Chapter 15. Duke Calver (2)

Two cups of tea were swiftly prepared on the table. It was the result of Vanessa’s hands moving quietly but with lightning speed. Iella pretended to look indifferently at those hands, sneaking a glance at him across from her.

Since entering the reception room, he had not uttered a single word.

He maintained a straight posture and a lowered gaze, remaining silent.

If interpreted by the public opinion Vanessa mentioned, his sharp features and the cold atmosphere he exuded made him seem like a noble piece of art.

But Iella saw it differently.

It was like facing a hard plaster statue devoid of any emotion. Even under the moonlight last night, he had seemed unfamiliar in this way.

‘He was always smiling.’

Thanks to this, she realized how many emotions he had honestly shown when they were together.
The longer they spent time together, the more often his lips would faintly curve into a smile. By observing his expressions, she began to see what emotions he was feeling little by little.

Step by step, like climbing stairs, he gradually learned to express his emotions, and there was a time when he finally laughed out loud for the first time.

Iella had seen the freshness of midsummer rather than the desolation of midwinter then. His smile resembled sunlight filtering through thick green leaves.

“Ailexia.”

Her deep pink eyes were about to sink deeply with a sense of frustration and bitterness when a low, cold voice slipped through his tightly closed lips. Iella, snapping back to her senses at his call, lifted her gaze. Across the table with two teacups, he was staring intently at her.

Judging by the lack of other presences, it seemed Vanessa had also left the reception room after finishing her preparations.

Finally, a space with just the two of them.

Iella bit her lip and curled her fingers in response to the rapidly rising tension. The small wounds that had not yet healed from being scratched on the rough dirt floor a few days ago brushed against the hem of her dress. A sharp pain briefly came over her.

“Ailexia, you must find the main point more important than any insignificant preamble, so I will ask directly.”

An all-too-familiar letter envelope was placed on the table. Aster pushed it closer to Iella. The contents inside peeked through the slit, marked by the use of a paper knife.

A wine-colored invitation with gold leaf.

“Why did you send this to me?”

What Iella had sent him the day before was an invitation to an illegal auction that had already passed, which she had found in large quantities recently.

In fact, after putting the invitation in the envelope, she had thought about it. Revealing her existence to Aster and honestly explaining the situation so far.

But she had to quickly erase it from her mind. It was an unbelievable situation even to herself. If she hadn’t remembered her past life, she would have dismissed it as nonsense.

So she chose to use him.

Although she didn’t know the details, he needed access to the auction, and she had the means to make it possible. The basic condition for a deal was met.

Hoo. Iella took a deep breath inwardly, straightened her back, and lifted her head confidently.

She portrayed Ailexia, who was always arrogant and presumptuous, no matter when, where, or to whom.

“I think I can give you what you want, Duke.”

“…Are you saying that you want me to participate in an illegal auction?”

“Isn’t it?”

The threateningly low, sunken voice was chilling. Iella deliberately made a big gesture to avoid revealing her trembling body.

She crossed her legs seductively, rested her elbows on her knees, and propped her chin on her palm. She smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons, as if she were either seducing him or had found something amusing.

It was time to use the words she had carefully calculated and prepared the previous day to ensure he had no choice but to accept the deal.

“If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s reading the room. I heard it clearly that time.”

Ailexia, who had survived in the palace despite her arrogance, was quick-witted. She wouldn’t miss even a single word the aide had accidentally slipped.

“But I haven’t heard of anyone in the current social circle hosting an auction. So there’s only one place left, right?”

“……”

“Duke. No matter how much of a Duke you are, it won’t be easy to get in there. Especially without an invitation.”

It was an illegal auction, after all.

They went through the trouble of changing the code and sending out invitations every month to avoid the law. But if anyone could receive an invitation and come and go as they pleased, that effort would be in vain.

Naturally, the illegal auction had to be exclusive, and the process of selecting members to receive invitations had to be stringent. Even after passing all the procedures and receiving an invitation, if one failed to respond even once, their qualification would be revoked.

‘Ailexia must have participated in the auction consistently to receive invitations every month without fail.’

