Chapter 58

“Edward, get a grip. You’re the one who made Diane Lina into a ‘Professional Beauty’, not me.”

Adrian’s face was now masked in calm, icy composure.

“Stop spouting nonsense! You’re the one who took her to the opera house and treated her like that! Bastard!”

“Just remember, if you curse at me even one more time in this house, you’ll be thrown out.”

Edward was trembling.

But he neither spoke nor threw another punch.

As expected, when it came to Diane Lina, he was powerless.

“The reason Diane Lina is rumored to be your ‘Professional Beauty’ isn’t my fault, it’s because of your actions. Didn’t you show blatant affection for her in front of the Lautrec Earldom people? Don’t you think that’s the problem?”

“Ha! You… spouting nonsense. How should I act toward my woman? Should I act like you—marrying some other noble lady, taking someone else’s woman to the theater, calling her by name, flirting at the piano? Is that it? And what did you tell Lady Lautrec about Diane Lina? What did you say about my woman to a woman who’s desperate to marry you?”

Edward was right.

He’d criticized Edward’s behavior, but if he hadn’t brought Diane Lina to the opera and sat with her, and if he hadn’t given some lame excuse, Lady Lautrec wouldn’t have said those things about Diane Lina. Adrian knew that.

But so what?

Regardless, Diane Lina—a commoner—and Adrian or Edward Wale—a noble—their relationship could never be more than employer and employee.

Even if Edward had taken Diane Lina to the opera, even if not right away, the nobles would have eventually made the same assumptions.

“Your woman?”

Adrian mocked Edward.

Edward’s fists trembled.

“Why are you laughing? Are you ashamed of what you did, thinking it was dirty?”

Sure, it might be dirty.

But that’s reality.

Diane Lina belongs to a world different from them.

“Edward. Get a grip. No matter how you act, or how I act, the moment either of us gets involved with her, she’ll always be called a ‘Professional Beauty’. Don’t pretend you didn’t know that.”

Edward’s face flushed red. It was obvious he was holding himself back from hitting Adrian.

“Yeah, I’m moving forward with marrying Lady Lautrec. That’s why she wasn’t called my Professional Beauty. Do you think things would’ve been different if you’d gone with Diane Lina? Even if Lady Lautrec hadn’t spread the rumor, it would’ve gotten out anyway. She’s not a noble, she’s a commoner, and even an orphan.”

Adrian was defending and making excuses for himself, sensing Edward would have acted differently.

“Shut up!”

“Me shutting up doesn’t change the facts. No matter how much you call Diane your woman, her identity stays the same. A commoner tutor. There’s no other possibility for her. People call women like that ‘Professional Beauties’.”

Edward grabbed Adrian by the collar again.

“Let go, unless you want to be thrown out right now.”

Despite Adrian’s warning, Edward didn’t let go.

“Edward Wale, let go now!”

Finally, Adrian’s stern attitude made Edward release him.

“So what are you going to do with Diane Lina, keep calling her your woman? If she really doesn’t want to be a mistress, you should just do nothing. Right? She doesn’t seem to want anything with you, anyway.”

“You just don’t do anything! Stop messing with my woman!”

Messing with her, huh…

Adrian gave a hollow laugh, and the spot where Edward hit him throbbed.

“Messing… Yeah, I shouldn’t do that. Diane Lina is the kind of woman who suits men like Gale Tertz, not you or me. Right, I shouldn’t do that.”

Edward’s eyes widened at this new provocation.

Just as expected.

“Gale Tertz? Why mention him? How do you know him?”

“Who knows, maybe Diane Lina told me?”

‘This is what’s truly dirty, Edward.’

Adrian smiled openly, knowing his smile would drive Edward even crazier.

Sure enough, Edward grabbed his collar again.

“Don’t talk as if you know everything about Diane Lina! You don’t know anything about her!”

Adrian knocked Edward’s hand away.

