#79. Since When?
Herald was scheduled to meet the Emperor of the Empire as a representative of the Kingdom of Lonica, so Belia headed to her room with Kloze alone.
As soon as they arrived, Kloze looked around Belia’s room and gasped.
“Wow! This is your room, sister?”
It wasn’t extravagant, but every piece of furniture and every ornament was clearly valuable.
“Yeah, that statue wouldn’t have fit here at all,” Kloze said with a serious expression.
Belia burst into laughter at the sight of that face.
“Still talking about that?”
She just couldn’t let go of that ugly statue.
Kloze, finding his own remark amusing, chuckled as he took a leisurely tour around the room. Then, his gaze suddenly stopped at one spot.
“What’s this?”
“Hm?”
Belia turned to see what Kloze was looking at. There he was, holding onto the doorknob with a puzzled expression.
“Wait!”
“Huh? Why?”
“Kloze! Your hands!”
Belia, usually calm, shouted sharply, startling Kloze into letting go of the doorknob.
“What’s with the yelling?”
“You’re not supposed to open that.”
If he opened that door, it would lead straight into Khalid’s room. Even though they were engaged and would soon marry, they weren’t technically husband and wife yet. Belia couldn’t let her younger sibling see that they could pass between rooms as if they were.
‘Well, soon we’ll be a real couple…’
No. Still not allowed.
Belia shook her head, trying to compose herself. Kloze was only sixteen.
“Hm?”
But ignoring Belia’s caution, Kloze wore a mischievous smile.
“…Huh?”
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Well… I was just wondering if Prince Khalid would suddenly pop out if I opened this door,” Kloze drawled mysteriously.
Really, he had such a quick wit—just like someone else.
“Stop talking nonsense and come sit here.”
“Hehe, okay!”
Kloze bounced onto the sofa with a thump.
“Kloze, what kind of posture is that?”
Belia scolded him, but Kloze, who she hadn’t seen in a while, had grown even bolder.
“So what! It’s just you here anyway.”
Surely he didn’t always act like this…?
But Kloze really was that shameless, and Belia shivered at the thought. He waved cheerfully at her as she fretted.
“By the way! Sister! It’s been a while! How have you been?”
“I’ve been well. And you?”
“Well, me…”
Kloze grinned.
Seeing his expression reminded Belia of a letter he had sent her before.
“You mentioned you recently became interested in something. What is it?”
But Kloze didn’t answer, only smiled.
“Hm? What is it?”
As Belia pressed, Kloze hesitated, moving his lips, then finally closed his mouth, pulled out a letter, and held it out.
“Here. First, read this.”
“What is it?”
“Derrick asked me to give it to you if I met you.”
Derrick?
Belia, puzzled, carefully opened the letter sealed with sealing wax.
Why had he given the letter to Kloze? Sending it directly would have been much faster…
Belia froze as she read.
“…How do you know that name?”
She had never told Kloze Derrick’s identity. When first introduced, she had only called him Rain, the branch manager of the Information Guild.
Kloze, looking at her shocked expression, looked even more puzzled.
“Someone from the Information Guild wouldn’t introduce themselves by their real name. I assumed it was an alias and checked it out.”
Belia’s jaw nearly dropped.
“Checked it out? Why?”
“Why else? I was curious.”
Something felt off.
“Anyway, what does it say? Read it quickly.”
Both Kloze and Derrick sending the letter to him seemed strange. Belia, uneasy, read on.
What she read was entirely unexpected.
“…What?”
Belia stared at Kloze in disbelief.
“Why that expression…? What does it say?”
Perhaps feeling guilty, Kloze finally looked a little sheepish. Watching the still-plump-cheeked Kloze, Belia sighed.
She read the letter again.
‘Kloze likes Derrick. And he’s moving branches because of that?’
Suddenly, her head throbbed.
What could have possibly happened in less than a year…?
She was too shocked to speak, not knowing where to begin.
With a sigh, Belia burned the letter in the fireplace.
“Since when?”
“Since when what?”
“You like Derrick, right?”
“It says so? Ah, that’s why I ran away then,” Kloze replied nonchalantly.
Belia couldn’t make sense of it. He seemed to get along well with other young nobles of Lonica, so why Derrick, of all people?
