Chapter 10

“May I ask what you were thinking about?”

Flora was startled by the unexpectedly gentle tone and stared at Duke Christophe, who stood beside her.

It was the first time they had ever spoken alone.

“I was just… feeling the unfamiliar cold weather with my body.”

“I see.”

Christophe was looking out at the same place Flora’s gaze was directed.

“I met your father last week.”

“Yes, in Bjorn.”

How could she forget? That day, right after meeting her future father-in-law, her father had slapped Flora across the face.

And wasn’t it this same father-in-law who had humiliated her at last night’s dinner by bringing up that story?

“Your father, that is, Duke Pascal, told me something rather interesting.”

“My father? What did he say?”

Hadn’t he already said that her father asked him to cast her aside without mercy? Still, Flora pretended not to know and answered again.

“In fact, what followed ‘cast her aside without mercy’ was even more important, but I didn’t mention it at the banquet for your sake, Miss Flora.”

“What did he say?”

“He wondered if, perhaps, it would bring more honor to the family if you ended your own life, rather than being mercilessly abandoned by Blois.”

At his last words, Flora felt as if a bee had flown into her ear.

All she could hear was a strange buzzing sound.

Why had her father said such a thing to her future father-in-law?

He hadn’t asked him to help her adjust, but rather to cast her aside—and even, if possible, to make her take her own life.

One thing was clear now. Even if she escaped this castle and returned to Charllon, there was no hope for her to live the rest of her life properly.

In Devilleon, where the country’s religion, the faith of Dev, was strong, divorce between men and women was practically unthinkable.

If she were to leave this castle, it would not be through divorce, but more likely by falling ill and dying.

Or else, as her father said, an “honorable death.”

Unless she became incurably ill or was cast out for being unable to have children, there was no way she would ever leave this castle and separate from Emeric with both feet on the ground.

Her father certainly knew this. So what did he really mean by those words?

‘An honorable death…’

She couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

“No daughter could hear that and feel nothing.”

“Sorry, but I’ve never had a daughter myself.”

Christophe shrugged, lifting the corners of his lips as if it were a joke.

Perhaps this was that cold Eastern sense of humor. Flora didn’t find it funny at all, but forced herself to smile.

“Normally, the eldest son, Mikael, should have married first…”

“Pardon?”

“But under Devilleon’s laws, Mikael cannot marry into Charllon.”

“I see.”

Flora didn’t understand why Mikael and the Charllon family couldn’t marry.

Devilleon was a country where titles were strictly inherited by the eldest son, so if Christophe died, the ducal title would naturally go to Mikael.

Of course, Flora hadn’t considered all that, but seeing as she’d written letters and caused a fuss about marrying Mikael, people probably thought she was after the title of Duchess or the power that came with a husband who was a Duke.

She had simply wanted a kind husband, not the cold-hearted Emeric.

“If I die, the ducal title will go to Emeric, so don’t worry.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“If that’s what made you reluctant to marry, you have nothing to worry about.”

Apparently, her father-in-law also misunderstood Flora’s request to change her fiancé as being about the title.

But how could she possibly tell Emeric’s father that she wanted to avoid the marriage because his second son’s personality was so terrible?

“Oh, I…”

Not knowing how to answer, she just closed her eyes and blurted out,

“A few years ago, I saw Mikael at a royal concert and secretly harbored feelings for him. That was the silly reason for my request. Please forget it.”

She was about to add that she would now focus on marrying Emeric, but that sounded too contrived, so she swallowed the words.

“Oh, my.”

At that moment, Flora sensed Christophe’s gaze shift away from her to somewhere behind her, and she turned around.

There stood Emeric, smiling as if he found the situation amusing.

“Oh, is that so?”

Though his voice didn’t sound amused at all.

“I think I should step away now. Emeric, come down for breakfast with Flora soon.”

Even after Christophe left, Emeric said nothing for a while.

He simply leaned against the balcony, flicking his fingers with a sharp, snapping sound.

It wasn’t a true story, but she thought it wasn’t such a big deal if she had fallen for Mikael at first sight.

In any case, the person she would marry in a few days was Emeric, and Mikael would leave again for his studies after the wedding. As long as Christophe and Emeric kept quiet, Mikael wouldn’t misunderstand. She didn’t want things to get complicated.

