TPTMB 03

Chapter 3

…Wait.

Wait. What?

What did Richard just say?

Before I could even collect my thoughts, his gaze fell upon me again, cold as frost.

“Long time no see, Bella. Has it been about five or six years?”

Ten years, four months, and eleven days.

“No.”

“Really?”

Richard seemed to calculate the date for a moment, then shrugged as though it didn’t matter.

“I waited because I thought I’d have to take responsibility if somewhere my lowly knight’s touch had caused something to rot…”

Richard’s gaze slowly traveled over me, as though he were a merchant inspecting an object to see if anything was wrong with it.

“But seeing that you’re perfectly fine, I suppose it’s because I’m no longer a commoner.”

“Riecht, you don’t seriously think I’d marry a commoner without even a title, do you?”

Ah.

I understood.

I really did.

I didn’t even need to hear an explanation.

His cold gaze, the twist of his lips, and his frigid expression were more than enough.

Richard Winston.

My lover from ten years ago, the ex-boyfriend I had cruelly dumped…

He resented me.

And not just a little.

He resented me intensely.

“I’m perfectly fine, as you can see, Sir. Ah, I heard you’ve been granted a count’s title. As you probably know, I inherited the title of Duchess of Bellua a few days ago. Since we are now both heads of our respective houses, I’d appreciate it if you would maintain proper boundaries from now on.”

“…Very well, Duchess of Bellua.”

Three days.

It was Noah who dragged me out of bed after I had postponed every outside appointment and locked myself away.

More precisely, it was the news Noah brought me that finally did it.

“That can’t be true.”

“There’s nothing impossible about it. You knew that estate had been on the market for a long time. We just didn’t expect anyone to actually step forward and buy it. The price was outrageous, after all.”

“If you’d known in advance, you should have bought it yourself, even if you had to pay extra!”

Noah didn’t bother answering my unreasonable demand.

And I didn’t expect an answer from him either.

Instead, I hurried down the corridor and practically slid down to the first-floor hall.

“Oh, please! Are you only going to be satisfied once you break something this time?”

Noah, who had hurried after me, shouted irritably.

But I was completely absorbed by the sight before me.

Among the nobles who had settled in the capital, selling their family residence was considered disgraceful.

As a result, such properties rarely came onto the market, and even when they did, actually finding a buyer was nearly impossible.

Why?

Because they were ridiculously expensive.

The mansion directly across from the Bellua ducal residence had stood empty for years.

The reason was simple: it had been listed at several times the already astronomical market price.

Everyone had laughed and said that no matter how good the location was, who in their right mind would buy something like that?

And yet it had been sold.

And to—

“Wow. I suppose the rumors that the Hero of the North returned riding a golden carriage weren’t exaggerated after all.”

My damn ex-boyfriend.

“Ah. Your Grace, isn’t that Richard over there?”

I reflexively whipped my head around in the direction Noah pointed.

I could see an elderly butler giving various instructions to the servants.

“…Hey.”

“It’s so obvious. I don’t understand why Richard hasn’t realized it yet. Now that you’re neighbors, try rebuilding your friendship.”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Grinding my teeth, I went back inside the mansion.

All my attention remained fixed on the commotion across the street as the movers continued their noisy work.

Noah followed closely behind me, continuing his lecture.

“It’s not too late, even now. Just kick that useless Damon to the curb and have a decent relationship with someone.”

“Stop talking nonsense. What about Claire and Gerard?”

“Are you finally curious about the elders of the family?”

Noah immediately explained.

“Claire dragged Gerard back to the estate on the day of the funeral. Mother told me to make sure I keep things steady.”

“…And what about you?”

“She was very pleased that her only son didn’t try to covet Your Grace’s position and quietly stepped aside. Ah. I told her I’d be visiting the estate, so she won’t suspect anything when I go.”

I nodded.

It seemed the arrangements we’d discussed beforehand had continued while I was locked away in my room.

“We should thank Count Winston. He moved into the house across from us, and he’s going to see Your Grace’s face before leaving.”

“Anyone listening would think I’d been hiding away.”

“Were you not?”

I glared at Noah as he insolently asked the question.

I dragged Noah along with me all the way to his room.

“Why don’t you just move your base to the estate altogether?”

“There are a lot of things I need to take care of regarding the ledgers at the Bellua estate.”

“Moving there would probably be less chaotic than this.”

Are you really in a position to complain about me staying in my room for a few days?

Noticing my gaze, Noah began throwing various belongings into a corner while grumbling.

“It’s all because of Your Grace.”

“How is the state of your room my fault?”

“Do you know how busy I’ve been while Your Grace has been digging herself into a hole over the appearance of her ex-boyfriend?”

“……”

I had nothing to say to that.

Perhaps intending to finish packing while he was at it, Noah began tossing clothes into a large backpack.

“Why did you say things you would regret in the first place? ‘I’ve always liked you! It was all a misunderstanding! I love you! The obstacle is gone, so let’s make things work again!’ Why couldn’t you just say that?”