She suddenly wondered how Ailexia had passed those procedures. Given that the highly esteemed Duke’s family, which guards the North, had yet to obtain an invitation, it didn’t seem to be determined by status.

‘No, it makes sense. The Calver Dukedom is known for its righteousness, so that might be why. It’s a place that stands in stark contrast to anything illegal. They wouldn’t have even loitered near the auction, let alone seen the corner of an invitation.’

Anyway, that’s why Aster couldn’t help but be swayed by her proposal. The more urgent his need to participate in the illegal auction, the more so.

It was likely a pressing situation since he hadn’t suddenly decided to uproot the illegal auction.

Iella met his silver eyes without wavering, knowing that just the fact he hadn’t stormed out already meant she had half-won.

The Duke, Arthur, was a kind person but could be firm when necessary.

In the early days, when he valued principles over emotions, he often decisively cut off anything he deemed wrong.

“I’m not curious about what the Duke plans to do there. Of course, I’m not helping for free. Mutual favors without any return are uncomfortable, right?”

Iella took a step back at this point. This was also something she had learned while being friends with him. Initially, she would push a little, then slightly back off at the right time to adjust the compromise, and it usually worked on him.

“If you grant my wish, I’ll grant yours. I’m proposing a deal.”

Under his stern expression, a fierce internal debate was taking place. Only she, who had become familiar with him, could distinguish this change. Iella took her time, letting him ponder, as she picked up her teacup.

She leisurely took two sips of the warm tea, exuding an air of relaxation. As if it didn’t matter what choice he made.

His silver eyes scrutinized her every move as if he was dissecting them.

Finally, Iella set down her teacup and faced him again, delivering the final blow.

“By the way, it’s best to decide quickly. The date for this one isn’t far off.”

What she had sent him was an old invitation. It couldn’t be used.

“If you miss it, you’ll have to wait at least a month.”

In a month, whatever it was, he would know best that he couldn’t get what he wanted.

His stiff expression gradually crumpled. His dissatisfaction was evident, and the contempt in his gaze towards Ailexia deepened.

Eventually, his tightly closed lips parted.

“What is it that Lady Ailexia wants?”

Got it! Iella cheered inwardly. At the same time, a sense of relief settled in her heart.

His response was a perfect confirmation that the image of Arthur he had shown her was not a lie.

If it had been a lie, the changes in his expressions she had read, the way she had dealt with him, and the feelings she had inferred from his demeanor would all have been wrong. It worked only because it was Arthur.

But it wasn’t. It worked the same even with the Duke she didn’t know. This meant that Arthur was just one aspect of Duke Calver, and Iella only knew that one aspect ‘for now.’

In retrospect, even now, as the Duke, he showed the side she knew. He consistently addressed her with ‘Lady.’ It was a glimpse of his fundamentally respectful and kind nature.

‘Thank goodness.’

With this certainty, much of her psychological burden eased.

Of course, without the pretext of a deal, she couldn’t expect immediate help from him, who knew nothing. But having someone to rely on, even in her heart, made a big difference.

Iella pressed down her brightening expression and the corners of her mouth that wanted to lift. It was still too early to rejoice fully. What came next was most important.

“Before that, you need to give a definite answer that you’ll accept the deal.”

“……”

This time, she placed a piece of paper on the table. It was a blank sheet. His silver eyes scanned it, then returned to her, demanding an explanation.

“I think we can’t trust each other if we proceed verbally.”

“Are you saying we should write a contract?”

“Wouldn’t that make the Duke feel more at ease? It would also help you give a prompt answer.”

It was for mutual trust, but also to press him to clarify his intentions right here and now.

Realizing the implication, Aster furrowed one eyebrow and then relaxed it. His eyes narrowed as his gaze returned to the blank paper.

He stared at the white sheet for a long time without any flicker in his pupils, then clenched the fist resting on his knee.

Though he maintained his upright posture, the protruding knuckles and veins on his skin revealed his deep conflict.

“……Yes.”

Finally, he lifted his gaze, meeting Iella’s with a determined look.

“I will accept the deal.”

There was something he had to find, even if it meant meeting Ailexia’s unforeseen demands.