Chapter 4.1
It was a face he hadn’t seen in a long time.
Since Edgar had left for the enemy kingdom to sign the peace treaty with Jenaire, they hadn’t seen each other. It had been a full two and a half years.
Edgar silently watched his cousin for a moment, then finally smiled. The corners of his lips gently lifted, and that familiar, calm atmosphere returned to his face.
“…I should’ve hurried up and gotten married too.”
It was just a light smile and a teasing remark, but the heavy air in the garden felt much lighter.
“You’re all passionate about Lady Vique, but cold to your cousin after all this time… That’s disappointing.”
“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”
The greeting was formal and stiff. It was natural, given all the watching eyes, but it also resembled the tone Edgar usually used to keep distance from others.
“I didn’t know you were in Eleanor. I thought Aunt would only ask for your advice in a letter.”
“I stopped by a few times because I was feeling nostalgic. It’s nice to visit Eleanor again. It’s still as beautiful as ever.”
“A few times, you say…”
Rayan glanced at the woman in his arms.
It seemed Ines had finally calmed her breathing. She lifted her head, trying to understand what was happening.
“Your Highness, I didn’t hear that you were coming. When did you arrive?”
“…Just now. What were you doing in the greenhouse?”
“Oh, we were talking, and writing letters.”
Ines answered quickly, only to realize that Edgar had been standing behind her the whole time.
Her cheeks flushed again, despite her effort to stay calm.
Rayan gently held her chin so she couldn’t turn her head. As if nothing had happened, he continued the conversation.
“Letters? To where?”
“To the Kingdom of Apael. His Highness showed me the fastest way to send letters there. I’ve been writing to Robert all summer.”
“Ah.”
Letters, huh. So even with dozens of eyes watching them from outside, they didn’t notice and kept chatting?
“How long have you been out here?”
“Um… since after lunch?”
That would be three or four hours.
A faint smirk passed over Rayan’s face.
To return home and see his wife secretly meeting with his cousin? Unbelievable.
The greenhouse was open on all sides, and they really had been writing letters—the fountain pen and paper were scattered on the table—but none of that mattered.
What mattered was that Ines came outside without his permission, and the person with her was Edgar.
“Did I interrupt something?”
“What? Interrupt? Of course not.”
Ines shook her head, startled. But she didn’t look any more comfortable.
Something that was once entirely his now felt like it had been touched by another man.
It didn’t just feel unpleasant. He hated it.
Even while kissing Ines deeply, Rayan’s eyes had been fixed not on her, but on his cousin. He read every hidden emotion in that gentle gaze.
Now it was all carefully hidden, but Edgar had clearly been shaken for a moment. His eyes didn’t look like those of a cousin simply happy to see a married couple. There was sorrow in them, and a hint of resignation.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“….”
“You must be tired. You should go rest…”
Ines said something quietly, but Rayan didn’t respond.
With his hands in his pockets, Edgar watched them and smiled softly when their eyes met.
Now, his expression was filled with relief.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Ines, who had been about to say something to comfort him, blinked.
“Oh, but… since His Highness is back, you could stay a few more days…”
“Please do.”
Rayan cut her off in a flat tone. He turned her head away from Edgar and gently pushed her in the direction of the mansion.
Only after he sent her behind him did Rayan show a polite smile.
He nodded toward Edgar.
“Since you’re here, why not stay a few more days? We can catch up.”
As long as Rayan spoke formally, their meeting was no longer personal. It was between a Grand Duke and the Crown Prince. Every word had weight.
“…If you would invite me once more.”
After a short pause, Edgar nodded. He agreed.
Ines sat at the table, glancing between the two men, feeling a bit awkward.
She had always heard that the Grand Duke and the Crown Prince were as close as brothers, but the atmosphere at the table was anything but friendly.
Usually Edgar would lead the conversation smoothly, but today he seemed a bit quiet. A few words were exchanged here and there, but they didn’t turn into real conversations.
Even Kyra, who rarely stepped in, had to speak up.
“Your Highness, you’ll come with us to see Brother Camil next week, right?”
“Oh… yes, of course. It’s been a long time since I last saw the former Grand Duke.”
