Chapter 50
“You…?”
Kalheil’s sharp, raised eyes clearly showed he was not happy to see Aisen. But Aisen stayed calm. His attention was completely on Reina.
‘She’s suffering.’
Reina was trembling beside Kalheil. She looked like a frightened deer. Seeing her scared and fragile expression made Aisen’s heart ache.
‘As I thought… I have to go with her.’
He believed Reina would be lonely in that far northern land with no one to protect her. He decided even more strongly that he would go and protect her. Once he made that decision, he wasn’t afraid anymore—not even of Kalheil’s cold glare.
Aisen lifted his chin proudly and faced Kalheil. Kalheil looked at him and then at Reina with disbelief.
“…Look at this guy?”
His mocking tone made the atmosphere even colder. Aisen’s face hardened.
“What do you mean by ‘this guy’? I am a member of the envoy sent by the Crown Prince. Even if you are a Grand Duke, you cannot treat me lightly!”
“Ah… the Crown Prince, huh? So that’s what you’re relying on.”
Kalheil laughed lightly.
“In the envoy going to Lautzen, there happens to be a man who once had a marriage meeting with my wife. And he’s looking at her with very suspicious eyes. Isn’t your intention obvious?”
“Suspicious? Your Grace, how can you say that—”
“Blair must have sent you. Did he order you to spy on us?”
“…!”
Aisen looked shocked before he could hide it.
“Spy? That’s ridiculous!”
But Kalheil could already see through everything. It was obvious why Blair sent Aisen north.
‘He wants to cause trouble.’
Aisen was the perfect person to create conflict in Lautzen. If it caused chaos, good. If not, no loss.
‘The way he looks at Reina is burning.’
It was clearly one-sided love. Sending a man who secretly loves the Grand Duchess as part of the envoy was a cheap move. Still, Kalheil had to admit Blair’s plan was already irritating him.
‘Just thinking about seeing that face every day is annoying.’
Kalheil smiled coldly and looked at Aisen sharply.
Aisen felt a chill down his spine just from Kalheil’s gaze. It felt like standing in front of a fierce tiger.
“Aisen.”
Gulp. Aisen swallowed nervously.
“You should clearly understand where you’re going.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You’re going to a land where winter never ends. Lautzen—my territory—where even colder northern winds blow.”
“I know that very well.”
Kalheil smirked.
“No. You don’t understand what that truly means.”
He slowly walked toward Aisen like a predator approaching prey.
“You won’t understand what kind of place it is until you step into it.”
Then he whispered near Aisen’s ear.
“And there, you will be able to do nothing.”
“…!”
After saying that, Kalheil smiled brightly and patted Aisen’s shoulder a few times. Then he suddenly changed his tone completely and greeted someone cheerfully.
“Welcome, Father. Mother.”
Aisen turned around in shock at the sudden change. Count Filon and his wife were approaching with warm smiles.
“Your Grace, we feel reassured while you are here. We are sad you must leave so suddenly.”
“Yes, though Lautzen is far away, please visit us anytime. Or perhaps we should visit you instead.”
They warmly greeted Kalheil and completely ignored Aisen.
Just then, Reina hurried over.
“Mother, Father! I’m leaving too, you know? How can you greet His Grace before me?”
Grace laughed and hugged her.
“We just became close to His Grace, so don’t feel hurt.”
“Yes, to us, you are always the most important.”
Kalheil stood naturally beside them. It looked like a perfect family scene.
Aisen felt confused. He had believed Reina and Kalheil’s marriage was only a contract. He thought they would be distant. But what he saw looked real.
Then Nikolai (Reina’s father) noticed Aisen and looked surprised—almost questioning why he was there.
Kalheil explained casually.
“They are members of the envoy going to Lautzen. They will stay and observe how the duchy is managed.”
Count Filon looked displeased.
“Why send the young man who once discussed marriage with Reina to Lautzen? And southern nobles will struggle in the northern cold.”
Kalheil smiled.
“If Aisen is a knight, he should endure that much cold. Besides… it was only a marriage discussion. There was no formal proposal.”
“Yes, yes. No proposal.”
Hearing that, Aisen felt humiliated. That was all his relationship with Reina meant.
Kalheil’s eyes silently told him: You mean nothing to her.
Aisen clenched his fists.
‘It may be nothing now. But after their contract ends… I will stand by her side.’
Kalheil looked at him as if he found the thought amusing.
Then Reina’s father looked at her with teary eyes.
“Reina… the day you leave has finally come.”
“My little girl is getting married…”
He was crying openly now. Grace nudged him.
“Dear, please keep your dignity. Our daughter is leaving as the only Grand Duchess of Astrazen.”
Grace hugged Reina tightly.
“Stay healthy. Remember we will always be here waiting for you.”
Reina’s chest tightened.
“Yes… don’t worry, Mother.”
Grace called Amy and told her to take good care of Reina in the north.
Nikolai was now crying heavily.
Reina looked up at the sky to stop her tears.
“I… I’ll go now!”
She quickly entered the carriage. Kalheil said his goodbyes and followed her.
The carriages began to move.
Inside, Reina looked out the window.
Not only her parents but all the servants of the Filon family were there, waving and bowing. Her parents were now holding each other and crying.
Thinking about leaving them made her emotions burst.
“Sniff…”
They were the first people who truly gave her family love.
“Waaah…!”
She cried loudly, unable to stop.
As she cried into her handkerchief, someone gently patted her shoulder.
It was Kalheil.
His touch was softer than she expected.
Inside the moving carriage, Reina cried for a long time.
