Chapter 15
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#15.
[It was around the time Arkid had slipped away from the suffocating Party Venue to catch his breath.
Splash—!
With the sound of something pouring, ice water cascaded down upon Arkid.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I was just watering the flowers. Why did you have to walk right through there?"
Whether it was an apology or a provocation, the words dripped with mockery.
As Arkid lifted his head, he found Rhoena and her friend Diana Rike giggling uncontrollably. Diana spoke.
"Are you alright, Your Highness? My goodness, what a mess. Your clothes are ruined—you'll have to return to the Castle. You can't possibly go back inside looking like that."
"That's right, Your Highness. If you walked back into the Party Venue in that state, you'd become a laughingstock. We can't disappoint the Grand Duke, can we?"
As Rhoena chimed in with a snicker, Arkid clenched his fists, suppressing his anger as he spoke.
"You're right. I'll take my leave."
With those words, he turned sharply on his heel—as if the party had never held his interest in the first place.
Rhoena, displeased by his composed indifference, bit her lip and spun around to follow him.]
"Gasp!"
A vivid memory crashed into my mind like a violent blow, and I gasped for breath.
Without thinking, I gripped Arkid's forearm tightly, and he looked startled.
"My lady?"
What is this? A novel?
Or Rhoena's memory?
I trembled as the sudden, crystalline memory struck me, my lips quivering.
This wasn't my memory. Since I possessed Rhoena's body, I had never once tormented Arkid.
If anything, I had eliminated the wicked forces that plagued him—I had never been the one to trouble him.
'Then... is this Rhoena's memory?'
I stared at Diana, whom I had been a complete stranger to moments before.
The instant the memory embedded itself in my mind, I felt the episodes I'd shared with Diana naturally settle into my consciousness.
Diana was Rhoena's friend—the first friend she'd made upon arriving in Hadelus Territory, and the one who had gleefully tormented Arkid alongside her.
I couldn't fathom why these past memories were surfacing now, but she was hardly someone I welcomed.
"Rhoena, are you alright?"
Diana's eyes widened, and she smoothly separated me from Arkid, linking her arm through mine instead.
The way she glared at Arkid suggested she believed I was being forcibly escorted by him.
Arkid retreated without resistance, stepping back awkwardly.
His complexion looked terrible. The moment I saw it, I shook Diana off and seized Arkid's hand.
If I didn't hold him, I sensed he would turn and leave without hesitation, just as that memory had shown.
"My lady?"
Arkid's eyes widened as his hand was suddenly grasped. His pale gray irises trembled faintly.
"Rhoena?"
Diana too looked bewildered as she stared at me.
Her expression was one of disbelief—as if asking, "How could you do that?"—making it seem as though I'd committed some transgression.
I was confused by the memories flooding my mind. Rhoena had clearly delighted in tormenting Arkid.
Yet when Arkid didn't even respond and simply retreated, she had grown angry instead.
Why?
Perhaps I felt disappointed because I'd gone to such lengths to torment her, yet her reaction was so underwhelming.
"What's wrong with you? Did you uncover some weakness or something?"
Diana fixed us with a menacing stare, her gaze darting between Arkid and me. I collected my scattered thoughts and turned to face her.
"A weakness?"
"Well, you and the Grand Duchess came together...."
"Is it a weakness that a married couple arrived together?"
"Huh? No...."
Diana gnawed at her lower lip, her words faltering.
It was such a different reaction from the Rhoena I'd known before that my mind began to race with questions.
I set Diana aside and spoke to Arkid, gripping his hand firmly to prevent any escape.
"Where are you going?"
"Pardon?"
"You promised to stay by my side today. Who said you could slip away so easily?"
Arkid's eyes flickered between our joined hands and my face before he replied lightly.
"I'm not going anywhere. I just thought I'd step back while you spoke with your friend."
As he said this, he squeezed my hand in return. The gentle pressure brought me some comfort.
But it wasn't enough—I interlaced our fingers more firmly.
"We've said all there is to say. Diana, leave."
My cold response left Diana looking flustered before she hurriedly disappeared. Yet I didn't follow her.
I had no intention of remaining close friends with someone who had tormented Arkid.
Moreover, most of the memories that came to mind showed Diana encouraging Rhoena to bully Arkid.
Particularly in cultivating Rhoena's disdain for him, her role had been substantial.
'This is why they say you should choose your friends carefully.'
I shook my head vigorously, brushing aside Rhoena's foolish past.
All that mattered now was moving forward. If I loved him generously over the remaining seven years, perhaps Arkid's wounds would heal somewhat.