Edgar, lost in thought, answered a bit late with an awkward smile.
“Come to think of it, that’ll be Lady Ines’s first outing.”
The topic suddenly shifted to Ines. She looked at Edgar in confusion.
“In two days? I have to go somewhere…?”
“No. You don’t need to.”
Rayan cut her off. Edgar slowly turned his gaze to him.
“Is that really necessary?”
“The Grand Duchess doesn’t need to attend. Forget about it, Ines.”
She had no idea where they were going, and Kyra agreed.
“That’s true. Brother Camil wouldn’t be too happy about it either.”
The three of them clearly shared information Ines didn’t know. Edgar spoke gently on her behalf.
“…Still, she’s the hostess of the duchy. Isn’t it only right that she greets them?”
Rayan, who had been calmly using his utensils, suddenly stopped.
A cold silence followed.
Rayan set down his fork and leaned back in his chair. His upright posture relaxed.
“This is an internal matter of Eleanor, Your Highness.”
“….”
“It’s not something you should get involved in.”
A blunt rejection.
Ines felt like she had something stuck in her throat.
“…I see. I trust that you will handle it properly, Brother.”
Edgar responded, his tone firmer than before. The cousins’ gazes clashed sharply for a moment before Edgar smiled faintly, and both looked away as if nothing had happened.
“I’ve revised the duchy’s budget a little. After you’ve rested for a few days, you can go over it slowly. Since it’s the first favor you’ve asked of me in ten years, I did my best.”
“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
“Not at all.”
After that, the meal passed in relative peace.
When dinner was over, Edgar was shown to the room he always used when staying at the mansion.
Right before they parted at the staircase, Edgar looked back at Rayan with a warm smile.
“I’ll head in now, Brother. Thank you for everything.”
“Yes.”
“Surely you won’t keep speaking that awkwardly to me? No one’s watching anymore.”
For the first time that day, a small smile crossed Rayan’s usually blank face.
“…Alright. It must’ve been a long trip. Good job, Edgar. And with everything in Jenaire too.”
“It was nothing.”
His younger cousin gave him a brief hug.
“Please rest well. And Lady Ines too.”
“Thank you. I hope you have a good night as well, Your Highness.”
Whatever unspoken understanding had passed between them during dinner seemed to have healed the rift.
Just when Ines thought things had settled, Rayan grabbed her arm.
Edgar was certainly Rayan’s closest friend and dearest relative.
Before the illegitimate child scandal broke out in Eleanor, and before the seven-year war with Jenaire began, they had practically grown up together. Half the year was spent in the duchy, and the other half in Lezan.
They had once been so close. But at some point, distance began to grow between them.
Rayan thought about this as he buried his face into the nape of Ines’s neck.
Why had Edgar Ruseliger let this woman flee the imperial palace two and a half years ago?
“Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No, there’s not.”
“Then why… where are you going next week?”
“You heard it earlier. It’s Eleanor business.”
Ines turned to look up at him. Even though he gave an answer, her eyes quietly waited for more. Eventually, Rayan added a few more words.
“I’m not going far. I’ll be back in a week.”
“….”
“It’s not something you need to know about.”
What he didn’t say was that it was about the death anniversaries of the former Grand Duke and Duchess.
Next week marked the anniversary of the Grand Duchess’s brutal murder at the hands of Millian Eleanor, the illegitimate son. And a week later was the Grand Duke’s anniversary.
“I guess… I’m not allowed to go.”
“Right.”
There was nothing to even think about. Ines would never be allowed to set foot where his parents rested.
“Never let an illegitimate child into Eleanor. If one is born, crush it immediately. Do not let Eleanor suffer that shame again.”
Rayan recalled his father’s final words and slid his hand to Ines’s waist. He stroked the slim curve that needed no corset.
Ines let out a small moan.
“Ah…”
Even though her body was wrapped in layers of cloth, it didn’t feel like skin on skin. But just remembering how soft her pale skin was sent blood rushing downward.
If his father saw him lusting after a lowborn woman like this, like a dog in heat, what would he say?
But more than that, something else still gnawed at him.
‘Is it still there…’
