EEA Chapter 24

The next day, Roylin's younger sister Daisy invited Ailea to tea time. She seemed to have found it amusing to watch Ailea dance at the ball. Though Ailea shrank at the fact that she had to be with the princess, as someone who had no friends her own age, she desperately wanted to accept this invitation. Even Clint, who had initially tried to dissuade her, eventually couldn't bring himself to stop her after understanding her feelings. Instead, he wandered around the imperial garden where they were having tea time, keeping his distance.

Rita was also there. She wanted to maintain a somewhat good relationship with Daisy. At first, Ailea felt awkward among the young ladies who reluctantly greeted her and left it at that, but soon she found herself smiling at the fragrant aroma of the finest tea available in this country. Still, somehow it didn't seem to match the common mint tea she had drunk while laughing at Clint's jokes at night.

Rita asked Ailea.

"Yesterday... did you do that on purpose?"

"Pardon?"

When Ailea asked back, Rita looked at Norton with pity and said.

"It was just one dance... You gave permission. But what on earth did you say to His Grace that he could speak so harshly to Lady Norton?"

"No! I said it was fine for him to come and ask..."

As Ailea tried to explain, Norton, who was already deeply hurt, said with a face that looked ready to cry again.

"It's really too much."

"Did that person commit some rudeness?"

When Ailea asked in confusion, Rita answered instead.

"You humiliated Lady Norton right there, saying it was rude for her to ask for a dance first. Didn't you tell your husband to refuse?"

Before Ailea could answer anything, Norton, with tears in her eyes, repeated exactly what Rita had said last night while comforting Norton after she was rejected by Clint.

"Considering His Grace's reputation, he's just not the type of person to say such things."

He certainly wasn't a man with a good reputation. Ailea kept her mouth tightly shut.

Daisy was quietly watching Ailea being torn apart by Rita's group like usual. She looked like a herbivore being picked at from all sides. Well, even though she had been cast aside for failing to win the crown prince's love and had even contracted such an illness, she had gained a husband that anyone would envy, so she was bound to become a target. Should I tell them to stop talking, she thought, when Ailea opened her mouth that had been tightly shut.

"But he would absolutely, absolutely never hurt someone on purpose."

Ailea continued with a voice filled with sincerity and affection.

"He's different from his... reputation. He's a good person. He wouldn't have intended to hurt you, Lady Norton. But if you were hurt, I'm sorry."

Daisy held back a laugh that was about to escape. She wondered whether Ailea was saying such things because she didn't know Clint well, or conversely, because she knew him too well.

After Ailea spoke, silence fell over the table for a moment. Only the small sound of Daisy sipping her tea could be heard. The master of Escalize Castle had tremendous influence in aristocratic society, more than Ailea realized.

Thinking she had caused the quiet atmosphere, Ailea hesitantly said to Rita.

"Ah... Lady Rita, the flower. The one you wore yesterday."

"Yes."

"I hung it up to dry it prettily."

She looked proud. Rita's words at the ball had bothered her. Several young ladies sitting there smiled at her words. Conversely, Rita's expression hardened slightly.

Then Roylin walked toward the table.

"Stop that and come with me, Rita."

Ailea's body flinched at Roylin's voice. Rita smiled beautifully, nodded, and stood up from her seat.

"I'm sorry, Princess Daisy. His Highness Roylin can't seem to stay alone."

"Oh, go ahead... Hm?"

Daisy, who spotted Clint in the distance, called out to him happily.

"Duke Clint! Don't you have something to say before going to Escalize? We even have His Highness the Crown Prince and his bride-to-be here."

Having noticed Roylin approaching the table, Clint, who had also been walking this way, came over and pulled up an empty chair to sit down. He had been wanting to say something where Roylin could hear anyway.

"Then shall I say just one thing?"

Daisy also smiled. Roylin barely turned his head, shifting only his gaze to look at him.

Clint spoke.

"You probably know how our Rishers family came to be. Originally, we were from the Kanna Empire."

