“Hup!”
Having dragged a chair all the way from the back to reach her doll, Rose paused multiple times over that short distance, wiping away the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. Usually, she would use those sleeves of hers to wipe away my sweat, but now, single-mindedly intent on reclaiming her doll, she looked up at the massive table.
“Doll, my bunny doll! Big sister Rose is coming!”
“Heave-ho, heave-ho!” Chanting to herself like a marching song, Rose tried her best, but even climbing up onto the tall chair proved to be a trial. Laying her stomach flat against the seat first, she kicked her little legs in the air, grunting with exertion.
Gasp! The knights held their collective breath each time her tiny feet fluttered back and forth. Only the lack of an actual lake kept water from splashing, but Sir Jerome’s face already looked positively submerged in affection.
“…My lady, if it pleases you, may I assist—”
“Huh? The wooden doll talks!”
“…”
“Dolls aren’t supposed to talk. Are you not a doll?”
‘I don’t think you are.’ Rose tilted her head, unable to take her eyes off Jerome. Sir Jerome hurriedly turned his head away, but Rose was just as stubborn, whipping her head this way and that to follow his face.
Seeing Sir Jerome flushed crimson all the way to his ears, one could safely say he had fallen headfirst into a lake from which there was no return.
“Whoa, my doll! There it is!”
Regardless of his plight, Rose finally managed to hoist herself onto the edge of the table. Without fully climbing up, she hooked half her body over and stretched her arm out toward the doll, only for her attention to be stolen by something else entirely.
“Uh? That’s me!”
When her reflection appeared in the glass-smooth marble, Rose completely forgot what she was trying to do. Thanks to that sudden, quintessential toddler amnesia, the doll vanished from her mind, and she peered in wonder at her own face.
“It’s Rose! Sister, look! It’s Rose in here!”
And she did it right in front of the twins.
“…My hair is all messy. A lady shouldn’t be like this!”
“Pfft.”
Every time Rose referred to herself as a lady, the twins exchanged glances, trying to keep their composure. Meanwhile, like a busy kitten, she busied herself fussing over her reflection in the marble. Patting around her mouth, she gave up on that and pulled out her ribbon hairpin, which had drooped downward while she had been staring at the floor.
“Oh dear.”
She seemed intent on pinning it back in on her own, but there was no way that would work. Perhaps because the materials were so cheap, the pin barely held for a few hours even when I styled it firmly into place. With Rose’s tiny grip, she couldn’t catch more than a few strands of hair before it slipped right back down, again and again.
In the end, achieving half-success, Rose beamed down at the table with the ribbon dangling precariously from her bangs.
“Hehe.”
“Your Grace, would you not consider Lady Elijah’s request!”
“I am of the same mind!”
“…Aiden. Devon.”
The Grand Duke lifted his gaze toward the twins, who had spoken in such perfect unison they might as well have chanted, ‘We beg of you, Your Grace!’
He had merely uttered their names once, yet his overpowering aura remained unmistakable. Sir Jerome, looking utterly pale behind them, stepped forward to shield his younger brothers.
“Your Grace, please forgive my brothers’ impudence.”
“…Jerome.”
“However, I cannot help but wonder if Lady Elijah, too, was left with no choice but to act for the sake of her sibling, just as I would.”
Well done, my handsome savior! I drew out the handkerchief I had used repeatedly in the carriage and demurely covered my mouth, causing Sir Jerome’s expression to flood with sympathy.
“…Your Grace, if I may presume—”
“If you know it to be presumptuous, hold your tongue.”
“…”
“To think mere sentiment could cloud your judgment. Where have the knights who conquered Aren and Pelona gone?”
The moment Kiers spoke, the relaxed air in the hall froze solid. The shift in atmosphere was instantaneous. He hadn’t even raised his voice, but beneath his characteristically domineering tone, no one dared voice another objection.
“…Huh?”
Even Rose, who had been amusing herself so well, lifted her head and blinked.
We’re doomed. Fearing the child might be frightened, I stood immediately and scooped Rose into my arms. I had held out hope, but it was painfully clear that the knights were powerless now. I suppose that was the sheer weight of a main protagonist. It was utterly disheartening to see how a situation that seemed to be going so smoothly could be shattered by a single word, a single chilling glare from him.
“…Sister, did I do something wrong?”
“No. You did everything wonderfully, Rose.”
“Mm, but…”
Sensing the tense mood, Rose gently leaned her face against my chest. How long could a five-year-old play on her own anyway? It was about time I held her regardless, but I never expected that man to push back so ruthlessly. …That cold-blooded beast of a man.
