CH 5

“The Duke of Valentine and the Young Marquis Blake are in relationships…”

The Crown Prince’s office. In the sunlight pouring through the large window, his fine  platinum hair shimmered dazzlingly.

The corners of Izmel’s lips, who were flipping through tabloids one by one, curled up.

“Something interesting happened when I was bored. Oh my gosh, Kaidel, that emotionless tree-like man has a crush on someone?”

Tsk. It’s the end of the world, it indeed is.

Izmel lightly clicked his tongue and shook his head.

He can’t believe a Kaidel who likes someone. He even has a crush!

As if it had been a long time since he had found a toy he was interested in, his eyes were like rubies. Izmel was all over the fun stuff.

“Henry, what do you think? Is it real?”

Izmel asked his chief aide.

“I was there that day. It’s hard to believe, but I think it’s true.”

“Really? Who do you think has a better chance of winning? Why did I have to run away on such a day, I terribly have no luck.”

As if he truly felt bad, Izmel stomped his feet. Henry thought for a moment, then opened his mouth carefully.

“If I had to choose… I think it might be Young Marquis Blake.”

“Why?”

“Because Lady Everett disappeared to the terrace with the Young Marquis. When she went back, she wore the Young Marquis’ coat.”

Izmel let out a low laugh. Why is it so much fun to know that his old-fashioned, blunt, cute little cousin got punched at once? He was so grateful to the Count’s daughter, whose face she didn’t even know.

It wasn’t that he had a bad feeling for Kaidel. On the contrary, Izmel had a rather high regard for him.

Contrary to popular rumors about him, Kaidel was a fairly naive man. He wasn’t greedy and didn’t act cunningly.

Izmel didn’t like his indifference to not accepting a single joke, but how can a person be perfect?

“By the way, what kind of a person is that Lady, that she can lift and let go of two such outstanding men? Is she that beautiful?”

Izmel’s attention shifted from Kaidel to Eleanor. Count Everett’s daughter… It sounds familiar, but it’s not a very memorable name.

Everett, Everett, Everett… Where did he hear that?

Henry replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“She’s definitely a beauty. She’s more famous for something other than her beauty. Ah, that friend’s twin sister. The youngest new aide, Dwight Everett.”

Just then, as if he had just remembered, Izmel lifted his body from the back of the chair. No wonder it’s a familiar name.

Izmel said with a dignified look, as he removed his playfulness from his face.

“Henry, I guess I should have a conversation with him. He’s my aide, shouldn’t I know who he is?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I understand.”

Henry nodded his head calmly, even though he was fully aware of his superior’s intentions. Izmel added, winking one eye.

“I’d like some refreshments, too.”

***

Dwight sat up as stiff as he was a statue, sweating. It’s been five days since he left for work, and it was the first time he had a private conversation with the Crown Prince.

“Just be comfortable.”

Izmel smiled and pushed the teacup.

“Yes, yes! Thank you, Your Highness.”

Izmel stared at the trembling rookie aide. He had a gentle, pure face.

Milk-white skin, light blonde hair, and big green eyes.

‘They’re twins, so they look a lot alike, don’t they?’

Ismel could easily imagine the appearance of the Count’s daughter. She seemed to be quite beautiful, as Henry said.

“Yeah, is it worth working on? Henry’s a little strict, isn’t he?”

“Not at all.”

“It’s fine if you don’t act so hard. Henry is always nagging me too, but I’m sure he’ll do more to you. He’s by no means a bad person, but…”

Izmel smiled softly and gave him some useful things to know while working in the Imperial Palace. About half an hour later, Dwight had become a keen follower of Izmel and his eyes were twinkling.

Izmel had a talent for making people comfortable. Henry objected to that statement and corrected it by saying that he has a talent for attracting people, but anyway.

“Dwight, do you have any siblings?”

“I have a twin sister.”

“Ah, yes. I think I heard that. You must be especially affectionate because you’re twins.”

Izmel took his hand, pretending not to know, and brought up a topic he was curious about.

Dwight’s face softened as he talked about his sister. They seemed to have a very close relationship.

With a proud face, Dwight lined up compliments on his sister. Izmel, who merely nodded his head in response out of courtesy, noticed at one point that he was truly admiring his aide’s twin sister.

Eleanor Everett wasn’t at all the kind of woman he expected. No, she didn’t belong to any class he knew.

Izmel gracefully as he picked up the teacup.

“I think I saw an article like that. The Duke of Valentine and Young Marquis Blake are in love with Lady Everett.”

Cough.

Dwight put down the teacup as if he was choking.

“Oh, my. I didn’t mean to surprise you. So… Is it true?”

“No! That’s a bit different from the truth.”

Dwight responded firmly, waving his hand. Izmel asked with his eyes wide open.

“It’s not?”

“Yes. Even though the Young Marquis is such a close friend of hers, His Grace the Duke is really not like that.”

“Then?”

“After my acceptance interview, a mountain of letters came asking Ellen to be a teacher. Those two were one of them.”

“Ah, it must be because of Demian.”

He’s more talkative than his uninteresting older brother.

Izmel nodded his head as if he understood.

