"What exactly are you two doing here?"
I blinked at the man who had suddenly appeared in the garden at the worst possible moment.
For some reason, Grand Duke Richard looked absolutely furious.
Was the campaign that difficult? Come to think of it, he looks like he's lost some weight.
Looking more closely, I noticed that his cheeks had grown a little hollow. His features had always been strikingly masculine, but the sharper contours of his face made him look even more handsome than before.
As I studied the Grand Duke with open admiration, young Lord Spencer followed my gaze.
After a brief pause, his green eyes curved into a delighted smile.
"Benedict! It's been a while. Has it been three months since we last met at the banquet at the Hayden estate? I've been terribly worried about you after everything I've heard."
"Aiden, I believe I asked what you were doing here."
The warm greeting was met with a sharp response.
The Grand Duke's expression remained as cold as ever, with unmistakable anger simmering beneath it.
They're on a first-name basis, so they must be fairly close. Why is he being so hostile?
I frowned slightly.
The Grand Duke had never been particularly friendly, but he seemed unusually irritable today.
Young Lord Spencer, however, continued speaking with easy good humor, entirely unbothered by Benedict's surly attitude.
"Oh, I happened to run into your wife in the garden. We were just exchanging greetings."
"Greetings? You seemed to be making quite a production of it."
His eyes dropped to my hand, which was holding the handkerchief covered in mangled eggplant. His gaze turned positively icy.
I flinched and looked down at the pulpy mess.
Don't tell me...
Was the eggplant I'd destroyed some kind of symbol of House Richard? Or perhaps a precious sacred plant passed down through generations of his ancestors?
It was a ridiculous possibility, but remembering how shocked Mrs. Verona had looked when I'd crushed the eggplant earlier, I couldn't entirely rule it out.
"A production? Hardly. Anyway, it seems you've returned earlier than expected."
"I believe I could say the same about you."
Having somehow become a mere spectator, I stood off to the side, shifting my gaze between the two men as their conversation continued.
The cynical, frosty Grand Duke and the charming, affable young lord seemed so utterly different in temperament that I found it difficult to imagine them as friends.
"I hurried my departure. After hearing so much about the Grand Duchess who'd completely captured your heart, I simply couldn't contain my curiosity. And now that I've met her, I can certainly see why. She's a remarkably charming lady."
With that, young Lord Spencer flashed me a smile.
Feeling rather pleased with myself, I rubbed the tip of my nose.
Well, I was pretty charming.
"Ha!"
The Grand Duke gave such a loud, derisive snort that a pigeon perched on a nearby branch took flight in alarm.
"Charming?"
He sounded utterly incredulous.
Apparently unable to agree with the young lord's assessment of me, Benedict twisted his face into a grimace.
At that moment, a peculiar glimmer flickered through Spencer's green eyes.
Judging by the atmosphere, surely they weren't about to challenge each other to a duel right here?
Repairs cost money, too.
Suddenly anxious, I darted between them.
"Young Lord Spencer, I apologize for my discourtesy in the garden. Please, allow me to show you inside."
"Ah, yes. That would be lovely."
Thanks to my quick intervention, the suspicion vanished from the young lord's face.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
If the Grand Duke kept objecting to my supposed charms, Spencer was bound to start questioning the nature of our marriage.
Once Mrs. Verona had escorted the young lord toward the drawing room, I glanced at the Grand Duke's hair, which was streaked with dirt and sweat, and whispered,
"I'll entertain young Lord Spencer while you freshen up and put away your equipment, Your Grace. Take your time."
"Ha! Do whatever you please."
With that angry retort, he spun around and strode toward the residence.
What's his problem? I was only trying to be considerate...
I shook my head as I watched his dust-covered back disappear into the house.
******
A short while later, in the drawing room of the Grand Duke's residence.
"This tea is excellent, Your Highness."
"I'm glad you like it, my lord."
I took a sip of black tea and smiled awkwardly.
For some time now, I'd been feeling the weight of an intensely heated stare.
I know I said I didn't expect him to look at me with love in his eyes, but does he have to look like he wants to murder someone?
I did my best to ignore the Grand Duke's blazing gaze.
He sat with his arms folded in obvious displeasure, staring without so much as blinking.
"Come to think of it, Benedict, dirt has been falling into your teacup for a while now. Are you quite all right?"
Young Lord Spencer smiled pleasantly as he sipped his tea.
The Grand Duke answered with a sulky expression.
"I'm fine."
"Glad to hear it. But if you're not going to drink your tea, why not wash up first? I don't mind waiting."
