Watching the Patels leave with faces as sour as if they had chewed on something bitter, Count Arsene felt a flicker of relief deep down.
At the same time, worry overtook him. He turned to his daughter and asked,
“Selina, how do you intend to resolve what you promised? No—if you had such an immediate solution, why didn’t you use it from the beginning? Your reputation is already…”
“Unbearable. Yes, utterly unbearable.”
The moment the guests departed, Flora appeared alongside her two sons.
‘She must have assumed I took a massive blow, so she brought Brandon and Sebastian to witness it. How painfully obvious.’
Selina stood behind Flora, gazing toward Brandon, who raised the corner of his lips in malicious glee.
His towering frame bore no lingering trace of his short childhood, and he was reasonably handsome despite sharing no resemblance with Count Arsene… All of it hinted that Brandon’s late father had also been an attractive man.
‘If only he knew how to be satisfied with what he has…’
If only the two of them—he and his mother—had shown gratitude to the house that sheltered them and lived quietly, Selina would never have had to resolve to cast them out one day.
When Selina offered a calm smile, Flora’s face froze. Brandon failed to notice; brushing aside his mother’s restraining hand, he stepped forward.
“My Lord Count—no, Father. Now that our ties with House Patel are ruined, we must question the competence of the Acting Head managing the family’s affairs.”
“I believe it is a bit early to pass that judgment.”
Glaring at Selina with a look sharp enough to kill, Brandon shouted,
“Who allowed the family disgrace to butt in, huh? Do you still think of yourself as this family’s Acting Head?”
“Brother.”
Selina had always avoided provoking Brandon in front of others. Yet at times, just like now, she deliberately called him ‘Brother.’
She knew full well how much he despised it, which was precisely why she made a point of saying it in public.
As he glared at her in disgust, Selina continued,
“Before worrying about my marriage, you should worry about your own. By age, isn’t it natural that your engagement should come before mine? You ought to search diligently for a suitable family to forge ties with ours for years to come.”
Behind them, Flora shredded her handkerchief between her fingers.
‘This wretched girl…!’
Everything Selina said was true. Brandon was nineteen years old, two years older than Selina.
Since the age of fourteen, Selina had been betrothed in accordance with the family’s wishes, whereas he remained without a fiancée—an unusual circumstance even among the nobility of Savaya.
Naturally, he was not considered a suitable husband in the eyes of any noble house. Even Flora—once a mere commoner who rose by marrying a wealthy nobleman—was despised within high society, leading Brandon to distance himself from them all.
Because he never attended social gatherings, no noble lady had ever been given the chance to see him and take a liking to his looks.
That was why Flora and Brandon coveted the position of Acting Head. They were convinced that if Selina took the role before Sebastian—the Count’s only biological son—became head of the family, the two of them would eventually be cast out.
Sebastian carried the family blood, whereas they would lose any right to remain the moment Count Arsene passed away.
Though Flora knew she held no legitimacy, she hoped Brandon would become the Acting Head and marry into an influential family, securing the right to stay by Sebastian’s side and help him attain the position of family head.
Brandon, on the other hand, foolishly believed he was the one who deserved to become the head of the house. He was the eldest son officially registered in the family register, even if he had entered the household solely through his mother’s marriage.
“Indeed, now that Brandon is grown, we must consider a suitable match for him.”
Count Arsene turned toward Flora with an awkward expression. She replied hastily,
“My Lord Count, Brandon prefers casual romances. We will bring you a fitting partner soon enough, so please do not worry.”
‘Your intentions couldn’t be clearer.’
Selina sneered internally.
‘All you want is the Acting Head’s seat. He’ll remain unmarried until he dies alone.’
“However, now that our relationship with House Patel has collapsed, someone must take responsibility.”
Flora said this while glaring at Selina with venom. Count Arsene continued,
“As the lady of this house, you ought to know. Yes, Selina severed ties with House Patel today. But she has promised a new betrothal that will benefit the family, and that she will restore her reputation within three months. Let us trust her and wait.”
Unable to reply, Flora could only wring her handkerchief.
‘How could she restore her reputation within three months? If that were possible, would I have lived humiliated in society all this time?’
She barely calmed herself, convinced that Selina would fail in the end.
“What arrived for us?”
“A letter has arrived for the Master.”
Even Xenos, who was with the Duke in the study, stared in astonishment as if he could hardly believe his ears.
Everyone knew the ducal townhouse in the capital was usually vacant, making the arrival of letters a rare occurrence.
“Who is the sender?”
“How many times have I told you to burn every letter that arrives from the Imperial Palace!”
“My Lord, we already use the imperial letters as fine firewood. As for today, there are two. One is from Her Highness the Princess of Voron, while the other is…”
“And the other?”
“It is… from Lady Selina… of House Count Arsene…”
The servant could not finish his sentence; dropping the letter onto the desk, he bolted behind the door to escape the two hulking men who looked ready to pounce on him.
“I was told to deliver it to the Master personally, so please read it yourself!”
Neither paid heed to the servant’s shouting from behind the door. Xenos merely stared at the letter with deeply moved eyes.
“Father.”
“Xenos, a woman’s heart is an enigma. Didn’t you say she turned down your marriage proposal and showed clear distaste back then?”
Xenos remained silent, his eyes fixed on the letter atop the desk. He carefully lifted it and drew in its scent.
“Yes… it is her. Her scent—however faint—still lingers here. It seems she wrote it with her own hand.”
Philip replied joyfully as he watched his son gently inhale the fragrance once more.
“Perhaps she fell in love with you at first sight as well, being your fated partner. Good… Now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”
Whenever he thought of the possibility that his only son might die young because he had not bonded with his companion, Philip felt something seething within his chest.
What kind of power was this so-called Dragon Power? Was it meant to cost him both his wife and his child?
To Philip, whose sole dream had been to protect his family and live for their sake, nothing in this world could have been crueler.
‘My beloved Christa… it seems our child will finally be able to live in peace.’
While Philip blinked away the tears welling from sheer emotion, Xenos slit the envelope with a letter opener and unfolded the paper.
The moment he read the first line, penned in orderly script, Xenos exhaled softly and lowered the letter to catch his breath.
“What is the matter, son?”
“Even her handwriting is so beautiful… that it took my breath away for a moment.”
Philip shook his head gently at the sight of his son.
‘Right… I felt just as he does now when I received my first letter from Christa.’
Moments later, Xenos’s pupils began to tremble as though struck by an earthquake. Intrigued, Philip asked,
“May I see the letter for a moment?”
“Please put on gloves before touching it.”
At this polite request, Philip slowly donned his gloves and carefully opened the letter.
As his eyes widened, shifting between the page and Xenos, the young duke asked,
“Then I didn’t misread it, did I?”
“No, my boy.”
[I hope my unexpected letter does not come as too much of a shock.
Should your schedule allow, I would be honored to receive you tomorrow at three in the afternoon at Teien, the cafe I manage.]
“So… she is asking to meet you tomorrow.”
