~Chapter 13~
. Ringester
“……”
“……Whoa, you scared me.”
Startled, Irina blinked rapidly before speaking first. Howard, who had been meeting her gaze, lowered his eyes slightly, then gently helped her sit safely back in front of him.
An awkward silence lingered between them, but fortunately, no further trouble arose with the carriage. It kept running strongly until a large castle came into view.
At first, Irina thought it might be some kind of grand ducal estate, but when she heard it was an arena, her eyes went wide.
“That’s the famous arena, right?”
Howard looked a little surprised, while Irina smirked and rubbed her nose with her index finger.
“I read about it in a book a few years ago.”
“I thought you didn’t like reading.”
Irina pouted. It was true to some extent—she couldn’t really deny it. Every time there was a history assignment at the academy, she had Howard do it for her, so he might have thought she didn’t know such things.
“Well, I do have a good memory, you know?”
“And an equally remarkable ability to distort your memories.”
“Hey!”
They bickered for a while before the carriage gradually began to slow down. Irina looked out the window. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived in front of the grand castle.
The carriage carrying Irina and Howard stopped, followed by another one carrying Casey and Werner.
Howard stepped down first and held out his hand for Irina. With one hand supported by him and the other holding up her dress, Irina carefully stepped down—her mouth falling open at the splendid sight before her.
“Wow…”
When she tugged lightly on Howard’s collar, he leaned closer to her.
“……Is this whole arena really yours? You’re not lying?” she whispered into his ear.
“I’m not the sort of man who lies often,” Howard replied, straightening back up as if it were nothing.
“I’m serious.”
Irina pressed herself a bit closer to his side.
“About what?”
“Should we… really try being close again?”
“……”
“Are you seriously not going to tell me what happened? I’m dying of curiosity here!”
Howard clearly heard her but pretended not to. Before long, someone who looked like the arena’s manager hurried over.
“Your Excellency, I thought you said you wouldn’t be coming for a while?”
“I came to introduce someone.”
The man’s eyes naturally turned toward Irina. His dark skin, sharp features, and neatly tied back red hair gave him an intense, passionate look.
“Ah, I see! It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Weldon Timier, the arena’s general manager. Please, just call me Weldon.”
“Nice to meet you, Weldon.”
After bowing politely, Weldon led them inside.
“This way, please.”
But Howard stopped after taking only a couple of steps. Irina blinked at him, confused.
“What?”
“We wouldn’t want rumors spreading that we don’t get along before the wedding announcement.”
“Oh, so we’re pretending to be lovey-dovey now?”
“You could’ve just said that.”
Irina looped her arm through his, clinging lightly to him with a bright smile.
“How’s this, Mr. Creditor? Do we look close enough now?”
She teased him playfully—he used to jump away at even the slightest contact.
But this time, Howard slipped his arm free, only to wrap it firmly around her waist.
“How about this?”
Irina’s eyes widened slightly.
“Doesn’t this look more like a couple? Or is it too much for you, Lady Irina?”
As Howard leaned closer, Irina instinctively tilted her head back. He had once been so uncomfortable with proximity—where had he suddenly found this confidence?
Her competitive streak flared. Irina met his gaze, her eyes glinting as she leaned in even closer—so close that anyone watching from behind might think they were about to kiss.
“Not at all. But with this much ‘service,’ I could probably pay off my debt in half a year. You sure you’re fine with that?”
A faint smile tugged at Howard’s lips.
“By then, perhaps you’ll have forgiven me.”
“Not a chance,” Irina warned playfully. “I hold grudges, remember?”
“Lord Ringester?”
The deep voice made Irina turn first. A man in a black suit and hat approached. Tousled blond hair peeked out from beneath his hat, and he looked much younger than Howard.
Howard, who had still been half-turned toward Irina, turned completely to face him.
“Sir Gerta.”
At his name, the man removed his hat politely.
Howard looked back toward Weldon.
“I’ll look around first. Have everyone gather in my office in an hour.”
“Including the deputy manager? Understood, sir.”
Weldon bowed and left.
Beside Gerta stood a woman with long pink hair in a braid, wearing a canary-yellow dress. She held his arm and curtsied gracefully, studying Howard and Irina with curious eyes.
