IHTTOFR CH 9

Chapter 9

“Aren’t you curious?”

“I’m going to ask Henry.”

“Henry?”

“Henry Chester.”

The man couldn’t hide his surprised expression. Henry Chester, the third son of the Chester family, was so wealthy that people said he was “born with a golden lump in his hand.” He was a child of an extremely rich marquis family. Yet, this lady didn’t look like a noblewoman. How could she possibly know someone as noble as Henry Chester?

“How do you know Chester?”

“By chance.”

“By chance? You can’t just know someone by chance.”

“Didn’t you inherit Ihwa’s restaurant?”

Yulia didn’t know much about Ihwa, but she knew that the man referred to him as his mentor and was desperately searching for him. Ihwa must hold an important place in this man’s life. So, she casually mentioned inheriting Ihwa’s restaurant. The man fell silent. It worked.

“Anyway, if you ask Henry, he’ll tell you. He knows quite a lot.”

The man began to think. People couldn’t resist money. Wherever there was money, rumors, goods, and people gathered. And Chester had a lot of money. If this lady asked Henry about Count Edith, he would surely be able to answer.

Finally, the man played his trump card.

“Wait a minute. If you ask Chester as you said, he will surely tell you everything.”

“That’s great. It’s just like Henry.”

“But Count Edith is a close friend of my mother.”

“Friend?”

“Yes, from long ago, before she married and moved to the capital.”

Yulia stared at the man for a moment and then whispered to Dylan. She gently stroked his feathers and spoke slowly, in a low voice.

“Is this a lie, Dylan?”

“No. But this man looks like he’s in a hurry.”

She nodded. That meant this man probably knew a lot about Count Edith. He could tell her the truth, the unknown sides, and hidden stories about Count Edith. Yulia looked at him and spoke.

“Shall we go to Quattro Street? We can talk while having tea there.”

Quattro Street, the fourth street, was filled with colorful cafes. You could see every shade of pink and mint on the cafe exteriors, and the place offered delicious desserts and teas with deep fragrances.

Yulia had once wished to exchange sweet emotions, like sugar, with a handsome man in this very street.

“But it looks like I came here first with you.”

Wearing a yellow cloak and her faded blonde hair braided into two, Yulia stood out in a simple way. Everyone else was dressed in magnificent gowns, but Yulia was the only one in a plain, white dress without any decorations or lace. Moreover, her cloak was yellow—a color that had long passed its fashion.

“I’m the first lady you’ve escorted who complains like this.”

“Of course. It’s probably the first time your wrist was twisted, too.”

With the sharp beak of a fierce chick that didn’t back down, it was the man who finally stepped back. He extended his hand to Yulia, but she didn’t take his hand and instead jumped lightly off the horse.

The man, who had watched her descend from the horse with the grace of a feather, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh.”

She looked incredibly neat.

“You move so gracefully.”

“If it wasn’t for the horse, I wouldn’t have ridden behind you.”

Yulia smiled and placed her hand on top of his. The man escorted her to the cafe. As they approached, Yulia heard murmurs from the crowd. Even Yulia, who usually was oblivious to such things, couldn’t help but notice the attention directed at her. She whispered quietly to the man.

“Why are people staring at me like this? Are you…?”

“Are we what?”

“Are you infamous?”

The man looked at her with an expression of disbelief. Yulia met his gaze. His silver hair was gathered and tied with a string that had a gemstone attached, glinting in the sunlight. Despite his silver hair, he didn’t look old, but rather radiant and mysterious.

His skin was fairer than hers, his lips red, and his eyes a mystical shade of purple. Looking at this unreal figure, Yulia slowly nodded.

He had the face of a handsome knight. He could easily be the male lead of a romance novel.

“Oh, so it’s because you’re handsome.”

“Handsome?”

“Yes. You look like a silver deer.”

“A silver deer? Have you ever seen one?”

“I’ve cooked venison before.”

