“Thank you for coming all this way to see me.”
Wesley thought it was right to be polite to some extent since he was the son of the ducal family.
“I walked here. With great difficulty.”
At Leon’s polite answer, Wesley opened his small eyes wide in incomprehension. He didn’t seem to understand what he was saying at all.
“I live here.”
Leon answered nonchalantly and continued his meal leisurely, seemingly unaware of the awkward atmosphere.
Yvonne closed her eyes tightly. She knew what her uncle would say without even looking.
“Yvonne. What is the meaning of this? You haven’t even gotten married yet, and you’re living in the same house. This is why families become a mess if there are no elders. How absurd. And you too. Is this the education of the Duke’s family?”
He finally started. He would try to give her every lecture in the book. But Leon just kept eating in silence, without saying a word. It was a wonder that he could even swallow his food right now.
Wesley trembled and shouted. In fact, he was more afraid and scared. What if…… What if he declares that he’s going to marry her right now?
“Just get married. What is this nonsense? You’re dishonoring my late brother. Are you in your right mind?”
The surest way was to strike first. Wesley became increasingly anxious and shouted even louder. Hoping that the word “marriage” wouldn’t come out.
“Uncle. Stop yelling.”
Yvonne couldn’t help but intervene.
“You’re telling me to stop yelling?”
Wesley was now red in the face and yelling at the top of his lungs. Please, let the word “marriage” not come out.
“He came back with serious injuries. So I’m taking care of him.”
“That great Duke’s mansion would be better, wouldn’t it? To think he would stay here and be nursed in this shabby place? Does that make any sense?”
Wesley continued to make a fuss. He had assumed that his injuries were all healed because he was already seated when he entered the house.
“Why wouldn’t it make sense?”
Leon’s languid voice grated on Wesley’s ears. It sounded as if he was making a fuss over nothing.
“I’m receiving care by my fiancée’s side, I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”
Leon’s words were reasonable. Wesley couldn’t think of anything to retort with.
“That’s right, Uncle. I’m able to have such a nice meal in exchange for taking care of Leon. The Duke’s family entrusted him to me due to their circumstances.”
Wesley began to reassess the situation. So, they didn’t prepare this food because he came. Right. He could let that slide.
She must have been paid a few bucks to take care of this guy.
What circumstances could the Duke’s family have? They probably just sent him away because he was a nuisance. He knew very well what kind of treatment this man received at the Duke’s mansion. So, it was all just talk about being by his fiancée’s side because of his pride.
“Still, if this gets out, what will happen to the reputation of our Count family? Think about that. It’s not about a few bucks.”
Everything he said was right. If he didn’t have any ulterior motives, he was definitely saying this out of concern for the family.
“You. Are you going to keep living here?”
Nothing else mattered to him except this, so he directly asked if he was going to marry her. His hands were shaking so much that he had to grip the knife and fork he was holding even tighter. Of course, no one else would notice.
Leon gave Yvonne a cynical glance and then quickly scanned Wesley. His hands were clenched tightly, and his eyes were darting around. His lips were moving as if his mouth was dry, and he was swallowing nervously. His expression was tense. It was obvious why Wesley was asking this question.
Everyone was watching, waiting for his answer. One corner of his lips curled up subtly.
“I have no intention of continuing to live in such a shabby place.”
Leon quickly glanced away after seeing Wesley visibly relax his tense shoulders at his answer.
Uh…… Yvonne didn’t expect him to say that. What did he mean?
Oh. Wesley’s lips twitched noticeably. Now he could say what he wanted to say without worry. That was it. His worries were gone.
“I need to hurry up and get your guardianship approved. You see, Emil is just drawing pictures. His education is messed up, very messed up. Now that I’m here, I need to set him straight.”
Emil’s eyes widened at his words, and he began to fidget nervously among the adults.
“Uncle. Leave Emil alone.”
To think he would make Emil’s eyes waver like that. She wouldn’t stand for anyone, whoever it was, to touch Emil.
“Leave him alone? The heir to the Count family is drawing pictures? Letting him do things that commoners do. That’s why the family needs a man. I shouldn’t have left it to a woman like you.”
Finally, that sound came out. How did she manage to hold it in all this time? Yvonne hardened her face and stood up. She couldn’t stay with her uncle anymore who had ruined the meal. Turning away from his greasy face, she forced herself to maintain politeness.
“Please excuse me for leaving early, Uncle. Let’s talk about that matter tomorrow. Good day.”
As Yvonne left her seat, Wesley raised his voice deliberately loud enough for her to hear.
“With that attitude, it’s a good thing there are no elders around to deal with this. Emil, you’d better watch yourself as well. Got it?”
Emil’s curly hair drooped down.
Yet Leon was calmly eating his meal as if nothing had happened. Wesley felt completely satisfied now. Even when he brought up the main point, that guy acted as if he wasn’t interested, no, as if it was someone else’s business entirely. He didn’t even step in now. What could that mean? It must mean he has no intention to marry. That’s why he’s acting like he has no intention of living here.
Any sane fiancé wouldn’t stay quiet while his fiancée was being cornered like this.
Yvonne ran into the study and collapsed onto the sofa.
Uncle and Leon. One was hard enough, but two of them? Haah… Only sighs came out.
Why did Leon say that?
His words… sounded like he firmly wouldn’t marry. Shouldn’t that be fortunate? Now she really couldn’t understand his true intentions. He’d been so insistent about marriage with her. Yet at times like this, he says such things. Was he playing with her?
But why did it feel like Leon’s insistence on marriage seemed more sincere?
Even if — just if — they were to marry, if Leon, who found family matters troublesome, kept postponing and didn’t take the position of guardian, it would all be meaningless. That’s why she had been postponing this marriage that would obviously become hell.
The worst case scenario would be being forced into a hellish marriage only to have Leon refuse the position of guardian, letting it fall to her uncle. That’s what she feared most.
She couldn’t trust anything Leon was saying now. He might just marry her and then wash his hands of everything.
Whew…… Her uncle’s criticism and scolding were truly unbearable beyond expectation.
She had boldly told Leon that she would handle everything herself, telling him not to interfere.
Right. She would face this again tomorrow. It required courage, but she had dealt with Leon. So she could deal with her uncle too. But as they say, misfortunes never come alone, and she felt like she was about to collapse mentally. Today, it was better to avoid her uncle.
Though Yvonne felt like collapsing, she moved toward the desk. Tomorrow, her uncle would surely demand to see the ledgers to check all financial matters. The war was just beginning.
***
Tap.
The outside had turned gloomy since morning. It looked like it might rain. Perhaps that’s why Leon, who usually lounged leisurely in the middle of the garden, was nowhere to be seen. Finding the study stuffy, Yvonne had opened the window and was blankly staring outside when she slowly turned at the harsh sound of a ledger being closed behind her.
As expected, her uncle, who had come to the study early, had started checking the ledgers.
“Why did you reduce the taxes? This is why this place is in such a state!”
His statement didn’t deviate even an inch from her expectations.
“The people of the territory need to survive first.”
“This is what happens when you’re so soft. From now on, you’re out of territory affairs. You’re not qualified.”
“No one is more qualified than me.”
Yvonne steeled herself and began to confront her uncle.