“After the scandal, I thought that the Duke and Young Marquis would come up saying that was nonsense… For some reason, they didn’t say anything, so she was actually in a bit of trouble.”

He has nothing to say.

Izmel pondered for a moment. If he thinks about the Count’s daughter’s situation, all of Dwight’s words are probably right.

But Izmel knew Kaidel. He knew very well how recklessly the reporters attacked him to try to weave him and the other young ladies, and how much Kaidel had been dealing with such rumors like a sword.

‘What an innocent guy.’

However, if Kaidel remained silent, there was only one reason. That it’s not entirely wrong.

Izmel, who became very cheerful, replied with a bright smile.

“Aren’t they the most beautiful flowers in the social world? Valentine, Blake. Are journalists that extreme?”

“Yes. Ellen hasn’t even been able to go out to the garden for days.”

“Oh, no. No can do. I will take action soon.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Dwight looked at Izmel with a moved face and thanked him.

“So, which family did Lady decide to become a teacher for?”

“It seems she hasn’t made up her mind yet. Ellen said she had turned down all of them because she originally had no desire to teach anyone.”

“Aha.”

“I heard that they will all meet and talk together in two days. She’ll probably be polite before turning down their offers.”

Izmel’s eyes lit up.

“All of them? The Duke, the Young Marquis, and even the Lady?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see. Would you like another cup of tea?”

As Izmel kindly suggested, Dwight smiled innocently and nodded his head.

Izmel also had a natural talent for getting what he wanted to hear. Dwight lined up how good the new Eleanor, whom he didn’t know, as a teacher was, also how special and perfect she was.

And the next day, a letter with the Imperial seal arrives at the County of Everett.

[I’ve heard compliments about the Lady. It was very impressive. I think of you greatly.]

Eleanor’s hand, holding the letter, began to tremble.

[In that sense, I would like to ask the Lady to educate my younger brother, Lucas.]

“Crazy.”

A short, thick word burst out between Eleanor’s lips.

[Don’t be pressured and just put two more chairs. If you don’t have any more chairs, I can stand there, so don’t worry too much.]

Is there anything more burdensome than saying that she shouldn’t be burdened?

[Izmel Biden Pontius de Bellium.]

***

“Your Grace, are you really not going to say anything?”

The butler, Jonathan, who knocked on the door of the Duke’s office, asked with an anxious voice.

“After watching it for a few days, it doesn’t seem like it will just go away on its own. If you order it, we will respond harshly because it’s a false rumor as before…”

“Leave it be.”

Kaidel replied, cutting off Jonathan’s words.

“But, why?”

“Bring Demian. I have something to tell him.”

Why?

Right, why, he wondered.

Kaidel, who had sent Jonathan out, looked out the window and fell into his thoughts. A strange emotion flashed over his blue eyes, which were like a frozen lake.

Eleanor Everett.

It was a name that intervened the most in his daily life these days.

No, to be precise, it was Kaidel who intervened. Kaidel forced his feet into Eleanor’s life, who was just quietly going her own way.

That wasn’t the case. Actually, he still doesn’t understand.

Why he wrote a letter to her, her refusal when he got his reply back, why he had his carriage ready right away, and suddenly asked her to dance, knowing that the crowd would make a fuss.

The series of events was quite impulsive. It was something he would never have done if he had judged rationally as usual.

Kaidel muttered softly, with a volume that was barely audible to his ears.

“The Lady always makes me a little weird.”

Eleanor may not know, but Kaidel has known her for quite some time.

From the first time he saw her, she stood out in a strange way. She did it even though there was no particular corner that stood out to him.

Curly blonde hair down to her waist, slightly embarrassingly large eyes, and pale freckles dotted across her pale white cheeks.

She certainly had a pretty face, but she wasn’t a beauty that caught people’s attention.

Considering that all those who have approached Kaidel so far have been famous for their outstanding beauty in the Empire, her appearance can be said to be ordinary.

Still, his gaze went on her. Seeing Eleanor at the occasional parties he attended made the boring parties a little more bearable.

Even as Eleanor looked around with her eyes full of boredom, she was always chewing something in her cheeks. Maybe that’s why, every time he saw her, Kaidel was hungry.

As Eleanor whispered something in her twin’s ear and burst out her laugh loudly, Kaidel unwittingly pricked his ears. What was she talking about? What made her so happy? It was a bright smile that made him curious.

And…

Knock, knock.

His thoughts were interrupted by a small knock. Kaidel said as he buried his body deep in the chair.

“Come in.”

Demian timidly opened the office door and entered.

“Sit in front of me.”

Demian walked stiffly like a kokeshi doll and sat down in front of Kaidel. He groaned for a moment because the chair that was adjusted to Kaidel’s height was a little high, but Demian immediately sat up straight and lowered his gaze.

If Kaidel was a handsome man with a masculine and sharp atmosphere, Demian was a little more delicate and a handsome boy with a fine line. However, they were so similar that anyone could tell that they were brothers.

“It’s okay to sit comfortably.”

Even with Kaidel’s permission, Demian just sat motionless with his back straight. At that sight, as Kaidel let out a short sigh, Demian’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

There was a subtle tension between the Valentine brothers sitting opposite each other.