Eventually, she lost her composure and shouted again.
“You’re sixteen! You haven’t even had your coming-of-age ceremony!”
“I know. So what?”
“Do you realize Derrick is nine years older than you? He’s older than me!”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s younger than Herald. And when have I ever cared about age when finding someone to marry?”
“…If I had my coming-of-age ceremony, I’d marry him immediately,” she muttered under her breath.
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Kloze quickly shook his head.
“And I never confessed to Derrick. I have some conscience. He noticed first and ran away.”
Belia sighed at Kloze’s shamelessness. Suddenly, a headache appeared out of nowhere.
‘What on earth did Derrick do…!’
It was Kloze’s fault.
Sigh. Belia didn’t even know who to scold anymore.
Then Kloze grinned and asked,
“You’re not opposed to it because of social rank, right? That’s what I worried about more.”
Belia realized something.
‘So that’s why Derrick couldn’t join the Selron family.’
If Kloze found out his social status, he would surely act more aggressively. But knowing that the Selron marquis wouldn’t live another year, Derrick had to appear as the heir soon.
With Raoul and Elin lately being very active in society, Belia already had enough headaches.
“So the interest you recently developed is Derrick?”
“Yes.”
“Stop it.”
Kloze frowned at Belia’s firm words.
“Why?”
“You’re too young.”
“Once I have my coming-of-age ceremony, will it be okay?”
“…Kloze, he ran away because you rejected him.”
“What? Derrick didn’t run because he didn’t like me. I was just too young.”
Kloze pouted, resting his chin in his hands.
Knock, knock. A calm voice knocked at the door.
“Belia. May I come in?”
It was Khalid.
Kloze jumped up as if signaled.
“If Derrick contacts you, let me know, sister. I know I’m young, so I won’t blindly chase him, don’t worry.”
He opened the door, greeted Khalid brightly, and left the room.
Belia watched him go, still confused.
“What’s going on?”
“…Kloze likes Derrick. Derrick noticed and ran away from him, it seems.”
Belia’s exhausted voice made Khalid laugh. She looked up, surprised.
Khalid ignored her and hugged her.
“Why are you laughing?”
Belia’s gaze sharpened.
With a gentle smile, Khalid said,
“If you’re the master of Lunes, he’d be here right now, wouldn’t he?”
“Huh?”
Belia pushed him back, startled, and jumped from his embrace.
“What’s he doing here?”
Khalid looked amused.
“I came to talk about that, and also to greet the little princess. But it seems you’ve already heard unexpected news.”
“Wait… he’s here?”
Does this mean Derrick is in the Empire? Or even in the palace?
Belia, confused, stared at him.
“I had a favor to ask of the Master.”
“You?”
Why would the Master of the Information Guild move personally? Belia couldn’t process anything.
“Anyway, instead of worrying like this, isn’t it better to ask the person directly?”
Khalid smiled.
Belia used the excuse of checking on the clinic to leave the palace with Khalid.
Even hearing that Derrick was in the Empire was surprising, but learning he was undercover as a therapist at the clinic was even more shocking.
When she finally saw him in the clinic’s basement, she couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh rather than get angry.
“I want an explanation for what’s going on.”
Her voice was cold, but Derrick simply smiled.
“Haha. Princess. It’s been a while.”
“I don’t intend to greet you this casually, Derrick.”
Belia sighed and sank into a chair. She remembered Derrick saying not long ago that he didn’t know when he would come to the Empire. But he had already arrived.
Also, in the letter sent to Kloze, he had only mentioned moving branches.
“Explain the situation.”
Belia looked at Khalid. She had rushed here after hearing Derrick was at the clinic and hadn’t gotten a proper explanation yet.
“Hm… well…”
“You also need to explain why you hid this from me,” Belia said sharply, angered by the deception.
“Calm down, Belia.”
“I am calm enough.”
It wasn’t a lie. Looking at Derrick, she felt surprisingly serene, though she should have been furious.
Derrick, watching Belia and Khalid, finally spoke.
“I went to the northern part of the Empire on a request from His Highness Khalid.”
The North?
Belia turned to Khalid, astonished.
