Chapter : 23
“What’s Riel’s favorite food?”
“Beef steak.”
“When I first met Riel, how old was she?”
“Seven years old.”
What on earth is going on all of a sudden?
The two men seemed to ignite a competition starting from guessing my dessert preferences.
Is this what people mean when they say two men fight over a woman?
One was acting on long-standing devotion, the other on necessity and pretense.
I could kind of understand what it feels like for a female protagonist to be caught between two male leads.
It’s really… mortifying.
How did past female protagonists manage to endure this kind of embarrassment?
At this rate, female protagonist buffs definitely required resistance to humiliation.
So, when is this question battle going to end?
“When I came to find Riel, were you jealous?”
“Jealous…? No… why should I tell you something like that?”
Edelonian, acting like the capable knight he was, took advantage of the duke Cassiar’s momentary lapse.
For a brief moment, it seemed like the duke was about to admit he was jealous—but maybe it was just my imagination.
“I was jealous, Duke.”
Edelonian, having devoured his sandwich in one go, looked at Duke Cassiar with a hint of annoyance.
“You were jealous of me?”
“Yes. I’ve known Riel since she was little, but now it seems like you know her better than I do. It feels like someone has taken away the younger sibling I’ve cared for and raised.”
Edelonian wiped tears from his eyes, clearly feeling deeply hurt.
Are you really crying just because of a change in dessert preference?
“Is this how a father feels when sending his daughter off in marriage…?”
Edelonian was genuinely crying. The dew on the corners of his eyes sparkled in the sunlight coming through the window.
Someone might think he actually raised me.
“I wonder what expression the marquis would make if he saw this.”
Even Duke Cassiar, who had just witnessed Edelonian’s tears on our first meeting, seemed equally dumbfounded.
“That’s just to say… I considered Riel like my own sister.”
Edelonian really had cared for me like a sibling.
There were many knights I had known in my childhood, but as time passed, most of them lost contact or grew distant. Edelonian was different.
Every time training ended, he would remember to bring gifts, and he told stories of the wider world to a young me, who couldn’t venture far from the capital.
Because of him, I developed an interest in the merchant guild.
Edelonian had inspired me to dream of exploring the wider world he had described.
To me, who had no siblings, Edelonian was like an older brother.
“Rohan, I felt the same.”
“Huh?”
“To me, Rohan was really family. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about marriage beforehand. It was sudden, and I wanted to tell you once it was definite.”
“Riel… you’ve grown up so well.”
Edellonian, moved, brought out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and swallow his tears.
His reaction was way over the top. This makes it hard to say anything.
“What about telling him you went out in disguise? That’s something even the duke doesn’t know.”
Because of Edelonian, I’d inadvertently given Duke Cassiar another point of leverage.
No matter how much of a doting father he was, a noble would surely scold me for behavior unbecoming of my status if he knew.
“I thought there were no secrets because you know more than I expected. Still, that’s a relief.”
“Relief? Why?”
“Because I still seem to know you better than the duke does.”
Edelonian, as if he’d already forgotten his earlier resentment, was smiling.
He really is simple-minded. But that simplicity is also one of his strengths.
His unbound simplicity often cleared my cluttered thoughts.
“Of course. The duke has only known you recently, while I’ve known you for years.”
“I know too. Back when Riel was little…”
Unexpectedly, the response came from an unexpected person.
“I’ve seen Riel from infancy to now through albums. Though only in pictures, I know what you were like.”
Is he saying he knows a lot about me too?
I looked at Duke Cassiar, questioning silently.
“If I get the chance, I’d like to see you in disguise someday.”
He seemed genuinely curious about my male disguise, as if wanting to know me better.
“The duke would have no match for jealousy, then.”
Edelonian looked at Duke Cassiar with a mischievous glint, as if he found the situation increasingly entertaining.
Jealousy from the duke? Really?
“Who’s jealous? Over something this trivial? I’m only interested in seeing Riel in disguise.”
Duke Cassiar laughed dismissively, as if the notion of jealousy was absurd.
Exactly. He’s just curious, not jealous because of me.
“Yes, yes. If it pleases the duke, we’ll say it’s not jealousy.”
Unlike the serious Duke Cassiar, Edelonian easily brushed it off.
“You’ve caused trouble too, Riel.”
“What did I do?”
“Calling me by the nickname ‘Rohan.’”
Unexpectedly, the discussion turned to Edelonian’s name.
“Rohan wasn’t your real name but a nickname?”
A small crack appeared on Duke Cassiar’s face.
He must be angry at having been deceived.
