Even while Van was lost in various thoughts, the group didn’t stop and ran, quickly passing through the estate’s main gate. The sight of servants waiting and bowing their heads all at once entered Van’s eyes, and soon the carriage Rowy was riding in slowly stopped in front of them.
‘Master….’
Van looked at the stopping carriage with fervent eyes. However, unfortunately, Rowy had no capacity to look after Van. Still caught in Kyle’s grasp, Rowy stepped down from the carriage with a sullen face.
“His Grace the Duke says he will dine with you this evening, so tidy yourself up and attend.”
“Yesss….”
“Don’t drag out your words and answer properly.”
“…Yes.”
Leo, who showed a displeased face at the reluctantly flowing answer, pushed Rowy off to the butler who had approached at some point.
“Butler, since it’s been a while since he’s returned home, please show him around.”
“Yes. Lord Rowy, please come this way.”
Rowy, who had no good memories at all with the butler, grimaced for a moment. However, that didn’t mean he could refuse the butler’s guidance either.
‘I have no choice but to do as I’m told.’
Sigh, it was when Rowy, who had let out an inward sigh, was about to enter the estate following the butler with reluctant steps. Suddenly feeling an intense gaze, Rowy turned around.
“…!”
“……”
What he saw as soon as he turned his head was Van. Seeing his expression brighten in an instant, it was clear he had been waiting for him continuously. However….
‘Sorry, you’ll have to manage on your own. I can barely take care of myself.’
Rowy, who pretended not to notice and avoided that fervent gaze, completely entered the estate following the butler.
“…?”
…What? Van’s mouth fell open in shock at Rowy’s unexpected cold shoulder.
‘No way, you told me to only trust you, and as soon as we arrive you pretend not to know me?’
In a situation where he even felt betrayed, Van looked at the already closed door with an absurd expression. …Really? Leaving me behind like this?
“You come this way.”
“…Yes.”
Van, who had been looking at the door where Rowy had disappeared with eyes full of lingering attachment, followed Edner with a gloomy face. Thus began the daily life at the ducal family that was creaky from the start.
* * *
“It’s been a while since you’ve come. Of course, the estate is no different from before you left.”
Rowy nodded slightly. Just as the butler said, the ducal family he had returned to after two years hadn’t changed one bit from before. Rowy swept his surroundings with unimpressed eyes.
“Your room has also been prepared exactly as you used it before.”
Well, even if the room is the same….
‘Everywhere here is uncomfortable.’
Still, wanting to rest alone quickly, Rowy’s steps quickened. However, unfortunately, even after arriving at his room, Rowy wasn’t given time to rest, because servants who had appeared from somewhere surrounded Rowy.
“What?”
“You need to prepare to attend dinner.”
“What? It’s still far off. What is there to prepare?”
“First, you need to bathe.”
The servants forcibly pushed Rowy into the bathroom. Rowy looked at the butler with bewildered eyes.
“You’re telling me to bathe right now all of a sudden?”
“It’s a gathering you’re seeing after a long time, so you must observe propriety.”
…So right now I’m in a state without propriety, is that it. While grumbling inwardly, Rowy obediently entrusted his body to the approaching hands. It was because he had no energy to resist. Not even giving a moment’s rest to someone who had just finished a forced march crossing the continent.
‘Really, everyone thinks I have stamina like a knight.’
Being dragged by the servants’ hands, Rowy let out an inward sigh.
“Now, please come this way. This time we’ll do your hair.”
“……”
It wasn’t a very difficult task to groom the limply drooping Rowy. The servants washed, combed, and dressed Rowy this way and that for quite a while with sullen expressions. With the touch of professionals, vitality began gradually returning to the tired Rowy’s face as well. The butler headed to the banquet hall with a satisfied expression, taking the sparkling Rowy. The Duke and Leo were already waiting for Rowy there.
“Rowy Irad.”
“…Hello.”
Rowy, who answered mumbling in a small voice, sat in the seat prepared for him. The Duke, who waited briefly until Rowy properly positioned himself, brought up the main point right away before even asking after his well-being.
“Right. As I said, it’s a sudden wedding. Still, the ceremony is by no means small, so you should prepare as well.”
“Yesss.”
I don’t know what I need to prepare for someone else’s wedding though…. That thought crossed his mind for a moment, but Rowy just obediently nodded. Rowy’s goal was to stay quietly as he was told, then leave the Empire as soon as the wedding ended.
“And… you brought someone?”
…He’s asking this directly right away? The face of Rowy, who had been deliberately putting on a good expression, stiffened for a moment. However, the Duke continued the conversation without caring.
