Even without that, I was feeling a little uncomfortable because Nife's eyes were filled with the thought, "What a loving couple! I'm so jealous!" So I wasn't averse to leaving quickly. But I doubt Julian was urging me for the same reason.
I asked out loud only after I got up to the third floor.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like Nife?”
“Weren’t you on bad terms with Count Sasha?”
I nodded at Julian's question.
“It’s bad. We even got into a fight at a party a while ago.”
“But why did you bring that woman into the house?”
Julian was more cautious than I was, so it was inevitable that he would be offended by this incident. I sincerely apologized, as if I understood his feelings.
"I'm sorry. But I didn't think it would be good for the Grand Duke's reputation to kick out a young lady who came all this way. It's also dangerous."
Before Julian could say anything, I quickly added.
“I’ll tell her to leave right away tomorrow morning.”
“Rather than that.”
I thought I had the right answer, but Julian said something out of the blue.
“Stop calling her by her name.”
Then he tried to storm up to the fourth floor. I stood there, staring at his back, then grabbed his skirt and strode briskly up the stairs. When I grabbed his cloak, Julian stopped, as if it were a given.
“Julian, do you not like me being friends with Nife?”
“This isn’t good.”
"Why?"
Instead of answering my question, Julian sighed. The look in his eyes was more confusion than displeasure.
Was he just trying to run away, climbing the stairs so quickly? I climbed a little further and stood beside him, holding onto his elbow. I peeked my head out and saw his face, staring straight ahead, almost honestly.
"You..."
I couldn't hide the mischievous smile that spread across my face.
“Do you like me that much?”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“Right. Are you worried that I might become closer to someone else than Julian?”
Julian tried to climb the stairs again. He was so cute, I smiled like an idiot and hugged him.
“You are my closest friend.”
When I spoke coquettishly, Julian didn't push me away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly, then slowly relaxed. He placed his hand on my shoulder and looked at me.
“Still, get that woman out quickly.”
“Why are you so cold? You’re so kind to me.”
When I said that teasingly, Julian frowned and said.
“Should I be affectionate to a woman other than my wife?”
He sometimes spoke like a romantic player, though he seemed completely oblivious to it. I laughed out loud, resting my cheek against his broad chest and looking up at him.
"That's right. You don't have to. By the way, have you ever dated anyone before you got married? Or even a first love?"
It was meant to be a teasing remark to Julian, but it seemed to have given him an excuse instead. Even with his face half-hidden by his mask, I could tell he was thinking about something incredibly serious.
“Was your first love the Marquis Amber?”
I frowned and got out of his arms.
“Don’t even mention that punk!”
Julian tried to grab me again and hold me in his arms, but if he didn't use force, I wouldn't give in. I quickly backed away and fled down a couple of stairs.
“Why are you running away?”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
The Marquis of Amber was my first love. That was true, and I was even more upset, so I took out my anger on Julian. As I grumbled and tried to leave, I heard a submissive apology from behind.
"Sorry."
Even though I tried to run away, my heart was pricked for no reason, and my feet wouldn't move.
“I apologize.”
A man who immediately apologizes for showing a little irritation... I turned around and placed both hands on my hips.
“I will forgive you since you apologize.”
Julian smiled at my words. His expression seemed to indicate both amusement and relief.
I walked back to Julian and took his hand. I considered whether we should have a quick snack or a game of chess.
"Well, I made a mistake today. I'll get Nife out as soon as possible. There's nothing I can do for you..."
That was the moment.
“There are many things I can do!”
A shrill voice rang in my ears, and I heard the sound of someone quickly climbing the stairs. From below, I heard servants running frantically, calling out, "Miss!" But no adult could stop the adolescent girl, who was running like a buffalo.
As I was startled, Julian pulled me behind him. Nife appeared before us, her eyes and cheeks red as if she'd burst into tears. And what's more, tears were streaming down her chin.
