Chapter 116
“I was informed that the paperwork for Lea Lintu’s adoption reached its final stages the same day the itinerary was suspended,” Ivan explained. “The bureaucracy has been moving since then, and this afternoon’s event is meant to formally celebrate her welcome into the family.”
Adi felt a prickle of confusion. Why would the Duke bother hosting such a celebration?
“Furthermore,” Ivan went on, “the relations between the House of Woodpecker and the Connollys aren’t particularly strained. They share a bloodline, and their perspectives often align when it comes to legislative matters. Both families hold significant seniority among the peerage.”
Even with that explanation, Adi found it hard to believe they were sharing an intimate meal at the manor.
In her world, even if one tried to remain oblivious, certain rumors were impossible to escape. The whispers regarding the Connollys and the Woodpeckers were a prime example. People suggested that since Lea Lintu was merely a ward rather than a direct Connolly scion, a marriage alliance was legally permissible. Such a union would grant both houses an untouchable level of political influence. Others whispered that the match was inevitable, given the clear affection shown to the girl since her time at Pallesa Palace.
The thought left a bitter taste in Adi’s mouth.
She watched Yuls from a distance. Even from where she stood, his smile was unmistakable—a bright, clear expression. She couldn’t see Lea Lintu’s face clearly across from him, but that didn’t matter. She simply detested the fact that he was offering that warmth to someone else.
I have feelings for you, Sir.
He had uttered those words.
I’m telling you this because you seem completely unaware.
There was no rule stating a man couldn’t smile at others just because he had confessed his feelings. Yet, it felt deceptive to say something so heavy and then fail to follow it with any meaningful change in behavior. Adi, who had always struggled to navigate the complexities of human connection, found his conduct baffling.
Was his confession nothing more than a warning, as he had claimed?
“Adi?”
She couldn’t stop staring at that smile.
“Adrina.”
It wasn’t just the smile itself; it was the direction of it. When Ivan called out again, she finally tore her gaze away to look at him before glancing back at the Duke. She remembered the way Yuls had looked at her recently. She needed to reclaim that expression. No, she had never truly owned it to begin with.
“I need to make it mine,” she murmured.
“I beg your pardon?”
Ivan looked at her, confused by her cryptic ambition, but his bewilderment turned to unease when she met his eyes with a sudden, sharp smile.
“Sir, forgive me if this sounds out of turn,” he said, hesitating.
“Yes?”
“When you smile like that… you bear a striking resemblance to the Count.”
Adi’s face went cold instantly.
Among the senior staff who had recently arrived from the duchy, Gavin was the only familiar face, yet the entire retinue seemed to know who she was. Perhaps it was the association with Bert’s family name, or perhaps the novelty of a woman in the knightly order drew their attention.
She found the scrutiny suffocating. No one had ever looked at her with such pointed curiosity back when she lived as Adrian, despite her appearance being identical.
Drenched in sweat after a grueling sparring session, Adi retreated to her private quarters. She stripped off her damp gear and stepped into the shower. The water was icy. During her time in Grimaldi, cold water had been the standard, but a few years of comfort had made the freezing spray feel like a shock to her system.
She finished quickly and stood before her wardrobe, ignoring the water still dripping from her skin.
Her clothes were organized with military precision. Tucked away were garments she had never touched—pieces she felt she had no right to wear. Her eyes lingered on a specific dress.
She didn’t believe she had lost her womanhood; she simply felt she existed outside the realm of the ordinary. Most women would wear such things without a second thought.
But she was lost. She remembered standing paralyzed in a similar gown not long ago, devoid of any grace or direction. Thinking back to her days in Grimaldi, she marveled that she had ever managed to survive wearing a maid’s uniform.
Ultimately, she reached for her familiar undershirt and trousers. Practicality was her only comfort.
She figured Dimitri would be finishing his duties by now. Gavin’s presence had clearly lightened the head chamberlain’s load, as the man had seemed significantly less burdened lately.
Adi stepped into the corridor. Her quarters were some distance from the staff wing. As she descended the grand staircase, she encountered someone ascending from the floor below.
“Sir Knight.”
Lea Lintu-Connolly greeted her with a radiant beam. Looking down at her, Adi noted how the girl seemed to glow with an effortless charm.
“Greetings.”
“I hope you’ve been well?”
“I have. And you—”
Adi faltered, unsure of which name to use. Remembering Ivan’s news about the finalized adoption, she opted for the formal title. “And you, Miss Connolly?”
“Please, just call me Lea.”
