CHAPTER 15……………………
“…Do we not need to call a priest?”
“There’s no need.”
Calling a priest over nothing more than a nightmare felt overly dramatic.
Leaving Rian standing behind me, Duke Alexis revealed himself.
“You’re here, Father?”
“Yes.”
Only after Duke Alexis stepped inside did Rian naturally take the seat across from me.
Barak was absent from the dinner table, but no one seemed to be looking for him.
It was easy to guess that he must have raised his voice at the Duke after learning that I’d been summoned to the ducal residence.
Since there was no one in this estate who would take his side, he was probably still at the villa where April was staying.
“Let’s all eat.”
As the dishes began arriving one by one, the Duke—who had been glancing at me from the corner of his eye—spoke lightly.
“You’re too thin. It would be good for you to gain some weight.”
“I’ve already instructed the head chef to prepare a few special dishes specifically for the young lady.”
The Duke smiled in satisfaction at the butler’s smooth response.
The clinking of utensils sounded unusually sharp in my ears.
“Has dinner already started?”
“Young Master?”
At the unexpected voice, all four pairs of eyes at the table turned toward Barak.
“Steward, mine as well.”
“Ah—yes. I’ll prepare it at once.”
Barak removed the robe he was wearing and carelessly draped it over the chair before sitting down beside Rian.
I thought he would definitely be at the villa… Why did he return to the ducal estate?
Suppressing my curiosity, I let out a small scoff as I glanced at the restraint cuff around his wrist.
“If you’re going to attend dinner, come on time.”
“Yes, Father.”
Despite the Duke’s reprimand, Barak wore a cheerful expression.
I knew why. Instead of refusing the restraint cuff, he had secured a promise for his sister’s recovery.
This quiet, peaceful dinner was not what I had wanted. I was the one who broke the silence.
“Something good must have happened, Brother Barak.”
At my pointed remark, everyone’s shoulders stiffened.
No one here was unaware that Barak disliked me. In the past, I had lived as quietly as a dead mouse, afraid of crossing him.
The hand that had been cutting his food paused. His sharply raised eyes seemed to say, How dare you speak to me?
“Since we’re family now, I didn’t think it was something I couldn’t ask.”
“Father.”
Barak completely turned his gaze away from me and stopped eating, looking at Duke Alexis instead.
“April’s condition has improved greatly.”
His voice was rough and excited, unable to hide his agitation.
As if he had no more appetite, the sharp clatter of his fork and knife hitting the plate rang in my ears.
“The twisted bones have been set back in place, and they say that if she continues walking practice, she’ll soon be able to live as she did before.”
The Duke had said he would treat me as April, and that everyone in the ducal house would do the same—but Barak clearly had no intention of doing so.
Even if it was temporary, he had no intention of ever calling me “April” again.
And yet, I wasn’t offended. I wasn’t even incredulous enough to laugh bitterly.
Barak’s feelings meant nothing to me.
It was Duke Alexis who had brought me here and who was paying the monthly sum of 100,000 luke.
Who did Barak think he was?
“That’s good news.”
The Duke offered only a brief comment.
Rian gave a small nod, glancing between me and the Duke.
He seemed worried that Barak’s words might have hurt me.
“I read in the papers that her condition wasn’t good… Who treated her?”
At my question, Barak’s body stiffened.
He wouldn’t answer honestly with the restraint cuff on, but I was curious how he would react.
Dabbing at the corner of my mouth, I looked straight at him and smiled.
“It doesn’t seem like the High Priest from the capital… Was it another priest?”
“You don’t need to know.”
So he won’t say it was some strange woman with divine power.
Perhaps from unease, Barak fiddled with the arm wearing the restraint cuff.
“You didn’t do anything dangerous, did you?”
“I did nothing of the sort, so there’s no need to worry.”
Even with the restraint cuff on, he could still say that. Impressive.
If he had also used an artifact to change his appearance, I might have applauded him.
It seemed that even the risk of losing a wrist wasn’t much of a threat to him.
“It won’t take long for April to make a full recovery.”
Snap—the sound of a head turning was clear.
As he glared directly at me, I curled the corners of my lips and smiled just like April would.
Seeing his expression twist almost made me laugh.
“So please withdraw your decision to bring that girl into this house, Father.”
“Barak!”
“That matter is already settled. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Father!”
Amid the tension thick enough to snap, I seemed to be the only one at ease.
“Barak, do not make me repeat myself.”
Barak’s sharp gaze turned toward me.
He must think I had sweet-talked the Duke into protecting me like this—but in truth, even I didn’t understand why the Duke was defending me so thoroughly.
Because of the engagement to the Crown Prince and the royal marriage? If so, he would have wavered at Barak’s words.
Breaking promises was one of the ducal family’s specialties, after all. Perhaps he was just saying this for show.
“The young lady will return soon enough. When she does, I’ll leave.”
“You—”
“I mean it.”
Even if April stormed in right now, caused a scene, and drove me out, I wouldn’t mind.
My plan would only be perfected once April returned to the ducal estate.
Barak probably wanted to bring April back immediately, but couldn’t—perhaps because he feared she would become agitated because of me.
If he thought venting his anger, hurling insults, and picking at others was a privilege reserved only for himself, then I would thoroughly crush that illusion this time.
The dinner table was strung tight with tension like a pulled cord.
“Pardon the interruption during your meal.”
With a small cough, Kana entered, and the sharpness in the air vanished instantly, as if a taut rubber band had snapped.
Having worked in this household for a long time, Kana must have immediately sensed how hostile the atmosphere had been.
“What is it?”
“An invitation has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
“From the Imperial Palace?”
I saw the envelope bearing the royal seal. And the invitation was addressed—not to the Duke—but to me.
“It is a letter for the young lady.”
“Why would the Imperial family send a letter to her?”
“I’m not certain about that…”
I opened the envelope Kana handed me and checked its contents.
“I sent a letter first, so this must be the reply.”
“What?”
Barak shot to his feet and snatched the invitation from my hand.
