Chapter 15
After the breakfast meeting wrapped up, Kalen waited for a private moment with Randol.
The prince had asked to speak with him alone.
Seated in Randol’s reception room, Kalen watched with a scowl as the prince returned after seeing off the other nobles.
Randol mirrored the displeasure on his face.
“You do realise that expression is rather disrespectful, don’t you?”
“Why did you realise you wanted to see me?”
“If you’re going to speak formally, at least change your expression.”
“Changing my expression is hard. So I’ll just drop the formalities. Why did you want to see me?”
The casual speech came naturally.
They were, after all, distant relatives and had grown up together.
But with the king absent, their relationship had become… complicated.
Randol sipped his tea, then sighed deeply before locking eyes with Kalen.
“You make me so nervous, it’s ridiculous.”
“Shouldn’t you be used to this by now?”
“Maybe. But I never seem to get used to it.”
A shadow hovered behind his smile.
Randol felt the burden of the crown pressing down on his shoulders.
Without Ruena by his side, he might not have struggled so much.
Constant comparisons to his sister seemed to shrink his confidence.
His expression brightened as he spoke again.
“Thanks for the advice.”
“You’re better for the job than Jeil, anyway.”
“So you support me?”
“I’ll see how you handle things. If it comes down to it, I might be the one to wear the crown.”
Kalen chuckled.
“Do you think I want to be king? You know I don’t like that kind of hassle.”
“That’s true.”
No need to argue.
Kalen’s concerns were limited to the Elias family and those under its protection—ever since the day he lost Adela.
Sunlight streamed through the window as Kalen gracefully sipped his tea.
Randol’s voice broke the silence once more.
“Aren’t you going to get married?”
“I will.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you finally moved past it all?”
The quickness of the answer made Randol curious.
Kalen’s face briefly darkened, but he quickly pushed the shadow away.
“Not sure.”
Randol’s expression grew sombre.
He, too, had never forgotten Adela, so Kalen’s pain was surely even deeper.
“Six years is a long time.”
He truly wished for Kalen to find peace and move on.
Taking a steady breath, Randol looked back with genuine warmth.
“Well, I hope you find happiness with a good lady from a respected family.”
“If you’re going to say that, say ‘a good woman’. Family doesn’t matter much to me.”
Kalen drained his teacup and stood, smiling deeply at Randol.
“I hope Your Highness also soon secures an engagement with a good lady and strengthens your position.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Sincerely.”
“Then you must attend the party next month. It’s an order from me—not as a friend, but as Crown Prince. I’ll be sending invitations shortly. Until then, safe travels.”
Randol flashed a mischievous grin as he delivered the warning.
***
Eloise arrived at the Elias estate, carrying a sack of perfectly ripened cabbage.
She stopped by the kitchen to deliver them, then made her way to the annexe, where she would begin reading the letters and earning her pay.
“Here are the cabbages.”
“Wonderful cabbages, thank you. Good ingredients make the cooking all the more rewarding.”
Joseph’s praise made Eloise beam.
Of course, she was pleased that the cabbages she’d nurtured with care were appreciated.
“Thank you. I’ll bring more next time.”
“Make sure to ask for plenty of money.”
Eloise turned away and smiled mutteringly.
“I’m planning to charge more today—ten silver pieces and a bonus. Reading one letter for over an hour is hard work. Intellectual labour, but still a lot of work.
Just as she was about to enter the annexe, a small voice called out her name.
“Baroness Eloise Moora.”
The voice was so faint she almost missed it.
Pausing, she glanced around—and from beneath the stairs at the annexe’s entrance, the voice came again.
A chill ran down her spine.
‘Who else knows about this besides the six of us?’
She suddenly questioned whether the matter was truly a secret.
Her heart pounding with anxiety, she looked down the stairs—and her eyes grew wide.
“Duchess?”
“Yes, it’s me. Can we talk for a moment?”
Lisa stood there, her face almost hidden beneath a shawl, speaking in a low whisper.
She glanced nervously around before motioning for Eloise to come down.
Eloise was puzzled—why would someone cloak themselves like a thief inside their own home and whisper like this?
But she followed the gesture and descended the stairs.
“What is it…—Ah! Duchess!”
