Chapter 7
Juliet may have looked still to the owner of the tea house, but under the table she was carelessly swaying her legs back and forth. She actually quite liked the sound her underskirt made everytime it collided with her ankles.
While Juliet was enjoying the quiet time she got, the sound of a carriage approaching was heard. The carriage stopped in front of the tea house, the person descending was someone Juliet already expecting.
“I have come to escort you, young lady.”
A man whose body seemed as though it was a weapon with a huge scar decorating his face spoke. Juliet, without getting up, greeted the man.
“Sir Cain.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Why were you not present today?”
Her sudden question rendered Cain speechless.
Receiving no answer from him, Juliet just smiled and continued.
“Earlier today, Sir Jude informed me that you had a sudden urgent matter that you had to take care of and that was why you couldn’t make it today.”
“Forgive me, but I am not at liberty to say.”
Cain replied after a few moments of silence in a peculiarly curt tone. The tone of his voice was clearly indicating to not dig deeper and ask anymore questions.
Usually when Cain Hal makes such a stern face, people would be often shaking and trembling with fear. No, not only when he is making a stern face are people scared of him.
People in general tried as much as possible to avoid looking at him or avoid him completely if that was possible, for he seemed like the grim reaper to many due to the huge scar decorating his face and rough appearance. But that wasn’t the case for Juliet Monad for she wasn’t like other people.
She wasn’t going to stop. Juliet placed a hand on her chin and asked again.
“Were you summoned by the Duke?”
There was mirth dancing in her eyes, it felt as if she already knew the answer to the question she just asked.
“…..No.”
It didn’t feel as though she was interrogating him, but he really wished for Juliet to stop asking. He may have been putting on an indifferent face, but he actually felt very uncomfortable because he knew he was a terrible liar and is more comfortable fighting than he is having conversations.
Cain Hal was a former gladiator slave, who became a well
known mercenary commander in the battlefield. Raising from mercenary commander, he became a sword master and caught the eye of the Northern Duke.
Duke Karlyle didn’t care about one’s title or origins. He hired Cain to train the household knights proper swordsmanship, and then he placed him as an escort when Juliet entered the estate. If one was to quibble, Cain wasn’t formally a knight, he wasn’t even a commoner, he was a runaway slave. Yet Juliet was the only one who addressed him as Sir.*
TL/N: Sir/Lord: used to address knights or young unmarried men of some status respectfully.
A few hours ago, Cain was suddenly summoned by the Duke who inquired about Juliet Monad. Where has she gone to recently, who did she meet, and was she communicating with anybody.
“Was there anything different about her recently?”
He could not fathom why the Duke was asking such questions, but he knew that the Duke’s tone was sharp and on edge. He
tried his best to defend Juliet Monad and informed the Duke of what he knew, the young lady was well and that there wasn’t anything suspicious to note.
However, Cain, who was feeling guilty, could not bring himself to tell Juliet of the conversation shared with the Duke. His owner was, after all, Duke Karlyle and not Juliet Monad.
“What did the Duke ask? Was it regarding me?
“…..Forgive me, I cannot say.”
He replied honestly, deciding against denying the subject.
“I see.”
Cain was becoming very concerned, fearing that Juliet would be asking even more questions, but unlike his expectations, she thankfully decided to drop the subject. Watching her reaction, she didn’t seem the least bit disappointed or hurt.
“Umm.”
Juliet who became quiet, seemed lost in thought for a minute, then as if nothing happened, she turned her head and smiled at Cain, pushing the other glass to his side.
“Have a seat and drink this. It’s sweet and refreshing.”
“…….. Thank you.”
He sat opposite to Juliet and accepted the glass she offered.
On the other side, the owner of the teahouse looked out the order window and was shocked at the sight her eyes witnessed.
The mercenary commander who shook the city with his bare hands, and the lover of the Duke were sitting together, peacefully drinking ice tea.
It was indeed a strange sight to see.
Unlike his looks, Cain Hal did not enjoy strong drinks but instead enjoyed sweet and refreshing drinks. Only a few people knew about this fact, and Juliet was among the very few who
knew. Thus, she started inviting him whenever she was having teatime.
Cain really enjoyed such a time. Juliet Monad was a lady of few words, but she had a talent in making people feel comfortable and relaxed around her. He sometimes thought that this must be one of the reasons why Duke Karlyle kept the young lady by his side for such a long time.
Before he knew it, Cain already emptied his once full glass. He slowly raised his eyes looking at Juliet. She seemed to have lost interest in him and was busy looking at the street, not drinking a sip from her glass.
Feeling Cain’s eyes on her, Juliet turned around and smiled nonchalantly.
“Should I order you another drink?”
“……Please.”
Just as Juliet had said the ice tea was refreshing and sweet, he strangely could not taste a thing.
*
*
*
Evening.
Lennox Karlyle had reached the royal banquet earlier than expected. But instead of staying on the first floor where the banquet was to be held, he moved to stand on the second floor balcony overlooking the banquet hall.
“We’ve found him.”
Hardin, a knight clothed in black from head to toe, reported quietly to the Duke. Hardin was the leader of the ‘Wolves’ who worked secretly for the Karlyle household.
“A fellow named Donnaven who currently lives in District 8.”
It hasn’t been a few hours since the order has been given, yet the Wolves were able to find out the name and face of the suspicious man who frequented Count Monad’s house.
However, even after listening to the report, the Duke’s face remained completely passive.
The 8th District is where well-off commoners mostly resided. One thing was for sure, the unidentified ‘man’ who frequently inquired about Juliet was now identified.
“My liege, how would you like us to proceed?”
“Find him and arrest him, I’ll decide what to do with him after this banquet is over.”
“As you wish.”
Lennox stayed on the balcony even after the man in black had left. The music of the first floor had started indicating the start of the banquet. Among all the glamorously dressed people dancing and socializing, one person stood out the most.
She was by herself, quietly leaning on the wall, her light brown hair sparkling under the spotlight. Wearing a deep blue dress showing off her elegant neckline, milky shoulders, and seductive figure.
Standing there was the very woman who had gotten under his skin, and the woman who had been on his mind the whole day,
acting like a wallflower.
‘If she had not shown up to the banquet, I would have gone to the Count’s house and personally dragged her back.’
Juliet had shown up to the palace banquet just as she promised, admirably.
If Lennox was being honest, he was a little impressed with Juliet today. His lover, who was dovelike, can get on his nerves if she decided to. Juliet Monad was not a lover who needed constant care, therefore, bluntly speaking, it was convenient to him. She never asked him to buy this and that, and she never begged for attention or affection. The most important thing was that Juliet never forced any one sided feelings onto him.
Truthfully, Lennox Karlyle didn’t have a lot of expectations from his lover. He doesn’t care about her education level or her status, and he didn’t care if his lover used money like there’s no tomorrow. All he wanted, no preferred, was a partner who would agree to breaking off the relationship at any time.
TL/N: Lennox you trash…
He wasn’t a 15 year old boy chasing love. He hated having to waste time on such childish things such as love. He would keep a lover when needed, but he never stayed with one partner for too long
Lennox Karlyle laughed.
Delicate eyes, long lashes and small nose, round forehead and elegant neck. She was quick-witted and quiet. Juliet was the complete opposite compared to all his past lovers, but she was not the type that Lennox usually preferred. He liked flashy things. However, Juliet Monad resembled an elegant beauty who seemed to have come out of a mural that would make any noble go crazy.
In the first place, making Juliet his lover was decided on a whim. Regardless, Juliet never raised her delicate voice or screamed, and she barely made requests or asked for anything. That fascinated Lennox.
“It’s convenient…..”