Chapter 23
“What is it this time…”
Letting out a short sigh, Derek leaned back into the carriage seat, his eyes fixed on the scenery flashing by outside—irritation plain in his gaze.
That morning, a letter had arrived from Elisa.
“Something urgent has come up. I won’t be able to go to the zoo. I’m sorry.”
Straight to the point, not even a polite greeting—so very Elisa Leslie.
But the message itself was anything but welcome.
He had promised Noah they’d go to the zoo this weekend, after stopping by Tania Leslie’s estate a few days ago.
There was no doubt that Noah, who loved wolves and lions, had been keeping track of the days.
And now, this? A last-minute cancellation?
Sure, urgent matters came up.
Plans could change.
But when it came to a promise with Noah, things were different.
Elisa had always put her promises to Noah above all else.
Just in case, Derek had casually asked Countess Leslie if anything was wrong.
But she seemed completely unaware.
And that only made it worse.
How long did he have to keep walking on eggshells for these people?
The frustration was building.
“…She’s the problem.”
Elisa Leslie.
His damn fiancée.
He had thought—foolishly—that if he showed a little care and tended to her wounds, both visible and hidden, she’d soften eventually.
What a mistake.
For the past three years, Elisa had bristled like a hedgehog anytime he came near.
The only exception was when he was being kind to Noah—then, and only then, did she lower her guard even slightly.
But even that has changed lately.
More precisely, ever since Ethan Estevan appeared, her walls had gone higher than ever.
“Something is going on with that bastard…”
He had a gut feeling.
But no proof.
And that made it worse.
The thought that everything he’d built might collapse because of one man—it made his stomach turn.
“I won’t let that happen.”
He had come too far.
He wouldn’t let it fall apart now.
By the time he renewed his resolve, the carriage had arrived at its destination: the Pride Hotel.
Adjusting his collar and smoothing his expression, Derek stepped out.
Before heading to the Leslie estate, he had planned a quick stop to pick up the Countess’s favourite cake—something to earn favour while Elisa remained… unstable.
Just as he turned with the pre-ordered cake in hand, Ethan Estevan walked into the hotel lobby.
“Of course. Just my luck.”
Derek clicked his tongue, scowling.
He had only ever paid attention to the man because of Elisa.
And for that same reason, he’d rather avoid crossing paths with him.
He ducked behind a column, waiting for Ethan to pass.
That’s when a middle-aged man appeared in his line of sight.
“…Count Leslie?”
It was Elisa’s father, Adolph Leslie.
Derek was sure the Count was still abroad, handling business.
His return wasn’t due until next week.
So what was he doing here?
Narrowing his eyes, Derekk watched.
Count Leslie looked… nervous.
Fidgeting, glancing around like someone who’d been caught sneaking around—until his eyes locked onto something.
—or someone.
Ethan Estevan.
Of course.
Suddenly, Derek was reminded of Elisa.
The way she had watched Ethan at that Estevan estate party—anxious, uncertain, on edge.
Don’t tell me… Count Leslie returned early because of Ethan?
It sounded absurd.
But not impossible.
And if there was even a sliver of a chance, Derek couldn’t ignore it.
In his experience, the things you dismissed as unlikely…
were usually the ones that turned out to be true.
“Send word to the Leslie estate. Tell them something urgent came up—I won’t be able to make it.”
He handed the cake off to his secretary, who had just arrived in search of him.
A heavy silence hung between Ethan and Count Leslie, seated across from each other.
The garden was in full bloom with roses, and the graceful duet of piano and violin floated through the air—but none of it could pierce the tension between the two men.
As soon as his iced tea arrived, Count Leslie drained it in one breath.
Still unsatisfied, he began crunching the remaining ice between his teeth.
Ethan, in contrast, sipped his hot coffee slowly—composed, elegant.
It was hard to believe he had once been a servant.
His poise made the Count’s expression twitch with unease.
“… What’s your angle?”
