Chapter 33
Her tightly clenched fists trembled. She was angry.
But she didn’t know why. And that made her even angrier.
If someone had been hurt because of her, she could have simply offered compensation. She had done more than just read letters, so an extra payment would have been reasonable.
Yet…
“Haah.”
She couldn’t understand the boiling emotion within her.
“Damn it…”
Muttering a low curse, Kalen tried to return to his desk and focus on the paperwork. But not a single word registered in his eyes. First, he had to calm the storm raging in his heart.
***
El felt a strange tug at the back of her head as she walked through the city. She couldn’t understand why someone had been following her for days. But it had to be Barrett.
“Why…?”
Rolling her eyes, she walked casually, then suddenly quickened her pace and slipped into a side alley.
Hiding behind the wall, she peeked around—and sure enough, Barrett appeared moments later, looking flustered as he scanned the area.
“Where did she go? Did I lose her?”
“Here.”
“Ah! Baroness Moora!”
El emerged from the side alley, folding her arms and glaring at him.
“You were following me, weren’t you?”
“Your Ladyship…”
“You actually did it? You’ve been following me since the market, haven’t you?”
Barrett, trained in military stealth and countless missions, hadn’t expected to be caught so easily. Seeing his embarrassed expression, El let out a sigh.
“If you’re going to tail me in the city, you should’ve changed out of that uniform. A handsome soldier in pristine white among ordinary townspeople sticks out like a sore thumb.”
Barrett glanced down at his uniform. The white coat had once projected discipline and military poise—but among commoners, it made him impossible to blend in.
This wasn’t a battlefield. He had miscalculated. Barrett hung his head.
Feeling sympathetic, El lowered her own head to meet his eyes.
“Why were you following me?”
“I was ordered to.”
“By whom?”
Barrett’s poker face crumbled; he wasn’t skilled at lying. His cheeks reddened as he admitted, voice weak:
“By Count Amethyst Gore.”
“Count Gore!”
He couldn’t reveal the Crown Prince’s involvement, so he used a false name given by Randol. Hearing it, El gasped. She thought it was over, but now the name came up again.
Their raised voices drew glances from passersby. El quickly grabbed his wrist.
“Excuse me for a moment. Let’s go somewhere quiet to talk, Count.”
Unable to resist her firm grasp, Barrett slumped like he had when Odin and Sif were in trouble, and El led him away.
They arrived at a secluded corner of the bar. El asked Katrinne for permission, then seated them at a table away from prying eyes.
Katrinne brought iced tea, giving El a small smile at the two flushed faces. Embarrassed, El smiled back.
“Talk,” Katrinne said, before leaving.
El took a deep breath, meeting Barrett’s eyes.
“Why did Count Gore order you to follow me?”
Barrett hesitated. He had to lie without revealing that Count Gore was actually Randol—but lying was difficult for him.
“He said… I needed to learn about you because he made a mistake with you at the party. He wanted to apologize, so he ordered me to observe you.”
“So that’s why you realized it was me while following me.”
“Yes. How did you even attend that party? Did the Duke know?”
Guilt tugged at her, but curiosity burned bright. El had been poor and couldn’t normally attend such a party—but that day, she had appeared flawless, unrecognizable to anyone.
“How could that be possible?” Barrett’s face reflected pure curiosity.
El didn’t answer. She couldn’t tell him she had been following Kalen on Lisa’s request and got caught by Count Gore. She decided to dodge the question, knowing Barrett would probe until the truth slipped if she hesitated.
“The Duke doesn’t know yet. My attendance at the party was a personal matter. I can’t tell you.”
“Then may I report exactly what I observed?”
El blinked, surprised—but Barrett’s tone wasn’t threatening, only cautious.
“I’ll inform the Duke myself. Please don’t tell anyone beforehand.”
Tricky. It felt like deceiving her superior, Kalen.
“And what about Count Gore?”
“Just say the mission failed. Won’t that suffice?”
El pleaded with earnest eyes. Count Gore didn’t know who she was. If he did, Kalen would hear of it, too.
“May I speak to the Duke first before informing Count Gore?”
“And what is your relationship with the Duke?”
“It’s… very close. I must inform the Duke first. Count Gore comes later. Please.”
Barrett was at a loss. How could he explain to the Crown Prince while keeping her attendance a secret from Kalen?
“I trust only Count Ross. I’ll speak to the Duke soon. Please wait.”
Though perplexed, he couldn’t refuse her request. Barrett felt trapped either way.
***
Entering the study, El was startled to see Kalen already seated. He had never arrived before her.
She curtsied politely.
“Good day, Duke.”
“Welcome, Baroness Moora.”
“The weather is lovely today.”
“Is it? I find it a bit warm…”
Kalen’s gaze flicked to her left wrist. She lowered her sleeve discreetly. The bruise was faint but still visible.
“I don’t get hot easily. Shall we begin reading the letters?”
“Certainly.”
As usual, questions and answers flowed naturally.
After finishing one letter, Kalen prepared to write a reply. El asked curiously:
“How will you reply this time?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering. You’ve read and replied to many letters, but we’ve never seen you go on a date. Have you not found a suitable lady yet?”
“Hmm… I don’t know.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
El’s face reflected genuine concern. It had been more than a week since Lisa had asked her to monitor him. Reading letters alone wasn’t enough; the final goal was meeting someone he wished to marry. Real dates were now urgent.
“The lady you showed interest in last time…”
“Who do you mean?”
“The one with a villa near Melfield, with a lake and snow-capped mountains nearby.”
“Lady Wendys Edgar.”
“Wow! You even remembered her name! That’s a good sign.”
“…”
“She’s beautiful, rich—you mentioned that before.”
“Beauty is fleeting, and I have wealth too.”
“Of course, but you showed rare interest that day. You remembered her name correctly. Could it be your feelings lean toward her? Even Dukes aren’t always fully aware of their own hearts.”
El’s enthusiasm made Kalen stare at her.
‘Hmm? Did the corner of his mouth just twitch… or am I imagining it?’
Looking again, Kalen’s expression remained unchanged.
“Could be.”
“Quite possible, yes.”
“How would I know my own heart?”
“Listen to those close to you. For instance… me.”
“Baroness?”
“Yes. Being near you often, I understand your nature and can give advice.”
“Hmm… I should trust you?”
“Relationships start with trust.”
“Then I can trust you.”
“Exactly. Wise choice.”
“Baroness Moora will fully help me, right?”
“Yes, of course!”
“And keep our secret?”
“Yes, naturally!”
“By the way…”
“Yes? Speak.”
“You attended the royal palace party?”
“Yes, I did.”
El’s sudden admission caught him off guard.
“What party? Why would I attend something like that?”
Her face reddened as Kalen fixed his honey-colored eyes on her. They darkened slightly.
She felt drawn into his gaze. They had been talking about dates, and suddenly it was about a palace party—such a shift was bold, bordering on improper.
El feigned nonchalance, lifting her chin boldly.
“You mean the palace party you attended? Of course, I had no reason to go.”
“Of course, yet I thought I saw you there.”
“Me?”
“Hmm.”
“You must have been mistaken. It was probably someone similar.”
“Could be.”
“Certainly.”
Had he caught her trying to flee that day? Probably. But even if they had met head-on, he wouldn’t have recognized her. The reflection in the mirror had been a stranger to her own eyes.
