Chapter 12
Using the excuse of urgent business, Derek left the task of seeing off the guests to the merchant leader and took out a cigar.
The red flame flickered.
The smoke he exhaled quickly dispersed, but Ethan Estevan’s words remained clear in his mind:
“I won’t make a move on someone else’s lover, so don’t worry.”
At first, it sounded like he agreed with Derek, but it was a clear provocation.
Ethan was saying that although Elisa was Derek’s fiancée, she wasn’t his lover yet, so he would keep making his move.
It was a declaration of war.
The more Derick thought about it, the more annoyed he became, and he frowned.
Just then, the merchant leader who had gone to see the guests off returned.
“The documents smell like smoke. I told you many times to open the windows wide when you smoke cigars.”
Derek chuckled at the scolding and put out the cigar by rubbing it out.
Merchant leader Jayce, who was opening windows wide and fanning the smoke out, gave him a sharp look.
“Did something bad happen?”
“Do I look like it?”
“Yes. You look like you’d kill someone if they messed with you.”
Caught.
Derek gave a dry smile and drank his cold tea.
“Because of Baron Estevan?”
Jayce closed the window and drew the curtains, then sat opposite Derek.
“You’re angry because the baron rejected your business proposal?”
“No. I never thought that guy would accept it in the first place.”
“Then why are you angry?”
Derek said nothing and set down his empty teacup.
Even with people he trusted, it was foolish to reveal all his true feelings.
There’s a reason people say you can read the depths of water but not the depths of a person.
“And he hasn’t rejected it yet. He said he’d review it carefully and take the proposal.”
“What? Really? I thought he refused right away since he seemed so uninterested. That’s a relief.”
Jayce clapped his hands happily, but Derek did not share his joy.
He knew why the baron suddenly changed his mind after an obvious rejection.
Elisa Leslie—his fiancée—was the reason.
If it had been just Ethan chasing after her on his own, Derick could’ve dealt with it.
But the problem was not that.
Elisa was also interested in Ethan.
The way her expression and eyes changed every time she saw Ethan proved it.
Ethan’s gaze toward her was also unusual.
“Something is going on between them…”
“What? What do you mean, something is going on?”
“Nothing.”
Since it was useless gossip, Derek vaguely avoided the topic and stood up.
Jayce asked if he needed anything, but Derek waved him off.
Jayce bowed and left.
Alone again, Derek took a thick stack of papers from the desk drawer.
It was the investigation report on Ethan Estevan.
The papers were thick from requesting information from several guilds, but the contents were similar and mostly useless.
“The information guilds are useless, too.”
Well, at least he found out that Elisa was digging into Ethan Estevan’s background, so it wasn’t completely useless.
Instead of telling Elisa directly that he was investigating Ethan, Derek asked every guild in the capital to inform him if Elisa came looking for information.
It was a strange request, but since it wasn’t a secret that had to be kept, and because Derek paid well, most information guilds accepted the offer.
Today, he heard that Elisa had visited the guild and requested an investigation into Ethan Estevan.
Is what you want to know the same as what I want to know?
Derek pursed his lips and handed over the materials he had received from the guild.
What he wanted to know was the relationship between Elisa Leslie and Ethan Estevan.
After seeing Elisa’s overly sensitive reaction to Ethan at the victory banquet, Derek was sure there was something between them, so he dug into Ethan’s past.
But he couldn’t find anything and felt frustrated.
So he arranged for them to meet by chance, but instead of clearing his doubts, they grew even more.
On top of that, he was insulted by Ethan’s mocking look, as if daring him to do something.
Thinking about that irritated Derek, and he sighed, running his hand through his hair roughly.
“Well, fine. I’ll find out slowly.”
Anyway, Elisa can’t leave me.
His eyes, looking out the window, were as dark as the night outside.
***
Lady Leslie returned to the capital after about a month.
