NRAL | Chapter 68

~Chapter 68~

 I Missed You

At the mention of Countess Annabel, Fabian’s face turned ghostly pale, as if he might faint on the spot.

“W-What are you saying? I serve His Majesty—how could I ever…!”

“Exactly. Someone who serves the Emperor dares to covet the Emperor’s woman? You don’t seem like a particularly bold type.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Fabian instinctively stepped back and tried his best to deny it, but it was pointless.

“Tuesday morning. Hotel Mercedes. The suite room. Do I need to go on?”

Hearing the exact time and place, Fabian could no longer protest. His whole body trembled instead. A more defiant person might’ve demanded proof, but Fabian wasn’t strong enough for that.

“…I-I’m sorry. I’m really sorry!”

And just like that, Fabian admitted to it with shocking innocence.

“Please… Please don’t tell His Majesty. Or my father. If they find out, I’m as good as dead. Please, I’m begging you…!”

He revealed his weakness without hesitation, making all the threats Eleanor had prepared feel unnecessary. He was far too easy.

Eleanor slowly tilted her head, watching him look ready to drop to his knees.

“…Did she force you into it too? Did Countess Annabel make you do it against your will?”

“…What?”

“There are others like you. The countess promised to keep it a secret, promised gold and riches, and then forced them into sleeping with her.”

Fabian’s green eyes widened, trembling with betrayal.

‘She said I was the only one…!’

His thoughts were practically visible on his face.

It was absurd—feeling betrayed because his mistress had other lovers, even though he himself was with someone else’s lover. Ridiculous.

Eleanor scoffed inwardly at the stupidity of it, but continued her act with a sympathetic tone.

“One of the men she discarded said that as soon as His Majesty found out, he was cast aside and harshly punished. The Countess, he said, only enjoys the moment—she never takes responsibility. Even if caught, she’s favored by the Emperor, so only her young lovers suffer the consequences.”

“……!”

“She even forces harmful tea onto people and insists on specific preferences. It’s all part of it. Because she never plans to care, never plans to love.”

As she began sharing details only someone intimate with the Countess would know, Fabian started to believe her completely.

“How could she…!”

He now saw himself as a victim—someone fooled and trapped by a woman like a witch.

He had chosen to meet her of his own free will, yet still blamed her for everything. Eleanor chuckled to herself.

“As a noble of Juvenile, I can’t overlook someone who’s betrayed His Majesty. But I also think it’s wrong for someone like you to bear all the punishment while the true criminal walks free. You didn’t want this—you were pressured.”

“Lady Ellie…! Yes, that’s right! I didn’t want any of this! How could I say no to her? I might’ve lost my job!”

“I thought as much. So I’ll give you a choice. Will you reveal your affair with the Countess and take all the blame alone? Or…”

She trailed off, and Fabian clasped his hands together and stared at her desperately.

Whatever came next—he would choose it. As long as the world didn’t find out about his affair with the Countess, he would do anything.

“…Will you help me, so the real wrongdoer gets what she deserves?”

Not realizing Eleanor was one of the “wrongdoers” too, he naively agreed.

***

Yesterday and today have been equally busy.

Yesterday, she’d carried out secret operations at Hotel Mercedes with an awkward partner. Today, she endured a tense tea time with Countess Annabel and used the info she gathered to manipulate her lover.

After such a busy day, Eleanor wished she could finally rest—but that wasn’t to be. An unexpected visitor had arrived at the duke’s residence.

“Your Highness, what brings you here unannounced?”

“Oh, how cold. Are we the kind of people who need to schedule our meetings in advance? We’ll be family soon, after all. Don’t you think so, Lady Astria?”

Arlo had shown up uninvited at dinnertime, smiling shamelessly.

He’d looked down on Nora at the palace, and now he had the nerve to talk about family. Truly shameless.

Eleanor had expected him to come after receiving that harsh letter, but not this quickly. She had underestimated how little patience Arlo had. He must’ve been more desperate than she thought, to appear so openly like this.

“I realized I haven’t dined with my in-laws recently, so I decided to pay a visit. Would you be willing to spare your silly son-in-law a meal?”

“……Of course, Your Highness.”

The Duke of Astria suppressed his displeasure and reluctantly offered Arlo a seat. Regardless of how irritating Arlo was, he was still the crown prince of Juvenile—the very man the duke intended to help ascend the throne someday.

Arlo, knowing this would be the outcome, walked in confidently.

As he passed Nora and walked near Eleanor, he leaned in slightly and whispered.

“Hello, Ellie.”

