CHAPTER 97…………………………..
Chirr, chirr.
In the still night, the sound of crickets rang through the silence.
In the garden of House Andreas, a young man and woman walked side by side.
Julian, his gaze wandering as if searching for words, suddenly let out a small “Ah,” and spoke.
“Have you ever met Professor Mecherman?”
At the familiar name, Meline blinked.
“Yes, of course. I was in the Natural Sciences department.”
During her academy years without her older sister, that professor had been her only refuge.
He had been oddly kind to her—kinder than to anyone else—and it had eased her loneliness.
“Oh, I see. Professor Mecherman is actually my aunt.”
“What! Really?!”
Meline gasped.
“Then you must visit here often?”
“No, when my mother was alive, I came maybe once every three years. She was always busy with her research. But now… I’ve stopped coming altogether.”
“Why?”
Meline tilted her head, her eyes wide.
“Because my mother’s no longer here.”
Julian replied with a faint, bitter smile.
“But the Duke is still here.”
“I look too much like my mother. I think it pains him to see me.”
“Good grief… What kind of reason is that? That’s awful!”
Meline pouted. Julian gave a small, helpless laugh.
Of course, it was a lie. He didn’t even know whether he resembled his mother or his father. His reflection in the mirror had always seemed to fade and vanish before his eyes.
Most likely, his aunt stayed away because she believed his father was the cause of his mother’s death.
But Julian didn’t bother explaining that.
Silence returned between them.
Meline, glancing at him, spoke again, her tone suddenly mischievous.
“By the way, my lord…”
A sly smile tugged at her lips.
“How much do you like my sister?”
“…L–Lady Meline.”
Even in the dark, she could see his face flush bright red in an instant.
“Hm, that’s enough of an answer!”
“Huh?”
“What would you do for her, then?”
“Why are you asking—?”
“Forget it if you don’t want to answer.”
Meline spun around and began to hum a little tune.
“Hmm-hmm~ I’ll just tell Ren to try harder~”
“Ren?”
Julian froze at the sudden mention.
“Who is Ren?”
“You know Marquis Blake, right?”
“…”
Julian’s face stiffened.
“The Empire’s most popular man. He’s been chasing after my sister for five years now.”
“…Is that so?”
Caught off guard, Julian forced an awkward smile.
“Well, it’s only natural that someone so distinguished would be popular.”
But the dim sadness in his eyes didn’t escape Meline’s notice. She sighed and shook her head.
To find the best possible husband for her sister, it was easiest to let the contenders compete. But one was far too forward, and the other far too timid.
At this rate, the game would end before it even began.
And Meline didn’t like that one bit.
If her sister ended up marrying Ren just like this…
People will whisper that Ren’s the one who settled for less!
She knew perfectly well how the Empire looked down on women who married younger men.
She refused to let her sister be belittled like that.
Of course, her amazing sister wouldn’t care about gossip—but still!
Hmph, this is about my pride too!
But what if people learned that the Grand Duke’s heir had loved her sister and stayed faithful for five whole years?
The story would flip completely. Everyone would start talking about how extraordinary Clemence Jacqueline was.
Meline wanted the world to know that her sister was someone to be admired. Just remembering how newspapers had painted her sister as a wicked witch all these years made her seethe.
“Try being a little more assertive! I’ll help you!”
She felt a little sorry for Ren, but for some reason, the fact that Julian’s face resembled hers made her feel oddly close to him—she couldn’t help but care.
The next day.
I hadn’t slept a wink. My body ached, and I was exhausted.
The Duke looked no better.
At breakfast, he and I exchanged lifeless greetings with hollow eyes before we began to eat.
Julian and Meline glanced between us in bewilderment.
What am I supposed to do now…
Last night, the Duke’s question had triggered a faint fragment of memory.
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Meline as a baby.
It wasn’t just that I couldn’t remember—there was no memory of it. In my earliest recollections, my mother was simply bringing Meline home one day.
‘Clemence, this is your little sister.’
‘My… little sister?’
‘Yes. She was ill and needed to recover for a while.’
There had been deep sorrow in my mother’s eyes when she said it.
When that memory came back, I had asked the Duke, pretending innocence,
‘So, did you keep your promise and give your daughter that name?’
My heart had pounded violently as I waited for his answer.
I had prayed he would say no, even if it were a lie.
But the Duke, clearly not in his right mind, had confessed the truth.
‘…Yes, I did.’
Thud.
The sound of my heart sinking echoed in my chest.
‘When I first saw Lady Jacqueline, I was shocked… She looked exactly like my wife in her youth.’
And in that moment, everything about his earlier questions fell into place.
The Duke had a daughter—one the world didn’t know about.
Which meant the impossible might actually be true.
He lost his daughter… and that daughter could be Meline.
The hairs on my arms stood up.
My thoughts clashed wildly.
If that’s true, then why did my mother bring Meline home?
The Duchess of Andreas and Countess Jacqueline—
They’d always been known to be close friends, but who could have imagined they shared such a secret?
“…My lady?”
“Yes?”
“You look very tired. Are you all right?”
Julian looked at me with eyes as soft and worried as a puppy’s.
“Oh—yes. I just didn’t sleep well.”
“Was the bed uncomfortable?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then… do you often have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places?”
Not really, but I nodded anyway, caught off guard by the question.
Julian nodded gravely, as if committing it to memory.
“I see. I’ll remember that.”
There’s no need to remember that, I thought.
He was being way too attentive for a mere host.
Is this because of Meline?
Trying to earn points with his future sister-in-law, perhaps?
Wait—don’t tell me something happened in the garden last night?
I quickly glanced between him and Meline.
Meline was gazing at him with a pleased little smile.
What the—are they already hitting it off?!
My hand tightened around my fork.
Age difference was no longer the issue.
If Meline really is his sister…
Then this couldn’t be allowed to continue. It would mean Julian was her blood brother.
In the end, I left the Grand Duke’s estate without mentioning a word about business.
“Countess, might I have a word before you go? About the pamphlet you mentioned before.”
So much for that—he spoke first.
“Of course,” I replied with my best professional smile.
When the contract was finally done, I glanced behind me.
As we headed back to the capital, one man was following close behind.
Honestly, he’s like a little pink puppy.
I turned to him.
“There’s really no need for you to come with us. We can manage just fine.”
Julian, who had insisted on following us all the way to the harbor, looked dejected.
God, don’t make that face—you have no idea what’s going on.
You two might not even be meant to be together.
I didn’t want Meline suffering over a forbidden love.
“Come on, sis! The young lord said he has business in the capital too, so what’s the harm? Let’s all go together!”
Meline cheerfully pushed Julian toward the passenger ship.
Caught off guard, he stumbled on board.
Before I could stop it, the situation had already taken shape.
I stared at them, stunned.
“Why is Meline acting like this…?”
Is love really such a powerful thing?
