“Have you been well?”
Cassion greeted me as we climbed aboard the carriage.
I waited until he sat opposite me and the carriage smoothly started before I replied.
“Of course, I’ve been well.”
“You seem really happy to see me.”
“Yes, I am. I guess I like you more than I thought.”
“…Do you know you have a talent for making people flustered?”
“I know. So, Cassion, you didn’t miss me?”
“…I did. Madly.”
“Oh, but I’m glad you’re not actually mad.”
As I laughed, Cassion glared at me playfully before joining in with a laugh.
His words about missing me were sincere.
Though it had only been about ten days since the ball, it felt like a year, maybe because I was used to being with him every day.
There were ways to communicate through the communication sphere, but I refrained, considering how much attention Cassion, who unexpectedly returned alive, would attract from Leo and his mother.
Even today, we had to constantly check for followers until we boarded the carriage at our respective locations.
“So, how’s your family reacting? They must be busy welcoming back their returned son, right?”
“Yeah, they are. My stepmother seems to have aged a decade in just a few days.”
Cassion replied playfully.
I shrugged my shoulders in satisfaction, feeling like he finally resembled the villain he was meant to be.
“Indeed, at the ball, her face went pale as a ghost. Especially when you defeated those monsters.”
“It’s thanks to your heads-up. By the way, I wanted to ask. How did you know monsters would appear at the ball?”
Before the ball, I had sent a letter to Cassion, who was at the hotel.
It was a warning that monsters might appear at the ball.
If he asked how I knew…
“I just did. It was a place crowded with people. Plus, most of them had seen the monsters during the hunting festival.”
It was too perfect an environment to achieve the greatest effect with the least monsters.
“Urien wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity.”
He would have unleashed the monsters to further stoke suspicion about me while also elevating Leo’s status.
Since Leo had to share the fame he should have earned at the hunting festival with ‘Maxwell’.
Well, it turned out to be a mess again.
Thinking about how I had fooled the Carter family and Urien made me feel pleased.
But the ball wasn’t all that satisfying either.
“We didn’t even get to dance once because of those monsters, did we?”
We couldn’t dance.
I had already told my family that I had a partner, but the ball ended abruptly, making my partner a case of ‘here but not here.’
“True, that’s a bit regrettable. But we couldn’t dance in a place reeking of blood, could we?”
“That would have been bizarre.”
“Instead, let’s dance our hearts out at the next ball. How about that?”
He suggested sweetly, his eyes sparkling.
If things go as planned, the next ball would likely be a celebration to announce Cassion as the heir.
Thinking about that day, I leaned back in the seat and whispered,
“Yeah, let’s dance till we’re sick of it next time. Why not.”
* * *
Throughout the carriage ride to our destination, we continued our conversation.
Mostly, we wondered ‘who might have realized that ‘Maxwell’ and ‘Cassion’ were the same person?’
“Did Duke Valentine and the Young Duke realize it?”
Cassion asked somewhat nervously.
Naturally, he was concerned about my family’s reaction since, unintentionally, we had deceived everyone.
I recalled my family’s reaction right after the ball.
Naturally, with their keen perception, my father and brother seemed to have realized that Cassion and Maxwell were the same person.
On the way back from the ball, they cautiously asked me.
“The Young Lord Carter who appeared today. He’s your escort knight, isn’t he?”
With my brother’s question, my father also sent a glance of agreement.
I pondered how to respond, then decided to feign ignorance.
Honestly, hiding a man hailing from another family in our house was not exactly commendable.
“Well, if I say, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’… Would you believe me?”
My blatantly feigned ignorance made my brother and father stiffen for a moment.
They quickly exchanged glances and then unanimously agreed.
My father was the first to speak.
“Now that I think of it, your escort knight had a mole under his eye.”
“Yes, that’s right. Now that I think about it, your escort knight had thicker eyebrows.”
Moles and eyebrows.
I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at their clumsy attempt to pretend ignorance.
But then,
“Sir Maxwell had a mole?”
Alicia’s innocently curious question made it impossible to hold back my laughter.
