Episode 8
TL: Jasmine
A fever rose on the nape of Chloe’s neck. If she could turn back time, she would never tell him to compensate for the cane. He arbitrarily uses the word Tour’ and his tone that binds him and her together is seriously burdensome.
“…If you’re not going to give me a new cane, then return it. Please.”
“Don’t fret, you’ll get it later.”
Chloe felt her mind getting more and more dizzy. The duke looked straight at her face and smiled.
“Right now, it seems that finding your younger sister is the first priority.”
As long as the Prince knows Alice’s existence, it means that she has to greet him.
“If she falls down while drinking somewhere else, she will be in a lot of trouble.”
Chloe’s eyes shook violently when the duke added wedge-like words. Holding her cane firmly in hand, the duke reached out his arm. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“I heard a report of seeing a woman jumping excitedly into the rose garden, which is off-limits to guests. I’m sure it must be the young lady’s little sister.”
To be honest, Chloe thought the same. No one knew Alice’s life better than herself, Alice is someone, who is overflowing with curiosity.
But… Is it really right to follow the duke?
“Don’t do anything that will make you regret, Chloe.”
Looking at the Duke’s face whispering meaningfully to her, Chloe carefully placed her trembling hand on the Duke’s arm. No matter how much she hated the duke, it was time to prioritise other things than personal feelings.
Alice. Please, don’t cause any accidents.
While walking with the Duke’s arms folded, Chloe received the most attention she had ever experienced in her life. The nobles, regardless of gender or age, did, not hide their curious eyes about the woman who was being escorted directly by Duke Tisse with polite manners.
“Am I walking fast?”
“No.”
Rather, he was walking so slowly that it was making her impatient. She wondered if a baby learning to walk would walk this slowly.
“You have practiced to walk alone a lot, in the meantime”
When the Duke bowed his head and whispered in her ear, his cheeks were burning and she had to shift her head back without realising it.
“Was it painful enough to die?”
Chloe bit her lips and smiled. She got cramps in her calf, aching all night, while she practised walking without a cane. She wanted to pour hot tea on the duke’s face, which summarises the days when she fell down with the table while getting bruises on her whole body in one sentence.
“It was hard, but thanks to that, my stamina has improved a lot. Thank you for the compliment, Duke.”
“Still the same.”
‘The Duke too.”
He smiled as he saw her swallowing the whisper,
“No but did you become more proficient?”
Because the stairs began, the conversation between the two naturally ended. Chloe slowly walked down the stairs relying on his arm. The stairs were a high barrier for those with uncomfortable legs.
She didn’t want to admit it, but it was much more stable to rely on people than to use a cane on the stairs. In addition, as if he had accurately grasped her shortness of breath, the duke stopped his steps from time to time, making her movement much more comfortable.
Chloe walked down the countless stairs slowly arm in arm with him, while recalling the duke who was dancing at the banquet hall a while ago. When she thought of him, who was skillfully leading the young, lady, who seemed inexperienced at a glance, with perfect manners, she felt strange for some reason.
“The wind is blowing.”
When he reached the middle of the stairs, the duke suddenly opened his mouth. Chloe, who stopped walking, looked up at him. She didn’t realise it, but as he said, there was a breeze. Swan’s Summer Night. The smell of the wind carried the scent of roses.
“You’re right.”
In the shallow wind, several strands of Chloe’s hair escaped and flowed down her neckline. Staring at it, the Duke asked her.
“Who decorated your hair?”
She didn’t feel it before, but his gaze had something that made her nervous. The explicit look at the slender neck revealed through the curled hair was burdensome.
“I did it.”
“No wonder.”
He added, looking at the hairs flowing down her neck as if counting
“I thought it was a mess.”
Where did he learn to tease people? Chloe’s cheeks turned red. If it weren’t for the stairs, Chloe would have pushed him away and walked alone. The duke smiled silently, feeling the trembling strength in her hands holding his arms.
Rose garden. Authorized personnel only.
She saw a sign stuck in front of a small iron door surrounded by a rose vine. Chloe bit her lips feeling desperate. If she picked her younger sister’s favorite word, it was “prohibited.”
No, to be exact, should I say that she loves breaking what is prohibited?
