Chapter 4 – His and Her Affection (Which Was) (1)

“I’m Lucien of Campo.”

At the sound of the girl introducing herself, Chloe took a small breath.

‘…Grand Duchess of Campo.’

The Grand Duchess of Campo was truly a mysterious figure. Even two years after Chloe left for Scandar, she had never once shown her face in Gotiue’s social circles. As a result, there were very few people who knew her personally.

There were rumors that she was active in Orifone’s social circles following her mother, who was a princess of Orifone, but she had never once appeared in Gotiue, so nothing was known about her appearance. Even Marianne, who grew up in the Imperial Family, said she had only seen her once when she was young.

‘Demi must have seen her…’

Chloe slowly examined the face of the Grand Duchess of Campo, whom she finally encountered for the first time.

Her delicate features naturally overlapped with those of her brother, Olivier of Campo, who had once shown his face in social circles during his time at the Imperial Academy. Dark hair with a hint of blue and black eyes. Perhaps she took after her maternal side, as she had a more confident impression than Olivier, who resembled Grand Duke Campo with his gentle demeanor.

Aside from the curious feeling of finally seeing her face, Chloe felt a sensation as if her throat was being squeezed. There was a visceral aversion to dealing with her.

‘So this girl is Demi’s fiancée…’

Her first love, whom she had cherished all her life, who also cherished her specially. And the only reason their relationship had to remain purely platonic.

Demetrian having a fiancée was as natural as his black hair and blue eyes, so Chloe had never once felt any resentment towards the prenatal contract between the two families or towards Lucien.

However, having a concrete face in her imagination made the feeling distinctly different.

Mirabelle, who shared that tension, glanced at Chloe. Wondering if she should lower her guard or not.

In truth, there was no reason to feel threatened just because she was a friend of her fiancé, but the fact that their friendship wasn’t 100% pure made Chloe nervous.

“It’s okay.”

When Chloe nodded, Mirabelle relaxed. Lucien, who had been watching them, brightened up.

Chloe stepped forward and spoke.

“I apologize for my friend’s rudeness. I…”

A very brief hesitation about whether to state her name as it is.

“I am Chloe, the daughter of Count Palatine Lacroix.”

“Oh my.”

Lucien’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Chloe carefully observed Lucien’s face, wondering if any displeasure would surface. Even though Lucien didn’t reveal herself in noble society, she must have heard things…

“As I’ve heard…”

As expected. Chloe tried hard not to show her dismay.

“Well, since we’ve met like this, would it be alright if I offered you a cup of tea?”

The place Lucien guided them to was a carriage set a little apart from the Handerlung district. The carriage, slightly larger than the usual four-seater used by nobles for outings, was completely black without any emblem or markings, exuding a luxurious intimidation.

“It’s a bit messy, but please come in for a moment. Though no one in Gotiue would recognize me, I’m still cautious. And you are quite a famous figure in Gotiue.”

Inside the carriage, papers were piled up in one corner of the seat, and on the seat near the coachman’s position were samples of wood or leather.

“Could you wait a moment?”

With skilled hands, Lucien roughly organized the mess to make a place to sit.

“I think you can come in now. I’ve never invited anyone before…”

Once Chloe got into the carriage, Lucien’s escort closed the carriage door from outside, and then Lucien pulled a lever attached to the corner of her seat. The panels folded under the side windows slowly rose and interlocked horizontally to form a table.

Chloe suppressed an exclamation of wonder and said,

“The carriage has many features.”

“Yes, my father had it custom-made for me since it’s difficult for me to move around freely outside. Of course, no one would recognize me.”

Lucien chuckled softly.

Then Lucien took out tea sets from a rattan box under the seat and arranged them. The way she poured hot water from a magic stone thermos into the teapot and brewed the tea was so skillful that it was clear she spent a lot of time here.

As Chloe observed all this, she tried to gauge what kind of person Lucien might be.

“I didn’t expect to meet you in Gotiue.”

“Yes, I’m supposed to stay in the Grand Duchy because of my frail health.”

Lucien smiled with a confident expression. The smile on her face was far from frail.

