Chapter 4 – 【 By a Stroke of Chance 】  (Part 3)

In the capital, Henry and the dowager must have prayed daily at the temple for Cedric’s death, but he survived. And he did not return.

He settled in Ritano and built a business. Even that was not smooth sailing, as the duke reached out as soon as he heard rumors that Cedric had amassed some wealth.

Despite never acting like a father, the duke constantly extorted money, claiming it was the price for raising him. If Cedric didn’t pay, the duke used his power to hinder his business. It was more efficient to just give him some money, even if it was infuriating.

“Cedric, come over here for a moment.”

He didn’t want to leave Yuria’s side if he could help it, but the situation didn’t allow him to stay. There was no real danger to Yuria here, but for some reason, he had a bad feeling.

“Go on, Cedric.”

Don’t worry.

Yuria pushed him on the back. Judging by the dowager’s attitude earlier, she seemed to understand what he was worried about. She was probably concerned that they might insult or mock Cedric in front of her.

But he could easily brush off such things. The actual funeral would start soon, so there wasn’t much time for a long conversation. Yuria mingled with familiar faces, engaging in meaningless small talk.

She glanced around to see who else had come, occasionally looking at Cedric standing with his back turned, when she met someone’s gaze.

Lord Edward?

She didn’t expect to meet him here. She wondered if his family was of status to be invited to the duke’s funeral? His intense gaze made her uncomfortable. They were certainly not on such terms.

Should I go to Cedric? But he’s talking business right now.

As Edward seemed to approach, Yuria instinctively moved away from him.

“Where are you going, Princess? Cedric is over there.”

“Oh, Duke Spencer.”

Henry naturally blocked Yuria’s path as she tried to distance herself from Edward. She felt more comfortable with Henry than Edward.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Duke Spencer. Is the dowager receiving guests?”

“I just stepped out for some fresh air.”

Despite having lost his father, he didn’t seem particularly sad, but he did look tired.

“Cedric’s face has brightened up completely since he married you, princess.”

“Really?”

“Our father made him suffer, but it’s good to see him happy now. It makes me happy as his brother.”

Is he sincere? 

Yuria didn’t know Henry well. Cedric hadn’t told her much about him. Usually, legitimate children and bastards were enemies, but Henry seemed to treat Cedric well. He wasn’t rude like the dowager and was quite friendly with Cedric.

“As you may have heard, there were bad rumors circulating in the capital. I thought they were nonsense, but I was still worried.”

It was an uncomfortable and rude question, regardless of his intentions. Yuria tried to brush it off and leave, but Henry’s next words stopped her in her tracks.

“I was worried he might make you lonely because he couldn’t forget his first love.”

“First love?”

First love? Cedric had a first love? 

She hadn’t expected him to have such a sentimental past. But it was possible. Yuria wasn’t so narrow-minded that she couldn’t accept that.

“Yes, they even talked about marriage, but her family strongly opposed it.”

Wait, that’s not just a first love. 

Yuria’s pupils shook violently.

“…Why did they oppose it?”

“Because of his birth. They didn’t know about Cedric’s birth since he wasn’t from our kingdom. They thought he was just a war hero but stopped them from meeting once they found out the truth.”

Her heart sank at the mention of marriage talks but felt slightly relieved when she heard it was from ten years ago. Yuria tried hard not to show her emotions, which were swinging between hot and cold.

“After the marriage fell through, she returned to her homeland, and Cedric went down south. It’s an old story.”

“…Right.”

“Haha, I’ve told you quite a story. It doesn’t bother you, does it?”

Yuria couldn’t reveal her troubled thoughts in front of Henry’s joking smile, so she smiled along.

“Cedric’s first love, huh? I’m curious too.”

She said something she didn’t mean out of pride.

“Really? That’s a relief.”

“A relief?”

“I received word that she would be coming to offer her condolences.”

She’s coming to offer condolences? Here? 

Before Yuria could compose her expression, Henry looked pleased to see someone. He gestured, and Yuria slowly turned around.

“……!”

A genuinely breathtakingly beautiful woman approached Yuria. With her luscious red hair pinned up, revealing a slender neck and shoulders like a deer, Yuria couldn’t take her eyes off her.

A stunning beauty, comparable to Cristal, extended her hand to Henry with a sorrowful expression.

“I offer my condolences, Duke Spencer.”

“Thank you for coming, Baroness Cleo.”

Henry gently kissed the back of her hand, and the baroness whispered with a slightly troubled face.

