Chapter 31
Lilian received an invitation to a charity fundraiser. Ever since the Sun Festival banquet, she had been invited to all sorts of dinner parties and ladies’ gatherings, but she had turned every single one down. This invitation, however, was not one she could easily refuse.
If I go, Lady Bella will definitely be there… what should I do…?
Lilian instinctively glanced toward Kartan, who was sitting across from the outdoor terrace, reviewing documents.
His Grace told me not to get close to that young lady. But I already said I’d attend on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor—how can I back out now…?
While she was agonizing over it, Kartan suddenly snatched the invitation from her hand.
“What is it?”
As he skimmed through the contents, his expression hardened instantly.
“Do you want to go?”
“……”
Lilian couldn’t answer honestly. The fundraiser was being held to support the orphanage where she had once lived. If there were no complications, she truly wanted to attend.
“…No. I’ll just say something came up and decline.”
“Fine.”
Only then did he return his attention to the documents. Lilian stared down at the invitation with lingering regret.
Ha… I guess there’s no helping it.
While staying at the Grand Duke’s residence, she wanted to avoid clashing with him as much as possible. And running into Lady Bella would probably be awkward anyway.
Lilian picked up the book she had been reading again. At that moment, Kartan curled one corner of his mouth into a faint smirk.
“You like books like this too?”
Her face instantly burned. The book she had been reading was none other than a romance novel.
“The title is The Duke Who Seduces…”
She hurriedly tried to hide the book, but it was already too late.
“So what, he strips and throws himself at her or something? I guess women like that kind of thing?”
“That’s—that’s not it! I just found it in the library and picked it up out of curiosity!”
“Really? That’s strange. Who had the nerve to put something like this in my library?”
The Grand Duke clearly didn’t believe her. And it was understandable—his library was filled entirely with books on politics and history.
It hadn’t been her hobby either. She had only picked it up a few times while trying to find a way to distract him, and before she knew it, she had become completely absorbed.
Embarrassed for no reason, Lilian stuck out her lower lip.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s actually pretty fun!”
But Kartan just kept smiling, which made it all the more irritating.
“So, how does he seduce her?”
“Stop it.”
Lilian frowned in irritation. Just then, Kartan—now resting his chin on his hand—asked in a surprisingly serious tone,
“I’m genuinely curious. What are women weak to? Do you learn that by reading this?”
“Th-then if you’re curious, why don’t you read it yourself…!”
Lilian puffed out her cheeks.
I should’ve just read it quietly in my room.
Come to think of it, he had been staying at the Grand Duke’s residence constantly these days.
“By the way, you seem to have a lot of free time lately. You’re not even going to work.”
“Are you nagging me for slacking off?”
She had asked out of pure curiosity, but he seemed to take it as sarcasm.
“No! That’s not it—I was just wondering since you’ve been home all the time.”
“…I just don’t feel like doing anything.”
Did something happen…?
She almost asked, but then closed her mouth again.
There must be some reason. It’s not like he’d tell me even if I asked.
Lilian reopened her book. At that moment, Kartan casually took it from her hands and began flipping through it with an unexpectedly serious expression.
He was teasing me earlier—does he actually find it interesting?
Intrigued by his reaction, Lilian pulled her chair closer and sat beside him. Resting her chin on her hand, she explained the story.
“Actually… it’s not really about seduction. The two of them fight, and then the female lead loses her memory. So the male lead stays by her side and takes care of her, trying to help her recover her memories.”
“……”
Kartan’s expression subtly changed.
“So that’s it. How childish.”
For reasons she couldn’t understand, his attitude suddenly turned cold.
“What’s so great about digging up memories of a fight? If those resurface, it’ll just ruin their relationship even more. The male lead is an idiot.”
“……”
Lilian was at a loss. Just moments ago, he had seemed genuinely interested, but now his tone sounded openly derisive.
“But I don’t think that way.”
Before she knew it, she had spoken up in protest. It irritated her to see the male lead’s painfully devoted love dismissed so easily.
“What?”
Kartan raised an eyebrow. He seemed displeased by her contradiction. Still, criticizing the male lead without understanding why he made that choice felt unfair to her.
And more than anything, she felt sorry for him—for being forced into such a choice—and wanted to speak on his behalf.
“Even if the memories are painful, they’re still precious to the two of them. And it’s also cruel for the female lead to live on without knowing anything at all.”
He still looked unconvinced.
“Think about it. How would you feel, Your Grace, if the person you loved couldn’t remember you? I think it would be terrifying.”
“……”
Kartan said nothing, merely listening.
Is he too dumbfounded to respond?
Only then did Lilian realize she had gotten far too immersed in the novel. Flustered, she hurriedly added,
“Ah—well, that’s just how I’d feel. I guess I got too serious. It’s not like it really happened—it’s just fiction anyway… haha.”
“……”
The atmosphere became so awkward it was almost suffocating.
Ah, I’ve really messed up. I should’ve just kept quiet. I ruined the mood for no reason. What do I do now?
As Lilian scratched her eyebrow in distress, Kartan suddenly broke the silence.
“I don’t think that way. If it were me, I’d start over as many times as it took. Memories can always be made again.”
“……”
His unexpected answer caught her off guard.
Really? But wouldn’t that be too cruel to the male lead…?
She stopped herself from arguing again. If she did, the mood would probably turn into a full-blown funeral.
With nothing else to do, Lilian turned her head away. From the outdoor terrace, the garden of the Grand Duke’s residence spread out before her.
Come to think of it, the garden has gotten quite lavish. I thought he didn’t like flowers.
She idly fidgeted with a random piece of paper, lost in thought. Then Kartan let out a quiet sigh.
“Do you really want to go that badly?”
“Huh?”
Not understanding right away, she tilted her head. He gestured with his chin toward the paper in her hand.
“Ah.”
Only then did she realize she was holding the charity fundraiser invitation again. She quickly set it down, but he didn’t seem convinced.
“If you want to go that much, then just go.”
It was the best thing she’d heard all day. Without realizing it, Lilian’s voice lifted with excitement.
“Really? That’s okay?”
“Next time, just be honest.”
Seeing how thoroughly annoyed he looked, she felt oddly embarrassed and scratched her head.
“Actually, the orphanage listed on the invitation… it’s where I stayed for a while when I was little. So I wanted to visit. Staying at home all the time has been stifling, too.”
“……”
Carried away, she had brought up her childhood without thinking. Realizing her mistake too late, she bit her tongue.
It was the first time she had ever mentioned being left at an orphanage, and she felt ashamed. She wished the Grand Duke would say something, anything—but he remained silent for a long while.
“Ah, I guess I said something unnecessary. Please don’t mind it.”
“……”
Still, he didn’t respond.
Usually at times like this, wouldn’t someone ask what happened? Or at least say sorry for bringing it up? This is embarrassing…
Lowering her gaze, Lilian stared at the toe of her shoe.
After a moment, Kartan finally parted his tightly pressed lips.
“It would be best if we go together.”
For just a fleeting instant, an inscrutable expression crossed his face. Lilian only tilted her head in confusion.
Well, either way, this works out. Thanks to this, I’ll finally get to go after such a long time. I wonder how that boy is doing, too… what was his name again…?
