12. Unexpected Words (1)

Perhaps it was because we had been together all day. The unique, refreshing scent, which became even more intense when he was so close to me, wafted from behind, and his deep voice echoed in my ear.

“Where have you been?”

It was Kaelen.

“My lord.”

I turned around to face Kaelen. For some reason, his expression seemed rigid.

“Didn’t I tell you that I would wait here while I went to see the Empress?”

“Um, well… that’s…”

“You were going to wait here when you’re not even in good health? What were you planning to do if you collapsed?”

“That’s…”

Without saying a word, I looked at him, only to see a bead of sweat forming on his forehead, as if he had been searching for me.

I couldn’t utter a word, burdened by my absence, which I hadn’t explained to him.

“Hello. I’m Evelyn Beatrice, the daughter of Count Beatrice. I went to the academy with Adelia and Herena.”

Then, Evelyn, who was with me, intervened like a savior.

“Adelia’s friend?” Kaelen’s gaze shifted from me to Evelyn when he heard this.

I inwardly sighed with relief and quietly observed the two of them. If the story had continued as originally planned, it should have been the encounter between the original heroine and her villainous brother, who had put them in danger.

In the original story, these two characters barely had any interaction, or rather, none at all. However, the story had changed, and the future was being rewritten.

‘If it’s Evelyn…’

As I framed Kaelen and Evelyn in the same scene, I realized that they made quite a suitable pair. Yes, Evelyn, the main character in the story, was more fitting next to Kaelen, rather than someone like me who appeared as an extra. Evelyn had everything: a noble family not inferior to the heroine, beauty, intelligence, and a good character.

Having this thought, I suddenly halted the train of my thinking. It wasn’t my place to interfere with anyone’s life. Adelia was enough to change someone’s fate. Adelia was beyond my control, and I couldn’t just stand by and watch her go to hell. But now, it was different. My purpose had been achieved, and I never had the right to influence anyone’s life from the beginning.

‘If they are meant to be together, their destiny will work itself out somehow.’

Even without my involvement. I just had to give him his freedom.

For a moment, my heart stung, but I forcefully averted my eyes from that emotion and focused on the greater purpose.

‘Well… If Evelyn ends up with Kaelen, I won’t be able to see Adelia anymore.’

“I’ve heard so much about you from many people, Lord Kaelen. I really wanted to meet you. I couldn’t attend the wedding, so I’m glad to meet you here,” Evelyn continued to speak towards Kaelen as I got lost in thought.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at Kaelen.

“I am Kaelen Laverean.”

That was it. After briefly introducing himself, Kaelen didn’t say anything else to her. His gaze quickly returned to me.

“Helena, let’s go to the terrace for a moment. Being in the midst of all these people might not be good for your health.”

“Really?”

“Since it’s not the best time to meet Miss Beatrice right now, we can properly introduce ourselves next time.”

With these words, Kaelen passed by Evelyn and headed for the terrace.

“But, Your Excellency…”

Unable to comprehend his actions, which seemed like he was blatantly ignoring Evelyn, I stood there with a perplexed expression, alternately glancing at the two of them.

When I didn’t immediately follow him, Kaelen halted and turned back, giving me an oddly annoyed look.

“Why do you keep forgetting that I am your fiancé?”

“You? Ah, well…”

It seemed that he was misunderstanding, thinking I was hiding because of my poor health.

Given that my actions indeed led to his concern, I felt like I had to follow through with what he said.

“Evelyn, I’m sorry. Let’s talk next time when we meet.”

“Huh? Yeah, okay. Don’t worry about it. Just go. I’ll see you next time.”

“Yeah. I’m really sorry.”

Evelyn said her final goodbye, leaning in slightly closer to my ear and letting out a meaningful comment.

“It’s alright, Helena. I’m more grateful that I got to witness a different side of Kaelen Laverean, the renowned and unfeeling Duke.”

With that, she chuckled inexplicably and disappeared into the crowd.

I didn’t quite understand Evelyn’s final words, but for some reason, my ears turned red.

I turned around and faced Kaelen.

There was something different about him, who usually appeared composed and calm.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Yes.”

As I took a step, Kaelen quickly led the way to the terrace, and I followed him inside.

As soon as I entered the terrace, Kaelen promptly closed the curtains, disconnecting us from the main hall.

Now, it was just the two of us in the confined space.

Kaelen stared at me without saying a word.

I, wanting to break the ice, was the first to offer an apology.

“I did say I’d wait for you, but… I’m sorry. Were you looking for me?”

Trying to defuse the tension, I managed a faint smile as I spoke.

“Why did you go outside without wearing a coat? It’s cold out there.”

“Oh, when His Grace went to see the Empress, I ran into a friend. I thought I’d be back shortly and went out casually dressed, but it took longer than expected.”

“A friend? Are you talking about that lady I just saw?”

“Ah, no. It’s another friend, someone I studied with at the academy.”

I intentionally didn’t mention the name Lucas Acher. If it was someone else, Kaelen might not have a problem, but Lucas, who had feelings for Adelia, was a different matter.

When I had accidentally mentioned Lucas in the past, Kaelen had appeared quite displeased.

“A friend, you say? Is this friend someone Adelia used to study with at the academy?”

“Well, not exactly…”

After a brief hesitation, I decided to be honest. It was better to explain the situation straightforwardly than to keep it a secret and cause misunderstandings.

Thinking that way, I carefully began to speak.

“Lucas Acher.”

“Lucas Acher?”

“Yes, he had been away from the capital for a while and returned recently. So, I hadn’t seen him in a long time and we talked a bit.”

“Is this Lucas Acher the one who used to have feelings for Adelia and confessed his love?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. He claims he’s completely over Adelia now. He said some strange things, but…”

Now, it was my turn to be the subject. Although it was awkward for me, from Kaelen’s perspective, the situation meant that his little sister had been forgotten, which would bring him some relief.

However, for some reason, his expression became even more unpleasant, and I couldn’t figure out why.

“Strange things? Did he confess his feelings to you after saying he’d moved on from Adelia?”

“…Yes?”

How did he find out? I stared at him in confusion, unable to hide my astonishment.

Then I suddenly realized and quickly explained.

“No, no. Lucas, why would he like me?”

If Lucas didn’t go around talking about it, Kaelen would never have known.

Kaelen continued to stare at me as if he was trying to read my inner thoughts.

I put on a nonchalant demeanor to avoid revealing any emotions. But it was impossible for me to hide the expression on my face.

“It makes sense.”

After staring at me in silence for a while, Kaelen spoke in a much softer tone than usual.

“One mustn’t dare to entertain thoughts of someone else while engaged to me.”

Engaged…

Hearing that word from Kaelen made my heart skip a beat. It reminded me that soon I wouldn’t be able to hear that word anymore.

Despite not having feelings for him, I was touched by his concern. Even now, he seemed to worry that I might appear easily accessible to someone else, just as he had pretended to be my fiancé in the past to protect me.

Especially in a situation where Adelia, who was always with us, was absent, this concern might have been even stronger.

Truly, I was grateful to him for caring about me, and my heart continued to feel a strange mixture of tingling sensations.