I remembered the day I laughed out loud in front of my family and shrugged.
“They didn’t realize, I guess?”
“Really? That’s unexpected.”
“Right. They surprisingly lacked perception.”
Cassion didn’t seem to agree.
“Well, our family might have been lucky not to notice, but others must have.”
“…That man?”
“Yes. Urien would have noticed long ago. He’s the type who would be dead without his keen senses. And if Urien knows…”
“Then Leo must know as well.”
The seriousness deepened in his eyes.
“That’s likely. By now, both of them must be on edge. So, be careful.”
“You too, be careful.”
“At least I don’t live under the same roof with the enemy.”
“Still, that bastard is unpredictable. As for me…”
Cassion trailed off and extended his hand, signaling for mine. I placed my hand over his, and he slowly brought it to his lips.
“I will never die unless you command it.”
Where does he learn such lines?
Well, still.
“That’s comforting.”
I intertwined my fingers with Cassion’s and pulled him towards me.
Pulled by the motion, his other hand leaned against the wall beside my face.
With a thud, our faces came abruptly close.
I quickly pecked the startled man’s lips and then grinned.
“Now, shall we go and pass the first gateway?”
* * *
In a high-end boutique in the capital.
This place was the cornerstone of the new fashion business recently started by the Riddle family.
The shop was managed by Lady Evelyn of the Riddle County herself.
It was a massive hit.
Despite being new and operating strictly by appointment only, reservations were already fully booked.
This was a testament to how well the Riddles were doing.
The boutique, usually bustling with customers every day, was closed today with a [Closed] sign hanging on the door.
However, contrary to the sign, the inside of the shop, hidden behind curtains, was brightly lit.
In the reception room of the boutique.
Evelyn Riddle, the owner of the shop, had prepared two steaming cups of tea and kept glancing towards the door.
‘She should be arriving soon.’
She hoped that the tea wouldn’t cool down before then.
Her face was flushed with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Fidgeting with her trembling fingers, she waited.
Knock, knock.
“Come in!”
At the sound of the knock, Evelyn instantly stood up from her seat.
“Evelyn.”
The person who appeared at the door was Rosetta.
“Your Ladyship!”
Evelyn hurried to greet her esteemed guest but suddenly halted her steps.
Because she locked eyes with the tall man standing behind Rosetta.
Evelyn’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected arrival of this person.
“Lord… Cassion?”
He was none other than Ducal Lord Cassion Carter, the subject of recent high-profile discussions.
* * *
Sitting beside Cassion, Rosetta briefly scanned the financial statement handed to her by Evelyn and then returned it to the owner.
She had long entrusted the overall aspects of the business to the Riddle family.
After all, her role was just to invest money at the right time and place.
“Aren’t you going to look at it more?”
“No, you’re already handling it well, after all. I trust you and House Riddle, Lady Evelyn.”
Rosetta spoke with a warm smile, causing Evelyn to blush and smile back.
Evelyn hugged the documents tightly, a sense of pride evident in her gesture.
But this moment was brief.
Evelyn’s eyes fleetingly glanced at Cassion, who sat next to Rosetta.
“But why is he…”
“Oh, I’m late in introducing him. You’re meeting for the first time, right? This is Cassion Carter, the eldest son of the Carter Duchy.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Cassion.”
“Ah, nice to meet you. I am Evelyn Riddle of the Riddle County.”
The introductions, already known, were exchanged once more.
Evelyn blinked, still harboring unresolved questions.
Rosetta, understanding Evelyn’s feelings, subtly smiled.
She leisurely took a sip of her tea and then nonchalantly dropped a bombshell.
“And this person here is Sion.”
“Ah… Sion…”
Evelyn also nodded her head, too composed in her voice and expression.
But her calm reaction didn’t last long.
Evelyn’s eyes slowly widened.
She looked incredulously between Rosetta and Cassion, and then finally, a delayed shock erupted.
“Wh-What?! Sion?!”
It was a shock, indeed.
Sion.
That was the name of the investor used in all documents, supposedly standing in for the real name of the ducal lady.
