Chapter 7
‘That’s satisfying.’
Aveline thoroughly savored the feeling of relief as she watched the man’s reaction.
The kind female protagonist always foolishly accepted her husband’s empty apologies. How frustrating it had been to watch that!
‘He must have knelt down so confidently, thinking she would definitely forgive him. Just for show.’
But when he heard a completely unexpected answer, he was left gaping stupidly, unable to regain his senses.
‘Though the reaction is much more vivid than I expected.’
Even for a dream reflecting her subconscious, the frozen man’s reaction felt too real.
‘Is he going to start drooling?’
Seeing him continue to gape with his mouth wide open, Aveline started to feel a bit worried.
“Hey?”
Aveline poked the man with her finger.
Swoosh, thud!
Simultaneously, the man tilted in the direction Aveline had pushed and collapsed.
“W-what?”
No way. He fell just from a light tap?
Startled, Aveline hurriedly approached the man.
“Hey. Come to your senses!”
No matter how much she shook him, the man remained motionless.
“Doctor!”
Finally, Aveline went outside to call for help.
* * *
“He’s just a bit shocked. He’ll be fine after some rest.”
The resident doctor of the mansion quickly examined the man’s condition. Fortunately, the doctor didn’t ask why the estranged couple was together.
‘I guess it’s because this is all a dream anyway.’
Left alone with the unconscious man after the doctor finished and left, Aveline was on the verge of losing her composure.
“Seriously. He was in the wrong, but he’s in shock just because I said something?”
Compared to what he had done to Eve, this was nothing.
“People who hurt others are always the most sensitive to their own pain. Tsk tsk.”
This was an eternal truth Aveline had learned in life. Before she shut herself in at home like now, Aveline had engaged in some social activities.
But after an incident there, she stopped going out and secluded herself at home.
‘Ah, let’s not think about that time. It’s depressing.’
She had been gradually forgetting about the past by immersing herself in fangirling. Aveline tried to shake off the incoming memories and focused on the man again.
“How did someone with such a weak mentality manage to have an affair?”
Well, considering how much he had groveled later when he found out Eve had a new man, his mentality must have been made of glass from the start.
“I guess he’s just the type who thinks it’s okay for him but not for others. What a waste of a good-looking face.”
But no matter how handsome, trash was still trash. Thinking about how much the female protagonist had suffered because of this guy, she could never forgive him.
As Aveline was fuming in front of the unconscious man, she suddenly felt fatigue washing over her.
‘I guess I’m tired from the sudden emotional exertion.’
Aveline trudged to the sofa in the corner of the bedroom and lay down. As soon as she closed her eyes, a heavy drowsiness enveloped her body.
* * *
“Young miss, please wake up!”
“Mmm…”
Aveline gradually regained consciousness as the maid shook her. Blinking her sleepy eyes slowly, Aveline suddenly sat up as if she had come to her senses.
“Young miss, what’s wrong?”
Yoni, Aveline’s personal maid, asked worriedly as she watched Aveline frantically looking around the room.
“It’s nothing.”
Aveline replied calmly after confirming it was her original room. The dream had been so vivid that she had tensed up without realizing it.
“But what’s the matter?”
It was unusual for her to be woken up like this, as normally she was left alone until she woke up on her own.
“Young miss, you need to get ready and go out quickly!”
Yoni urged, handing over a cloth dampened with warm water. Aveline took the cloth reflexively and wiped her face, still not fully awake, as she waited for Yoni’s next words.
“Duke Ribes has come to the mansion!”
“What?”
That was enough to chase away all sleepiness. Aveline gaped blankly, not even noticing the cloth falling from her hand.
It was well known to everyone that Duke Ribes and Count Herolds had different political leanings.
‘In other words, there’s no reason for them to visit each other’s mansions privately.’
So why had Duke Ribes come here?
“Why did he come here?”
“I don’t know. I heard from Mari that he keeps insisting he’s here to find a lost jewel.”
Jewel? Why would he come all the way here to find his jewel?
Already uneasy from her entanglement with Duke Ribes yesterday, his visit to the mansion felt very unsettling. Aveline quickly changed into the clothes Yoni had prepared for her and came out.