His long eyes curved playfully as a smirk lifted his lips. Right in front of his fiancée, he offered Eleanor a flirtatious greeting and walked on like nothing had happened.

Both Eleanor and Nora’s faces darkened at the same time.

‘You shameless bastard!’

Nora seethed with rage. He’d ignored her letter and now had the courage to show up uninvited—just to smile at Eleanor?

‘Disgusting man.’

Eleanor clenched her jaw, thinking of his smile as a nightmare.

Thus began the most awkward dinner imaginable—where not a single person welcomed Arlo’s presence.

He did most of the talking, mainly with the Duke, discussing the wine business. He seemed hesitant to speak to Eleanor directly because of the Duke’s watchful eye and too guilty to act familiar with Nora.

Meanwhile, Eleanor sat across from him, her face expressionless as she focused only on her meal.

Though her lips kept moving, hardly anything made it down her throat. Her stomach was burning and unsettled.

‘It must be the tea I drank earlier.’

While not extremely toxic, the tea had its effects. She had taken an antidote right after leaving Constance Palace, but clearly, not all of the poison had been neutralized.

Trying to soothe her stomach with lukewarm water, she—

Tap.

Something nudged her foot under the table.

Eleanor bit her lower lip and stayed silent. Again, tap, a light poke at her toes.

She knew exactly whose foot it was—Arlo’s. And she knew this was his silent signal.

But Eleanor kept her gaze lowered, pretending not to notice. She knew her lack of reaction would only provoke him more, and honestly, if she made eye contact now, she might throw up everything she’d eaten.

As expected, Arlo glanced her way with a raised brow, clearly irritated that she wasn’t paying attention to him. But with the Duke and Nora present, he couldn’t express his frustration.

By the time dessert arrived, Eleanor rose from her seat as if she had been waiting for this very moment.

“Your Highness. Forgive me, but I’m feeling unwell today. I’ll excuse myself now. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening.”

It was the first time she’d addressed Arlo all night—and all she said was goodbye. He looked genuinely shocked.

In contrast, the Duke nodded in approval, uncharacteristically pleased. Eleanor’s polite retreat from Arlo’s presence showed good sense.

‘So, she did learn something after being scolded.’

His expression said it all—he thought his guidance had worked. Eleanor offered a faint smile.

She had learned something—never leave behind proof or even suspicion. Her graceful exit was a lesson well applied.

She turned without hesitation and walked back to her room. Even though she could feel his stare burning into the back of her head, she didn’t look back once.

She knew they’d have another opportunity to speak—just the two of them.

About thirty minutes later…

“Move aside! I said, I need to talk to her!”

“I’m sorry, sir. If you wish to speak to the young lady, you must formally request an audience and wait in the drawing room. No man may storm into a noble lady’s bedroom.”

“I used to be her fiancé!”

“Yes, sir, but you are not anymore.”

Eleanor, who had slipped away from dinner, spotted Arlo arguing with Ernst outside her room. Just as she’d expected.

“Sir Ernst, would you step aside for a moment?”

“Ellie. Good, you’ve come out. I have something to say to you. May I enter your room?”

Arlo mistook Eleanor’s intervention as her taking his side and smugly raised his chin.

“No. As Sir Ernst said, I can’t allow an unrelated man into my bedroom. You’re no longer my fiancé, and I am a lady of House Astria.”

“…It’s something I must say in private. Please, understand.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. If Father or Nora misunderstood, that would be troublesome for both of us. I’ll dismiss the others, so let’s talk here.”

He had probably excused himself saying he was going to the bathroom. She couldn’t risk letting him in — someone might come looking.

Eleanor gestured, and the servants quickly stepped back. Hilda and Ernst made sure no one was eavesdropping.

“No one will overhear us now. Please, go ahead.”

Not offering him a seat, she got straight to the point. Arlo frowned, clearly annoyed.

But her beauty softened his irritation, and in a practiced, gentle voice, he began.

“Ellie, why didn’t you respond to my letters? I sent several.”

“Father and Nora pressured me not to. They don’t like me communicating with you. I didn’t even get to read them properly.”

“I figured as much. That’s why I came. I had to see you.”

“To see me—not Nora? What could you possibly want to say to me?”

Narrowing her eyes, she asked as though she truly didn’t know. Instead of answering, Arlo slowly reached out his hand.

As his fingers neared her face, Eleanor instinctively wanted to shove him away—but she managed to restrain herself.

His hand, warmer than it had any right to be, brushed her cheek gently. Then, in a voice as sweet as honey, he whispered—

“I just… missed you so much, my Ellie.”