Chapter 11…
Ethan
Ethan looked just as uncomfortable as his parents in this situation, but she could tell he was making an effort to remain composed. Fortunately, his efforts seemed to work, and his expression gradually relaxed—but in contrast, Aileen’s heart tightened even more. She couldn’t take her eyes off Ethan, even as she nervously wondered when their eyes would meet.
“Hello.”
“So it’s you.”
When Ethan greeted him, Lloyd responded differently than he had with the Count and Countess.
Although they had passed each other before, so this wasn’t technically their first meeting, Lloyd narrowed his eyes and slowly scanned Ethan from head to toe. Ethan looked at him, wondering what he was going to say, but Lloyd said nothing more, and their greeting ended awkwardly.
Ethan gave a sheepish smile and glanced around before spotting Aileen. The moment their eyes met, Aileen’s shoulders stiffened noticeably.
These were her brother’s eyes, ones she’d seen countless times before, but now the longer their gaze held, the heavier the pressure grew. In the end, Aileen was the first to look away. She couldn’t keep up a façade of calmness and faltered. Her fingers fidgeted, opening and closing nervously, as her eyes darted elsewhere.
“Aileen.”
Ethan’s low, steady voice made her bite her lip. She was terrified of what kind of expression he might be wearing as he looked at her, and she slowly turned her head back toward him.
“Come here.”
His voice carried a slight weight, and Aileen hesitantly walked toward him. Midway, the Grand Duke furrowed his brow for some unknown reason, but he quickly lost interest.
“Brother…”
Her voice was small and timid as she called him. She couldn’t even look him straight in the eyes, only stealing sidelong glances. Ethan could see right through her thoughts, but his firm mouth didn’t soften.
And then—
“This little girl is getting married?”
A voice, warm and meltingly gentle, made Aileen look up in surprise.
“I’m worried.”
Her fears about whether her brother might disapprove seemed almost laughable in the face of his affectionate tone. Her eyes began to well up. After all the worrying she’d done, the sudden warmth made it hard to contain her emotions.
“Brother… I’m sorry.”
Aileen clung to Ethan’s side, clutching his clothes like a child. At this moment, age didn’t matter at all.
“We’ll talk separately.”
She nodded faintly.
“The Count and Countess of Claudia have arrived.”
Someone had just reported this in the Senate’s meeting room. Sitting at the head of the table, Alan tapped the armrest lightly, just as Lloyd often did. He tilted his head as if deep in thought, then straightened it again. Someone, gauging his mood, cautiously opened the conversation.
“I just don’t understand.”
It was Elder Robert, who had shown obvious displeasure at the last retainers’ meeting when Aileen abruptly left.
“Why would he choose to marry someone from the Claudia family, a house with nothing to offer unless it’s a top-tier Omega? What benefit is there in marrying a Beta?”
Robert looked like he wanted Alan to agree. Alan seemed to ponder a bit longer before replying.
“When has the Grand Duke ever listened to us?”
“That’s true. It did seem strange how he so readily accepted the idea of marriage.”
Another person added,
“He also blocked us from bringing in another family.”
They had kept multiple families in mind as backup options in case the current match fell through. Since the engagement with the Claudia family wasn’t official, they thought the Grand Duke could easily switch partners. They didn’t expect Lloyd to exploit that loophole first.
Lloyd had cunningly used a political marriage to his advantage. By agreeing to link with the Claudia family, he effectively ruled out any union with the houses closely tied to the Senate. Instead, he brought in a Beta, deliberately being as difficult as possible within the allowed parameters.
Calix, who knew Lloyd’s personality better than anyone, stayed silent. He had foreseen something like this ever since the Senate tried to force marriage upon the Grand Duke. If Lloyd were the type to obey so easily, he would’ve been married long ago.
When will this fight ever end…
Calix quietly sighed to himself, weary of the endless meetings. He feigned interest in the meaningless discussion while his thoughts drifted to the Grand Duke.
If Lloyd was meeting the Count and Countess of Claudia right now, they were probably having a meal.