She originally planned to stay only two weeks, but the old lady’s condition was worse than expected, so she stayed longer.
Elisa, who had been waiting since she heard her mother had arrived at the station, went out as the carriage passed through the main gate.
Noah, nicely dressed with flowers, was with her.
“Welcome back, Mom.”
“My daughter, have you been well?”
The countess warmly hugged her daughter and kindly greeted Noah as well.
“How have you been, Noah?”
Noah hesitated, watched the countess nervously, and then hid behind Elisa.
Her hand holding the skirt trembled slightly.
Though the countess had never been mean or hit her, Noah was afraid of her.
The same was true for Count Leslie.
Noah was not just scared of older people in general; he got along well with her aunt Tania.
So what was the reason?
Elisa was curious but troubled.
Elisha was both curious and troubled. People already gave Noah cold looks because he was a fatherless child and couldn’t speak.
If he kept acting like this, people would dislike him even more.
“Noah, you should say ‘welcome back’ properly.”
Elisa nudged her gently.
The child timidly stepped forward, bowed with a scared face, then hid behind Elisa again.
“Oh my. It looks like Noah loves his big sister the most.”
Unlike Elisa’s awkwardness, the countess smiled brightly and turned away.
Her indifferent attitude, as if expecting nothing from the start, irritated Elisa even more.
***
Noah fell asleep.
He must’ve been tired from waking up early and getting ready.
Elisa took the child to the bedroom, then went looking for her mother.
“Then we’ll do it like this…”
The countess, who had already finished unpacking and was giving orders to the butler, stopped when she saw her daughter.
“I’ll come back later.”
“No, it will be quick. Please wait a moment.”
Elisa obediently sat on the sofa and waited.
Soon, the butler said he would prepare tea and left.
“How is Grandmother’s condition?”
As soon as Elisa’s mother sat on the sofa, Elisa asked.
When the topic of the elderly lady over 70 came up, a shadow crossed the countess’s face.
“She’s somewhat better, but because of her age, full recovery will be difficult.”
“It’s a relief she’s improving. Next time, I want to go with you, Mom. I want to see Grandma after a long time.”
“Alright. Then Sir Grenville will come too, and we can introduce everyone.”
Elisa blinked widely at the sudden mention of Derek Grenville.
“Why, Sir Grenville?”
“Why? Because you’re going to get married soon, you need to greet your relatives.”
Ah.
Elisa sighed softly, her face darkening for a moment.
“As I said before, men like Sir Grenville—capable and kind—are very rare.
He even accepted you, knowing all your faults.”
The countess moved to sit beside Elisa, held her hand tightly, and spoke softly but firmly.
“So this time, don’t think about unnecessary things. Marry Sir Grenville. Not only I, but also Grandma wants to see her beloved granddaughter get married before she passes.”
With the elderly grandmother as an argument, all Elisa could do was nod.
Just then, the butler brought tea, breaking the conversation.
“By the way, I went to an exhibition by Giselle Briana, daughter of the Marchioness Briana.”
Wanting to escape the uncomfortable topic of marriage, Elisa quickly changed the subject.
“I heard about it too. If I had been in the capital, I would have gone. It’s a shame I missed it.”
Luckily, the change in topic worked, and the stiff atmosphere eased a little as they talked about something lighter.
“Aunt said there’s a famous doctor in the Tahal Kingdom who can even cure muteness.”
Only then did Elisa carefully explain the main reason for her visit.
“So, I’m planning to go to the Tahal Kingdom with Noah. It would be nice to bring the doctor here, but since he is old, that’s difficult. So I have to go myself.”
“No.”
The countess said firmly,
“Tahal Kingdom is so far away. You want to go there yourself? That’s nonsense.”
“I know it will be a tough journey, but I have to go. Noah, it’s for my son.”
“Why do you say Noah is your son?”
The countess glared as if it were ridiculous.
“He is not your son, and he never will be. So get rid of that thought early.”
