“I-I’m sorry, Young Duke. It’s just… I was so hungry…”
“You said you couldn’t attend dinner because you were feeling unwell… Was that just an excuse?”
That day was the monthly family dinner, held once a month. Even the busy Duke and Duchess made time for this evening meal. With both of the young lords gathered in the grand dining hall, Karia had skipped the dinner, using a stomachache as an excuse.
And now, here she was, rummaging through the kitchen in the middle of the night. Alcard, who had come to check thinking a thief might have broken in, was too stunned to speak.
“You know… I get that you’re scared of Father and Mother, but you can’t avoid them forever. I get scolded all the time too! Just today, they nagged me about neglecting my studies for swordsmanship…”
Alcard grumbled, annoyed that this little kid had managed to skip what he saw as a painful family duty. He had never cared about the gossip about illegitimacy and such. He was too simple-minded for that.
To him, she was just an unexpected little sister—small, timid, and always awkward.
“At least you could’ve asked a servant to bring you something. What are you, a rat?”
“S-sorry…”
“I’m not asking for an apology!”
He didn’t know how to deal with Karia, who was so completely different from him. They shared nothing in common except for their blond hair, the symbol of the imperial bloodline.
“Well, I’m going now. Eat slowly or you’ll get sick.”
But it wasn’t that he disliked Karia. It’s just that whenever he approached her, she would get startled and frightened, probably because of his large stature. So, he hesitated to get too close.
Even Alcard, dense as he was, began to notice something odd over time.
“Why are you hiding in the corner again? Come sit and have some tea.”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
Whenever they went to the palace to see their uncle the Emperor, or met their royal cousins, Karia was always far off in the distance.
Even when she sat awkwardly fiddling with her fingers, no one paid her any mind.
His older brother and cousins might’ve been annoying sometimes, but they weren’t bad people. Yet, they showed not even the slightest kindness to Karia—not even what they’d give to servants.
“I… I’m comfortable here.”
“But still…”
If it was just shyness between relatives, Alcard thought maybe he could take the initiative and break the ice. But things weren’t that simple.
Only after a long time did he understand the invisible wall that stood between them.
Their father’s tarnished reputation, their mother’s troubled heart… The appearance of Karia, the illegitimate child, had left deep wounds in the family.
Alcard didn’t hate Karia. Even though it wasn’t her fault, he couldn’t force their wounded family to love her either.
Time passed slowly. Alcard joined the Imperial Knights and became busier than ever, leaving no time for deep conversations.
Then, after some more time, Karia got married and left the Duke’s residence. Since then, their relationship hadn’t changed much from childhood.
—
“It’s been a while.”
But Karia remembered things a little differently. As a child, she had liked Alcard. How could she dislike the only person who’d shown her kindness in the cold Duke’s household?
But whenever she tried to get closer, something always got in the way.
For instance, on the day of the royal hunting tournament—the first time she participated—she had gathered the courage to accept Alcard’s offer to stay by her side.
“Brother Alcard!”
But before she could say more, a tiny girl in a red jewel-studded dress ran up and clung to Alcard’s arm.
That girl, always dressed in the flashiest clothes in the capital, was Princess Serivis, the Emperor’s youngest daughter. She shot Karia a cunning smile and pulled Alcard toward her.
“Let’s go! The hunt’s about to start!”
“I know, but…”
“The Imperial Knights are going to perform a sword demonstration!”
“Ah, right!”
Alcard hesitated for a moment, caught between his shy little sister and the flashy sword show—but the outcome was obvious from the start.
The giant Alcard allowed himself to be dragged away by the tiny princess without any resistance.
“Karia! Come if you want to! Okay?”
He was always like that. Even though he sometimes acted like he cared, when it came to family issues, he never once took Karia’s side. As the weakest among the royal bloodline, she was always left out—shrinking smaller and smaller, like a grain of sand.
“Hypocrite.”
A conscience that doesn’t act is no better than evil. Of course, Alcard had no obligation to protect her, so she didn’t resent him.
But the trust and affection she gave him—she would be reclaiming those. In the end, he had given her only false hope, and nothing more.
To Karia, the man standing before her now was just someone she happened to share some blood with.
—
“What brings you to the House of Pandeon, Young Duke?”
“My father asked me to deliver documents to Duke Pandeon. He missed the council meeting for some reason. So… what do you mean you ‘raised your hand’? And also—”
Alcard turned toward Karia with an awkwardly friendly smile, but as soon as his gaze landed on someone beside her, his expression hardened.
Taller and more imposing than most grown men, his stern face alone radiated menace.
Lamia, who was the focus of that stare, went pale.
“Is the Lady always this disrespectful to her mother?”
“Eek!”
Lamia jumped up and hid behind Karia’s skirt. Just a moment ago, she’d been shouting—now, the brat was using Karia as a shield the moment things got tough.
Karia didn’t bother pushing the trembling girl away, but she scolded the childish man with a clearly annoyed tone.
“I didn’t know the job of an Imperial Knight Captain was to threaten children.”
“Hey, but—!”
“Don’t call me ‘hey,’ Young Duke. I may not look it, but I’m the mistress of House Pandeon.”
Faced with her obvious boundary-setting, Alcard looked pitifully downcast—an expression totally unsuited to his usual knightly demeanor.
“If you’ve met the Duke, then please leave. I assume you’re busy.”
“Is that all you have to say to your brother after three years?”
Though they lived in the same capital, it had been years since they’d last met.
The Grand Duchess of Pandeon had banned Karia from social activities, worried she’d tarnish the family’s name. In truth, she simply wanted to retain her own influence as the real mistress of the household.
Soon after her wedding, Karia was sent straight to the estate, and only returned to the capital for Crown Prince Robert’s coronation. That was the first and last time she saw her family since getting married.
And yet, the man who never cared to know what she was going through now had the audacity to act hurt. Karia almost punched his strong jaw.
“If you’ve got time, at least have some tea. And don’t make another lame excuse about being sick. I’ve got something for you.”
“You said I made an excuse about being sick? Me?”
“Yeah, you always did!”
“Always,” he said. That meant he’d come looking for her more than once.
But Karia had never once been told anyone was looking for her.
And to say she made excuses about being ill? Sure, she was sick now, but up until a few months ago, she was perfectly healthy.
She’d only caught a minor cold here and there, and had never used illness as an excuse to avoid people. Clearly, the Grand Duchess had intervened.
“Ha… So what is it you want to give me?”
Karia sighed quietly, though she was deeply offended. How deeply and irrationally did that woman hate her? And for what—a man as indifferent as Alcard?
Still, Karia didn’t explode in anger. Not that she would let this go, but this was just one more misdeed to add to the long list committed by the Grand Duchess.
“Tch. You’ve gotten so cold. Here, take it.”
“What is this?”
“A birthday present.”
Alcard clicked his tongue at her cold tone and pulled a small box from his coat.
Karia stared at the velvet-covered, luxurious-looking box before finally reaching for it.
Inside was a ruby ring, the same vivid red as her eyes. The large, flawlessly cut gem was set in a golden band engraved with the imperial crest—a lavish piece of jewelry.
But—
“A birthday gift? I don’t even know when my birthday is.”
“Exactly. You never had a proper birthday celebratio
n, so at least you should get a nice gift. It’ll be the anniversary of the day you came to the Duke’s estate soon, right?”
