Aria wore a puzzled expression. Before she knew it, her coughing had stopped, and her eyes were wide.
“What’s going on?”
“I, I’m not really sure…”
“I’ll go check.”
“Ah, I, I’ll go with you!”
I worried about Aria’s condition, but since she insisted on coming along, I had Susan, who had followed me, bring a shawl to wrap around her before we finally set off.
We walked diligently through the garden until we reached the spot where people were gathered. The Remut Castle garden wasn’t as large as the Alzbeit estate’s, so it was fine; if it had been similar in size, it would have been better to take a carriage.
“Knight, please, let us see her, I beg you! Just let us see her once!”
“We only wish to give our regards!”
“W-what, back away at once. It’s dangerous!”
As we approached, it seemed most of the crowd were local residents of the territory. They wore clothes that were somewhat worn but clean. If they had one thing in common, it was that everyone was holding something in their arms.
Some held sacks, while others held baskets filled with eggs. Not only that, but the ground was piled high with what clearly looked like local specialties. In front of these residents stood the knights, blocking them with flustered expressions.
“Please, just let us see the Duchess-to-be once!”
Duchess-to-be? Aria? I looked at Aria.
Aria’s eyes went round like a startled rabbit.
“Please, let us see the Duchess-to-be of Alzbeit who helped us just once!”
“I beg of you!”
This time, Aria looked at me.
…Me?
“Thanks to her, my husband regained his strength.”
“Because of the Duchess-to-be, our children have eaten their fill!”
“Please, just let us express our gratitude…!”
Oh, my. I blinked. Could it be that these were the people helped by the workers, food, and water I had sent?
I spotted a familiar child peeking through the crowd and realized my guess was correct. It was the same child who had secretly watched me and shouted that I was pretty when I had alighted from the carriage because the road was blocked.
Soon, the child spotted me and tugged wildly at their mother’s skirt, and before long, the rest of the people noticed me.
“The Duchess-to-be!”
“Oh, oh, it is the Duchess-to-be!”
The knights looked panicked.
“D-don’t go near the Duchess-to-be!”
“Damn it, someone could get hurt!”
The knights, well-acquainted with Charlize’s notoriety, barely managed to hold back the residents. I blinked, then stepped forward quietly. I felt that if I didn’t intervene, this wouldn’t be resolved.
“…”
As I approached, the people went quiet as if by agreement. One by one, they stopped calling out to me, instead staring blankly or hesitating.
Among the piled-up local specialties, I picked up a round fruit. What was this? I held it, tilting my head, and Aria whispered softly from beside me.
“It’s an Imeri Orange. It’s a fruit that only grows in this land, and only for one season.”
“Aha. It’s bigger than a regular orange.”
“Yes, I heard that when the soil was more fertile… it grew larger and in greater quantities.”
Now, the harvest had decreased significantly, making it a rare fruit. Since the quantity was small, it sold for a high price, but it was hard to even find because there was so little.
“Since it’s considered a sacred fruit in this territory, every household keeps one as a kind of protective amulet. They could make money if they sold it, but they hold it dear.”
…They gave me something like that.
Looking at the basket full of fruit, I felt a bit troubled. At the same time, my heart felt touched.
“Um, Duchess-to-be… you are the Duchess-to-be of Alzbeit, correct?”
An elderly man among the residents stepped forward cautiously. He knelt as he looked at me, bowing his head deeply to greet me. He flinched when I stared, but continued speaking.
“We are people of little means, so our offerings are meager, but as representatives of the residents, we truly thank you. Thanks to your help, the neighboring children and my family have survived.”
In truth, by helping these people, I had nearly crossed the threshold of death when my fiancé was changed.
Yet, I had no regrets.
And now, I thought I was glad I had helped.
‘Well, I did decide to borrow money from that tyrant brother one way or another…’
Everyone was watching me with anxious expressions. Just as I opened my mouth to offer a response—
*Flap.* With a rustle of fabric, the fruit dropped from my hand.
I turned to find my fiancé, who had hidden Aria behind him, glaring at me.
“…”
Askin’s cold eyes flicked from Aria, who was hastily clutching his sleeve, to the residents and the heap of local specialties.
