Chapter 16. An Existence That Can’t Be Calculated
I hadn’t brought much luggage from home.
After I got the report that everything was loaded into the carriage, I went outside too.
“Nora, did you sleep well? Feeling any better?”
“I’m fine. Thanks, Enoch.”
Enoch was standing right next to the carriage, waiting for me.
Because I had forced myself all night to calm down and sort out my feelings, I managed to stay composed even when I
came face-to-face with his annoyingly handsome self first thing in the morning.
Just then, a woman in her early thirties came rushing over, carrying a suitcase.
“Lady Nora, so you finally get to go back home!”
Huh? Who’s that?
She looked way too happy to see me.
Judging from her outfit and the way she spoke, she must’ve been one of Nora’s maids.
But since I didn’t even know her name, I had no idea what to say. I just stood there blankly.
Enoch spoke first.
“And you are?”
“I’m Cecil, a maid from the Conell marquisate. I came here serving Lady Nora.”
“You said you came with Nora. Then where have you been this whole time?”
Enoch looked puzzled. Cecil let out a sigh before answering.
“The moment we arrived here, Lady Irene—no, the Duchess of Branden—kept me with her.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m strong with my hands. She kept calling me to massage her legs. They often swelled up, so even before her marriage, she would call me frequently.”
Cecil must have noticed Enoch’s look of disapproval, because she quickly glanced at me and added in a rush:
“I wouldn’t have gone if Lady Nora hadn’t allowed it.”
“Irene’s… going through a hard time right now, so…”
I mumbled an excuse, even though I didn’t even remember giving any permission.
“Considerate Nora…”
Enoch muttered under his breath.
His gaze toward me seemed even warmer than it had yesterday. He must’ve been really grateful that I took care of Irene like that.
I gave him a faint smile in return, as if it was nothing worth mentioning.
“I’ll head out first, Enoch.”
I gave a little shrug, then climbed into the carriage. Cecil hurried in after me.
Enoch stepped closer to the window of the carriage.
“Travel safely, Nora.”
“Yeah. You’d better hurry and go see His Majesty, King Morios.”
That way, your precious Irene will suffer less!
But Enoch clearly didn’t catch the hidden meaning behind my words.
“As soon as things are settled, I’ll come to the Conell estate. And…”
He hesitated for a second, then reached out and lifted the pendant on my neck—the one with his ring attached.
Then, in a low voice only I could hear, he whispered:
“Don’t forget that we’re engaged.”
“Why would I forget that?”
“Well… you seem to forget things when it comes to me.”
He probably didn’t mean much by it, but since I really didn’t know much about Nora’s past with him, my face went hot and I quickly turned away.
“Let’s go.”
Enoch stepped back, giving the order to the coachman.
The carriage rumbled forward, quickly gaining speed.
As the Branden estate grew smaller in the distance, I secretly turned my head to glance back.
Enoch was still standing there, staring in our direction.
‘Am I really doing the right thing?’
I thought I had calculated everything carefully, always choosing what was most beneficial for me. But suddenly, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
Enoch Osmand… he was starting to feel like someone I couldn’t calculate at all.
After Nora left the Branden estate, Enoch also didn’t linger.
He considered going to say goodbye to Irene, but meeting King Morios as quickly as possible to take care of Irene’s situation was more urgent.
In just one night, Nora felt like she had put a hundred steps, no, ten thousand steps of distance between them.
Trying to show her he was just as desirable as Philip? What a joke.
All he’d done was circle around her, and in the end, he had let her go back home without accomplishing anything.
Enoch resolved to finish all the bothersome business quickly and then rush to her.
So he pushed his horse hard, riding without rest for a full day, and finally reached the royal palace in the capital.
When King Morios heard that Duke Osmand was requesting a private audience, he waited excitedly.
He was dying to see how Enoch would react to the “gift” he had prepared.
Now that Irene was on the verge of being cast out of the Branden house, what choice would Enoch make?
Would he really abandon the woman he loved, using loyalty to a friend as an excuse?
With a wicked smile, the king waited.
Soon the chamber door opened, and Enoch walked in quietly.
Even in front of the king himself, Enoch always stood tall and unyielding. That made Morios admire him, but also find him irritating.
That was why the king always enjoyed putting Enoch in difficult positions whenever possible. And if others couldn’t, then Morios himself would.
‘Enoch Osmand! Let’s see how you escape my trap this time.’
The king greeted him with a smile.
“I greet the great sun of Morios.”
“My loyal Duke of Osmand, what brings you here, requesting a private audience?”
“I have a request.”
The king nodded knowingly, as if he’d expected this.
“If you’re here to ask for permission to marry Lady Irene Branden, now isn’t the time.”
Enoch’s lips immediately tightened into a straight line. The king smiled smugly.
