It was the first time I'd seen Ruin so angry. To me, Ruin had always been a mature, articulate, and kind younger brother.
How could such Ruin shout someone's name so loudly and have such a frightening expression on his face? I looked at him with shock.
“Ru, Ruin...”
Nife glanced at Ruin with a tearful face. The girl who had always acted confidently before me was now cowering. It was as if she had expected to be scolded like this.
Ruin asked in a low voice.
“What did I say I would do if you went to find my sister?”
Nife was now almost lost in thought. She stuttered as if she knew the answer well enough and didn't want to say it.
“I won’t see you again...”
“And yet!”
As Ruin acted as if he was going to continue nagging, the girl, who had been shrugging her shoulders, muttered softly.
“But... right.”
The sound was so quiet that neither Ruin nor I could hear it properly. Ruin asked in a dry voice.
"What?"
“You’re not going to meet me anyway!”
A loud shout rang in my ears. I shrugged my shoulders and frowned. The high-pitched voice seemed to pound my skull.
"Even though I send letters every day to meet up anyway, you just keep putting it off until next time! And all you do is give short replies!"
"That..."
When Nife began to argue as if she was about to cry, Ruin trailed off. Ruin, seemingly unfazed by Nife's argument, broke out in a cold sweat.
I looked back and forth between Ruin and Nife, trying to understand the situation. I hadn't imagined their relationship could be so close.
As I was pondering how to defuse the situation, a savior appeared. The bold man descending the stairs alone was Julian. I looked at him with a bright face.
Julian looked around the hall with a somewhat uncomfortable expression on his face.
“What’s all this fuss about?”
He didn't forget to beckon me with those words. I approached him as if I had been waiting.
Just getting a little distance from that tense atmosphere felt like a breath of fresh air. Julian glanced down at me, then grabbed my shoulder and patted it gently.
Are you feeling a little better? I leaned my shoulder against his arm, feeling relieved.
Julian spoke to Ruin and Nife in a cold voice.
"This is the Grand Duke's residence. It's not a place to cause a scene."
At those words, Ruin immediately stood up straight and bowed politely, apologizing.
"Your Highness, I apologize for my rudeness regarding a personal matter between Lady Sasha and me. However, Lady Sasha was dissatisfied with me and could not control her anger, so I would be grateful if you could forgive me."
I swallowed. I expected Ruin to apologize politely. That was the Ruin I knew.
But I didn't know that he would ask for forgiveness for Nife's mistakes separately, and that he would mention his own mistakes.
I carefully tugged on the hem of Julian's shirt. Julian didn't look at me, but he let out a small sigh. I smiled faintly, knowing it was a sign of permission.
"Let them work out their own business. My wife is busy and doesn't have time to mediate even petty disputes."
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Highness.”
Julian nodded once and tightened his grip on my shoulder, pulling me forward. It seemed as if he was suggesting we continue up. I placed my hand on his, as if to tell him to wait a moment.
“Butler. Please show Ruin to his room.”
“Yes, ma’am. Don’t worry.”
The butler handled everything perfectly, so there was nothing to worry about. I smiled and greeted Ruin.
“Ruin, I’ll see you at dinner time. Let’s have a nice chat.”
"Yes, see you later. Your Highness, if it's not too much trouble, would you like to play chess with me after dinner?"
Ruin's suggestion to play chess was a thoughtful gesture. He must have remembered that Julian didn't eat or share refreshments with others. Julian didn't refuse Ruin's offer.
“Yes.”
Julian's pace was faster than usual, so I had to follow him, somewhat hesitantly. Only when I reached the third floor, when Ruin and Nife were out of earshot, did I grumble and stop.
“Are you still mad at me?”
“I’m not angry.”
“You’re angry. You’re not even keeping pace.”
As I bent down, as if my feet were aching, Julian's head followed suit. He reached out to touch my feet, and I jumped back in surprise.
"I was just joking. Why don't you tell me why you're so angry?"
I stood with my hands on the railing, looking straight into his eyes. Julian looked at me, then very slowly averted his gaze.
