Chapter 117
Heritage.
It was the obsession that defined the aristocracy. There was a reason they clung to descriptors like blue blood or royal lineage. Despite the reality that every person bled the same shade of crimson, the nobility insisted on slicing humanity into tiers based on birth.
If one’s worth was measured solely by the quality of their ancestry, would the scales ever tip in her favor?
“You seem particularly rigid this afternoon,” Dimitri remarked.
Adi offered him a silent, steady look before simply answering, “I am.” She hadn’t been searching for a conversation, and she certainly hadn’t planned on being that transparent.
“Is your temperament soured today?”
“Is it that obvious?”
Dimitri fell silent. He found himself wondering if she was simply a quick study or if her bluntness was a byproduct of sheer naivety. On occasion, her total lack of filter and unrefined mannerisms perfectly mimicked the calculated indifference that high-born nobles spent years perfecting.
“I will take your silence as a confirmation,” she added.
“I cannot say for certain,” Adi continued, “but sometimes things are more visible to an observer than they are to me. I wanted to verify your impression.” She paused, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features. “Though, I suppose it is true. My mood is quite poor.”
“And what is the catalyst for this feeling?”
“It is so petty that I feel foolish even speaking of it.”
Dimitri found her perpetually baffling. She was willing to admit to feeling foolish, yet she lacked any formal training in social graces. Nevertheless, she had a strange knack for making the right choices at the right moments.
“It is generally unwise to display one’s vulnerabilities,” Dimitri advised. “However, once a weakness is public knowledge, it loses its power to be used against you.”
“So you believe I should just come out with it?”
“Precisely.”
“Dimitri, tell me…” Adrina began, then stopped. Dimitri watched her face as she worked through her thoughts, only to let out a tired breath when she suddenly dismissed the topic with a sharp “Never mind.” He shut his eyes for a moment, seeking patience.
“Adrina.”
“I can endure many things,” she said, “but I cannot stomach an unsatisfied curiosity.”
She didn’t look the part of a gossip. She seemed more like the type to feign total indifference even if she was burning to know the truth. Dimitri remained unmoved by her skeptical expression.
“What is on your mind?”
“Did the Duke have a fiancée once?”
She had finally blurted it out. Dimitri made a mental note to help her curb that impulsive streak before answering.
“He did. The arrangement was brief and ended poorly due to the circumstances of the time. That woman is currently the betrothed of the Crown Prince.”
“The Crown Prince is engaged?” Adi asked, her disbelief plain.
To a man like him? Dimitri saw the judgment in her eyes and understood it completely. The two royals loathed one another; it was common knowledge that one had fled the borders while the other spent his days in the company of various women.
Claude was careful, however, to avoid scandal with unwed noblewomen. Rather than engaging in traditional courtships, he seemed to prefer the company of married women, which had fueled countless rumors.
“He is. She is a fine woman.”
Dimitri didn’t entirely believe his own words. She was a woman who drew too much attention for his liking. Yet, her talent was undeniable, and she was a pragmatic choice for the future of Dalcatir. While she and Claude were a poor match, people generally learned to inhabit the roles they were forced into.
“I see.”
Dimitri looked at Adi and realized the same applied to her. Regardless of how out of place she might feel, she was capable of rising to the occasion. In his eyes, she was the ideal partner for Yuls. Of course, the Duke’s own desires were the only thing that truly mattered.
“Marriages are meant to happen between equals, right?” Adi’s voice sounded more defeated than inquisitive.
“The world rarely functions on fairness,” Dimitri replied. “Often, these unions are simply business transactions. You might find a family with a prestigious name but no coin or land marrying into a wealthy house of lower standing. New titles are being minted quite frequently these days, after all.”
“Are Lea Connolly and the Duke… on the same level?”
“Does the prospect trouble you?”
Dimitri suppressed a smile at her bluntness. They would have a difficult time teaching her how to hide her heart.
“They were dining together earlier,” she noted.
“I was there,” Dimitri said. “Lea Lintu’s formal adoption was finalized today; she is officially Lea Connolly now. They had just returned from Pallesa Palace after securing the legal documents, so it was a small celebration.”
“Why celebrate such a thing with him?”
“The families share a long history. The previous Duchess was a Connolly, so the bond between the houses is deep enough to merit a shared meal.”
“But was it necessary for him to smile like that?”
Dimitri blinked, confused. Had the Duke actually smiled?
While Yuls wasn’t always a stone statue, there hadn’t been anything particularly lighthearted about the meeting. If the mood had been pleasant, it was likely because the Duke had successfully manipulated the necessary parties to support his upcoming legislation. The entire lunch had been a theater of court politics.
However, an outsider would see something very different. Dimitri was well aware of the whispers in the capital—rumors that a new alliance was forming between the Woodpecker and Connolly lines.
The rumors were false, but both families allowed them to persist because the speculation served their interests. The gossip wouldn’t fade until the Council session was over.
“Is there something wrong with me?” Adi asked suddenly.
“In what regard?”
“The fact that I am even bothered by this.”
Dimitri was caught off guard. Until now, the Duke had been the one doing all the heavy lifting in this relationship—much like a bird in the Woodpecker Forest drumming incessantly on a trunk to attract a mate.
“I don’t even recognize my own reactions,” she confessed.
It seemed the Duke’s persistence was finally paying off.
“Is this how everyone feels?”
Dimitri knew her secret better than most. She was the daughter of Spencer Grimaldi and Yvette Malvina. There was no reason for her to feel threatened by someone like Lea Connolly. He decided not to interfere with his own adult cynicism; it was better to let their slow, awkward romance find its own way.
“Your feelings are perfectly normal,” he assured her.
Her tension seemed to evaporate at his words. She drifted off into her own thoughts. Most nobles were predictable, their minds easily read, but Adrina was a closed book.
“I understand,” she said finally.
She had a talent for knowing when a conversation had reached its end. In that way, she was very much like Spencer Grimaldi. She seemed to have inherited nothing from Yvette.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being kind to me without a reason.”
“I recall you thinking I hated you when we first met,” Dimitri remarked.
He had. Back then, he viewed her as a commoner with no pedigree. He respected Bert Dean because the man had earned his rank through sheer merit, but that didn’t mean he appreciated Bert using his influence to secure a position for a niece. He had resented the girl for making a man like Bert beg.
“That was then,” he said.
Knowing she was of his own social caste now felt like a cruel joke.
“I was… narrow-minded,” Dimitri admitted.
“Anyone would have felt the same,” Adi said with a shrug. “I’ve learned that the world treats commoners with a level of cruelty I never anticipated.”
In the eyes of the world, perception was reality. Within the Woodpecker ranks, she had Bert’s protection and her own prowess to shield her. But the knights at Ionad Palace ignored her, and her fellow guards were no better.
“That’s why I hold Bert in such high regard.”
“He would be moved to hear that.”
“He earned it.”
Dimitri nodded. He was in Bert’s debt now, too, though the other man would never see it that way.
Looking at the young woman before him, Dimitri knew his mission was to polish her into a noble who could dominate any room. If she could master the complexities of managing an estate, everyone would benefit.
“Shall we get to work?”
“Today’s lesson covers the arts and cultural patronage. The nobility supports everything from music to theater, and in return, they are expected to be well-versed in those fields.”
Adi’s face fell. The sheer volume of information Dimitri expected her to absorb was becoming overwhelming.