“Sister, did you hear that Duke Ribes has come?”
As soon as she left her room, she ran into Ares, who was rushing somewhere. Ares, having heard the news as well, threw a question at Aveline.
“Yes. Are you going because of that too?”
“I heard he’s arguing with Father right now. Why is he looking for his jewel in someone else’s house… But what’s wrong with your hair?”
Ares, who had been nodding, frowned as he saw Aveline’s disheveled appearance. She had come out in a hurry without even brushing her hair. Aveline awkwardly ran her hand through her hair.
“…Let’s go for now.”
Ares turned his head as if deciding not to say anything more. At the same time, a pillow mark was revealed on Ares’ cheek.
* * *
Aveline with her messy hair and Ares with pillow marks on his cheek arrived at Count Herolds’ study after running hard.
They could see the mansion’s staff gathered outside the study, murmuring among themselves.
“What’s this? Why is everyone gathered here?”
Ares asked as he pushed through the crowd. The butler, who had been standing helplessly in front of the study door, couldn’t hide his relief upon seeing Ares.
“Young master, young miss!”
“Are Father and Duke Ribes in there together right now?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The butler nodded in response to Ares’ question. Ares turned to Aveline, signaling that he was going to open the door. Aveline swallowed hard and nodded.
“Father!”
As soon as the door opened, Ares rushed into the study.
At the sound, both Count Herolds and Duke Ribes inside the study turned their heads simultaneously.
“What on earth is going on, Father?”
Ares asked, feigning ignorance despite already knowing.
Count Herolds closed his eyes tightly upon seeing the twins’ disheveled appearance.
“…The Duke says he’s lost a jewel. I don’t understand why he’s come here to look for it, really.”
“I told you I was led here by my jewel.”
Duke Ribes retorted in an elegant tone. His attitude was as shameless and bold as someone who had barged into someone else’s house without notice early in the morning.
“That’s exactly what I mean—why our house of all places? Even if House Herolds doesn’t have as much as you, Duke, we’re not the type to lay hands on others’ jewels. Coming here so suddenly and causing a scene like this, I can’t help but think you’re doing this on purpose!”
In reality, Count Herolds was beside himself.
It was maddening that Duke Ribes, whom he normally wouldn’t meet except at the central council meetings in the imperial palace, had suddenly come to his home and was insisting they hand over his jewel.
He had heard rumors that Duke Ribes was an unusual person, but he never imagined that “unusual” would mean something like this.
No matter how much he reflected on the past, he couldn’t figure out how he had caught this mad duke’s eye to end up in this situation.
As befitting his reputation as one of the empire’s top three handsome men, his appearance was truly remarkable. It was an appearance that could captivate even a middle-aged man like himself.
Count Herolds, who had never been swayed by looks in his youth, thought he might start disliking mirrors after today.
But despite his incredible appearance, Duke Ribes had an extraordinary ability to make others lose their composure every time he opened his mouth.
‘God is truly fair.’
He had an insanely handsome appearance, but his personality was quite strange.
Count Herolds even felt sorry for whoever would end up with Duke Ribes in the future.
Though he doubted if the Duke would even take interest in a woman with that personality.
“Ah, I’ve found it.”
Just then, Duke Ribes’ eyes curved into crescents.
“Found what? What on earth have you found…”
As Count Herolds belatedly came to his senses and asked, Duke Ribes elegantly extended his long, slender finger to point somewhere.
“There, my jewel.”
At his words, the gazes of Count Herolds, Ares, and the mansion staff peeking through the open door all converged on one spot.
* * *
“There, my jewel.”
Aveline, who had been watching the situation from outside the door, felt the surrounding air suddenly chill.
No, it wasn’t just the air—Aveline’s heart also froze.
‘Did he just point at me?’
She even doubted if she had seen the direction of Duke Ribes’ finger correctly.
“M-me?”
Aveline, looking around, asked as if to confirm. Duke Ribes nodded.
“Why?”
Aveline suppressed the urge to scream.
“Sister, did you steal something from the Duke yesterday?”
Ares, who knew that Aveline had been with Duke Ribes yesterday, whispered quietly.