“Do you? Doesn’t seem like it. She’s just Diane Lina, a commoner woman. Leon Wale’s tutor, an employee of the Wale Dukedom. She knows full well the difference in status between us. You’re the only one pretending otherwise. You can’t do anything with her, either.”

“You, maybe. Not me.”

“You’re no different.”

“Stop spouting nonsense.”

“Aren’t you a Wale? Aren’t you a noble? Are you thinking of marrying her? No, right?”

“…What?”

Suddenly, Edward’s brows furrowed and his eyes sharpened, as if hearing something for the first time.

What’s with him?

Adrian felt uneasy at Edward’s reaction, as if he’d realized something.

“Ed.”

“Shut up!”

Edward’s eyes were fixed on empty air, not Adrian.

“Edward! What are you thinking?”

Adrian’s voice cracked with tension.

“I said shut up!”

Edward blinked, frowning, as if he’d forgotten Adrian even existed.

“Hey! What are you thinking?”

Finally, Edward met Adrian’s eyes.

“Man, you’re noisy. What am I thinking? I’m thinking about my woman. Honestly, I never thought about what to do with Diane Lina, but after hearing you, I think I should do something.”

Adrian realized, looking at Edward’s face.

Edward hadn’t considered the difference in status, but hadn’t considered any other possibilities either.

And now, he was going to.

Adrian’s fists clenched.

“Edward, you don’t actually think it’s possible, do you?”

Both knew what was being asked.

“Why not? Am I you?”

Edward’s face was full of mockery.

“Ha! Possible? She’s from a completely different world than us!”

“What different world? You mean status, right? Too bad, maybe not from yours, but I’m in the same world as Diane Lina.”

Edward Wale, the second son of the Wale Dukedom and a Marquis, claiming he shares the same world as an orphaned commoner woman?

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not the Duke, like you. I’m Edward Wale. I don’t need all that Duke, Marquis, honor, title, responsibility stuff.”

“…”

“Marriage… I never thought I could have my Strawberry that way, but talking to you makes me wonder why I didn’t think of it. Instead, I was making her Leon’s tutor for no reason.”

Adrian’s face twisted, and his split lip from Edward’s punch stung more.

Was Edward really talking about marrying her?

Leon’s tutor?

That pretty woman who blushed at Adrian?

Diane Lina?

Is that… possible?

“Edward, don’t be ridiculous. You don’t need responsibility or honor?”

“Why act like you didn’t know? Did I ever have that? I never did.”

Adrian’s mood sank.

Edward was going beyond anything he’d expected.

He had to stop him.

“Fine, let’s say you don’t. But what about her? Does she even like you? She asked me earlier if I was the ‘Brother’ she met at the orphanage as a child. How much must she dislike the idea that her precious childhood ‘Brother’ was you? Right?”

Adrian’s argument, which had started with status, now pointed out something else.

Would Diane Lina ever like a wild man like Edward Wale?

“Will you shut up?!”

Edward’s fist flew at Adrian again.

But this time, Adrian dodged and punched Edward hard in the face.

Edward’s head snapped to the side.

“If you attack me, the head of the family, one more time, I’ll make sure to find out exactly what Diane Lina thinks of me. You know how thorough I can be.”

Edward’s left cheek was now split like Adrian’s, his fists trembling.

But seeing Edward’s fists only made Adrian want to provoke him more.

“In that case, I should rethink marriage. I can’t marry a commoner, but I can call off my noble marriage. It’s not like I don’t have an heir.”

At this point, even Adrian didn’t know if he was provoking Edward on purpose or speaking honestly.

Just as Edward, crazed over Diane Lina, was out of his mind, so was Adrian.

Edward was about to rush at Adrian again.

Knock knock.

“Your Grace, it’s time for dinner.”

Rodin’s voice came after the knock.

Adrian and Edward looked at each other.

“I’m not eating.”

Looking at each other’s battered faces, the brothers scowled and spoke at the same time.