Chapter 17
“What?”
Unlike the puzzled Tericia, Rashid finished his cake without hesitation.
What kind of appetite did this child have again?
She thought about it carefully. Because of their strained relationship caused by their mother, they had only shared tea or meals a handful of times. And in those few moments, she couldn’t recall Rashid ever enjoying sweets like this.
No way…
Tericia looked over at Rashid. Sensing her gaze, he turned to meet her eyes.
His gaze was warm. Those golden eyes, always directed at her, held gentle affection.
Compared to the past, their relationship had improved drastically. He stood by her whenever there was conflict with their mother, and she appreciated his loyalty and care.
Could it be… Rashid likes me…?
But then she quietly laughed and looked away. Perhaps it was just a fleeting thought, born from the long time they’d spent apart.
Rashid still respectfully called her “sister” and treated her with the utmost courtesy. She, too, cherished him as her younger brother.
Telling her not to be too close to Adler… saying he liked sweets because she did… It was all rather endearing. It felt like he was trying to be affectionate in his own subtle way.
Maybe that’s why—something entirely unexpected slipped out of her mouth.
“If you have some free time, let’s go out together. I’ll take you somewhere nice.”
Rashid, mid-sip of his tea, paused and looked at her, visibly surprised.
“Just the two of us… going out together?”
“Of course. You and me. Why, were you planning to take someone else?”
“Absolutely not.”
He responded firmly and without hesitation.
“I mean, only if you’re free. You’ll probably get busier from now on…”
“I’ll make time. I definitely will.”
Afraid she might change her mind, Rashid quickly added,
“Even if I have no time, I’ll create it. So please don’t worry.”
“There’s really no need to go that far…”
“No, this is a promise. You made a promise, Sister. You must keep it.”
“…Alright. Let’s go out together next time. Just us.”
Hearing the excitement in his voice, Tericia found herself smiling. She took another sip of tea to hide the way her lips were curving.
The tea tasted sweet.
＊＊＊
Meanwhile, Lady Boren was seething with frustration. She hadn’t even noticed she was biting her nails—an unconscious habit that revealed her growing anxiety.
How could I have run away like that… from that brat!
She still hadn’t gotten over the humiliation from the day she ran into him outside the duke’s office. This time, Tericia had been standing beside him, making it even worse—like she had run away from both of them.
The more she thought about it, the more it infuriated her.
A mere child… giving me that murderous look… I’ve never liked him!
He had always looked at her without warmth—never once greeting her properly, always acting as if she didn’t matter.
So what if he has noble blood? What does he have besides being Hespelt’s heir?
Even his maternal grandfather, after losing his only daughter, had vanished to the countryside and never returned.
Compared to that pitiful side of his family, mine is far more influential.
Wasn’t that why the emperor himself had arranged her marriage to the duke?
Katrina Boren had sharp instincts and a good head for business. She’d made her fortune through trade, then climbed the social ladder through marriage.
And now, she had entered the most powerful noble household in the Latran Empire—Hespelt.
On paper, she had everything: family, wealth, and status. Yet she still wasn’t truly accepted.
I have everything—and I can’t even be called the Duchess properly!
Moreover—
“Tericia, how dare you take that brat’s side?!”
The words burst out before she could stop them.
To think her own daughter—whom she had given birth to and raised—would not stand with her, but instead protect a boy who wasn’t even blood. Just thinking about it gave her a pounding headache.
Boren had worked to isolate Rashid so that all the wealth and honor of House Hespelt would fall into her own hands… and now, her daughter was the one interfering with that plan.
You’ve always gone out of your way for him. You think I didn’t notice?
She had known for a long time. Tericia had tried to hide it, thinking she could fool her, but really—what could a child possibly hide? That blatant affection she showed her so-called “little brother” had made Boren lash out even more harshly.
When Tericia had grown more distant with age, Boren had thought perhaps she’d finally come to her senses and relaxed her guard. That had been a mistake.
“And now she stabs me in the back like this? That insolent little—!”
“Don’t lay a hand on my sister.”
That brat—how dare he threaten her?
Even in her fury, Boren couldn’t forget one undeniable truth.
Rashid cherished Tericia—deeply.
“To the point of threatening me…”
She muttered again, slowly.
“Tericia is… his weakness?”
The moment the words left her mouth, they turned from speculation into conviction.
“Leah.”
“Yes, Madam?”
Her personal maid Leah approached quickly.
“I need you to acquire something.”
Leah listened closely to the instructions, then gave a small nod.
“It’s possible. It won’t take long.”
Once Leah left, Boren finally allowed herself to smile and exhaled deeply. It was a smile laced with sinister intent.
Yes. Testing him isn’t such a bad idea.
