Please Don’t Let Go Of That Leash - CHAPTER 3 (Part 5)
CHAPTER 3 – First Date (Part 5)
“Oh, Dukes, how have you been?”
Pausing her thoughts, Ria turned her head to see a glamorous woman standing there. Perplexed by the hostility she read in the woman’s eyes, Ria glanced at Rune and Eden, but they seemed equally unaware of her identity.
The woman seemed to notice their confusion and frowned slightly. But soon, she flashed a bright smile again.
“I can’t believe you’ve forgotten me. I’m Katrina Peune, the one who spent the last passionate night with the Dukes.”
Rune and Eden’s faces stiffened as they vaguely remembered the woman’s choice of words.
Before Rune knew of Ria’s existence, Katrina Peune was just like any other woman who approached him. After spending the night with him, she’d spent the night with Eden, too. And.
“I thought I was pretty well known in social circles now, but I guess not to the Dukes. What a shame.”
The woman who is now the center of the social scene.
Katrina Peune comes from a small provincial family. Her rise to the center of social circles began with her night spent with the two dukes.
With a glamorous and handsome appearance, a strong body honed by swordsmanship, and an authority akin to that of the royal family, the dukes of the two houses were the main focus of every nobleman’s attention, and every rumor about them, no matter how small, was wanted.
As a result, in noble circles, everyone knew that the two dukes were at odds with each other, that the Duke of Astina would not stop a woman from coming to him, or that the Duke of Carlisle would take such a woman from him as he pleased.
Afterward, the women who spent the night with the two dukes were sure to be the center of attention in social circles. The gossip was not to be missed by the nobility. But there was always a new lady who had spent the night with the dukes soon afterward, and the attention quickly moved on to someone new.
The futile dreams of some young ladies who had not yet spent nights with the dukes grew each time this happened. Their arrogant and futile dreams of “If it were me, I could win the hearts of the dukes” or “If only I could spend the night with them, I would be the center of society”.
Then, an heiress of a ridiculed local noble family spent nights with the two nobles. However, no new women appeared afterward.
It was a matter of great gossip in social circles.
Katrina took advantage of it. Growing up like a princess in her domain, she had been quietly observing the nobles who ignored her, waiting for an opportunity to assert herself, and she astutely recognized that this incident could be her stepping stone.
In reality, by that time, Rune had learned of Ria’s existence and no longer embraced other women. Consequently, Eden also stopped his actions to provoke him, but no one knew that. Katrina didn’t know either.
She had simply taken the opportunity that presented itself.
Every time the names of the two nobles were mentioned in social circles, she dropped meaningful words and gradually began to attract attention, and once a certain level of attention was reached, she began to establish her own position.
Knowing that their status as dukes could easily crumble if they relied solely on their prestige, Katrina left no stone unturned in studying everything from business to diplomacy to major and minor issues of the empire. Thanks to her efforts, she was able to participate in conversations and share her opinions freely with both men and women.
The fact that she had managed to maintain her position was all thanks to her hard work.
After holding onto this position for over a year, she heard the news that a new woman had appeared before the two dukes. Upon hearing this, Katrina immediately sought out the location they had visited as soon as she heard from her maid.
The sight of the Dukes’ unusual behavior made her nervous that her place would be taken from her.
Her anxiety was confirmed when she saw the woman feeding cake to the dukes. No woman had ever treated them like that before. In fact, there had only been one occasion where she had been alone with both nobles on a bed.
Katrina instinctively realized that this woman wasn’t just passing through their lives. Her intuition as a woman was telling her so.
She tried hard to hide the way her hand tightened around the fan. Especially at times like this, she needed to keep her composure.
“I suppose you spent the night with the dukes, too?”
“Pardon?”
“I’d like to give you some advice, having been in your shoes. Can we sit together?”
“My Lady, that’s impolite. What kind of rudeness is this?”
Rune’s voice turned cold at Katrina’s deliberate condescension towards Ria. Though Katrina felt a cold sweat running down her back, she tried not to show any loss of composure outwardly.
“As the former lovers of the dukes, isn’t this level of interaction acceptable? I mean well, I want to help a woman who is about to be abandoned.”
“Kahin, take that woman away immediately…”
“Rune.”
Ria gently interrupted Rune as he ordered Kahin to get rid of Katrina right then and there. Rune, lips pursed in disbelief at being countered, looked at her with wavering eyes.
Ria kept her gaze on Katrina. Rune and Eden became endlessly anxious, unable to guess what she was thinking.`
“What do you want to say to me?”
Her voice, usually soft and affectionate, now sounded stern.
