Chapter 215: Epilogue 5

Chapter 215: Epilogue 5

Throughout the winter, the baby foxes Juliet devotedly cared for grew healthy and strong.

As their growth was noticeable day by day, one day, the grown-up foxes stopped coming for food.

Juliet seemed somewhat saddened by this.

[Will they come back?]

No.

[No.]

Lennox, who answered casually as usual, realized Juliets disappointment only after seeing her expression, and quickly tried to make amends.

[Instead, perhaps other baby foxes will come by next winter.]

[Other foxes?]

[Theres always snow foxes freezing to death in winter. The orphaned ones will be hungry.]

[]

For a moment, Juliets blue eyes, which had brightened up, quivered as if hit by a shock.

He was embarrassed, not understanding what mistake he had made in his words.

[Its okay if they dont come. I hope they live happily with their mother.]

Juliet, who spoke earnestly, stood up from her place and began walking around the yard.

Lennox slowly matched her pace and glanced at Juliet.

Her pale cheeks were still rosy due to the cold wind, a far cry from the frightened girl he had encountered initially who seemed as if she could die of fright at any moment.

A sense of satisfaction secretly crept up on him, making him smile slightly.

Lennox had neatly wrapped up his mansion work in the capital and was contemplating other matters.

Perhaps shed like it if he restored the long-gone counts mansion to its original form. But it was still a distant thought.

As the long winter ended and the frozen land in the north began to thaw gradually, slight changes started to appear in the daily routine of the Ducal house.

With the arrival of spring, he found himself with more free time.

Then, he started pondering a problem he had never thought of before.

[What?]

[What do you usually do?]

[Me?]

[What do you do when Im not around?]

He was curious about how Juliet spent her time when he wasnt around.

From his perspective, being raised in the north, there didnt seem to be much leisure for a young lady to indulge in at the Ducal house.

Juliet tilted her head.

[Just, either take a walk or read books in the library.]

Library. He frowned without realizing it.

He realized belatedly that on the library table Juliet freely used, a marriage proposal letter from the capital had been placed. Although Juliet hadnt dug into anything.

Maybe she just needs a corner to get attached to.

He wondered whether he should buy a kitten.

An uninvited guest arrived at the Dukes mansion that afternoon.

[Youre really indifferent, Your Highness.]

The middle-aged noblewoman with a friendly demeanor was named Ursula Mott.

[My God, how could you not step into the capital even once throughout the winter?]

Lennox Carlyle didnt trust even his closest blood relatives.

Instead, he had planted eyes and ears all around the Empire, and Ursula was one of those spies.

[Thanks to that, the Emperor has started to grow suspicious of your activities.]

Ursula whispered with her voice lowered.

Being a skilled doctor herself, and with her act of picking up talented war orphans during her travel across the Empire, nurturing them, and sponsoring impoverished artists, Ursula was a highly reputable and renowned person.

Thanks to that, despite being of common birth, there was no place in the Empire Ursula couldnt step into, from the Empresss salon to the high-nosed Dukes house, making her an excellent source of information.

[Is that young lady the rumored Nightingale?]

[What?]

[The rumors are rampant even in the capital. They say that the Duke of the north has been enchanted by a low-born sweetheart.]

Lennox furrowed his brows.

[Thats astounding.]

[Youve neglected managing your reputation. You should have been prepared for this.]

Ursula rolled her eyes.

[You lowborn, seems like being seen by a Duke makes you something-]

Calmly standing there and quietly taking in the foul words, the woman remained expressionless.

Juliets hand caught Lennoxs eye and he felt a cold rush.

Drops distinctly different from wine, blood drops were falling from her lowered right hand.

He saw nothing else.

[Ahh!]

[Juliet.]

The kicked man clutched his head and shrieked, but he didnt care.

The woman, who had been pale and looking at the floor, lifted her eyes and saw him.

Juliet didnt seem surprised upon seeing him. He wasnt interested in how this situation unfolded.

[Clear it.]

He took Juliet by the shoulder and led her out of the garden without paying any heed to the whispers around them.

[Your Highness!]

Madam Ursula, who had followed them out, halted at the sight of Lennoxs fierce gaze.

Only then the theater owner hurriedly rushed over.

[Y-Your Highness! Is there anything you need?]

[Call a doctor.]

Instead of heading back to the castle, he instructed to call a doctor and found an empty waiting room inside the theater to seat Juliet.

Examining Juliets cut hand was the priority.

[Give me your hand.]

[Its fine.]

Juliet rolled up her sleeve and pushed him away gently as he inspected the wound.

She spoke calmly.

[I broke the glass.]

[What?]

Juliet showed a faint smile with her pale face.

As she said, she had only cut her palm a little, the wound was shallow. Fortunately, there seemed to be no other injuries.

[Why did you break it?]

[Just, felt like breaking it.]

[]

Lennox regretted his silly question.

Hadnt he seen that punk pour out insulting words at her just a while ago?

Had he been a bit late, it might have been Juliet rolling on the floor.

He tried to keep his calm and asked.

[What did he say?]

[What?]

[Tell me what that bastard said. Every single word.]

He intended to make the man pay for the words he had thoughtlessly spat out.

He had been concerned about this part since Ursula mentioned reputation management.

He didnt care much, but he didnt want Juliet to hear about him through others.

He wondered what Juliet had heard about him.

[He didnt say much.]

[Juliet.]

Juliet, who had been expressionless all along, stared at him and suddenly burst into laughter.

[He said I am pretty.]

Lennox didnt understand why she suddenly laughed, not until Juliet continued speaking.

[Having a submissive and obedient look, he called me a mindless toy that fits your taste perfectly.]

His fingers turned cold. However, Lennox couldnt tell whether it was his fingers or Juliets, who was quietly looking at him.

[If I dont want to be quickly tired of and discarded like others, itd be good to act a bit smarter, he said.]

Juliet, who had been softly speaking all along, grinned, her cheeks lightly twitched.

[Because the Duke tires easily, doesnt he?]

It was the first time he had wished she would cry or argue back.