Chapter 18

The area around the Luet River, which runs through the capital, was a favorite picnic spot for the kingdom’s people. On fine days, social clubs and salon gatherings would set up tents in designated spots and spend time together.

Neria, attending with an invitation, wore a dress of white and yellow in perfect balance. Her hair was half braided, half loose, and her cheeks glowed a healthy apricot.

Under the warm sun, Neria sat at an outdoor table with a group of noblewomen, sipping iced tea.

Barely managing to claim a seat at the edge, Neria responded just enough to their chatter while focusing on the finger foods. From a nearby table, someone exclaimed in a delighted voice.

“Oh, Duke Denicar is here too!”

Startled, Neria’s shoulders flinched.

She’d been thinking about Aaron constantly, ever since before coming to this gathering.

She had seen Aaron suffering from trauma in last night’s dream. It was so vivid that she couldn’t believe it was just her own fantasy.

‘No way, that can’t be.’

The idea of magic that shared dreams was absurd. Even if she generously assumed she’d been sharing dreams with Duke Aaron, he had never recognized her. The real Aaron she’d occasionally met since their arranged meeting hadn’t seemed strange—wait.

‘Now that I think about it, he has been acting a little odd…?’

She recalled how Aaron’s behavior was far from the coldness she’d felt at their first meeting. Neria stared seriously at her tea glass.

“My, the Duke looks so dashing today.”

All the women at the surrounding tables were praising Aaron. With so many people present, there was no way Aaron, who rarely paid attention to women, would show any interest in her.

Feeling braver, Neria cautiously lifted her head.

She met the bright blue eyes directly.

Surprisingly, the Duke was staring straight at her.

…No, it must be her imagination. With so many eyes watching, it wasn’t like Aaron to single her out. He always tried to avoid unnecessary attention.

But…

‘He keeps looking this way, doesn’t he?’

His unwavering gaze was very unnatural. Even the noblemen near Aaron glanced over in curiosity.

Naturally, a small commotion arose around Neria.

“Oh my, is the Duke looking at us right now?”

“Looks like it!”

All the young ladies sat up straighter, sipping their tea elegantly, convinced that Duke Aaron was looking at them.

As if any moment now, Aaron would come over and invite one of them on a date.

Neria quickly lowered her eyes. Her heart fluttered lightly. It felt as if Aaron had recognized her from the dream.

Her face grew hot, and she thought it best to step away for a moment.

She’d been sitting at the edge anyway, unnoticed. Quietly rising from her seat, a woman beside her spoke in a gentle voice.

“Lady Neria, where are you going?”

“Just going for a walk.”

“Shall I join you?”

Knowing it was just a polite offer, Neria shook her head lightly in refusal. Then she headed toward the riverside promenade, away from the crowd.

***

Just as Neria felt, Aaron was indeed looking directly at her.

Aaron was a man who attracted attention wherever he went. Everyone around him was acutely aware of him, glancing in his direction.

But he was so distracted by his own confusion that he didn’t realize how his behavior affected those nearby.

‘Why did the witch turn into Neria…?’

Aaron’s mind was tangled with déjà vu.

That time when his l*st had surged and he’d relieved himself, unable to picture the witch, he’d thought of Neria Warwick instead—was that just coincidence?

He was bothered again by how Neria had once mumbled, “Why are you here in front of me when it’s not a dream?”

Come to think of it, the only feature he could remember from the witch after waking was her chestnut-colored hair.

Aaron bit his lower lip lightly. Even so, he didn’t have the courage to approach Neria and ask, “Are you the one who appears in my dreams?” With no certainty, he didn’t want to look like some crazed man obsessed with her.

Lost in thought, he heard the gentlemen around him talking, aware of his silence.

“That young lady… isn’t she from the Warwick family?”

Aaron snapped out of his reverie at the familiar name. Neria, among the crowd, was heading alone toward the riverbank.

Everyone else sat under parasols, chatting and being served, but seeing her walking alone made him pay attention.

“Oh, that family?”

One man spoke with a mocking tone. As the gentlemen exchanged knowing smiles, Aaron felt a subtle discomfort. He looked at them silently.

Perhaps mistaking Aaron’s gaze for curiosity, a man with a sharp tongue quickly spoke.

“Did you know, Your Grace? Earl Warwick is greedy and has vulgar thoughts for his status. All his daughters have made marriages that are basically sales.”

“I attended one of those weddings. The bride and groom were twenty years apart in age.”

“Oh? So if I wait twenty years, I can get a new bride too?”

One man chuckled, joking.

“Don’t be silly. The Countess Warwick can’t have children anymore, and you don’t meet the Warwick family’s requirements.”

“Oh dear, it’s too late for me!”

The men laughed, making jokes about someone else’s family. Aaron’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Still… isn’t Lady Neria the prettiest among the Warwick children? She doesn’t have a fiancé yet, right?”

“Oh! You might be just the man Earl Warwick is looking for! Why not send a marriage proposal?”

“Ahem. Should I? With my family and fortune, Earl Warwick would probably bow and welcome me as his youngest son-in-law.”

Aaron glanced sharply at the man who’d said that.

His crude words matched his unimpressive appearance. Aaron sneered inwardly.

‘Ridiculous. Here I am—the best groom in the Seiran Kingdom, and you think you’d be the Warwick family’s youngest son-in-law?’

Aaron quietly fumed, forgetting how much he usually hated that nickname. His blue eyes burned quietly, his temper simmering.

One gentleman egged the unimpressive man on.

“Maybe that young lady is hoping you’ll chase after her. If you’re so confident, go try your luck.”

“Should I? If I’m gone for an hour, assume I succeeded.”

Bang.

Aaron set his glass of sparkling wine down on the portable bar table with a loud clink. The chattering gentlemen instantly fell silent.

The boisterous man shrank under Aaron’s cold, emotionless gaze.

“D-Duke?”

He addressed Aaron cautiously, and Aaron gave a sharp, almost mocking smile as he asked kindly,

“I’m curious about one thing.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“That thing you said earlier. What do you mean by ‘success’?”

“Ah.”

The man, thinking that the cold, arrogant, and lofty Duke Aaron might share his sense of humor, grinned foolishly.

One gentleman, sensing the atmosphere, tried to stop him by grabbing his sleeve, but the man missed the warning and replied with a smirk,

“I mean, flipping up those lacy skirts and having some fun—”

The man couldn’t finish his sentence.

“Ugh!”

Aaron grabbed the man by the collar. Lifting him with one hand as if he weighed nothing, the man dangling looked utterly pathetic and foolish.

The one whose collar was grabbed protested, his face turning red.

“What, what kind of unpleasant behavior is this, Duke!”

“Unpleasant? I’m the one who feels even more unpleasant listening to you, so I think I deserve an apology.”

His associates looked at each other in confusion. One person gathered the courage to side with the man being grabbed.

“If you were offended, we apologize, Your Grace. We… really had no such intention.”

Aaron was disgusted by their cowardice. They apologized not to Neria, but to him. Not out of guilt, but simply because they’d upset the Duke. Seeing such pathetic behavior left him feeling thoroughly foul.

Aaron wanted to explain why he was angry, but the words caught in his throat. Grinding his jaw, he let out a quiet sigh. Suppressing his temper a bit, he released the sweating man’s collar and shoved him aside, not wanting to see him any longer.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Aaron strode off toward the open riverside promenade—the exact opposite direction from where Neria had gone.

His fierce and sharp presence kept anyone from following him. That was just as well. Aaron needed a moment to cool his head.

He also needed to shed this inexplicable anger and anxiety.