Chapter 1.16

The next day, Greta knocked on Isabelle’s door.  

“Come in, Greta.”  

“Huh? How did you know it was me?”  

“You’re the only one in this house who walks like a puppy.”  

Walks like a puppy? What does that even mean?

Greta wanted to ask, but Isabelle spoke first.  

“I heard from Eurika that you’re in the middle of a romance these days? Come over here and tell me about it. She wouldn’t tell me anything, just kept sighing deeply.”  

“Uh, well, actually, I have something I want to ask you.”  

“Who’s the guy? I might not know much about boys your age, but I remember some of them. Eurika was sighing a lot—don’t tell me it’s an old man or a married man or something like that?”  

“N-No!”  

“Then who? How did you meet him?”  

Isabelle’s eyes sparkled as she stared at her youngest sibling’s flushed face. Her gaze was so intense that, despite the fact that everyone in the Lievo household already knew about Greta’s crush, Greta still felt embarrassed to talk about it.  

“Uh, it’s His Grace, the Duke of Adantie.”  

“What? Who?”  

“His Grace, Ragaen Sol Adantie.”  

“…Did you eat something bad?”  

With a serious expression, Isabelle grabbed Greta’s face and turned it this way and that before letting out a deep sigh.  

“Why? Weren’t you into flower boys like Edward? Ragaen isn’t a flower boy; he’s a bear. Not just any bear—a black bear! A huge black bear!”  

“Well, you see, um…”  

From the Ayarn Quail Hunting Competition in early spring to their current letter exchanges, Greta poured out her story without stopping. Isabelle listened attentively, showing no signs of boredom, as if she were engrossed in the budding love story of her younger sister. After hearing everything, Isabelle closed her eyes tightly and let out a series of hums.  

“So, in conclusion, what do you want from me?”  

“The method to tame a tiger-like man by climbing on top of him!”  

Greta declared proudly.  

Soon, the room was filled with Isabelle’s hearty laughter.  

“Hahahahaha! Taming that Ragaen? You really are a Lievo through and through!”  

Isabelle Lievo said with a confident and self-assured expression,  

“Love, Greta, is all about pulling and pulling.”  

“Pulling and pulling?”  

“People say you need to be good at push-and-pull. But it’s different for everyone. In your case, since you’ve fallen for a clumsy bear, it’s different. No matter how much you pull, bears don’t budge easily. But if you push them, they’ll keep rolling away and won’t recover. So just pull! Pull, pull, and pull some more!”  

“H-How do I pull? What should I do to pull?”  

“Keep writing letters, sending gifts, and meeting him to talk.”  

“I keep writing letters, but I need a reason to meet him…”  

Greta pouted, looking dejected.  

“This is why you’re so naive. You don’t meet someone because you have a reason; you create a reason to meet them. Love is something you seize, Greta. You don’t wait for it! If you wait for a reason to meet, that Ragaen will end up marrying some woman the Crown Prince picks for him!”  

Crash!  

This was the sound of shock echoing in Greta’s mind.  

“M-Marriage?!”  

“Yes! Ragaen Sol Adantie is a fool who follows whatever the Crown Prince says. That snake of a Crown Prince has probably already made a list of potential brides!”  

“A-A list of potential brides!”  

“How old is Ragaen this year? He’s younger than me, right?”  

“He’s twenty-nine.”  

“Then you should consider this year your last chance to approach him. You know how valuable the name ‘Adantie’ is, don’t you? That snake of a Crown Prince will definitely make use of it. Right now, Ragaen is probably saying, ‘I’m not interested in marriage, Your Highness,’ but once he turns thirty, it won’t matter. They’ll force him to marry. That snake will do it without hesitation.”  

Boom!  

This was the sound of Greta’s heart shattering from the continued shocks.  

“So, Greta. Pull, pull, and pull some more. That clueless guy probably doesn’t think about anything. He’s replying to your letters only because he received them, nothing more. If you want to make that half-baked man yours, you have to keep pulling. Got it?”  

“Y-Yes!”  

Just as Greta was about to dash out, a sudden thought made her turn back.  

“But Isabelle, do you know His Grace?”  

“Huh?”  

“You talk as if you know him very well. I know you interacted with the Crown Prince when you were younger, but His Grace… Don’t tell me, don’t tell me?”  

Isabelle was a mercenary. She had been one for a long time. Around the same time, there was the Great Demon War. His Grace, the Duke of Adantie, participated. The Crown Prince participated. 

Isabelle participated?  

Isabelle grabbed Greta’s shoulders firmly.  

“Greta. This is a secret between you and me. A secret until Father is in his grave. If Father finds out I participated, he’ll cry himself to the brink of a heart attack. Then Mother will kill me, and they’ll revoke my promise to leave the family. And then I’ll be dragged back here…!”

