~CHAPTER 69~
What should I do now? I can’t go back to that boutique anymore.
Lincia stomped her feet, her cheeks turning red over and over.
“Then I’ll correct myself. Bigger than a fox.”
“Are you teasing me?”
“It’s just that I’ve never had such a request before.”
“Liar. I’m not falling for it.”
“Ah, now there’s one.”
“I think I can handle the next scarf even better.”
As Harbih said that, he took Lincia’s hand.
She didn’t know which words eased her heart, but her gaze toward the scarf softened.
The air between them turned gentle, and she smiled at him, saying she’d let it slide just this once.
Seeing her eyes curve as she smiled, the uneasiness in his chest disappeared, replaced by a ticklish warmth in his heart.
“In your letter, didn’t you say you had something to ask me?”
Suddenly remembering those words from her letter, Harbih brought it up.
“It would be good if you told me now.”
Though her letter hadn’t carried such a feeling, if it was something unpleasant, he was ready to face it all at once.
“Do you remember our wedding portrait?”
“Yes.”
“Then the sketch? Have you seen it?”
“Yes, before the work began, the artist…”
Harbih stopped mid-sentence.
He had been rather shocked when he saw that sketch.
The Harbih in that drawing was looking at the woman with quite a foolish expression.
Now he knew that was simply the face of a man in love.
And Lincia probably knew it too, which was why she asked.
“…You saw all that.”
“I’m glad I did.”
Thankfully, it wasn’t something that worked against him.
“Did you dislike that I saw it?”
“I didn’t.”
“When did you start liking me?”
“…Do I include the moments I wasn’t aware of it?”
“Of course.”
“From the very first time I saw you, my eyes kept turning toward you.”
Harbih spoke as honestly as he could.
“…Oh, that’s so cliché.”
“So you don’t like it?”
“That’s not it. Do men like you really fall in love at first sight?”
“It seems so.”
If it hadn’t been love at first sight—if she hadn’t drawn his attention—he wouldn’t have lingered around Lincia during their academy years.
He had even played on their similar circumstances to gain her sympathy.
At that time, he hadn’t even realized he liked her.
How despicable I was.
Swallowing that shameful thought he could never confess to Lincia, Harbih stopped in front of the greenhouse.
“We’re here.”
The greenhouse was made of glass walls, but its structure made it impossible to see inside from the outside.
He had already told the servants he would visit, so the once-locked door was open.
“Just know that it hasn’t been well-maintained.”
“All right.”
He felt a bit uneasy about showing her the unkempt greenhouse.
But if he wanted Lincia to grow fond of this estate, there was no better way than to let her make this place her own.
To make someone love a place, you have to give them spaces touched by their own hands.
He didn’t want to recall such words from an irresponsible man, but it was said that even the late Grand Duke had used this method to help his southern-born wife settle in the duchy.
It was a proven approach.
Failure was unlikely.
“The lighting is great. It’s strange how you can’t see inside from outside.”
Just as she said, the greenhouse was bright even without lamps.
That was why he had insisted on coming during the day.
He was relieved that her first impression of the place wasn’t bad.
As he was about to lead Lincia inside, Harbih froze.
“What is it?”
“There’s someone in the greenhouse.”
It was impossible for an assassin to sneak this deep into the inner parts of the estate.
It had to be one of the duchy’s retainers.
Whoever it was, they were clearly not welcome.
“Please wait a moment.”
Harbih draped his coat over Lincia’s shoulders.
Good thing I came well-prepared.
“All right. It’s not dangerous, is it?”
“No.”
Even though he wanted to leave her in this warm place, Harbih also wanted her to see only his best side.
More than anything, he feared she might grow to dislike the greenhouse because of whoever was inside.
Placing his hand on his sword hilt, Harbih walked toward the source of the movement.
There stood a woman he knew well.
“Noah Aidan. What are you doing here?”
“Was I not supposed to come?”
It didn’t seem like that was the issue.
Harbih frowned at the woman’s audacity for intruding upon his private time and still acting shamelessly.
“The late Grand Duchess entrusted me with managing this greenhouse. You were there too, Your Grace.”
Harbih’s brow tightened.
He had only let her do it because he didn’t want to stop an ailing woman from working.
“And?”
So what?
Did she think that was some great privilege?
She stood there stiff-necked, as if proud of it.
“My mother has passed away, and I’ve inherited this greenhouse.”
“I know.”
“I don’t recall ever assigning you to manage it.”
“…”
“Don’t covet what belongs to your master.”
“I wasn’t greedy. I just hoped Your Grace would remember those times.”
The woman spoke shyly, as if implying there was something between them.
Harbih was utterly dumbfounded.
“I studied hard for this. If you entrust me with the greenhouse again, I’ll show you how much effort I’ve made.”
So this was because of the old talk about an engagement between them.
“When will you realize your efforts are worthless?”
Harbih had politely declined the engagement with the Aidan family and made sure no record of such talks existed.
Besides—
“It was Baron Aidan, not I, who wanted to isolate the Grand Duchess.”
He remembered hearing that ridiculous reason: that the man had done it simply hoping Harbih would divorce and marry his daughter instead.
Even then, Harbih had made it clear — even if he parted ways with Lincia, he would never marry Noah Aidan.
How many times must I say you are not the one?
Even joining the knights and taking bridal lessons didn’t make her seem any less foolish.
“Return the key. It doesn’t suit you.”
“…”
“If you understand, leave.”
“Harbih.”
Hearing the woman suddenly call his name, Harbih’s face hardened.
“Have you lost your mind?”
Maybe she has. I keep letting things slide, and now she’s lost her sense of danger.
And me, throwing away my happiness to take responsibility for such things — maybe I’m the crazy one.
“The late Grand Duchess always worried about you. She didn’t want you to suffer the same pain as your beloved father.”
So what? What does that have to do with me?
The only reason he tolerated Noah Aidan this far was because she was once someone his mother had cherished.
But he no longer wished to overlook her crossing the line.
His parents’ will meant nothing to him now.
“Why can’t you see that I’m the only one who suits you?”
Harbih let out a short sigh and strode toward her.
“Even my only flaw is gone now. You can just make that woman’s child the heir.”
As he came closer, the woman’s face brightened, thinking her desperate plea had reached him.
“I can be a good mother!”
“Is that all you want me to tell your father?”
“…What?”
“You seem to understand human speech poorly, so maybe I should speak to you in another way.”
The woman’s eyes shook violently.
“If being treated like a dog is what it takes for you to know your place — then I’ll do just that.”
