Chapter 12
No matter how much I searched my memory, I had never met a man so handsome before. And it didn’t seem like I had seen him in newspapers or anywhere else either.
Who exactly is that man?
I was fretting over the unsolved mystery when the Duke quietly spoke up.
“Is something troubling you?”
“Huh? Ah, no?”
“For someone troubled, you’ve been whimpering to yourself like a little puppy for a while now. Did something happen while I was away?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. My behavior had changed before and after getting on the carriage, so it was natural he noticed.
But until I figured out the identity of that man, I couldn’t tell the Duke, so I wanted to divert the topic.
“Um… ah! I have a question I’m curious about.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m curious about when and why you started liking my sister.”
Even in my past life, I only knew that the Duke had a secret crush on my sister and remained single past thirty, but I had no clue how he came to like her.
I had said it simply to change the subject, but now that I thought about it, I was genuinely curious, and my eyes sparkled as I leaned forward.
“Could you tell me?”
“……There’s nothing I can’t tell you.”
The Duke cleared his throat a few times and then began speaking slowly.
“The first time I met the eldest Miss Rils was at my father’s funeral.”
The death of the former Duke of Rapier was sudden.
He had gone out hunting and died of a heart condition before anyone could intervene, leaving everyone unprepared.
His heir, his only son, was only fifteen when his father’s death arrived so abruptly.
Such circumstances placed an enormous responsibility on Alfonso.
As soon as he came of age, he would have to inherit and lead the family. Until then, his mother, Helena, the former Duchess, bore the weight as the acting head.
Alfonso wanted to ease his mother’s burden as quickly as possible. There was no time to act childish.
“The young master is truly remarkable. Not crying, and instead comforting the Duchess.”
“It was unfortunate that the Duke passed so suddenly, but at least he raised his son well.”
“The Rapier family’s future is still bright. The late Duke’s heart must be at ease.”
Adults viewed the boy, who wanted to cry but couldn’t because of expectations, with a sense of admiration, thinking it fortunate he matured early.
Knowing this, Alfonso didn’t cry during the funeral.
But after the coffin was sealed, he went behind the hall and shed silent tears. Even alone, he couldn’t make a sound.
“Here, young master.”
Someone handed a handkerchief to Alfonso as he roughly wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
“……?”
Startled, he turned his head and saw a delicate-looking girl with silver hair and blue eyes standing there, like a fairy.
“Use this to wipe your tears.”
“……”
“Here, quickly.”
Embarrassed that someone had seen him crying, Alfonso froze. The girl forced the handkerchief into his hands and crouched beside him.
“……Who are you?”
He asked with a hoarse voice from holding back his tears. She smiled faintly.
“I’m Lacy Rils. You may not know our family well, young master, but we also came to the funeral to pay respects to the Duke.”
As she said, Alfonso had never heard of Lacy or the Rils family before that day. The Rils family wasn’t particularly prominent in social circles, and he hadn’t paid much attention at the time.
Alfonso fiddled with the soft handkerchief, but instead of wiping his tears, he clenched it tightly.
“Don’t tell anyone I cried. If rumors spread…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Lacy looked at him with eyes as clear as glass, letting him know he could trust her. After his father’s death, these were the first eyes he met that looked at him directly.
She smiled slightly at the dazed Alfonso, then lowered her gaze.
“My mother passed away recently too, so I understand your feelings, young master.”
“……”
“Children who lose a parent tend to grow up quickly and fill that space left behind.”
Lacy spoke as if she were familiar with the heavy emotions Alfonso carried after his father’s death. Seeing the loneliness in her profile, he could understand her better than anyone, yet he could not speak a word.
Lacy turned to meet his gaze again.
“So let’s make a pact between us.”
“……A pact?”
“To not pretend, to not act okay, to not act like adults.”
Hearing words from a peer that he wanted from adults made Alfonso’s heart flutter strangely—partly tearful, partly happy. Fearing his emotions might explode, he kept his mouth tightly shut.
Seeing him silent, Lacy straightened up and said,
“I know it may seem forward, but you can be honest with me. I won’t tell anyone.”
She brushed the dust from the hem of her mourning dress, winked, and extended her hand.
“Take my hand and get up.”
“I….”
“The Duchess will be looking for you, young master. Just like my father needed you, the Duchess will need you, so be there for her.”
Hesitant, Alfonso took her hand and stood. The warmth of her small hand pulling him up was comforting.
From that day on, Alfonso never held such a gentle, warm hand again. That day marked the beginning of his secret love. The girl who understood the tears and sadness of a fifteen-year-old boy had captured his heart completely.
