Chapter 47
Both Aveline and Ares remained silent, causing Count Herolds’ face to grow increasingly grave.
“Don’t tell me you received something like a marriage proposal?”
“Um…”
“Hurry up and tell me!”
When no answer came quickly, Count Herolds shouted in frustration.
“Well, it was… similar…?”
Eventually, Aveline struggled to find the right words and awkwardly trailed off.
“What?”
Having asked the question himself, Count Herolds staggered as if his legs had given out when he actually received confirmation.
“Good heavens.”
“Father!”
Ares hurried to support Count Herolds.
Coming to his senses, Count Herolds grabbed onto Ares’ forearm that was supporting him.
“I sent you along to prevent exactly this kind of thing from happening!”
At his father’s scolding, Ares could only hang his head, unable to respond.
“Ares isn’t really at fault.”
Aveline interjected.
Serio had already been determined enough to prepare the route to the imperial palace. There wasn’t much Ares could have done against such a crown prince.
‘At most, he could only sit beside me and keep watch.’
In fact, even that alone had been a comfort to Aveline. If Ares hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have known how to handle Serio alone.
“So.”
Count Herolds, who had been anxiously biting his lips, opened his mouth.
“You firmly rejected him, right?”
“Pardon?”
“You told him you have absolutely no intention of becoming the crown princess!”
Count Herolds shouted like thunder, looking almost desperate.
‘This is definitely strange.’
No matter how much she thought about it, Aveline couldn’t shake her suspicion that there was something excessive about her father’s behavior.
‘It’s not simply that he doesn’t want to be involved with the imperial family.’
This wasn’t just not wanting toāit was more than that.
Aveline looked at her father for a moment.
His eyes desperately hoping for confirmation from her.
Even the expression where her father’s usually firm exterior had been peeled away, revealing his vulnerable inner feelings.
‘He’s anxious.’
Whatever it was, her father was anxious.
Although she had heard directly from her father before that he hoped she wouldn’t become the crown princess, in reality, there was an even stronger aversion settled deep within him.
‘Is there something I don’t know about?’
A suspicious doubt suddenly arose.
“Why aren’t you answering!”
Tired of waiting for an answer, Count Herolds pressed again.
“Don’t worry.”
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
‘This entrance style…’
Turning around, she saw Theron as expected.
“Count! I told you to wait just a moment…!”
Behind Theron, the butler was running after him, panting.
Despite having intruded into someone else’s mansion without permission, Theron was utterly shameless. Since this was his second intrusion, he seemed quite familiar with the mansion.
‘What kind of situation is this now?’
Before she could fully process why Theron was standing in her house’s corridor, their eyes met.
“…”
After examining Aveline’s face, Theron frowned as if something displeased him.
‘What’s with him, looking at someone’s face like that.’
Come to think of it, she hadn’t washed her face yet.
Still, to openly frown like that.
Feeling slightly hurt in her pride, Aveline unconsciously ran her hand over her face.
‘Ah.’
She felt her swollen eyes with her fingertips.
Her eyes were still swollen from crying all night and hadn’t gone down yet.
‘Then I must have looked quite unsightly.’
Meeting a face with puffy, swollen eyes right upon arrival.
“What brings you here again?”
While Aveline embarrassedly brushed her face, Count Herolds, having regained his composure, addressed Theron.
“This is the second time you’ve visited early in the morning without notice. I cannot tolerate this kind of barging in, even from a duke.”
The first time had been when he suddenly barged in claiming to have lost his jewel.
Aveline got goosebumps remembering how everyone had looked at her pitifully back then.
“Please forgive my rudeness.”
An apology readily fell from Theron’s lips.
At his uncharacteristically polite appearance, not only Aveline but also Count Herolds, Ares, and even the butler standing behind them all gaped in astonishment.
“I couldn’t overcome my restless heart from missing Lady Herolds all night, so I ended up rushing over.”
Retch.
Ares, who had been supporting Count Herolds, couldn’t help but dry heave.
“…”
Count Herolds’ pupils shook mercilessly like someone who had heard something unbearable.
“So right now…”
Count Herolds, belatedly regaining his composure, opened his mouth with difficulty.
“I understand your feelings.”
Theron continued with a generous tone.