“More than that...”
I opened my eyes wide in surprise and looked at Julian.
“Are you changing the subject now?”
This was the first time I'd seen Julian do something like this, so I couldn't even try to hide my surprise. Julian remained silent, saying nothing. It was only natural, since he'd never made an excuse in his life. I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
“Yes. I’ll pretend not to know just this once.”
"...Yes."
“Say thank you.”
“Thank you.”
I found Julian's innocent thanks adorable. I pouted once and stood up straight, slightly away from the railing.
“So what were you trying to say?”
When I changed the subject, Julian seemed quite relieved. His expression changed very little. Still, I'd begun to be able to read his emotions a little. Finally, Julian met my eyes and spoke.
“Let’s go to the hunting competition together.”
“Really?”
"Yes."
This was truly unexpected. It occurred to me that Julian had surprised me several times today. I tilted my head.
"But there'll be a lot of people at the hunting competition. You don't like crowds, do you?"
Julian nodded immediately. His attitude was completely unhesitating. He didn't show up to parties unless compelled by imperial decree, and even when he did, his presence was brief.
Even the Emperor knew that Julian was reluctant to be in crowded places. That's why he remained silent even after seeing Julian quickly leave. After all, the only thing that mattered to him was the assurance that Grand Duke Duchzan would not disobey the imperial command.
This time, too, it was a simple invitation, not an imperial decree, so Julian didn't have to attend. But this time, Julian displayed a different attitude.
“You won’t go there and just sit there.”
Julian would sometimes treat me like a child. I found it amusing, so I smiled bashfully and nodded quickly.
“Of course. It’s been a while since I’ve hunted, so just thinking about it makes me excited.”
“So I’ll go with you.”
“You're worried this lady might have an accident?”
"Yes."
I nodded, as if pondering the matter. But it didn't suit my nature to hold back words, so in the end I had no choice but to speak.
"Julian, are you trying too hard? If that's the case, I'll just sit back and do my best."
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't imagine him enjoying a hunting competition, especially if other nobles were present. Julian didn't deny my words, but rather responded as if it were a given.
“It’s right to overdo it.”
“I see, right? Then...”
“But I want to do that.”
I blinked furiously. I remembered the charity party at the Grand Duke's residence, and how Julian's absence had been a subtle concern. I didn't pay much attention to the sidelong glances at the seat next to me, but that didn't mean I didn't care.
Julian looked into my eyes, full of anticipation, and smiled.
“I also want to see my wife shoot an arrow.”
“I’ll show you another skill. It’ll be very attractive, right?”
“I don’t expect it.”
I excelled at swordsmanship, but my archery skills weren't bad either. At least, I was good enough to crush the pride of the fools in the royal family. I swaggered in confidence, then turned to Julian and asked him a question.
"How about you?"
"What?"
“Can I see your hunting skills, too?”
To my question, Julian only smiled incomprehensibly and didn't answer.
After parting ways with Julian, I naturally headed to the guest room I'd given to Ruin. I wanted to ask him how he'd been doing, and I wanted to hear more about my family.
I was curious about each and every one of these things: whether studying to become a successor was difficult, whether there was anything wrong with him, whether he had made good friends, whether he had a crush on a girl...
As I was descending the stairs, I encountered a servant who greeted me. I grabbed him and asked him with a smile.
“Ruin? Is my brother in his room?”
I must have asked with such excitement that the attendant also answered with a warm smile.
“Yes, I just served him some tea.”
"Thank you so much."
I grabbed the railing and quickly descended. I walked along the second-floor hallway, greeting each and every servant I encountered. My heart pounding, I stood in front of Ruin's room, ready to knock.
“I couldn’t help but be scared when Ruin got angry.”
“I’m sorry, I suddenly got angry.”
I heard the sound of someone chatting in the room. It was a girl's voice, but it definitely wasn't the voice of a maid. This lively, chattering voice had become quite familiar over the past few days.
'It's Nife, right?'
I had no choice but to withdraw my hand from knocking and freeze.