The moment Eloise stepped down, Lisa suddenly grabbed her wrist and pressed herself close against the annexe wall.
With her back to the cold stone, she glanced around like a true thief—or a spy—on the lookout.
Eloise, now on high alert, whispered, “My lady, what is it?”
“Shh, we can’t let Kalen find out. Just a moment.”
Still cautious, Lisa pulled Eloise by the hand and led her into the greenhouse beside the annexe.
The greenhouse was vast, nearly as sprawling as the annexe itself—it was essentially an entire building converted into a botanical sanctuary.
With exotic flowers unknown to Eloise blooming everywhere, she almost forgot she was still in Eneritten and not some distant land.
The greenhouse was a veritable flower paradise, even though the early summer outside was bursting with vibrant blossoms.
The sweet fragrance hung thick in the air even at the entrance.
A little further in, a table and chairs were arranged for tea time, with a cup of slightly cooled tea waiting on the tabletop.
Lisa took a deep breath and sank into a chair.
Navigating the space in her long dress was no easy feat; she nearly tripped on her hem, and if Eloise hadn’t caught her, she might have tumbled to the floor in an undignified heap.
“Phew. Sit down for now.”
“What’s going on?”
“Surprised, aren’t you? I have something to ask.”
“You could’ve just called me to the reception room…”
Lisa’s face grew serious.
“No, Kalen mustn’t know.”
“A secret?”
Lisa loved secrets, Eloise thought, waiting patiently as she sipped the tea and steadied her breath.
Finally calming down, Lisa looked at Eloise with earnest eyes.
“How’s the letter reading going?”
“Fairly well.”
“I’m really curious—do you think Kalen has any intention of marrying?”
Caught off guard, Eloise hesitated.
After all, she was only reading and interpreting love letters, not peering directly into Kalen’s heart.
But seeing Lisa’s hopeful gaze, she searched for the right words.
“What do you think, my lady?”
“Well, reading love letters hardly suggests he’s against marriage.”
“See? And?”
“Um… He might not catch all the hidden meanings in the letters, but if I interpret them carefully, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“I see. I’m counting on you, Lady Moora.”
Seeing Lisa grasp her hands tightly, eyes full of desperation, Eloise’s heart ached.
The words, “My son seems completely hopeless at love,” hovered on her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them aloud.
“Is he writing good replies?”
“Of course. He writes back as soon as he finishes reading each letter.”
“Then please, make sure he always asks to meet. Feelings only grow when you meet face to face—and without feelings, there’s no love or marriage.”
“That goes without saying.”
“Can you tell me what he wrote in his last reply?”
Eloise racked her memory.
Reading those letters was hard work, and frankly, she’d never cared much about the replies.
Then she recalled the mention of disliking goose meat.
“To the lady’s invitation for a picnic on the hill with gosling sandwiches…”
“Yes?”
“Well… he wrote that he wouldn’t come because he didn’t like goose meat.”
When Eloise realised she had just said too much, her cheeks turned red.
Lisa jumped to her feet, biting her lip firmly as her face went pale.
“How could he be so rude! To respond so coldly to a letter of love that ought to be delivered with sweetness! Oh, heavens.”
Collapsing back into her chair, Lisa clasped her hands and closed her eyes.
Seeing her so pale, Eloise silently prayed to any gods who might be listening: please don’t let her faint.
After a moment, Lisa snapped her eyes open and looked at Eloise with concern.
“Tell me the truth.”
“I will.”
“Is my son completely hopeless at love? Enough to write such rude replies?”
Honestly?
Yes.
The duke has no interest in romance, and he’s so clueless about a lady’s feelings that he couldn’t sense even a hint of them.
Eloise wanted to say this, but seeing Lisa’s ashen face and desperate eyes, she held back.
This was a woman who truly wanted her son to marry.
Eloise gently took Lisa’s hands in hers.
“It’s not that bad. He’s just never experienced love before—he probably doesn’t know how to react.”
She wanted to believe that.
No, she had to believe that.
“Isn’t there some way?”
“A way…?”
“You—please help him.”
“Me?”
Eloise frowned, feeling awkward.
Helping with this wasn’t part of their agreement at all—she’d only come to read letters, not to play matchmaker.
