Chapter 11

After Dione left the drawing room.

Left alone, Raihan leaned back with a silent sigh. The extravagant chandelier hung from the ceiling, flaunting its presence—so different from his mood.

Was he too hasty, or did his sincerity fail to reach her?

The expression she had worn just a few days ago—a look of comfort—had vanished, replaced in an instant by the painted smile she had worn when they first met. That smile lingered in his mind, tormenting him like an afterimage.

Was it that she didn’t like his answer about not loving her?

Still, he hadn’t wanted to lie. Raihan truly felt a human kindness toward Dione, but he never considered that feeling to be love.

……Even so, it was a little sad that her golden eyes, which had once shone like the midday sun, had suddenly turned cold, as if facing a stranger.

“Whew…….”

His side would have to be filled someday—especially for the sake of his brother, who would soon ascend as Emperor. Even if he married for political reasons, it wouldn’t be so bad, but considering the customs of Elvirtein… he didn’t want that.

He wanted a marriage built on intimacy, not politics or love. That was why he had spoken to her, but it seemed to have worked against him.

Raihan’s decision to remain in Essen was, in truth, about ninety percent impulsive.

He had made the decision just the day before he was scheduled to leave, so it was only natural.

Raihan Elvirtein knew himself well. He often feigned a laid-back attitude, but his true nature was nothing like that. If anything, he was the complete opposite.

He was more impulsive than calm and rational, though fundamentally kind.

Strangely, his impulses had never led him astray.

And he was sure this instinctive choice was not wrong.

But……

“Eh? You’re not going back?”

“Yes.”

“……If it’s not rude, may I ask why?”

Count Teisido’s question made Raihan open and close his mouth several times before he finally answered slowly.

“To propose.”

“……”

“……What’s with that look?”

“It’s nothing.”

Raihan still hadn’t figured out what that look from the Count meant. Was it ‘I knew it,’ or ‘Don’t do it’?

The day after he told the delegation of his decision, Raihan met with Duke Yurik Schwitz, who had come in Dione’s stead.

* * *

Thus, the first meeting between the two men happened naturally, for official reasons.

Yurik, assigned to see off the delegation, came to the palace on business, and the two men sat across from each other in the drawing room. Everyone else had left.

“Are you truly not leaving?”

“I’ve already informed His Highness Durant.”

Yurik looked as if he had something to say, but quickly composed himself, realizing the gravity of the moment.

In truth, Yurik couldn’t say Raihan’s sudden decision to stay didn’t bother him. He had come in Dione’s place precisely because he sensed something unusual between Raihan and Dione.

“……I see.”

Dione’s only family had passed away not long ago, so Yurik had been waiting for her to recover somewhat. The delegation arrived, and he had planned to confess his feelings after all this was over.

……He quickly realized a bad feeling was creeping over him.

Prince Raihan and Young Heiress Estellon seemed very close—would they end up marrying? It looked like at least one of them had feelings…

When he heard those rumors, his heart dropped.

Yurik Schwitz had harbored unrequited love for Dione Estellon for a long time. No one knew of this, except his close friend the Crown Prince.

So Yurik wanted to know the truth behind the rumors. He couldn’t just barge up to Dione and ask about her relationship with Raihan, so he decided to judge for himself by meeting Raihan.

“There are many famous things in Essen. Like Crescent Hall.”

“Do you like opera, Duke?”

“No, not really.”

Raihan paused at Yurik’s words, then lowered his eyes and muttered softly. It was a very small voice, but when Dione’s name came up, Yurik strained to hear, and caught the words.

“……It would be nice if I could go with Lady Dione.”

‘Lady Dione? Since when did they start calling each other by name?’

Yurik almost frowned instinctively, but forced his brow to relax as he asked another question.

“May I ask the reason for your stay?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much……”

Raihan hesitated, wondering whether to speak, but then, perhaps encouraged by Yurik’s neutral expression, answered boldly.

“There’s someone I want to marry.”

“……”

Why is he so confident? The only woman Raihan had spent time with in Essen was one person. Yurik didn’t need to ask to know, but he confirmed anyway.

“The person you want to marry is?”

“……The Young Heiress of Estellon… I’m sure you know.”

Yurik had to struggle not to laugh. What… Would she accept him? Yurik knew Dione well. How could he not, after loving her for ten years?

Dione enjoyed free romance. Yurik didn’t know why, but for him, it was both a misfortune and a relief.

Misfortune, because her side was always filled by other men, so he never had a chance to confess.

Relief, because among all the men she had met, she had never truly loved any of them.

In any case, Dione could not become a noble of another country.

She wished to inherit the Estellon Marquisate. Though she hadn’t formally received the title and remained Young Heiress, everyone in society already treated her as the true Marquis of Estellon.

Yurik knew how much she loved her family. Her gentle nature wouldn’t change.

Lost in thoughts of Dione, Yurik forgot Raihan was sitting across from him, then finally snapped back and muttered, “Ah.”

“Of course, I know. There isn’t a single noble in the Essen Empire who doesn’t know the Young Heiress of Estellon.”

“You know her?”

“Well, just so.”

The conversation flowed on without incident. Yurik criticized Raihan inwardly, but wasn’t foolish enough to show it. And really, who would openly declare his feelings to a rival?

Maybe much later, but not now.

So, their first meeting ended smoothly and they parted ways.

Neither knew what their gaze would be like when they met again.

Afterward, Yurik went to the Crown Prince’s office.

For anyone else, visiting unannounced like this would have been terribly rude, but his position and their friendship made it possible.

Yurik barely acknowledged the secretary’s greeting, then stood at the door and knocked without hesitation.

Knock knock knock.

Though the knock sounded almost bothersome, permission was given readily from inside.

“Come in.”

Entering the office at the invitation, Yurik sat heavily on the purple sofa without even a greeting. He threw his arms over the backrest, leaned his head back, and sighed just loud enough for himself.

Meanwhile, Durant, seated at his desk and working through a pile of documents, glanced at Yurik’s face before returning his gaze to the papers.

“What’s with your mood?”

“……”

“To ignore the Crown Prince’s words—how decadent.”

Durant kept talking, but Yurik was busy sorting out his thoughts.