Chapter 38
Without even realizing how time had passed, midsummer arrived.
Aileen had been living an extremely busy life during that time. It all started with what Heinel told her when he came to see her a few days after finishing Adrian’s lessons.
“I’ll do it. No—rather, I want to do it together.”
Because of Heinel, the business idea was finalized. It was good that a framework had taken shape, but once she tried to seriously start the business, there were far too many things to think about.
She had to look for a building to open a magic tool shop, explain the guidelines Heinel would need to manufacture magic tools, and hire employees. On top of that, there was a mountain of other work to be done.
As Aileen carefully read through the documents, fatigue washed over her, and she leaned back against the chair.
“Did I take on something too big…?”
The thought crossed her mind, but she didn’t regret it. After all, this was something she had chosen in order to live.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, Aileen soon pushed herself upright. It seemed like the right time to take a break.
When she opened the door and stepped out, a familiar and welcome face was approaching at just the right moment.
Aileen greeted him with a smile.
“Claude, are you on your way back from seeing Reinhardt?”
“Good day, Duchess. Yes. I’ve just met His Highness and am on my way home now.”
Claude lifted the corners of his mouth smoothly.
Sensing something odd in his words, Aileen tilted her head.
“You’re getting off work already? That’s early today. Are you leaving early because you’re unwell, by any chance…?”
“Not at all. Our family also needs to prepare to attend the upcoming banquet.”
“A banquet?”
“Have you not heard the news yet?”
Aileen blinked, not understanding. Claude kindly explained.
“It will soon be His Highness the First Prince’s birthday banquet. Since our family also needs to make preparations for it, His Highness has allowed us to leave work early for the time being.”
“I see. Before I got married, I never had the leisure to attend such banquets, so I had no idea.”
Claude hesitated for a moment at Aileen’s casual remark, knowing what her circumstances had been like when her surname was Walker.
As he struggled with how to respond, Aileen smiled softly as if to say it was fine.
“Thank you for telling me. I should go see Reinhardt.”
“It’s nothing. Come to think of it, were you just coming out of your study?”
Claude asked, glancing at the door to her study, and Aileen nodded.
“That’s right.”
“I’ve heard that you’ve been busy with business matters lately.”
“It seems the rumors have spread. It’s nothing grand—I’m planning to start with a small shop. I’m still a beginner businesswoman, after all.”
“I’m sure it will go well.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
Claude gave her a gentle smile, said he should be going, and left. After exchanging farewells with him, Aileen headed straight for Reinhardt’s office.
She knocked on the door and, upon hearing Reinhardt’s voice telling her to come in, opened it. He was reading a letter that had arrived from the imperial palace.
As Aileen approached him, she began to speak.
“Reinhardt, I heard from Claude on the way here—”
“Ah, I was actually planning to tell you during mealtime today.”
Reinhardt smiled and cut in, having caught on to what she was about to say.
He handed her the letter he had been reading.
“This is an invitation from the imperial palace—to my older brother’s, that is, His Highness the First Prince’s birthday banquet. As written here, it will be held in two weeks.”
“I’ll have to attend as well, right?”
“Of course. You are my wife.”
Reinhardt put a bit of emphasis on the word wife. It was an unconscious action, carrying some of his feelings for Aileen.
But Aileen, focused on reading the letter, didn’t notice and nodded calmly.
“All right. I’ll prepare as well.”
“I already have a gift in mind, so you don’t need to prepare one separately. You just need to attend.”
Though he said that, merely attending a banquet hosted by the imperial family would surely require her to be quite busy.
Aileen knew that too, so she smiled awkwardly.
‘Still, if it’s a birthday banquet held by the imperial family…’
At the sudden thought, the smile slowly faded from Aileen’s face.
‘They’ll be attending too.’
A shadow fell over her expression as she thought of certain people.
As she absentmindedly fiddled with the letter from the imperial palace, Reinhardt noticed her darkened face and asked,
“Aileen? Are you feeling unwell?”
“…It’s nothing. I was just thinking about what I should wear.”
Aileen replied with a gentle smile.
It didn’t look like the face of someone worrying about an outfit at all, but Reinhardt didn’t press further. Somehow, it felt like something he shouldn’t touch.
Instead, he asked another question to lighten the mood.
“Do you lack dresses?”
“I have plenty of dresses, but I can’t decide which one to wear. Since it’s a banquet held by the imperial family, everyone will come dressed beautifully.”
Pushing aside her earlier thoughts, Aileen recalled her dresses. She had enough, but none that felt quite right to wear to such a banquet.
As she thought she should go shopping, she heard Reinhardt mutter while staring at her.
