Chapter 17.1

The man who spoke very gently seemed to be sociable and friendly. The round eyes, the sharp nose that was different from that of the Grand Duke, and the raised corners of the mouth made him look like a playful child. From the outside, he was a man with clear enough energy to appear as a good person.

But even if she admitted that he looked likable, Anne wasn’t the kind of person to let her guard down. Most of the time people laughed harmlessly, but behind those laughs were plots to devour their opponent.

The man rested one hand on his chin and circled around Anne. His blatant gaze turned without hesitation, and he moved his long legs to stand in front of Anne at once.

“I said Luciel . . . Did you not hear me?”

Did you not understand that? the man seemed to ask by stretching his neck out. He drooped his eyebrows and showed that she didn’t need to be vigilant at all.

“I heard your name. What I was asking is your identity.”

Seeing that he was dressed lightly without a coat, it seemed that he was not a guest. He could be a servant, but his flowing appearance refuted that guess.

“I am a relative of Daymond.”

Are all your questions answered now? And then, Luciel wandered around her as if he was about to come forward again.

“Luciel, are you staying here?”

Anne asked in a quiet voice. She hadn’t seen his face in the month she had been here. Nor did the Grand Duke ever mention this man. Of course, she didn’t think he would tell her because he wasn’t the kind of person to tell her something in advance, but maybe he should have told her if he had a relative.

“Call me Luci.”

She wanted to ask for his last name because she wanted to know if he was from a collateral family, but he suddenly replied that he wanted to be called by a feminine nickname.

“Still . . . How could I . . . With my husband’s relatives . . .”

“Husband? Are you married . . . ?”

As she dragged her words, Luciel widened his eyes and asked again. His reaction made it appear as though he had heard of it for the first time.

For a moment, she felt sad. It seemed that he did not announce her existence to the people of the estate, nor to the people of his family. Did that mean she was a woman who he didn’t even feel the need to introduce . . . Should she be satisfied with just the name of Grand Duchess? Her complicated inner thoughts became more mixed up.

“Ha . . . It’s fast . . .”

Luciel’s bright smile suddenly hardened. His eyes that twinkled under the sun were frozen as if eaten by crystals, and nervousness crept into his face, which had been as fresh as the spring breeze.

“Well, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.”

Luciel smiled again, but his countenance was so cold. To Anne, who had been stiffened due the subtle feeling, suddenly Luciel narrowed the distance so that their noses could touch.

“Then . . . How is Daymond?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Even though she was quick-witted, the man’s words were unpredictable.

“Daymond is pretty good at it.”

The softened face changed to a bright smile again.

What are you doing?

Even as she thought this, the man’s words were difficult to understand. It was when the cold, mirror-like face turned warm and reflected her clearly.

Suddenly, Luciel glanced over Anne’s shoulder. She suddenly followed his gaze, but all there was at the end was a barren-looking building. It was the west building where the Grand Duke stayed.

What? As she was about to ask, Luciel, who immediately shook his head again, muttered gloomily.

“Oh my . . . I was caught.”

The clear silver eyes suddenly darkened to the point where they looked cloudy. However, it was only for a brief moment, and he returned to his former expression.

“What do you mean?”

“I like Anne. The other woman is really annoying.”

Again, Luciel didn’t answer the question properly. But the contents caught Anne’s attention. ‘The other woman.’ At present, there were only two people who could be called women by the Grand Duke, so it was probably referring to Marie.

“Are you talking about . . . Marie?”

“. . . Who is Marie?”

“You don’t know who Marie is . . . ?”

As Anne tried to speak to him, the presence of another person was felt by her side. When she turned her head, Marie was standing a short distance away. In her hand, she held the hat that had been blown away by the wind.

“Greet . . . greetings, Luciel.”

As soon as Marie saw Luciel, she startled and bowed politely. She seemed to be terrified of him when Anne saw that the flushed cheeks from running had quickly cooled and become pale. Still, her reaction added credibility to the man’s words.