#10
“You take after your mother.”
“I don’t resemble either of them. I was adopted when I was young.”
“Ah… My apologies.”
When Judith apologized, the woman simply shook her head as if it were nothing.
“It’s all right. Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Selena Craven.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Judith Friedrich Adennawar.”
“It might be difficult right now because the guests are using it, but once things quiet down a little later, I can bring the machine inside and explain how it works to you.”
“…Thank you for your consideration.”
Judith did not think he would be staying that long, but he smiled faintly and agreed.
Perhaps encouraged by his smile, Selena pointed toward the drinks.
“Would you like to try a glass?”
“Gladly.”
Selena personally brought over a ladle and poured him a drink.
Judith cautiously tasted it.
Unlike the juice from earlier, this one was a little thicker, with a gentle sweetness that made it surprisingly easy to keep drinking.
“It’s delicious.”
“It’s my mother’s special drink.”
Selena smiled, her cheeks turning red as though she were pleased by the compliment.
“Um… Your Highness, are you… the Duke’s lover?”
Judith was glad he had not been drinking at that moment.
Selena was looking at him with sparkling eyes.
She had the expression of a young girl filled with excitement.
Judith quickly realized that she was not asking for any bad reason.
“I’m not sure.”
Judith gave an answer that was neither a yes nor a no, showing her discomfort.
Understanding what he meant, Selena blushed and lowered her head.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked something like that.”
“It’s all right.”
Judith leaned against the wall while holding her drink.
He had chosen that spot because he always stood there even at official events.
But unlike before, people kept glancing at him.
After wondering why, Judith realized it was because he had entered with Kalid.
“Is there somewhere quiet where I can rest?”
Judith found the curious attention from the others burdensome, so he asked Selena, who was still there.
“Of course. Follow me.”
Selena answered confidently and led the way.
She took him to a terrace at the far end.
Perhaps because there were no lights on, it was dark, and hardly anyone came there.
“This is a really good place to be alone…”
Selena’s cheerful chatter gradually died down as they approached.
Judith immediately sensed that there was already someone on the terrace.
“Ah, um…”
From the corner of his eye, Judith could see that Selena looked embarrassed.
Even without looking inside, he could tell that an awkward situation was taking place.
Just as he was about to suggest that they turn around and leave, a voice came from inside.
“Since we have guests, I think it’s best to stop here for today.”
The voice was low but attractive.
The man reluctantly stood up at the woman’s refusal.
When the woman stood as well, her enormous basset spread out like a flower.
“Then, until next time.”
The woman, with wavy red hair and a charming beauty mark beside her eye, said goodbye before disappearing like the wind.
Selena stared blankly at the woman’s back.
Then a voice came from beside her.
“…Judith.”
Judith’s expression stiffened at the angry voice.
Even though he was a prince with no backing, there were not many people who could call Judith by his name alone.
Perhaps his father or his older brothers.
His father was not here, so it was most likely one of his older brothers.
He had a bad feeling about this.
“…Brother.”
Judith quietly addressed him.
Reginald emerged from the terrace looking disheveled and glared fiercely at Judith.
Reginald looked back and forth between Judith and Selena before scoffing.
“There is no way this woman is an alpha. So you, an omega, came here to have some fun too?”
The vulgar words made Selena’s face turn pale.
She clearly had no immunity to this kind of language.
Judith, who had always heard much worse, moved in front of Selena and spoke.
“It’s not like that.”
“Don’t give me that. It’s obvious you came here to have a little fun.”
Reginald said this while fixing the buttons on his shirt.
There were traces of a woman’s rouge smeared beside his lips.
After buttoning his shirt, Reginald grabbed Judith by the collar and lifted him.
Using his alpha strength, he made Judith’s body stiffen so that he could not move.
“So, how are you going to pay for disturbing me?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t give me that worthless apology. Tell me how you’re going to pay for it!”
Reginald shouted directly into Judith’s ear.
The shouting made his ears ring.
“Y-Your Highness, it really isn’t like that.”
“What are you? Stay out of this!”
Selena, who had been nervously fidgeting behind them, gathered her courage and stepped forward.
Reginald frowned and glared at her.
A moment earlier, Reginald had looked Selena up and down.
He had been checking what she was wearing and what she had with her.
He must have decided that she was someone he could treat however he pleased.
“I-I…”
“Reina.”
Judith looked directly at Selena and spoke.
“You should go now. It’s all right.”
Judith did not want to repay someone who had shown him kindness for the first time in a long while by bringing misfortune upon her.
That was also why he called Selena “Reina.”
If she became associated with him, her marriage prospects could be ruined.
Selena hesitated, but when Judith gave her another meaningful look, she left with anxious steps.
“What was that woman about? Who was she?”
Reginald’s face was red, probably because he had drunk quite a lot.
Judith quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
When Reginald was drunk, he often could not remember what had happened.
There was a good chance he would forget Selena as well.
“She is not someone Your Highness needs to concern yourself with.”
Judith spoke politely.
Reginald threw the wine bottle sitting on the table at Judith.
He did not hesitate for even a moment.
The wine bottle struck Judith’s shoulder and fell to the floor.
With the sound of breaking glass, red liquid slowly soaked into the carpet.
“Do you have any idea how much time and money I spent trying to bring that woman here?”
It seemed the woman on the terrace had been someone Reginald had gone to considerable trouble to pursue.
For Judith, it was simply terrible luck.
As he wondered how he could escape from Reginald in his drunken state, a voice came from beside him.
“I heard someone I was looking for was here.”
Judith recognized the voice.
He had heard it several times over the past few days.
Judith raised his head.
Kalid had just arrived and was looking at the scene.
“Oh my. Did I interrupt some pleasant brotherly conversation?”
Kalid seemed to understand the situation from the broken wine bottle and Reginald’s shouting.
He asked casually with a smile.
Behind Kalid stood Selena, her shoulders tightly hunched.
It seemed Selena had gone to get Kalid.
Now that Judith had all the information he needed, he saw a way out of the situation.
“Yes. There was a good place to talk, so… I asked the young lady to call Your Grace.”
Kalid raised one eyebrow at Judith’s words.
He apparently had not expected that answer.
“But it seems someone got here first.”
Kalid looked at Reginald.
The intruder was now Reginald.
Moreover, because of the commotion, people had gathered and were beginning to peek inside.
Reginald glared coldly at Judith before speaking.
“We’ll continue our conversation later.”
Reginald deliberately bumped Judith’s shoulder as he left.
It was a petty act, but it had been very effective.
The shoulder Reginald struck was the exact same shoulder that had just been hit by the wine bottle.
Judith rubbed the injured area and turned around.
Reginald had already disappeared into the crowd.
“A-Are you all right?”
Selena asked with an expression as though she were about to cry.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Judith answered while looking at Selena gently.
Guilt filled Selena’s eyes.
She seemed to blame herself because something like this had happened in the place she had brought him.
While Selena nervously fidgeted, Kalid spoke beside her.
“You’re Lady Selena, correct?”
“Yes, yes. That’s right.”
“I’d like to be alone with him for a moment. Would you mind giving us some space?”
Selena jumped in surprise and quickly nodded.
“Yes. O-of course.”
Selena glanced at Judith before quickly stepping away.
As soon as Selena moved away from them, the people who had not yet left began surrounding her.
Judith started wondering what they might be talking about, but his head began to ache, so he stopped thinking about it.
