IWBCAS 27

Chapter 27

Reina quietly poked Carlhail’s side.

“…Why is the mood so weird?”

“……”

Carlhail didn’t answer and kept staring at Isabel like they were having a silent fight.

‘What is wrong with him?’

Reina started to get nervous as Isabel’s eyebrows rose higher and higher in anger. Just when things were getting tense, someone broke the silence.

“…That would make a great gift.”

It was Blair.

‘Blair is helping?’

Reina turned to look at him, but his expression wiped away any sense of relief. Blair’s eyes were sharp and cold like he was hiding a weapon. He had a creepy smirk on one side of his lips.

With Isabel, Carlhail, and Blair all acting strange… it was a disaster. Even if Reina suddenly started tap dancing, it wouldn’t help.

‘…Better just stay quiet.’

She wasn’t powerful. Just a low-ranking noble girl with no strength or influence. Whatever happened now was out of her control.

Thankfully, one person had the power to change the atmosphere.

“So, Carlhail. When will the wedding be?”

Reina let out a quiet sigh of relief at Emperor Eckarter’s question.

“I want to have it as soon as possible, but the Fillon family hasn’t agreed yet. I think it’ll be around autumn.”

Carlhail looked at Reina fondly as he spoke. He looked at her like a treasure, which others found romantic.

The emperor blinked in surprise and then burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! I never thought I’d hear that from you.”

“It seems the Duke is really in love with Lady Reina,” Isabel added with a laugh.

As the emperor and empress laughed, the mood finally relaxed. Reina was relieved. The conversation continued more peacefully with some lighthearted stories—like Blair’s trip to the Anclate Duchy and the made-up romance between Carlhail and Reina.

While chatting, Blair touched his temple tiredly. The emperor noticed and clicked his tongue.

“I’ve kept you too long. Go get some rest.”

“Then we’ll head back too,” Carlhail added, ending Reina’s audience with the royal family. For such a stressful visit, it had gone surprisingly well.

As Reina was about to leave the palace, Carlhail came with her to escort her out. The hallway was quiet, just the two of them.

Reina stared hard at the back of Carlhail’s head. She had been upset since earlier.

Carlhail noticed she was walking slower and turned around. Their eyes met. Reina quickly looked away, but the damage was done.

“I didn’t realize my fiancée was glaring at me from behind.”

Carlhail stopped walking completely.

“Did something happen between us?”

Reina didn’t answer. It wasn’t a big issue—just something that bothered her a little.

“…It’s nothing.”

She tried to act normal and walked past him, but Carlhail didn’t let her go. He grabbed her arm gently.

“…If it’s ‘nothing,’ then there is something.”

His eyes were serious. He clearly wanted her to talk. Reina hesitated, then answered like it wasn’t a big deal.

“I just wondered why you didn’t answer Empress Isabel earlier. You know, when she asked you that question. It made things awkward.”

And honestly, she felt a little hurt.

“…If you weren’t going to give me a wedding gift, you could have just said so.”

It wasn’t even her idea—Isabel had brought it up. Reina hadn’t expected any wedding gift. She was thinking more about divorce settlement money later.

Thanks to Isabel’s suggestion and Carlhail’s silence, everything had become awkward. And from what Reina saw, winning the hunting contest didn’t even look that hard for Carlhail.

Carlhail seemed to think for a moment and then replied.

“I’ll give you a wedding gift.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“A wedding gift. I’ll give you one.”

Reina blinked, surprised.

“Really? You’ll win the hunting contest and give me that southern island, Flontine?”

Carlhail just looked at her.

“I said I’ll give you a gift. I never said it would be the island.”

“What?! Then what is it?”

“I’ll think about what the gift will be later.”

As Carlhail started walking again, Reina quickly grabbed him.

“W-Wait! Why don’t you just win the contest and give me the island?”

“…?”

Carlhail looked confused.

“I mean, Your Grace, you’re good at hunting, right? That island is perfect as a gift for me. You’ll get honor, I’ll get a present—it’s a win-win!”

“How is that a win for me? And who said I’m good at hunting?”

“I heard rumors that during the northern beast hunts, you tore off a gargoyle’s wing with your bare hands.”

It was just gossip, but probably not far from the truth. People don’t spread those rumors for nothing. Carlhail was known as the “Ghost of War” and the best swordsman in the empire. He had fought in the most battles over the past three years.

“For you, catching a few boars or deer should be nothing, right?”

Reina’s hopeful eyes sparkled at him. But Carlhail replied in a dull voice.

“…I’m not interested in hunting contests.”

“What?”

“I have zero interest in joining a contest and killing something.”

“…?”

“Wake up, Lady.”

He said that and walked away.

Reina had hoped at least for a “maybe” or “I’ll think about it.” But no.

She hurried after him.

“Why not?”

“……”

“Is it because I’m just your two-year temporary duchess, and you don’t want to bother for someone like that?”

She shouted after him, but Carlhail didn’t answer. In fact, he walked even faster, so fast that Reina had to jog to keep up.

“Hey! Slow down!”

Even with her yelling, he didn’t slow down. Reina had to run to keep up.

She kept mumbling complaints, but Carlhail remained unusually silent.

Later, Reina slumped back on a couch and thought about everything that had happened at the palace.

“What’s so special about that island anyway?”

Isabel and Blair’s tension, Carlhail’s weird silence… Everything felt suspicious.

‘And why is Carlhail so serious about not entering the contest?’

It was strange. Carlhail was normally overconfident. And now it had been three days since they last saw each other—he hadn’t even sent a message.

She kept the window open hoping he’d send a letter by bird, but all she got were flies.

“There’s definitely something going on…”

Reina tried to guess what it could be, but nothing came to mind.

Just then, Amy came in holding a large bouquet of flowers. Reina lifted her head.

“…What’s that?”

“What else? Flowers for you, my lady.”

Amy handed her the bouquet. Reina sat up and searched through the flowers until she found a small card.

“…‘Congratulations on your engagement to Duke Carlhail. – From the Axel Count Family.’”

Reina snorted.

“They used to call me a seductress behind my back.”

She tossed the card onto the table. Amy calmly picked it up.

Whether Reina liked it or not, they had to start keeping track of which noble families were friendly and which were not.

“At least now people don’t call you a flirt who chases after men.”

“Which they started calling me in the first place.”

Amy smiled at Reina’s grumbling.

“Your parents seem very happy these days, too.”

“…You noticed that too?”

“It’s hard not to.”

Reina sighed.

Her father Nicolai walked around like a peacock lately, and her mother Grace had returned to her usual high-society salons.

“Well, I guess if they’re happy, then I should be happy…”

But Reina’s face said otherwise. She still hadn’t heard from Carlhail, and the thought of leaving the capital soon made her head hurt.

“Oh! Did you find anything out?”

Reina suddenly sat up, remembering something. Amy, who had just finished arranging the flowers, walked over and whispered softly—