08. Imperial Banquet (2)

Kaelen stared at me with an unusual look in his eyes when I spoke, and I couldn’t quite decipher its meaning. As long as he didn’t suspect anything about my feelings, I was relieved. Feeling awkward under his intense gaze, I quickly averted my eyes.

The carriage fell into a sudden silence, which made the previously hushed sound of my heartbeat even more pronounced and embarrassing.

“Please,” I hoped, “let him not hear this sound until we arrive at the palace. How much longer until we get there?”

Under these circumstances, I wished Kaelen would stop talking to me, even though under normal circumstances, I would have welcomed a conversation with him. However, since Adeleia’s wedding, Kaelen had been behaving unexpectedly.

“If you ever need head ornaments, just let me know. From now on, feel free to use any ornaments I provide.”

“…What?”

I did understand what he said, but I still couldn’t fathom his intention behind offering to get me head ornaments. But just like before, Kaelen’s words ended there, as if he didn’t want to say anything more. I eventually stopped hearing from him.

After that, what felt like an incredibly long time passed, and the carriage finally came to a halt.

“You can disembark.”

“Yes.”

Kaelen got off the carriage first and extended his hand to help me down. Finally, we had arrived.

I clenched my fists slightly and then opened my hand to take his.

“Thank you, Duke.”

In response to my gratitude, Kaelen glanced at me briefly but didn’t say anything. I hadn’t expected him to speak, so it didn’t matter.

Right now, my top priority was to minimize contact with him as much as possible.

‘I hope he’s not planning to accompany me into the reception hall.’

With that judgment in mind, I applied a bit more pressure while shaking his hand to signal the end of our interaction. However, he held my hand firmly, making it difficult for me to release it.

Not knowing how to proceed, I withdrew my hand with some effort while managing my expression. I opened my mouth to speak, attempting to regain my composure.

“Duke, thank you for bringing me this far. I’ll manage the rest on my own, so you don’t need to worry. Well, then… I’ll be going now…”

“What are you saying? Let’s go in.”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Are you planning to rest for a bit before going in?”

“Yes? No, I was planning to go in right away, but…”

Instead of pulling my hand away, which I intended to do to end the conversation, I was so taken aback by Kaelen’s unexpected words that I ended up just gazing into empty space. It was then that I suddenly felt the stares of the nobles who had arrived at the reception hall.

Everyone was looking at us with curious eyes, whispering and buzzing with excitement.

“Oh…”

Receiving this much attention was something I was only accustomed to when I was with Adeleia. Of course, this current interest was likely because Kaelen rarely attended such events.

“Duke…”

Calling Kaelen’s name once again, I quickly organized my thoughts and, in an effort to escape the current situation, poured out the words I wanted to say.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to enter the reception hall first? I’ll follow in a bit…”

“Do you not want to be seen with me?”

“Yes? No, it’s not that at all. It’s just that I think it might make you uncomfortable if we enter together.”

I was sure Kaelen felt the same way I did. He disliked unnecessary attention, after all. Of course, his mere presence would always attract interest, but I was certain he didn’t want to be more than that—a source of curiosity.

“Uncomfortable? Is there a problem with entering with your fiancé? Or does it bother you to be seen with me, considering we were going in with Adelia earlier?”

“Oh… Right, my fiancé. I suppose it might actually feel awkward to separate from you.”

In truth, I lied again without revealing my true reasons. My discomfort had nothing to do with Kaelen’s presence but rather my emotions toward him. Even now, my heart was racing, and I was sweating profusely due to the tension. However, it seemed that my sudden lie caught Kaelen’s attention. He gently placed his hand on my forehead.

“It doesn’t seem like you have a fever. Did I force you to come here despite not feeling well? If it’s too much for you now, please tell me. I’ll take you back immediately.”

“Yes? No, it’s okay. I haven’t pushed myself too hard these past few days, so I’m fine.”

The unexpected contact caused me to feel dizzy for a moment, but it wasn’t due to any illness. It was because of something else entirely.

However, it seemed that Kaelen had grown concerned about me. He withdrew his hand, and then his steps finally moved forward. I followed him closely, initially trying to match his pace by taking quick steps. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for his stride to slow down abruptly, allowing us to walk side by side.

Throughout the walk to the building where the reception hall was located, we continued to attract attention from onlookers.

Kaelen seemed completely unfazed by such things, simply walking ahead without a care. I made an effort to hide my embarrassment and awkwardness, alternating between glancing at the ground, the distant horizon, and occasionally stealing a glance at Kaelen’s dignified profile as I quietly followed him.

In no time, we arrived at the grand entrance of the reception hall.

“Just a moment!”

As the gatekeeper attempted to open the door for us to enter, my voice leaped out before my thoughts could catch up.

The gatekeeper’s hand froze in mid-motion, clearly confused by my outburst.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… I’m a bit nervous.”

Saying this, I took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Is it because you’re not feeling well?”

“No, it’s not that.”

In response to the voice that seemed slightly concerned, I shook my head firmly.

“Would you like to take a short break by returning to the carriage? I’ll wait, and we can go inside together.”

“Just a brief rest. I’ll be fine.”

I glanced at Kaelen again, holding him back once more. I looked at him with a worried expression. Am I the only one feeling this way? Once we step inside, we’ll be subjected to countless more curious stares than I’ve experienced during our walk.

Honestly, I felt overwhelmed and wished I could escape this situation immediately.

But…

I turned my head to look at Kaelen. My heart was still pounding intensely.

Because of that.

Because we were together.

I closed my eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

Yes.

I’m here with Kaelen.

I shouldn’t be afraid, not when I’m with someone I care about.

Opportunities like this don’t come around often.

So, I shouldn’t be anxious.

Moreover, in a chaotic reception hall like this, my true feelings for him are unlikely to be noticed.

Having finally regained my composure, I looked at Kaelen with a determined gaze.

“We’re ready now. Let’s go.”

Kaelen nodded and gestured to the gatekeeper, prompting the grand doors of the reception hall to swing wide open.

“Presenting Duke Kaelen Laverion and Lady Helena Rosentia.”

With the gatekeeper’s booming voice, we entered the reception hall, and just as before, all eyes were on us.

Today’s circumstances were somewhat different, but I believed that, like when I was with Adelia, most people would be focused on Kaelen, not me.

However, my expectations were proven wrong.

People’s gazes shifted repeatedly between Kaelen and me, not just once, but multiple times, creating an intense atmosphere.

Among them, the stares of young noblewomen were the most intense.

However, gradually their gazes began to shift oddly.

In that moment of confusion, as I wondered about the reason, an immense shock hit me as if someone had struck my head forcefully.

It turned out that I had forgotten to let go of Kaelen’s hand before entering the reception hall, and the people around us were just as surprised, staring at our joined hands with bewildered expressions.