As the steam from Ethan’s cup began to fade, Count Leslie finally spoke.
His voice was low, but his eyes trembled with anxiety.
Ethan met that gaze with a crooked smile.
“Angle? You’re speaking strangely, Count.
I’m simply here to collect what was promised to me.”
At that, the Count gripped his glass so tightly his knuckles turned white.
His face had gone pale.
But Ethan remained utterly unfazed as he continued, his voice calm and unwavering:
“You said… If I went to war under the name of House Leslie and returned safely, you’d acknowledge my relationship with Elisa.”
“I thought you knew your place. Seems I was mistaken.”
It had been over four years, but the memory of that day burned with the clarity of something that had just happened.
Ethan had expected the wrath of Count Leslie ever since the night he accepted Elisa’s heart—and spent the night with her.
So the fact that he hadn’t been thrown out in secret, without a word, and was instead given the chance to speak like this felt like divine luck.
“Please, just give me one chance.”
Desperate to seize that chance, Ethan dropped to his knees, bowing so low that his forehead nearly touched the ground.
“I know how utterly insolent it is for someone like me—with nothing—to say this.”
Even at his mother’s funeral, Ethan hadn’t wavered.
But now, his voice trembled.
“But I love Elissa. Enough to bow my head like this. Enough to do anything if I can stand by her side.”
At that word—anything—Count Leslie’s eyes had gleamed.
But Ethan, with his head bowed, never saw it.
“Anything, you say?”
Ethan had expected to be thrown out of the estate with a sneer, not entertained.
So when the Count gave a different reply, he lifted his head in stunned hope.
His grey eyes shimmered, desperate.
“Yes! I’ll do anything!”
“Then you can enlist in the war against the Empire?”
It was a blow he hadn’t seen coming.
Ethan froze.
“The royal family’s been harping on about noblesse oblige, asking each house to send someone to the front. It’s been a headache, honestly.”
The Count spoke casually, as though Ethan’s expression, stiff with shock, didn’t exist.
“If you join the war under the Leslie name and return alive, I’ll acknowledge your relationship with Elisa.”
Ethan had never held a sword, let alone seen battle.
The chances of him returning from the frontlines were close to none.
“Yes. I’ll do it.”
He accepted the offer anyway—because it was the only way he could stand beside her.
When Ethan agreed without hesitation, Count Leslie looked at him, momentarily surprised.
“No one else will know of this—not Elisa, not anyone.”
That added condition gave Ethan pause.
He’d promised Elisa—pinky sworn—that he’d always stay by her side.
Leaving without a word weighed on him.
But if she found out, she’d surely fight tooth and nail to stop him.
And frankly, he was in no position to refuse.
So, once again, he’d bowed his head in agreement.
And just like that, he was sent off to the blood-soaked fields of war—where he would discover a harrowing truth:
The Leslie family had already fulfilled their noblesse oblige by contributing funds to the war effort.
There had never been a need for anyone to go to the front lines.
“And yet, my name appeared—conveniently—on the list of volunteers for the front line.”
Ethan let out a short, bitter laugh and lifted his coffee cup.
“That’s when it all became clear. You didn’t want to test my resolve. You wanted me dead.”
He’d suspected as much from the start.
But even so, a faint ember of hope had remained.
The moment he saw that list, though, that ember shattered—like glass underfoot.
Ironically, the only thing that saved him from drowning in despair… was the contract the Count had signed.
That single line, promising to recognise his relationship with Elisa, rekindled what hope he had left.
You must’ve thought I’d never come back.
That’s why you signed so easily.
You didn’t know it would come back to haunt you.
A cold smile tugged at Ethan’s lips.
“You wanted me to die in that hell, Count. But here I am—very much alive. I returned, and I returned with a title and an estate so that I could stand beside Elisa with pride.”
He took a final sip from his now-lukewarm cup and set it down with a sharp clink.
“Now it’s your turn to keep your word.”
Wow.