Chapter 31
Please Endure
“Ugh, trying to say this indirectly is harder than I thought. Since we’re both men, I’ll just be honest with you.”
To the wide-eyed Kylian, whose face looked utterly baffled, Jimena started babbling more and more nonsense.
“What I mean is… until I come back, please restrain yourself from wanting to meet women. Just wait. Especially! Blonde women. Especially! With blue eyes. Especially! Very kind ones. Especially! Pretty ones.”
“What… what are you talking about? When did I ever lust after women like that…? And blondes, at that—huh!”
Jimena’s rambling, without rhyme or reason, made Kylian recall once again that sealed-off incident he had tried to bury.
“Haha, I know. Of course, I know you’re completely hopeless when it comes to women. That’s why I’m asking you this favor. When I come back, I’ll find someone good for you myself. So even if some woman shows up in the meantime—especially a blonde one, with blue eyes, especially pretty and gentle—please hold back, just until then!”
“I—I have no idea what you’re talking about! Forget it and just go on your way already!”
Kylian turned his face away, blushing all the way to his ears, and forced himself to sound angry.
Sigh… I know, it’s frustrating. I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. I just pray nothing happens while I’m gone.
“Yes, I’ll go now then.”
“Brother! Brother Hermes!”
Just as Jimena turned her horse to leave, Royce came charging up at full speed on a brown stallion, shouting.
“Huh? Rolex? How did you know…?”
“Huff, huff… Brother! How could you do this? Ah, so this is what betrayal feels like! Being stabbed in the back by someone you trusted!”
“That line sounds awfully familiar…”
“How could you leave without telling me a word? Huh? You always said I was your precious little brother, your sworn knight, and now you throw me away like this? If this isn’t betrayal, then what is it?”
Jimena was completely flustered, unable to answer properly as Royce, veins bulging on his neck, raged at him.
“No, I just… thought since you’d finally achieved your dream, it wasn’t right for me to drag you into—”
“What does knightly spirit mean to you? Huh? What have you been learning all this time? Loyalty! Trust! Honor! Sacrifice! Did you really think I’d throw all of that away?”
“No, it’s not that—”
“Did you think I’d just let you go off alone like that? Did you think I was some dishonorable, unfaithful man? Is that how you see me?”
“Now, now, Rolex, calm down a bit—”
“How am I supposed to calm down right now? Tell me!”
While the two bickered fiercely on the forest path, Kylian quietly turned his horse and trudged back toward the castle, sighing deeply.
Sigh… This is exhausting… utterly exhausting.
Bang!
“What on earth are you thinking! Who gave you the right to accept a marriage proposal?”
Bang!
“Who gave me the right? Obviously I did! I am the head of House Silvester!”
Bang!
“Father! Are you really serious about this?”
The duke’s mansion shook with every slam of the desk and every shout traded between Duke Silvester and Jimena. The servants hid in their rooms, clutching their door handles, trembling.
“Last time you were talking about marrying me off to Marquis Termos, and now suddenly it’s a match with the Imperial Family? Don’t you already have more than enough power and wealth? Is it still not enough for you?”
“Foolish girl! Who do you think I’m doing this for? You think this is just for myself? It was you who rejected Marquis Termos! And thanks to your bizarre behavior, all suitors have disappeared. You should be grateful, overjoyed even, that the Imperial Family is interested at all!”
“Yes! That’s exactly the problem! It’s so excessive that I cannot possibly accept it! Do you want me, with my outrageous ways, to disgrace our family in the Imperial Palace? Is that what you want?”
“T-that’s not it! You’re not in your right mind right now, but once you’re treated, you’ll return to how you used to be—”
Bang!
“Eek!”
“Return to how I used to be? If I went back to how I was, blinded and obsessed with Marquis Termos, do you think I’d just happily accept the prince? Is that it?”
“T-t-that’s…”
The duke tried to crush his daughter with paternal authority, but Jimena’s relentless, sharp rebuttals steadily drove him into retreat.
“Then what exactly do you want? To die an old maid, haunting the house forever? You’re already past marriageable age!”