“Ha, and now you’re extorting my territory?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Just how much more are you planning to take!”
I bit my lip.
*Be patient, be patient.*
It’s unfair, but he has always been the victim; it’s only natural for him to see it this way. His grudge is deep, so very deep. But if I explain it calmly, he will listen.
“Get lost. I truly hate you. How many times must I tell you not to touch my sister and to leave my territory? Get out!”
I’ll just pick up the dropped orange first…
But when the orange that rolled to my feet was kicked away by Askin’s boot—as if he couldn’t bear the thought of it touching my hand—my pent-up resentment ignited.
‘What did I do wrong!’
I know. This man is a victim of Charlize.
But what about me? I suddenly opened my eyes in this world, grabbed hold of a man I barely knew, and have been struggling to save my own life so I can return home. What on earth did I do wrong?
The misery of it all caused a surge of hot, blinding rage.
One thing I had overlooked was that I was a person who got teary-eyed when I was angry.
“…You really treat people like trash.”
When our eyes locked, Askin’s expression soured.
In his fervor to protect Aria, the distance between us was dangerously close. At this moment, his mesmerizingly beautiful face meant nothing to me.
I picked up the orange and dropped it back into the basket.
“Thank you for your help? That’s laughable. You’re pathetic, too. The residents deserve better than a lord who curses at someone trying to help them.”
I felt the old man, who had been kneeling, look at me with startled eyes. I gripped the basket tight, then let go and swept my gaze over the crowd.
“I don’t need this trash, so you eat it.”
Then, I glared viciously at Askin.
“Why did I come, you ask? I have business. Why wouldn’t I? Grandfather told me to collect the interest.”
“…Huh?”
“What a shame; the interest this month seems much higher than others, doesn’t it? Can you even pay it?”
At my words, Askin glanced at Aria, flustered. He seemed mortified that such a conversation was happening in front of his younger sister.
“Follow me to the office.”
I smiled coldly. I couldn’t be harsh to Aria, who was looking at me with worry, so I gave her a faint, reassuring smile instead.
Then, I brushed my hair back and followed him inside.
* * *
The office was silent.
Though we had both taken our seats, neither Askin nor I spoke.
A stifling tension permeated the air. Askin, who had been staring daggers at me, finally dropped his hand to his face.
A low, weary sigh escaped him.
“…Why on earth are you doing this?”
He ruffled his hair in frustration.
“I know you have a lot of interest in me. But it never reached a level where you’d be this obsessed, even staying overnight.”
No, that was just because Charlize was afraid. Ironically, Charlize genuinely liked you.
Though your life was only miserable because her way of showing affection was twisted and cruel.
“On top of that, you’re demanding money out of the blue… The deadline hasn’t even passed yet. Why are you doing this?”
His expression, as if he were genuinely searching for a reason, was expectant. No, it had to be.
This was the moment of conversation I had been waiting for.
But perhaps because I had just watched the orange hit the floor and be kicked away, my agitation refused to subside.
“And… didn’t you promise not to discuss money in front of Aria? I suppose the lips of an Alzbeit are truly thinner than a sheet of paper.”
I curled my lips into a crooked smirk.
“Well, I’d like to think they’re at least sturdier than the ears of a Remut, which seem stuffed with water-logged cotton.”
“What?”
“Aria’s ears are not like that, so this only applies to yours.”
“Do not dare speak my sister’s name so carelessly.”
I beamed at him.
“Since Aria insisted I call her by name, I simply granted her wish.”
“Don’t make me laugh. You must have beguiled that innocent girl.”
“Oh my, I didn’t realize you acknowledged my charm enough to think me capable of such a feat.”
This was precisely why I was so confident, provided I could just open the conversation.
I am quite certain of my silver tongue. And I know you all too well.
“As for any promises, I wouldn’t know anything about that. I only came because the Duke told me to collect the money.”
Since the interaction had soured from the very first word, I intended to probe why Askin had been so arrogant about declaring the broken engagement and securing those funds.
“……So, it is money after all.”
Askin’s gaze turned deathly still. Though he didn’t make a single move, an ominous pressure emanated from him.