What's going on here? Why are an unmarried man and woman in the same room? And alone?
How could such Ruin shout someone's name so loudly and have such a frightening expression on his face? I looked at him with shock.
“Ru, Ruin...”
Nife glanced at Ruin with a tearful face. The girl who had always acted confidently before me was now cowering. It was as if she had expected to be scolded like this.
Ruin asked in a low voice.
“What did I say I would do if you went to find my sister?”
Nife was now almost lost in thought. She stuttered as if she knew the answer well enough and didn't want to say it.
“I won’t see you again...”
“And yet!”
As Ruin acted as if he was going to continue nagging, the girl, who had been shrugging her shoulders, muttered softly.
“But... right.”
The sound was so quiet that neither Ruin nor I could hear it properly. Ruin asked in a dry voice.
"What?"
“You’re not going to meet me anyway!”
A loud shout rang in my ears. I shrugged my shoulders and frowned. The high-pitched voice seemed to pound my skull.
"Even though I send letters every day to meet up anyway, you just keep putting it off until next time! And all you do is give short replies!"
"That..."
When Nife began to argue as if she was about to cry, Ruin trailed off. Ruin, seemingly unfazed by Nife's argument, broke out in a cold sweat.
I looked back and forth between Ruin and Nife, trying to understand the situation. I hadn't imagined their relationship could be so close.
As I was pondering how to defuse the situation, a savior appeared. The bold man descending the stairs alone was Julian. I looked at him with a bright face.
Julian looked around the hall with a somewhat uncomfortable expression on his face.
“What’s all this fuss about?”
He didn't forget to beckon me with those words. I approached him as if I had been waiting.
Just getting a little distance from that tense atmosphere felt like a breath of fresh air. Julian glanced down at me, then grabbed my shoulder and patted it gently.
Are you feeling a little better? I leaned my shoulder against his arm, feeling relieved.
Julian spoke to Ruin and Nife in a cold voice.
"This is the Grand Duke's residence. It's not a place to cause a scene."
At those words, Ruin immediately stood up straight and bowed politely, apologizing.
"Your Highness, I apologize for my rudeness regarding a personal matter between Lady Sasha and me. However, Lady Sasha was dissatisfied with me and could not control her anger, so I would be grateful if you could forgive me."
I swallowed. I expected Ruin to apologize politely. That was the Ruin I knew.
But I didn't know that he would ask for forgiveness for Nife's mistakes separately, and that he would mention his own mistakes.
I carefully tugged on the hem of Julian's shirt. Julian didn't look at me, but he let out a small sigh. I smiled faintly, knowing it was a sign of permission.
"Let them work out their own business. My wife is busy and doesn't have time to mediate even petty disputes."
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Highness.”
Julian nodded once and tightened his grip on my shoulder, pulling me forward. It seemed as if he was suggesting we continue up. I placed my hand on his, as if to tell him to wait a moment.
“Butler. Please show Ruin to his room.”
“Yes, ma’am. Don’t worry.”
The butler handled everything perfectly, so there was nothing to worry about. I smiled and greeted Ruin.
“Ruin, I’ll see you at dinner time. Let’s have a nice chat.”
"Yes, see you later. Your Highness, if it's not too much trouble, would you like to play chess with me after dinner?"
Ruin's suggestion to play chess was a thoughtful gesture. He must have remembered that Julian didn't eat or share refreshments with others. Julian didn't refuse Ruin's offer.
“Yes.”
Julian's pace was faster than usual, so I had to follow him, somewhat hesitantly. Only when I reached the third floor, when Ruin and Nife were out of earshot, did I grumble and stop.
“Are you still mad at me?”
“I’m not angry.”
“You’re angry. You’re not even keeping pace.”
As I bent down, as if my feet were aching, Julian's head followed suit. He reached out to touch my feet, and I jumped back in surprise.
"I was just joking. Why don't you tell me why you're so angry?"
I stood with my hands on the railing, looking straight into his eyes. Julian looked at me, then very slowly averted his gaze.
“More than that...”
