Chapter 16…
No Access
The person who entered wasn’t family. Aileen was momentarily disappointed but quickly composed herself and looked at the man. He appeared to be in his forties and wore a green sash — something only members of the Senate were allowed to wear.
She had heard there was a particularly young member among the Senate…
“I’m Calix. Calix Rihast.”
“Ah!”
The moment she heard the name, she remembered who he was — the Grand Duke’s uncle. Since Aileen had memorized the names of the people in the ducal household, she hurriedly tried to stand.
“Please, remain seated. You’re the main character today, aren’t you?”
He was the first vassal of the ducal house to come to her. Knowing they wouldn’t exactly welcome her, she was so surprised that she couldn’t close her mouth.
“You look surprised that I came.”
“Honestly, yes.”
“May I ask why?”
“Because it’s the first time someone from the ducal family has come to see me.”
“Hahaha.”
Calix laughed heartily, as if amused.
“Your Grace. I don’t know how much you’re aware of, but…”
He paused right at the most interesting part, causing Aileen to unconsciously lean forward toward him. Finding her reaction amusing, Calix chuckled softly and continued.
“Even if they wanted to come, someone made a pretty strong threat not to.”
“Don’t tell me… His Grace the Grand Duke?”
“That’s right.”
Aileen pressed her lips together, looking like she wanted to ask why.
“Something like, ‘Don’t go bothering her unnecessarily’?”
She flinched, then lowered her gaze, as if guessing the reason. Just because they’d shared a few ordinary conversations didn’t mean the Grand Duke had become a different person. It was probably to block any situation that could end up tying her down in a way that would become a problem later.
“I suppose he was worried that bad rumors might spread.”
Aileen said lightly, but her expression wasn’t light at all. Seeing that, Calix felt conflicted about what he could or should say. The Grand Duke’s actions were purely out of concern for Aileen. He worried that some unseen danger lurking outside his net might target her. But how could he explain that to her directly — especially when it was the Senate that had wielded the knife?
“It’s not that His Grace doesn’t trust you. It’s just… a matter involving various entangled interests.”
And among those interests was Calix himself, who had entered the Senate for the Grand Duke’s sake.
“I ended up bringing up a heavy topic. I’m sorry.”
Calix was wondering how to respond, but thankfully, Aileen tactfully shifted the atmosphere.
“I hope we’ll see each other often from now on.”
“Well, we’re living under the same roof now. Please drop by like this again.”
Her warm words brought a complicated smile to Calix’s face. Whether that expression came from his position as a senator or as the Grand Duke’s uncle, only he knew.
While answering Calix’s questions sincerely, Aileen realized quite some time had passed since Jane had left.
Is the family still not here?
“Who rushes a wedding like this?”
Chloe Rihast grumbled as she was dragged away from her studies without explanation. Her long black hair reached her waist, and although she resembled Lloyd, she exuded a slightly different air. Her pouty lips made her characteristic cuteness stand out even more.
“I heard about my brother’s wedding from Rabia! Does that make any sense?”
Chloe usually holed up in her laboratory and rarely came out. Even so, hearing about a family event from someone else was ridiculous.
Sir Lutz, who came to get her that morning, had taken her straight to the dressmaker, and she hadn’t even seen her future sister-in-law’s face.
Dressed in glamorous attire from head to toe, Chloe held her aching forehead — likely from sitting around for so long — then lowered her hand and vented her frustration to Sir Lutz.
“Can the Grand Duke really just bulldoze through like this?”
Lutz answered her question calmly.
“He is Lloyd Rihast before he is the Grand Duke.”
“Right. That’s true.”
He’d been arrogant and self-centered since they were kids. If he hadn’t been her brother, she would have happily spent her life never seeing him again. But that was a useless thought.
Chloe would be Lloyd’s sister until the day she died.
She shook her head.
“I feel sorry for my future sister-in-law, marrying that man. If I’d known earlier, I would’ve come to stop it.”
Without even having seen Aileen’s face, Chloe declared that she pitied her. But since the wedding had already taken place, there was no turning back.
“Wait a second.”
Chloe stopped dead in her tracks as she tried to recall whether she’d ever met an Aileen Claudia before. Lutz gave her a puzzled look for halting so suddenly.
“We should head in.”
But Chloe didn’t move. Instead, she looked up at Lutz.
