CH 1.14

CHAPTER 1: THE SUPPORTING ROLE IS ALSO QUITE DIFFICULT (XIV)

Part 015

Looking up at Adrian with round eyes, Damian smiled.

“Thank you for coming, Duke.”

“Congratulations on coming of age, young lady.”

He reached out his hand once more to Damian, who was bewildered after accepting the flowers he was handing over. Carefully kissing the back of a small hand placed on top of his hand briefly and looking up, a clear laugh bursts out like a flower bud bursting.

“You said you don’t like parties, so I didn’t even think you would come. Thank you so much.”

He hated parties. It was disgusting to see places crowded with people. Dressed up like peacocks with their feathers upright, he had no idea how to deal with the young ladies who flocked to him with obvious eyes.

In the military department, which was just beginning to take its place, there were overflowing documents to see. It was such a busy day that he had to cut down on his sleeping time due to piled up paperwork, and it was tiring just to keep an eye on the forces trying to check him. But why did he want to go there? Why did he want to see that little young lady’s smile that he had only exchanged greetings with a few times? Facing her smiling face, he thought it was all over, but Adrian didn’t turn away right away and stood in a suitable place.

Damian thanked everyone in front of them and raised her own glass as they all raised their glasses and celebrated. The music was playing, and he was watching Damien and Count Collin do their first dance. In the meantime, a few people went near him to say hello, and someone asked for a dance, but he refused. Near the end of the second dance with Count Rootvan, Adrian approached Damian.

He asked her for a dance and held out his hand. Damian’s cheeks reddened, widened her eyes again and looked up at Adrian. She smiled brightly and put a small hand on top of his, and even though he didn’t make it with effort, he smiled. Unknowingly, with a wide smile on his face, he danced with Damian for the second time.

He invited Damian out for a walk, who danced to three songs in a row and exhaled a little quickened. He did not want to give her hand to the Young lords who were lined up as if they were waiting for their turn to snatch the star of the day. He hated that he had to let go of these little warm hands, but the thought of her touching another bastard’s hand made his heart rage.

Adrian was surprised to find himself wanting to get rid of the seemingly innocent spirits snooping behind him. She happily accepted Adrian’s invitation. Many people were already walking around the garden in pairs, so Damian guided Adrian to the backyard. He sat face to face in a small pavilion under a large cherry tree. It was a pleasant spring night with the flowers in full bloom giving off their fragrance.

He kept his eyes on Damien’s face as he watched the small flowers swaying pleasantly in the wind, but somehow she had a blurry face, so he asked.

“Do you have any concerns?”

Damian made eye contact and smiled apologetically.

“Did I show off? I’m sorry.”

“I heard that you are preparing for the test. Are you having a hard time preparing?”

“Oh, how does the Duke know that? Studying for the exam is, uhh, hard. But I’m not worried about that. I was reminded of a friend I can’t reach. She also has a birthday today, but she can’t celebrate her coming-of-age. It bothers me.”

Damian went over as usual, but Adrian, who knew that Damian was preparing for the exam by solving the ‘side moon’, felt cold inside. She turned the topic to the missing friend so as not to be seen.

“If you’re referring to the Donovan lady, she’ll be fine.”

“Really? Does the Duke know where Ailene is?”

“It was only known that she was with the 2nd prince. If there was a problem with the princess, it would have been known by me.”

“Ah, how about the 2nd Prince? I hope it’s something like that. I was worried.”

Adrian added, deciding to investigate once more about the whereabouts of the old class lady that he had withheld.

“The 2nd prince left the palace two days ago, so they should be celebrating together by now.”

“That’s right. Thank you for telling me. I feel much more at ease.”

Adrian’s mouth went up slightly as he looked at the beautifully overlapping eyes. When he saw her smiling face, he strangely laughed along. He listened to trivial stories, hated his blurry face, and started talking to her.

As he listened to her, Adrian admitted that he had missed her face all last spring. He wanted to see her again, even though he was aware of his own feelings, he didn’t know what to do now and he was confused.

He took care of the aftermath of the incident that had been entangled since his father’s generation, casually. He somehow managed to find his way even in complex situations that would require a long time. However, to arrange a chance to see her face again, he couldn’t think of a way. He made dozens of plans in his head and tried to destroy them several times, but Adrian couldn’t say anything else.

He couldn’t ask Damian for some time because she had an important exam ahead.

After spending some time at her patronage and returning to the party hall, Damian, who thanked him again, went to greet the ladies who were waiting for her. Adrian’s eyes continued to be on Damian, even though he really thought he had to go back now.

Laurel, who had been talking with Damian for a while, approached Damian and asked, covering her mouth with her fan. It was impossible not to pay attention to the gaze of Duke Bigor, who had been stuck in the back of Damian’s head from earlier.

The spirits of the eyes who were trying to approach Damian were cold.

“I think Duke Bigor is interested in Lady Damian?”

Damian laughed and shook her hand.

“Ah, that can’t be. I’ve only seen him twice.”

“Oh, is that so? Since I came today, I thought you had a special acquaintance.”

