IHMEB - Chapter 44 < If You Look Closely at The Eyes >
Having An Enemy's Baby
“The day is coming when Vermont will set foot in my castle.”
Kaian's eyes were full of disgust that he couldn't hide.
“That too as my guest.”
When I saw that, my back automatically felt cold.
He had seen those eyes before.
'Whether you become Claudel Quinn Temnes depends on your efforts tonight. I hope you try.'
The night of the first night.
The last time I saw Kayan before the candle that lit up the room went out, that was exactly the look on his face.
I thought I was getting along better with him these days.
I wasn't as scared or afraid of him as I used to be, and even though he had a cold expression, the man who looked at me wouldn't have such bad feelings in his heart.
But at this moment, when I saw Kaian, who looked at Irena and raised his eyebrows as if he had met his natural enemy, I did not know what to do.
I felt like I was being ostracized, not by Irena, to the point where my hopes of winning his heart felt were fleeting.
Every word he said seemed to be replaying, one by one, the memories I had experienced when I first came to Rowen Castle.
"Ah...”
Irena, with her red hair hanging down, her golden insides shaking aimlessly, making small noises, and pale looked exactly like my old self.
I was angry.
'If it's going to be like this, I should have told Irena not to come.'
No matter how much she was my sister, if he couldn't hide his antipathy like this, he should have refused her visit from the beginning.
'He didn't say anything back then, but do he have to shock Irena by showing off something so uncomfortable?'
I was resentful of Kayan.
In the past two days, when Irena casually made comments that seemed to ignore or belittle Rowen Castle or Temnes, the atmosphere in the castle around me became strange.
The words 'Vermont', which I had not heard for a while, passed my ears very softly.
Irena, who had grown up in the castle of Valmonde, never tolerated what she wanted to say or do or looked at what others thought of her, so she did not pay attention to the reactions of the servants.
The unwelcome reactions of those around her did not seem to reach or hear her.
In the midst, I, the Lord's wife from Vermont, could only tremble with nervousness, fearing that the servants who were now treating me and Hannah favorably would change their attitude to the same as before with Irena's visit.
It is a challenge that must not be tilted to one side, to calm the dissatisfaction of the faithful of Temnes and to take care of Irena as well.
I was treating her well these days thanks to the butler's sincere and meticulous hospitality.
Kaian's eyes were full of disgust that he couldn't hide.
“That too as my guest.”
When I saw that, my back automatically felt cold.
He had seen those eyes before.
'Whether you become Claudel Quinn Temnes depends on your efforts tonight. I hope you try.'
The night of the first night.
The last time I saw Kayan before the candle that lit up the room went out, that was exactly the look on his face.
I thought I was getting along better with him these days.
I wasn't as scared or afraid of him as I used to be, and even though he had a cold expression, the man who looked at me wouldn't have such bad feelings in his heart.
But at this moment, when I saw Kaian, who looked at Irena and raised his eyebrows as if he had met his natural enemy, I did not know what to do.
I felt like I was being ostracized, not by Irena, to the point where my hopes of winning his heart felt were fleeting.
Every word he said seemed to be replaying, one by one, the memories I had experienced when I first came to Rowen Castle.
"Ah...”
Irena, with her red hair hanging down, her golden insides shaking aimlessly, making small noises, and pale looked exactly like my old self.
I was angry.
'If it's going to be like this, I should have told Irena not to come.'
No matter how much she was my sister, if he couldn't hide his antipathy like this, he should have refused her visit from the beginning.
'He didn't say anything back then, but do he have to shock Irena by showing off something so uncomfortable?'
I was resentful of Kayan.
In the past two days, when Irena casually made comments that seemed to ignore or belittle Rowen Castle or Temnes, the atmosphere in the castle around me became strange.
The words 'Vermont', which I had not heard for a while, passed my ears very softly.
Irena, who had grown up in the castle of Valmonde, never tolerated what she wanted to say or do or looked at what others thought of her, so she did not pay attention to the reactions of the servants.
The unwelcome reactions of those around her did not seem to reach or hear her.
In the midst, I, the Lord's wife from Vermont, could only tremble with nervousness, fearing that the servants who were now treating me and Hannah favorably would change their attitude to the same as before with Irena's visit.
It is a challenge that must not be tilted to one side, to calm the dissatisfaction of the faithful of Temnes and to take care of Irena as well.
I was treating her well these days thanks to the butler's sincere and meticulous hospitality.
My husband, who returned earlier than expected, was properly scattering the ashes.