“In fact, I come to Gotiue quite often. I always accompany my father when he attends court, and I’m here alone sometimes too.”

“You don’t enter the palace?”

“Not really.”

In the eyes that had been sparkling with goodwill, a hint of sarcasm appeared.

“I’d only hear lectures about proper conduct for a member of the Imperial Family.”

“Well…”

Chloe nodded slightly, understanding what she meant. It would be difficult for the Imperial Family of an empire that has lasted a thousand years to not be conservative.

‘Even thinking about the bridal lessons I received… Mia wouldn’t shudder for no reason.’

And Lucien… Although it had been less than 30 minutes since Chloe first saw her starting from the alley, it was clear that Lucien was different from the ideal woman the Imperial Family wanted.

Confident, assertive, and above all, she talked about business in the Handerlung district.

Looking at her attire, it seemed she wasn’t trying to hide her noble status, as both her robe and hat were high quality. It was just that she wore pants instead of a dress underneath.

Chloe asked one of the many questions that had come to mind since she first saw her.

“Could you tell we were noble ladies? We tried to be mindful with our robes.”

At Chloe’s cautious question, Lucien smiled gently.

“It’s really rare for young women to come to this area. Didn’t you find it uncomfortable with all the merchants trying to talk to you as you walked around?”

“Oh, now that you mention it.”

Chloe made a thoughtful expression. Seeing this, Lucien continued with a bright smile.

“The hem of your dress is a bit longer than commoners’ skirts, and your shoes… While they’re practical, the leather itself is too high quality.”

Lucien’s smile, as she continued, showed a hint of apology for having seen through their efforts so easily.

As for Chloe, she was starting to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information coming at her since encountering Lucien.

Meeting Lucien was already daunting, and with the carriage modified for work and the words she spoke… It was a world Chloe, who had only attended social gatherings before going to Scandar, could never have imagined. That it was being introduced to her by a girl much younger than her made it feel more realistic, almost like thinking of Ryan.

In her nervousness, Chloe unknowingly adjusted her posture. Seeing a certain enthusiasm on her face, Lucien’s eyes sparkled.

“Even if noble ladies come here, it’s usually older madams. Young ladies are bound to stand out. That’s why I pretend Martino, my escort, is my squire.”

“You’re very knowledgeable about the ways of this place, Grand Duchess.”

“Hmm…”

Lucien, as if measuring Chloe’s intentions, paused before speaking again.

“Are you also in business, Miss?”

“Well, sort of…”

Since her small business had just started, Chloe hesitated. The official registration hadn’t even been done yet… Seeing her uncertain response, Lucien’s face brightened.

“I didn’t know there were ladies in Gotiue interested in business. What kind of business are you in? Mining? Forestry? Distribution?”

“Um, it’s a kind of distribution… I just started recently. It’s small in scale.”

“What’s important is that you’ve started. After all, in Arthuzen… it’s a bit…”

“Pardon?”

Lucien chuckled softly, then leaned slightly towards Chloe and lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret, even though they were alone in the carriage.

“There are fewer opportunities for women to enter society.”

“Fewer opportunities to enter society…?”

“In Orifone, there’s no distinction between men and women when it comes to making a living. Even young noble ladies my age make various investments. Thanks to my father’s estate, my scale is a bit larger. But I hear Arthuzen ladies only receive bridal lessons aiming for strategic marriages?”

Hearing her speak so freely about things as if discussing another country, Chloe felt a strange sense of pride being challenged. Perhaps it was because her newfound interest seemed insignificant compared to Lucien’s knowledge, or maybe it was simply because it was Lucien saying it.

Perhaps it was because the image of ‘aiming for strategic marriages and only receiving bridal lessons’ was exactly what she had been.

“Still, many women have become officials after attending the academy.”

“I’m not saying one is better than the other.”

Sensing the sharpness in Chloe’s voice, Lucien continued with a slightly awkward smile.

“It’s just a pity. Even those from prestigious families can’t dream of becoming officials and only focus on strategic marriages…”

Lucien, who had been speaking without stopping as if she had a lot to say despite meeting for the first time, suddenly narrowed her eyes.

“I heard you’re quite close with him, Young Duke Crevelle.”