Yulia replied indirectly, rather than admitting she had hunted the deer. The man shook his head, seemingly understanding the meaning behind her words. Before they entered the cafe, the man grabbed Yulia’s hand, bent slightly, and whispered in her ear.

“I am Leon Hale, the first commander of the Imperial Knights and the eldest son of Duke Hale, who protects the empire from the southern monsters.”

His voice, like the hiss of a giant sky serpent, seemed to burrow into her ears. The reason she compared his voice to a serpent was because it felt like the sound wrapped around her ear and traveled down her spine, sending chills down her back. Yulia instinctively hunched her shoulders.

“If the Chester family is famous for their shine, we are known for our sharpness.”

“Sharpness?”

“Swords, arrows, spears, things like that.”

Only then did Yulia faintly recall the story Ihwa had told her. During their travels in the south, Ihwa had worn a veil, keeping her face hidden and her braided hair down.

When Yulia asked why, Ihwa had said she was avoiding sharp things. Yulia had thought it was a metaphor for the glaring sun, but now, it seemed there was a different reason.

“Is it well known that the Hales wield sharp things?”

“It is. But judging from your question, you must not be from the capital.”

“Then why are you in the capital when you’re from the south?”

Leon laughed heartily. Yulia’s boldness was refreshing.

A short while later, the two sat down at a spot in the cafe. There was a black table in front of a plush sofa, and each seat had a divider, allowing for private conversations.

“Do you have a favorite tea?”

Yulia looked at Leon and opened her mouth.

“I like Silverlining Tea, which glows silver and is full of moonlight.”

Leon raised one eyebrow and smiled. His expression showed genuine interest.

“Or, what about the Sami Tea, picked when it rains in the red western desert?”

Yulia smiled, still not looking at the menu, and spoke.

Leon was familiar with that tea as well. It was a tea only the wealthy, with connections and money, could buy, often served to important guests or used to show off. But more than that.

“You’re really close with Ihwa, aren’t you?”

It was Ihwa’s favorite tea. Silverlining Tea and Sami Tea. When Ihwa drank it, she would soften and become gentler. As soon as Leon mentioned the tea, it seemed like he wanted to bring up Ihwa right away, which suggested their relationship wasn’t a surface-level one.

“You know Ihwa, don’t you?”

“Are you testing me?”

“How could I talk carelessly about Ihwa without trusting you?”

It seemed Leon appreciated her answer, as he didn’t appear offended. However, Yulia became conflicted.

Once, Ihwa had told her to talk freely about her, but she didn’t want to speak to someone who was avoiding Ihwa. From the circumstances, it seemed like Ihwa had been trying to avoid someone, and it appeared to be this man.

“I don’t think I’ll talk about Ihwa.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I won’t talk about Ihwa to you. And there’s no need for you to tell me about Count Edith either.”

Finally, Yulia sighed. She didn’t want to talk about Ihwa in a way that felt like she was selling her out. She figured that if she tried, she could eventually hear the truth about Count Edith, but for now, she decided to walk away from the obvious shortcut.

“Wait. Lady.”

Just as Yulia was about to stand, Leon grabbed her.

“Then let me ask you one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Is Ihwa doing well?”

Yulia stared at Leon. Until just a moment ago, she had seen him as someone unpleasant. He had grabbed her wrist like a ruffian on their first meeting, and she had suspected that he was someone Ihwa was avoiding.

But now, he asked about Ihwa with such a lonely expression. Yulia’s suspicion began to fade.

“Until she suddenly left me, yes.”

At that moment, the slight relief on Leon’s face made Yulia waver. It seemed that his feelings for Ihwa were not rooted in hostility. Yulia sat back down.

“By the way, I’m Yulia.”

“What’s your last name?”

Everyone seemed to ask for her last name. Yulia frowned, and Leon nodded as if coming to a conclusion. She probably didn’t like revealing her title.

“Call me whatever you like. Yulia or Yus—or maybe that way or this way?”

“That’s not how you address a lady.”

“I guess I do treat you like a lady.”

“Of course. Lady Yulia. I’m Leon Hale.”

To be continued…