“I’m no longer Baroness Cleo.”

“Oh.”

Henry also looked troubled.

“I made a mistake, Lady Eastwood.”

“Please call me Lesia as you used to, Duke.”

So she returned to her family after a divorce. Yuria swallowed dryly, absorbing information she didn’t want to know.

“Oh, I made another mistake. This is Princess Yuria.”

Henry introduced Yuria to Lesia with a regretful expression.

“So you’re the princess. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Lesia Eastwood.”

Yuria forced a smile despite her stiff lips.

“I’m Yuria Roark.”

“Roark… Countess Roark.”

Yes, ‘I’m the wife of your first love,’ was on the tip of her tongue, but Yuria couldn’t say it. That would be too childish.

“Which kingdom are you from?”

Yuria racked her brain to find a topic.

“I’m from the Kingdom of Rinover.”

“How did you two come to know each other?”

What business would a viscount’s daughter from the Kingdom of Rinover have with a duke from another country?

“My mother is from the Kingdom of Leusen. My father runs a small merchant guild. So, whenever he traveled to Leusen for business, the whole family would come along.”

“I see.”

Now, Yuria really had no more questions for Lesia. She just wanted to be in Cedric’s arms. Preferably right in front of that woman. Perhaps due to her earnest wish, Cedric approached Yuria at that very moment.

Here, Yuria overlooked two facts: one, that Cedric would inevitably run into Lesia as he approached.

“Cedric, long time no see. Ah, should I call you Count?”

“Don’t be so formal. Just call me as you used to.”

Watching them converse so familiarly, Yuria realized the second fact: she didn’t have the courage to cling to Cedric at the funeral.

“Have you already greeted the princess?”

“Yes, the duke introduced us. Marrying the princess, you’ve done well, Cedric.”

“I heard you took over your family’s merchant guild, Viscount.”

Despite not seeing each other for over ten years, they seemed well-informed about each other’s lives. Even though Yuria was arm-in-arm with Cedric, she bit her lip at the strange feeling of being left out.

Fortunately, that feeling of alienation was short-lived. The priest announced the start of the funeral, and Cedric and Yuria moved to stand behind the dowager and Henry. Yuria was so distracted by Lesia heading to the guest seats that she completely forgot about Edward.

Because of this, she didn’t notice Edward exchanging glances with Henry, nor did she realize that Cedric had noticed Edward’s presence.

* * *

“Edward? Tell him to stay quiet.”

“Yes.”

Henry put down his empty glass. When the butler tried to pour more, he waved him off and picked up the bottle himself.

“Star-crossed lovers, my foot. The princess looked at him like he was a bug.”

“You didn’t have high expectations anyway.”

“It was a waste of time.”

Edward Decker. A name he had never heard of before, but the man went around spreading rumors as if he had some relationship with Yuria.

Curious about Yuria and Cedric’s relationship, Henry had sent people to Ritano, but apart from rumors of discord, they couldn’t find any detailed information. Count Roark’s household was very selective in hiring staff, and after Yuria arrived, they stopped hiring altogether.

Even attempts to place someone where the princess frequently visited were thwarted, as she only went to places influenced by Cedric. It seemed like she was meeting another man, but it was impossible to know exactly what they did.

Henry was genuinely puzzled. He wondered what was going through the princess’s mind to have an affair at her husband’s business place. It was beyond flaunting; it was like shouting it out loud.

Yet Cedric, that prideful bastard, did nothing. Even sending him divorce papers with legal advice suggesting it was in his favor didn’t work. During this time, Edward, claiming to have a close relationship with Yuria, appeared.

Henry called him with a mindset of having nothing to lose. His words were exaggerated. He claimed to have a deep connection with the princess, but Cedric interfered.

“People who talk grandly usually have nothing substantial. He claims to have a connection but doesn’t even have a single love letter, tsk.”

“But he did get one letter.”

“True. It saved us the trouble of stealing one.”

It was a common invitation to a poetry reading at Cedric’s salon, but it was something hard to come by.

“The princess is completely smitten with that lowly brother of mine.”

It was obvious. The way Yuria looked at Cedric, the way her pupils trembled when Lesia appeared. The princess liked Cedric. It was hard to believe, but true.

“Does the princess have no pride?”

He downed the drink in one gulp. The strong alcohol burned his throat. Henry felt like that every day lately. Ten years ago, he should have let Cedric marry Lesia.