Chapter 8
Aveline shook her head vigorously.
“No? Absolutely not.”
Seeing this, Ares let out a sigh of relief.
However, he didn’t relax his wary expression towards Duke Ribes.
While the twins were conversing amongst themselves, Count Herolds raised his voice.
“Are you saying that Aveline stole your jewel, Duke? How on earth would Aveline and you have even crossed paths…”
“Yesterday.”
“Pardon?”
Count Herolds gaped blankly at the immediate response.
“I saw her yesterday. In front of Sienna Restaurant.”
“Sienna Restaurant… that’s…”
Count Herolds trailed off as if recalling something. Then he quickly turned to Aveline.
“Isn’t that where you met Viscount Berta yesterday?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
Aveline answered in a small voice. Her head was spinning.
‘What on earth is going on?’
It was overwhelming enough that Duke Ribes had suddenly shown up, but now she apparently had his jewel?
No matter how she thought about it, she hadn’t stolen any jewel from Duke Ribes.
‘…Wait a minute.’
Suddenly, the image of the shriveled jelly she’d seen in Duke Ribes’ carriage flashed through her mind.
‘No way.’
Had he come looking for that jelly, calling it a jewel?
Even if Duke Ribes was an odd person, he wouldn’t have chased after her for a piece of jelly that fell in his carriage.
“I’ve never stolen your jewel, Duke. I’ve never even seen it.”
Therefore, Aveline could confidently say she was innocent.
“You heard her, didn’t you? She says so herself. There seems to have been some misunderstanding, so please leave now.”
Count Herolds said, rubbing his face tiredly.
“The young lady is correct.”
However, Duke Ribes smiled kindly as if he were about to correct a wrong answer.
“My jewel.”
“…”
A long silence followed Duke Ribes’ explosive statement.
Count Herolds scrutinized Aveline’s appearance with disbelieving eyes.
Her hair was disheveled as if she’d rushed out right after waking up, she wore outdated indoor clothes as she hadn’t changed since secluding herself at home, and unlike a typical noble lady, she couldn’t control her expression at all, gaping blankly.
It was a somewhat embarrassing sight for a noble family’s daughter.
Of course, her face was decent enough, befitting the twin sister of Ares, who ranked among the top three handsome men in the empire.
It was just that when she stood before him, her father, she always looked weak, trembling like a newborn rabbit, which he didn’t like.
No matter how he thought about it, the current situation looked as if Duke Ribes had briefly encountered Aveline yesterday, taken a liking to her, and unable to overcome his tumultuous feelings, had rushed over as soon as day broke.
He had been worried about which woman would end up with such a man, but to think it would be his own daughter…
‘It might not be so bad after all.’
Count Herolds pondered as he watched Duke Ribes give a subtle smile towards his daughter.
‘It’s like sending her to catch a mouse and she brought back a lion.’
For the first time, Count Herolds felt proud of his daughter. Aveline had always been desperate for his approval, so this might be usefully exploited.
Hiding his inner thoughts, Count Herolds spoke up.
“Ahem. Excuse me, Duke, but if I heard correctly, did you say that Aveline is your jewel?”
“That’s correct.”
The answer came immediately. Now Duke Ribes seemed to have no intention of hiding his feelings.
“Is there no possibility of some misunderstanding? Are you certain that Aveline is truly your… ahem, jewel?”
There was still a chance he had mistaken Aveline for another woman. But Duke Ribes’ expression didn’t waver at all.
“There’s no mistake. Just look at how she’s sparkling.”
Everyone in the room glanced at Aveline.
They all wore expressions that seemed to say, “Oh dear, our poor lady has gotten mixed up with a strange man who’s only normal on the outside.”
But at this moment, the most distressed person was undoubtedly Aveline herself.
“A-ahem! Aveline!”
Count Herolds, having regained his composure, gestured for Aveline to come closer.
“Y-yes?”
“Come here.”
Aveline took a step towards her father with a dazed expression, trying her best to ignore the Duke’s gaze fixed upon her.
“Since the Duke has taken the trouble to visit, why don’t you show him around the garden?”
“What? Me?”
Aveline jumped at her father’s sudden suggestion.
“Father! It’s dangerous for sister to go alone!”
Ares, who had been watching, also jumped in. Aveline sent a sparkling, grateful look to her brother for his actions.