Kaian casually took off his cloak and his gloves and handed them to the butler.
“Still, I have dinner with the guests so as not to be rude to the guests who came from a long way.”
"Yes. My lord.”
I was dumbfounded by Kaian’s words.
'I've already apologized.'
He casually climbed up to this floor, and when Kaian was out of sight, Irena stumbled and I was startled and helped her up.
"Sister, are you okay?"
Kaian casually took off his cloak and his gloves and handed them to the butler.
“Still, I have dinner with the guests so as not to be rude to the guests who came from a long way.”
"Yes. My lord.”
I was dumbfounded by Kaian’s words.
'I've already apologized.'
He casually climbed up to this floor, and when Kaian was out of sight, Irena stumbled and I was startled and helped her up.
"Sister, are you okay?"
"Yes. Ha... A little... I seem surprised.”
Irena's hand holding me was cold.
I took her with me and headed to the drawing room.
As the cool water was poured into the glass, color returned to Irena's face as she took a sip and took a deep breath.
"Oh my God! I’ve never seen a man be so scary and rude!”
As soon as she came to her senses, Irena opened her eyes wide and gave Kaian a harsh assessment.
“I didn’t come here to fight the Duke. I came to see you as a Duchess. How can he be so innocent?”
That's because here the Duke of Temnes is in a position comparable to Valmonde's Duke of Vermont.
'The uncle's words and actions are just as good as Kaian's. Maybe the Duke of Vermont is worse than that, sister.'
Meanwhile, without realizing it, I was protecting Kaian in my heart.
It was a widely known opinion that while the Temnes were ignorant people who only wielded swords, the Vermonters were people who would kill with their tongues, as a curse on the enemies of a family that could not distinguish between the sexes.
If you can be rude with your words, Vermont will probably win.
But now, the priority was to calm down the surprised Irena.
"Sorry, sister."
“What do you have to be sorry about?”
Irena hugged me with a pitiful expression and rubbed my back.
“How can you live with such a scary man? Alright, my little sister. What should I do because you're pitiful?”
"I'm okay."
“I heard everyone is happy that your marriage to Temnes has solved the food problem. We're making it so hard for you.”
Irena's eyes became moist.
“I will go back and tell my father everything.”
"Do not do that."
“How can I pretend not to know that you live with a husband who is so rude and has no common sense?”
“This marriage is by royal order. Anyway, I can’t divorce unless the King gives permission.”
It is said that arranged marriages are a necessity and do not end even after death, but on top of that, there were marriages by royal order.
“That’s right.”
“Please don’t let my uncle deepen his grudge against Temnes for no reason. Please..."
"Okay."
Irena let out a sigh.
“He's glaring at me and acting cold.”
She shook her head as if she had seen something she couldn't see.
***
The dining room of Rowen Castle was brightly lit.
The chandelier hanging from the high ceiling sparkled brilliantly with crystals strung together like grapes.
Five such chandeliers were hanging over a long table that could seat about thirty people.
At the head of the table, Kaian, the head of the family, sat in the middle, Claudel sat to his left, and Irena sat in front of Claudel in the guest seat.
“Does the food suit your taste?”
"Yes. It is delicious."
When Irena answered, Kaian, who raised his glass, sneered.
“Compared to the dried-out Valmonde’s cooking, it would be the difference between heaven and earth. Please return home after enjoying the abundance of Rowalen fostered by heaven’s blessings.”
I felt like what I was eating was going to get eaten, so I chewed my food much more slowly than usual. After forcing myself to swallow what was in my mouth, I looked for water.
'Why are you telling me to eat more if it suits my taste?'
I can't even interpret Kaian's words for Irena.
I lamented inwardly.
But what I overlooked was that Irena, who had been raised nobly, had no reason to tolerate Kaian's attitude.
“The Duke is truly amazing.”
“What do you mean?”
“But I heard that you grew up receiving quite strict etiquette education. I guess you’re weak in actual combat.”
“Practical?”
Irena haughtily lowered her eyes and spread her shoulders.
“Because I don’t think you put much stock in your rude words and behavior towards a lady.”
“These are rude words and actions.”
As Kaian raised his eyebrows with his signature angry frown, Irena's spirit from a moment ago disappeared and she looked scared of him.
'Eister. That means it's interesting.'
If you look closely at the pupils, he wasn't angry.
Until now, he had been a little irritated by being treated as an unwelcome guest, but his reaction seemed to be piqued by Irena's words.