“Even so, Aileen will be the most beautiful.”
“Yes?”
“What?”
Aileen looked at him in surprise, and Reinhardt, equally startled, asked back.
Only then did he realize what he had unconsciously said and pressed his lips shut.
‘What should I do?’
If he said it was the truth, the atmosphere would become awkward, and it wasn’t something he could pass off as a joke. That might only earn him her displeasure.
After some deliberation, Reinhardt blurted out a half-excuse, half-confession.
“At least… to my eyes.”
That was an undeniable fact. Right now, to Reinhardt’s eyes, Aileen was more beautiful than anyone else.
As he waited tensely for her reaction, Aileen smiled shyly and said,
“Thank you. I’m happy to hear you say that.”
Reinhardt felt relieved. Thankfully, it seemed the situation had passed smoothly.
‘As expected, a smile suits Aileen.’
He praised his own unconscious action. Thanks to it, he was able to see her smile.
On the other hand, there was someone who had been thrown into confusion by his words.
‘Wow, that really startled me.’
Behind her smile, Aileen desperately tried to calm her pounding heart.
The most beautiful—especially in his eyes.
She knew it was something he said out of courtesy because they were husband and wife, but her heart still fluttered. With such deep eyes saying something like that, what woman wouldn’t be moved?
‘Is it really true that he’s never dated anyone?’
Once before, she had talked with him about romance because of an incident involving Letia. Because of how he reacted then, Aileen had assumed he’d never been in a relationship.
Besides, if an imperial prince were dating someone, rumors would spread instantly. Yet she had never heard any news about the Second Prince being involved with anyone, which strengthened her belief.
Still, the thought suddenly occurred to her—what if he had met someone secretly?
‘Whether or not there is someone, that person would be lucky. To be loved by someone so perfect.’
It never once crossed Aileen’s mind that that person might be herself.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt, having no idea what Aileen was thinking, asked because he wanted to spend a little more time with her.
“Then, Aileen, are you thinking of going shopping?”
“I suppose so. It’s His Highness the First Prince’s birthday banquet—I can’t just wear anything.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“You too, Reinhardt?”
When Aileen looked at him with widened eyes, he replied with a gentle smile.
“I think I’ll need formal wear for the banquet as well.”
“Oh, I suppose you’re right.”
“Yes?”
Unexpectedly met with agreement, Reinhardt asked without realizing it.
Aileen smiled brightly and launched a truthful barrage.
“You usually wear monochrome clothes, Reinhardt. You’d look amazing even in clothes with color. I’ve always thought it was a shame.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes! Every time I see you, I think what a waste of that face—no, forget I said that. Anyway, take this banquet as an opportunity to try wearing colored clothes too. I’ll pick out something wonderful for you!”
Aileen’s determined eyes blazed with enthusiasm.
Reinhardt nodded, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and unease wash over him.
“There are a lot of people.”
Aileen looked around, slightly surprised. The boutique they visited was quite crowded.
It seemed that many people, like them, had received invitations and were there to buy clothes to wear to the banquet.
As she looked around the shop, she kept making eye contact with people who were glancing at them repeatedly. Their gazes were all directed at one place.
‘Oh no.’
Aileen turned her head to look at Reinhardt.
She hadn’t been consciously aware of it lately, but thinking about it, he was the Second Prince of the Kaines Empire. It was understandable that people were staring.
When their eyes met, Reinhardt smiled softly with his eyes and asked,
“What is it, Aileen?”
“If I’d known there would be this much attention, maybe we should’ve gone to a less crowded boutique.”
“It’s fine. There’s no need for that.”
“Yes?”
Without saying a word, Reinhardt gestured with his eyes toward the opposite side. When she turned her head, a man who appeared to be the owner of the boutique was rushing toward them.
Reaching them, he wiped away cold sweat and put on a practiced smile.
“Welcome, Duke, Duchess. Thank you for visiting our boutique.”
Reinhardt replied with a slight nod.
The owner stepped aside a bit and gestured toward the stairs leading upstairs.
“The first floor may be inconvenient for you to browse, so I will escort you to the quiet upper floor. Please follow me.”
“Very well.”
The owner led the way. As Reinhardt followed him, he whispered to Aileen, who had paused.
“And since we need to buy formal wear for the banquet, wouldn’t it be better to go to a well-known boutique?”
“I suppose that’s true.”
Aileen held back a small laugh and headed upstairs with him. With every step, openly curious gazes poured down on them.
But once they climbed the stairs, it disappeared as if washed away. Feeling her mind gradually ease, Aileen entered one of the rooms.