“My brother was supposed to marry someone else, right? I think his name was Ethan?”
“I heard he’s her younger brother.”
“Omega?”
“Beta, actually.”
“Beta?”
Chloe repeated in disbelief.
“A Beta as the partner of a dominant Alpha? Is that even possible?”
She sounded genuinely incredulous, so Lutz countered:
“Do you look down on Betas, My Lady?”
“When did I say that? I’m just saying the Senate must’ve gone crazy. Even if it were an Omega, they’d probably object — but a Beta?”
It wasn’t quite a “how could a mere Beta become my sister-in-law” reaction, but close.
“She’s going to get ripped apart…”
Chloe pitied her unseen sister-in-law. She, too, had grown up in the ducal family and had experienced subtle discrimination because of her secondary gender. So she instinctively sympathized with the woman who’d soon face the same.
“I’ll have to be nice to her when I meet her.”
“That would be good.”
Lutz looked at Chloe with fondness. Her attitude wasn’t like that of a typical noble lady born into a high-ranking family. Just as he was about to remind her that they should get going, he noticed someone approaching from behind and bowed his head slightly.
“Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”
Chloe froze like a statue, then slowly turned around.
Lloyd stood there with his arms crossed, looking at her with indifferent eyes. Even though it had been a while since he’d last seen his sister, he didn’t look the least bit pleased. She already knew, but still — what a cold-hearted brother.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married?”
Instead of greeting him, Chloe pouted and voiced her complaint first. Lloyd replied bluntly:
“I’m getting married.”
“…Wow, thanks for the early notice.”
Though dumbfounded, she didn’t press him further. She grumbled, but no one knew his situation better than she did. Instead, she brought up what she’d just heard from Lutz.
“I heard my sister-in-law’s a Beta.”
“Yeah.”
Lloyd gave a small nod. There was no reason to hide it since the ducal household had already gone into an uproar over it.
“I don’t know what possessed you to marry a Beta. Anyway, my semester’s ending soon, so I’ll come home. I’ll visit her sometimes when I have time.”
Chloe said casually, embarrassed to admit she actually intended to help her future sister-in-law adjust to the ducal house. But Lloyd cut her off coldly.
“Don’t think about wandering around when you’re home. Just focus on your research. I’m going.”
Without a hint of hesitation, he walked away. He didn’t even look back — just like any other typical, aloof older brother.
“Seriously, what’s with him.”
Chloe stared down the hallway he disappeared into, exasperated. He usually acted prickly, but today, it was like she’d been half-ignored.
“Ugh, I hate brothers like that. Are all brothers this bad?”
She was about to complain to Lutz when—
“Um…”
A soft, almost boyish voice came from behind her. She turned around — and froze.
A man with gleaming blond hair and deep, lake-blue eyes was looking at her. She found herself mesmerized by the way his red lips moved as he opened his mouth.
“An angel…?”
She muttered to herself. The man chuckled softly at her words, then let his eyebrows droop slightly in a sheepish expression and asked:
“I think I got lost along the way. May I ask for your help?”
“Of course. Anything you need!”
Chloe nodded enthusiastically. Honestly, if he asked her to leave the venue with him right now, she might actually do it.
“That’s a relief.”
He sighed in genuine relief, and Chloe, unable to take her eyes off him, nudged Lutz.
“Help him already.”
She assumed Lutz would eagerly assist such a handsome man — someone who could rival her brother in looks. But strangely, Lutz was staring intently at the man’s face, unable to look away.
“Sir Lutz?”
She nudged his arm, wondering if he’d fallen for him. Ethan also noticed his odd behavior and quietly watched him. When there was no reaction, Ethan took a step back.
“I must’ve made you uncomfortable. My apologies.”
As he awkwardly apologized, Chloe hurried to wave her hands and deny it.
“Lord Ethan.”
Suddenly, the ducal knights appeared and surrounded him. One of the knights who took orders only from Lloyd stepped forward and said:
“This way, please. Count Claudia is looking for Lord Ethan.”
“Thank you.”
Ethan bowed slightly and gave Chloe and Lutz a polite nod before turning to leave. Just as he was about to disappear, Chloe mouthed his name to herself.
“Ethan Claudia…?”
And then she silently screamed.
“That’s the Ethan?!”
It was the very name of the man who had almost married her brother.
