The Weight of Trust
‘His way of speaking that makes people misunderstand hasn’t changed at all.’
Raphael’s blunt manner of speech had a way of easily planting wild delusions in others. Sure enough, the maids standing behind Cayena all gasped at once. They exchanged glances, wondering if this might be some kind of romantic signal. However, the person in question, Cayena, didn’t misunderstand in the slightest.
“Did you perhaps enjoy the tea I served you last time?”
At Cayena’s words, Raphael answered.
“The tea was certainly delicious.”
“……I wasn’t asking for your impressions.”
“I wished to give you a return gift for it.”
At Raphael’s gesture, his attendant handed Vera a box wrapped in a silk rug.
When the box was opened, three silver cylinders were revealed inside. The delicately crafted containers were beautiful. The handles on the lids were rubies cut into perfect circles.
‘……Aren’t these the tea leaves that can only be bought at auction?’
It was a package so famous that even Cayena recognized it. A brand of black tea rumored to be nearly impossible to obtain even with money, due to its extremely limited production. It seemed far too much for a simple return gift, but as a reason for their reunion, it wasn’t bad at all.
“All this for me.”
Cayena instructed her subordinates to organize the tea leaves along with the jewels she had received from the former emperor. Several maids and a servant naturally stepped away.
“Seeing that you even prepared a return gift, it seems the story I told you last time was quite useful?”
The only advice she had given was to meet Olivia, and Raphael had not yet encountered her. And to be precise, the reason he had come was not, as she had said, because she had solved his troubles.
“I have not yet met Lady Olivia Grace.”
“Is that so?”
At his words, Cayena glanced out the window and said,
“The weather is nice. How about a walk?”
It was an invitation to continue their conversation outside. Raphael nodded.
“As you wish.”
Once their walk was decided in an instant, Vera spoke up.
“Then I shall prepare a parasol, Your Highness.”
“It’s fine. It’s good to bask in the sunlight once in a while.”
Raphael had already approached her side and offered his escort. Cayena, as before, only took his arm very lightly.
‘Raphael dislikes physical contact with people.’
She was so focused on that detail that she failed to notice Raphael’s strange gaze.
“Let’s go to the promenade in the rear garden.”
In one corner of the rear garden was a walking path designed to resemble a quiet country lane. Cayena suggested they head there.
When they arrived at the entrance to the promenade, Cayena dismissed her maids.
“You all wait at the entrance.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Raphael also told his attendants there was no need to follow. The two walked along the secluded path. The moment the watching eyes disappeared, Cayena released his arm.
Raphael paused briefly before lowering his arm.
“It’s unexpected that you don’t avoid being alone with me, Sir Kedrey.”
At those words, Raphael’s gaze lowered to Cayena’s profile. He unconsciously followed the golden hair that had slipped slightly over her cheek.
“Is there any reason I should avoid it?”
Cayena turned her head to meet his eyes. It was a look that seemed to ask why he would question something so obvious.
“What if I cling to you excessively again like before and become annoying?”
He had sensed that she had changed. But he hadn’t expected her to speak so sharply about her own past. It didn’t sound like she was talking about herself at all. And Cayena didn’t stop there.
“I don’t think you’ll trust my words right away, but I still want to apologize.”
She stopped walking. There were about two steps between them. A properly courteous distance.
“I hope you can forgive all the rudeness I’ve shown you until now.”
Could a person really flip their attitude like turning over a hand?
Usually not. That was why Raphael didn’t hastily judge whether Cayena’s apology was sincere or not. Even if she suddenly changed again and called him by some arbitrary pet name, he wouldn’t be surprised at all.
But regardless of whether it was sincere, the act of offering such an apology itself held meaning.
‘This is a political gesture.’
As a member of the imperial family, she could show excessive favor to a man if she took a liking to him. Even if that man was the young master of the Kedrey ducal house, it would be overlooked. If her interest cooled, she could simply pretend it had never happened.
Yet Cayena was openly acknowledging her own faults and apologizing. It meant she had a reason to clear up any bad blood between them.
‘I wonder what it is.’
