Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Welcome
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I was bewildered, unable to believe what I'd just been told.
It was only moments ago that I'd heard the Gaju or the heir wouldn't personally get involved in such matters.
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Hestia asked, dumbfounded.
Karma, who had relayed the situation, seemed to feel the same way.
His bewilderment at the unusual event was palpable.
*Did Sage really come?*
From outside the door, I heard the crunch of footsteps on snow.
I took a sharp breath. My body tensed with nervousness.
My heart began to pound.
Soon, the figure of Sage, with his captivating blond hair and blue eyes, came into view.
My eyes widened.
"…Sage?"
"Hello, Aileen."
"Is it really you, Sage?"
"You look surprised."
*Is that even a question?* I nodded vigorously, as if to say it was only natural.
Then, holding onto the carriage door in an awkward posture, I stared up at him blankly.
*Is the person in front of me really Sage?*
The person in my memory was clearly a young boy of about ten… but this person was so tall!
Besides, the formal uniform he wore felt incredibly unfamiliar.
Sage, dressed in a uniform rich with gold accents.
As I moved my lips without a word, Sage furrowed his brow.
"You said you were coming to the North to keep your promise to me."
"…Gasp."
"Don't tell me you're avoiding me now because I seem unfamiliar."
It seemed Kaide had written that in the letter.
It would have been the perfect excuse.
"I'd be disappointed if that were the case."
"Th-that's not it."
"Then I'm glad."
Sage shrugged, his expression showing he didn't believe me in the slightest.
The golden epaulets on his shoulders swayed with the movement.
Unable to meet his gaze out of awkwardness, Sage, who had been staring at me intently, asked.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?"
"A little…?"
"Is that so?"
Sage smiled languidly.
"That's a relief."
"What's a relief?"
*That I'm uncomfortable?* I looked at Sage, bewildered.
For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.
But Sage's next words confirmed that I hadn't.
"I hope I always seem unfamiliar to you, Aileen."
"…What do you mean?"
"That way, you won't get tired of me."
It was an out-of-the-blue comment. *Get tired of him?*
Unable to understand, I widened my eyes, and Sage's blue eyes crinkled as he smiled.
"You're still like a snow rabbit."
Unbearably so.
I thought I might have heard the last part, but I wasn't sure.
Beside Sage, Karma, who seemed to have heard it clearly, scowled.
I tilted my head.
Even though we were talking, it felt like we were slightly off-kilter.
Just as I was about to ask what he meant.
The cold northern wind, mixed with flurries of snow, began to blow again.
I flinched reflexively.
My body remembered just how cold the wind was.
But the snowy wind never reached me.
"…Huh?"
"Shall we get going?"
A wave of pheromones emanated from the direction of the wind, and at the same time, everything around us grew calm.
I looked at Sage in surprise.
If what I felt was correct, it was definitely Sage's pheromones.
It seemed as though the wind, blocked by his pheromones, had changed direction in an instant.
Sage closed the open carriage door and said softly in his pleasant voice.
"Welcome to the North, Aileen. I hope you like it here."
* * *
"Sage went out to greet them."
"Yes, Lady Muhella."
"Of course he did."
The central office of the Kiraas family.
Muhella, standing before a large window showing the falling snow, her golden hair cascading over her white uniform as she leisurely sipped wine, scoffed.
The purplish wine in the clear glass swirled.
A deep smile formed on Muhella's lips. *No matter how much he tries, he's still in the palm of my hand.*
She took a sip of wine, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Beside Muhella, her aide, Arisa, who had reported the situation, sighed, unable to hide her concern.
"We had so little time to prepare for our guests. What if the Astrofel family is offended?"
"How could they be? Our heir went out to greet them. This is as grand a welcome as it gets."
"…That's true, but."
*That wasn't part of the plan.*
You have no idea how horrified the Kiraas family elders were when they heard the news.
It was enough to make one feel sorry for the clan members on site, who would have known nothing about it.
Arisa opened her mouth to speak several times but held her tongue.
Muhella's eyes twinkled as she sensed a presence near the barrier surrounding the castle.
"They've finally arrived."
"But why did the Astrofel family come in such a hurry?"
"That's what I'd like to know."
Muhella's pupils flashed as she stared at something beyond the window.
"We'll find out if we watch."
She placed her wine glass on the table. Then, she turned her back to the window and started walking.
