CH 29

That man. 

There is that phrase again. 

It was a derogatory title Senelia’s mother, who practically breathed perfect etiquette, uttered when frustration had reached its breaking point. 

[T/N: Derogatory meaning a disrespectful attitude, in this case, the Viscountess uses it when referring to the Grand Duke whenever she is somewhat on the verge of a mental breakdown.]

When she spoke in that specific tone, it proved just how much the Viscountess hated Benelucia. 

“You do not know what it’s like, as a parent, to leave your daughter behind with a man who doesn’t seem to care in the slightest until she’s past marriageable age!”

A clear expression of rage flashed over the Viscountess’s features, finally proving just how long she had held back. 

“At least, if he just wanted to remain as your lover without any intention of marrying you, he should have just done nothing when we were so worried about you.”

Senelia’s mother burst out with complaints like a rapid-fire cannon. 

They were the complaints she had long suppressed, in fear of hurting her daughter. 

The feelings that were finally revealed proved how patient she was.

“At least if that man wanted to get along with you as a lover, even if he had no intention of marrying you, he couldn’t stop doing nothing while we were so worried about you.”

The Viscountess burst out like a rapid-fire cannon.

It was a word she had swallowed countless times for fear of hurting her daughter.

More than the fact that her daughter had passed the age of marriage, but she had loved such a man for such a long time was more poignant in her heart.

She said she will say goodbye to him! Everything between them should have ended.

There were young ones who insisted on marrying their prospective partners against their parents wishes, but Senelia was different. 

She had endured the gossip of the aristocrats because her chosen one refused any form of commitment or engagement even as she slowly passed the marriageable age. 

It made the entire ordeal meaningless. 

And she’s now received a marriage proposal!

If he was in fact serious about her, he wouldn’t have proposed like this. 

“The fact that you stay silent means that the man did not value you as much.”

The Viscountess intended to use this opportunity to completely separate Benelucia from Senelia.

This is why I said it even though I knew that my words could hurt my daughter.

“I don’t know what kind of whim he’s coming up with to marry you, but I don’t trust him.”

The Viscountess declared her stance in a stern tone.

Deep-seated mistrust.

It was the result of the hard won effort of Benelucia over the eight years that passed.

“Don’t be fooled either, if you want to go to the capital, then meet someone else to live with or stay in the townhouse manor.”

Having said her piece, the Viscountess rose from her seat.

Her stance was clear: End of discussion. 

The sound of the door closing was truly heartless.

***

Returning to his room, the Grand Duke smiled.

On the table, a unique scented tea waited.

Despite the hot temperature, the scent that spread was neither too strong nor too weak. Nor did the scent bother the sensitive nose of the sword master, who had senses more sensitive than the average person as it lingered around the room.

Benelucia immediately realized that it was Senelia’s herbal tea.

It was naturally easy to guess as that’s what she’d brewed for him for a long time.

Perhaps she noticed that I had difficulty sleeping well.

He sighed angrily.

It is not entirely his fault that Benelucia never doubted Senelia’s love despite her calm reactions.

I can’t help but feel her love when she does things like this.

Senelia never missed a single detail regarding the Grand Duke.

Neither Cliff de Helios nor Lucalina would know as much about him as Senelia did.

Even now, from the outside, Benelucia might appear fine.

But sword masters aren’t the kind of people who get into trouble just because they can’t sleep for a few days.

However, even the sword master could not stop the inevitable mental exhaustion from seeping in.

Senelia was very alert to changes in his condition.

“Your Majesty, I’ll serve you some tea.”

On days when he’d suffered from insomnia, Senelia would deliberately brew a full pot of hot tea so that she couldn’t drink it all, and leave it in his room.

It was an extra measure for Benelucia, who disliked the scent of tea when he went to sleep.

After warming up with a warm tea, he would normally be able to fall asleep with the subtle scent of tea remaining in the room.

Even now, a large teapot enchanted with warming magic laid on the table that Benelucia wouldn’t normally use.

An annoyed expression rested on his face seconds before the Grand Duke approached in a trance and poured himself a cup of tea.

The taste of Senelia’s tea is the same as I remember.

Brewing tea required careful attention to the shape of the teaware, the temperature of the water, and the amount of tea leaves used.

Brewing tea in a large teapot was challenging, especially when compared to a cup of tea or a regular teapot. 

For Senelia, her exceptional tea brewing remained constant. 

From what Benelucia ate, drank, wore, and all other skills used to survive in the social world, Senelia was exceptional and constant. 

[T/N: Her skills at everything are perfect in everything she does, where she hasn’t had a moment where she failed in one of those instances.]

That was the life Senelia aimed to live by Benelucia’s side all these years in order to burrow into his heart. 

So… How can I doubt your love for me, Sally?

