~Chapter 80~
Kassen spoke with a sly smile.
“Your Grace, you won’t be upset if Delphina stays at the Duke of Fuat’s estate for her sick friend, will you?”
Elcayan replied calmly.
“If Delphina wants it, I won’t stop her. I trust her.”
Seeing Elcayan’s composed expression, Kassen’s body trembled.
He realized Elcayan was mocking the time he had misunderstood Delphina’s relationship with Alphonso—when Alphonso had been disguised as a commoner—because of Ivelina’s words.
Delphina laughed at Kassen inwardly.
He’s the one who made Jerian sick, yet he says things like that.
It was disgustingly shameless.
A system window appeared above Delphina’s head.
<The god Frad is enraged by Kassen, who lies as easily as breathing. He curses Kassen.>
<Kassen’s hair loss accelerates!>
Delphina looked at Kassen’s forehead. Whether it was the god’s curse or not, his forehead looked even wider than before.
“That won’t work. Even if His Grace trusts me, I have to leave for the North soon. As you know, the winters there are harsh.”
“Then all the more reason for you to stay here. The Grand Duke can take care of the North’s winter, can’t he?”
It was such a typically Kassen answer.
Delphina was almost impressed by his shamelessness.
I didn’t know he could be so persistently stupid.
She was about to refuse him when Ivelina opened the door first.
“Delphina, I’m late.”
Delphina looked at Kassen and saw his face twist instantly.
“It seems my fiancé forgot to tell me you were visiting.”
“Ivelina…”
“Kassen, what were you trying to do alone with Delphina? What now that His Grace and I are here?”
Ivelina’s eyes were bloodshot, as if she had just caught her fiancé cheating.
But she surely knew—it was only Kassen who had any shady intentions.
Seeing that Delphina showed no interest in Kassen at all, Ivelina ground her teeth inwardly.
Of course!
Elcayan was standing right beside Delphina. She hadn’t looked at Kassen once.
Ivelina felt her temper rising to the top of her head.
She turned on Kassen.
“Kassen, how can you treat me like this?”
“Calm down, Ivelina.”
“What, calm down? Do I look calm to you?”
“You’ve really gone too far. Yelling like that is terribly vulgar.”
The two of them began arguing loudly, as if they’d forgotten Elcayan and Delphina were there.
Elcayan whispered to Delphina.
“Shall we move somewhere else?”
“No, they’ll be here soon.”
Elcayan tilted his head in confusion, but soon understood what she meant.
“What’s all this commotion?”
With a loud voice, Leila appeared.
“Delphina?”
The moment she saw Delphina, Leila’s eyes went wide. Her hands trembled as she spoke in shock.
“My goodness, your face is half its size!”
“Pardon?”
“You must have suffered so much because of that rascal Kassen.”
Delphina shook her head.
“Not at all, Madam. I’ve actually gained weight. I think it just feels that way because it’s been a while since we met.”
“I-Is that so?”
“And breaking up with Kassen wasn’t such a shock for me.”
“Indeed, Delphina, I’ve always thought you were too good for him. It’s unfortunate he cheated, but I was relieved you broke up with him.”
Anyone would think Delphina was her granddaughter from the way she spoke.
Kassen scowled deeply. That was one reason he disliked Leila—she always criticized him and worried about Delphina, who had been hurt by his actions.
“What are you two doing, raising your voices in front of Delphina?”
Leila looked disapprovingly at Kassen and Ivelina.
She clicked her tongue and turned to Delphina.
“Delphina, did anything upset you?”
Delphina didn’t hesitate.
“Yes. Kassen kept making uncomfortable remarks. Even though I’m engaged to Elcayan, he suggested I stay at the Duke of Fuat’s estate.”
“What?”
“I don’t understand. I thought Kassen broke off our engagement because he loved Ivelina. How could he make such a request to someone else?”
Leila looked at Kassen as if he were the most worthless man alive. Kassen stammered in panic.
“I-I didn’t mean it that way. I only thought, since Grandmother wanted to see Delphina…”
“You pathetic boy. You dare use me as an excuse to say something so rude to Delphina?”
Leila already knew that Kassen often fought with Ivelina and brought up Delphina in their arguments.
But what she had just heard was beyond belief.
To make advances toward Delphina, now engaged to the Grand Duke—and right in front of him.
This wasn’t something that could be brushed off as a personal matter. It could turn into a serious issue between families.
“Kassen, you truly are beyond disgrace!”
Hearing Leila’s scolding, Kassen clenched his teeth in frustration. But under her fierce gaze, he lowered his head.
“I’m sorry, Delphina. My apologies, Your Grace. My grandson has been rude.”
Elcayan answered her calmly.
“It’s nothing, Madam. The Young Duke’s rudeness isn’t your fault—it’s his own.”
Leila bowed her head, truly ashamed.
“It’s my fault for not raising him properly.”
Delphina also reassured her.
“It’s fine, Lady Leila. No matter what Kassen says, it won’t shake my heart.”
“Delphina, I’m always sorry to you.”
Leila spoke with genuine regret.
“You’ve come to see Jerian, haven’t you? I’ll take you to him.”
With Leila guiding them, Delphina and Elcayan walked toward where Jerian was.
Leila looked at Elcayan with a sharp gaze, as if assessing her granddaughter’s partner. Elcayan had been unusually quiet since arriving at the Duke’s estate.
Delphina wasn’t worried—she knew why.
He’s letting me do things my way.
Leila whispered in Delphina’s ear.
“Delphina, I was worried when you went to the North, but it seems things have turned out well.”
With her sharp eye for people, Leila had immediately recognized that Elcayan was far better than Kassen.
“Still, if you ever have a hard time, you can contact me anytime. You don’t know how worried I was when you left for the North and stopped writing.”
Leila sighed. Jerian’s illness was endlessly frustrating. If he weren’t sick, someone like Kassen would never have become Young Duke.
“Since he got sick, Jerian hasn’t wanted to see anyone. But he still wanted to see you, Delphina.”
“…”
“I think he was worried about you, engaged to Kassen as you were. He knew what kind of man Kassen was.”
“Jerian has worried about me since our academy days. We were friends and rivals with a good-natured competition.”
“Yes, you competed fairly. I suppose he wanted to check on you, but maybe he also wanted to show you a magic circle he made before he got sick.”
Leila couldn’t bring herself to say that Jerian’s desire to see Delphina wasn’t only out of friendly concern.
“Jerian, may we come in? Delphina is here to see you.”
A voice soon came from inside the room.
“Yes, please come in.”
Yeeees! Save Jerian and kick the ex out!
I’m so glad she’s going to save poor Jerian. I always feel terrible for the brothers who are hurt by their family just so they can have their position taken away. It must feel like such a terrible betrayal..