Chapter 005
“Don’t worry, Dahlia. Just stick close to me!”
At that moment, Cesar’s booming voice filled the carriage.
“Just trust your big brother!”
I nodded in response, looking at Cesar, who was seriously thumping his chest.
“Yeah. It’s really reassuring.”
Although I knew Cesar was a bureaucrat to the core today, I was inclined to rely on my dependable big brother.
‘Anyway, I’ll be seeing him soon.’
As I stared blankly out the window, my mind was filled with thoughts of the man I was about to meet.
‘I wonder what the Duke is like now?’
Even I, who had previously focused solely on Delos, had heard enough rumors about the Duke of Ballestain, who was so famous.
He was a man with a fearsome temper and incredible strength.
While some nobles dismissed the Duke as nothing more than a beast, no one dared speak ill of him directly to his face.
‘I wonder if he’ll respond if I speak to him first? What if he gets angry? But a simple greeting should be fine, right?’
The carriage finally arrived at the palace, interrupting my anxious thoughts as the time to meet him drew nearer.
“Alright, let’s go in.”
Leading the way, my father, Cesar, and I entered the banquet hall.
As soon as we stepped through the entrance, I could feel all eyes immediately drawn toward us.
“She really came. Is that rumor true?”
“After being so in love, why did they break up?”
The reason for all the attention was, as expected, me.
With so many people nearby whispering about similar topics, it was impossible not to overhear.
“Tsk. It seems like everyone is very interested in my daughter.”
At that moment, my father turned his gaze to the group whispering with an unpleasant expression and spoke up.
“Hmm…!”
Startled, the nobles quickly shut their mouths and discreetly began to move away.
Just as the onlookers’ gaze began to scatter a bit, allowing me to breathe easier, I heard a voice.
“Greetings, Your Grace.”
When the other nobles spotted my father, they approached him with welcoming faces and greeted him.
Given his position, my father had no choice but to leave to engage in conversation with the other nobles.
Once he left, curious gazes began to gather around me again.
Everyone seemed eager to ask about the reason for my breakup with Delos.
“Dahlia, let’s go over there.”
“Okay.”
Noticing the stare, Cesar led me to a spot where people weren’t paying much attention.
Then, upon spotting a table laden with drinks, a smile spread across Cesar’s face.
I had learned previously that Cesar had a terrible tolerance for alcohol; even a single glass of wine could get him tipsy.
Despite that, he had a strong desire for drinks, and if he let his guard down even a little, he would be like a newborn foal.
“Cesar. Just drink a little. Don’t drink as recklessly as last time.”
“Okay, okay.”
Watching Cesar respond carelessly, I let out a faint sigh of resignation.
Just a few days ago, at my breakup consolation party, Cesar had overindulged and clung to my shoulder, crying and saying he had no regrets about dying now.
As we were in the midst of clinking our glasses, someone asked,
“Will His Highness the First Prince be attending today?”
“I’m not sure. Didn’t he skip last year, too? Those two have never really gotten along…”
I could hear the excited voices of the young ladies nearby.
As soon as I heard the mention of the First Prince, I lost my grip and dropped the glass I was holding.
“Gosh, Dahlia. Are you okay?”
“Ah…”
Snapping back to reality at Cesar’s voice, I realized the hem of my dress was already stained red.
“You told me to drink moderately, but were you trying to get drunk first?”
Despite his gruff tone, Cesar’s gentle touch as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the wine off my hand was kind.
I forced a smile, trying to appear nonchalant, and spoke.
“Seems like I’ve had a bit too much. I’ll just tidy up my dress and be right back.”
“Alright. Take your time.”
Turning my body, I headed straight to the lounge set up in the banquet hall.
Fortunately, because I was wearing a dark-colored dress, the stains became less noticeable after a few wipes.
Instead of going straight out, I sat in a chair to catch my breath for a moment.
“Ugh, just hearing the name has led to this mess.”
When I heard the story of the first prince that I had consciously forgotten after returning to the past, the hairs on my body stood on end without me realizing it.
The sensation of a sharp blade piercing my chest was so vivid that it sent chills down my spine.
“I hope I don’t run into him today.”
There could be nothing more awkward and uncomfortable than coming face to face with the person who had killed me.
Of course, now that I had broken up with Delos, it was unlikely to happen.
After calming myself to some extent, I returned to the banquet hall, only to find it filled with people, making it difficult to spot Cesar.
As I craned my neck to survey the room, I heard:
“Oh my, is that the Duke of Ballestain over there?”
“His atmosphere is really different from the rumors, isn’t it?”
‘The Duke of Ballestain?’
As soon as I heard that, my head instinctively turned to the side.
However, all I could see were the elaborate clothes of the nobles clustered together.
‘The Duke must be up ahead.’
Through a brief opening, I caught a glimpse of a man in a dark uniform from behind.
The tall man, whose head was noticeably above the others, seemed to exude a unique aura even while standing still.
At that moment, the nobles in front began to whisper among themselves again.
“Still, I’m amazed. The Emperor granted the title of Duke to a commoner.”
“Indeed. Isn’t it excessive to bestow the title of duke on an unknown barbarian, regardless of his heroic status?”
As I quietly eavesdropped on their conversation, I let out a small sigh, as if I had realized something.
‘Come to think of it, it’s only been three months since that man became a Duke.’
A barbarian of unknown origins.
That was how the nobles regarded the Duke.
He was an enigmatic man, whose past was a mystery.
The decision to elevate someone with an unclear background to a rank higher than them appeared to upset the nobles.
‘Yet, not a single person has approached him to speak directly.’
I continued to gaze back at the man standing tall, recalling how he had risen to the rank of Duke.
The war between the Empire and the Kingdom of Clayts dragged on for over five years without a clear winner.
On a day when both countries were continuing a war that brought more losses than gains, rumors began to circulate about a soldier in the northern region—known for its vulnerability in defense—who was consistently thwarting enemy attacks with skilled tactics.
The emperor, upon hearing the rumor, immediately recruited the soldier into the Empire’s central army. That decision led to astonishing results.
Not only did the man reclaim territories one by one within a year, but he ultimately beheaded the enemy commander, turning the tide of the war.
The Emperor granted the title of Duke to the man who had made remarkable achievements in the war, and that man was none other than the current Duke of Ballestain.
“I’ve heard rumors that he will soon be married by His Majesty’s order. If that is true, it is too bad that the young lady has to marry a commoner.”
As I reflected on the Duke’s astonishing accomplishments, the nobles’ chatter once again filled my ears.
Listening to their conversation, I recalled information about the Duke that I had forgotten.
‘Right, around this time, the Duke will get married.’
Not long after receiving his title, the Duke of Ballestain entered into a political marriage with a young lady from one of the noble families of the imperial faction.
However, the Emperor’s command resulted in a marriage that did not last even a year before disintegrating.
‘I heard that not only did the lady cheat, but she also demanded the divorce first.’
The lady, who had entered into an unwanted marriage under the Emperor’s orders, was a woman deeply entrenched in aristocratic superiority.
She looked down on the commoner Duke, and the gossip about them living in separate rooms until the divorce became widely known.
“Well, at least he’s presentable enough on the outside, right?”
“I agree. If he hadn’t become a noble, he could have lived quite well as a paramour to some noblewoman.”
Even while reminiscing about the past, these people, filled with insecurity, kept their mouths moving incessantly.