He thought about teasing him more, but decided it wasn’t right to push a man too far when he was already desperate for the woman he loved.
“She’s been a widow for less than two weeks, hasn’t she? Don’t you think you should wait at least three months before lifting mourning?”
The king chuckled at his own joke.
But Enoch’s face didn’t change one bit.
Sensing something off, the king’s expression turned serious.
“So that’s not your request?”
“Please postpone the succession of the Branden dukedom for one year.”
“And why is that?”
“So that the widowed Duchess, Irene Branden, can keep her position until she remarries.”
Every word out of Enoch’s mouth annoyed Morios more.
The king’s lips twisted into a crooked grin as he pressed him.
“And if she still hasn’t remarried after a year?”
“Then pass the title to Philip’s uncle, Arthur Branden. But order that one-third of the Branden duchy’s income be given to her until she remarries.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“As the price for Duke Philip Branden’s sacrifice for the kingdom, she deserves it.”
Morios let out a bitter laugh.
‘If you care so much about her, just marry her already, you idiot!’
Instead of taking the easy way, Enoch kept insisting on going around in circles.
“And what about you? Even after I explained everything, you still want to go off to Conell territory alone?”
The king, unable to hold back his frustration anymore, snapped.
“If you won’t marry Irene Branden, then marry my sister instead!”
It was practically an order.
Enoch resisted by saying nothing at all.
“If not a daughter of the Conell royal family, then at least the princess of Morios should become your duchess. That way your life will be easier!”
Yes, the king had originally wanted to push Irene onto him to completely bind Conell territory. But his affection for Enoch was real.
He didn’t want him to struggle endlessly as lord of Conell. He wanted him to have a little happiness too.
Irene wasn’t just of royal blood—she was also the woman Enoch had supposedly loved all his life.
The way the king pushed him was harsh, but his concern was sincere.
“…I have one more request.”
Enoch raised his eyes, then slowly knelt on one knee.
“Your Majesty, I, Duke Enoch Osmand, humbly ask for permission to marry.”
“What?”
For a moment, the king looked blank. Then suddenly realization struck, and he nodded, staring at Enoch with renewed admiration.
“So… your plan was to marry Irene after she faded from the public eye, a year later?”
“No.”
“No? Then what?”
“Please grant permission for me to marry Lady Nora Conell as soon as possible.”
“…Who?”
The king was struck speechless for a long while.
The more he thought about it, the more brilliant Enoch’s move seemed.
Instead of Irene—the king’s choice, the illegitimate daughter of Conell—Enoch had chosen the legitimate daughter, Nora Conell.
She’d been so sickly since childhood that she had rarely appeared in society, to the point where even the king had nearly forgotten she existed.
But somehow, Enoch had already won her heart and secured her promise to marry.
And of course, in the eyes of Conell’s people, Nora’s legitimacy carried far more weight than Irene’s status ever could.
Compared to the card the king had given, Enoch’s card was far superior.
And on top of that, Enoch also asked to keep the Branden dukedom vacant for a year.
By law, no one could inherit a title without the king’s approval, no matter how legitimate the heir.
That was the real reason the king was impressed.
On the surface, Enoch’s request was for Irene’s sake, but it also gave him a huge advantage.
Right now, he was already the kingdom’s only duke, and he had just been granted Conell, the largest territory in the realm.
With no other dukes to balance his power, this was entirely possible.
Sure, some noble families grumbled about the Duke of Osmand, but their protests were little more than whining.
If a new Branden Duke rose and grew in strength quickly, though, it would become a real headache for Enoch.
And Enoch, being so skilled at reading the situation and reshaping the board, clearly hadn’t missed that.
“Choosing Nora Conell… I’ll admit, that’s a brilliant move. But Enoch,” the king said, his tone turning heavy.
Enoch raised his head politely.
“Enoch, are you really okay with letting Irene Branden go? By choosing profit over love, you’ll doom yourself to misery forever.”
“I will make the Duchess of Osmand happy.”
“And your own happiness?”
“…Her happiness will be mine.”
Faced with such stubborn determination, King Morios finally threw up his hands.
“Well then… I’m curious to meet the extraordinary woman who managed to capture Duke Osmand. Bring her with you to court this month.”
Enoch’s lips parted like he was about to object, but he quickly shut them.
“What? Don’t tell me you planned to skip the formal introductions and marry her right away?
Try it, and I’ll never grant you a marriage license—not even if you live to old age!”
At the king’s unreasonable demand, Enoch let out a light sigh.
“This month, I’ll be tied up with taking over Conell’s administration and preparing to move the household.”
“Fine. Then next month.”
The king’s voice made it clear there was no room for argument.
In the end, Enoch bowed deeply and answered:
“I will obey Your Majesty’s command.”
