Chapter 101
As soon as the carriage door opened upon their arrival at the imperial palace, the first person Raylenne saw was Merian, who had come out to greet them.
“Aiden!” Merian greeted warmly, her face lighting up with a smile. “You’ve arrived. It must have been a tiring journey.”
Aiden, however, showed little reaction to his mother’s warm welcome. Merian, seemingly accustomed to her son’s reserved demeanor, simply smiled and turned her attention to Raylenne. Her smile remained warm as she spoke.
“And you, Miss Raylenne, thank you for coming. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Merian,” Raylenne responded politely.
Merian then noticed the four knights accompanying Raylenne, a detail that took her by surprise. “And these gentlemen are…?”
“They are my escort,” Raylenne explained, noting the four robust knights Caverion had insisted accompany her for safety on the long journey.
“I see,” Merian nodded. “I’ll have a servant show your escorts to their quarters.”
“Thank you,” Raylenne replied.
A servant soon arrived to lead the knights away, leaving just the three of them—Merian, Aiden, and Raylenne. Merian immediately took Raylenne’s hand, catching her by surprise as she guided her inside.
“Shall we go in?” Merian suggested cheerfully, still holding Raylenne’s hand rather than Aiden’s. Raylenne found herself somewhat startled by the unexpected warmth of Merian’s small but strong grip.
“My quarters are called the ‘Swallow Palace’ because there’s a garden of violets behind it. Although it’s winter now and the flowers aren’t blooming, we’ve kept the garden well-maintained,” Merian explained in a lively, almost song-like voice. Her petite figure and youthful appearance could easily make her seem like a young girl at first glance.
This was only Raylenne’s second time meeting Merian, but she felt a positive impression of her. It became clear why Lavita placed such trust in and relied on Merian.
Merian leaned in to whisper to Raylenne, “I’m so grateful you could come, Miss Raylenne. As you know, Aiden isn’t very talkative, and if he came alone, he would have been terribly bored.”
Merian’s candidness struck Raylenne as unusual but not surprising, considering Aiden’s aloof demeanor. ‘It seems like she genuinely misses and cares for him, even if she finds him a bit dull,’ Raylenne mused. Aiden walked behind them at a measured pace, perhaps feeling awkward about joining the two women closely. He likely hadn’t heard their conversation, although his keen hearing might have caught it. Even if he had, Aiden wasn’t the type to be hurt by such comments.
Raylenne glanced back at him but saw no sign of offense in his expression. At that moment, Merian whispered again.
“Miss Raylenne, may I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Raylenne replied, intrigued.
In a soft voice, Merian inquired, “What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Aiden?”
Raylenne was so surprised by the question that she stopped in her tracks. Merian continued in a gentle, straightforward manner, as if unaware of Raylenne’s shock.
“I’m asking because the two of you seemed to share a special connection at the party the other day.”
“Did we really look like that?” Raylenne asked, perplexed. She didn’t recall interacting much with Aiden at the party held at Ergen, aside from him hovering nearby.
“Ah, a mother can tell just by the look in her child’s eyes what they think of someone,” Merian said with a knowing smile. “Aiden likes you, doesn’t he?”
Raylenne felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Being seen through by Aiden’s own mother was disconcerting. ‘So, that’s why she invited me to the palace…,’ she thought, realizing that while Merian might also appreciate her kindness towards Aiden when he was a prisoner, she was likely curious about the woman her son had feelings for.
The tension Raylenne had felt in the carriage began to rise again, manifesting in a tingling sensation in her fingertips.
“There’s no need to be nervous,” Merian reassured her. “I didn’t invite you here to test or scrutinize you. I trust my son’s judgment.”
Merian was perceptive, seemingly able to read Raylenne’s thoughts from her expressions alone. ‘Aiden must have inherited this from his mother,’ Raylenne thought, deciding to guard her emotions more carefully to avoid revealing too much.
“As I mentioned in the letter, I invited you simply to show gratitude for your kindness to Aiden,” Merian continued warmly.
“…Thank you,” Raylenne replied, still a bit overwhelmed.
“I hope you enjoy your time here,” Merian added, her eyes crinkling in a sincere smile.
They reached the front entrance of Merian’s quarters, and Raylenne swallowed her apprehension as they stepped inside, wondering if she had indeed made the right decision in coming.
* * *
Merian led Raylenne and Aiden through a brief tour of the palace before guiding them to a sitting room. The room featured large windows adorned with purple velvet curtains, offering a picturesque view of the blue sky outside. Merian mentioned that in spring, they could see the violet garden from this spot, which was why she chose the matching purple curtains. She seated Raylenne and Aiden at a sunny table.
“We’ll have lunch here instead of the dining room. This room is much better decorated,” Merian said.