“Haa… What the h*ll are you doing to me, Sally?”

The Grand Duke sighed angrily. 

Walking back to his temporary room, he thought of the trip he would take the next day back to the capital.

However, his thoughts drifted back to Senelia and the care she showed for him. 

That realization hurt his pride. 

Swallowing his rising irritation, Benelucia entered his room and washed his face. 

He had never felt his pride hurt before. 

Orders given by Cliff didn’t wound his pride as it was words from his emperor, not his brother. 

Even if he thought that such commands were too much for his brother, it became reasonable if he spent some time pondering it rationally and calmly. 

It was not difficult on his part, born into and raised as a member of the Imperial Family allowed Benelucia to understand the will of the emperor. 

Even if the thought left an unpleasant sinking feeling in his gut as he obeyed, he understood the reasons behind it. 

With Senelia, things were different. 

There were many times when emotions ran rampant when they were in a casual relationship, he could never process them fast enough. Their time together was full of moments that he didn’t understand. 

And that hurt his pride. 

Originally, there was no reason to hold on to Senelia even if he desired her. 

Because he is a man who has power, money, and people.

Didn’t I succeed in  getting my first love, which everyone else fails?

He might have been in love with Lucalina by now if his heart had not been drawn to Senelia unexpectedly.

I want to keep Senelia by my side even though I am aware of all of that.

The Grand Duke couldn’t understand himself.

Damn it! I had no intention of loving you this much, Sally!

He began to question himself. 

Is it love to wield people like this?

It would have been better if I hadn’t fallen then.

Tomorrow is Viscount Daphnen’s funeral.

If he didn’t want to get tangled up with Senelia, he had to leave before she showed up.

Benelucia pondered over his options.

The teapot, constantly heated with warming magic, remained at the perfect temperature, the faint scent of tea lingered in the room.

***

As soon as dawn broke, the Grand Duke left Daphnen estate behind him.

He started at a speedy pace as if running away, afraid that he would be shaken again if he faced Senelia.

Still, he felt his curious build as he rode his horse.

I can’t help but wonder how Senelia would react to seeing my empty room.

This time, his curiosity felt overpowering. 

So much so, that his pace slowed considerably. 

As a result, the Grand Duke did not leave the Daphnen’s domain until the rising sun dimly illuminating the world completely rose, starting off a bright morning.

What is that? 

He saw a carriage on the road headed to  the Daphnen’s residency.

Benelucia’s face stiffened when his eye caught onto the pattern engraved on the carriage.

He turned his horse around and approached the carriage.

“Young Lord Pendragon, why are you here?”

Benelucia called the Young Lord Pendragon out of the carriage without the slightest hint of a greeting.

He didn’t even feel sorry for his tone.

His current behavior was literally no different from grabbing and dragging the Young Lord out.

Even if he was the Grand Duke, he could not be so rude, especially to another aristocrat.

The knights escorting the carriage stopped in shock at the grand duke’s sudden rudeness.

However, with a harsh glare from Benelucia, they quietly lowered their heads.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing here?”

However, the Young Lord Pendragon, who was forced to get off the carriage, seemed calm.

Rather, he was provoking their nation’s only Grand Duke leisurely.

Benelucia and Senelia were longtime lovers.

So, the reason for the Young Lord  to question his arrival at the Daphnen’s estate was to emphasize that the two had broken up.

There was no way that Benelucia was unaware of Pendragon’s true intentions.

The Grand Duke felt sour. 

“I should have asked the same question, Young Lord”

When the Grand Duke asked a question, aristocrats like Pendragon must answer unconditionally.

Ironically, the Grand Duke could choose not to reply if he so desired. 

The Grand DUke spitefully emphasized the difference.

Pendragon’s mouth twisted.

The Pendragon family was a long standing and wealthy family, not to mention that he was so much smarter than his peers that he was eventually appointed to the emperor’s side early on.

But even such a man as the Young Lord Pendragon couldn’t hide his bubbling emotions when faced with the Grand Duke’s furious onslaughter. 

Because that was the blatant difference between the two men’s status.

It was a fact that burned through the Young Lord’s pride, a man who had lived an arrogant life based alone on the brilliant inner workings of his mind. 

He was the kind of person who wouldn’t let anyone hurt his ego.

If Young Lord Pendragon had been just a man who behaved obediently in such a situation, he and Benelucia wouldn’t have become enemies in the first place.

Meeting the eyes of the Grand Duke, he replied. 

“You asked, so I have to answer. We are on our way to Viscount Daphnen’s estate.”

The Young Lord’s voice was more relaxed than ever. 

Obviously, he expected the Grand Duke’s face to distort the moment he uttered those words.

“I sent a marriage proposal to Lady Daphnen.”

Pendragon’s Young Lord smiled brightly as he added the final blow.