“You must be quite flustered because of His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Overwhelmed by Theron’s confident attitude, as if he had nothing to do with the reason for the confusion, Count Herolds trailed off.
“The one who’s clearly flustered right now is the duke…”
“Barom.”
Just as Count Herolds was about to clearly express his opinion, Theron cut him off.
“What.”
A man emerged from the shadows, having been there for who knows how long.
‘That person is…’
A man with long red hair braided and hanging down below one shoulder.
Aveline had seen him before.
“Huh?”
Ares also seemed to recognize the man’s face and widened his eyes.
“Bring the gifts.”
“Ah, what a bother.”
The man called Barom was undoubtedly the one who had brought Ares when he was talking with Theron in the rental shop alley last time.
Though grumbling, the man turned around as Theron instructed.
When his eyes met Aveline’s, his red eyes, which had been half-closed in boredom, came alive.
“Oh, this is the first time I’m seeing your face properly?”
“Barom.”
“Ah, I get it. I get it.”
When Theron called his name warningly, Barom quickened his pace, grumbling.
Shortly after, Barom appeared scratching his head, followed by servants carrying various items in perfect order.
There were expensive-looking fabrics, exotic ceramics, and jewelry and gems that looked valuable at first glance.
“…What is all this?”
“It’s a bribe.”
“…Pardon?”
Toward Count Herolds, who asked back in confusion, Theron smiled as if painted.
“For you to grant me time with Lady Herolds.”
Ā
Ā
“The weather is nice.”
Theron spoke as if in a good mood.
‘What kind of situation is this?’
For some reason, Aveline was walking through the streets with Theron.
Although Theron had said strange things about wanting permission for time with Aveline and brought all sorts of gifts…
‘I can’t believe Father actually gave permission.’
Count Herolds had told Aveline to go if she was okay with it.
‘When Duke Ribes first barged into the mansion, it was a similar situation.’
But the difference was that back then it was in the garden within the mansion, but now it was in the middle of downtown.
“Gasp. Isn’t that Duke Ribes over there?”
“You’re right! But who’s that young lady next to him…”
“…Looks like Lady Herolds?”
Every few steps, she could hear people whispering.
“Your Grace.”
When Theron just kept walking, Aveline spoke up.
“How long do we have to walk?”
“Until people have seen us enough.”
I see.
As soon as they came downtown, he got out of the carriage and suggested walkingāthere was a scheme behind it.
It was to be wary of people finding out that Aveline had received a personal invitation from the crown prince yesterday.
“I want to stop walking.”
Eventually, Aveline was the first to gather courage and speak.
They had walked around the same area four times already, and her legs were starting to hurt.
Moreover, she was wearing her mother’s shoes, which didn’t fit her feet properly.
“Ah.”
Theron looked surprised, as if he hadn’t thought of that.
“I forgot that your stamina is different from mine.”
Theron was still fresh without a drop of sweat even after circling this vast downtown area four times.
‘I thought he only knew how to sit and read books, but he has surprisingly good stamina.’
Come to think of it, when Theron had protected her and fallen last time, she remembered being surprised that his body was firmer than expected.
“…Your expression is strange.”
“Ahem.”
Caught by Theron’s observation, Aveline quickly managed her expression and changed the subject.
“I have good stamina too. Walking isn’t difficult. It’s just a bit…”
However, she couldn’t easily bring herself to say that her feet hurt.
She didn’t know why Klein came to mind at this moment.
Klein, who used to give his sister lots of comfortable shoes as gifts.
Watching Klein like that, she had once thought that perhaps love was knowing what was needed before it was even spoken.
“Ah.”
Theron, who had been quietly observing Aveline’s face, frowned as if realizing something.
“Let’s quickly move locations.”
“Pardon? Where to?”
Instead of answering, Theron suddenly lifted Aveline in a princess carry.
“Y-Your Grace! Eek!”
“Let’s go like this.”
When Theron suddenly lifted Aveline in the middle of the street, the glances of people who had been stealing looks became blatantly obvious.
“Hah.”
Unable to handle this situation, Aveline covered her face with both hands.
It had been a good choice to wear a bonnet to hide her swollen eyes even a little.
Covering her face with her hands and lowering her head, she felt doubly protected.
Ā
However, contrary to her uncomfortable feelings, her body held in Theron’s arms was strangely comfortable.
