Chapter 16

– Chapter 16 –

As soon as another day had passed, a report came in that the ducal couple was near the capital.

And on that same day, the couple returned.

They came back late in the afternoon.

And everyone went out to welcome them back.

Although the couple had traveled a long distance, they weren’t even slightly disheveled.

“Welcome back.”

Aiden greeted them respectfully.

His greeting stance was perfect and precise, which made Erin feel awkward because Aiden looked unmotivated to her as of late.

He looked like one of those nobles in the paintings.

A world that has been changed in a gorgeously antique yet scary way.

If you think about it, they were actually living in such a world.

The ducal couple were barely in their mid-thirties.

And yet they had been married for over 20 years.

It was a common occurrence, as most nobles in the empire married at a young age.

It was especially the case for higher ranking nobles.

As a result, many couples did not feel any love towards each other.

They created successors as if it was simply their duty, and they were otherwise living their own lives.

This was also the case for the Leinster ducal couple.

Anyone could tell that their relationship seemed very distant and cold, even with a simple glance.

“Thank you. It seems that you’ve been well.”

Aiden’s father, Logan Leinster, stated.

“Aiden. It’s been a while.”

Isabella Leinster, Aiden’s mother, followed by greeting him.

The greetings exchanged between the 3 of them were very dull.

The conversation did not go beyond a formal acknowledgement.

Erin, who had been blankly watching the scene, introduced herself a step late.

“Hello. I respectfully greet you as Erin Leinster.”

Erin politely greeted them.

“Hello.”

Logan replied briefly.

“Erin. Nice to meet you.”

Isabella greeted her back with a bright smile.

But even the slight smile on her lips felt like it was calculated.

However, whether or not it was just Erin’s misunderstanding, Isabella’s gaze seemed to stay fixated on her for a while.

But it was probably just her imagination.

Since her straight face returned in an instant, the conversation didn’t continue from there.

“Please go get some rest, you two. It wouldn’t be too late to continue our greeting tomorrow morning.”

After the Duchess had finished talking, the couple started heading inside.

Erin stood still, watching the two of them leave.

She felt that it was very difficult to get close to them.

From their gait to their hand gestures to the way they breathed, their every movement was extremely refined.

As expected of nobles who were taught to act that way since birth.

‘Will I really be able to do well?’

She was a little worried.

But no matter what kind of people the ducal couple were, her resolve remained unwavered.

Erin firmly clenched his hand out of determination.

She promised herself to be on Aiden’s side, no matter what would happen.

The ducal couple was busy even after returning to their mansion.

Without having a chance to relax, Logan dealt with the reports that had piled up while he was away, and the Duchess received the reports about the inner mansion affairs.

Not even a glimpse of exhaustion from the long trip could be found on either of their faces.

And since they had returned, the entire family had begun moving diligently.

It was almost like a set of well-connected gears. It was calm, and everything was happening simultaneously, yet it was not chaotic.

Meanwhile, some of the mansion’s staff paid Erin a visit together with Mona.

Their faces were full of worry and concern.

“Young miss. You shouldn’t be here right

now.”

“Whitney will surely report negatively about you. You must stop her before she does so. You should go find her first.”

“I think so as well. If you’re later than Whitney, nothing you say will be able to get you out of trouble.”

Mona was in agreement with the mansion’s staff.

But Erin smiled while drinking the flower tea that was in front of her.

“This has a very nice scent. What kind of flower is it?”

“It’s called Hibiscus, and they grow in the hot southern regions. But that’s not what’s important right now.”

Mona said while glaring, but Erin smiled brightly, raising the edges of her lips.

“I’m gonna greet them tomorrow anyways.”

Unlike what Mona and the staff suggested, Erin neither stopped Whitney from talking nor went to visit the ducal couple before Whitney did.

“You should all go get some rest, and don’t stay up worrying about me.”

She waved her hands with a childish face and sent everyone away.

When Erin was alone again, she smiled joyfully, drinking the hibiscus tea.

Her foot, which did not touch the ground, was dangling as if she was paddling on empty air.

‘If I went to visit them now, it’d basically be admitting that I really did something wrong.