“That sounds good,” Raylenne replied with a smile, unconcerned about the location of their meal.
Merian took her seat and looked at Aiden with a touch of nostalgia. “Aiden, do you remember when I brought you here as a child?”
“Yes, I remember vaguely,” Aiden replied.
Merian smiled sadly. “…After the divorce, I never had the chance to bring you back. Your father wouldn’t even allow me to see you.”
She sighed, clenching her small fists tightly, causing the white silk gloves she wore to crumple. “If he was going to keep us apart, he could have at least treated you better…”
Her voice hardened, tinged with bitterness. “And now that he’s learned Damian isn’t an Awakened, he’s probably full of regret.”
Aiden, seemingly uninterested in comforting his mother, continued to glance around the room. Merian soon calmed herself and spoke again, her tone more measured.
“By the way, Aiden, I’ve been looking into the matter of Awakened individuals, and it seems they require a handler. Are you managing okay?”
“I’m fine without one. Miss Raylenne is here with me,” Aiden answered.
Merian turned her curious gaze to Raylenne. “Is Miss Raylenne your handler?”
“Uh… yes, sort of…” Raylenne hesitated, deciding it was best to go along with the assumption. Explaining the full truth would be too complicated.
Merian, unaware of the true nature of their relationship, clasped her hands together in relief. “That’s wonderful. With Duke Caverion being an exceptional Awakened, Aiden will have much to learn during his stay at the estate.”
In reality, sparks often flew between Aiden and Caverion, but Raylenne chose to keep that to herself. Just then, servants entered with their meal. The skilled palace servants quietly laid a beautiful tablecloth and set the table with an array of delicious-looking dishes. The meal was indeed a feast, living up to Merian’s promise in her letter.
However, Merian seemed dissatisfied. “I wanted to prepare more, but it’s winter, and some ingredients are hard to find. I did my best with what was available, so I hope it’s to your liking.”
“No, this is more than enough…!” Raylenne quickly reassured her, prompting a smile from Merian.
“I’m glad to hear that. Well then, please enjoy your meal.”
As they ate, Merian, filled with curiosity, asked numerous questions, primarily directed at Raylenne since Aiden’s responses were typically brief. She inquired about how Raylenne had helped Aiden during his captivity, the current atmosphere at the Ergen Duke’s estate, and whether Aiden had experienced any issues since awakening.
Finally, as the meal was winding down, Merian turned to Aiden with a more personal question. “Aiden, what do you plan to do after leaving the Ergen estate?”
Aiden paused, setting down his utensils, and took a sip of water. Merian continued, “If you have nowhere else to go, why not come to the palace? I can speak to His Majesty and secure a position for you. With your experience leading a knight order, you could join the knights here. In fact, the position of commander of the Second Knight Order is currently vacant…”
“Mother, I plan to return to the Bedeusian family,” Aiden stated firmly.
Merian’s expression hardened as she slowly set her utensils down. “What do you mean, return to the Bedeusian family?”
She seemed unable to understand why Aiden would willingly go back to the family that had mistreated him.
“I have no other intentions but to inherit the dukedom,” Aiden clarified.
“For the sake of the title? You never cared about that before,” Merian pressed.
“It was always my rightful place,” Aiden responded, showing no inclination to explain further. Raylenne also remained silent, knowing she was the reason behind Aiden’s decision.
“I see… It is your rightful place. But…” Merian’s brow furrowed slightly. “If you become the Duke of Bedeusian, you’ll have to deal with both Caverion and Harbian. They are formidable adversaries.”
Merian quickly added, sensing Raylenne’s concern, “Please don’t misunderstand, Miss Raylenne. Your brother is a remarkable talent within the Empire. Of course, I believe Aiden will do well too, but he hasn’t received the proper training for succession… It worries me as a mother.”
It was true that both Caverion and Harbian were cunning and intelligent in different ways. Although Raylenne trusted Aiden, she could understand Merian’s worries.
“Mother, has Harbian been officially confirmed as the next emperor?” Aiden asked.
Merian nodded. “Aiden, you probably don’t know this, but there was an incident in the palace recently. His Majesty had a falling out with Harbian and intended to appoint Uncle Claude as the next emperor.”
Raylenne had heard this story from the former Duke Ergen. The Emperor, in a dispute with Harbian, had tried to make his younger brother the next emperor. However, she hadn’t heard the rest of the story and had not been particularly interested in it, especially after her engagement with Harbian fell through. Now, intrigued, Raylenne listened closely to Merian’s account.
Merian’s expression darkened as she continued. “But… in the end, Harbian was confirmed as the next emperor.”
Then she revealed the shocking news. “Uncle Claude passed away.”
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