“No. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since last New Year’s banquet.”

Laurel narrowed her eyes at Damian, who spoke with her nonchalant face, and at Adrian, who stood motionless looking at her.

After the New Year’s banquet, there was a joke that said Duke Bigor would be able to spend the whole winter warmly if he collected invitations that flew to him for about 60 days and used them as firewood. To that extent, there was a lot of interest in him in the social world. To think that Duke Bigor, who did not respond to any invitations and only went back and forth between the Duke’s residence and the military, appeared at the Count’s daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony. Wasn’t he the one who didn’t even show his face at the queen’s birthday party that was held not too long ago?

But Laurel looked at Adrian’s face once more as she nodded her head in clear denial and apologized to her, then smiled happily at the rising pink aura. After following Laurel’s gaze, Damian turned around and met Adrian’s eyes without difficulty. He smiled brightly and nodded his head, and Adrian also bowed her head. Then he turned his back and walked out of the crowded banquet hall.

After the party that lasted until late, Damian finished the day with her tired body.

* * *

Returning to the Duke’s residence, Adrian sat down at the office desk piled up like a mountain of papers again without saying anything. He sat staring at the papers without answering Ethan’s question, who followed him by asking if he had enjoyed it from the front door, and Ethan poured out questions in frustration.

“Ah, talk to me. Have you met the young lady? Did you talk? Did Lady Ethard like the gift?”

“She didn’t check it today. Even if she didn’t like it, she is not the kind of person who will show it off.”

“Still, have you met the young lady? Did you say when to see her next time? When would you like to see her again?”

“I didn’t make that promise.”

“Pardon? Why?”

“She’s about to take an important exam. I don’t want to disturb someone who is busy studying.”

“No, this answer… Heh. Even so, you should have made the next appointment. Go on a date after the exam, or ask to exchange letters.”

As Ethan hit his chest in frustration, Adrian put his fan down and lifted his head. Then he made a thoughtful face.

Cale, who had come for a meeting with Ethan, was also frustrated and approached him.

“Didn’t you go there with such a scary face in front of the young lady? What kind of young lady likes it when you look like that?”

As Adrian, who was frowning, looked at Cale, Ethan couldn’t stand it and said bluntly. The fact that Adrian’s love story didn’t work out like he wanted to solve his feelings of frustration, but he couldn’t beat him, so Ethan lost his temper with Cale.

“You’re the best out of all of them, right? How do you know what the young lady likes?”

“I am speaking as a senior who is the only one among us who has succeeded in dating and marriage.”

Come to think of it, Ethan, remembering that Cale had a wife like a fox and a child like a rabbit, sneaked closer to Cale. There was no room to dispute the words of Ethan, who had been rolling around the battlefield without a passing relationship for 36 years, or Adrian or Cale, who had been looking for rough places without any intention of passing by.

“Then say something cool. What should I do?”

Cale studied Adrian’s face carefully before speaking with a serious face.

“Just smile. Your face will do the rest.”

Hearing Cale’s words, Adrian closed his eyes heavily. Then he waved his hand and said.

“I’m tired, so let’s have today’s meeting tomorrow.”

Ethan dragged Cale, muttering, “Is that a way to come up with something like that?”

Cale, who was still resentful with a serious face, was dragged outside.

In the middle of the day, it was the end of spring when the sun started to get quite hot. The administrative exam was the first day of summer. Of the days that followed today, the only important events that came to mind were the birthday of the Duke of Galleon, to which he had only received an invitation, the long summer business trip for the military dispatch to the National Guard, the training of the entire capital county to begin with, and the general meeting of the military.

There was not a single point of contact with Damian’s schedule. He brushed his hair and opened the papers, but he was out of sight. Eventually, Adrian got up and went to the window and looked down at the garden, laughing at himself.

He was sorry. After the last New Year’s banquet, he hadn’t seen or heard from her for a long time. He saw her face, and it was only a few hours ago that they had a conversation, but he thought he wanted to see her again. Adrian laughed at his former self for thinking he had neither the time nor the leisure to think about the opposite sex. He was so impatient and thirsty after admitting that he had caught sight of what had only been distant.

As soon as the exam was over, he would somehow make a seat. It would be a good way to find out what meeting Damian would be attending, to run into each other outside by pretending to be a coincidence, or to make friends with Count Colin or Count Lootvan. It would be good for him to invest in a business that has a connection with Ethard.

He didn’t want to burden or surprise her. He hated it even more that he couldn’t see that bright smile because he was forced to call her in a difficult position. First of all, he hoped she wouldn’t be too busy after her exam because he didn’t want to cause hate for needlessly disturbing her, so he decided to spend that spring first.

On a spring night with white petals blowing in the wind, for the first time in his life, Adrian was immersed in contemplation of attacking something other than combat.

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Translator Note:

I must say I very bad translating names so I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of mistakes here, in past posts and in future ones BUT… I would like to make a difference between Damian surname and Adrian right hand. I mean between Ethard and Ethan.

So from today Damian surname will be Ethart and Ethan will be Edan. Let me know in the comments if you have a better sugestion