Later, when the Rils Duke passed away, Alfonso attended the funeral intending to comfort Lacy. But the sixteen-year-old Lacy, unlike fifteen-year-old Alfonso, held back her tears and remained composed.
He realized the reason she endured was that she was a small child standing beside him. Seeing the sadness beyond the black veil and her determination to endure, he thought,
“For someone precious, she can be stronger than me—Lacy Rils.”
The fragile image of her he had in his mind shattered, and he fell deeper in love. The love that had been quietly growing now strengthened.
“The eldest Miss Rils is strong. That’s admirable and made my feelings deepen.”
The Duke spoke, rubbing the back of his neck slightly embarrassed. Their story ran deeper than I expected, and I could see from his expression and words that his feelings for my sister weren’t shallow.
It made me feel more attracted to him too. Many men might fall for my sister’s beauty, but this was the first man to love her for such a reason.
Maybe he really is my sister’s prince.
Still slightly embarrassed, the Duke lowered his hand from the back of his neck and looked at me.
“Keep it a secret from the eldest Miss Rils. She didn’t recognize me and seems to have forgotten that memory.”
“Why? Wouldn’t it be better if my sister remembered?”
I tilted my head, thinking she might like him more if she knew. The Duke chuckled lightly.
“It’s a precious memory for me, but I believe I can do well with her even without it.”
The confidence on his face, not arrogance, shone sincerely. It was not a glow from being handsome, but from within.
“Alright. I’ll keep it secret from my sister.”
“Thank you.”
The Duke smiled broadly. The carriage had already stopped near the Rils residence. When he helped me down, I bowed deeply.
“Thank you for today.”
“Thank you too. Go safely.”
The Duke watched me walk toward the house. I turned back and waved at him.
“…?”
“I hope you really become my brother-in-law!”
Hearing my encouragement, the Duke laughed, covering his mouth.
“Ah, yes. I hope the same, Miss. I hope you become my sister-in-law.”
“Me too! Please go safely!”
I waved and headed back inside. Claire must have left the back door open, I thought.
The Duke followed my advice earnestly. He lowered his bangs, asked my sister out on a date, had a meal at a restaurant, and gave her a bouquet of white hydrangeas.
Especially when giving flowers in the middle of the restaurant, many witnesses noticed. As he handed the bouquet, he added,
“I can’t tell what’s the flower here.”
Anyway, the pink atmosphere around them spread quickly. I helped by delivering my sister’s schedule to him diligently. He appeared wherever she went, creating “accidental” encounters.
If she didn’t go out, I would take his schedule and insist we go near him so they could meet.
“Ah! Du-…ke…sir! I see you here!”
Showing my theatrical acting skills, day by day, the rumor spread that the great Duke of Rapier had fallen for the eldest Miss Rils.
The dresses and accessories my sister wore while meeting him became well-known, and the small gifts he gave became part of the noblemen’s “courtship gift” list.
At every aristocratic gathering, people debated, “When will they marry?” My sister and the Duke received all the attention.
“How is the Duke, sister?”
“The Duke? A good man.”
However, the problem was that my sister’s reactions were still lukewarm. Her cheeks flushed when meeting him, showing she didn’t dislike him. She even displayed the flowers and jewelry he gave her.
Outwardly, her favor was clear, but her answers were vague.
“What does ‘good man’ mean? Is it good enough to want to marry him or not?”
I asked Claire, but she also shook her head cluelessly.
Time passed quickly, and with the return of the Viscount’s family approaching, there was still no progress between my sister and the Duke. I worried and sighed, determined to promote him, visiting my sister daily. These days, I praised the Duke three times a day.
“Sis, I’m here!”
“Catarina, you’re here.”
My sister, sitting by the window embroidering like a picture, welcomed me. I ran over, and she moved the embroidery aside, letting me sit on her lap.
“What were you doing?”
“Embroidering on a handkerchief.”
“For who? The Duke?”
Pretending to be innocent, I asked. She just smiled. Maybe she really would give it to the Duke. I sneaked a peek at the handkerchief; half of it had red roses, like the Rapier family’s emblem color.
Could she be developing more feelings for him?
Excited, my heart raced. My sister suddenly exclaimed, calling me.
“Cati, you’ve got an invitation!”
“An invitation?”
I was confused. An invitation? I’d never been invited to social events in my past life.
Could it be from the Duke?
Maybe he invited her to meet me. Thinking this, my sister signaled Claire.
“Bring the invitation, Claire.”
Claire handed a luxurious gold letter to my sister, who then passed it to me. I held the letter, eyes wide.
No, this is…
