Chapter 17 – Reunion with the Enemy

Under the blazing midday sun, Cedric, as always, headed for the Imperial Palace.

If there was anywhere in the empire that could be called the most splendid and grand, it would be here, Saint Imperial Palace.

The magnificent marble fountain at the entrance.

The guards standing in perfect formation, like a chessboard.

And the palace’s exterior, glowing with a subtle yellow tint.

It was a building that foreign ambassadors visiting for diplomatic purposes instantly fell in love with.

The intricate architectural carvings clearly showed the empire’s history.

Even as time passed, it never felt outdated, and its refined atmosphere was uniquely stylish.

Hiiing!

Cedric’s carriage arrived at the palace, accompanied by the loud whinny of horses.

When the carriage door opened, Cedric stepped out and adjusted his cravat with a casual hand.

The stronger sunlight made him frown slightly.

As he appeared, the guards saluted respectfully.

“You’ve arrived, Your Grace!”

Cedric glanced at them coldly and entered the palace immediately.

Because so many scandals arose from his every word, he spoke only when necessary.

Inside the palace, glowing with gold everywhere, the Emperor’s attendant, Reynolds, greeted Cedric.

“Welcome, Your Grace. I’ll escort you to the reception room.”

Reynolds bowed formally and led Cedric inside.

As Cedric followed him, a sly, playful voice called out.

“Well, isn’t that Kaspar Duke, who never shows his face?”

Cedric turned sharply, and when he saw the speaker, his expression soured.

Dekis Ephron.

Head of the Ephron Marquisate and a naval officer.

Dekis had light brown hair and delicate features.

He wasn’t taller than Cedric, but was more refined and beautiful.

His smooth, full lips were especially attractive.

His eloquence made him popular among noble ladies.

Wealth, honor, beauty, and the ability to charm noblewomen—he was perfect in many ways.

He and Cedric had often met since childhood, as peers.

But they weren’t close, just formal acquaintances.

Cedric disliked getting close to him, since Dekis was hard to read.

As children, they played together out of innocence.

Dekis’s flaw was his flirtatiousness.

He couldn’t be satisfied with just one woman, which Cedric disliked most.

“Come on, it’s disappointing to see you frown after so long.”

Dekis teased and strode toward Cedric.

His sly expression and swagger annoyed Cedric.

Regardless of Cedric’s mood, Dekis smiled even brighter and continued.

“We could have been in-laws. What a shame.”

Cedric glared sharply at him.

Dekis had been engaged to Cedric’s younger sister, Yelena.

After Cedric’s parents died early, it was hard to find a suitable match for his sister.

There were few good candidates, and Dekis was the best option.

Yelena cried and refused, but Cedric pushed ahead with the engagement.

He hadn’t known she loved someone else.

After the engagement, Cedric learned Dekis was infamous for his affairs, even meeting many women after getting engaged.

He wanted to cancel the engagement immediately, but couldn’t.

Yelena was already of marriageable age, and missing the chance could mean she’d live alone forever.

As her brother, Cedric couldn’t let that happen.

In this era, noblewomen could only advance or marry—there was no other way.

So Cedric was desperate.

Looking back now, he realized it was selfish.

If he’d discussed it seriously with Yelena, maybe she would have made a happier choice.

Maybe she’d be living happily with Allensia, raising Mikael together.

That regret lingered deep in Cedric’s heart.

But regretting now couldn’t change the past or the present.

Yelena and Allensia were no longer in this world.

He forced himself to suppress the pain again today.

And now, to hear more arrogant nonsense from this bastard was exhausting.

“I still regret it. If your sister hadn’t died and married me, we’d have had better offspring, ha ha ha!”

Cedric raised an eyebrow.

That bastard dared mention Yelena’s death with his filthy mouth.

Cedric couldn’t stand it.

He strode toward Dekis, who was laughing cluelessly.

Seeing Cedric approach, Dekis straightened up and smiled widely.

Cedric and Dekis stood about a hand’s distance apart, facing each other.