“What do you mean? I’ve always called Rohan… Rohan.”
“You don’t have to hide it, Riel. Calling me by a nickname was just to make the duke jealous, wasn’t it?”
Why did the conversation shift this way? But I wasn’t displeased.
It was better than him thinking I deliberately hid his name.
“Rohan, don’t say that in front of the duke.”
I acted embarrassed, as if my intentions were discovered.
“So what? Now I see the duke doesn’t need such tricks to be a personification of jealousy.”
True to form, Edelonian cleverly played along with my words.
“So, you purposely called me Rohan to make me jealous?”
“Did that upset you?”
Finally, immersed in my role as Duke Cassiar’s wife, I looked up at him with pitiful eyes.
“Not upset, just unexpected.”
Of course, he wouldn’t expect it. Neither did I.
“No need to force it, Riel.”
What did he mean? Did he guess I was hiding Edelonian’s identity?
I watched Duke Cassiar closely, trying to gauge his intentions.
He covered his face with his hands. His small face was hidden by large hands, making it impossible to see the expression behind.
“This is enough for now.”
This means don’t cross the line, right?
Suddenly, I found myself making an effort to attract the duke’s attention.
Still, as long as Edelonian was safe, it was fine.
“So, what’s your real name?”
I thought I had sufficiently distracted Duke Cassiar, but no.
Like a predator that won’t release its prey, he asked Edelonian’s name relentlessly.
“My name is…”
Edelonian opened his mouth.
What could I do now? Just stay quiet and avoid upsetting Duke Cassiar forever?
“I’ll formally introduce him next time.”
Edelonian successfully navigated the situation.
I silently breathed a sigh of relief.
“You intend to see me again?”
Duke Cassiar openly showed his discomfort.
“You seem displeased.”
“You notice quickly.”
“Even if you dislike it, there’s nothing you can do. You’ll be seeing the duke soon—and quite often.”
Edelonian smiled cheerfully despite the duke’s reproach.
Perhaps it was only my imagination, but it seemed like the two men had grown closer in a short time.
Their expressions might be rough, making them appear like rivals, but…
“I’m a bit hungry, and it’s getting dark, so let’s go have dinner. Since the duke will pay, we should eat something good. What should we have?”
Edellonian got up right after finishing the desserts he had ordered.
“Rohan, didn’t you just finish all the sandwiches?”
“That was just an appetizer. You know me, right?”
Of course, I also believed in separate “dessert stomachs” and “meal stomachs.”
But eating fifteen sandwiches? That’s not appetizer level!
“It’s amazing you can maintain your muscles after eating so much.”
“Muscles are inherited.”
Edellonian had always been a bit annoying, but now he was extremely so.
“Right. Let’s go.”
We needed to eat anyway.
As I got up, my ankle protested again.
Just a short walk to the carriage, so I endured.
I didn’t want to worry Edelonian on his rare day off, so I pretended to be fine.
“Wait.”
Just as we left the dessert shop, Duke Cassiar called me.
As I turned, he suddenly lifted me into his arms.
“What are you doing?”
Instinctively, I wrapped my hands around his neck and shouted.
Without a word, the duke placed me on a nearby bench.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Before I could respond, Duke Cassiar reached under my dress.
A short scream escaped me.
He had touched my right ankle.
“It’s swollen. It must have hurt a lot. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“It’s a rare day off for me, and I didn’t want to worry anyone.”
“Reckless. Damaging your own body for that reason.”
His voice was low and grave.
“Hold still.”
Duke Cassiar removed my shoe and examined my right ankle.
It hurt sharply for just a moment.
“You planned to keep walking in high heels despite the pain?”
His voice was steady, but it sounded like anger directed at me.
Why is he angry when my ankle is swollen?
“Listen carefully.”
He lowered himself in front of me, looking at me intently.
“You are now my wife, the Duchess of Cassiar. You are important—don’t get hurt.”
Though meant for the sake of the Cassiar family, it sounded like he genuinely cared about me.
“Better to carry these than wear them.”
He handed me a shoe.
Before I realized why, I was lifted into the air by his strength.
As I realized I was in Duke Cassiar’s arms, countless eyes turned toward me.
I clenched my teeth and tried to hide my face with the shoe.
“Duke, let’s get out of here. As quickly as possible.”
Was hiding my face with a shoe enough?
I saw people whispering.
Who said this scene was romantic?
Utter embarrassment.
Unable to resist my shame, I buried my face in Duke Cassiar’s chest.
I didn’t notice…
…that his steps had slowed.
