# 3
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Episode 3
* * *
Because of her short absence during the day, Ruelia was late leaving work.
Her thoughts were jumbled, which made her, unusually, find it difficult to concentrate.
“Thank you, Sir Belin.”
As was the custom when she was late, Ser Belin, Caelce's right-hand man, accompanied her home.
The distance between Ruelia's house and the Duke's Palace was not long at all.
“Come in, Miss Ruelia.”
The knight was a solid man, much like his master.
Above all, he was someone who truly respected Caelus, the most powerful swordsman in the empire.
Since he was a knight that Caelus trusted and was a man like him, he would follow him in places that Ruelia could not reach like his shadow.
So, maybe this guy knew something.
“Just a moment, Sir Belin.”
“What's wrong?”
“I'm talking about the knights' family meeting that took place today.”
“You mean the training meeting of the United Empire's forces hosted by Count Emil's family?”
The Imperial Nobles have their own soldiers in numbers permitted by the Imperial Palace.
The families that were allowed to have their own soldiers were the ected knight families, and they would meet periodically to conduct group training in order to protect the empire.
But it wasn't just training.
This was a plan by the Imperial Palace to monitor Duke Abert's family and limit its influence without direct confrontation.
“Yes, did the Duke happen to exchange greetings with Count Emile’s daughter there?”
She hoped that hadn't happened.
She wanted to believe that the future she knew was different from reality.
“Yes, that is true. The Count personally ordered his daughter to serve the Duke. He said that the Duke is a difficult person, so no mistakes should happen.”
disaster.
The clock of fate was turning in the same direction without stopping.
Ruelia bit her lips for a moment.
“How was Count Emil’s daughter?”
“Miss Emile was a classy person. Intelligent enough for her father to entrust her with the task of accompanying the Duke.”
“And what was the Duke’s reaction?”
“He seemed at ease. As if he were being served by a butler or assistant.”
Ruelia's eyes widened in astonishment at this unexpected news.
Did he satisfy that picky man the first time? Would a devastating love story really start this way?
'No, not yet, it's not time to give up.'
Perhaps it will not be a one-sided love story, but rather it may develop into mutual love. If this happens, all problems may be solved.
Ruelia's eyes lit up lively.
“How do you think the Duke looked with her?”
Ruelia asked, trying to hide her nervousness.
“The mademoile seemed to respect the duke.”
The word “respect” seemed somewhat incomplete.
These are positive feelings, but they are not enough to develop into an emotional relationship. It was a word that carried a rational, not an emotional, feeling.
At this deficiency, Ruelia curled the corner of her eyes slightly.
"That's all? Did Miss Emile have any other interest in the Duke?"
Ruelia looked at Belin with pleading eyes.
Belen scratched his head and turned his eyes diagonally upward. After deep thought, he suddenly slammed his fist into his palm.
“Now I remember, she was asking the Duke a lot of questions.”
"truly?"
“Yes, they seem to share common interests.”
"This is amazing!"
Ruelia held her hands together.
This was a positive sign.
Ruelia smiled satisfied, and Belin smiled in return and said in a pure tone:
“Also, the missus was related to the Crown Prince. That’s why their conversation seemed to be harmonious.”
“Ah, I think I heard something about that. The missus with the Crown Prince...”
Ruelia suddenly stopped speaking. Despair flooded her widening eyes.
Belen did not notice that and continued her sentence that she could not finish.
“Yes, she is the lady who is rumored to be a candidate to be the wife of the Crown Prince.”
Crown Prince Galleon, a man known for his reputation as a womanizer.
The man that Ayla, Count Emil's daughter, will later choose is the Duke's best friend.
'This is the worst possible!'
Ruelia remembered why the Duke had chosen to betray.
The Duke, who sacrificed so much for his friend's throne, only coveted one thing: his first love. But his feeling of betrayal when his best friend took her away led to tragedy.
Ruelia's face completely whitened.
“Are there any other questions?”
Belin looked at Ruelia with wondering eyes and asked.
“Oh, no, there isn’t.”
“Then, I will leave.”
Ruelia looked at Sir Belin as he bid her farewell for a moment.
Her trembling eyes finally settled, and the despair that visited her disappeared.
She seemed to have made a decision, and she said firmly:
“Yes, thanks. And let's work together from now on.”
Belen's head tilted slightly in surprise at the sudden request for cooperation.
“Since a candidate to be a duchess has finally emerged, we must unite with one heart.”
What to do? You have already boarded a ship that is destined to capsize.
‘The diary should contain useful information, I will be able to prepare.’
If there was a glimmer of hope left, wouldn't she have to row hard to succeed?
Even if she had to jump off the ship right before it sank.
* * *
Belin returned to the Duke's Palace and headed directly to the Duke.
"I had returned."
“Did something happen?”
“No, the suspicious person we saw earlier did not appear.”
Cayce raised an eyebrow at Belen's report.
“Has that woman finally given up? I heard that she summoned Ruelia during the day, I thought she would definitely show up...”
“It is said that that merchant left the Bellona Merchant Guild a long time ago.”
“So, that man has nothing to do with Count Bellona?”
“I don't know exactly.”
“Don't you know?”
Caelce's second finger began tapping the desk in a regular tone.
Balin tensed before the Duke's cold, sunken eyes and quickly answered.
“I will investigate the matter more carefully and inform you.”
“But, why did the Crown Prince visit Ruelia?”
“He said he was just passing by the help house.”
“Pass?”
“Yes, he was probably going to meet one of the misses, right?”
Caelus remembered the character of his friend, the Crown Prince, and issued a sarcastic hum.
He did not explain the matter to Belin.
The image of the Crown Prince in the eyes of the people is the result of his actions, and he saw no need to correct them.
“How are Ruelia’s surroundings now?”
“Today also, guards protect the place with double and triple layers.”
“Well done. Make sure you protect her without disturbing her.”
His serious facial features hardened even more.
Belén hesitated to continue the report, but he could not hide anything from his master.
“But, today the assistant said something strange.”
"What?"
“She seemed interested in Count Emile’s daughter.”
“What kind of interest?”
“I wondered about her personality. She seemed to have some crush on her.”
Kyle's forehead squirmed. But he quickly calmed his expression as if the matter did not concern him.
“Since she is my assistant, she may have been gathering information about the nobles I met.”
“Ah, of course, that makes sense.”
Belen nodded.
Something important remains. Belen glanced at Cales, and the latter pointed with his eyes as if asking him to speak.
“What else?”
“She said that a candidate to be a future duchess has finally emerged... and we must unite and make an effort.”
The rhythm of Caelus's finger tapping on the desk slowed.
The rhythm is no longer regular.
“Now she's starting to plan ridiculous things, what a strange girl.”
“Is this good?”
"Let her do what she wants. She won't listen if you stop her."
Cailes grabbed the documents that Ruelia had carefully arranged before she left.
He had told her that she could arrange it at home and bring it tomorrow morning, but she insisted on finishing it because the duchy's documents could not be taken out.
The speed of her work did not mean negligence.
Ruelia's skill was beyond any assistant Caelus had ever met, precise and flawless.
Kyles flipped through the documents page by page with lazy eyes.
Belin frowned as he watched him, then said:
"That's not what I mean...I'm asking if you're okay. I heard you told the assistant today that there's a woman you want to adopt as a future duchess."
Kyles quietly placed the documents he was holding on the desk.
“Belén.”
“It was nice to see her not realizing it was about her, real innocence.”
Belin's report was emotionally charged.
Perhaps that's why Caelus intertwined his fingers and leaned his chin on them.
He looked at Belin with a fierce expression that Ruelia had never seen.