Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Prudish Dog
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When the ball dissolved into sudden chaos, Lin was alone by the pond in the garden.
“What’s going on?”
He felt the vibration. An extraordinary shock and resonance—it was Grasha’s Authority. Lin immediately recognized the source of the tremor and gazed uneasily beyond the garden. To use Authority in the imperial palace, of all places, and not even on a battlefield? Neither Iurana nor Clavis would be stupid enough to do that. Which left only one possibility.
“That halfwit’s doing?”
Rubid Plenus, the Northern Duke’s unfinished little brother. Lin pondered, suspicion turning nearly to certainty. Should he go back and check the situation? But he couldn’t bring himself to move. Lena might come while he was away. Lin held back his anxiety and waited for her. Waited without any real assurance she’d show, and kept on waiting. Just as his anticipation had built to its peak.
“You’re here again today.”
At the soft voice, Lin looked up.
“Good evening, Lin.”
Like the moon emerging from behind clouds, Lena stepped out from between the bushes. Today she wasn’t in nightclothes but a shirt and trousers. She’d hastily shed only the outer layer of her uniform since there hadn’t been time to change, but Lin had no way of knowing that.
“Were you waiting for me, by any chance?”
When Lena teasingly asked the silent Lin, he nodded reluctantly.
“Yeah.”
“You were?”
“I waited. …Lady.”
“Lady?”
He only called her “Lady” in front of others.
“Is someone else here?”
So Lena deliberately scanned the dark garden. Then she tilted her head and muttered.
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“I heard you’re the Southern Duke’s guest.”
“So that’s why you’re calling me Lady?”
“Felt like I should greet you properly.”
Her eyes widened at his loaded words. Something felt off. Sensing the distance he was putting between them, Lena tilted her head again, but Lin just coughed quietly.
“I won’t be coming out for nighttime strolls anymore. Pretend you never met me here.”
“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t hide it on purpose.”
“I know. I know you’re a good person.”
Lena was startled into a defense, then flustered by his reply. Lin averted his eyes apologetically and continued.
“My position’s got nothing to do with that.”
“What do you mean, your position?”
“My position is…”
Lin hesitated, then muttered weakly.
“The one where I have to act like a total bastard to you.”
Lena’s eyes grew even wider at the unexpected crude language. Her face demanded an explanation, but Lin didn’t elaborate. She’d see soon enough anyway. Just what kind of bastard he was. As long as she stayed by the Southern Duke’s side, it wouldn’t be long.
“I don’t get along with the other dukes. They don’t get along great among themselves either, but it’s especially bad with me.”
Lin wasn’t a true Grasha. He wasn’t even a noble, let alone an imperial citizen. He was a mongrel from the colonies the empire treated like bugs. He’d become the master of the East through some freak twist of fate, but the stigma of outsider still clung to him. That’s why he couldn’t maintain any dignity and ended up barking like a dog. Right in front of everyone.
“I doubt the Southern Duke summoned you here for no reason in times like these. He’s a strategist.”
Lin said, recalling Lena’s skills.
“We’re enemies.”
His voice was calm as he said it. Like a wounded child. . . . A few months ago, the emperor had issued an edict to the dukes. With the founding anniversary approaching, he wanted to expand the empire’s territory and ordered them to select and bring their most valiant knights. The emperor’s command was absolute, so even the Southern Duke—who’d just ended a war—prepared for conquest. But no one thought the East, South, and North would join forces amicably. The emperor was the type to demand the impossible and force sacrifices. Lin didn’t know yet how things would unfold, but he figured the North and South would use him as needed. And for his own survival, he’d gladly trample them in turn. So now that he knew Lena was the Southern Duke’s guest, he couldn’t treat her the same way anymore.
“…Is that why you waited? To tell me this?”
Lena asked softly after mulling over his words. Lin affirmed it with silence. Fine for the daughter of a Northern Marquis, but he couldn’t get close to the Southern Duke’s special guest. Not when they might have to trap each other. Friendly strolls were out of the question. As Lin drew the line, Lena wrinkled her brow and smiled.
“No can do, Lin. If you act all standoffish like that, it just makes me want to tease you.”
Lin doubted his own ears. While he blinked in surprise, Lena crossed her arms and muttered.
“Is it an imperial palace guy thing? The Northern Prince was pretty standoffish too. You two friends or something?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why?”
“Why…?”
Lin denied it vehemently, and Lena shot back just as fast. His eyes turned pitiful as a result. Lena smiled deeply at the sight. Not from joy, but to hide her fatigue. She wasn’t showing it, but she was exhausted. She’d spent all day primping for the ball, then drained her energy dealing with that Rubid idiot at it. She was nearly dead on her feet, but she’d hurried out anyway. Thinking Lin might be waiting. And the moment she saw him, this was the conversation.
“You’re right, Lin. I’m here as the Southern Duke’s proxy. But that doesn’t mean I have to be your enemy. And I don’t want to be.”
“It’s not something you can avoid.”
“Why not?”
Lena asked as if it were obvious, and Lin sighed. So she pressed.
“Then why’d you help me when we first met? I clearly said I was the Northern Marquis’s daughter.”
“That was different.”
“It wasn’t.”
Lena denied it firmly.
“It’s the same. If you were just going by positions, it would’ve been better to ignore me. Back then, and now. But you helped me.”
Lena was persistent. Desperate, even. Lin grew troubled. He’d thought she’d agree once he calmly explained his stance. She was smart enough for that. But Lena wouldn’t let go. Incomprehension stirring within him, Lin spoke again.
“It’ll cause you trouble too.”
“I’ll handle that.”
“The Southern Duke might get suspicious.”
“That’s on me too.”
“Why take that risk?”
“Because there is a reason. I like you, Lin.”
