Chapter 3
“I felt bad about missing your engagement ceremony, so while my fleet was docked, I came to see you. I didn’t expect such a cold welcome.”
“I heard you came to request military supplies.”
“And you still haven’t approved them.”
Even under Decarno’s icy gaze, Phylon answered with a shameless grin.
Whenever the navy docked at the harbor, it was his duty to report to the Senate.
Some officers disliked having to bow to a duke who was no longer an active soldier, but Phylon wasn’t one of them.
He knew his friend was far bolder and more thorough than most career officers.
“Anyway,” Phylon said with a grin, “does this mean I’ll finally get to meet the future Duchess?”
“…Why would you?”
Decarno’s voice grew noticeably sharper.
Seeing what almost looked like irritation, Phylon raised an eyebrow.
“What? So the rumors are actually true?”
“What rumors?”
“That you’re so obsessed with Lady O’Hara that you hardly let her leave the house.”
…
Decarno didn’t even bother replying.
Phylon had hoped for some kind of reaction so he could tease him, but after receiving nothing, he simply shrugged.
“Well, I never believed it anyway. Maybe other people think you’ve fallen for Lady O’Hara’s beauty and are crazy about marrying her, but not me. You don’t even have a heart capable of that.”
“Get to the point.”
“I just want to meet her.”
Dragging his chair closer without the slightest shame, Phylon rested his chin on his hand across from Decarno.
A faint crack appeared in the duke’s perfectly composed expression, but Phylon refused to give up.
“It’s been ages since I came back. After this leave, I might not return for another few years. I’m your friend, so I should at least get to see the woman you’re going to marry.”
“She’s busy too.”
“Oh, come on. If I’d known you’d be like this, I would’ve just followed my sister to today’s banquet and met her there. It’s her birthday—she must look especially beautiful today.”
“…What?”
“It’s Lady O’Hara’s birthday. Today.”
For the first time, Decarno’s ash-gray eyes wavered.
Phylon’s own eyes widened.
No way…
After studying his friend’s reaction, he clicked his tongue.
“You really didn’t know?”
“…”
“The birthday of the woman you’re going to marry?”
“…Move.”
Decarno brushed him off as though he were being annoying.
Yet, for some reason, the slight frown on his face didn’t disappear.
Noticing his master’s mood had changed, Michael cautiously stepped forward.
“My apologies, Your Grace. I assumed Lady O’Hara had already mentioned it.”
…
“Although it’s late, I’ll prepare an appropriate birthday gift immediately.”
Since the ducal house constantly held ceremonies and formal events, arranging gifts suitable to the family’s status was one of Michael’s duties.
Taking Decarno’s silence as permission, he hurried out of the meeting room.
Now alone with his friend, Phylon became even more relaxed.
“If you keep acting so indifferent, it’ll come back to bite you someday.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you have any idea how scary women are when they’re angry? Just look at my sister. She smiled sweetly right up until the moment she nearly divorced my brother-in-law. Lady O’Hara won’t necessarily be any differ— Huh?”
Tap. Tap.
Phylon was enthusiastically tapping the desk while speaking when his voice gradually faded.
The break wasn’t over yet.
But the moment he noticed someone standing in the open doorway…
His mouth slowly fell open.
“…Wow.”
The admiration escaped him completely on instinct.
She was so breathtakingly beautiful that no introduction was necessary.
Whoever she was…
There could only be one person.
Apparently, the rumors that Duke Teze kept his fiancée locked inside the mansion weren’t true after all.
Click.
Click.
The sound of high heels echoed across the black marble floor.
Evangeline lowered the hood of her silver fox-fur cloak.
“…We need to talk.”
◇ ◆ ◇
“How did you get all the way here?”
After sending even Phylon away, Decarno faced Evangeline alone.
Although the imperial capital of Roark was one of the safest cities in the Bellice Empire, it was still far too late for a woman to be walking around by herself.
Recalling everything she had scheduled for today, the Duke frowned slightly.
“I thought you’d still be enjoying your party.”
“My party?”
“It’s your birthday.”
His words sounded calm.
His expression, however, was not.
But Evangeline was too distracted to notice such subtle changes.
She brushed back her hair with a hollow smile.
“So… you knew?”
“…Of course.”
“Then again… that’s not what’s important right now.”
Standing with one hand braced against the table, she bit the inside of her lip, trying desperately to stay composed.
Misunderstanding her expression, Decarno also rose from his seat.
“If you came because you’re angry about that…”
“Angry?”
…
“Forget it. Since when have we ever cared about things like that?”
It was only half true.
A few months earlier, on Decarno’s birthday, she had personally organized a grand celebration for him.
She had considered it only natural, since she was living in his household as his future wife.
But for herself…
Birthdays had never meant much.
If anything, she simply wanted to spend them peacefully.
So bringing it up with him now felt pointless.
A little ridiculous, perhaps.
Yet somehow…
Pretending nothing had happened almost made her wish that nothing really had.
“I came because I have something important to tell you.”
“I’m busy right now. The meeting will resume shortly.”
Decarno glanced toward the door.
Most of the nobles had probably already returned.
“Go back to the mansion first. Once the meeting ends—”
“You won’t be coming back.”
…
“I know how it is. Once the budget meetings begin at the start of the month, you don’t come home for days.”
Evangeline forced herself to keep standing.
If she relaxed even slightly…
She felt as though she might collapse.
Not that this man would even blink if she did.
But that wasn’t what mattered now.
“Please… just spare me a little time. This is urgent.”
“If it was that important, you should’ve contacted me and made an appointment.”
“…Ha…”
Watching him check the time with a slight frown made an involuntary sigh escape her lips.
He wasn’t being deliberately cold.
This was simply the kind of man he was.
Every minute of his day was scheduled so tightly that he barely had time to breathe.
She understood that better than anyone.
But at this moment…
Knowing it didn’t make it hurt any less.
“Then wait until the meeting is over. If you go to the next room with Michael for now—”
“My father is missing.”
…
Decarno’s hand froze just as he reached for the bell to summon Michael.
Only then did he slowly turn toward her.
But Evangeline’s empty smile remained.
“Should I start by telling you that my family has gone bankrupt?”
“…Explain everything.”
“It’s exactly as I heard it.”
She spoke as calmly as she could, trying to summarize the nightmare threatening to overwhelm her.
“My father disappeared in the Rieman Sea near Addis after his fleet was caught in a storm. Everything we owned sank with the ships.”
She looked directly into his eyes.
“I need your help.”
The moment she finally spoke the words aloud…
They became real.
Strangely enough, she even felt a small sense of relief that this cold-hearted man was no longer telling her to leave.
Perhaps she had already reached her limit.
“I received the news during the banquet. I came out immediately to learn what had happened…”
“Go back.”
“…Your Grace.”
“You said you were in the middle of your banquet.”
The ash-gray eyes of the Duke had already regained their usual composure.
Evangeline stared at him blankly.
A banquet?
Did he even hear what I just said?
She swallowed hard.
There was no need to ask.
As always…
He was simply carrying out his duties as the perfect Duke of Teze.
“Since you ran out like this, people are probably already talking. If this becomes a bigger issue, it won’t be easy to clean up afterward.”
“There’s no need.”
…
“I endured as much as I could before coming here.”
“Then endure a little longer.”
…
His voice remained perfectly flat as he reached toward her.
Instinctively, Evangeline stepped back.
His eyes narrowed for a brief moment.
But without saying anything, Decarno gently pulled the hood of her cloak back over her head himself.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Firmly.
His fingers tightened the ribbon beneath her chin with precise, practiced movements.
Then he looked at her and said,
“That is what you should be doing right now.”