“Have you been well?”
Cassion greeted me as we climbed aboard the carriage.
I waited until he sat opposite me and the carriage smoothly started before I replied.
“Of course, I’ve been well.”
“You seem really happy to see me.”
“Yes, I am. I guess I like you more than I thought.”
“…Do you know you have a talent for making people flustered?”
“I know. So, Cassion, you didn’t miss me?”
“…I did. Madly.”
“Oh, but I’m glad you’re not actually mad.”
As I laughed, Cassion glared at me playfully before joining in with a laugh.
His words about missing me were sincere.
Though it had only been about ten days since the ball, it felt like a year, maybe because I was used to being with him every day.
There were ways to communicate through the communication sphere, but I refrained, considering how much attention Cassion, who unexpectedly returned alive, would attract from Leo and his mother.
Even today, we had to constantly check for followers until we boarded the carriage at our respective locations.
“So, how’s your family reacting? They must be busy welcoming back their returned son, right?”
“Yeah, they are. My stepmother seems to have aged a decade in just a few days.”
Cassion replied playfully.
I shrugged my shoulders in satisfaction, feeling like he finally resembled the villain he was meant to be.
“Indeed, at the ball, her face went pale as a ghost. Especially when you defeated those monsters.”
“It’s thanks to your heads-up. By the way, I wanted to ask. How did you know monsters would appear at the ball?”
Before the ball, I had sent a letter to Cassion, who was at the hotel.
It was a warning that monsters might appear at the ball.
If he asked how I knew…
“I just did. It was a place crowded with people. Plus, most of them had seen the monsters during the hunting festival.”
It was too perfect an environment to achieve the greatest effect with the least monsters.
“Urien wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity.”
He would have unleashed the monsters to further stoke suspicion about me while also elevating Leo’s status.
Since Leo had to share the fame he should have earned at the hunting festival with ‘Maxwell’.
Well, it turned out to be a mess again.
Thinking about how I had fooled the Carter family and Urien made me feel pleased.
But the ball wasn’t all that satisfying either.
“We didn’t even get to dance once because of those monsters, did we?”
We couldn’t dance.
I had already told my family that I had a partner, but the ball ended abruptly, making my partner a case of ‘here but not here.’
“True, that’s a bit regrettable. But we couldn’t dance in a place reeking of blood, could we?”
“That would have been bizarre.”
“Instead, let’s dance our hearts out at the next ball. How about that?”
He suggested sweetly, his eyes sparkling.
If things go as planned, the next ball would likely be a celebration to announce Cassion as the heir.
Thinking about that day, I leaned back in the seat and whispered,
“Yeah, let’s dance till we’re sick of it next time. Why not.”
* * *
Throughout the carriage ride to our destination, we continued our conversation.
Mostly, we wondered ‘who might have realized that ‘Maxwell’ and ‘Cassion’ were the same person?’
“Did Duke Valentine and the Young Duke realize it?”
Cassion asked somewhat nervously.
Naturally, he was concerned about my family’s reaction since, unintentionally, we had deceived everyone.
I recalled my family’s reaction right after the ball.
Naturally, with their keen perception, my father and brother seemed to have realized that Cassion and Maxwell were the same person.
On the way back from the ball, they cautiously asked me.
“The Young Lord Carter who appeared today. He’s your escort knight, isn’t he?”
With my brother’s question, my father also sent a glance of agreement.
I pondered how to respond, then decided to feign ignorance.
Honestly, hiding a man hailing from another family in our house was not exactly commendable.
“Well, if I say, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’… Would you believe me?”
My blatantly feigned ignorance made my brother and father stiffen for a moment.
They quickly exchanged glances and then unanimously agreed.
My father was the first to speak.
“Now that I think of it, your escort knight had a mole under his eye.”
“Yes, that’s right. Now that I think about it, your escort knight had thicker eyebrows.”
Moles and eyebrows.
I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at their clumsy attempt to pretend ignorance.
But then,
“Sir Maxwell had a mole?”
Alicia’s innocently curious question made it impossible to hold back my laughter.