It seemed to be an extension of her offer last time to solve his troubles.
“That is unnecessary, so please take it back.”
Raphael responded defensively. Cayena, as if she had anticipated that reaction, now staked her honor.
“I swear on my honor that it will never happen again.”
At this point, he was genuinely curious. Just what did she want to negotiate that she was acting this way? He realized that in order to find out what Cayena wanted, he would have to accept this apology.
“I have already forgotten the past. Please do not concern yourself.”
Raphael interpreted it politically, but in truth, Cayena’s apology contained about half sincerity. The fact that she had apologized and he had accepted it eased some of the uncomfortable debt that had lingered in her heart. Even if it was guilt over a past life before the regression that Raphael would never know about.
“Thank you.”
So she was able to smile quite refreshedly.
Just then, a breeze gently lifted the golden hair that had slipped down.
Raphael found that smile pleasant to look at. And he thought it rather strange that he felt that way. What kind of impression did that smile leave on me?
He tilted his head slightly. He couldn’t understand this situation, this atmosphere, or his own emotions.
“Then, as you’ve probably noticed, I should get to the real reason I’m here.”
That impression didn’t last long. Because Cayena had brought up her actual business.
The smile that had been on Cayena’s lips vanished because of the matter at hand. It left behind a strange sense of regret.
“The reason I told you to meet Lady Grace is not only because of her own excellence, but also for political reasons.”
She began walking deeper into the garden again as she explained.
“Soon, I plan to select Lady Olivia as a lady-in-waiting for the princess’s palace.”
Lezef had already requested that she enter the palace as a lady-in-waiting, but that would not come to pass.
“If that happens, can’t you roughly guess how the Duchess of Kedrey will react?”
“She will cut off the Grace family’s sponsorship and pretend the marriage talks never happened.”
“That’s right. But the important thing is that it won’t just be Olivia.”
“Are you saying the other two young ladies who received marriage proposals from me will also be selected as ladies-in-waiting?”
Cayena shook her head.
“No. Instead, reasons will arise that make it impossible to choose those families.”
Reasons that would make it impossible to choose those families? Raphael voiced the first thing that came to mind.
“Are you planning to have them support His Highness the Prince or Archduke Heinrich as the next emperor?”
“It would be an excellent method if it succeeds, but it would be rather difficult to accomplish in a short time.”
Cayena had read the original novel and possessed a considerable amount of information. For example, the corruption and scandals of certain families.
“Nobles often lack a sense of reality because they don’t work. They think money springs up like an endless fountain.”
“You mean their bonds will be transferred and their families will end up mortgaged to other houses. In that case, the actual head of the family would change.”
It was something that happened with fair frequency.
“Such matters are actually difficult to know unless one checks the account books.”
Cayena continued.
“The Eiban family’s bonds will soon be transferred, putting the family’s very existence in jeopardy. Of course, the ducal house could repay the debt. But what if Archduke Heinrich gets involved in that matter?”
“Archduke Heinrich……?”
That utterly cunning scoundrel actively used debt to expand his own forces. He would drive a family to the brink of bankruptcy and subjugate them.
That was how he had rapidly grown the size of his faction.
“Then the remaining option would be the Brukin family. But I’m certain that even that side will see the marriage talks fall through in the end.”
“Why is that?”
“Rita Brukin’s mania is a hereditary disease. It’s currently being hushed up within the family, but it will soon leak into high society.”
In noble society, where one had to produce an heir to inherit the family and continue the line without end, a hereditary disease was fatal.
“There. With this, all the families chosen by the Duchess of Kedrey have become useless. Congratulations on your broken engagement, Sir Kedrey.”
The only thing Cayena had directly moved on in this matter was securing Olivia Grace.
‘Since those two must absolutely end up together, the other families had to have flaws.’
And thanks to that, Cayena was able to make good use of the information for her own safety.
“If what you say is true, I suppose I won’t have to hear about marriage for a while.”
“Indeed.”
“Then what benefit do you gain from this, Your Highness?”
Cayena answered without hesitation.
“Your trust.”
Raphael closed his mouth at the unexpected answer.
His trust? Why would she need that?