It was then that Arkid pulled my hand toward him and whispered near my ear.
"Are you truly certain about this?"
"Certain about what?"
"Whether it's alright to let Miss Diana Rike leave like this."
Arkid glanced toward Diana, who was huddled among her circle, sniffling.
No doubt she was gossiping about me and playing the victim.
Among children, friendship was everything.
They made desperate moves to avoid being cast out from the group—that was simply how children were. Arkid seemed concerned about this.
Rhoena had few friends. Being a foreigner and possessing a rather stubborn temperament, she hadn't accumulated many close companions.
Diana's circle was the one that had treated Rhoena kindly, and she had naturally integrated into their existing group.
Their method had been gossip. I shrugged and responded to them with cold disdain.
"I had no intention of remaining friends with them anyway."
I noticed several ringleaders watching me with wide, calculating eyes—apparently already plotting.
But what could they possibly do to me, the Grand Duchess?
If anything, I'd be grateful if you tried. I'd nip it in the bud and repay you tenfold with malice.
'Hehehehe. I absolutely won't tolerate anyone tormenting my child.'
I was responding to their probing gaze with such resolve when it happened.
"My lady, you've truly changed."
Arkid's soft whisper tickled my ear, and as if it were a signal, all tension drained from my body.
How could his voice be so pleasant?
With my ear tingling, I tilted my head to meet his gaze and was startled.
"...!"
A pair of grayish-blue eyes stared directly at me. The distance was closer than I expected.
Well, it made sense—he'd been whispering in my ear.
Arkid, apparently not expecting me to turn my head so suddenly, remained frozen, staring at me.
He looked exactly like a startled rabbit, and I barely managed to suppress the urge to laugh through sheer force of will.
"I, I'm sorry."
Arkid belatedly stepped back. His ears had flushed red—he seemed quite flustered himself.
'So, so cute!'
I barely restrained myself from letting out a delighted squeal. After that, I was caught up in animated conversation with the approaching guests.
I pointedly ignored the peculiar gazes Diana's group cast between Arkid and me.
* * *
While the party was in full swing, as soon as Rhoena stepped away, Diana's group approached Arkid.
Diana cornered Arkid with a fastidious expression, arms crossed.
"What have you done to Rhoena?"
It was obvious she'd been waiting for Rhoena to leave. Arkid regarded Diana with an expressionless face and replied.
"You speak as though I've done something to my lady."
"Well, because Rhoena is so different from usual, of course...!"
Diana was about to launch into her usual rapid-fire accusations when Arkid cut her off.
"Are you suggesting I've discovered some weakness of hers?"
"That, that's...."
Diana opened her mouth to protest, then stared at Arkid with a bewildered expression—he'd voiced exactly what she'd been about to say.
Then, faced with his cold expression, she pressed her lips shut.
It was utterly different from the gentle Grand Duke she'd always known.
Like a predator that had been hiding its fangs among herbivores all this time, there was no warmth whatsoever in Arkid's gaze.
Today, the blue tint in his gray eyes felt as sharp as a blade.
As Diana instinctively stepped back under the pressure, Arkid advanced a step closer.
Since Arkid was taller than his peers, Diana had no choice but to look up at him. His voice was cold.
"I've tolerated Miss Rike all this time because she was your friend, Rhoena's friend."
"I, I'm still Rhoena's friend!"
"My lady said otherwise."
"Wh, what did you say?"
Diana stammered, her face flushed. A distinct sneer played at the corners of Arkid's mouth.
For some reason, it sent a chill down her spine, and her fingertips trembled.
'What, what is this? Is this really the Grand Duke I knew?'
He seemed like a completely different person. Because of that, Diana found herself unable to press Arkid as easily as before.
"Did you think no one would notice how you've been looking down on me all this time, secretly feeling superior?"
"I, I've never done such a thing...!"
"Never done such a thing, you say."
Arkid cut off Diana's words abruptly, muttering with an oppressive tone.
"Then are you blaming me, the Grand Duke, for something?"
How dare you?
Diana trembled at Arkid's low, menacing voice and stumbled backward.
Her foot caught on the hem of her dress, and she fell. Though he was close enough to catch her, Arkid simply took a step back.
Crash—!
Diana landed hard on her backside with a loud thud.
Seeing Diana's terrified expression, Arkid's lips curved into a faint smile. Then he leaned down and whispered softly, for her ears alone.
"I'm only overlooking your rudeness this once. So disappear before my wife arrives..."
That was when it happened.
"What's going on?"
Rhoena's voice came from behind like a savior.
Diana turned around, her expression pitiable, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes.
"Rhoena. Wahhh."
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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