“There's so much I can do! You haven't even talked to me about it yet!”
“Nife, suddenly...”
I don't know why, but the thought of appeasing Nife came to the forefront.
But Julian blocked my path, preventing me from approaching her. I looked up at him with questioning eyes, and he nodded once, as if to tell me to stay put.
"Young Lady Sasha. These are the stairs leading to the master bedroom. How rude."
Nife seemed startled by those words. The tears in her eyes stopped flowing. Although she entered with a confident air, Julian seemed to be a fearful presence to her. Knowing how the world viewed him, I didn't particularly like her fear.
“But, but...”
Nife didn't hide her fear, but at the same time, she didn't seem to be willing to back down easily. I tapped Julian on the shoulder twice.
“Just a moment.”
There was no way I could lose to this little girl, but Julian was really worried. I stood next to Julian and looked straight at Nife.
"When I said I had nothing to offer, I didn't mean that Nife was of no use to me. I meant that there was nothing I could do for you."
"Your Highness!"
"If you knew this was simple, you wouldn't have come to me. Wouldn't you? You could have gone to Ruin yourself or proposed marriage to Count Winsley."
At my words, Nife clenched her jaw. As expected, she knew this situation wouldn't be easily resolved. She acted innocently and naively, feigning ignorance, but that doesn't mean the noblewoman truly knew anything.
I sighed and continued.
"There's nothing I can give you, and nothing I want from you, but I can listen. So, how about you calm down a bit before dinner?"
Nife sniffled, then bowed her head and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Then, with a respectful air, she lifted the hem of her skirt to show her respect.
“Please forgive my rudeness and my reckless behavior. I apologize, Your Highness, Your Highness.”
“Yes. Go back to your room.”
"Yes..."
Nife turned away, visibly sullen. He looked unusually small as he descended the stairs, attended by his maid. Before Nife could even take a few steps, Julian spoke in a cold voice.
“Get her out quickly.”
I glanced at Julian and nudged him in the ribs with my elbow.
“The child is listening.”
Julian wrapped his arm around my shoulder, seemingly unconcerned with whether Nife was listening or not. He made a suggestion as he walked up to the third floor.
“We won’t be able to have dinner together, so let’s play chess.”
"Great."
We naturally headed to the room where we always played chess. I thought I heard Nife sniffling downstairs, but I decided to think about it later.
As always, Julian was reluctant to dine with others. But he couldn't leave his guests alone, so tonight's dinner was just me and Nife.
Perhaps because of the incident just now, Nife was much more reserved than when we first met. Her table manners were elegant, and her words were always polite, like greetings or compliments on the mansion. I thought she was more patient than I expected.
“I guess His Highness the Grand Duke is a romantic.”
Well, that's right. It seemed like Nife's mind was filled with nothing but love stories. A girl deeply in love could sing love songs all day long without getting bored.
“His Highness is a kind husband.”
Since she hadn't made a single mistake, I nodded in agreement. Then, Nife covered her mouth and laughed out loud. When I tilted my head, Nife waved her hand as if it were nothing.
“It seems that Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, also likes His Majesty the Grand Duke very much.”
I couldn't find the words to respond to that. I really liked Julian, but I didn't think it was a romantic interest.
No, I never even considered such a thing, because I wasn't qualified to begin with. But Nife's question clearly included a "feeling for the opposite sex." I hesitated for a moment, but answered before it was too late.
“It’s natural for a couple to like each other.”
“Is it really that obvious?”
I looked up and saw Nife. She was squishing vegetables on her plate with her fork, her lips stubbornly shut.
"Nobles marry for political reasons. Then the husband won't love his wife, and the wife won't love her husband."
Why? I felt like those words were aimed at me. When I remained silent, Nife hastily apologized.
“I'm sorry. I know there are exceptional couples like Your Highness.”
“No. So what are you trying to say?”
To my question, Nife hesitated and answered.