That’s why Erin remained calm.

Whitney influencing the couple had been happening for a very long time.

And Erin knew that even if she were to run to the couple before Whitney did to tell them, nothing would really change.

The ducal couple were not easy people.

And going against such people would clearly only lead to being exposed even more.

Erin calmed herself down while drinking the tea.

After taking care of the documents that needed to be dealt with immediately, the ducal couple could relax a little.

While drinking warm wine and relieving the stress in their bodies, they received reports from their employees about the things that happened in the mansion while they were gone.

And of course, Whitney was among them.

Whitney greeted them as usual, and started organizing what she was going to tell them.

She was used to doing this when the couple came back after being away from the mansion.

And that’s why Whitney was confident.

“I will now present my reports on Young Master Aiden.”

Then, Whitney went on to spill every little detail about what happened while they were away.

Because most of it was based on the truth, from the outside, it seemed like an objective report.

“He attended his morning training and lectures very earnestly. And his accomplishments are excellent as well.”

Whitney’s voice was very low and calm, so it didn’t sound like she had any personal emotions mixed into what she was saying.

“However…”

She started trailing off, pretending she was hesitant to say something, and then started speaking again.

“I think he has been impacted by marriage.”

This was what she truly wanted to say, above all.

She was planning to install a negative connotation on Erin into the ducal couple, acting as if no personal feelings were involved.

Whitney paused for a moment to observe the ducal couple’s reactions.

Even though she had profoundly built up to it, the ducal couple did not ask any questions.

They simply listened to Whitney with a look of indifference.

They didn’t even cut her off. They listened only because they were obligated to.

Not a glimpse of interest or care for their son could be seen from them.

And that made Whitney’s authority even more powerful and free.

“I’m glad that he is getting along well with the Young Miss, but I’m slightly concerned that the Young Miss does not know anything

yet.”

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“Recently, Young Master Aiden has been doing things he doesn’t normally do, and he has been going out more often. And most of the outings are initiated by the Young Miss.”

Whitney was careful to avoid words that may directly insult Erin.

She thought that doing so would allow her to deliver her intentions more effectively.

“Of course, I’m aware that it’s because the Young Miss hasn’t had enough time to adjust, but I’m still worried that she is negatively affecting Young Master Aiden.”

Whitney spoke as if she was actually worried.

“I would like to mentor her, but I waited for your return because doing so at my own will may be stepping out of line.”

But the ducal couple still didn’t say anything to Whitney.

She was also expecting this.

And right when Whitney was about to continue talking

Pfft.

There was a short sound of laughter.

When Whitney looked up out of surprise, she could see Isabella laughing while covering her mouth

“It looks like our daughter-in-law has quite the temper.”

Not only that, she even added a comment.

Whitney observed Isabella’s expression while trying to hide her panic.

If her laughter just now signified a positive or interested perspective of Erin, it would be troublesome for Whitney.

“She… has a rough personality, but it’s most likely because she is still young.”

Whitney responded as if she was trying to defend Erin, implying that she was only acting that way because of her young age.

Even still, she was wary of Isabella’s reactions.

“Alright, very well.”

Whitney took it for granted and responded.

“Yes. Then, from now on, I will……”

“No. Although she is still young, she’s already married, so she can’t get treated as just a child. Whitney, you take your hands off Aiden’s education.”

“Pardon?”

Whitney responded out of shock after hearing something unexpected.

“We will let her be for now.”

Isabella said with a straight face.

It didn’t seem like she was showing an interest in Erin, nor seeing her in a positive light.

“Just do as she said.”

Logan, who hadn’t spoken a word until that moment, retorted briefly.

“Yes, I will do as you say.”

While she was returning from her meeting with the ducal couple, Whitney organized her thoughts.

She was slightly bothered by the fact the Duchess laughed and said something unexpected.

But that was it.

The ducal couple still had no interest in Aiden.

Yeah, maybe it’s better to leave Erin be, so she does something that crosses the line and causes trouble.

After being certain that letting Erin do as she pleased would be more effective in achieving her goals, Whitney’s expression became lighter.

– To Be Continued –