I stared at Noah, who continued lecturing me while packing, looking utterly exhausted.

“Who said I regretted anything?”

“You’ve been losing sleep again these past few days, and you’re still insisting you don’t?”

“Did you completely ignore what the physician said?”

“My ears are perfectly fine, Your Grace.”

“Then you should know that my inability to sleep has nothing to do with Richard.”

“I know Your Grace quite well.”

Would someone who was merely tired really stay in bed for several days?

Noah knew perfectly well that there had to be a reason I was lying there despite knowing everyone would gossip about it.

You don’t want to see the Princess who made such a dazzling entrance into high society and her supposedly perfect partner, Count Winston.

Noah listed all of that without even stopping for breath before tightening the straps of his bag and delivering the final blow.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to say this much.”

“Then don’t.”

“Staying locked in your room isn’t going to solve anything, so get over it and get back on your feet. That man is being praised as the Hero of the North, receiving a count’s title and rising higher and higher, while you’re acting like this. Don’t you realize how bad the comparison looks?”

He had clearly been wanting to say that for a long time.

“Be honest with me. You’re worried about the family, aren’t you, rather than me?”

“Me? That’s a misunderstanding!”

Yeah.

Sure.

There was nothing wrong with what Noah was saying.

I couldn’t hide forever.

But it was also true that I needed some time to sort out my thoughts.

At least a few more days.

“That’s why I said I was going to the estate.”

“You’ve only just inherited the duchy, and if you immediately rush to the estate, what kind of rumors do you think will spread?”

Among the central aristocracy, it was customary for a newly appointed head of a family to remain in the capital for a while and establish their position before returning to their territory.

As Noah said, there were only two reasons someone would rush to their estate.

Either they had something they urgently needed to hide, or there was a problem with the estate.

Either way, they would have to accept the rumors that would spread throughout high society.

When I groaned, Noah gestured as though to say See? and continued lecturing me.

“Don’t try to hide away somehow. Get your heart in order first. I’ll find the ledger detailing the money the former Duke siphoned from the Imperial treasury somehow, so don’t worry about that.”

“Ugh. Fine. I understand, so stop already. I’ll watch you leave, then start preparing for my first dinner party.”

“I’m delighted, as your vassal, cousin, and longtime friend, to see you finally rise from your prolonged period of digging yourself into a hole and mourning your encounter with your ex-boyfriend.”

Noah lightly placed a hand over his chest with an exaggerated gesture.

Despite absolutely detesting nobles, his etiquette was flawless.

“And speaking of a dinner party, you don’t need to prepare one.”

“Why?”

“A much better occasion has already been prepared for your first appearance in high society as the new Duchess of Bellua.”

The man I’d known all my life smiled knowingly and handed me a card.

Inside an unnecessarily extravagant envelope.

“What is this?”

“Look at the seal.”

I did.

Two crossed swords connected by dozens of ribbons.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary Imperial seal.

Except that all the ribbons had been turned backward.

The ribbons were deliberately reversed so that the seals of the individual houses couldn’t be seen.

It was a symbol of Imperial family members who had yet to receive the recognition of the nobility.

It was a seal primarily used by the Crown Prince, and for more than a decade, Damon had been the only person in the Empire permitted to use it.

“Don’t tell me…”

“You already guessed, didn’t you? Officially, it’s a banquet celebrating his cousin’s return alive, but…”

What celebration?

He was obviously planning to gather all the nobles and confirm their loyalty.

Seeing my expression, Noah shrugged.

“Well, that’s what the occasion is.”

“His old illness has flared up again.”

That damn paranoia.

“He’s about due for another episode.”

In other words, the madman who was always convinced the Emperor would never pass the throne on to him had finally exploded after the appearance of a direct member of the Imperial family with a claim to the succession.

“Either way, there’s no better occasion for you to take your first step as head of the family. And you should sort things out with His Highness beforehand.”

“Ah. Right. That, too.”

Breaking up with Damon.

I really didn’t want to do it.

Perhaps my reluctance showed on my face, because Noah spoke again.

“You were planning to end things as soon as you inherited the title anyway. Don’t tell me you’ve developed lingering feelings?”

“Are you kidding? It’s just bothersome. With Damon’s personality, he’d be perfectly happy to be the one doing the dumping, but if someone tells him they’re breaking up first, he’ll lose his temper.”

I broke the wax seal on the envelope and checked the contents.

For a moment, I doubted my own eyes.

But the message written on the single card was short and clear.

There was no way I could have misread it.

A quiet groan escaped my lips.

“Damon says he’ll come to pick me up on the day?”

Something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

“…That womanizer? He’ll pick up Your Grace? He hasn’t escorted you even once in the past ten years, and now he’s suddenly doing this?”

“…I don’t think I can afford to lie around anymore.”

A bad feeling flashed through me.

A very, very ominous feeling began to creep over me.

“You leave for the estate immediately. I need to go to the Imperial Palace.”