"I probably won't be like Your Highness the Grand Duchess. There's no way I could love anyone other than Ruin."
I asked out loud only after I got up to the third floor.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like Nife?”
“Weren’t you on bad terms with Count Sasha?”
I nodded at Julian's question.
“It’s bad. We even got into a fight at a party a while ago.”
“But why did you bring that woman into the house?”
Julian was more cautious than I was, so it was inevitable that he would be offended by this incident. I sincerely apologized, as if I understood his feelings.
"I'm sorry. But I didn't think it would be good for the Grand Duke's reputation to kick out a young lady who came all this way. It's also dangerous."
Before Julian could say anything, I quickly added.
“I’ll tell her to leave right away tomorrow morning.”
“Rather than that.”
I thought I had the right answer, but Julian said something out of the blue.
“Stop calling her by her name.”
Then he tried to storm up to the fourth floor. I stood there, staring at his back, then grabbed his skirt and strode briskly up the stairs. When I grabbed his cloak, Julian stopped, as if it were a given.
“Julian, do you not like me being friends with Nife?”
“This isn’t good.”
"Why?"
Instead of answering my question, Julian sighed. The look in his eyes was more confusion than displeasure.
Was he just trying to run away, climbing the stairs so quickly? I climbed a little further and stood beside him, holding onto his elbow. I peeked my head out and saw his face, staring straight ahead, almost honestly.
"You..."
I couldn't hide the mischievous smile that spread across my face.
“Do you like me that much?”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“Right. Are you worried that I might become closer to someone else than Julian?”
Julian tried to climb the stairs again. He was so cute, I smiled like an idiot and hugged him.
“You are my closest friend.”
When I spoke coquettishly, Julian didn't push me away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly, then slowly relaxed. He placed his hand on my shoulder and looked at me.
“Still, get that woman out quickly.”
“Why are you so cold? You’re so kind to me.”
When I said that teasingly, Julian frowned and said.
“Should I be affectionate to a woman other than my wife?”
He sometimes spoke like a romantic player, though he seemed completely oblivious to it. I laughed out loud, resting my cheek against his broad chest and looking up at him.
"That's right. You don't have to. By the way, have you ever dated anyone before you got married? Or even a first love?"
It was meant to be a teasing remark to Julian, but it seemed to have given him an excuse instead. Even with his face half-hidden by his mask, I could tell he was thinking about something incredibly serious.
“Was your first love the Marquis Amber?”
I frowned and got out of his arms.
“Don’t even mention that punk!”
Julian tried to grab me again and hold me in his arms, but if he didn't use force, I wouldn't give in. I quickly backed away and fled down a couple of stairs.
“Why are you running away?”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
The Marquis of Amber was my first love. That was true, and I was even more upset, so I took out my anger on Julian. As I grumbled and tried to leave, I heard a submissive apology from behind.
"Sorry."
Even though I tried to run away, my heart was pricked for no reason, and my feet wouldn't move.
“I apologize.”
A man who immediately apologizes for showing a little irritation... I turned around and placed both hands on my hips.
“I will forgive you since you apologize.”
Julian smiled at my words. His expression seemed to indicate both amusement and relief.
I walked back to Julian and took his hand. I considered whether we should have a quick snack or a game of chess.
"Well, I made a mistake today. I'll get Nife out as soon as possible. There's nothing I can do for you..."
That was the moment.
“There are many things I can do!”
A shrill voice rang in my ears, and I heard the sound of someone quickly climbing the stairs. From below, I heard servants running frantically, calling out, "Miss!" But no adult could stop the adolescent girl, who was running like a buffalo.
As I was startled, Julian pulled me behind him. Nife appeared before us, her eyes and cheeks red as if she'd burst into tears. And what's more, tears were streaming down her chin.
“There's so much I can do! You haven't even talked to me about it yet!”
“Nife, suddenly...”