Lin’s eyes widened at the sudden confession. As he stared dumbly, Lena met his gaze innocently. At that natural look, Lin sighed and relaxed.
“It’s too dangerous. You’ll regret it.”
“So that’s why you’ve been waiting all this time? To say this?”
Lena asked in exasperation. Lin nodded reluctantly, and she burst out laughing.
“If you really meant to push me away, you wouldn’t act so standoffish.”
She muttered and laughed, leaving Lin quite flustered by her deep smile. But Lena couldn’t help it. By all accounts, Eastern Duke Rig-nan Aiterner was the youngest, most ambitious, and most ruthless duke in history. But the young man before her was far from ambitious or ruthless. If he really were, he wouldn’t wait around to say goodbye to a woman he’d only met a few times. To explain so honestly and kindly—Lena found it both admirable and infuriating, and laughed for a good while.
“Got it.”
Then she relented.
“It’s burdensome, right? Talking face-to-face with someone who might stab you someday.”
“That’s not what I…”
“Don’t deny it. I get it.”
Lena whispered sadly, like moonlight. Before Lin could protest, she changed her tone.
“So take this as payment.”
“Payment?”
“Don’t you remember? You owe me, Lin.”
At her bright question, Lin blinked, then suddenly recalled. The debt. The altar Lena had taken back from thugs outside the capital. She’d offered it to him as thanks. But he couldn’t just accept it—he’d said he’d repay her somehow.
“I’ll collect it this way. By keeping up our midnight friendship.”
“Why go this far…?”
“I told you. I like you, Lin.”
Lin couldn’t continue at her clear answer. Moonlight fell over the quiet garden. Was it because of her white clothes? Lena seemed to glow alone in the darkness. Lin gazed at her with complicated feelings. Did this lady know? What kind of person he was. How dangerous and precarious. Did she know even a little? Would she say this if she did? Hesitating, Lin mocked himself. Then, with no more room to run, he surrendered.
“This makes me look like such a coward.”
“You’ve got that side too.”
“Mm…”
“It’s fine. Even a little cowardly looks pretty on you, Lin.”
Lin sighed deeply at the inevitable “pretty.” Seeing his total resignation, Lena added honestly.
“I said it like a joke, but it’s true. I like you, Lin. I don’t want distance over something trivial. And I’m tired of being abandoned.”
Lin’s expression hardened at her last words. But Lena pretended not to notice and smiled. At the same time, she wondered inwardly. Such an innocent reaction—was he doing it on purpose? She replayed his warnings one by one.
—I’m going to act like a bastard to you.
—It’ll cause you trouble too.
—The Southern Duke will get suspicious.
—It’ll be dangerous.
All of them were worries for her sake. Appeals that she’d be in danger because of him. So touching. It made Lena curious. Was it genuine concern, or a noble way to shift blame and escape? If the latter, he was vile and low. But if the former?
‘Cute.’
Admirable, touching, cute. Lena gazed at Lin, wondering which it was. Truthfully, it didn’t matter. He could be vile or cute, this or that. It wasn’t important. What mattered to Lena was not being abandoned anymore. By her father, a friend, a man—anyone. The thought stung like a cut in her heart, but Lena smiled as if it didn’t.
“There. We’ll get along. Until one of us dies.”
“That’s too extreme a premise…”
“Then, until we stab each other?”
Lena lightly corrected and extended her hand down the garden path. Lin smiled weakly and moved to take her escort. But just as he started to step forward, he stopped abruptly. When Lena looked at him quizzically, Lin pondered alone before speaking seriously.
“One more condition.”
“What?”
“Don’t like me too much.”
Lena’s eyes widened at the out-of-nowhere demand. She stared at him, then slowly moved her gaze side to side. Then, very carefully, she asked.
“Should I look away for a bit? You seem really embarrassed right now.”
Lin nodded with difficulty, hand on his forehead. Even in the dark, his face was visibly red. For the shamefaced youth’s sake, Lena looked up at the distant sky. Meanwhile, Lin covered his face with both hands and fully succumbed to embarrassment.
He’d blurted it out too suddenly. When Lena had casually said she liked him earlier, it had startled him so much that he’d unwittingly said the same. With no context, no proper explanation.
“It’s okay. It was fresh.”
Lena said without looking. Making Lin suffer even more. She swallowed a laugh as she heard him almost whimper.
“But what do I do? I already like you quite a bit.”
“…Liking me that much is fine.”
“Then what’s not fine?”
“Ro…”
“Ro?”
“…Romantic feelings.”
Lin said in a shrinking voice. He seemed about to say something else, but since pressing might make him cry for real, Lena let it slide. Meanwhile, he calmed his shame and spoke in a composed voice again.
“If you ever start feeling… romantic feelings or anything, tell me.”
Still absurd, but his voice was serious. He meant it. So Lena blinked in confusion.
‘Worried I’ll cling? Nah, doesn’t seem like a prince complex. Maybe he’s got a hidden lover?’
Curious about why he’d say such a thing, Lena didn’t pry.
“Good thing. I’m not looking to date anyway.”
Instead, she replied just as seriously.
“Becoming each other’s everything is too much pressure. Being someone’s partner is enough for a quick dance.”
Her voice was light as she said it. So light it might shatter any moment. Lin instinctively sensed the emotion in it. But Lena gave no room to pry, brightening her tone to ask.
“Do you dance well, Lin?”
“No…”
“Perfect. I dance for my partner anyway.”
Lena laughed merrily, saying something incomprehensible. Then she plucked a flower blooming in the garden and kissed its petals.
“So don’t worry and have fun. While time allows.”
She offered the innocently blooming early spring flower and said that. Lin hesitated before taking it, and Lena smiled brightly at the man who had finally accepted her.