“Very well, Lea. Has your time been pleasant?”
“It has. I was granted leave to visit Pallesa Palace briefly to finalize my registration. It was wonderful to see it again after so long.”
“That was a quick journey.”
“I traveled with the Marquess, so we made the trip in a single day. He had pressing business with the Council that required his immediate return.”
“A pity,” Adi remarked. “The grounds at Pallesa Palace are lovely this time of year.”
“They truly are. It feels like home to me. I’ve spent far more of my life there than I ever did in the South.”
Adi wondered if it was truly possible to feel such a deep bond with a place that wasn’t one’s birthplace. Then again, some people felt nothing for their actual homes, so perhaps it made sense.
For Adi, the Woodpecker lands were becoming that sanctuary. She loved the piercing blue skies and the architecture that seemed to capture the essence of the sun and moon. When the light hit the stone, the entire estate seemed to glow with a welcoming warmth that stirred a strange, deep-seated yearning in her chest. If that was what Lea felt for the palace, Adi could almost understand.
“It is a fine place,” Adi conceded.
In truth, Adi had never felt anything but misery at Pallesa Palace. She loathed it. And her hatred for Grimaldi was even deeper.
“I wish His Excellency would remain in the capital or at the palace once the Council adjourns,” Lea sighed, her tone heavy with longing.
“That is unlikely,” Adi replied flatly.
Lea surely knew it was an impossible wish; she was merely performing the role of a wistful romantic. Adi, however, failed to catch the social nuance. Lea, displaying the practiced patience of the nobility, chose not to correct the knight’s bluntness.
“The Woodpecker territory is immense,” Adi added. “Managing it requires his undivided presence.”
“You aren’t wrong. Which is all the more reason he needs a Duchess by his side soon.”
Lea looked at her, searching for a reaction. Given Julius Caspras’s age, he should have been wed or at least betrothed years ago.
“Wouldn’t you agree?” Lea pressed.
“He shouldn’t have to carry the weight of both the estate and the family legacy alone. He will surely find a bride from a house of equal standing. It shouldn’t be a difficult search.”
Adi wondered if the girl was subtly staking her claim.
Since she hadn’t said it outright, Adi decided to let it go. High-born speech was a minefield of omissions and hidden agendas, but Dimitri’s lessons had given her a shield. He had taught her never to assume what wasn’t spoken and to let implications slide past. He called it the height of elegance.
“I suppose so,” Adi managed.
It was still a struggle. She knew the rules of the game but lacked the grace to play it.
“I truly hope you get everything you are after,” Adi said.
Lea’s expression shifted into one of genuine surprise. Knowing that the knight was aware of her aspirations for the ducal seat, she took the comment as a direct endorsement.
On the surface, it was a kind sentiment. However, in the coded language of the elite, such a phrase could easily be a barb—a way of asking, Do you really think you’re capable of that? But looking at the knight, Lea saw no such malice. The woman likely hadn’t been trained in the art of the insult.
She had probably heard similar well-wishes many times while serving as an escort. As Lea prepared to respond, a voice called out from the bottom of the stairs.
“Sir Adrina Dean.”
A man in the uniform of a head chamberlain stood there. Lea didn’t recognize him.
“There you are. Dimitri is expecting you.”
“I’m on my way,” Adi replied.
She checked her pocket watch. She wasn’t actually late, which meant this chamberlain—whose face was only vaguely familiar—was intentionally giving her an exit. Adi offered him a grateful smile and began to descend.
The man bowed deeply to her, then offered a respectful nod to Lea as well. As the two passed each other on the stairs, Lea’s eyes followed the knight.
“I’d like to become her friend,” Lea whispered to herself.
But Adi had no interest in such a bond. Currently, Lea had no permanent reason to remain at the Woodpecker estate. However, if she and the Marchioness succeeded in their plan to secure the marriage, she would be staying for good. At that point, having a female knight in her confidence would be a significant asset.
Lea continued her climb, leaving her thoughts behind. Below, Adi’s keen ears caught the girl’s soft murmur.
“Become friends, honestly…”
Adi breathed the words to herself.
Lea Connolly didn’t view her as a threat. Why would she? Even if the Duke claimed to like her, the wall of social class was insurmountable. No one would ever imagine a common-born knight ascending to the rank of Duchess.
But what if she weren’t a commoner? What if she were the daughter of a Count?
Adi’s hand tightened into a fist. Such a title would solve everything, but the price of reclaiming it was a debt she wasn’t sure she could pay.
