Chapter 1 (Part 6)

The power of the Seidon Ducal House was so solid that it did not waver even after the previous Duke and Duchess passed away early. The Emperor personally granted a singular title to Sir Aldrich Logue just for the position of acting Duke of Seidon. The Imperial Family would not easily judge Aldrich.

Chester, who was well aware of this fact, ruffled his own hair in frustration.

“Fine, there’s no need to rely on the Imperial Family. I’ll take revenge for you myself.”

As Chester resolutely tried to rise from his seat, Sellakia hurriedly grabbed his hand.

“Where are you going?”

“You said that bastard is in the office.”

“Chester. Sit down.”

“If you’re not going to report him or have him punished, then what are you planning to do? Are you going to keep living under the same roof with the one who tried to kill you?”

Chester’s hand trembled with uncontrollable emotion. Sellakia firmly seated him and gently patted the back of his hand.

“Of course not. Don’t worry. I plan to leave this place.”

Sellakia calmly conveyed her plan to Chester.

“I will leave once Tenus Seidon receives approval for the marriage and officially inherits the title. The Duke thinks I’ve lost all my memories. I told him that to make it easier to leave in the future.”

“What? Wait a minute. Why are you leaving the Dukedom? It’s the acting Duke who should leave, not you.”

“What would I do by staying here? I realize now that this is not my place either. The acting Duke will still see me as a thorn in his side, and the Duke, who had no choice but to marry me, won’t find me agreeable either. The servants will surely follow their master’s wishes.”

Unable to refute her, Chester’s expression darkened. With a serene face, Sellakia smiled at him, meeting his gaze.

“Why do you look like that? I’m saying I’ll leave the Dukedom, not jump off a cliff, Chester.”

“Don’t smile, Sella. I don’t have the energy to smile back at you right now. You are really… Sigh.”

Chester let out a heavy sigh. If smooth wrinkles were to form on his face someday, a significant portion of them would be because of her.

Feeling a slight sense of guilt, Sellakia spoke cheerfully to lift his spirits.

“But what can I do if this castle feels like a cramped seashell? I don’t want to be confined any longer. Who knows, the world might be my oyster.”

She had lived for too long, forgetting her mother’s words from childhood, that there was nothing she couldn’t do and that she should enjoy the wide world.

In retrospect, being thrown into the sea wasn’t all bad. Without the realization that the accident had brought, she might have continued to live silently in a place that wasn’t hers.

Sellakia wore a joyful smile at the thought of her self-determined future. Knowing how stubborn that beautiful smile was, Chester could only swallow his sigh.

“So. Have you thought about where you’ll go after leaving this place? If you don’t have a place in mind, I strongly recommend our Earl’s territory, which is renowned as one of the most beautiful in the Empire.”

“I acknowledge that the Pyregen Earl’s territory boasts natural beauty as much as the Lensch Viscount’s. But mountains are too boring.”

“Mountains are boring? Have you ever watched the changing scenery of the mountains through the seasons, Sella?”

“Oh my, how could I wait for an entire season? The sea changes every day, Chester.”

Though Sellakia and Chester truly cared for each other, their views on the sea and mountains were as incompatible as oil and water.

“Surely you’re not thinking of going out to sea, are you?”

Chester asked, unable to hide his anxiety. Sellakia’s bright blue eyes sparkled innocently.

“It seems like the time has finally come for me to fulfill my dream.”

“Absolutely not. I’d rather you stay at the Ducal House. We just need Aldrich gone. Then you can be comfortable here…”

It was then. The door to the parlor swung open without warning.

The unexpected visitor, who entered without knocking, was Tenus.

“You two seem close.”

He looked back and forth between Sellakia and Chester, who were sitting across from each other, and raised one corner of his mouth.

“Has your memory come back?”

Sellakia quickly gave Chester a silent look. It was a signal to play along with her act of pretending her memory was not intact.

True to their long friendship, Chester immediately understood her glance. Though he wore a displeased expression, he nodded faintly.

Reassured, Sellakia stood up and addressed Tenus.

“It’s always pleasant to converse with a kind person. Isn’t that right, Sir Chester?”

“Still, I regret it. I wish you hadn’t lost your memory. Somehow…”

Chester looked at Sellakia with a regretful gaze. His participation in her play was flawless.

Although the sole audience, Tenus, didn’t have a favorable expression, Sellakia didn’t mind. She wasn’t looking for his smile in this farce.

“Thank you for visiting me personally out of concern. I’ll be sure to send you a letter when I regain my memory.”

At her indirect invitation for him to leave, Chester hesitated. He seemed worried about leaving Sellakia alone. He awkwardly got up and moved closer to Sellakia.

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“Of course. What could possibly not be okay with me?”

“Sella…”

Chester’s lips moved as if to say something. If he said anything that would arouse suspicion, it would be a disaster.

Sellakia frowned and gave him a stern look that only he could see. Under her sharp gaze, Chester eventually replaced his words with a grand sigh.

“I’m currently staying here with my trading company. I’ll be in the Dukedom for a while due to trade issues, so contact me anytime if you need me.”

As Seidon Dukedom was a territory that thrived on trade, many trading companies came and went. It seemed Chester was staying in the Dukedom for an extended period with his family’s trading company.

“I will. Thank you for your consideration.”

“…”

Chester’s eyes, which couldn’t abandon their worry, suddenly shifted to the side as he looked at Sellakia.

Tenus, who had been standing at the door, was now standing right next to Sellakia. 

Chester’s previously warm brown eyes turned cold. Sellakia tensed for a moment, worried Chester might say something inappropriate, but he merely greeted Tenus politely.

“Then, Duke Seidon. Please take care of Sella.”

Tenus looked at Chester with an expressionless face. His lips remained closed for quite some time.

As the silence stretched, just as Sellakia was about to turn her head in curiosity, Tenus muttered.

“Is there even a custom where a mere friend entrusts a wife to her husband?”

His voice was too clear for a monologue. Both Sellakia and Chester, who were standing right next to him, clearly understood his words and looked puzzled.

Tenus, however, wore a captivating smile, as if he had never spoken.

“Your title is incorrect, Young Master of Pyregen.”

“…Pardon?”

“To call me Duke when I haven’t yet officially succeeded the title. If you were someone from the Dukedom, I would dismiss it as a mistake stemming from loyalty, but you are not, are you?”

Despite his pointed tone, his eyes softened with a charming smile. It seemed he intended to hide his blatant hostility with a pretty smile.

Chester had called Tenus a Duke purely because of Sellakia’s influence. Tenus was the open master of this mansion, and everyone there called him Duke. Moreover, Tenus had never corrected anyone who addressed him as Duke.

Yet, he openly rebuked Chester. His pettiness was undeniable, but there was no room for argument as he wasn’t wrong.

“Sir Chester. I seem to have kept you too long.”

Before the situation could become more awkward, Sellakia gently urged Chester. Tenus, meanwhile, looked out the window at the clear weather that had followed the storm, adding casually,

“It is indeed late.”

The sun was high in the sky, still early afternoon. But since the mansion’s master had spoken, Chester had no choice.

“Sella. Take care of yourself. I’ll come to see you again soon.”

Chester left the reception room reluctantly after saying his final farewell.