“So it really was you, Your Excellency. I wasn’t sure at first—seeing you with a lady threw me off. The rumor about your marriage was true, then.”
“As someone with experience, I’ll expect some marital advice from you,” Howard replied lightly.
“Haha, you flatter me.”
After exchanging brief introductions, Irina learned that Sir Gerta was the son of Count Gesta, a family friendly with the Ringesters.
The woman at his side poked Gerta’s ribs with her finger, smiling shyly at Irina.
Gerta nodded in understanding.
“Ah, right. May I introduce myself to the lovely lady?”
Irina glanced at Howard.
Should I?
He nodded slightly, and she offered her gloved hand.
“Of course.”
Gerta took her hand, brushed a polite kiss across the back, and released it.
“It’s an honor. Your Excellency has helped my father greatly—we owe him much.”
The woman poked his side again, and Gerta quickly added,
“Ah, my wife cannot speak. Her name is Bevin. She wanted to greet you herself.”
“Oh… it’s lovely to meet you, Lady Bevin. I’m Irina.”
Bevin blushed faintly and curtsied again in greeting.
Gerta seemed genuinely pleased to see Howard.
“My friend and I came today for a couples’ wager! Wish us luck!”
“Then I wish you good fortune. We’ll be heading in.”
Irina, instead of shaking Gerta’s hand, extended hers toward Bevin. The shy woman hesitated before taking it, and Irina gave her a playful wink.
“Good luck to you.”
Leaving the Gerta couple behind, they entered the arena.
The lavish decorations and spotless, gleaming floors dazzled Irina. The sound of her heels echoed crisply across the marble.
“So that guy said, ‘the marriage news was true’? When did you start planning this whole thing?”
Howard merely shrugged.
“Does it matter now?”
“Of course it does! That’s grounds for breaking the contract, you fraud!”
Howard stopped and turned toward her.
“That’s why I told you to read the papers carefully.”
“I did rea—wait…”
Irina frowned, realizing how often she’d let him handle such things in the past. Bad habits really were dangerous.
“What exactly did it say?”
“Who knows.”
“It’s not… something bad, right?”
“At least not for me.”
“And for me?”
“……Who knows.”
Irina felt a wave of unease at his calm demeanor. Howard, however, refused to elaborate.
They reached a massive hall, and Irina’s worries evaporated for a moment at the breathtaking sight.
“This is the Central Hall,” Howard explained.
It was large enough to hold over a hundred people, with staircases leading both upstairs and down. A long corridor opposite them led to a theater where guests could dine while watching performances.
Though empty now, Howard said it would be packed on weekends.
Above them hung a dazzling chandelier so bright it made Irina’s eyes blur.
‘Huh…?’
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit her. The hall shimmered before her eyes, and for a brief moment, she saw people dancing—laughing, swirling around her.
Though she had never been here before, she felt as if she belonged among them.
Laughter rang faintly in her ears, and for a heartbeat, she remembered herself dancing and smiling too—then it was gone.
“What’s wrong?”
Howard’s voice snapped her back to reality, and the illusion vanished.
Irina blinked and shook her head.
“Huh? Oh, nothing.”
It had been a while since she’d felt such déjà vu. The problem was, it always brought a headache afterward.
A faint pain began to press at her temples. Howard noticed her slight grimace and guided her toward the staircase.
As they climbed, Irina glanced down. Beneath them was another grand space, much like the one above.
“What’s down there?”
“Various games. Sir Gerta likely came for that reason.”
She remembered his mention of a “couples’ wager.”
“Ah, that’s the place then. Must be crowded.”
“More foreigners than locals frequent the lower floor. Some make fortunes; others lose everything. Usually, there’s some regulation before it gets out of hand.”
“Figures. There are always people who’ll throw everything away chasing luck.”
Irina spoke bitterly.
“They probably didn’t intend to, at least not at first,” Howard replied quietly—referring, no doubt, to her father.
Not to defend him, but to show a sliver of understanding toward her feelings.
“It’s fine. That man deserves every bit of criticism he gets,” Irina said with a shrug, climbing another step.