There was no way she would accept being cast aside like some useless old dish. It was always better to nip a rotten bud before it fully bloomed.
Just wait. I won’t let a single one of those who dared look down on me go unpunished.
It was a twisted sense of revenge.
＊＊＊
The date for the heir proclamation banquet had been set. It was scheduled for the end of summer, to coincide with Rashid’s birthday.
The first banquet held by House Hespelt in years had become the hottest topic in the Empire’s high society.
“This is the first since the Duke remarried, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“So he’s finally becoming the official heir, huh.”
Crown Prince Ludwig grinned as he spoke to Rashid. The latter didn’t respond—instead, he quietly examined the swords laid out in front of him.
Rashid had entered the palace unofficially to spar with the Crown Prince. Dressed simply in shirts and trousers, the two looked relaxed.
In the training grounds, attendants were preparing for the spar. Rashid and Ludwig had trained together since their academy days.
Back then, no one dared volunteer to spar with the Crown Prince.
Frustrated and bored, the Crown Prince had, on a whim, picked a fight with the passing Hespelt heir.
Rashid had accepted without hesitation—and in their first match, he had thoroughly beaten the Crown Prince to a pulp.
This is bad…
Even if he’s the Hespelt heir, will the Crown Prince really let this slide…?
Everyone had expected a huge scandal to erupt from that incident—but surprisingly, the Crown Prince let it go with a laugh.
He’d said it was the first time anyone had dared to face him without flinching, completely disregarding his status. From that moment until their graduation from the Academy, the Crown Prince had followed Rashid around like a loyal hound.
Later, when he once asked Rashid what made him beat him up so thoroughly that day, Rashid had simply answered:
“I had something on my mind, and Your Highness kept pestering me. It was annoying.”
Apparently, the Crown Prince liked him even more after that.
“Your beautiful sister didn’t come with you today, did she?” Ludwig asked, glancing around deliberately.
“Prince Ludwig…” Rashid replied, sighing.
The Crown Prince knew she wasn’t there, and yet he pretended to search the training ground.
“Ludwig—honestly. What a backwater name,” he said, clicking his tongue.
“It’s the name of the First Emperor,” Rashid reminded him coolly.
“Exactly. An old man’s name.”
“We call that classic, Your Highness.”
The Crown Prince pondered for a second, then grinned. “I should have your sister call me by my childhood name.”
“Your Highness!”
Ludwig often teased Rashid by mentioning Tericia. He seemed to enjoy watching Rashid bristle the moment she was brought up. And even though he knew it was all in jest, it still made Rashid irrationally annoyed.
“Practice bout—wooden swords or real blades?” Ludwig asked casually, spinning a practice sword in his hand.
“If we go with real swords, you’ll get hurt,” Rashid replied dryly.
“Oh ho, listen to this fellow—he just says whatever he wants now,” Ludwig laughed, clearly delighted.
“Wooden swords, then. Loser is the one who drops or breaks their weapon.”
“Very well. I’m looking forward to finally beating you properly, Your Highness.”
Rashid picked up a heavy, dark wooden sword and shifted it between his hands, getting a feel for it. The grip was solid and comfortable.
“I’ll use this one.”
He stepped into the arena and gave the sword a few swings. It cut through the air with a loud whoosh. The attending pages and squires quietly exited the training ground.
Ludwig followed soon after, choosing his weapon and entering with an easy gait. Both raised their swords and exchanged a light salute before stepping apart to create distance.
The Crown Prince gave his blade a testing swing with both hands.
Clack!
The moment their swords met, a sound rang out—sharper and heavier than one would expect from mere wood.
Well, well…
Ludwig’s brows shot up at the jolt that traveled down his arms.
So that’s how you want to play it?
He grinned.
“So, when is your sister coming to the palace? Now that her debutante ball is over, she really ought to start attending more banquets, don’t you think?”
Rashid’s expression twisted immediately. The veins in his hand bulged as he tightened his grip on the sword.
“Why do you keep asking about my sister, Your Highness?”
“I’m just curious. She’s quite unforgettable.”
Thwack!
This time, the impact was louder, the force behind it more intense.
I’ll be sore for days after this, Ludwig thought, laughing inwardly.
It was obvious Rashid was getting riled up.
“Don’t even think about it, Your Highness,” Rashid said flatly.
“Think about what? I’m merely asking.” Ludwig’s grin widened.
Their swords clashed again and parted. Rashid’s strikes now carried weight—intention.
Might be time to test the waters.
Ludwig adjusted his grip on his sword.
“You’re so easy to read. I take it you’re quite fond of your sister?”
His grin became all teeth.
“So, tell me—what would you do if I sent her a marriage proposal?”
At that moment, Rashid hesitated—and Ludwig seized the opening.
With swift precision, the Crown Prince struck.
