Chapter 41: Heilon (2)
“Marquis… Arrendt.” Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Lady Celine.”
I laughed awkwardly. “I’m not a lady, and I’m not a noblewoman.”
“A non-noble lady having a dress made by Marian’s boutique?” Arrendt asked with interest.
I stiffened slightly. “How did you know?”
“I saw you coming out of there. I apologize if I offended you.”
“No, it’s fine. I went into the boutique because of someone I knew.”
Arrendt smiled politely. “Then I shall call you Miss Celine. May I join you here?”
“…”
To be honest, I wanted to tell him to leave. However, since I had just claimed I was not a noblewoman, it felt impossible to ask a man with a marquis title to go away. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Well… okay.”
Arrendt sat down, apparently pleased with my reluctance. What a strange guy.
As noble maidens passed by my table, they blushed while glancing at him. Ugh, he stood out even while sitting.
“Do you have any business with me?”
“Yeah, just a little.”
Arrendt smiled and continued.
“Miss Celine, are you working as an official magician in the capital?”
“No.”
“Aha. Then I’d like to make you an offer.”
As expected, Arrendt seemed interested in my magical talent. It wasn’t surprising, given that it followed the original plot. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Are you a scout?”
“It’s similar. I’m very interested in you, Miss Celine, because I sponsor many magicians.”
Arrendt, who said this, smiled so brightly that I even had the illusion that the surroundings had brightened up.
“Thank you for the offer, but I have no intention of working as a magician.”
“If there is a specific condition you want, I’ll fulfill it—”
“That is not going to happen.”
Suddenly, a low voice interrupted the conversation. I looked up with wide eyes. How could he be here?
There stood Abel with a cold smile. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
***
Arrendt raised one eyebrow in surprise. “Abel… you must be the Duke of Heilon. I didn’t know you were coming to the capital.”
Abel rubbed the back of his neck with a relaxed expression. “Is this Marquis Arrendt Clovis?”
Arrendt smiled, and Abel had a cheeky grin on his lips. The two men exchanged glances, creating a palpable tension. I hoped they wouldn’t turn this into a standoff with me in the middle…
“Duke, what’s going on here?”
As far as I knew, there was still time before Abel and Sigren arrived in the capital. There was no way he had already captured the dragon. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I want to show you the dragon. You haven’t seen it yet, have you?”
Why did he say it as if he were offering to share a meal? And how was he going to show me something that large? Was he joking? Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Already? No… how did you catch it?”
“It’s Sigren… Sigren caught it. I honestly thought he was going to die; he was in such a hurry.”
Abel then glanced at Arrendt again. “But I don’t know what’s going on with the Marquis.”
“Miss Celine and I were discussing something very important.”
Abel looked at me with an expression that seemed to ask, “Celine?”
I glanced at him, hoping he would understand and follow my lead.
Abel nodded silently at me. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Is that so? But that important matter must be postponed until later,” he said.
“Unfortunately, that would be difficult,” Arrendt replied gently.
Abel shot him an annoyed look.
“I still have something to say to Miss Celine,” Arrendt continued, signaling that he expected Abel to leave.
“I think we should pause that important conversation for now.”
“I was speaking with Miss Celine, not the Duke.” This time, he seemed to be implying, “What right do you have to interfere?”
Abel wiggled his eyebrows as if he understood Arrendt’s hidden meaning.
I looked between the two men. It would be ideal if they didn’t clash while I was caught in the middle. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Excuse me, but may I ask what the relationship between Miss Celine and the Duke is?”
Well, it was a former boss-subordinate relationship. However, if I answered that way, Abel would be at a disadvantage. Additionally, I didn’t think it was necessary to intervene in their conversation. Moreover, if Arrendt responded poorly, like “Oh, right. If you don’t mind, could you please leave?” Abel’s pride would be hurt. It wasn’t worth it. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
I glanced at Abel, wondering how he would reply.
“This fellow—” Abel looked at me and grinned. “She’s my daughter.”
What?
“Then stop meddling and go away, Marquis Clovis.”
I almost jumped at hearing Abel’s reply.
It seemed that Arrendt noticed my reaction was a bit strange.
“Does the Duke have a daughter?”
“She’s my adopted daughter. This is new information,” Abel said. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“But it looks like Miss Celine has never heard of this before.”
“She just found out too.”
What kind of nonsense is that?
Regardless of my reaction, Abel gave a dismissive order to Arrendt with an arrogant smirk and looked down on him as if he were a mere inconvenience. “So, I hope you can leave quickly and not disturb the time between father and daughter, Marquis Clovis.”
Since I had been standing between these two men, people’s eyes were flocking to us. I bowed my head, trying to minimize my presence. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Arrendt seemed to have decided that continuing the argument was pointless. He quietly got up from his seat, his gaze lingering on me and Abel for a moment before he left.
“Duke Heilon, why are you back in the capital?”
Abel, who I thought would ignore the question, unexpectedly smiled with a fierce expression and replied, “I’m here to end the winter.” Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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