Chapter 14
As Pdea and Elena expected, the malicious rumors quietly spread.
Even Pdea’s wrongdoings, which only a few people had known, became widely known. It was the revenge of the last tea party members.
Those who didn’t know the details also clicked their tongues when they heard of Pdea’s misdeeds.
But unlike the intentions of the tea party members, the criticism did not grow very loud.
Even though Pdea didn’t stop the rumors, she slipped in one piece of information among them.
The information was: “The Grand Duke’s daughter apologized to Elena.”
There was no witness who actually saw her apologizing to Elena, so it couldn’t be proven. But rumors usually spread to more people who didn’t see than those who did.
Since there would be another meeting with Elena later, this was already quite a big achievement for now.
In fact, some people even said, “Well, I don’t know why, but apparently she apologized.”
It was a little embarrassing that she herself spread the rumor about apologizing to Elena, but if it was for Elena’s sake, she had to let people know, even through her own mouth.
Even if people freely gossiped about her when she wasn’t there, she was still the Grand Duke’s daughter.
Whether true or not, since the Grand Duke’s daughter said she would protect Elena, no one could treat Elena the same way they did before.
* * *
The rumor also reached the Leterre Count’s house.
Jay was startled when he heard that Pdea had apologized to Elena.
It was because Elena hadn’t told him anything about meeting Pdea.
Had he grown distant from her just because he had stayed at the mansion for a while to clear his head?
Reflecting on this, Jay hurried to see Elena. The rumor said “apology,” but reality could have been different.
Maybe it was a sarcastic apology, or maybe she threatened her to accept it.
But when Jay found Elena, things were different.
“Mm-hmm. That’s what happened.”
Elena admitted, a little awkwardly, that she really did receive an apology.
Jay narrowed his eyes to check her condition, but she had no injuries.
Still uneasy, Jay asked,
“What happened with the Grand Duke’s daughter that she apologized to you?”
He wanted to hear the details of what happened between the two. Pdea’s behavior had been so unpredictable lately, he thought Elena might have overlooked something.
“……Ah. ……Well, ……umm.”
Elena looked troubled and rolled her eyes around. Even Jay, who thought it wasn’t such a big question, became uneasy.
Since the rough situation was already known, he thought it wouldn’t be hard for Elena to explain.
“Sorry! I think it’s a bit hard to say right now. Please just wait a little, Jay.”
Rejected, Jay’s mind grew heavy.
There had been many things he hadn’t asked because he didn’t want to burden her, but now that she rejected him, he wondered if maybe she would have rejected him back then too.
“…Alright. I’ll wait.”
Jay pretended not to be hurt. He didn’t want to push Elena when she earnestly asked him to wait.
He only got the information that Elena was fine, and then returned to the count’s mansion.
Or rather, he was practically chased out.
Elena kept glancing at the clock, her eyes clearly urging him to leave.
So he had no choice but to return, dragging his feet. That day, he didn’t train or do anything at all. With Pdea already stressing him out, Elena added to the weight, and his head ached.
Elena’s words, “It’s a bit hard to say right now” stuck in his mind. Somehow, it sounded like she was saying they lacked closeness.
Jay tried to ease his headache by repeating Elena’s request: wait for me.
Since she asked him to wait, it must mean she wasn’t truly uncomfortable with him.
Maybe she was just a little tired of him.
“…Can I really call being tired of me not that bad?”
Jay muttered while lying on his bed. His tangled thoughts left him restless, so instead of training he came to his room, but his fatigue only grew.
Whenever silence came, he couldn’t help but recall the past.
Unable to rest, Jay got up and left his room with heavy steps. His body would grow tired, but the training grounds were the only place to clear his head.
As Jay walked weakly down the corridor, a familiar figure approached him.
It was the butler, walking quickly.
“Count.”
Stopping before Jay, the butler looked restless.
“What is it?”
Jay felt uneasy. Somehow, it didn’t feel like good news.
“…The Grand Duke’s daughter is waiting in the reception room.”
His hunch was right. Jay felt like he had been struck.
It was surprising enough that she came to the mansion, but what shocked him more was that she was already inside the reception room without his permission.
Jay let out a deep sigh. Pdea always went beyond his expectations and troubled him.
If only Elena had come instead, to tell him what she hadn’t told earlier. That would have been better.
“I’m sorry, Count. She said she had something important to tell you…”
The butler misunderstood Jay’s sigh and bowed his head, thinking he was being scolded for letting her in without permission.
Jay waved his hand, not intending to blame him.
After all, how could anyone stop the Grand Duke’s daughter if she wanted to come?
“It’s fine. More importantly, what is it she wants to tell me?”
“Ah, well. She didn’t tell me. She only said the Count already knows.”
Jay’s eye twitched. He hadn’t agreed to anything with Pdea.
He told the butler he would go meet her and hurried his steps. His tired legs now felt light from tension.
Soon he reached the reception room and opened the door without hesitation.
The door flew open suddenly, and Pdea’s gaze landed on him. She blinked a few times, then smiled.
“You always run to me.”
Pdea smiled as she saw Jay rushing in. The fact that he opened the door so quickly just because she had come here was almost like a puppy.
“Just like at the café before.”
Every time Jay rushed toward her, Pdea’s self-control wavered. She just wanted to take him back to the Grand Duke’s house right away.
If not for her promise to delay their marriage, she would have done so already.
“…What brings you here?”
Feeling embarrassed, Jay ignored her words and only asked her purpose.
But the redness of his ears gave him away. He hadn’t come because he wanted to see her, but it always ended up looking that way.
“I have something for you.”
Pdea kept staring at his red ears, then pulled out a box.
It was neither too big nor too small.
At her nod, urging him to open it, Jay cautiously stepped closer.
The sound of the ribbon sliding off—shhh—made the tension rise.
Jay swallowed and slowly opened the box.
A rich, sweet smell spread out.
“…What is this…”
Seeing the contents, Jay looked straight at Pdea.
His widened eyes told her how surprised he was, and she felt proud.
She had brought him his favorite chocolate madeleines. His reaction was touching.
If she had known he’d like them this much, she would have waited for a fresh batch from the café instead of just bringing the leftover ones.
“Why do you keep giving me these?”
“Because you like them.”
Jay blinked in shock. Pdea looked straight at him as she said, “Because you like them.” It almost sounded like a confession.
“No. I don’t really like them.”
Determined to escape this “madeleine trap,” Jay spoke firmly.
He snapped the box shut with a clack. But deep inside, he felt a sting.
Secretly, he had sometimes thought about those chocolate madeleines. But even when he asked the count’s patissier to make some, they never tasted like the ones from that café.
The other option was to go there himself and buy them, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
What if he waited in line and they still didn’t taste the same? That thought scared him.
If that happened, it would mean only the ones Pdea gave him were delicious.
Even the ones he once ate at the Grand Duke’s house had, annoyingly enough, matched his taste.
At Jay’s sulky words, Pdea raised an eyebrow.
She had seen him eat them happily many times. How could she believe him now?
Touching her lips, Pdea asked as if she didn’t believe him.
“Even though I bought them from the café you liked?”
Gulp—
Jay suddenly felt his throat swallow on its own.
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