Chapter 1. An Accidental Encounter
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***
YesâŚâŚ. I know.
But instead of giving an agreement response, Nelia bowed her head.
âI apologize for the fuss, Your Highness.â
âYou apologize so often for the wrongdoing of your family.â
OftenâŚâŚ? Not this time, but whenâŚâŚ
âIt was your brother who dropped the necklace, but didnât you apologize in his stead?â
Neliaâs eyes grew bigger.
He knew Leighton was the culprit for that incident.
When Nelia opened her eyes widely like a frightened rabbit, Carlos shook his hand.
âWellâŚâŚ Itâs already in the past, so I donât intend to find fault with the necklace incident.â
Carlos stepped closer to Nelia and lowered his head to match their height.
âMore than thatâŚâŚâ
His black pupils bore right into her.
âWere you hurt somewhere?â
There was a moment of emotion in his cold expression and low voice.
Nelia, who stared blankly at him for a moment, realized why Carlos was asking this question.
âIâm here to see my sister. She collapsed on the street the day before yesterday and didnât return home.â
Is it because of what Leighton said earlier?
Nelia slowly opened her mouth.
âYesâŚâŚ. I collapsed a few days ago, but Iâm fine now.â
Tsk. Carlos clicked his tongue.
âIf youâre this thin, youâll fall down. You appeared so weak.â
She ate a lot of sweets while staying by the dukeâs side, and she still looked skinny. Neliaâs body definitely didnât gain any weight butâŚâŚ.
Nelia stood awkwardly while wondering internally, âIs that soâŚâŚ?â, looking elsewhere when Carlos said so.
âIâll invite you to have dinner with me.â
Heâs not treating her with tea this time, but a dinner? Nelia didnât quite understand what Carlos was saying.
âI owe you something, and the high-quality dinner of the Imperial Palace will definitely help that fragile body of yoursâŚâŚâ
At that moment, she heard the dukeâs voice from behind.
âYou neednât worry about that.â
The person who interrupted Carlosâ words was Duke Hart. Duke Hart was approaching them with a smile and held Nelia by the shoulder.
âNelia is my handmaiden.â
Lifting her head slightly and looking at his face, he just wore a smile on his mouth, a stark contrast to his terribly cold eyes.
Carlos loosened his expression after it stiffened for a while.
âYes, sheâs your handmaiden as you said. Does that mean you have the right to make a puppet of her as you pleased?â
The duke could not immediately respond to Carlosâ remark.
And Carlos smirked, he took off the dukeâs hand on Neliaâs shoulder.
âHave you never thought that this kind of attitude could bother your handmaiden?â
â……â
âThis young lady would suffer the consequences if she is tied up with the duke for no reasonâŚâŚ thatâs unlike you, duke.â
Carlos sharply pointed out the bizarre relationship between the duke and Nelia.
Actually, Nelia agreed with Carlosâ remark to some extent.
The guards at the back entrance from earlier even knew about her. The fact that they never met her before but have knowledge of her existence probably meant there were a lot of circulating rumors about her.
Until now, even though it seemed that there have been no strange rumors because people knew she worked as a handmaiden like the duke had intended, but it wouldnât be strange if people began to misunderstand when they often appeared strange.
Nelia didnât want to attract any more attention.
She didnât think of herself, but for the duke. To be more precise, she was concerned about his curse.
The duke was someone who had something up his sleeve, so getting excessive attention from others would come back as a poison for him.
âTell me one thing, young lady, do you have to get permission from the duke to have dinner with someone?â
When the arrow was flying her way, Nelia looked at the duke and Carlos in turn.
It was a very difficult question.
If she affirmed his question, it would be no different than admitting her personal relationship with the duke, but if she didnât, she would have to eat with Carlos.
âHmâŚâŚâ
Nelia contemplated what she had to say inside her head and moved slowly her lips.
âI neednât His Graceâs permission to do that. Heâs not the type to be controlling.â
âThenâŚâŚâ
âHowever, I would also like to turn down your offer for treating me to dinner. I think it would cause a misunderstanding if I had dinner alone with you.â
Carlosâ eyebrows twitched at Neliaâs refusal. Neliaâs heart was racing while watching him.
âIâm sorry if my answer came out as rude. But Your Highness, I mean itâŚâŚ.â
âThen what if we invite the duke to have dinner with us?â
Carlos interrupted Nelia, giving a suggestion. There was a bitter silence at the end of his words.
âWhat is he saying again now.â
When Nelia didnât answer, Carlosâ gaze shifted to the duke.
âWhat do you think, Duke?â
â…….â
âI donât think itâd be a bad idea to have dinner with you for the first time in a while.â
The duke seemed to agonize. But soon he answered calmly.
âIâd like to.â
Carlos lifted the corners of his mouth. The smile on his perfect features was such a nice sight, but not from Neliaâs perspective.
âWhat is he up to?â
She became suspicious of Carlos and guilty for the duke at the same time.
Although he was pretending to be fine with it on the surface, she was certain he internally didnât like the ideaâŚâŚ
But it would be the same for Carlos. Carlos also hated Duke Hart so much that it was obvious.
Nelia stared at Carlos, she had no clue what he was thinking. He cleared off his smile before she knew it and kept his usual nonchalant expression.
âCome to the Imperial Sala the day after tomorrow in the evening. Duke Hart, youâve been there a lot, so I assume you know the way.â
âYes, I do. Weâll expect to meet you there.â
The duke replied and Carlos turned around with a swish. The man disappeared without muttering another greeting.
