Chapter 3 – Ladies Alighting from the Carriage (5)

“You only used to read political classics.”

Demetrian spoke with a confident voice.

“Yeah, I did…”

Back then, I did. I remembered saying that to borrow Demetrian’s major books.

Half of it was because she was genuinely interested, but the other half was due to the anxiety that Demetrian, busy with his aide work, might postpone their monthly meetings. If she chose books he didn’t need to reread, she thought it might make it easier for Demetrian to meet with her.

Of course, Demetrian never took his promises with Chloe lightly, nor would he struggle with reading new books… but that’s just how she felt.

‘I even timed entering Ridote to match Demi’s entry into the Imperial Academy, but Ridote’s shorter academic term left me bored alone.”

After graduating from the three-year Ridote at the age of eighteen, Chloe found herself without any work routine, just attending social gatherings. Until then, her social life had been limited to interactions with Demetrian.

Debuting in society and starting to build new connections was fun in its own way, but for her, the debates with Demetrian and the political stories he shared from the Senate were more enjoyable.

For that reason, Chloe often borrowed Demetrian’s books after graduating from Ridote.

‘Still, to go through all that trouble just to meet Demi regularly…’

A bittersweet expression spread across Chloe’s face once again.

Watching Chloe’s face as if admiring ripples on a lake or clouds rising in the sky, Demetrian felt a small sense of bewilderment.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

Who would have thought the day would come when I would be so preoccupied with someone’s expression?

As Demetrian’s lips moved, contemplating whether to ask about it or not—

“By the way, what should we do about the next book? Do you want to borrow one from my house this time?”

“Ah, should I…”

Demetrian’s mind quickly raced at Chloe’s sudden suggestion. Borrowing now wasn’t the issue, but it would mean there wouldn’t be a reason to meet for at least two weeks until the next meeting.

‘Of course, I could make up a reason, but if I do so without context, Loi would find it awkward again…’

Why had I only been meeting Chloe using books as an excuse lately?

In truth, he knew that waiting for Lacroix’s carriage just to see her briefly during the festival week was a rather unconvincing act.

Of course, love is what makes unconvincing actions possible, but for someone who had always thought rationally about everything, accepting this was… still a challenge.

“How about coming to my office to borrow it next time?”

“When?”

Demetrian’s mind raced again.

‘The easiest would be like today, on Labor Day, but that would mean waiting a week… Tomorrow, I might have to work overtime after the relief fund review, and the day after, I have to go to a social club to find a young man to introduce to Pujali. Should I invite her to the mansion over the weekend… No, then Mother would suggest having tea together…’

After pondering for a while, touching his lips, Demetrian came up with the best compromise.

“How about next week’s Day of Light?”

After pondering for a while, Demetrian came up with the best compromise.

“How about the Day of Light next week?”

“Oh, I have a prior engagement that day.”

“A prior engagement?”

Demetrian’s eyebrow raised skeptically.

‘Could it be…’

It was a meeting with Ryan for ‘business,’ but not knowing this, Demetrian, unfortunately, recalled the prince they encountered at the imperial palace last week.

Knock, knock.

While Chloe was sipping her tea, unaware of Demetrian’s imagination, the butler knocked on the reception room door and entered.

“Young Lady, Madame asked if the Young Duke would be joining for dinner.”

“Uh, hold on.”

Chloe shifted her gaze to Demetrian’s frowning face and asked.

“What do you want to do?”

“I was planning to dine out for the first time in a while.”

“Really?”

Chloe looked at the butler and said.

“He said no. Prepare without the Young Duke. What’s for dinner tonight?”

“No, let’s go together.”

“With me?”

“Yes, I can’t go with Sir Faigen alone.”

Saying that, Demetrian wanted to bite his tongue again.

At Demetrian’s sudden suggestion to go out, Chloe hurried back to her room to change into an evening dress.

“Is this your first time going out with the Young Duke since you came of age?”

“Yes, though I’ve gone out with other young nobles a few times…”

“Hey.”

Pom-Pom, nudging her fellow maid Jules in the side, changed the subject.

“I heard it’s hard to get a reservation there. Enjoy your meal.”

“This totally sounds like a date, doesn’t it?”

“Jules.”

Pom-Pom nudged Jules in the side again and glared at her. Even though it seemed like that, she meant not to mention it carelessly because the Young Duke had a fiancée.

Visiting with flowers and then inviting her out was indeed a traditional way of asking for a date.

‘Well… Demi?’