Cedric’s gaze was icy and full of murderous intent.

His usual cold aura made the atmosphere even more frigid.

“…….”

Cedric said nothing as he faced Dekis.

His anger boiled like a volcano, and he felt he might punch Dekis.

But Cedric, a gentleman, held back.

A man who knows honor must also know restraint.

Especially for the honor of his late sister, he had to endure.

Violence was one thing Yelena hated most.

A heavy tension filled the air between them.

Dekis also wanted to hit Cedric, but he wasn’t in a position to do so.

He was a Marquis, Cedric a Duke.

He couldn’t dare mock a Duke.

He could only bow his head.

Dekis watched Cedric’s mood and cautiously spoke.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Cedric let out a deep, heavy sigh.

After a moment, he twisted his mouth arrogantly and spoke first.

“Oh dear! There’s dust on you.”

Cedric gently brushed white dust from Dekis’s shoulder.

His soft yet rough touch swept the Marquis’s shoulder.

After brushing off the dust, Cedric leaned in and whispered in Dekis’s ear.

“Stop crossing the line, Marquis.”

“….”

Dekis shivered at Cedric’s soft, almost whispering voice.

He forced a smile to hide his goosebumps.

Cedric finished speaking and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Watching Cedric’s back recede, Dekis’s expression hardened.

His sly face disappeared, replaced by a cold look as he muttered to himself.

“What a scary bastard.”

* * *

“Young Master, do you like being outside?”

“Yeah. I like it.”

Mikael blushed shyly.

Today, Alicia went out for a walk to give Mikael the candy she’d bought on the last trip with the maids.

It was like a picnic they hadn’t finished before.

Alicia brought a parasol, considering the increasingly hot midday sun.

Walking across the wide field under the parasol with Mikael made her happy.

The child’s excited shoulders and smile were clear on his face.

‘Ah! So cute. What should I do?’

He used to hate going outside, but lately he wanted to go out often.

He was shy and stammered at first, but now he carefully said what he wanted.

He wanted to spend more time with his teacher.

He wanted to draw today, and so on.

But his relationship with Cedric still hadn’t improved.

Cedric left everything about Mikael entirely to Alicia.

He didn’t even try to play the role of a father.

If only he spent a little more time with Mikael, their misunderstandings would clear up.

Cedric would quickly see how bright and pure Mikael was.

‘How could a child like this become a villain? It makes no sense.’

Alicia still couldn’t believe it.

Even knowing the future, it was hard to accept.

Not recognizing such a cute, lovely child made Cedric unfit as a father.

Just thinking of him made Alicia frown.

“Jerk…”

“Hmm?”

Mikael tilted his head, hearing Alicia mutter.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Young Master!”

Alicia blushed, worried Mikael might have overheard her.

She gripped Mikael’s hand more tightly and marched forward with determination.

It felt like the only way to shake off her embarrassment.

As they walked, they spotted a deer in the distance.

Mikael tugged Alicia’s hand excitedly, pointing.

“There, there! A deer! It’s a deer!”

Mikael’s nostrils flared with excitement at the sight of his first deer.

Even this was adorable.

They slowly approached, watching the deer graze.

The deer seemed unaware of their presence, focused on chewing the green leaves.

Just then, a gunshot echoed from afar.

Bang!

At the same moment, the deer that had been eating suddenly collapsed.

Thud!

The situation was so unexpected that both Mikael and Alicia were startled.

‘Who’s hunting here?!’

They were so shocked, their bodies trembled as they quickly ducked to the ground.

Even in the chaos, Alicia pulled Mikael close, hugging him protectively.

The gunshot left a ringing in her ears.

Thump thump, thump thump.

Her heart raced from the shock, making it hard to calm down.

It felt as if her heartbeat shook her whole body.

She needed to calm herself first to soothe Mikael, but it wasn’t easy.

Her vision started to blur.

As Alicia’s mind grew hazy, a gentle male voice sounded in her ear.

“Are you all right, Lady?”