Chapter 27
Euclid, overcome with embarrassment, hurriedly turned away and climbed into the carriage. Inside, Delano, his aide, had long since passed out drunk. He seemed completely taken by the sweet, high-quality wine produced in the Basilian estate.
“Y-Your Grace? I’m sorry… urgh!”
Euclid chuckled softly at Delano’s drunken mumblings, but soon sighed as silence settled over the carriage.
Though he usually preferred quiet, at this moment, Euclid found himself wishing Delano would keep babbling about something. His mind was unsettled, haunted by the memory of the young lady staring intently at him during the meal.
He recalled the moment of self-consciousness earlier when he paid unusual attention to his attire, only to feel embarrassed later.
Trying to shake off the oddness of his own behavior, Euclid shook his head, recalling the conversation he had with Duke Basilian before heading to the dining hall.
When he was summoned to the duke’s office, Euclid had assumed it was to finalize the prenuptial contract before the marriage. However, despite their prior discussion, the duke took a long time to speak, circling around the matter before finally broaching the topic.
***
“Don’t you wonder why I’m rushing this marriage?”
It was a question Delano, Euclid’s aide, had repeatedly voiced with suspicion.
At the time, Euclid had dismissed it, stating that, given their agreement to the marriage, he didn’t want to hear anything that might cast doubt on it.
That was his honest stance. He felt he had no right to question Duke Basilian’s motives, no matter what they might be—even if it was a trap. After all, whatever the circumstances, it was unlikely to be a problem greater than his own burdens.
If anyone had stepped into a trap here, it was Duke Basilian himself.
Euclid believed that if he ever uncovered the duke’s true motives, he might come to criticize not only Duke Basilian but also Delano, who had always admired the duke as an extraordinary man.
Thus, he lowered his gaze and responded carefully.
“I am simply grateful that you hold me in such high regard. I have not thought beyond that.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
Hearing Euclid’s reply, Duke Basilian let out a hearty laugh as if relieved, but his expression soon turned serious again.
“To be honest, even though Evgenia is my daughter, there are times when I feel like I don’t fully understand her. She’s always been a peculiar child. Surely you’ve heard the rumors about her?”
“…Yes.”
“Good. Since the wedding hasn’t happened yet, I won’t mince my words.”
“Please speak freely.”
“As you may know, my daughter cherished feelings for His Highness the Crown Prince for a long time. Yet, her feelings were never reciprocated. In fact, when Evgenia was born, the imperial family even hinted at making her the crown princess. I thought the match was inevitable.”
No one had anticipated the Crown Prince’s adamant rejection of Evgenia.
Duke Basilian’s face darkened as he recalled the one-sided affection Evgenia had shown and the cold indifference she had received in return.
“You must have heard the recent news about My niece inheriting the Basilian name?”
Euclid nodded, though he couldn’t quite understand why the duke had suddenly brought up his niece. However, the duke’s next words startled him.
“Not long ago, the imperial family sent us a marriage proposal. Naturally, I assumed it was for Evgenia, but the proposal wasn’t addressed to her.”
“Are you saying… it was for your niece?”
The duke nodded slowly.
For years, the imperial family had expressed interest in uniting with the Basilian house through marriage but had never sent a formal proposal. And as soon as an alternative to Evgenia appeared, they acted.
This could only be interpreted as a clear reflection of the Crown Prince’s will.
“Honestly, I believed that, no matter how much the Crown Prince despised her, he would eventually choose Evgenia. But this… was a wake-up call.”
Even with his limited understanding of the rumors surrounding Evgenia and the Crown Prince, Euclid could easily imagine how shocked Duke Basilian must have been.
It also explained why the duke had been in such a hurry to secure a marriage for his daughter.
“Naturally, this deeply wounded Evgenia.”
“…I can imagine.”
“The only silver lining is that she finally decided to let go of her long-unrequited love. To put an end to it, she resolved to marry of her own volition.”
Euclid’s eyes wavered at the unexpected revelation.
He had assumed this marriage was purely the duke’s doing and that the young lady was being forced into it.
Only now did he fully grasp the emotions Evgenia must have been suppressing when she seemed on the verge of tears in the lobby.
His chest ached. If this marriage truly was her way of closing a chapter, he wondered if going through with it would be an irreversible mistake.
‘Then, should we… call off the marriage?’
Euclid muttered to himself, catching the words too late. Shaking his head vehemently, he clenched his jaw.
It was too late to cancel the arrangements. Doing so would mean losing the Basilian family’s trust and potentially making them an enemy. Moreover, his family’s debts, his young nephews, the servants at the manor, and the people of his territory were all depending on him.
‘Really?’
The question echoed faintly in his mind, but he shoved it aside.
At that moment, a question about himself arose in Euclid’s mind.
Although Euclid had boldly listed reasons why the marriage proposal couldn’t proceed, he hesitated to answer the persistent questions demanding the truth.
When he himself couldn’t figure out the reason and was growing confused—
“Wait!”
Euclid, fortunately, managed to avoid the scolding, piercing voice of his inner thoughts.
Instead—
“Stop and state your identity. This is the Rudion Ducal Mansion.”
A voice, laden with annoyance, rang out, as if it was certain that no guest would ever visit a place even its owner had long abandoned.
The irritated tone, as though ready to expel the visitor at any moment, assuming they had merely lost their way on this late evening, caused Euclid’s face to harden.
No, his expression had already turned cold the moment he stepped into the Rudion mansion.
The man who had acted like a rookie under the mere gaze of another was no longer present in this place.
Taking over for Delano, who remained unconscious despite the commotion between the guards and the coachman at the mansion’s entrance, Euclid opened the carriage door himself.
“That’s ridiculous… Huh? Your Grace, the Duke?”
The guard, unable to believe the coachman’s words, made a foolish exclamation upon seeing Euclid’s face.
“Is it truly you, Duke Rudion?”
Euclid, as if his face had never hardened, offered a soft smile and gave a slight nod. Then he moved to close the carriage door.
The guard, flustered, hurriedly asked again.
“What brings you to the capital all of a sudden, Your Grace?”
Had Delano not been drunk, he might have snapped, questioning why the owner of the mansion needed to explain their visit to their own home.
Even the guard, who had casually asked, seemed to realize his mistake belatedly and hesitated, though he did not lower his head in apology or withdraw his question.
For him, uncovering the reason behind the Duke’s sudden appearance in the capital was a more pressing duty than the risk of being reprimanded for his mistake.
Of course, that didn’t mean Euclid was obligated to satisfy his curiosity.
“I’m rather tired. I’d like to rest, so could you open the gate?”
It was a polite yet unmistakable command.
The guard, pausing briefly, instinctively felt that he shouldn’t cross the line further and retreated, signaling for the gate to be opened.
Only then did Euclid close the carriage door and lean deeply against the seat. A cold sigh escaped his lips.
Even from within the enclosed carriage, he could sense the entire mansion in disarray, scrambling to respond to the sudden arrival of its master, who had appeared without any prior notice or communication.
And, as the nominal master of the house, Euclid himself was no exception to this unease. It felt as though he were in someone else’s home.
‘No, to be honest, that’s exactly what it is.’
This was why the he hadn’t been the least bit offended when the Basilian duke had completely forgotten that Rudion even had a mansion in the capital.
This place was a mere namesake—Rudion Ducal Mansion in title only. For over 500 years since it was granted by the first emperor, it had remained virtually uninhabited.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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