Chapter 27
He looked again at the three standing side by side.
The Head Maid, the riding instructor Reiner, and Miss Diane Lina?
The smile on Adrian’s face faded.
“It seems you’re returning from somewhere. The teachers and the Head Maid together.”
“Oh, yes. We went to Center Shire.”
Replied Reiner, the riding instructor, swiftly to the Duke’s question.
“All three of you together?”
Unexpectedly, Adrian asked once more.
“Yes, that’s right….”
Reiner’s voice carried a hint of confusion.
It wasn’t so unusual for the staff to go out together on weekends, so it was a bit surprising that the Duke seemed so interested.
“Is that so? I see.”
For just a brief moment, Adrian’s gaze shifted from Reiner to Diane Lina, and his brow furrowed ever so slightly.
But in an instant, he returned to a gentle smile and nodded before heading into the building.
* * *
Adrian soon went looking for Leon.
“Dad, you’re home?”
“Yes. Did you have a good day?”
“Yes. I rode horses with Uncle for the first time in a while.”
“With Ed?”
“Yes.”
“Edward came home? …I heard he was very busy, so it’s surprising he’s here on the weekend.”
Adrian thought, then smiled wryly.
‘He must have come to see Miss Diane. But the teacher actually went out with the riding instructor…’
“Leon, it looks like your reading teacher is also just getting back.”
“Oh! Is she here? I should go see her.”
Leon, excited, tried to leave the room, leaving Adrian behind.
“Leon.”
Adrian hurriedly called him, and Leon looked back at his father, slightly annoyed.
“Do you know where your teacher went today?”
“She said she was going out to eat.”
With that, Leon dashed out of the room.
Adrian lingered in his son’s room, thinking for a while before abruptly heading to Edward’s room.
* * *
“Why?”
Edward asked bluntly as Adrian entered his room.
It was the first time the brothers had seen each other since the day they’d gone to the bookstore.
“I have something to say.”
“Say it quickly and get out.”
“Remember what I mentioned before? Earl Lautrec’s daughter.”
“Oh, the one you said you’d marry?”
“She’s coming to the house next week. She’ll arrive Wednesday, so it’d be good if you came home for dinner that evening.”
“Is that certain?”
“No, not yet.”
“If it’s not certain, why do I have to eat with a woman I barely know?”
At Edward’s grumbling, Adrian sighed.
“As Head of Family, I’m ordering you. Come home early that day.”
If Adrian married Earl Lautrec’s daughter, she would become Duchess, the lady of the house of the Wale Duchy, and Edward’s sister-in-law.
As Marquis Wale, a member of the family, it was Edward’s duty to welcome a guest who might become the Duchess and his sister-in-law.
“That blasted Head of Family.”
Edward muttered sourly.
Adrian guessed that, despite his attitude, Edward would attend the Wednesday dinner.
Edward had no sense of family responsibility, but Adrian had a feeling he’d show up.
“Ed, I heard you’re busy with work.”
“I am. So if I don’t show up Wednesday, that’s why.”
“Then why did you come home early today? Did you come to see Miss Diane Lina?”
Edward glared at Adrian.
“Mind your own business.”
“The teacher went out with the riding instructor and just got back. Looks like you spent your precious time at home alone?”
Adrian said, amused.
“What?”
“There’s a riding instructor, Reiner. He’s been working here about six months. He came in with Miss Diane Lina. They said they went out to eat…”
Edward, who’d been sitting on the sofa, jumped to his feet.
“The riding instructor went out with Diane Lina? To eat? That guy?”
“Whoa. Ed. When we dine with Earl Lautrec’s daughter on Wednesday, please don’t use such rough language.”
“Ah, d*mn!”
Edward responded to Adrian’s calm words with a curse and stormed out of the room.
His retreating figure radiated volcanic energy.
Despite the curse, Adrian wasn’t annoyed at all.
He knew the curse wasn’t aimed at him.
In fact, Adrian’s lips curled slightly as he watched Edward’s back.
“Reiner was a bit greedy.”
He muttered as he glanced at the door Edward had slammed shut.
The moment he saw the riding instructor standing beside Diane Lina in front of the carriage, he’d felt an urge to fire him on the spot. The reason for that feeling was probably…
Because she was Edward’s woman…
But as the fair and rational Head of the Wale family, he wouldn’t dismiss someone for no reason.
Still, he didn’t intend to keep the riding instructor in the house.
That’s why he’d sought out Edward.
