IDHGA 09

Chapter 09

The Imperial Palace wasn’t far from the Marquess of Wellington’s residence, and the carriage arrived at the mansion around the time I found it difficult to endure the silence that had followed my aunt’s hysterical laughter, my lips beginning to twitch.

In my heart, I wanted to ask my aunt so many more things, but just because I had come back in time didn’t mean my personality would change overnight.

I was satisfied that I had spoken more than usual, and stepped out of the carriage.

*’Beware of your father. He’s a man whose depths you cannot fathom, more than you think.’*

Even as I returned to my room and changed into more comfortable clothes, my mind was filled with the cryptic words my aunt had spoken just before I got off the carriage.

I had felt it every time I received a letter from my aunt in the North, but is it true that she, as my father’s younger sister, has not a shred of loyalty towards him?

A simple yet fundamental question came to mind.

In my previous life, she had merely told me that if I wanted to return to the North, I could stay longer at this mansion.

She was never one to spend extra time with me, nor to show any particular interest.

And it wasn’t as if she spent more time with my father, either.

Anyway, my aunt had left a strong impression of being an unfathomable person, but seeing her now, it seemed that wasn’t quite the case either.

Originally, my aunt was not a person who conversed well with anyone other than my uncle.

The reason my aunt had changed – was it because I was acting differently from my previous life?

The thought to beware of my father lingered in a corner of my mind.

And also my aunt’s face, which had looked somewhat satisfied.

As I was lost in thought, someone knocked on the door.

“Eloise. May I come in?”

“Ah, yes. Please come in.”

My uncle’s gentle voice sounded from outside the door.

I hurried over, opened the door, and welcomed him.

“I hope I’m not interrupting your rest.”

“No, not at all.”

My uncle smiled softly and pushed a trolley inside.

“What’s this, Uncle?”

“I thought this might help you relax.”

On the trolley were my favorite sweet cakes and strongly brewed black tea.

It was thoughtful of him to prepare this, but it was also impressive that he had personally wheeled it in himself.

For a Marquess of a country to go this far for a niece who would only be staying for a short while.

I smiled in pure admiration.

“Thank you, Uncle. I was actually about to call for Jena. Please, come in.”

“I’m glad I wasn’t too late.”

Truly…… a meticulous person.

So contrasting with my aunt, whose intentions are hard to read.

In fact, even in my previous life, I felt more at ease with my uncle than with my aunt.

My uncle, who was consistently kind and warm in my previous life as well, always welcomed me gladly.

Actually, the person I could say ‘helped’ me was more my uncle than my aunt.

I looked at my uncle, who remained unchanged from then to now, and hid a wry smile.

“So, are you feeling a little better?”

My uncle asked as he set down a teacup in front of me.

I nodded.

“I’m fine. I’ve been fine ever since you appeared earlier. Thank you so much for saving me.”

“Did I do anything? I just exchanged a few words with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

My uncle let out a hearty laugh and scratched his cheek.

No wonder my aunt likes him, a person so humble and endearing.

I smiled at him.

“That was such a relief. It was fortunate that people showed up at just the right time; if they hadn’t, it could have been a disaster.”

“Hmm? Ah, haha. Right. It was perfect timing that people were there…….”

At my casual remark, my uncle suddenly let out an awkward “Haha,” and hastily lifted his teacup to take a sip.

His gesture, and how he quickly averted his gaze when I looked at him, stirred a strange sense of déjà vu.

I didn’t know my uncle well, but I knew at least one thing.

My uncle cannot lie.

Watching my uncle avert his gaze in that peculiar way again, a thought came to me.

“Uncle.”

“Yes, yes. What is it, Eloise?”

When I quietly spoke, my uncle smiled brightly and met my eyes.

His attitude, as if telling me to say anything, was so kind and endearing that even though I was about to discuss something quite serious, a laugh escaped me.

When I laughed, my uncle laughed along with me, and a cozy atmosphere seemed to envelop us. Until I spoke.

“Back at the party, the timing was just too perfect, no matter how I think about it.”

“Uh, yes?”

As I composed myself and spoke, the smile on my uncle’s face gradually faded.

Looking at his expression, I felt a strange sense of certainty.

“That was something you and Aunt asked the Duke of Fontaine to do, wasn’t it?”

“……What?”

“No, earlier, I thought I saw the two of you exchanging glances. So I was wondering…… If it’s true, I should also express my gratitude.”

When I spoke with a serious face, my uncle looked flustered, going “Uh, uh.”

At first, I thought it was just a vague misconception on my part, but things became clearer after hearing what my aunt had to say.

Whether my aunt proposed it first, or Asher did, Asher’s influence would have been at play in ensuring this matter was resolved smoothly.