‘How can you live with such a scary man? Alright, my little sister.' I wondered if Irena, who criticized Kaian harshly by saying, You're so pitiful, what should I do?’ would understand if I said that.
“Courtesy is only found when it is appropriate to treat each other. I, who was planning to burn down the entire Valmonde land within this year, am being polite to Vermont. I guess it’s far-fetched.”
When Irena closed her mouth at Kaian's words, he added coldly.
“Well, if the Lady’s words lead to a resumption of the territory war, then I’d be happy.”
“No, you’re joking like that, Duke.”
I smiled awkwardly to lighten the mood.
The story about the territory just now must have been something Kaian said as a joke, but judging by the state of Irena with her fork and knife suspended in the air, it was clear that she wouldn't think it was a joke.
“It’s a joke. Yes?"
“I meant it as a joke. Smile, Princess Irena.”
Judging by her sister's wide-eyed expression, it seemed she didn't understand Kaian's joke at all.
“Anyway, why aren’t you eating like that?”
Kaian's attention returned to me sitting next to him.
'Yes. You'd rather not talk to my sister.'
I looked down at the plate in front of me and saw that there was more than half of the food left.
“You don’t like your meal?”
"No. I was slow because I was trying to eat while talking.”
"Hmm."
Before I knew it, Kaian had finished finishing a plate that was sitting near him.
"Ah..."
When he dipped the food with a fork and brought it to my mouth, I reflexively took it.
Kaian narrowed his eyes and watched me happily as I took and ate what he gave me. Oh, of course, only with his eyes.
“I really need to feed you. Annoying.”
At the same time, he carefully tucked the hair around my ears behind my ears in case the hair got into my mouth.
“I will eat it.”
"Why?"
Why is this person like this in Irena’s eyes?
It was a time when I was in trouble.
Irena stood up with the sound of forks and knives being placed on silverware.
“Please excuse me for a moment.”
Right. She was ruined.
I was embarrassed to see her avoiding her place.
***
Kaian felt very bad.
The reasons were complex, and it all started with Valquiterre.
He forced him to go to a Promhunt that he didn't want to go to.
There was no Valquiterre.
He called Kaian the King's name and cheated on him.
'Where is the King?'
‘Well, we don’t know about that either. Duke.'
Ridiculously, he had been driven out, leaving only the lieutenants and guard knights who had followed Valquiterre.
‘His Majesty is the King of the Kingdom of Oberon. What were you doing to make the king disappear? Incompetent bastards.'
'I'm sorry.'
'If something unpleasant happens to His Majesty, none of you will survive, so be prepared.'
All of the knights guarding the royal palace who had been angered by Kaian's rampage were so weak that their faces looked as if they had already been hit by his sword in the stomach.
He wasn't really worried that something would happen to Valquiterre while making such a stern threat.
This is because Valquiterre also has swordsmanship skills that are just as good as Kaian's.
He had traveled a long distance for a day and had to go back in vain like this.
When he returned to Rowen Castle with his head full of frustration, he found something to piss him off again.
‘Oh, Duke. This is my sister Irena.'
Duke?
When on earth did she take something he heard from his enemy and call him out.
'I know I can't sleep without you. Do not go.'
Apparently, on the day he set off for the hunting ground, his wife, who had been happy with him by hugging him warmly, greeted him with trembling.
And when he saw the red-haired Vermont woman, he felt an instinctive reluctance to face his enemy.
'It is said that she was Vermont's daughter and she looks just like that old fox.'
It seemed that the reason Claudel was so pretty was because she was not related by blood to the old fox-like Duke of Vermont.
“You’re doing it too much.”
“What is too much?”
Claudel looked at him mischievously.
“She’s the one who came so far. Did you really have to say that?”
“You’re acting like I did something wrong.”
“So do you think you did a good job now? What is my position? “lIf this even reaches the Duke of Vermont’s ears.”
He was so dumbfounded that he perversely raised one of his lips.
“Your position? Which one is thinking wrong now?”
"Yes?"
Kaian held Claudel's chin firmly with one hand and made her look at him.
“Listen carefully. All you have to worry about is me.”
The golden eye, which had been shimmering the entire time, glowed beautifully in the light of the chandelier.
“Is that the only way you can welcome your husband, whom you see in two days, as Duke?"
As he chewed sarcastically, she seemed to be about to say something but closed her mouth.
"I miss you, Claudel.”
Kaian pushed his tongue deep between Claudel's lips to find the words she was trying to say.
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