“Did you meet the magician in Ravenna?”
Magician? Apparently he wasn’t a magician. He worked for the Imperial palace, so he wouldn’t be a magician.
However, he wasn’t wearing fancy clothes that nobles would wear, and seeing that he was moving things himself, he seemed to be an attendant.
“…Yes.”
“He must have been a pretty good magician. Was he a villager?”
“…No. I’ve only seen him twice. I don’t know who he was.”
“Really? Was he just on tour?”
Rachel nodded vaguely at Mike’s question.
She was in a hurry to change the subject because she didn’t want to lie to Mike, then the Duke tapped Rachel on the shoulder.
“Rachel, eat this.”
The Duke handed Rachel a dessert.
“Oh, thank you.”
“Mean. Please stop thanking me.”
The Duke grumbled softly at Rachel’s thank you.
“That was exactly the 34th thank you I’ve received today.”
“Still, thank you?”
Rachel had never received so many gifts in her life.
Expensive dolls, cute teacup sets, dazzling necklaces and earrings.
Every time he visited various places, he collected perfumes for her, he even wrote letters in between.
She couldn’t help, but thank him.
She was so grateful that she could cry at the unprovoked kindness.
“Yes, Rachel. Just do as you please.”
The Duke smiled quietly, and patted Rachel’s head carefully.
“I’ll do my best.”
The Duke of Oates didn’t like Rachel’s excessive thankfulness.
He didn’t want to see her feel grateful as if she had received something that wasn’t hers.
She was Rachel Oates now.
He just wanted these kinds of gifts to be routine.
He hoped that one day happiness would be taken for granted so that there was no great impression.
He wanted her to accept love to her heart’s content.
But he guessed this was his own greed.
It could be too hard for Rachel yet.
“It’s about to start. I won’t disturb you, so watch comfortably.”
Then it would have been better if he tried harder.
After the Duke confirmed that Rachel’s eyes were on the stage, he slowly turned himself around.
Rachel just blinked at the fluffy landscape in front of her.
Chocolatey powder and sugar powder.
Rachel couldn’t easily touch the dessert that was in front of her.
“Rachel, go ahead and eat.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Rachel shook her head, picked up a dessert fork, and took a piece.
Powder dripped down on her fork.
Rachel became serious as if she didn’t want the strawberry to fall off.
When she cut into the cake, the cream cheese filling came out.
“….”
Rachel couldn’t take her eyes off the sight and just blinked.
Soon after, she realized the Duke’s gaze was on her, and she quickly put the piece of cake into her mouth.
Rachel frowned slightly at the same time as she put the dessert in her mouth.
“It’s delicious.”
She let out a little admiration.
The Duke smiled gently at the sight.
Her voice was a little higher than usual.
Rachel put a second piece of the dessert in her mouth, and moved her legs excitedly.
“Hahahaha!”
At that moment, the Duke of Oates couldn’t stop laughing.
“Um, Duke?”
“Hahaha, I’m sorry.”
The Duke, who was laughing loudly, wiped away his tears and apologized lightly.
“You’re just like you were as a kid.”
“What?”
“No, I’m sorry to surprise you.”
The Duke said something Rachel couldn’t understand, before he quickly ended the conversation without further explanation.
“You don’t seem to like tea very much. I’ll get you a sweet lemonade.”
The Duke said this, then raised his hand and called a waiter.
Rachel wiped her mouth in confusion, still unaware of why the Duke had laughed.
She must’ve smeared it around her mouth in her excitement, and looked like a fool.
“Rachel, will you stay in the capital for a while? Or do you want to go down to the Oates estate with me?”
“What?”
“Of course, it’s up to you.”
“Can I go down to the Oates estate? Me?”
Rachel asked, startled.
The Duke nodded, as if it was only natural.
“You’re a Lady of the Oates family.”
“But…”
Ian wasn’t going to allow it.
“But you’re still more comfortable with His Majesty, right?”
The Duke said with a small smile to Rachel, who was still hesitating.
“Tell the butler if you want to come down at any time. He’ll prepare a carriage for you. And you don’t have to say anything to me. Because any time you come down, it’ll be like a birthday to me. I think a surprise would be better than taking a day or two more to report it.”
Rachel nodded quietly at the Duke’s words.
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“Let’s ride horses, and take a walk together. The lake around our territory’s lake is perfect for horseback riding.”
“Yes.”
The Duke seemed excited to tell her about what the territory was like.