This story was known to most people present because they had learned the basics of history. Clint continued.

"When the current Kanna Empire's ruling Filbert family staged their rebellion, the one who helped them most closely was Treinen Rishers, a knight of that family. But because this Treinen was from the borderlands and couldn't be trusted, Filbert gave him no particular reward even after becoming emperor, except for granting him the surname 'Rishers.' So angry Treinen came over to Teniac."

He reached toward where Ailea was sitting, took a sip of her tea, and continued.

"And he helped Murray Theresia de Escalize, who was stationed at Escalize at the time, become emperor. Emperor Murray, with his broad magnanimity, gave Treinen a ducal title and had him assist at his side in the capital. Teniac gave proper treatment to strong warriors like the Rishers family."

Ailea looked troubled. The story he was telling now could be misunderstood.

"History always follows one thing after another, so Clint Rishers, a descendant of Treinen, came to go to Escalize. Isn't history fascinating? Events that seem like separate dots are actually connected as one, inevitably causing the next event."

Roylin glared at Clint.

Clint had deliberately brought up how Emperor Murray, who had seized the throne through rebellion, was now sending someone to the very borderlands he had once been stationed at to guard. He was speaking about that ominous repetition of history.

Only Roylin's eyes gleamed coldly in his expressionless face. The chill of meeting a snake's gaze enveloped the place. However, Clint looked at him with a relaxed gaze and said,

"Since Emperor Murray accepted the Rishers family, I too will protect Escalize with my whole being."

Daisy, who had been listening to his words with a smile, clapped and said cheekily.

"Your heart of loyalty to the country comes through very well."

Clint shrugged as if grateful that she understood.

It was then that raindrops began to fall one by one. They couldn't stay in the garden any longer.

Walking quickly toward the mansion, Ailea said to Clint with a worried face.

"Why did you say such things?"

"What? It's not like I made up history that doesn't exist."

"I know that, but... people might misunderstand."

"Why, are you worried I might start a rebellion?"

Surprised by his words, Ailea covered Clint's mouth with her hand. Then he grabbed her hand firmly, moved it slightly away from his mouth, and said to her.

"He touched you, so the crown prince should be scared at least this much."

When Clint spoke mischievously, Ailea asked worriedly.

"What if your reputation gets worse?"

"Reputation?"

Clint said while taking off his jacket.

"I'll build my reputation in the south. So I don't need to worry about what these guys think."

"Ah... you acted like you weren't going to go."

Last night, after hearing Ailea's story, Clint had firmly decided to go to Escalize.

"Honestly, I still don't want to go. I think you're going to nag me terribly."

When he complained pointlessly, Ailea said as if dumbfounded.

"If you just weren't lazy, I wouldn't have anything to nag you about, would I?"

"Wow, the nagging has already started..."

Looking at Clint's attitude, it didn't seem like he would work hard at all. Still, Ailea knew one thing for certain. Soon, she would leave the capital that had brought her painful times and go to Escalize.

The raindrops grew a bit larger, so he covered Ailea's hair with his jacket. Feeling his warmth, Ailea remembered Clint protecting her in front of her door yesterday, and her heart began to beat a little faster.

"You're getting rained on too..."

"I'm someone who used to sleep on snow even in the middle of winter, miss."

Clint spoke mischievously while holding the jacket so she would get less rain. When they had just arrived at the mansion, Tarren was inside. As the two came in, Tarren asked Ailea with concern.

"Did you get caught in the rain?"

Then Clint said from beside her.

"Hey, Sir Tarren? I got rained on too."

"Oh, you're sturdy, Captain."

"I've got such good subordinates."

"Yes. This good subordinate went frantically to Escalize and back. Wow, the more you look at it, the more of a ruin it really is."

"Damn, how can it be more of a ruin than it looks?"

Clint made a pained expression, his earlier bold words nowhere to be found. Then Tarren continued.

"Oh, but Captain. I brought a doctor."