I opened my eyes wide in surprise and looked at Julian.
“Are you changing the subject now?”
This was the first time I'd seen Julian do something like this, so I couldn't even try to hide my surprise. Julian remained silent, saying nothing. It was only natural, since he'd never made an excuse in his life. I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
“Yes. I’ll pretend not to know just this once.”
"...Yes."
“Say thank you.”
“Thank you.”
I found Julian's innocent thanks adorable. I pouted once and stood up straight, slightly away from the railing.
“So what were you trying to say?”
When I changed the subject, Julian seemed quite relieved. His expression changed very little. Still, I'd begun to be able to read his emotions a little. Finally, Julian met my eyes and spoke.
“Let’s go to the hunting competition together.”
“Really?”
"Yes."
This was truly unexpected. It occurred to me that Julian had surprised me several times today. I tilted my head.
"But there'll be a lot of people at the hunting competition. You don't like crowds, do you?"
Julian nodded immediately. His attitude was completely unhesitating. He didn't show up to parties unless compelled by imperial decree, and even when he did, his presence was brief.
Even the Emperor knew that Julian was reluctant to be in crowded places. That's why he remained silent even after seeing Julian quickly leave. After all, the only thing that mattered to him was the assurance that Grand Duke Duchzan would not disobey the imperial command.
This time, too, it was a simple invitation, not an imperial decree, so Julian didn't have to attend. But this time, Julian displayed a different attitude.
“You won’t go there and just sit there.”
Julian would sometimes treat me like a child. I found it amusing, so I smiled bashfully and nodded quickly.
“Of course. It’s been a while since I’ve hunted, so just thinking about it makes me excited.”
“So I’ll go with you.”
“You're worried this lady might have an accident?”
"Yes."
I nodded, as if pondering the matter. But it didn't suit my nature to hold back words, so in the end I had no choice but to speak.
"Julian, are you trying too hard? If that's the case, I'll just sit back and do my best."
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't imagine him enjoying a hunting competition, especially if other nobles were present. Julian didn't deny my words, but rather responded as if it were a given.
“It’s right to overdo it.”
“I see, right? Then...”
“But I want to do that.”
I blinked furiously. I remembered the charity party at the Grand Duke's residence, and how Julian's absence had been a subtle concern. I didn't pay much attention to the sidelong glances at the seat next to me, but that didn't mean I didn't care.
Julian looked into my eyes, full of anticipation, and smiled.
“I also want to see my wife shoot an arrow.”
“I’ll show you another skill. It’ll be very attractive, right?”
“I don’t expect it.”
I excelled at swordsmanship, but my archery skills weren't bad either. At least, I was good enough to crush the pride of the fools in the royal family. I swaggered in confidence, then turned to Julian and asked him a question.
"How about you?"
"What?"
“Can I see your hunting skills, too?”
To my question, Julian only smiled incomprehensibly and didn't answer.
***
After parting ways with Julian, I naturally headed to the guest room I'd given to Ruin. I wanted to ask him how he'd been doing, and I wanted to hear more about my family.
I was curious about each and every one of these things: whether studying to become a successor was difficult, whether there was anything wrong with him, whether he had made good friends, whether he had a crush on a girl...
As I was descending the stairs, I encountered a servant who greeted me. I grabbed him and asked him with a smile.
“Ruin? Is my brother in his room?”
I must have asked with such excitement that the attendant also answered with a warm smile.
“Yes, I just served him some tea.”
"Thank you so much."
I grabbed the railing and quickly descended. I walked along the second-floor hallway, greeting each and every servant I encountered. My heart pounding, I stood in front of Ruin's room, ready to knock.
“I couldn’t help but be scared when Ruin got angry.”
“I’m sorry, I suddenly got angry.”
I heard the sound of someone chatting in the room. It was a girl's voice, but it definitely wasn't the voice of a maid. This lively, chattering voice had become quite familiar over the past few days.
'It's Nife, right?'
I had no choice but to withdraw my hand from knocking and freeze.
What's going on here? Why are an unmarried man and woman in the same room? And alone?
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