Most likely, the riding instructor would be fired before the weekend was over.
Adrian was too just to fire a staff member without cause, but Edward didn’t need any such justification.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
The problem that had irritated him as soon as he got home was now resolved.
Now he had to tackle the next issue.
And this one was much harder.
Talking to Leon about his own marriage.
He’d started the marriage talks with Earl Lautrec’s daughter to give Leon a mother.
But now, with the marriage talks underway, Adrian was increasingly worried that Leon, the very reason for the marriage, wouldn’t be favorable toward the Earl’s daughter.
Ironically so.
* * *
Wednesday morning, the whole ducal household was busy from early on.
It was because the Lautrec family was visiting.
The Earl, Countess, and their daughter were all coming to stay at the ducal residence for a while as guests.
The Duke’s marriage was, unusually, arranged more for his son Leon than for himself, so he considered introducing the Earl’s daughter to Leon the most important thing.
Since Leon was young and the Duchy’s status was so high, the Earl’s daughter had no choice but to visit Leon. But as an unmarried woman, Earl Lautrec’s daughter couldn’t visit someone else’s house alone. So her parents, the Earl and Countess, came as well.
For whatever reason, since the Duchess had passed away, it had been a long time since guests were invited, so the mood at the Wale Duchy was both excited and tense.
Everyone was busy preparing guest rooms and planning menus for the visitors’ stay, but among them, Roden, the chief butler, was especially busy with last-minute checks.
After confirming everything was ready, Roden looked satisfied, but then his face twisted with another thought.
Everything was perfect.
Except for one thing.
What kept bothering him was the fact that Miss Diane Lina would be joining the Earl’s family for breakfast and dinner.
When the Duke first told him, Roden protested, but the Duke was firm.
“Leon says he won’t attend meals unless his teacher joins. If we want Leon to spend time with Earl Lautrec’s daughter, we have no choice, Roden.”
Once the Duke decided, there was nothing to be done.
Of course, Adrian also knew it wasn’t appropriate to have a tutor at formal meals with the Earl’s family.
But Leon insisted he wouldn’t see the Earl’s daughter as a candidate for mother, and said he’d only behave politely to the guests if his teacher was present.
In the end, Adrian had no choice but to accept Leon’s demand.
* * *
It was past 3 p.m.
Soon, the Earl’s party would arrive.
Adrian tried to take Leon’s hand and head to the entrance.
But Leon let go of his father’s hand and said,
“Teacher has to come too.”
Adrian’s face flushed.
“Leon! Only for meals. That’s all.”
“No! Then I’ll just play with Teacher. I won’t meet the lady you invited. I’ll only see her at mealtime.”
With Leon’s stubbornness starting again, the Duke’s face hardened completely.
“Leon!”
“I already decided Teacher is my mom, but you’re trying to change that.”
“Leon! I told you the teacher isn’t your mother. The lady who can be your mother is arriving now, so why are you doing this?”
Just last night, Leon said he’d meet Earl Lautrec’s daughter if the teacher joined for meals.
But now, with Earl Lautrec’s daughter arrival imminent, Leon was being difficult again.
Adrian was at his wit’s end.
He almost regretted starting the marriage talks with Earl Lautrec’s daughter.
But the Earl’s family would arrive in just minutes.
“So I’ll meet the lady with my teacher.”
“Leon! Enough!”
“No, no, I’ll see the lady with my teacher. I promise I’ll be polite.”
How could he be so unreasonable?
Adrian had to calm himself to resist the urge to scold Leon for the first time since his son was born.
“Leon, stop being stubborn. The teacher will be troubled if you do this.”
“…….”
Leon clamped his mouth shut.
His tightly closed lips loudly declared he would not cooperate with his father’s marriage.
Adrian shook his head and sighed deeply.
‘At times like this, he seems more like Ed’s son than mine.’
There was no other way.
If Leon wouldn’t see Earl Lautrec’s daughter, there was no point in inviting the Earl’s family, and such behavior would insult the guests who’d come to meet the young master for the marriage talks.
Once again, the Duke had to surrender to his son.
“Fine, you can go with the teacher. But don’t forget your promise to be polite, Leon.”
In the end, Diane, regardless of her own wishes, had to join the Duke and his son in welcoming the Earl’s family.
Even though she had absolutely no desire to be there.
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Aqua_the_idiot
Hmmm Adrian….. I hope you don’t catch feelings man don’t… It would a shitty thing at this point considering you are in marriage talks AND your own bro likes that women man…