“And our land is very famous for its grapes. It has a high sugar content, so it’s different from other grapes. It would be nice to pick grapes together, and make wine together if you want. It will be really delicious if it’s aged for about three years.”
“Wine?”
“Yeah, have you ever had any?”
Rachel shook her head softly.
“Nothing to worry about. I’ll teach you.”
“Yes.”
“If you ever drink, you should never show others how drunk you are. At least you must drink better than the stupid ones who want to attack you when you are at your weakest. If I teach you, you will never be beaten by those idiots.”
As Rachel nodded quietly, Mike sighed.
“Father.”
When Mike called out quietly to the Duke, he realized that he was too excited, coughed awkwardly, and quieted.
“Yeah, it has a nice place to swim in the summer. There is another small lake surrounded by forests on the estate, which is just right for swimming.”
“Wow, that sounds like fun. There’s a lake in the forest?”
Rachel felt a bit of excitement from the Duke’s excited talk.
“That’s right. It keeps the sun at bay and the wind is cool, so I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“I like it already.”
Rachel’s mind was already filled with images of a lake on a windy day.
The thick leaves of the tall trees scattered little by little on the wind, and the greenery poured through the branches touched the wide lake and broke into pieces.
“There are so many other things I want to do with you.”
The Duke smiled quietly.
“I’ll always be waiting for you, so make yourself at home. Or you can stay in the territory for a few months, and come back up to the capital.”
Rachel nodded vigorously at the Duke’s question.
She thought Ian would let her.
***
“When we first went out, we ate before going in.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“No, you don’t have to be sorry.”
Mike shook his head softly at the apologizing Rachel.
“It’s okay, Rachel. Just do as you please, that’s it. Are you very tired?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll have more chances in the future.”
The Duke smiled quietly, and shook his head.
Dark dust settled out of the carriage window.
The darkness deepened, and soon ate up the light.
Rachel’s mouth gradually hardened as the sky darkened.
“….”
Obviously, Ian said he was coming today.
He didn’t come for breakfast, so he should come around dinner.
She was sure she could arrive before Ian.
He wouldn’t leave, would he?
Even if he arrived at the mansion first, wouldn’t he wait a little while?
Or would he get angry at her, and demand where she’d been?
The Duke’s carriage slowed down gradually as Rachel fretted over those worries. They’d arrived at the Duke’s house that Rachel had longed for.
“Rachel, come down slowly.”
The Duke got off first, and held Rachel’s hand as she exited.
“Thank you.”
Rachel hurriedly looked around the garden as she got out of the carriage, but Ian’s black horse was nowhere to be seen.
He never arrived before dark when he came to see her. Was he gone already? Maybe he was in the mansion?
Rachel was impatient to get inside the mansion.
However, she wasn’t able to run into the mansion before the Duke, so she slowly timed her steps.
“Miss.”
That was when the butler, who’d been standing on the front step, ran towards Rachel.
“His Majesty is waiting.”
“Is His Majesty here?”
She didn’t understand his words. Did he come here in a carriage?
“Yes, he’s waiting in the drawing room.”
The butler looked troubled.
He nodded in a hurry, which made Rachel feel anxious again.
“Duke, may I go ahead to see His Majesty…”
“Yes, go ahead. I think he’s here to see you, so I’ll greet him later. Tell him for me.”
“Yes, I’m sorry. Then I’ll go first.”
Rachel felt sorry for the Duke after her short acknowledgement, as she walked quickly away. She soon entered the front door, and disappeared from the Duke’s sight.
“Hahaha. I guess that’s why Rachel was in a hurry.”
“I know. I didn’t expect His Majesty to come.”
“Maybe the day will never come when I come before His Majesty.”
The Duke smiled faintly, and looked down the corridor which Rachel would’ve walked down.
“Father, are you disappointed?”
“Um…”
At Mike’s question, the Duke gave a small hum. Didn’t it feel like his little girl was getting married right after she was born?
“A little. I’m a little disappointed.
He was a little disappointed, or quite a lot, even though he knew it was natural for Rachel to do so.
“Don’t put pressure on Rachel.”
“Of course. I’m not that clueless.”
The Duke shrugged at Mike’s advice.
Even when Rachel called him Duke, didn’t he keep quiet?
He was already trying his best to not make Rachel feel pressured.
He was being careful and restrained.
Still, the Duke wasn’t sure how long he could be careful.
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He thought he’d rather take Rachel to the estate, but the Duke restrained himself once again.
***