Nelia and the duke also stepped ahead. On their way back to the office, Nelia delivered an apology.
â……I apologize, Your Grace.â
The duke looked at Nelia.
âWhy is Nelia apologizing?â
âI uttered an incorrect answer, and made His Highness come up with such a suggestion.â
âNo, I thought itâs going to happen one day.â
âPardon meâŚâŚ?â
The duke was smiling in a way she couldnât fathom.
âI knew he was taking an interest in Nelia, but I guess heâs more interested than I thought.â
Nelia thought a little differently from the dukeâs guess.
The duke didnât know, but she helped Carlos, whose arm had gotten stiff for a moment the other day.
Perhaps, that was the reason why he wanted to invite her to dinner, and Carlos was simply trying to express his gratitude. That made more sense.
Nelia indirectly expressed her opinion that Carlos did that wasnât because he had taken an interest in her.
âIt might be that His Highness doesnât despise you anymore. Therefore, heâs asking you to join.â
The duke shook his head.
âIt would rather make more sense if he were planning to kill me right then and there.â
Neliaâs visage darkened at the cynical remark.
â……He wonât.â
Regardless of how much he hated the duke, thereâs no way he would summon her to do any harm.
In the meantime, Nelia thought she should pray from today that the dinner which theyâre going to attend would pass safely.
***
That evening, Nelia asked the duke for his understanding and returned home.
She knew the duke would turn into a snake when she parted from him, but she just couldnât help it. This was because she was perturbed by Leighton, who suddenly came to see her in the Imperial Palace during the day.
âIf His Grace is staying in the bedroom quietly, it wouldnât be a problem if he turns into a snakeâŚâŚ.â
Or he could just take medicine to keep his human form.
Arriving at home, Nelia greeted her parents briefly and looked for Leighton.
Fortunately, Leighton was in the room. She was worried thinking he wouldnât be there as he has been everywhere lately.
When she opened the door of the room where Leighton was staying, the first thing she spotted was a pile of books on the desk.
âThis brat is reading a bookâŚâŚâ
Nelia couldnât contain her amazement while entering the room.
It took a while for Leighton to sense another presence in the room and lifted his head.
That must be how much he was concentrating on the bookâŚâŚ she wasnât able to keep up with him any more.
âOh, Nelia. Youâre here.â
âWhy did you come to the Imperial Palace this afternoon?â
Nelia went straight to the point. She thought the duke must be waiting for her, so she was going to finish this talk quickly and return.
âI told you. I want to take a look at the necklace I dropped again.â
âSo why do you want to see it?â
Didnât he remember that he was the one who caused the accident? They could have gotten into a huge trouble for what he had caused.
Nelia felt the urge to grab Leighton by the collar and shook him.
âYou know Iâve been interested in the duke lately, havenât you?â
âYes, I know.â
Until only a few days ago, Leighton had made speculations about the duke. Actually, the speculation was pretty acute that made her sweat.
âI was just wondering what the lofty duke had up his sleeve, but of course nothing much happened.â
Nelia internally heaved out a sigh of relief.
She was extremely concerned at the thought that Leighton might find out about the curse, but he didnât seem to find anything.
âInstead, I found something more amusing.â
â……What is it?â
Nelia became anxious again. Leightonâs brown eyes held a strange glint of excitement in them.
âThe duke has been investigating Sigridâs heart.â
Leighton continued with a smug look.
âYou donât know, but Sigridâs heart is really something. Itâs known to grant the wishes of those who find it.â
âThatâs really something.â
Nelia, who already knew about it, replied apathetically. And she asked Leighton as if pulling words out of him.
âDo you really think Sigridâs heart exists?â
Nonetheless, the public still regarded SIgridâs heart as a legend. Only some nobles who have information about it or the Imperial family knew that Sigridâs heart existed because they tried to find it as well.
Â
âOf course! Or else, would the duke try to find the heart if he thinks it doesnât exist?â
Nelia hid her growing frustration inside. Leighton seemed to already believe that Sigridâs heart actually existed.
âActually, thatâs the reason I came over to the dukeâs residence on the day of the total lunar eclipse. I would like to talk to the duke about Sigridâs heart.â
Leighton must have stopped by under the pretext of visiting her, who worked at the dukeâs residence and attempting to gather information from the duke.
Nelia frowned upon learning the truth.
âThe duke is investigating Sigridâs heart due to His Majestyâs order. But, keep this secret information I told you to yourself.â
Even though itâs mixed with lies, the mention of the emperor would be enough to baffle Leighton.
Leighton shrugged and spoke again.
âThatâs fine. I donât need to talk to the duke anymore.â
âWhat?â
âIâve been looking through all the books about Sigridâs heart in the past several days. Iâve also gone to the back street of the capital.â
She could tell that he had read a lot from the desk there, but he had gone to the back street of the capital?
The backstreet of the capital was a night avenue.
The backstreet, which would be illuminated at night, was a place where all sorts of rumors come up, and she knew it well because it was mentioned in the original book.
The rumor about the duke being a homos*xual could be affirmed to start from there.
As if regarding the fact that he had gone to the backstreet of the capital was not a big deal, Leighton was excited.
Moreover, a surprising remark soon escaped his lips.
âCombining the information I have gathered so far, the answer to Sigridâs heart lies in the necklace owned by the Imperial Family.â
***
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