Oh, so that’s how it was.

“You—why do you have the same face as Eurika! You’re not Greta; you’re Eurika! Give me back Greta!”

“If you don’t offer a splendid gift to the Duke, I’m so curious to see whom I might tell this secret to, Isabelle Lievo.”

Isabelle Lievo became the next Lievo to have a weakness caught by Greta, after Richard Lievo. Fortunately for Isabelle, she would soon be heading down to the warm southern Lievo estate.

* * *

Based on the information obtained through letter exchanges that Ragaen was sensitive to heat, the gift Isabelle procured was a leaf that Greta had never seen before.

“Is it okay to give something like this as a gift?”

“For someone who’s sensitive to heat and has lived a mercenary life, there’s no better gift. Even someone like me, who doesn’t need it, occasionally seeks it out.”

Hearing Isabelle’s explanation, Greta made up her mind to wrap the Dadian tree leaves. Along with a postcard saying she would visit. The reply was prompt as always, and nearly a month later, Greta, who was going to meet the admired Duke of Adantie, felt her heart pounding.

“Isabelle, will the Duke really accept?”

“He will. Greta, could you pass me those tangerines?”

“Are you already having morning sickness or something? You’re eating so many tangerines. Here. But what I’m worried about is that the Duke can’t shoot a bow.”

“Nom. What does that matter? Shooting is your role, nom nom.”

“That’s true, but…”

“It’s better not to worry about whether Ragaen has one arm or not. For someone who lives just fine without one arm, unnecessary concern and needless consideration are worse. Just think about yourself.”

Isabelle continued as she peeled another tangerine.

“If someone saw you carrying three books and said, ‘Oh, my lady, since you are a delicate and frail woman, I must carry these books for you. Hand them over immediately!’ would you feel good? You can easily carry three books. Unnecessary interference is actually rude.”

“Hmm… I guess it depends on who it is, but… it probably wouldn’t feel great. But your analogy is pretty bad.”

“As long as you get the gist. Anyway, it’s the same for Ragaen. Honestly, someone like Ragaen could throw a spear or just a knife and produce more destructive results than archers. Don’t worry unnecessarily. Just go boldly, say, ‘You’re coming with me! You have no veto power! I propose, you accept!’”

“Got it!”

“Yeah, go on!”

Watching Greta leave the room energetically, Isabelle patted her still-flat belly.

“Your youngest aunt is so innocent, Little Lievo.”

* * *

Just as energetically as when she left the room, Greta reached the office of the Commander, Duke of Adantie. Her eyes widened as the door opened as if expecting her.

“It’s been a while, Miss Lievo.”

A large and splendid bear—no, the Duke of Adantie stood there.

“How did you know I was coming?”

“I heard your footsteps. Please come in.”

The remarkable Duke must have keen ears! Greta nodded inwardly. Ragaen didn’t mention that Greta’s footsteps sounded like a puppy’s trot, making them easy to distinguish from others.

In the office, only Greta and Ragaen were present. Jespa had been driven out by Ragaen ten minutes earlier. Jespa had insisted on staying, saying it was improper for an unmarried man and woman to be alone in a room, but Ragaen politely told him to shut up and leave, saying he’d leave the office door slightly open.

A moment of silence passed.

Greta, contemplating, recalled Isabelle’s advice to ‘pull and pull again!’

“Have you been well, Duke?”

“Of course.”

“Did you like the gift I sent?”

Since Greta had sent quite a few gifts, Ragaen paused to think about which gift she was referring to.

“If you mean the Dadian leaves, I’m using them quite satisfactorily.”

“I’m glad. If you’re satisfied, I’m happy.”

Greta sighed in relief inwardly. Although it was a gift Isabelle had confidently chosen and prepared, she had been worried about whether it was appropriate to send leaves as a gift. But the wisdom of elders was always valuable.

Now, it was time to pull.

“Duke.”

“Yes.”

“Would you participate in the upcoming Lorus Hunting Competition with me?”

“Do you mean the Emperor’s Cup Summer Lorus Hunting Competition?”

Coincidentally, Ragaen was working on the security plan for the upcoming Lorus Hunting Competition. It was almost complete, and the security and escort plan for that day included himself as the Commander.

“Are you busy with the Knight Order on that day?”

There was a meticulously crafted plan he had worked on for hours.

“No, I’m not busy.”

“Then would you join me at the Lorus Hunting Competition?”

Accepting would mean redoing the security plan he had spent hours on from scratch. Naturally, he should refuse. However, the words that came out of Ragaen’s mouth were different.

“Yes. I will.”

Greta beamed widely.

It seemed like a flower bud bursting open, Ragaen thought.

Why did he accept? He didn’t know. He just… had to.

…He wanted to.