“Past marriageable age? I’m only twenty-three! Would you like to touch my skin? It’s firm and supple! And look at these muscles! Built from endless training! My traps, delts, biceps, quads!”
She slammed her foot on the desk, flexing her whole body proudly, then started to lift her shirt to reveal her abs.
“And my abs! Want to see them?”
“Stop! Enough! I get it! I get it, I don’t need to see!”
Panting in frustration, Jimena dropped her clothes back down. The duke, drained of energy, looked on the verge of tears.
“Ah, my fate… My only daughter, how did she turn out like this… Sob… I raised you, and now you shout back at your father like this…”
“How did you raise me? Spoiled me rotten! Luxury, waste, selfishness, no manners, no consideration, no friends! My head filled only with men!”
“Sniff… What else could I have done? You were so pitiful without a mother… I gave you everything you asked for… my only fault was spoiling you…”
Remembering his wife who had passed when Jimena was only three, the duke suddenly broke down, burying his face in the desk and sobbing.
Oh come on… Now he’s crying? That softens people’s hearts… Maybe I pushed too far? He is still my father, after all…
Jimena’s heart softened. She handed him a handkerchief and spoke in a gentler tone.
“Please stop crying, Father. I understand too. Children never turn out the way parents want. That’s why people say they’re only children when they’re in your arms. Once they grow up, they think they’re independent, forget gratitude, and only talk back…”
Sniffle… sob…
“You’re right… I raised you, and you turned out like this… They say raising children is all for nothing…”
“Yes, yes. I know. Still, what can you do? Parents can’t win against their children. All they can do is keep yielding, keep understanding.”
Jimena coaxed him gently, like a kind young neighbor soothing an elderly man.
“Of course, I never wanted her to come to harm. Every parent only wants the best for their child. She doesn’t see that… sob…”
The duke, lulled by her words, forgot she was his daughter and just kept venting like to a sympathetic listener.
“I understand your heart. But if you force her to marry when she hates it, would that really make you feel at ease? What if she cries and resents you every day, saying she can’t go on?”
“Well… that’s not certain. Maybe she’ll actually thank me for marrying her so well!”
The duke shot up, bristling with pride.
“You don’t understand. Prince Diego is renowned for his looks, character, and intellect. Compared to him, our daughter is far lacking. Countless noble ladies are desperate for his attention!”
“Ah… Then why would such a fine prince… propose to your daughter? Rumor has it she’s erratic, unstable, and utterly bizarre.”
“Hmm… I wonder about that too. Perhaps… though he pretends to support Crown Prince Felix, Diego secretly has other ambitions.”
“Really?”
Drawn in, the duke lowered his voice.
“The truth is, everyone knows Felix isn’t fit to rule, aside from being the legitimate heir. The emperor himself isn’t fond of him. Diego may be plotting something, and aligning with our family could be the first step.”
“I see… Then if you were to refuse the proposal, how do you think the prince would react?”
“That would put me in a very difficult position! I already agreed. If I back out now, the prince’s pride will be wounded. Then the emperor surely won’t sit still!”
“Oh dear… Then is there no good solution?”
“Well, the best would be for Jimena to change her mind and accept. But if she refuses to the end… the next best would be for the prince himself to withdraw the proposal.”
Ah, so that’s the way.
Jimena’s lips curved into a sly smile.
“I understand. Thank you for your cooperation, sir. I truly hope you and your daughter reconcile.”
She shook his hand politely. The duke, oddly relieved, shook back.
“Yes, thank you. I feel much better after saying all that.”
“Duke, milady…”
At that moment, the butler peeked in cautiously. Seeing the two clasp hands, tears welled in his eyes.
“Thank goodness… Thank goodness…”
“Ah, butler! Come, greet this fine young man—eh?”
Jimena smirked.
“Then, as you kindly advised, I’ll consider a way to make the prince withdraw the proposal. Please enjoy some warm tea with the butler now. I’ll take my leave.”
“Wha—wha—what the—!”
The duke clutched his neck in disbelief as Jimena strolled out triumphantly.
“Royce!”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Marie!”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Prepare to depart for the Imperial Palace! We’re going to meet Prince Diego!”
“Ehh?!”