He probably deliberately put my uncle forward, knowing that if he stepped in himself, the Crown Prince might harbor ill feelings, while he stayed behind and gathered people with my aunt.

It wouldn’t have been difficult for my aunt and Asher to lead people to the garden, simply by saying things like ‘The Crown Prince seems to be out of sight’ or ‘The garden seems a bit noisy’ – just a few well-placed words.

And when the Crown Prince got angry, they would show people that side of him and bring the situation to a close.

That was probably the scenario.

I watched my uncle, who couldn’t answer and just stammered, and quietly lifted my teacup.

Truly, my uncle cannot lie.

“Um, um, Eloise. Well, you see…….”

“It’s alright, Uncle. You can speak honestly.”

If it was true that Asher had helped, I would write him a thank-you letter right away.

I wasn’t sure if it was the kind of matter that could be settled with just a single letter, but anyway…….

“Well, the truth is, Eloise.”

As I was inwardly thinking of ways to express my gratitude to Asher without clashing with him, my uncle spoke with an awkward expression.

“Ah, earlier, he readily offered to help us, you see.”

Ah. As expected.

My aunt had noticed, and Asher had cooperated.

Among the people present, aside from the Imperial family, Asher was of the highest rank, so that would have been the best approach.

“So, with a grateful heart…….”

But for some reason, it didn’t seem to end there.

My uncle didn’t stop there and continued to hesitate, and the words that followed were:

“I’ve invited the Duke of Fontaine to dinner tomorrow. It seems we didn’t get to properly greet him when he visited the mansion before. I thought it might be uncomfortable for you, but still, since he helped you, I thought maybe we could consider it as expressing our gratitude together…….”

That was enough to strike my head.

No matter how I thought about it, this didn’t make sense.

From last night until now, I had been preoccupied with that single thought.

Today, Asher is coming.

And of his own volition.

*’With a grateful heart, I said we would do our best to help with anything he needed. Then he said there was no need, and suggested we just have a meal together sometime. As it happens, your aunt and I are free tomorrow evening, so…….’*

Even in my previous life, my uncle was one of the few people who understood Asher’s difficult circumstances and treated him sincerely.

It wasn’t just because he was his nephew-in-law; he often said Asher was a charming person as a human being and always welcomed meeting him.

Even Asher, who usually divided people into those he would use and those he would keep at a distance, enjoyed meeting my uncle, and I used to feel heartwarming watching the two of them.

*’……But that was after he married me. It couldn’t happen to the Asher of now.’*

At this time, Asher had tried to avoid contact and conversation with people as much as possible. So much so that our comfortable conversation on the terrace had been quite exceptional.

It was incomprehensible that he would be the one to first suggest a dinner gathering.

*’He said he’d be happy to do it. The young man is polite and speaks well.’*

The subsequent words from my uncle were even more surprising.

Of course, before marriage, Asher was considered the empire’s number one eligible bachelor, but that was solely because of his handsome looks, his position as a Duke, and his enormous wealth.

Those words didn’t suit the Asher before marriage at all – a man who avoided people, was taciturn, and always had a stern expression.

I thought only I had changed, but why did it feel like Asher had changed too?

I gazed at the carriage approaching, dyed red in the twilight, and thought.

Why did he come all the way here?

What on earth was he thinking, coming here?

How could he think of setting foot here again after being so rejected by me?

My confusion was brief, as I soon saw Asher stepping down from the carriage and gasped.

“You didn’t wait inside, even though it’s chilly.”

A gentle smile, an infinitely kind tone.

His neatly styled hair, and his clothes, immaculate and seemingly dressed to the nines.

Unlike his preferred simple attire, his overcoat, adorned with various accessories, showed how much effort he had put in today.

He seemed overdressed.

The Asher before me now was overwhelmingly, dangerously captivating.

“……A guest is arriving, so I should come out to greet them. Aunt and Uncle are still preparing, so I came out first.”

“Is that so? That’s good for me.”

And that smile – why did he have to look so fresh and radiant?

He was so dazzling, as if he had deliberately dressed up, that for a moment – just a fleeting moment – my mind went blank.

I forced the corners of my mouth upward and turned my back.

“This way, please. They should be ready by now.”

An Asher in that state was dangerous.

Before, whenever he came out with that kind of deliberate determination, I would invariably end up complying with his requests.

And that was only natural – how many people could refuse a request made by their beloved, smiling with that beautiful face?

I started walking ahead, my eyes wide open, trying not to be enchanted by him.

I had no idea what his intentions were in coming here or what he was thinking, but first and foremost, it was important to get through this time safely.

I walked ahead in silence, guiding him.

Perhaps if he hadn’t spoken to me, I could have continued that way, silent and without incident.

“I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, but I truly wanted to see you again.”

If it hadn’t been for that low, somehow plaintive voice that resonated softly in my ear.