“Now I understand.”

“What do you mean?”

Flora decided to just let things be from now on.

Emeric seemed to be referring to the absurd letter she’d sent, asking for her groom to be changed to Mikael.

“I thought you were just a naïve young lady, but it turns out you’re an ambitious woman, Flora.”

“Ambitious?”

“In Devilleon, titles are inherited by the eldest son, but you can rest easy—Mikael won’t inherit the ducal title.”

Neither her father-in-law Christophe nor her future husband Emeric made any sense to her.

“I’m not really interested in my husband’s title.”

“So you really did fall for Mikael at first sight? You have more unusual tastes than I thought…”

“What’s wrong with my taste?!”

Emeric’s mocking tone rubbed Flora the wrong way.

Why did he have to look down on her with such arrogant, elegant speech?

Was liking Mikael, Emeric’s brother, really something to be laughed at?

“Seems you like men who look like girls.”

“Like girls?”

“Or maybe Mikael’s sickly look brings out your maternal instincts.”

Flora simply didn’t understand.

Her father-in-law Christophe, Emeric—everyone here looked like typical Easterners: tall and broad-shouldered, manly types.

Naturally, she assumed Mikael would look similar, but now Emeric called him sickly and girlish.

Flora couldn’t keep her expression straight and ended up scowling.

“Uncomfortable, are you, because I insulted the man you like? Well, I understand.”

Emeric straightened from the balcony and, grabbing a few strands of Flora’s hair blowing in the wind, spoke up.

“Why do you think Mikael is the only one known for his kindness in the notoriously ill-tempered Blois family?”

“What…?”

“You know one thing, but not the other, Lady Flora.”

With that, Emeric lifted the corners of his lips in a subtle smile.

She couldn’t tell if he was genuinely amused or just mocking her.

Not yet knowing the Blois family’s ways, or their manner of speaking, Flora only felt frustrated.

“Explain it so I can understand. I haven’t understood a thing you’ve said.”

“I’ll give you some advice. If you like Mikael for his power, you’d better give up quickly. Because you’re reaching for a rotten rope instead of the jewel right in front of you.”

“Why do you think you can judge my feelings? Emeric?”

“Well.”

Emeric turned his head, suppressing a laugh, then fixed his icy blue eyes on Flora and opened his lips.

“Even if I were a woman, I wouldn’t fall for a guy like that.”

“How can you say that about your own brother? That’s too much!”

Emeric’s words were anything but a joke, and Flora snapped back in anger.

Anyone would think she really did like Mikael, the way this conversation was going.

By now, Flora was genuinely curious what Mikael actually looked like.

“If that’s your taste, I won’t stop you. Should I find you lovers who look like Mikael in the future?”

It was an openly mocking smile. Only the left corner of his mouth curled up.

Flora was left speechless, letting out an incredulous sigh, while Emeric held out his right arm to her.

“Take it. It’s time for breakfast.”

Emeric, who spoke so harshly but acted like a gentleman, disgusted her.

After spewing all those sharp, rude words, his behavior felt contradictory.

Or, to put a positive spin on it, maybe it showed a sense of duty to fulfill his obligations.

* * *

“How was your journey?”

Claudie, Emeric’s mother and Flora’s future mother-in-law, asked Mikael kindly.

It was awkward.

The moment Flora saw Mikael, she finally understood what Emeric had been mocking her about.

Mikael didn’t look like the eldest son of Blois at all.

Even Emeric’s mother, Claudie, had blonde hair and blue-tinged eyes, so Mikael, with his light brown hair and gray eyes, looked out of place.

She even wondered if Mikael might not be a true member of the family.

Emeric, even from a distance, was obviously their son, but Mikael, if not told, could easily be mistaken for a stranger in the household.

Moreover, he was so thin and small that Flora immediately understood why Emeric had mentioned maternal instincts.

In some ways, he seemed to have a slighter frame than Flora herself.

Without realizing it, Flora’s eyes kept drifting toward Mikael.

“Flora.”

Emeric, sitting across from her, quietly called her name. Only then could she turn her gaze from Mikael to Emeric.

The difference between the two was obvious.