His Highness’s words were terribly reasonable, but they shouldn’t have been said right now. Because speaking like that made it feel as if His Highness was going to the Caesius Family with me.
“Hurry and come here.”
His Highness led me to the splendid carriage as if to show that this was indeed reality.
“Don’t you have a schedule today, Your Highness?”
“Still, I have time to take you there.”
I couldn’t tell at all whether I should be grateful that His Highness wasn’t participating in the Marquis’s birthday banquet, or whether I should dissuade him from saying he would take someone like me there.
As if there was no time to hesitate, His Highness boarded the carriage first. Not stopping there, he checked the interior and even extended his hand to me.
That was something done when escorting someone. It was clear that this was treatment I, nominally a guard knight, shouldn’t receive.
“My hand is feeling embarrassed.”
His Highness lightly urged me as he watched me standing there not knowing what to do. Since it wasn’t polite to just stand still when he said this much, I ultimately had no choice but to take his hand. The sensation of hot, large hands informed me that what I was experiencing wasn’t a fantasy.
“Sit comfortably.”
Without His Highness’s command, I would have hesitated even to sit across from him. Unlike me, for whom everything was awkward and confusing, His Highness was at ease. It was the first stable appearance I’d seen since meeting him again.
“The mansion owned by my family isn’t that far.”
It was a roundabout way of saying there was no need to take me there like this. There was no way His Highness didn’t notice the underlying meaning. His Highness, who had been wearing a faint smile, soon returned to an expressionless face, then scanned me from head to toe as I sat stiffly frozen.
“You know that rumors are circulating about what happened that day, right?”
I couldn’t not know even if I wanted to. Unless the rumors circulated secretly or people didn’t give me hints, there were more than one or two people openly chattering as if for me to hear.
“Of course. About causing such a scandal to circulate…”
“I didn’t bring it up for you to apologize. I’m trying to explain because you still don’t seem to understand the situation well.”
“Pardon?”
His Highness’s words were correct. I was merely being swept along by the torrent, neither finding my own center nor knowing my position as I drifted.
“To those who don’t know the circumstances, the fact that I helped an omega who entered heat would seem unusual.”
“Yes. I know.”
It was a natural reaction since there was no reason for such a noble person to bother in the first place.
“So it’s a time when people might appear who would harm you to shake me. Some degree of protection is necessary.”
The explanation made sense, but if he protected me without casting me aside like this, those rumors would definitely catch fire more. The person who knew this best would be His Highness, but there was no explanation about that.
‘Why is he going this far for me? Is it simply because he can only have peaceful nights when I’m there? Or is there some other hidden reason?’
If His Highness was intentionally hiding it, there was no way I could figure it out.
“I’m truly sorry for troubling you. If I had known you would move personally, I would have sent word that I couldn’t attend the family banquet, but I failed to consider it.”
I hurriedly voiced an apology, worried that if I stayed silent, unnecessary thoughts would confuse my mind.
“That’s why I didn’t say anything beforehand, so don’t worry about it.”
For me, who didn’t understand at once, His Highness paused slightly before continuing.
“You just need to act as you wish.”
Those words scraped at a very old wound. Even I didn’t know the reason.
“Thank you. However, I don’t want to do anything that would obstruct Your Highness’s path.”
“You are very loyal.”
His Highness’s response also lacked warmth. It was clearly praise, yet somehow it sounded as if he didn’t welcome my loyalty.
“We’re departing.”
The carriage, having finished preparations, departed, and His Highness casually turned his eyes to documents. During the silence, I reflected on what ‘acting as I wish’ would be. To be completely honest, I wanted to stay by His Highness’s side like this. Even without revealing that I was Tienas, I was sufficiently happy.
‘Wouldn’t it be okay to watch from his side just until he gets married? No. Perhaps now, even marriage…’
Greed crept up.
* * *
“I’ll attach knights to you, so make sure to take them with you. I’ll come pick you up again when work is finished.”
His Highness left a greeting in an even lighter tone and departed. The words that I’d be careful so he didn’t need to come when returning were ignored. Because he patted my back so gently, I only realized much later that I had been dismissed.
“No, what on earth is this? Are the rumors true? Don’t tell me, even to His Highness the Crown Prince…”
Marquis Caesius, who should have been busy with banquet preparations, looked at the departing palace carriage with a pale face. He was clearly worried that his scoundrel son who boasted a colorful romantic history had finally touched someone who shouldn’t be touched.
“It’s a misunderstanding. It’s just that because such rumors are circulating, he attached guards in case there might be someone trying to harm me.”
I knew it would sound like an excuse that didn’t even qualify as sophistry, but anyway, I conveyed His Highness’s words as they were. Naturally, the Marquis didn’t seem to believe it at all.
“Even so, attaching guards to a guard knight?”
It was a summary that sounded absurd even to my ears. The Marquis sighed deeply then shook his head.
“Please just don’t cause any incidents. How many times has the family name already been dirtied because of you…”
He shuddered and went inside. If he was going to be this disgusted, I wished he hadn’t summoned me in the first place.
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to quit on your own before being dishonorably discharged? Marriage proposals are gradually coming in. Rather than pushing you to become a knight, I should have married you off early instead.”
However, with the words that followed, I realized the reason he had summoned Aila. It seemed he wanted to tell me to pull out quickly before causing a bigger incident.
“I will make sure not to create anything to worry about.”
“I have no more trust left to give you.”
Just recalling the behavior of Aila that I had picked up on, I understood the Marquis’s distrust.
“Someone I’ve marked as your marriage partner is attending today’s banquet. Please be proper, at least for today.”
Since there was never any occasion to be urged to marry when I was Tienas, this kind of thing was unfamiliar. I was pondering how to politely refuse in a way the Marquis would accept.
“Sir Aila is currently His Highness the Crown Prince’s direct guard knight. Unless His Highness permits it, stepping down from the position is impossible.”
It was Sir Ken. Since he had come with the mission to guard me, I widened my eyes, never having thought he would intervene in such matters and speak up.
“Is it true that Aila was really officially appointed as a guard knight? I find it hard to believe.”
Rather than getting angry at being rebutted, the Marquis acted as if he had found a suitable conversation partner. It seemed the knight he was seeing for the first time was more trustworthy than Aila.
“He’s adapting well. He hasn’t committed any rude acts either, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Hah… Alright for now. However, my thoughts on marriage haven’t changed. If the family petitions, His Highness will also accept it.”
Sir Ken seemed to want to say something more but soon closed his mouth. The very act of him speaking during guard duty was quite unusual.
“Then change into the prepared clothes and come out. There isn’t much time left until the banquet starts.”
“Understood.”
I had thought there wouldn’t be anything more surprising than this today.
“They say someone from the Sayus Ducal Family has come to greet us.”
But a truly unexpected guest ended up visiting.
“From the Sayus Ducal Family?”
The face of the Marquis, who had been exchanging greetings with people, brightened. The Sayus Family wasn’t a place where one could create connections just because one wanted to, so it was natural to be pleased.
‘Who from the family came?’
The two families originally had no great exchanges, and they definitely weren’t on terms to come to such banquets. Thinking that Jane noona would be most likely, I turned my head. The one entering the banquet hall was Darian hyung-nim and…
‘Duke Tristan?’
The person whom I always called father inwardly but was more accustomed to calling Duke when speaking aloud appeared before my eyes.
Setting aside that he was a difficult person to deal with, three years ago he had entrusted all ducal family matters to Darian hyung-nim and left for recuperation, so I couldn’t have imagined he would be in the capital.
