04. Kaelen Laverion (3)

When Adelia saw me sitting listlessly in the house where the debt collectors had barged in once again that day, she hugged me tightly and burst into tears.

Perhaps her emotions had transferred to me because, holding her, I could finally release the sorrowful cries I had suppressed even at the funeral.

Receiving Adelia’s comfort, when I stepped out of the room, I noticed that not only inside the mansion but also all around it, the debt collectors had disappeared without a trace.

It was all thanks to Kaelen, who had expelled them all.

Furthermore, he not only settled all the debts that remained in our family but also ensured that the situation I mentioned earlier would not repeat itself by becoming my fiancé.

‘I get emotional when I think back to that time.’

They were people I was incredibly grateful to.

Those who had saved me from the abyss of darkness were individuals for whom I would gladly give my life.

Afterward, I was able to deduct all the debts of the family I belonged to using my skills and assets, though it was a relatively small amount compared to the nobility. Still, I had enough to sustain myself.

So, it was time to grant Kaelen his freedom before it was too late.

He was soon to be in his late twenties this year.

Considering the marriageable age for nobles in their early twenties had passed, it was rather late to start preparing for marriage.

Well, even though he had passed the typical age for marriage, I knew Kaelen, and proposals would constantly pour in from all directions.

When should I bring up the topic?

I was certain that Kaelen would not be the first to discuss breaking off the engagement, no matter how much I thought about it.

So, it was the right path for me to initiate the conversation.

While pondering these thoughts, I unknowingly turned my head toward him, and our eyes and gazes met as he stared at me intently, not at the book.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

In my momentary confusion, I blurted out any words, asking why he was looking at me so intently, but instead of responding to my words, Kaelen stood up.

Observing his actions quietly with a puzzled expression, I suddenly heard the carriage door opening.

“Get off.”

With those words directed at me, he disembarked from the carriage first.

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t felt the carriage moving or coming to a stop.

I had been so lost in thought that I hadn’t even realized the carriage had come to a halt.

Standing up from my seat and quickly approaching the carriage door, I looked outside.

“Oh…”

Outside the window, I saw the familiar mansion and the garden.

“We’ve arrived home.”

Thinking that I wanted to rest in my room as soon as possible, I approached the carriage door, and Kaelen was reaching out his hand toward me.

I briefly looked at his large hand before reaching out my own hand, and we shook hands.

Contrary to the cold impression emanating from his appearance, his hands felt strangely warm and cozy.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

I expressed my gratitude without forgetting my manners as I got off the carriage.

“Thank you for the ride. Um, I…”

I couldn’t let go of the hand I had just been holding, even after conveying my gratitude for bringing me all the way home.

Kaelen didn’t release my hand.

“Your Grace…?”

With a perplexed expression, I looked up at him, and only then did I feel a slight relaxation in his grip.

Feeling a hint of regret, I tried to smoothly retrieve my hand from his as naturally as possible.

And as I waited for Kaelen to turn away, he wasn’t moving at all, contrary to my expectations that he would quickly get into the carriage and leave.

“Your Grace… Do you have something to say to me, perhaps?”

So I cautiously addressed him.

“Next week…”

Ah, so there was something he wanted to tell me after all. Understanding why he hadn’t left right away, I smiled gently and waited for him to speak.

“Next week, there is a banquet at the palace.”

“A banquet?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I see. It’s a celebration in honor of His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday, right?”

Kaelen nodded.

But why is he talking about a banquet?

Until now, Kaelen rarely attended banquets. He was so busy that he barely had a day off, and according to Adelia, he had little interest in social gatherings or banquets.

While it was true that nobles were expected to attend when the aristocracy hosted such events, Kaelen had seldom shown his face at the banquets hosted by the royal family.

So, I had thought that he wouldn’t attend this one either.

‘I don’t really want to go either..’

I didn’t have much enthusiasm for the banquet, even with the absence of both Kaelen and Adelia.

‘I’ll just show my face and come back quickly.’

Even though both of them were missing, I knew some familiar faces would be there, so I thought I would just exchange greetings and return. But then, I heard Kaelen’s low voice.

“Come with me that day.”

“Pardon?”

His unexpected statement was like a bombshell, and I was momentarily surprised, almost stumbling, but Kaelen quickly steadied me.

“T-Thank you. But, right now…”

As I stammered with my wrist still in his grip, he repeated his words in a slightly different manner.

“I’ll come to pick you up that day, so please wait.”

I kept staring at his back as he turned away after saying just that, my thoughts racing.

“Your Grace!”

I couldn’t understand what he meant, so I called him urgently.

Kaelen, who had stood in front of the carriage just before getting in, turned around to look down at me.

“So, Your Grace, are you saying that you’ll go with me to the banquet this time?”

“Yes.”

I understood his words themselves, but what I didn’t understand was the reason and intention behind him suddenly deciding to accompany me to a banquet.

“Could it be you’re doing this because of me? But you don’t have to…”

As I began to explain the first reason that came to mind, wrinkles formed on his handsome forehead.

It seemed my answer didn’t sit well with him, and it looked like I had made him misunderstand something. So, I quickly spoke again.

“Even though I am Your Grace’s fiancée, you don’t need to accompany me. It might feel a bit strange since Adelia won’t be there, but there are people I’ve known from before who will be attending.”

I paused for a moment after saying that, waiting for Kaelen’s reaction.

However, his expression still didn’t seem to ease.

So, I felt the need to provide more specific details to reassure him and hurriedly mentioned the names of people I knew.

“I’ve known Lady Harvis of the Marquisate of Havis since our academy days, and I’m quite friendly with Lord Aker as well. So, even if I might feel a bit lonely, please don’t worry about me.”

In reality, neither of the two people I mentioned was particularly close to me.

Adelia was the only person I could truly call a friend.

But to put Kaelen’s mind at ease, it seemed necessary to mention someone other than Adelia who was close to me, so I had to exaggerate a bit.

Thinking that Kaelen might be worried about me going to the banquet alone, I smiled broadly at him along with my reassurance.

However, to my surprise, his forehead creased even more seriously than before as one of the names I mentioned came up.

“Lord Aker?”

“Yes? Yes, Lord Aker…”

Oh, this was bad.

In my haste, I had blurted out the names of faces that came to mind without thinking, and of all names, I had to mention Lucas Aker in front of Kaelen.

This was entirely my mistake.

It seemed that Kaelen’s expression had soured because of Lucas Aker.

And it appeared that Kaelen was aware of the situation.

“Yes? Oh, yes. Lord Aker, you know him, right? He attended Adelia’s birthday party two years ago…”

I tried to salvage the situation with the intention of retracting my words.

“As you know, Your Grace, Adelia is already married, and it happened two years ago. Lucas Aker must have moved on by now. Well, he should have!”

As I explained to Kaelen, Lucas Aker, the eldest son of the Aker noble family, was one of the people who had feelings for Adelia, just as I had mentioned.