Exactly!
I wholeheartedly agreed with the young lord.
I'd even gone to the trouble of brewing black tea with my rather limited skills, all to give Benedict time to freshen up.
Yet instead of going to wash, he'd planted himself in the drawing room, still covered in dust, and refused to budge.
He just sat there glaring.
And he was ruining a perfectly good sofa in the process!
At Spencer's observation, the Grand Duke's brows twitched.
Then he abruptly snatched up the teacup in front of him.
"I've been drinking my tea perfectly well."
"...!"
My eyes widened in shock.
He had tipped the cup back and was gulping down the steaming-hot tea in one go.
Good heavens! He's drinking that scalding stuff straight down?
And there were even bits of dirt from his clothes floating on the surface!
I looked at him with genuine concern.
"A-are you all right?"
"Om va baffulfee, vee ee een ee ud wiv fyin' arrofs an' muh!"
(On the battlefield, we eat even in muddy trenches with flaming arrows raining down on us.)
No, wait. Haven't you already burned your tongue?
I let out a faint sigh at the Grand Duke's inexplicable stubbornness.
"If he says he's fine, there's no need to worry, Your Highness."
Young Lord Spencer smiled calmly.
He'd known Benedict for years, so perhaps he was accustomed to this sort of behavior.
Then he turned back toward the Grand Duke.
"As I mentioned before, I can introduce you to Count Bonetta of the Kingdom of Grace. He's the head of the Clockmakers' Guild."
"Very well."
"He's an exceptionally difficult man, so I'll have to accompany you."
"Fine."
"But that's as far as my help can go. I can't guarantee anything beyond the introduction. Not that I know what you're hoping to accomplish."
"..."
The Grand Duke glanced at me.
He knew I intended to start a clockmaking business, but I hadn't explained exactly how I planned to make it succeed.
Young Lord Spencer watched him thoughtfully.
He was perceptive enough that he seemed to have realized this venture was being driven by me rather than the Grand Duke.
After that, he shared a few useful details about the Clockmakers' Guild and Count Bonetta.
Before long, he'd finished his tea and rose gracefully from his seat.
"We'll depart in three days. Does that work for you?"
"Do as you please."
The young lord then turned toward me with a smile.
"Thank you for the lovely tea, Your Highness. I look forward to seeing you again in three days."
"Ah, then let me see you—"
I started to rise to escort him out, but the Grand Duke sprang to his feet and stepped directly into my path.
"No. I'll see him out myself."
"Well, Benedict, this is the first time in ten years I've realized just how much you treasure my company."
"Don't be ridiculous."
The Grand Duke practically shoved the young lord toward the door, even as Spencer gave me a courteous nod.
For some reason, Benedict seemed determined to prevent the two of us from getting any closer.
I narrowed my eyes.
Come to think of it, they said young Lord Spencer manages the Grand Duke's investments...
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
Perhaps Benedict was afraid that once he recovered his fortune, I'd steal away the young lord's best investment opportunities for myself.
After all, it would be difficult for one person to manage the divided assets of a divorced couple at the same time.
So he's trying to eliminate the competition before it even begins.
I nodded, satisfied with my perfectly reasonable deduction.
After all, I'd heard that young Lord Spencer was a highly capable businessman.
"I really should make friends with him."
I muttered to myself with a scheming smile, already imagining how much my fortune might grow.
******
Three days later.
The Grand Duke's residence was bustling with preparations for our journey to the Kingdom of Grace.
Young Lord Spencer had also arrived early that morning with his attendants.
"As instructed, we've prepared only two carriages."
"Excellent work, Victor."
Following my strict orders to keep travel expenses to an absolute minimum, Victor had carefully selected our attendants and equipment.
His notebook was packed with notes about the journey.
"The maid attending Her Highness and the luggage will travel in the smaller carriage."
"Then the larger carriage will be for me and..."
I trailed off, glancing at the Grand Duke.
Victor and another soldier would be riding on horseback to serve as our escorts, leaving only Grand Duke Richard and young Lord Spencer.
"I prefer riding to sitting in a carriage."
The Grand Duke's answer was curt and decisive.
Naturally, everyone's attention shifted to the young lord.
Spencer was stroking the neck of the magnificent white horse he'd brought with him.
It was a splendid animal that looked more than capable of handling a long journey.
"Then I assume Your Lordship will also be riding—"
Victor was just about to record that detail in his notebook when the young lord turned toward him with a pleasant smile.
"Oh, no. I prefer the carriage."