Chapter 3 (Part 3)

Rio, who had approached Reinis’s side, spoke to Chloe.  

“Well, I understand that you ladies have a lot to talk about, but you can’t just keep standing here like this. Shall we move to the seating area?”  

Hearing the familiar voice, Chloe lifted her head and gasped softly, looking at Rio with a rather surprised expression.  

“Y-Your Highn—!”

Just as Chloe’s mouth opened, Rio placed a finger to his lips and winked, silently mouthing, “Shh.”  

Rio didn’t want to reveal his identity to Reinis.  

Still looking shocked, Chloe nodded her head and turned her gaze toward Reinis.

Although she had heard that she would be staying at the Duke’s manor for a while, she never imagined that Rio would be there as well.  

Reinis, who had only been someone to make herself stand out, was lucky enough to stay at the Duke’s manor. But the fact that she had the opportunity to build a connection with Rio Adow, the Crown Prince, made her furious.  

‘The only saving grace is that His Highness doesn’t seem to want to reveal his true identity to someone like Reinis.’  

With that thought, she plastered the false smile she had perfected over years of socializing onto her face.  

Even though Rio didn’t particularly like Chloe’s insincere demeanor, he had no choice but to escort her since she was Reinis’s friend. After guiding the two ladies to their seats, he found a place to sit himself.  

No sooner had he done so than Chloe looked at Reinis with eyes full of anticipation.  

“Oh, right! Ren, didn’t you say you had someone you wanted to introduce to me?”  

Reinis slowly nodded and looked at Theodore. He was glaring at Chloe with a deeply furrowed brow.  

Although Reinis had introduced Chloe as her friend, Theodore knew that if Chloe were truly her friend, she would already have been smiling brightly and introducing herself.  

Having already investigated her, including her family and friends, Theodore was well aware of how Chloe treated Reinis.  

Even so, since she had been invited as a friend, he decided to observe her for now. However, he found her even more disagreeable than he had anticipated.  

‘How dare she casually mention the Baroness or Earl Plarad in the presence of the lady? How distasteful.’  

Though reluctant, he felt obliged to offer a polite greeting when he noticed Reinis looking at him expectantly.  

“Greetings. I am Heldor, the Knight Commander of the Duke’s manor.”  

After finishing his introduction, Theodore raised his head.  

Seeing Reinis glance around, as if searching for the real Heldor upon hearing the name, slightly eased his earlier irritation.  

“This is the person I wanted to introduce to you.”  

“The Knight Commander of the Duke’s manor? Why?”  

When Chloe had received the letter saying that there was someone Reinis wanted to introduce to her while staying at the Duke’s manor, she had briefly indulged in happy fantasies.

‘Could it be that the Duke has fallen for me and asked Reinis to introduce me to him? With my looks, that’s entirely possible. Maybe the reason Reinis got to stay at the Duke’s manor was all because I bragged about being her closest friend! But they say the Duke is a notorious killer… What should I do?’  

It was merely a meeting with Reinis, not a party, but Chloe had chosen the prettiest and most eye-catching dress for precisely that reason.  

And yet, out of nowhere, the Knight Commander?  

For a moment, Chloe failed to manage her expression and glared sharply at Theodore. Although her gaze wasn’t threatening enough to instill fear, it was sufficient to sour the mood. Thanks to this, Theodore, in turn, looked at Chloe with equal disdain.  

“Well… I thought… I should show my friend the person I’m going to marry.”  

“What? Marry?!”  

Chloe was so shocked that she shouted in a voice quite unlike her usual carefully managed tone.  

After quickly composing herself, Chloe glanced at Rio for his reaction before turning to Reinis.  

“Ahem… My voice cracked because I was so surprised. But Ren, marriage? Isn’t this too sudden?”  

At Chloe’s words, Reinis gave an awkward smile and lowered her gaze.  

‘She can’t even meet her eyes. How long does she plan to keep pretending to be friends?’  

As Theodore felt Rio’s intense gaze on him, he sighed and stepped between Reinis and Chloe.  

“I fell in love with the lady at first sight and proposed to her. Lady Reinis has also accepted my proposal.”  

“…But Ren is supposed to marry Earl Plarad……”  

Chloe trailed off, her mind racing quickly.  

