught off guard by this sudden involvement, Alexis stammered, his lips parting wordlessly.
“Evgenia is right.”
At that moment, Sionel, who had just entered, supported me, addressing Alexis.
Did he learn this from watching the Duke earlier? Why was he suddenly taking my side?
I looked at Sionel curiously, but I couldn’t discern his intentions.
It was then that the Duke entered the room, putting an end to my musings.
As soon as the Duke sat down, the servants began bringing in the dishes, as if on cue.
Given the family’s immense wealth, I feared we’d have a multi-course meal lasting hours, but thankfully, the servants quickly exited the dining hall.
“It’s been a while since the whole family gathered,” the Duke remarked.
As he said, only those bearing the Basilian surname were present in the dining hall.
For some reason, this realization made my chest tighten, and my appetite vanished. Still, I forced myself to suppress my discomfort and began eating.
I couldn’t even taste the food, just shoveling it down when the Duke, who seemed focused on his meal, suddenly spoke.
“Evgenia. I hear that His Highness the Crown Prince visited the Duke’s residence today.”
I finally understood why the Duke had seemed so grim in the lobby earlier.
I had wondered if the butler had delivered some grave report, but it turned out to be this.
‘Ah, so that’s why he suggested eating together…’
Perhaps the Duke had been worried that I, who had rushed to greet the Crown Prince as soon as he arrived—a behavior uncharacteristic of me—might retract the words I had firmly stated a week ago.
Evgenia was known for her pride, so he likely calculated that bringing up the topic in front of the assembled family would make it harder for me to backtrack, hence his suggestion for a meal.
Within the brief moment Sionel and him had been conversing, the butler must have reported to the Duke, who then devised this plan.
‘So they say the Duke of Basilian is a natural politician and businessman—it seems to be true.’
After all, the first patriarch of the Basilian family, originally a merchant, was said to have been the first to recognize the talents of the founding emperor and invest in him.
Thanks to this, the first emperor was able to defeat the dragon, then called an evil tyrant, and the Basilian family became one of the founding noble houses…
“Evgenia?”
Lost in recalling the novel’s background, I was startled back to reality by the Duke calling my name.
“What is it? Are you unwell?”
“What? No, I’m fine…”
“If you’re fine, then why are you gripping the napkin as if you’re about to rip it? People might think you’re about to grab your father by the collar…”
“Alexis.”
“You’re always picking on me, brother!”
As Sionel and Alexis started bickering out of nowhere, I noticed the napkin I was clutching tightly, a moment too late.
Flustered, I quickly loosened my grip and looked at the Duke.
Seeing his concerned gaze, I recalled his earlier question.
‘I was planning to bring this up at the end of the meal…’
Since the Duke had initiated the conversation, I had no reason to hesitate.
“Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince showed up unexpectedly without prior notice.”
“I heard he came because the rejected of his proposal. But… I also heard he sought you out, not Melissa.”
“I assumed he’d call for Melissa as well, but that wasn’t the case.”
Understanding the puzzlement in his expression, I nodded casually as I spoke. The Duke’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Did he, by chance, reproach you for turning down the proposal?”
His gaze was filled with concern, worried that I might have been hurt by the Crown Prince’s words or attitude. I shook my head to reassure him.
“No, not particularly. However…”
“However?”
“He seemed to know about the shameful scene I caused when I heard Melissa had received his proposal.”
As I spoke, lowering my shoulders as if embarrassed, the Duke’s expression changed drastically.
“Who dared to reveal such a thing…!”
Seeing him trembling with anger, I softly whispered, “Alexis did,” in a delicate voice. Instantly, all eyes in the dining room turned to Alexis.
“Uh, well, I mean…”
Caught off guard, Alexis tried to stammer out an excuse, but I didn’t give him a chance.
“Anyway, I told His Highness myself that I’ve let go of any feelings I had for him.”
“You… did that?”
The Duke’s eyes widened at my words, clearly relieved that I wasn’t reconsidering my rejection.
“Yes, but he didn’t seem to fully believe me. In fact, he told me not to dream of becoming his consort or even a mistress…” I choked up as I let my voice trail off, pretending to be overwhelmed.
The truth was, I hadn’t paid full attention to what the Crown Prince said because I’d been focused on the insect at the time. I simply made up a believable story and faked being emotional. The atmosphere in the dining room turned icy.
“What… a mistress?”
“Hey! Have you been putting up with such nonsense all this time?”
“Alexis, be quiet. Evgenia, tell us more,” the Duke commanded, his eyes now icy and intense. Sionel and Alexis both had similarly severe expressions, and even Melissa seemed shocked, covering her mouth with her hand.
Feeling the tension rise, I tried to downplay the situation.
“There’s really not much to explain. It’s all in the past…”
Sionel raised an eyebrow sharply.
“The past? It hasn’t even been half a day. For royalty, of all people, to speak of mistresses to an unmarried noble lady—if I had been present, I’d have thrown down my gauntlet immediately. Don’t worry. I’ll formally protest tomorrow.”
A formal protest? Challenging the Crown Prince—renowned as a swordmaster and a war hero—to a duel? His tone was calm, but I couldn’t help thinking Sionel might be the most agitated person here.
While I appreciated his intentions, I began to worry that I’d gone overboard with my story. Panicked, I waved my hands to stop him.
“Please don’t do that. I didn’t stay silent either.”
“You didn’t stay silent?”
“Yes… In fact, I slapped His Highness.”
I confessed in a timid voice, recounting the incident. Of course, the truth was different, but I doubted anyone would believe me if I said I slapped the Crown Prince while trying to kill a bug.
‘Even the Crown Prince himself couldn’t believe it.’
So I figured saying I slapped him out of anger would align better with Evgenia’s typical behavior.
“W-who did you say you slapped?”
Alexis stood abruptly, his face a picture of shock.
Was this him, a member of the royal knight order, being indignant about an insult to the Crown Prince?
“Seriously? You slapped His Highness? You, of all people, Evgenia?”
…Wait, aren’t you a royal knight? Shouldn’t you be worried about the Crown Prince here?
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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