VPSML | CH 06

Chapter 06

Pdea’s voice was slightly restrained, as if she was holding something back.

Her low tone, as she cleared her throat, almost made Jay let out a strange sound.

His ears felt even more ticklish than before.

“…So just wait quietly. The one who’s really about to lose it is me, understand?”

Pdea patted Jay’s tense shoulder in a firm way.

Jay flinched at her touch.

Seeing that, Pdea’s lips curved upward.

To her, it looked like he was nodding.

Satisfied, she pulled her hand back.

Then she glanced at Elena.

Following the mood, Elena, who had been eating cake with them, quickly stood up.

“Ah…! L–Lady Grand Duchess, please take care on your way back…!”

Elena’s voice became small, as if she felt guilty for secretly watching them.

The two had been whispering in such a private way.

But unexpectedly, Pdea simply nodded without any annoyance and left.

Elena couldn’t take her eyes off Pdea, surprised she didn’t get even a single glare.

When Pdea finally left the café, Elena let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

She wasn’t sure how she had gotten through sitting at the same table as Pdea.

“Jay, what did the Lady say to you?”

Elena, who dropped into her seat with a thump, asked carefully.

Now that she could breathe again, she was curious about what Pdea had whispered to Jay alone.

Jay, whose mind had gone completely blank earlier, jolted at her question.

Looking into Elena’s innocent, clear eyes made him feel a little guilty.

He felt as if she had caught him doing something he shouldn’t.

Jay swallowed dryly.

Whatever Pdea meant by “don’t provoke me,” he couldn’t possibly tell Elena, “The Lady told me not to provoke her.”

“Don’t provoke me because I’m holding back.

Just wait quietly.

The one who’s really about to lose it is me.”

Putting all that together sounded far too strange.

“…It was nothing.”

In the end, Jay lied and looked away.

The café outing ended quickly due to the two of them feeling tired.

* * *

After the café trip, time passed as usual.

The Leterre family’s training grounds hadn’t been quiet lately.

Normally, outside of training hours, it was peaceful.

But today again, there was the artificial sound of wind cutting through the air.

It meant someone was still there, training.

Judging from the steady form, they weren’t staying because of lack of skill.

Even after long practice, the posture didn’t falter — it showed great ability.

The person with such an impressive figure was none other than Jay, head of the Leterre family.

“…Butler?”

Jay paused mid-swing when he sensed someone watching.

It was the butler.

Panting from training, Jay slowly lowered his sword.

“What is it?”

Since the butler was here, Jay decided to take a short break.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, he accepted the towel the butler offered.

“Good day, my lord. I came because there’s something to deliver.”

Jay stopped wiping.

The butler wouldn’t come just to hand him a towel — it must be something important.

“An invitation has arrived.”

Sure enough, the butler took out an envelope from his coat.

Jay draped the towel over his shoulder and held out his hand.

The butler placed the letter politely in Jay’s palm.

Jay looked at it casually — then his eyes twitched.

The wax seal was unusually fine.

“…Are you sure this is for me?”

“I even asked the courier again, my lord… it was indeed meant for you.”

“This really is for me… Fine. I’ll check it, so you may go.”

Jay almost asked the butler again but decided not to.

There was no point in denying it — once he opened it, he would know.

Left alone, Jay stared at the letter.

The seal of the Roel Grand Duke’s family stood out proudly.

Skk—

Jay broke the seal and finally took out the contents.

He focused completely on reading, his breathing barely audible.

“Haa…”

After checking, he let out the breath he had been holding.

As he feared, his name was clearly written inside.

“I have no idea what they’re planning.”

It was exactly as the butler had said, and Jay felt conflicted.

The reason he had been spending more time locked in the training grounds lately was all because of Pdea.

Ever since the imperial ball and the café incident, she kept coming to mind.

Eventually, when it started to affect his work, he came to the training grounds, because training allowed him to think about something else for a while.

Of course, whenever he took a break, thoughts of Pdea would pop up again.

“…And now, as if appearing in my thoughts wasn’t enough, she’s actually sent an invitation to meet in person.”

Jay pressed a hand to his aching head.

As a count, he had no excuse to refuse a Grand Duke’s invitation.

Especially since he had once hurt the Grand Duchess’s wrist.

“…Is this about the café incident?”

He stared hard at the letter.

It looked like an invitation, but maybe it was actually to confront him about grabbing her wrist.

Otherwise, why suddenly invite him to the Grand Duke’s estate?

Recently, Pdea’s attitude toward him had changed a lot — but it definitely wasn’t romantic interest like other young ladies.

Sure, she had said odd things like “What will you name our child?” “Marry me.” and “Don’t provoke me, I’m holding back.”

…But she was still Pdea.

The same Pdea who had long been in love with his friend Claire.

Jay pictured the Pdea he remembered best — clinging to his friend’s arm, begging for affection.

He believed she couldn’t have changed overnight.

She had even once come to him asking to make a deal so she could win Claire.

“…Wait, could it be…?”

A forgotten memory came back, and Jay’s eyes widened.

Her strange recent actions started to make sense.

“…It was revenge, wasn’t it?”

His face twisted slightly.

Thinking about it again, there was no way Pdea was interested in him — it had to be revenge.

“What have I been doing all this time… How foolish.”

He regretted the time he had wasted hiding in the training grounds.

It was such a simple problem, yet he had struggled with it for so long.

The answer was nothing but revenge.

* * *

Time passed, and the day of the Grand Duke’s invitation arrived.

A carriage bearing the Leterre family crest entered the Grand Duke’s estate right on time.

Inside the carriage, Jay sighed deeply, faced with the reality that he had come to the Grand Duke’s place after all.

And of all places — it had to be here.

He could only imagine what might happen in a place that favored Pdea.

Whatever happened here, it would likely be overlooked.

“We’ll stop the carriage here.”

The carriage slowly stopped at the driver’s words.

Jay, who had been sitting with his eyes closed in frustration, slowly opened them.

There was no escape — he would have to get out.

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock signaled that the door would be opened soon.

Jay rubbed his eyes and had an odd thought.

What if there were rows of Grand Duke’s knights waiting outside?

There was enough reason — even if the real goal was revenge, they could pretend it was to arrest him for injuring the Grand Duchess’s wrist.

Soon, bright light spilled into the carriage — the door had been opened.

Jay braced himself and moved toward the light.

Whatever happened, he would endure it.

Slowly, he lifted his head.

“…”

Jay froze, unable to step out, as if blinded by the light.

The scene before him was completely different from what he expected.

There were no knights — instead, the Grand Duke’s servants were bowing their heads.

And most of all—

“Did you wait patiently?”

Pdea had come out to greet him.

He had prepared himself not to be surprised by anything, but it was all for nothing.

He couldn’t say a word, as if in a dream.

Whether it turned into a nightmare or not, everything felt strange.

It was a bright, clear day.

He had come not to meet Elena, but Pdea.

And she had been waiting outside just to greet him.

“Take it.”

What reached out toward him was not a blade — but Pdea’s graceful hand.