Chloe, looking at her reflection in the mirror, chuckled softly at herself for harboring any expectations.

“Let’s wear the wine-colored dress I wore last fall.”

“Oh, the one you received many compliments on at the Duke Mare’s dinner party?”

She decided not to have any expectations, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t dress up. It might be the first and last outing with him, so Chloe dressed to the maximum level of satisfaction for herself.

Faigen, leaning against Crevelle’s carriage, was once again casting a disapproving look at his lord.

He was displeased with the sight of his master proudly checking his pocket watch at Lacroix’s entrance.

‘Ah, on Labor’s Day, it’s early dismissal…’

If he had just gone home, imperial palace, home as usual, he would have been resting at the ducal residence by now, but after leaving the palace, he headed elsewhere, saying he had an appointment… Well, that could be excused. It was a friend who always became an exception in Demetrian’s regular life.

‘But even saying he’ll have dinner out, what kind of whim is this, really?’

There was no way not to be annoyed since he couldn’t leave work until his master returned home.

It wasn’t just that. As soon as Demetrian went into the drawing room with Chloe, Mirabelle kept pestering him, so he was sparring, and just when he was about to win, he was sent to make a reservation at a city restaurant, losing the victory he had secured.

‘He could have borrowed a servant or messenger, it’s not like he’s indebted to Lacroix.’

Thinking about it again made him annoyed, and Faigen lifted his upper lip. He knew his master was trying to make a good impression on Lacroix, but he wasn’t keen on being swayed so much.

‘I could have won, damn it.’

“Hohoho, have you returned, Sir Loser?”

Just then, Mirabelle, having changed her clothes, dashed over and began to tease him annoyingly.

Though he almost won the last round, he had already lost the first two rounds in a row. At first, he was caught off guard by a surprise attack, and in the second round, he was able to exchange some moves, but Mirabelle suddenly used the bench next to the training ground to her advantage and attacked. So when he was grinding his teeth and continuing to the third round… he was sent on an errand.

‘No matter the excuse, a loss is a loss.’

Mirabelle, appearing in her training clothes, was one of the fastest warriors Faigen had ever seen, and her reaction speed was also excellent. Her strength might be less than that of men, but she more than made up for it. Moreover, she had an exceptional sense of using the terrain to catch opponents off guard.

‘Blood doesn’t lie.’

He was somewhat expecting to meet the skilled person from the Count Palatine’s residence when he heard she was going, but learning about Mirabelle’s skills was a delight. Since his lord and the person Mirabelle was guarding were close friends, they might have to fight back-to-back someday.

Not that knowing he lost made him feel any better…

“Lady, you are more advantageous in close range than I am, but this training ground is too small. Let’s spar at the ducal residence or the imperial palace training ground next time.”

“I can’t hear what the loser says, so I don’t understand.”

Laughing heartily, Mirabelle entered the mansion. Shortly after, Chloe, dressed in evening attire, stepped out of the entrance, ending Faigen’s unauthorized rest time.

The restaurant ‘Mare et Lazure,’ located at the junction leading from Franz Square to Angela Boulevard, was famous for its fine dining using seafood and seasonal produce sourced daily through portals from various regions, just as the name suggested, taken from Mare, the empire’s greatest granary, and Lazure, rich in seafood due to the western sea.

Due to its great location and superior taste, it was always bustling, and today, being the empire’s quasi-holiday, Labor Day, it was nearly full, but there was always a good table for Young Duke Crevelle.

‘I never got to visit even until I left Scandar.’

Though she had heard of its popularity, Chloe never thought she’d visit a place like this, as she didn’t have a deep enough relationship with any young noble for such a meeting. Doing things she hadn’t been able to before made her glad to be back at twenty.

The only thing she didn’t like was that this new experience came from Demetrian’s suggestion.

Come to think of it, there were quite a few things she didn’t like. For instance, the awkward expression he wore as if he couldn’t speak when she came out in evening attire, or how he couldn’t hide his gaze constantly returning to her.

‘We’ve attended several balls together but now he’s acting all new.’

Chloe made such a cold assessment.

Their private meetings had always been in the afternoon, so there hadn’t been an opportunity to showcase evening attire, and considering she had always presented herself naturally while pretending to be on friendly terms, Demetrian’s new perspective was a justified reaction.

Unaware of Chloe’s cynical thoughts, Demetrian’s heart was pounding more intensely than it had ever experienced in his life.

‘This really feels like, well, a date…’