And indeed, just as Calix thought, they headed straight to the dining room. The official reason was to talk naturally over dinner, but in truth, Aileen had suggested it to ease the tension and divert attention.
She had thought her parents would feel uncomfortable—and she was right. The Count and Countess of Claudia looked overwhelmed, hardly touching their food. Even though the table was full of elaborate dishes, they only nibbled at the small portions placed before them, too flustered to enjoy the meal.
Even with personal maids waiting on them, they couldn’t eat properly. In stark contrast, the Grand Duke ate leisurely, choosing whatever dishes he liked without caring about anyone’s gaze. At a single word from him, three maids moved at once. Aileen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the scene.
The Count’s status… means nothing here.
His title carried no weight in this place. Her parents were already intimidated by the Grand Duke. It pained Aileen, but there was nothing she could do to help. Instead, she turned to look at her brother sitting beside her.
“You look like you’ve lost weight.”
Aileen, after carefully observing Ethan, spoke with concern.
“You’re not skipping meals to read again, are you?”
“Aileen, what do you take your brother for?”
“A bookworm.”
“Haha, I haven’t heard that nickname in a long time.”
Ethan laughed out loud, and the siblings began to chat comfortably.
“I’ve been eating well. When I said I was coming to see you today, Lady Sarah asked if she should bake an apple pie.”
“Sarah’s apple pie is delicious.”
Ethan nodded in agreement at Aileen’s comment. Lloyd glanced at the apple pie placed before Aileen. It was as if he hadn’t even noticed it before.
He didn’t know who this “Sarah” was, but he doubted any pie could surpass that made by his own palace chef.
“Eat a lot.”
Aileen placed a small piece of meat onto Ethan’s plate. Ethan put the juicy piece in his mouth.
“Aileen, I’m sure your mother takes good care of your brother.”
“Well, yes, but it feels awkward after spending so much time apart.”
Aileen gave an embarrassed smile at the Countess’s remark. She and Ethan had eaten together so often when they were younger that the habit of taking care of each other still lingered.
“Mother, you should eat too.”
She placed some meat on the Countess’s plate and glanced at her father’s plate as well. Lloyd watched her intently.
“That’s nice to see.”
Aileen couldn’t tell whether he was making a sarcastic remark or simply expressing his thoughts. But since it had been so long since she’d been with her family, she didn’t want to take his words the wrong way. In truth, the moment felt like a gift.
“Thank you.”
Her polite reply caught Lloyd off guard. He hadn’t expected her to respond so sweetly. She’d always been a bit prickly, so this was unexpected.
“Your Grace should eat as well. You haven’t eaten much since earlier.”
He had thought she was only paying attention to her family, but she had been quietly keeping track of his meal, too. Lloyd looked down at his plate with a faintly defeated expression—there was barely any sign that he had touched his food.
Aileen ignored his silence and pointed to the dishes in front of him.
“This is really tender and delicious. And this stew has a unique aroma.”
“It’s because of the special herbs. My chef is very skilled with herbs. You won’t find this flavor anywhere else.”
“I’ve never had anything like it before.”
“Of course not. Try this, too.”
Lloyd naturally gestured toward another dish, and a maid quickly placed it in front of Aileen. She accepted it without refusal, took a bite, and her eyes widened in delight. Lloyd commented as if it were nothing.
“Everything I recommend is guaranteed to taste good.”
“You’re right. Brother, try this too. It’s amazing.”
Aileen offered some to Ethan as well. The previously awkward atmosphere had softened considerably, thanks to her. Lloyd even recommended dishes to Count Claudia.
“Count Claudia, please try some of this.”
“Thank you. What is this?”
The Count asked politely, pointing at a bird-shaped roast in the center of the table.
“That’s roasted herringbone. It has an exquisite nutty flavor.”
“Is that so?”
The dinner atmosphere grew much more pleasant than before. Seizing the moment, Lloyd spoke.
“The wedding will be held on the upcoming Henas Day.”
“Yes.”
The Count immediately agreed without hesitation, and the Countess, after counting the days on her fingers, also showed no sign of objection.
The reaction came from someone entirely unexpected.
