Chapter 1.2

“Why would I, who is to inherit the title of Earl along with the estate, marry a common woman? Such a thing will never happen, so don’t go around speaking carelessly.”

Miguel, who finally surrendered to his persistently annoying friends, sighed with irritation and denied the controversy. Miguel, who was usually quite serious despite his reputation for doing only foolish things, directly denied it, causing his friends to quickly find another topic of conversation as if they had lost interest.

“By the way, I heard there’s a welcome guest coming to Cherlin.”

“Miguel, shouldn’t you throw a welcome party for the predecessor who returned in glory?”

“…Predecessor?”

Why were his usually good-natured friends so intent on disturbing him today? The only person he could consider a predecessor was indeed…

“Now that I think about it, I believe today is the day he’s coming.”

“Could it be Herais?”

“Oh no, it’s now Young Master Herais.”

Mason, who received information about the capital faster than anyone else in the south, mumbled while observing Miguel’s reaction, and Miguel’s face, usually as serene as a painting, was now severely crumpled. The Herais family was the former ruling family of the southern estate until the Dante family was appointed as the lords 10 years ago. After handing over the estate to the Dante family, they were called to the capital and rose to prominence in central politics, and Miguel thought he would never hear their name again.

‘Benjamin Herais….’

During the month-long transition period between the families, Miguel hadn’t spent much time with Benjamin Herais, the eldest son of the Herais family and his peer, but the impression was strong. Strangely enough, they were both persistently entangled with a long-time childhood friend named Lisael. The most significant difference was that Miguel was now Lisael’s hated enemy, while Benjamin was a friend who had left only good memories after moving to the capital as a child.

What did that guy, who was doing so well in the capital, have left in the south to crawl back down here?

Miguel unconsciously clenched his fist and covered his mouth. It was the first time the poker-faced gambler showed a crack in his emotions. He was lost in thought, unaware that he was showing anxiety. His excellent intuition as a gambler, which usually swept chips off the poker table, was now veering off in an unexpected direction.

“Fold, take all my chips.”

Leaving only this one phrase, Miguel picked up his coat from the table and dashed out, leaving Mason and Daniel to look at each other. The one who always swept the game board like a swarm of locusts folded even before the game began. After playing together for years, they realized such a day could come. Miguel’s chips, always the largest bet, were akin to a jackpot. Mason and Daniel clapped their hands in delight.

*   *   *

Indeed, his intuition never fails. Now, even the timing is perfect; maybe he should quit card games and try tarot instead.

“Ha ha, I was surprised when I heard the Young Master was coming all the way here.”

“You look well. I’m at a loss for words, having caused you so much trouble.”

“No, no, since a guest from the Herais family has come, it’s only right for our Dante family, who are like old friends, to welcome you.”

Miguel felt a sense of numbness at the back of his head. He expected Benjamin to come and greet the Earl, the lord, but he didn’t expect him to shamelessly notify in advance and even stay at the lord’s castle. And even though Earl Dante knew Benjamin was coming, he didn’t tell his son. Or maybe he was out so often that there was no time to tell him. 

Miguel cleared away unnecessary thoughts and, after finishing his greetings with the Earl, forced a smile as Benjamin approached him.

“It’s been a while, Young Earl.”

“Yes, it’s nice to meet again like this.”

When he was young, he used his youth as an excuse to speak informally, but now Miguel regretted that the time when age could be a weapon had passed. 

In the brief moment of shaking hands, Miguel quickly scanned the man’s appearance, sensing an inexplicable hostility. The silver hair shining brighter than a chandelier, as if proclaiming his noble lineage, was still annoying, and the mismatched violet eyes, as if embedded with jewels, were unpleasant. The pale skin, which seemed never to have seen sunlight, made him want to sarcastically ask if he had come to the south for convalescence.

‘He hasn’t changed a bit since he was a kid. Still a face that ruins my appetite.’

Miguel, maintaining a charming smile that starkly contrasted with his inner thoughts, added the usual formal greeting.

“While you’re here, please take your time and leisurely look around the town. It must be a place filled with nostalgia for you, Young Master.”

“Thank you for saying so. I was planning to visit someone I missed the most tomorrow.”

Benjamin also responded with a smile as charming as Miguel’s, causing Miguel’s eyebrows to twitch like an angry snake. Earl Dante quickly seized the chance to speak when Miguel, momentarily at a loss for words, paused.

“Have you entered politics? With your abilities, you could surely secure a position even at a young age.”

Nostalgia for his hometown? Earl Dante, who had no interest in the Young Master’s memories, couldn’t resist asking what he was most curious about.

“I am honored that the royal family has found a need for me, and I have been commissioned.”

“I see.”

When the Earl raised his eyebrows, implicitly asking for more details, Benjamin, adept at reading the room, continued his explanation.

“I will probably be taking a position in the inspection department. I came down to the South before my official appointment.”

“It’s remarkable to be assigned to the inspection department before even receiving a title. You’re truly a model young man for this era, ha ha ha!”

Behind the Earl’s hearty laughter lay a hidden stomachache. The resulting sparks soon flew toward his only son, Miguel, manifesting as a fiery reprimand.

Following the Dante father and son, the Countess, Miguel’s sister, and brother-in-law each greeted Benjamin in turn. In the meantime, taking advantage of the waning interest, Miguel hurriedly excused himself. By now, he imagined Benjamin, unable to resist the pressure from his mother and sister, would be having a tea party late into the night, laughing and chatting. Imagining such a scene made him feel a bit sorry for Benjamin.

Stepping out onto the balcony, Miguel, uncharacteristically, indulged in the melancholy of admiring the bright moon, and even more uncharacteristically, extended his concern for someone he disliked.

“I was planning to visit someone I missed the most tomorrow.”

“Annoying bastard.”

When Benjamin’s sweet voice, like rolling glass beads, echoed in his ears, Miguel involuntarily frowned. As he furrowed his brows, a curly strand of hair fell between them, which Miguel brushed back again. His hair, a striking red contrasting with the soft moonlight, was uniquely streaked with orange strands throughout, like a sunset. Miguel’s hair, reminiscent of a sunset, fluttered lightly in the cool night breeze.

“There you are, I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Benjamin, whom Miguel thought would be tied up with the women of the Dante family, somehow managed to find him among the many balconies of the vast castle. Truly an irritating fellow. Despite knowing that Benjamin harbored no fond feelings for him, the false smile remained on Benjamin’s face even in this personal setting. However, Miguel, who lacked the aristocratic finesse of feigning politeness, responded bluntly and indifferently.

“I didn’t get a chance to say earlier, but I’m not here just to indulge in nostalgia. I’m too busy for that.”

Miguel had little desire to listen to Benjamin’s sentiments. If the main point wasn’t brought up soon, he was prepared to rudely interrupt.

“I was thinking of visiting Lisael tomorrow. Would you accompany me?”

Miguel’s eyes, already fierce like a predator’s, narrowed at the unexpected proposal. The immediate response was a definite refusal. In the blink of an eye, his mind was racing to come up with a plausible excuse and justification.

“Although we occasionally exchanged letters, it’s been so long since I’ve seen her in person. It might be a bit awkward to go alone.”

Benjamin’s every word seemed calculated to rile Miguel. With his calm demeanor, he had already uttered two things that unsettled Miguel. Firstly, the fact that he had maintained contact with Lisael despite being away from the south for 10 years was particularly irritating, like a thorn in his side. Even though Miguel lived just a wall away, he rarely saw her even once a year. He knew they were exceptionally close, but he hadn’t anticipated such a persistent connection.