“Is the guy you mentioned before that guy? That, what you called your lover.”
“Lover?”
At the story he was hearing for the first time, Leo raised his eyebrows.
“A lover?”
Lover? Rowy ignored Leo, who kept repeating it, and nodded slightly toward the Duke. It would be ridiculous to say they were nothing now, and more than anything….
‘Because he might cry if I say we’re not that kind of relationship….’
Rowy smiled slightly, recalling Van who had more tears than expected. And… Leo was watching that appearance with a persistent gaze.
* * *
“Stay put in the estate for the time being.”
The suffocating meal concluded with the Duke’s request. As soon as permission to rise was given, Rowy quickly got up from his seat and rushed to the door. However, before he could even cross the threshold, his nape was carelessly grabbed. It was Leo.
“Let’s talk for a bit.”
Surprised by Leo’s fierce glare as he looked down at him with a terrifying face, Rowy couldn’t say anything and was dragged away by those strong hands.
“…So, conduct yourself well when you go around. Understand?”
“……”
“You need to answer.”
The place Leo had dragged Rowy to was Rowy’s bedroom. Rowy, who had been secretly glaring at Leo who had started pouring out nagging as soon as they arrived at the room, nodded roughly. However, Leo was still desperate to devour Rowy.
“Tsk, who told you to just nod your head rudely like that. Answer out loud.”
“…Yesss.”
Even while reluctantly answering, irritation gradually built up on Rowy’s face.
‘What did I even do.’
Anyone watching would think he’d caused some major accident. At the endless, unreasonable nagging, Rowy pouted his lips.
‘What conduct am I supposed to do well exactly?’
Anyone watching would think I lived very dissolutely. For Rowy, who could count on his fingers the times he’d made friends, let alone dated, it was inevitably an unfair situation. Moreover… Rowy looked at the knights guarding outside the door with a sulky expression. They were people Leo had stationed to monitor Rowy.
‘Does he think I’m still a child.’
When he returned as if chased out from the Academy, or when there was the incident with the Crown Prince… there were often times when Rowy got scolded. However, this time it was unfair since he hadn’t caused any particular accident. Who was it that forcibly called someone who was living quietly and well in the first place!
“…Anyway, I’ll return for today, so stay put in your room for the time being.”
It seemed the boring nagging that had continued for a while had ended. Rowy’s face brightened completely for a moment. Of course, it soon hardened again at Leo’s chilling voice that immediately followed.
“And, that guy… I’ll take care of him.”
Rowy bit his lips with a complicated expression, recalling Van’s eyes that had been looking at him earnestly.
* * *
‘Van, I’m sorry….’
When he had heard Leo’s words yesterday, he had made up his mind to go rescue Van….
“Lord Rowy. Please raise your arm a bit more.”
“……”
“Could you turn this way?”
“……”
“Lord Rowy. This one too….”
Far from going to rescue Van, Rowy, surrounded by servants who had barged in from the morning, couldn’t move a single step from his room.
“Please turn around again now. Yes. Thank you.”
‘This is annoying….’
Rowy, who had been continuously moving to have measurements that had already been taken remeasured several times, scrunched up his face.
“You should also receive skin care. Your face has been quite damaged while you were away.”
The servant examining Rowy said, looking at Rowy’s deathly pale face. Rowy, startled, hurriedly forced an awkward smile, but tools for massage were already being prepared. …I can’t even make expressions freely. Rowy swallowed a sigh inwardly.
‘Why does this seem so excessive?’
Anyway, his participation was merely for the sake of participation; at the wedding he would just sit in a corner and that would be all, so he couldn’t understand why they were going this far.
“It would be good to get your hair done once as well. I’ll call someone right away.”
‘…Wait, is this my wedding?’
It seems they’re really planning to play with me from head to toe…. At the situation that was annoying just to think about, Rowy wrinkled his nose.
“You’re very beautiful. If you receive just a bit more care, you’ll become even more wonderful.”
The servant who had been taking measurements on the side noticed Rowy’s uncomfortable mood and added a word. However, to Rowy, who had no interest at all in grooming his appearance, those words were no consolation at all.
‘It’s uncomfortable and stifling.’
When he was already dying of discomfort from the servants, having to entrust his body to them all day long. If it were up to his feelings, he wanted to run away right now. However….
“……”
Rowy, who glanced at the butler standing at the door monitoring the servants with sharp eyes, swallowed another sigh.
‘…I really hate it here.’
Even with the precious cream being thickly applied, Rowy’s dark face hardly brightened.
