CHAPTER 24,…………………………..
“Trying to sneakily hold my hand like that — in our region, that’s illegal, you know.”
“It’s not some lame excuse, my leg’s really cramping up—ugh.”
He looked like he was in real pain.
If that was acting, Theo deserves an Oscar.
I hadn’t even decided what kind of role Theo would play in the story yet, and the two of them had already clashed like this.
Still, Theo seemed to be playing along — subtly keeping Feredil in check. He wrapped his free arm around me, gently pulling me away from Feredil.
Theo was good at improv — reacting naturally to whatever emotions he felt, instead of sticking to the “script” of a situation — so I wasn’t too worried.
“All the things a molester tries to do are scummy, aren’t they?”
“What? Molester?”
Theo was clearly provoking Feredil, probably remembering my analysis of Feredil’s personality — that he wasn’t very expressive emotionally.
“If a shady-looking man waits all day for a lady who never shows up — what else could he be but a molester?”
“If we’re judging by appearance, anyone would say you’re the molester.”
“Oh, come on. Since when do molesters ride the same carriage as their victims?”
This wasn’t exactly the kind of love triangle I’d envisioned — I’d imagined something less childish than this back-and-forth bickering.
As their meaningless exchange dragged on, I decided I should send Theo away for now.
First, I slipped out from the arm he had around me.
“There’s no molester here, okay? So both of you, calm down.”
Both pairs of eyes turned toward me.
“It seems the Duke has something he wants to say to me. We should talk. I’ll have a carriage take you back to where you’re staying.”
“So you’re telling the friend to scram? Got it, got it.”
Theo shook his head playfully and began to step away.
“Ah. Wait.”
He stopped behind me before heading off. Then he raised a hand to my ear, leaned in close, and whispered something with a mischievous grin.
Feredil stared at us, eyes wide as a rabbit’s.
Satisfied with his provocation, Theo flashed me a grin that said “Good luck.”
Okay, thanks for the setup, Theo. I’ll take it from here.
“So, shall we talk?”
Once Theo was gone, I turned to Feredil.
“Why were you waiting for me? If you’d gone back first, I would have come to the Duke’s estate later.”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come if I left.”
“Then you could’ve at least waited inside the sitting room.”
“I thought you might dislike that.”
Ah — because he thought I’d hate sharing space with Luna. How considerate. Since when did he start listening to me this well?
I suppressed the smile tugging at my lips.
“Well, that’s true, but it still wasn’t a wise choice. If you’d caught a cold waiting out here for me, I’d feel terribly guilty.”
“Really? I didn’t think you were the type to have that kind of conscience.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He laughed, clearly amused. Looked like he was finally comfortable around me.
“You didn’t wait here just to tease me, did you?”
“Of course not. I’m a busy man.”
He’d been joking just a moment ago, but now he answered me with complete seriousness — irritatingly so.
“So why did you wait for me?”
It was cold, so we decided to talk inside his carriage.
“What do you want?”
“Pardon?”
Anyone listening would think I was blackmailing him or something.
And having this conversation in a carriage, late at night, didn’t help the impression.
“Why do I have to tell you what I want?”
Same blunt way of talking as always. I could see how Luna might have misunderstood him in the original story.
“I’d like to repay you — for saving me.”
Of course. That was the obvious reason.
He was the type who couldn’t stand owing anyone. He’d even ruined his relationship with Luna by trying to “repay” her in his own misguided way.
So now he was here, asking me directly what I wanted.
Fine by me — that was how I planned to move things forward anyway. Thanks for taking the initiative, Feredil.
“A reward, huh? Does it have to be something material?”
“Anything you want.”
“And what makes you think you know what I want?”
My tone carried a deliberate hint of mystery, and tension filled the space between us.
“So there is something you want?”
“Well… I’m just curious how far a Duke of the Empire is willing to go.”
I tapped my chin lightly, heightening the tension even more.
“If you sold one of your medals from His Majesty, you’d get a fortune. But money comes and goes. Maybe I’d rather have the territory of Laut — right next to Coventin. What must it feel like to rule a small nation?”
He stared at me like he couldn’t tell whether I was serious or joking.
Watching the unflappable Feredil’s pupils waver was unexpectedly fun.
“But that wouldn’t mean anything to me.”
Relief flickered across his face.
“Then what would be meaningful to you? As long as it doesn’t involve treason or bloodshed, I might be open to it.”
“What I want is…”
I paused dramatically, like a host about to announce the winner of a competition, then smiled at him.
“How about learning to act — from me?”
“Acting?”
He frowned harder than I’d ever seen him frown before.
“Most people think acting’s something you do on stage, but really, life itself is a performance. You, too, act every day — reacting to people, fulfilling your motivations, expressing emotions. That’s all acting.”
He looked utterly dazed, like his soul had left his body.
“If you studied acting, you’d understand your emotions better and express them more freely. And the training actors do — it would definitely help with public speaking, too.”
He flinched at the words public speaking.
Of course — he was an ambassador who didn’t give speeches.
Before he became one, back when his father, Duke Richard Seymour, still held the position, a young Feredil had once tried to give a speech in public — and an assassination attempt happened right before everyone’s eyes.
Nothing official was ever revealed, but the rumor spread across the Empire: ever since then, he couldn’t give speeches.
Thankfully, his diplomatic talent and the Emperor’s favor meant he kept his post despite that.
He could talk normally with people — but standing on a stage was a wall he couldn’t climb over. Because of that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to divide up the public addresses he was supposed to deliver.
“…And how would my learning acting benefit you? As the daughter of a Count, you don’t need a profession. In fact, as a Lady of the Woodville family, having one might even raise eyebrows.”
“Before I came to Woodville, I worked as an actress in a theater troupe in Bria.”
“I see.”
He didn’t look surprised — guess he already knew about my past.
“Nobles have a great appreciation for opera singers, but theater actors? The Empire still looks down on them. Don’t you think if a stage actress became the personal tutor of an imperial ambassador, people’s perceptions might change?”
“Acting, huh… I’ve never thought about it.”
“Think of it as a form of refinement. Or maybe even a hobby.”
I said it lightly to ease the pressure — but what I really wanted was to help him return to the stage, to overcome his trauma.
A love that begins when a man leans on the woman he once despised — that’s the kind of solid, slowly ripening romance I wanted to write.
His gaze dropped. Heavy, unlifted eyes made me nervous.
Was he thinking it over? Please, please say yes.
If he refused, I’d have to find another way to get closer to him.
Come on, Feredil. Please.
“It’s late. You should go inside.”
My desperate prayer must not have reached him.
He stood up and stepped out of the carriage.
So that’s a no. Figures.
He offered his hand to help me down, and I took it.
“You’re an ambitious woman.”
So what? I just looked at him, my expression guarded, refusing to react.
Then he smiled softly and said,
“I don’t dislike women like that.”
