Chapter 012
Clatter, clatter.
The dining room was now eerily quiet, except for the occasional clinking of utensils.
‘I’m doomed.’
In a state of deep turmoil, I was unconsciously fiddling with my hands, not even realizing whether the food was going into my mouth or nose.
“Ugh!”
I accidentally bit down hard on my fork, which had no food on it.
As a result, I severely injured my tongue, and blood began to trickle out between my lips.
I quickly brought my hand to my mouth, but a hand that suddenly appeared next to me was faster.
“Are you alright?”
With a concerned voice, a large, warm hand cupped my face.
Confused about what was happening, I blink, and right in front of me is the duke’s face.
“Open wide.”
He gently pressed on my cheeks, making me open my mouth.
“Huh?”
Then he began examining the inside of my mouth very closely, with a sharp gaze.
His hand was wet with my blood and saliva, but he didn’t seem to care.
“Please hold still for a moment.”
After placing a clean cloth in my mouth, the duke returned to his seat and said,
“It’s not a serious injury, so don’t worry. After the bleeding stops, you’ll need to apply some medicine to prevent infection…”
The duke paused, unable to finish his sentence.
This was because three pairs of blue eyes, including mine, were all staring at him intently.
I was taken aback by his sudden display of tenderness and could only stare at him with wide eyes.
“Dahlia, are you alright?”
At that moment, Cesar looked at me with concern.
Unable to respond because of the cloth in my mouth, I simply nodded.
And then the meal continued.
My father was still silent, but for some reason, the corners of his mouth were twitching upward throughout the meal.
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“Duke Ballestain.”
After the meal was over, my father called out to the duke as he was about to leave the mansion.
My father stared at him for a moment before clearing his throat a few times and saying,
“Take good care of yourself until the wedding day.”
My father’s words surprised me.
It seemed that the duke’s sudden action a moment ago had somehow melted my father’s previously solid demeanor.
“…Understood.”
“Alright. Farewell.”
The duke nodded at my father’s words without any retort and stepped outside the mansion with me.
On the way to see him off, I hesitated for a moment but then decided to speak.
“Thank you for today.”
He turned to look at me just before getting into the carriage.
His piercing eyes still had the power to make my heart skip a beat.
However, unlike yesterday, I didn’t feel as scared and gazed at him with a slight smile.
“There is much to be grateful for. Anyone in that situation would have done the same.”
But the Duke, who had been looking at me, suddenly got into his carriage and said in a cold tone,
I shrugged my shoulders with a smile, unaffected by his cold reaction.
“Still…”
It seemed the duke had something more to say as he opened his mouth slightly.
But he soon closed his mouth firmly, gave a light nod, and started the carriage.
I watched the departing carriage and murmured softly.
“He’s really a strange man.”
His tone and expression were definitely cold, yet his actions often seemed completely the opposite.
“He’s not scary at all.”
I touched my still-tingling cheeks and turned my steps back toward the mansion.
Strangely, I found myself looking forward to the days I would spend with the duke and growing curious about what kind of person he was.
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At that moment, in the emperor’s office.
The emperor, leisurely sipping tea while sitting in his chair, cast a glance at the documents on his desk.
It was the marriage permit for Duke Ballestain and Dahlia Feldro.
A minute ago, the emperor had stamped his approval on the document and was now nodding to himself as he muttered,
“The sooner the wedding, the better.”
The emperor was a man who would not miss a good opportunity.
Duke Ballestain was a man who would become a tremendous asset to the empire.
By marrying him to a family that had long been loyal to the imperial family, the power of the imperial family would only become more solidified.
Just as he was about to summon a servant to inform them of the wedding date, the door burst open!
“Father!”
Hearing the voice calling him, the emperor sighed deeply and set down his teacup.
“What is this nonsense? Every action you take is thoughtless. Delos.”
It was his second son, Delos.
“How could you marry Dahlia off to someone else? How could you make such a decision?”
“Well, you should have thought about that when you had the chance. Why are you regretting it now?”
The emperor, fully aware of all the misdeeds Delos had committed, found his son’s outburst merely pitiful.
“But…!”
“Enough.”
The emperor glanced at Delos, who was about to say more, and raised one hand firmly.
“I don’t know how much longer I can tolerate your reckless behavior. Leave now while I’m still being reasonable.”
Delos, unable to say anything further in response to the warning tone, had no choice but to leave the office.
“What a foolish child.”
Watching his son’s retreating figure, the emperor shook his head and fell into deep thought.
Feeling his strength waning recently, the emperor decided it was time to solidify his successor.
And that successor would be…
“You seem to be in low spirits, Father.”
Just then, a fresh voice echoed in the office, pulling the emperor out of his thoughts.
“Bierne.”
The second visitor was Bierne, the empire’s first prince.
“It seems Delos has been here.”
Bierne approached the emperor with a leisurely gait.
The Emperor, still frowning from his encounter with Delos, rubbed his temples with his fingers and replied,
“Yes. He seems to be quite upset about Lady Feldro’s marriage.”
Bierne’s gaze fell upon the documents on the table, and for a brief moment, his eyes narrowed slightly before returning to their usual calm state.
“Don’t worry too much about it. Once the lady gets married, everything will quiet down as if nothing happened. He’s the type to get bored quickly.”
Bierne’s gentle voice seemed to understand the emperor’s complicated feelings.
“By the way, they really do make a perfect pair.”
Bierne then smoothly changed the subject with a natural smile.
The Emperor squinted his eyes and looked at his eldest son, who was smiling softly.
“I’ve noticed for a while that you seem quite interested in these two.”
“Haha. Did it seem that way? If Father thinks so, then it must be true.”
The Emperor chuckled at his son’s clever evasion of the question.
Bierne had always been a child who could use his exceptional mind appropriately at a young age. Unlike his younger brother Delos, who caused trouble every day, Bierne possessed all the virtues of a ruler, making him perfectly suitable as the next emperor.
However, one thing was troubling…
“Do you think I wouldn’t notice that you’re the one who’s been pulling the strings from behind the scenes?”
The eldest son, who had grown up without causing a single incident, had a rather cunning side.
If Delos outright asked for what he wanted, Bierne would pressure those around him to ultimately arrange it in his favor.
Of course, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
A ruler needs the ability to step back and see the bigger picture in every situation.
‘But I still don’t understand what his real intention is.’
The emperor recalled a few days ago when Bierne had come to see him.
He had brought up Dahlia and Evan, and he subtly guided him into inviting them to the palace.
“I’m not pulling any strings, Father. I just think that those two are a perfect match.”
Despite the emperor’s sharp gaze, Bierne maintained his smiling demeanor.
“I’m looking forward to the wedding.”
Bierne, seemingly determined not to reveal his true intentions, continued to smile with his eyes in a crescent shape.
TL/N: What if Bierne also regressed? Hmm.