‘Wait a minute, if Reinis marries the Knight Commander, wouldn’t that give me more opportunities to visit the Duke’s manor? If that happens, becoming the Duchess is just a matter of time.’  

“T-That’s wonderful, Ren! You know I’m always on your side, right? Finding love is such a joyous occasion! I’ll support the two of you!”  

From Reinis’s perspective, Chloe’s reaction was unexpected. It was the same for everyone else. Considering how she had mentioned Earl Plarad even before taking her seat, they thought she would oppose the idea.  

However, contrary to expectations, the atmosphere remained pleasant. Feeling satisfied, Rio nodded and said,  

“In that case, why don’t the Knight Commander join us for tea time? That is, if the lady permits.”  

At Rio’s suggestion, Chloe smiled brightly and nodded. As if she had been waiting for this moment, Reinis looked at Theodore with a voice and gaze full of concern.  

“Commander, please take a seat. Standing for so long must have made your legs tired, hasn’t it?”  

“I’m fine. As long as I can protect the lady, I could stand for days on end.”  

The gaze he directed toward Reinis was entirely different from the one he used with others. It was filled with love and affection, and his gentle tone was so tender it seemed as if it might melt away.  

‘He’s seriously handsome. With a look like that, even I might fall for him.’  

Chloe couldn’t help but genuinely admire Theodore the moment she saw him.  

‘What?! Fall for him? Absolutely not! He’s just a commoner! Even though his face is wasted on him, there are rumors he’s a former slave! Well, at least his background suits Reinis perfectly. If we’re talking about backgrounds alone, he’s an even better match than Earl Plarad… Wait, I completely forgot about Earl Plarad…’

During the tea party, which had been proceeding relatively smoothly, Chloe’s expression suddenly stiffened.  

She had just remembered something she had forgotten.  

‘There’s still the matter of my father’s business dealings with Earl Plarad! If I arrange for Earl Plarad to meet Reinis, won’t that ruin my chances of becoming the Duchess?’

Feeling conflicted, Chloe unknowingly hardened her expression. Reinis, unable to ignore Chloe’s change in demeanor, asked with a concerned voice.  

“Miss Chloe, is something troubling you? You suddenly don’t look well.”  

At Reinis’s question, Chloe’s expression hardened even further, and she lowered her head. Biting her lower lip nervously, one thought suddenly came to Chloe’s mind.  

‘All I need is for Earl Plarad to meet Reinis. As long as there’s no evidence that I arranged their meeting, I’ll be fine!’

As this thought crossed her mind, she also remembered the recent rumor about the supposedly well-mannered Earl Plarad causing a scene at the front gates of the Duke’s manor.  

‘There’s no way a kind and delicate young lady like Reinis could handle someone like Earl Plarad. If I create a plausible excuse, Reinis won’t be able to say anything.’

“Well… Actually, many other young ladies are worried about you, Ren. They all wanted to visit the Duke’s manor, but they couldn’t come without an invitation.”

Chloe deliberately emphasized the word “invitations,” causing Reinis to immediately think of her own followers upon hearing it.  

Reinis couldn’t help but suspect that they were more interested in visiting the Duke’s manor than genuinely concerned for her. However, unable to voice this thought, she nodded with an awkward smile.  

“I… if the opportunity arises… it would be nice… to have them join us next time.”  

Chloe grabbed Reinis’s hand as she stammered unconsciously.  

“Then I’ll deliver the invitations! They were already planning a tea party after visiting the Duke’s manor to check on you!”

With a bright smile, Chloe held Reinis’s hand tightly, her mind entirely preoccupied with the invitations.  

‘If I just apologize and say that the Earl took the invitations, Reinis will surely smile and say it’s fine. Then, I can continue pretending to be her friend without any problems and secure my position as the Duchess!’  

Although reluctant, Reinis couldn’t refuse Chloe’s request and ultimately had to prepare the invitations and hand them over to her.  

Both Theodore and Rio noticed that the situation was taking a strange turn but chose not to intervene. Reinis had accepted without much protest, and they needed to figure out Chloe’s intentions for taking the invitations.  

The two exchanged glances, watching as Chloe’s carriage left the Duke’s manor, thinking this could be a good opportunity to expose Reinis’s fake friend.