I remembered the day I laughed out loud in front of my family and shrugged.
“They didn’t realize, I guess?”
“Really? That’s unexpected.”
“Right. They surprisingly lacked perception.”
Cassion didn’t seem to agree.
“Well, our family might have been lucky not to notice, but others must have.”
“…That man?”
“Yes. Urien would have noticed long ago. He’s the type who would be dead without his keen senses. And if Urien knows…”
“Then Leo must know as well.”
The seriousness deepened in his eyes.
“That’s likely. By now, both of them must be on edge. So, be careful.”
“You too, be careful.”
“At least I don’t live under the same roof with the enemy.”
“Still, that bastard is unpredictable. As for me…”
Cassion trailed off and extended his hand, signaling for mine. I placed my hand over his, and he slowly brought it to his lips.
“I will never die unless you command it.”
Where does he learn such lines?
Well, still.
“That’s comforting.”
I intertwined my fingers with Cassion’s and pulled him towards me.
Pulled by the motion, his other hand leaned against the wall beside my face.
With a thud, our faces came abruptly close.
I quickly pecked the startled man’s lips and then grinned.
“Now, shall we go and pass the first gateway?”
* * *
In a high-end boutique in the capital.
This place was the cornerstone of the new fashion business recently started by the Riddle family.
The shop was managed by Lady Evelyn of the Riddle County herself.
It was a massive hit.
Despite being new and operating strictly by appointment only, reservations were already fully booked.
This was a testament to how well the Riddles were doing.
The boutique, usually bustling with customers every day, was closed today with a [Closed] sign hanging on the door.
However, contrary to the sign, the inside of the shop, hidden behind curtains, was brightly lit.
In the reception room of the boutique.
Evelyn Riddle, the owner of the shop, had prepared two steaming cups of tea and kept glancing towards the door.
‘She should be arriving soon.’
She hoped that the tea wouldn’t cool down before then.
Her face was flushed with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Fidgeting with her trembling fingers, she waited.
Knock, knock.
“Come in!”
At the sound of the knock, Evelyn instantly stood up from her seat.
“Evelyn.”
The person who appeared at the door was Rosetta.
“Your Ladyship!”
Evelyn hurried to greet her esteemed guest but suddenly halted her steps.
Because she locked eyes with the tall man standing behind Rosetta.
Evelyn’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected arrival of this person.
“Lord… Cassion?”
He was none other than Ducal Lord Cassion Carter, the subject of recent high-profile discussions.
* * *
Sitting beside Cassion, Rosetta briefly scanned the financial statement handed to her by Evelyn and then returned it to the owner.
She had long entrusted the overall aspects of the business to the Riddle family.
After all, her role was just to invest money at the right time and place.
“Aren’t you going to look at it more?”
“No, you’re already handling it well, after all. I trust you and House Riddle, Lady Evelyn.”
Rosetta spoke with a warm smile, causing Evelyn to blush and smile back.
Evelyn hugged the documents tightly, a sense of pride evident in her gesture.
But this moment was brief.
Evelyn’s eyes fleetingly glanced at Cassion, who sat next to Rosetta.
“But why is he…”
“Oh, I’m late in introducing him. You’re meeting for the first time, right? This is Cassion Carter, the eldest son of the Carter Duchy.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Cassion.”
“Ah, nice to meet you. I am Evelyn Riddle of the Riddle County.”
The introductions, already known, were exchanged once more.
Evelyn blinked, still harboring unresolved questions.
Rosetta, understanding Evelyn’s feelings, subtly smiled.
She leisurely took a sip of her tea and then nonchalantly dropped a bombshell.
“And this person here is Sion.”
“Ah… Sion…”
Evelyn also nodded her head, too composed in her voice and expression.
But her calm reaction didn’t last long.
Evelyn’s eyes slowly widened.
She looked incredulously between Rosetta and Cassion, and then finally, a delayed shock erupted.
“Wh-What?! Sion?!”
It was a shock, indeed.
Sion.
That was the name of the investor used in all documents, supposedly standing in for the real name of the ducal lady.