“There’s no need to worry greatly. I assure you, I’m quite the gentleman.”
However, at Duke Ribes’ following words, Aveline truly felt like crying now.
* * *
In the end, Aveline ended up walking alone with Duke Ribes, or rather Theron, in the Count’s garden.
Count Herolds had tried to send Aveline back to her room to get dressed up, but Theron refused, saying his jewel needed no outward adornment. So now Aveline was still in her disheveled state.
-I’ll stay by the window, so if anything happens, clap loudly three times. Got it?
Still, Ares’ words before they went out to the garden were quite comforting. The twins exchanged grave looks before parting ways.
Throughout their walk in the garden, Theron didn’t easily open his mouth. Unable to bear the silence, Aveline spoke first.
“Um, Duke.”
“…”
“If I caused you any displeasure yesterday, I’m truly sorry.”
At Aveline’s words, Theron stopped in his tracks.
“Sorry?”
Aveline didn’t think Theron had come because he truly liked her, as her father seemed to believe.
‘He doesn’t seem like the type to like anyone with that personality.’
Besides, she was also at fault for suddenly boarding Theron’s carriage yesterday, so a proper apology was in order. Even a strange person would feel offended by that.
“Yes. For suddenly getting into your carriage yesterday, crying, and even in-insulting you…”
As she spoke, she realized her wrongdoings were not just one or two.
‘I must have been crazy. I should have controlled myself no matter how angry I was.’
Especially when dealing with a mad duke.
“Is that all?”
However, Theron’s response was unexpected.
“Pardon?”
“I asked if what you just said is all there is.”
The displeased tone made Aveline snap to attention.
The uneasy feeling she had tried to bury deep in her heart resurfaced.
“Is this about the jelly?”
“Jelly?”
Theron’s handsome brow furrowed slightly. Not noticing his expression, Aveline continued speaking.
“Well, I was so hungry… If it was something you were saving to eat later, I’m sorry. But it’s good you didn’t eat it. It was so old that it disappeared as soon as I touched it… Oh! Duke, are you alright?”
Glancing up to gauge his reaction, Aveline quickly supported Theron with both hands as he staggered as if about to fall.
“What did you just say?”
Theron asked with an expression of disbelief, leaning on Aveline.
“That the jelly was extremely old…?”
“Before that.”
“That it’s really good you didn’t eat it…”
“After that.”
Aveline, her arms trembling as she supported Theron who was increasingly leaning his weight on her, racked her brain.
“Um. That it disappeared as soon as I touched it?”
“That’s the part.”
Theron nodded, still leaning on Aveline.
“So, you’re saying you touched my belongings in the carriage.”
“Well, yes…”
It really was about the jelly.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t taken aback, but touching someone else’s belongings in their carriage was still her fault.
“I didn’t know it was a jelly you were saving. If you tell me which store it’s from, I’ll make sure to get a new one and give it to you.”
“It wasn’t jelly.”
Theron said, looking down closely at Aveline’s face.
“What you destroyed was my jewel. It disappeared as soon as you touched it because it was absorbed into you.”
“…Absorbed? Ah!”
Surprised by Theron’s words, Aveline’s strength gave out, and both of them tumbled to the ground.
“A-are you alright?”
Aveline frantically checked on Theron. He had wrapped himself around her as they fell.
“Are you okay?”
However, Theron checked on Aveline’s condition first.
‘Oh.’
Aveline, who had unconsciously lowered her head, suddenly realized how close Theron’s face was and felt embarrassed.
‘He’s much more handsome than the ex-husband I saw in my dream yesterday.’
The ex-husband had been quite handsome too, but he was no match for Theron. Moreover, Theron was even showing concern for her in his own way, making her heart flutter a little.
“I’m fine-“
“No, I mean my jewel that you absorbed. If it cracked somewhere from the shock just now…”
Theron, who had already gotten up, reached out towards Aveline’s stomach.
“Where do you think you’re touching!”
Aveline, startled, quickly swatted his hand away. But she couldn’t stop Theron’s next words in time.
“Please be very careful with every movement from now on. If only for the sake of my jewel that has settled inside you.”
Just as Aveline was about to refute his words that could easily be misunderstood, a commotion was heard from somewhere.
“Oh my!”
There stood a maid with an empty basket and broken eggs, her eyes wide with shock.