“Just as I said. These dukes always only spent one night with women and then abandoned them— so why should you be any different? Do these people who are indifferent to others really think highly of you?”
“…….”
“I just wanted to warn you not to dream in vain, because it’s so sad when your dreams are shattered.”
It was a rather cutting piece of advice. Ria closed her eyes slowly and looked straight at Katrina.
“Is that all?”
Somehow, Ria’s gaze felt like it was belittling her. Ria didn’t intend it, but Katrina felt that way. Her overly emotional response only intensified her anxiety because of that gaze.
“If you want to establish yourself in society in that way, it would be best to give up. That position won’t last long anyway. If you don’t want to end up like that, you should make an effort yourself. Well, it seems like a position that will quickly come to an end suits you.”
“Oh, I see.”
“What?”
“I don’t know the details, but you didn’t like the idea of me taking up your space in the social circle.”
Ria’s sharp words pierced through Katrina’s anxiety.
“If that’s the case, I’d like to say it’s unnecessary meddling. I have no intention of joining the social scene.”
Her hands trembled. Katrina averted her gaze, feeling as if Ria’s steady gaze could see through anything worse.
“Still, I empathize with the idea of making an effort oneself. Positions obtained in such a manner aren’t truly yours from the start. But isn’t that also your choice? Not just someone else’s impertinent meddling.”
“…….”
“Now, can I ask you a question?”
Feeling defeated, Katrina nodded her head. She couldn’t predict what would come out of her mouth, but she couldn’t avoid it.
“Do you love Rune and Eden?”
As expected, an unexpected question, or rather a more intense one, reached Katrina, who froze in place. Ria understood the answer from her reaction.
“No. It seems more like you’re worried about your position being threatened. In that case, you’re a fool.”
“…What?”
“You’re the one who said to make an effort yourself and that I wouldn’t last long in a position, then you must have made an effort to be in your current position. So, there’s no need for you to fear me, right?”
“…….”
“If the position you’ve earned through your own efforts is truly yours, then there’s no reason to be shaken by a woman they’ve only slept with.”
Putting the words together roughly, Ria understood the situation itself. She seemed to know why Katrina had mentioned the fact that she had spent nights with Rune and Eden, as well as why she had bluntly said that she would soon be rejected and abandoned.
Katrina had become anxious about her position being threatened and had raised her guard out of fear. She wanted to twist Ria’s relationship with them somehow and create a rift.
Ria didn’t like that. If it was love that was pushing Katrina, then yes, Ria would have understood to some extent. Ria wouldn’t want to be a sudden obstacle in their relationship.
But that wasn’t the case. Katrina simply wanted to relieve her own anxiety from the first meeting by attacking her opponent and using blatant expressions.
Suddenly, she remembered what Eden had said before. Whether good or bad, people who approach him with a purpose.
Have I been meeting only such people all along?
Katrina was selfish. It was too selfish to only think about herself and casually hurt others for her own sake.
Ria’s not defending the duke’s past behavior, which she now knows because of Katrina. She didn’t consider them good actions. But what Ria didn’t like was the rudeness of Katrina, coming to her and trying to sabotage her relationship with the two dukes by bringing up their past.
It was appropriate to hear about that part from the parties involved, Rune and Eden, and even if things went awry because of it, that was between them and them alone.
Taking a deep breath, Ria stood up from her seat and grabbed her robe. For now, she wanted to sort out her thoughts alone.
“Ria?”
Ria firmly halted the three men rising to follow.
“I’ll ask you about what I just heard when I get back. Right now, I need some time to sort things out by myself.”
“Then let’s go back to the mansion…”
“I said I want to walk alone for a moment.”
Rune and Eden stiffened at the harshness in her voice, a harshness they hadn’t heard even when they had her in their arms. Nervousness began to spread uncontrollably.
“And don’t you ever think of hurting her. It’s not like you’re completely blameless either.”
With that, Ria stormed out of the shop.
“……Damn it.”
Rune, quickly chasing after Ria with his gaze as she moved away from the window, cursed under his breath, slamming his hand onto the table. It was just moments ago that the atmosphere was pleasant. A sharp glance was directed at Katrina. She trembled as if she thought she might be killed at any moment due to the chilling aura.
“……Kahin, follow quietly behind her so she doesn’t notice.”
“As you command.”
The fidgeting Kahin quickly disappeared outside at Rune’s command. Rising to his feet, Eden warned Katrina.
“If any problems arise with her, you will have to pay the price.”
Katrina’s legs trembled with fear more than ever at his unusually cold tone. Even after the two nobles left the shop, she remained frozen in place for a long time, unable to move.