“I heard that a young lady in a green dress was running excitedly into this place.”
Looking at the phrase on the sign, it was more likely that the Duke’s words were not false. Just like a cat that could not calmly pass by the fish store, Alice would have entered here with the heart of hunting for treasures as if possessed.
“Shall we go in then?”
The duke returned her cane, and Chloe quietly followed him into the garden. The inside of the garden was a place where it was obvious that everyone had put their heart and soul into it.
“It’s like a maze, right?”
The garden, which was decorated like a narrow promenade, had a wall erected on it, and on the wall, roses of different colours were blooming in separate
sections. First red, then white, then pale pink. White again. Purple this time.
It was a strange garden that seemed to have rules or maybe not.
“Royal families who have nothing to do, play hideand-seek in places like this.”
The tone was sharp to say it was a self-help joke. However, it was more important for Chloe to find Alice than to pay attention to the Duke’s words. As she turned around the corner, a wall of red roses appeared again.
Is it the place that I passed by earlier?
Chloe, who was frowning while thinking, stopped walking after finding something.
“Alice…!”
Chloe covered her mouth with both hands as she saw Alice mingling with a man with black hair.
“Oh no.”
She tried to block his view, but it was impossible. The duke, who came close to her back, clicked his tongue with a small laugh, and was clearly heard above her head.
“S…sister?”
Alice’s face, who felt their presence and turned her head, was in a mess (she had traces of aftermath of s*x). Chloe saw the man next to Alice with astonished, eyes.
Who the hell is that man?
“Come on, come on…! If you are caught here, you will
die!”
“I don’t think I would care if I die right now.”
As if he didn’t care that someone was watching, the man smiled with an excited face at Alice. Chloe’s eyes darkened even more.
Who the hell is that man? Is he crazy?
“Please! Eddie!”
The moment Alice called his name in a quiet voice, Chloe stumbled as her eyes became dark. Eddie was clearly the name of the gypsy young man Alice met when she secretly went to the festival in the neighbouring town, some time ago.
“We’ll soon meet again, Alice.”
After a brief murmur, the gypsy looked at Alice with sorrowful eyes, soon turned around and ran to the other side of the rose garden.
“Are you okay, young lady?”
He supported her with his strong arms just before she fell because her legs were weak. The Duke’s face was not visible, but his expression was accurately predictable. Chloe came to her senses when she heard his cold voice mixed with ridicule.
“I’m sorry, Duke.”
She managed to move her dry lips.
“S…sister… Eddie suddenly appeared, so I was so surprised….”
Alice’s dress was messy as if she had rolled around on the dirt floor. Chloe closed her eyes and opened her eyes, feeling like her heart was falling on the floor.
“Be quiet, Alice.”
Alice closed her mouth as she heard Chloe’s voice, which was tightly lowered.
What should I do with this?
In a situation where it is not enough to bow and thank the Duke for being invited, Alice was found with an unknown man in the garden where it is prohibited from entering.
How should I cover up my discovered sister?
“Duke.”
Chloe raised her head first and faced Duke Tisse. Her eyes were filled with emotions that she couldn’t put into words. The duke’s eyes glowed, receiving her gaze.
“The sisters seem to have a lot to say, so I’ll get going.”
Chloe called the Duke who was about to leave in a desperate voice.
“Duke!”
“What?”
He stopped walking and glanced at her. Chloe limped and stood in front of him, and bowed her head, deeply.
“I’m sorry.”
“S…Sister…”
Alice said in a voice that she didn’t know what to do. Finally noticing the seriousness of the situation, she was stamping her feet unable to do anything,
“Alice, go back to the carriage right now.”
“But…”
“Come on.”
When Chloe looked at Alice and spoke with a serious face, Alice nodded. She showed courtesy to the Duke with a crying face, and then quickly passed by them.
“It’s the two of us again.”
The duke crossed his arms in front of her. Chloe felt a sense of déjà vu and opened her mouth with a voice full of sincerity, giving her lips strength.
“Duke, I sincerely ask for your forgiveness.”
“Verdier’s second daughter will be famous again. Every time she attends a social party, it’s a scandal. That’s also a skill.”
“Please, don’t tell anyone. I sincerely ask for it.”
“Why should I do that?”