Chapter 59
Once was more than enough for the rare experience of adorning the Grand Duke’s neck with a tacky silk tie.
Besides, Theo was far too big for a silk tie. Those were meant for young boys.
“Still, please don’t do that again. I’ll buy you a better one next time.”
Rayana smiled as she held the end of the tie.
Startled by her touch, Theo flinched and pulled back slightly, causing the tie to loosen and his front to part a little.
He desperately wished the chaos in his mind would subside. A cold sweat broke out on his back as if all his senses had suddenly awakened.
Rayana, on the other hand, seemed completely unaware of how her actions appeared to a man.
The way she loosened his collar while lying beneath him looked far too defenseless. Theo wanted to die from sheer embarrassment.
“You should go back down now, young master.”
As he moved aside, Rayana rose to her feet with ease.
Theo quickly stuffed the tie into his pocket.
“If breaking off the engagement is too sudden, take some time to think it over. I’m only saying this because I care about you.”
His flushed face went cold in an instant.
“So while I’m thinking, I should just sit back and watch you flirt with other men?”
“Flirt…?”
“What, are you disappointed that your once-young, cute fiancé has grown up? Is that why you want to break off the engagement?”
It was true that he had changed. Theo was no longer a small boy but a fully grown man.
But his transformation wasn’t the reason for the breakup. It wasn’t his fault. It was all hers.
She was over thirty now. He was still bright and green.
He had returned as a war hero, and his status was far above what she could ever reach.
Her body, marred with scars, was unfit to become a duchess. She didn’t even know proper noble etiquette or how to speak like one.
…And she couldn’t even remember her last period. The doctor had told her to give up—her body could no longer bear children.
These weren’t things she wanted to confess to a fiancé she hadn’t seen in years.
She wished Theo would just let go and end it for her. She hated that he was making her list her flaws aloud.
Rayana looked at him, curious about what he would say next.
“Then tell me,” he said, “If I try to act cute, would that help?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“You sure know how to reject someone in all kinds of ways.”
Theo grumbled as if genuinely upset.
To Rayana, Theo was already adorable.
She was surprised at how much he had grown, but in her eyes, he was still a sweet, attention-seeking child.
She let out a soft sigh as she looked at him.
“Do you even realize how much older I am?”
“Twelve years. So you’re breaking it off because of that…?”
He began to protest, but she cut him off.
“By social convention, you should be addressing someone older more respectfully. Not with ‘you’ or by name.”
“……”
“Well?”
Prodded by her insistence, Theo finally muttered,
“…Noonim.” (Big sister)
It wasn’t a particularly embarrassing word, but for some reason, it made him feel deeply humiliated.
“Sounds nice. Let’s go with that from now on.”
Rayana smiled in satisfaction.
To Theo, her expression looked like that of a sly fox trying to seduce him, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
He had to muster all his strength just to stop his knees from wobbling like a newborn giraffe.
“And you still want to break off the engagement?”
He murmured something under his breath, but Rayana didn’t catch it.
Her indifference was starting to unsettle him.
“Then come to the banquet with me. Since I gave you one thing, you should give me one thing too. Noonim.”
The title still felt awkward on his tongue, but he said it with determination. Every time he did, Rayana’s eyes softened into a smile.
She was drawn to anything young, weak, pitiful, and helpless by instinct.
Theo lowered his gaze and murmured softly,
“If you refuse, I’ll have to go alone. And then people will whisper—about a boy showing up to an imperial banquet without a partner, lacking all decorum because he grew up alone…”
Before he could say more, Rayana covered his mouth with her hand.
Her cool palm touched his flushed face. He loved the feel of her calloused hand, hardened by scars.
“…Alright.”
What he loved more was the word she finally spoke.
Out of sight beneath her hand, he smiled with satisfaction and took her hand in his.
Rayana stepped back at the sudden boldness of the gesture, but it was pointless. He wasn’t letting go.
“You gave your word, Noonim.”
Only after reaffirming her promise did he finally release her.
“Now I can show off my present.”
Present?
Rayana’s puzzled look quickly turned into a scowl.
“You don’t mean to say you’re wearing that tie to the banquet, do you?”
Theo looked at her as if to say, “Why wouldn’t I?”
She couldn’t understand why her young fiancé was acting like this and rubbed her temple. A headache—one she hadn’t even felt during war—was coming on.
“You said it looked good on me.”
His puzzled tone and pouty voice were exactly like a sulky child.
Knock knock. The sudden sound of a knock interrupted them.
“Captain, it’s time for afternoon training. You should head to the training grounds.”
Was it that late already?
Rayana had thought they’d only talked for about ten minutes, but the clock showed that over an hour had passed.
Surprised, she looked at Theo.
“I’ll be going now.”
He straightened his front and handed her a small snack basket he had prepared.
“You must be hungry.”
When he lifted the lid slightly with his finger, it revealed a clumsily made sandwich—not the kind Valencia’s head chef would have prepared.
“You’re coming home now, right? I’ll see you at the mansion this evening.”
Rayana blinked.
How did he know? Today marked the official end of her postwar duties. She had received permission to return home, and she had planned to.
She quickly concluded he must have heard it from the Grand Duke.
“Did His Grace tell you? I was going to surprise you at the mansion…”
Her voice sounded genuinely disappointed.
Theo bit down on the inside of his lip.
Rayana was just too adorable. She made him want to curse out loud.
It was cute how she assumed he heard it from the Grand Duke. Cute that she had planned to surprise him. Everything about her was just… cute.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Theo tried to calm himself again.
He hadn’t spoken to his father. As usual, he had simply checked the official documents on her desk before coming.
“I’ll see you later.”
He opened his eyes and looked at her.
It was time to leave.
“Wait…”
Rayana stepped in close, as if to hug him—but only to brush some dust from his cheek.
Theo felt like he might stop breathing.
“You may go now.”
Her tone turned businesslike as she opened the door.
Standing outside was Vice-Captain Kain, wearing a startled expression.
“Why was he here?”
After Theo left, Kain asked. The question—why the young master of Valencia had come out of the Captain’s office—was a foolish one.
Rayana let out a small chuckle.
Kain then realized how stupid his question had been. They were engaged, after all—there could be a hundred reasons for his visit.
As he stood there stunned, Rayana pulled her hand out of her pocket.
“…Guess I’m not rusty after all.”
Before she met the Count, back when she lived in Bellingue, she had survived by picking pockets.
She stared down at the blue tie in her hand.
“If he shows up to the imperial banquet wearing this…”
The rumors surrounding Theo were already wild. If he added concerns about Valencia’s financial state to the mix…
“I’ll return it later.”
She tucked the tie back into her pocket.
“Captain, it’s time.”
Rayana followed Kain to the training grounds, her steps unusually light.
For some reason, it felt like a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart.
Though she didn’t understand why.