I don't know why, but the thought of appeasing Nife came to the forefront.
But Julian blocked my path, preventing me from approaching her. I looked up at him with questioning eyes, and he nodded once, as if to tell me to stay put.
"Young Lady Sasha. These are the stairs leading to the master bedroom. How rude."
Nife seemed startled by those words. The tears in her eyes stopped flowing. Although she entered with a confident air, Julian seemed to be a fearful presence to her. Knowing how the world viewed him, I didn't particularly like her fear.
“But, but...”
Nife didn't hide her fear, but at the same time, she didn't seem to be willing to back down easily. I tapped Julian on the shoulder twice.
“Just a moment.”
There was no way I could lose to this little girl, but Julian was really worried. I stood next to Julian and looked straight at Nife.
"When I said I had nothing to offer, I didn't mean that Nife was of no use to me. I meant that there was nothing I could do for you."
"Your Highness!"
"If you knew this was simple, you wouldn't have come to me. Wouldn't you? You could have gone to Ruin yourself or proposed marriage to Count Winsley."
At my words, Nife clenched her jaw. As expected, she knew this situation wouldn't be easily resolved. She acted innocently and naively, feigning ignorance, but that doesn't mean the noblewoman truly knew anything.
I sighed and continued.
"There's nothing I can give you, and nothing I want from you, but I can listen. So, how about you calm down a bit before dinner?"
Nife sniffled, then bowed her head and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Then, with a respectful air, she lifted the hem of her skirt to show her respect.
“Please forgive my rudeness and my reckless behavior. I apologize, Your Highness, Your Highness.”
“Yes. Go back to your room.”
"Yes..."
Nife turned away, visibly sullen. He looked unusually small as he descended the stairs, attended by his maid. Before Nife could even take a few steps, Julian spoke in a cold voice.
“Get her out quickly.”
I glanced at Julian and nudged him in the ribs with my elbow.
“The child is listening.”
Julian wrapped his arm around my shoulder, seemingly unconcerned with whether Nife was listening or not. He made a suggestion as he walked up to the third floor.
“We won’t be able to have dinner together, so let’s play chess.”
"Great."
We naturally headed to the room where we always played chess. I thought I heard Nife sniffling downstairs, but I decided to think about it later.
***
As always, Julian was reluctant to dine with others. But he couldn't leave his guests alone, so tonight's dinner was just me and Nife.
Perhaps because of the incident just now, Nife was much more reserved than when we first met. Her table manners were elegant, and her words were always polite, like greetings or compliments on the mansion. I thought she was more patient than I expected.
“I guess His Highness the Grand Duke is a romantic.”
Well, that's right. It seemed like Nife's mind was filled with nothing but love stories. A girl deeply in love could sing love songs all day long without getting bored.
“His Highness is a kind husband.”
Since she hadn't made a single mistake, I nodded in agreement. Then, Nife covered her mouth and laughed out loud. When I tilted my head, Nife waved her hand as if it were nothing.
“It seems that Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, also likes His Majesty the Grand Duke very much.”
I couldn't find the words to respond to that. I really liked Julian, but I didn't think it was a romantic interest.
No, I never even considered such a thing, because I wasn't qualified to begin with. But Nife's question clearly included a "feeling for the opposite sex." I hesitated for a moment, but answered before it was too late.
“It’s natural for a couple to like each other.”
“Is it really that obvious?”
I looked up and saw Nife. She was squishing vegetables on her plate with her fork, her lips stubbornly shut.
"Nobles marry for political reasons. Then the husband won't love his wife, and the wife won't love her husband."
Why? I felt like those words were aimed at me. When I remained silent, Nife hastily apologized.
“I'm sorry. I know there are exceptional couples like Your Highness.”
“No. So what are you trying to say?”
To my question, Nife hesitated and answered.
"I probably won't be like Your Highness the Grand Duchess. There's no way I could love anyone other than Ruin."
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