Chapter 12
“Living in the Grand Duke’s house…?”
If she observed him 24 hours a day, maybe she could figure something out.
But still… that seemed a little extreme.
Putting off the idea of living at the Grand Duke’s house, Rubelia thought back on what she had learned so far for her future plans.
“During our first meeting, wasn’t there an assassin targeting Zerden?”
Maybe that was it.
Since Zerden had the right to inherit the throne, someone thought he might get in the way of the crown prince becoming emperor and tried to kill him.
It was widely known that the emperor watched and restrained Zerden.
In that sense, maybe Zerden couldn’t take being attacked by assassins every day and decided to rebel.
From Zerden’s point of view, it was better to rebel and eliminate the threat than live constantly in danger.
Or perhaps those attacks—or the emperor’s restraint—had already caused him to lose something precious.
“That seems the most likely.”
Rubelia nodded to herself.
Meanwhile, someone was watching her.
It was Zerden, who had taken a rare moment to come see Rubelia.
He had knocked, and when he heard no answer, he opened the door and came in. Immediately, he caught Rubelia muttering, “I really can’t ask to live here…”
That made Zerden fall into a thoughtful, puzzled state.
She had said something like that before, so he couldn’t just ignore it.
He couldn’t easily guess why she wanted to live in the Grand Duke’s house.
Her words didn’t seem to mean she wanted to marry him and become the Grand Duchess. She only showed pure goodwill toward him, without any selfish intentions.
She had even suggested being friends first. That didn’t seem like a mere ploy to become Grand Duchess.
“But why do I feel like it might be okay?”
Zerden briefly imagined her living as the Grand Duchess in the house. The emotion he felt at that moment confused him, and he frowned slightly.
“Hmm? Zerden?”
Rubelia, snapping out of her thoughts, saw him and widened her eyes. He was deep in thought.
“Shall we go for a walk together?”
Zerden tried to erase his thoughts and spoke casually.
“Sure!”
Rubelia had a question she wanted to ask him anyway.
What she had thought earlier was just speculation. To confirm it, she needed evidence:
- Who was behind the assassin?
- How often was Zerden threatened?
That would be enough to check if her guess was correct.
However, Rubelia couldn’t walk with Zerden. A visitor had come to see him.
She decided to postpone it. Even though she wanted to confirm her theory quickly, she couldn’t cling to Zerden while a guest was present.
“I suppose I should head home now.”
She felt she had spent enough time. Surely, Aria and Hasedian weren’t still here at this hour.
Just as she was about to leave,
“Huh? What was that?”
She sensed something very bad for a moment.
But the feeling passed so quickly that she wasn’t sure.
“Well, it’s gone now… so maybe it’s fine.”
Still feeling uneasy, Rubelia hesitated and finally decided to return to the Marquis house. Staying any longer might be a nuisance since a guest had arrived.
Back at the Marquis house, Rubelia saw the two people she disliked most: Aria and Hasedian. They lingered near the entrance, not entering the house.
“What on earth are you doing here at this hour?”
Rubelia briefly wondered if she should just go back to the Grand Duke’s house.
But before she could decide, Aria and Hasedian spotted her.
“Lady Stein!”
“Lady Rubelia!”
They ran toward her like puppies waiting for their absent master, jostling each other to reach her first.
“…Hello.”
Rubelia greeted them, looking a bit glum. She hadn’t seen them for a while, and now seeing them made her mood worse.
“Is something the matter?”
“Who is it? Who dares trouble such a lovely lady…!”
Hasedian and Aria anxiously asked. If anyone dared trouble Rubelia, they would have chased them to the hills.
‘It’s you two,’ she thought, keeping the answer to herself.
If she had said it out loud, they might have reacted dramatically, especially Aria, who was the type to take extreme measures.
“I’m just tired. That’s all.”
Rubelia answered, forcing a calm expression.
“Come to our duke’s house. We’ve prepared the best bedding for you.”
“What are you saying? Lady Rubelia will come to our Persinnen Duke’s house.”
“No, Lady Stein will prefer our Karsiel Duke’s house.”
Hasedian and Aria entered a tense standoff.
Rubelia tried to slip inside the Marquis house, but they were not easy to brush off.
While they argued, they both reached out to stop her. Rubelia frowned in disappointment.
“But, Lady…”
“Yes?”
Aria’s expression turned very serious, and Rubelia flinched. She feared what shocking words were coming next.
“Where have you been?”
Aria’s firm gaze carried a strange sense of urgency.
“Yes. You’ve been going out a lot recently.”
Hasedian looked at her as if he knew something.
“Just out,” Rubelia replied confidently.
“Please tell me honestly. What is your relationship with the Grand Duke?”
Rubelia flinched. She hadn’t told anyone where she was going, yet they had figured out she visited the Grand Duke’s house.
Even though she only told the maids she was out, they seemed to know.
“We’re friends…”
“Is he bothering you…?”
Aria interrupted before Rubelia finished.
“Bother? No, we’re friends…”
Even though they were just potential friends.
“I had a bad feeling from the start.”
“You met the Grand Duke?” Aria asked sharply.
“Yes. At that time, the Grand Duke was with Lady Stein. Anyone could see he was taken with her.”
Hasedian ground his teeth in frustration.
“Oh my, at least he has good eyes.”
But still, he tried to monopolize Rubelia. Aria’s frustration grew.
“Of course. Even a Grand Duke should have such discernment.”
Although Hasedian didn’t like Zerden, he respected his abilities.
“Right. Moreover, the Grand Duke was being kidnapped by Lady Stein at that time.”
“Oh my!”
Aria looked shocked. Rubelia tensed. She didn’t know how Aria would react.
For most people, the kidnapping would be shocking, but Aria wasn’t ordinary.
“What a blessing!”
“Exactly! And Lady Stein was in his arms! She was supposed to be the one kidnapped!”
Hasedian’s frustration grew. He regretted not asking to be kidnapped too.
“Impossible. We found out about Lady Rubelia’s charm too late.”
“Yes. I haven’t received such a blessing myself.”
Hasedian felt it was unfair that only the Grand Duke had been kidnapped by Rubelia.
“No more rivals. Absolutely not.”
Aria couldn’t stay silent. Hasedian also spoke up:
“The first among us to handle the Grand Duke would monopolize Lady Stein…”
Then—
A thunk sound rang out.
Rubelia had thrown her shoe in anger, hitting Hasedian.
She hadn’t meant to hit him; she just flung it impulsively to stop him.
Panicking for a moment, she quickly shouted:
“How dare you touch Zerden!”
No matter that they were her allies, she could not allow anyone to harm Zerden.
He was her destined partner. If he got hurt, she would also face consequences.
“…Lady.”
Hasedian, stunned from being hit by her shoe, stared at Rubelia. She flinched.
“I’m sorry.”
Rubelia glanced nervously and apologized.
But Hasedian wasn’t shocked because of the shoe.
“Why do you only call the Grand Duke by name?”
“…We’re friends.”
Rubelia’s expression became complicated.
“What!”
Hasedian was shocked again. Aria followed, equally in disbelief.
‘Why you!’
Rubelia felt dizzy.
“Why did you throw your shoe only at the Duke of Karsiel? Won’t you do the same for me?”
“What favor is that!”
Who asks to be hit? Rubelia was exasperated.
Aria looked genuinely hurt.
“Lady Rubelia, please….”
“Lady Stein, please….”
Be my friend, they both seemed to silently plead.