Even my frustration felt subdued as I swallowed my anger and returned to my seat. Perhaps because of his piercing gaze, Rose had wilted in an instant. In all my life, I had never seen anyone immune to our Rose’s charms. Seeing him yesterday made me wonder if he was man or beast, and now I had my answer.
“If there is anything left you wish to say, Your Grace, pray do so.”
Now my voice, too, rang out haughtily across the hall. Did he think he was the only one who could use that tone?
When I raised my head toward him, the Grand Duke’s countenance took on a distinctly intrigued cast. Well, I couldn’t see his expression so I couldn’t say for certain, but the way he leaned deeply back against his chair with his chin tilted slightly suggested as much.
“Hm.”
It was a look that seemed to say he had been waiting for me to react like this. Unwilling to back down, I hardened my gaze, which only made the surrounding knights tense up further. But having extracted all the help they could possibly offer, there was no need to linger on them.
Considering how completely they had fallen for my little sister, they had performed their roles as supporting characters beyond measure.
“I had intended to do so, though you hardly seem in the mood for it, my lady.”
Listen to that leisurely tone, as if this had nothing to do with him.
I hugged Rose even tighter, deliberately showing it to the Grand Duke. It was as good as a protest declaring that we could never be parted, yet the corner of his mouth only curved in languid amusement. Just what was that man expecting? My eyes gleamed as I steeled my resolve. Did you think this was the end? Did you expect me to drop to the floor and cling to your trouser legs like yesterday?
Not a chance!
“And how could I be otherwise? I was under the impression Your Grace wished to marry me, yet you claim you do not. Is it not natural for me to be bewildered?”
If Rose didn’t work, I would take matters into my own hands. I possessed neither Rose’s innocence nor her natural charm, so I had only one card left to play.
“Whatever do you mean? That I have no desire to marry?”
Yes, I knew you’d say that. After merely a day, I had already grown accustomed to the wry twist of his lips. Since Rose being cast out meant I couldn't survive either, whether he twisted his lips or twisted his heart was no concern of mine. Refusing to stop there, I tilted my chin up to match his.
“Our Rose isn’t just some child. She is my sister, and she is my family.”
“…There is hardly any need to state what is already obvious—”
“I say it because Your Grace clearly does not know.”
He pulled his back away from the chair he had been leaning against.
‘Your Grace!’ The knights flinched at his every motion, but he raised a hand to dismiss them all. The inscrutable smile playing upon his lips deepened.
“And what is it you believe I do not know?”
“According to the laws governing noble matrimony, the union of two houses fundamentally requires the presence of at least one immediate family member from each side to stand as witness!”
“…”
“…Or so it states right here, plain as day.”
Flashing a sweet smile, I drew the law book I had purchased from the bookshop out of its envelope. When I opened the pre-marked page and held it out from behind Rose, a tension of an entirely different magnitude settled over the hall.
They wouldn’t be able to read the print from where they sat anyway, but what mattered was demonstrating that I had come thoroughly prepared.
Ahem. Clearing my throat, I cast my eyes down toward the book.
“In the event that there are no immediate family members, or in the case of official estrangement, relatives within the fourth degree or two or more guarantors may be appointed… or so it reads. What are your thoughts on that, Your Grace?”
“…Lady Elijah.”
“Ah, but unfortunately, I have never severed ties with my family.”
Tap, tap. His fingers drummed in succession against the solid wood armrest, producing a heavy, rhythmic sound. Yes, that’s the reaction I wanted. Placing a hand over my chest, I assumed the posture of an utterly dismayed bride-to-be.
“Though this arose from my father’s debts, it was Your Grace who proposed marriage first, so I mistook it to mean your intentions aligned with mine. Without realizing otherwise, I rode day and night for three full days to fulfill my marital obligations. The futility I feel now is beyond words.”
“…And who said my intentions were otherwise?”
“Does Your Grace’s insistence on sending away my sister—my witness—not imply exactly that? The law book does not stipulate an age requirement for a witness.”
When I questioned him with wide, innocent eyes, he rose slowly from his seat. With every step he took toward me, my heart hammered as though it might burst, yet I held Rose close and remained composed.
What are you going to do, walk right up to me…? Gulping down dry saliva, I refused to retreat. Whatever his intentions, once the Grand Duke set his mind on something, no one in this room could stop him. In fact, that would hold true even if everyone here joined forces.
“Dear me… If that is what you believe, there seems to be a tremendous misunderstanding.”
“…Your Grace.”
“I had refrained from speaking, thinking you were already exceedingly well-versed in marriage law, but it seems I have no choice if we are to clear up this misunderstanding between us.”
In the blink of an eye, the law book slipped from my grasp into his hand. Keeping his gaze fixed squarely on me, Kiers’s finger traced down the page, coming to a halt at a specific passage.