Her pure white, ankle-length cape fluttered with each step.
Arisa hurried after her.
"Keep a close watch, Arisa. They're definitely hiding something."
"…And if they really are? What will you do then?"
"What do you mean, what will I do?"
Muhella lifted her chin.
Her languid smile resembled that of a predator.
Arisa's expression turned grave. *Surely, she wouldn't do something against the Astrofel family…*
"I'll have to help him score some points."
"…Pardon?"
Arisa's voice cracked. *What is she talking about?*
Muhella shook her head and grumbled.
"He may be my son, but sometimes I worry about who will end up with him."
"…"
"From what I've seen, that girl is about the only one who can handle Sage."
Arisa was so dumbfounded she fell silent.
She had been needlessly tense for no reason.
Awkwardly wiping the cold sweat from her palms, she regained her composure and replied.
"Please don't startle me like that, Lady Muhella."
"You're the one who got startled on your own."
"But what if the young lady really is just here for a visit?"
"Then that's even better."
"But the opportunity to score points will be gone, won't it?"
Muhella narrowed her eyes, as if telling her she didn't know what she was talking about.
"You have to look at the bigger picture, Arisa. It's better that nothing is wrong. That's how peace is maintained."
Because if something happened to Aileen, it meant Kaide Astrofel might 'do something'.
And.
"For a growing child, it's best when nothing happens at all. You can't just think about scoring points."
Muhella smiled faintly.
It was only natural for her to be fond of Aileen.
After all, Sage considered the girl special.
The two of them, having left the mansion, spotted the carriage flying the red crest of the Astrofel family and stopped.
The Astrofel carriage was being escorted by members of the Kiraas clan.
It was the highest honor they could show.
Muhella commanded.
"Treat them with the utmost care, Arisa. Close your eyes and cover your ears so as not to make them uncomfortable. Tell everyone."
No matter what they found out, the Kiraas family was prepared to remain silent.
* * *
A few hours after Aileen left for the North.
The atmosphere in the Astrofel household was, quite literally, gloomy.
A bleakness began to creep into every corner of the mansion.
One of the Black Mambas, staring blankly at the mansion's ceiling, muttered.
"I miss the Young Lady."
At that, another Black Mamba, who had seemed to be minding his own business without paying any attention to his surroundings, spoke up as if he had been waiting.
"I know. When is the Young Lady coming back?"
"How long do we have to put up with this atmosphere? I can't get used to it."
"Get used to it? This is how the Astrofel family used to be."
"I know… that's why it's even harder."
It felt as if they had returned to the Astrofel family of the time before Aileen was born.
The very definition of bleak.
They were currently experiencing two extremes.
The Black Mambas were all expressing their gloom.
Without Aileen, the sole person who brightened the family's atmosphere, the household was rapidly losing its warmth.
Baon clicked his tongue at the ridiculous phenomenon unfolding in the household.
On his way to the office after seeing Dante off, he saw the deeply gouged floors throughout the mansion and wiped his face.
The bear paw prints etched deep into the floor were impressively clear.
*Click.*
"Gajunim."
"It seems Dante has left safely."
"Couldn't you have provoked him a little less? There isn't a single intact spot in the mansion's lobby."
"Send a claim for damages to the Iselode family."
Kaide waved his hand dismissively. Baon stared at him, dumbfounded.
The reason Dante had gotten so angry was that Kaide had deliberately provoked him while he was already feeling down about not being able to see Aileen off.
If he were to receive a claim for damages on top of that, Dante might just clutch the back of his neck and collapse.
But since he wouldn't be the one collapsing, it wasn't a problem.
Baon sat down and replied dutifully.
"Yes, I'll proceed with that then."
He shamelessly began to write down a sum that bordered on fabrication.
"Come to think of it, the Young Masters don't know about this yet. They'll be quite heartbroken when they return."
"I suppose so. And I'm quite heartbroken over this report."
"Who on earth is it? The one who submitted such a pathetic report after receiving their salary."
"You."
"…"
Kaide's relentless gaze followed him. Baon discreetly shut his mouth.
A suffocating, one-sided staring contest was just about to begin.
The presence of a Black Mamba's pheromones, approaching rapidly, was detected. It was a familiar yet foreign energy.
A satisfied smile spread across Kaide's lips.
"They're here."
The two heirs had returned.