An Arranged Marriage with an Enemy - Chapter 39

“Yes, that’s what Kaon said.”

“I see.”

Joseph, who had just then given a brief account of what had transpired between his mother and Kaon, looked at Leonida.

She paused contemplatively before slowly nodding. “Beverly must have been heartbroken.”

“My mother…” he murmured, trailing off, uncharacteristically speechless.

He was Baroness Robert’s son and Kaon’s aide. Whenever he had to represent his mother in one form or another, he felt concerned for his job, and on the other hand, her face twitched whenever she saw him working.

“I understand. Baroness Robert was only thinking about what would be best for Ferdinand.”

“…Thank you for your understanding.”

Leonida took the initiative while he was at a crossroads of choice, a show of consideration.

Relieved, Joseph kept his mouth shut. He’d thought that he had become a fairly seasoned aide, but standing in front of his former boss took him back to the times when he was infinitely lacking.

“The two seem to be getting along better than I thought. They have periods of awkwardness from time to time, but it doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

“You’ve worked hard, Joseph. Will that be all?”

“Yes, but…”

Leonida’s eyes met his.

“Is it okay if we leave them as they are?”

“Well.” She looked into the distance. “Even a dying flame will burn brighter with a gentle wind,” she answered vaguely.

Joseph understood immediately.

“They’re undergoing obstacles even without my interference, so there’s no reason to add more.”

In short, since love was not a feeling that could be achieved through willpower alone, there was no need to provoke the two in the first place.

The will of both families was the most important in this marriage. What Ferdinand needed was not a bride, but a mage, and if the negotiations led to an agreement, even Kaon’s desires would be overruled.

Even if he was the last of Leonida’s family, she had to prioritize the good of the duchy.

Joseph suddenly felt sorry for the younger boy.

***

One pleasantly sunny spring day, several carriages left Ferdinand at once.

It was finally the day to leave for the capital.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What are you saying?”

“You keep staring at me.”

“I’m not really?”

Since the day they made a deal to keep each other’s secrets, their attitudes towards each other fluctuated countless times.

There were days when he was angry at her betrayal, when they ignored each other coldly, and when they growled whenever their eyes met.

Now that they’d gone through that whole process, they now started fighting when they were bored.

“I can see your eyes rolling.”

“You’re barking up the wrong tree.” Kaon turned his gaze to the window, observing the scenery as the carriage rattled along the dirt road.

“Then why were you looking at my neck?”

It was going to be a boring journey, so he’d closed his eyes, but he couldn’t stop himself from flinching at those words.

“Are you a pervert? Do you particularly like a person’s neck…?”

“Ah, what are you saying!?” Kaon immediately protested.

To tell the truth, he had been looking at Alessia, and it was also true that he’d been focused on her neck area.

But it wasn’t for such a vulgar reason. He just couldn’t explain it right now.

“I mean, you like my face as well…”

“How many times do I have to tell you, I—”

That girl used her face as a weapon when she was bored.

Kaon glared at her irritably, and she responded by unhesitatingly blinking those big eyes of hers and smiling beautifully.

“…I’ve told you, that isn’t the case,” he muttered, feeling attacked.

He’d thought that he would be used to her face at this point, but he was proven wrong by the ache in his heart that acted up each time he saw her.

With a sigh, he thought back to how he brought home a wild puppy of unknown origins, then named and started providing for it.

All because he’d thought Coda was cute.

And now, there was Alessia, whom he’d probably fallen in love with at first sight.

“I’ll disagree, but fine.”

Kaon didn’t rise to the obviously sarcastic provocation. Given his track record of losing all of their petty quarrels about this subject, it was more prudent to just avoid a match in which the result was decided.

Silence filled the carriage once more.

He grumbled, stealing a look at his enemy.

Alessia was also silently staring out the window, though she also turned her head straight as if feeling the eyes on her.

“I heard your family is also going to attend the banquet.”

Agitation flashed briefly in her red eyes, which went unnoticed by her companion. “…I suppose so. Most nobles will be present.”

“Didn’t you mention that you have a brother who’s considerably older than you?”

“Yes, Richard is sixteen years older than I am, and my youngest sibling, Nia, is eight years younger than I am.”

“Sixteen and eight…?”

Kaon pretended to be unsurprised. That was a pretty big age difference. His and Leonida’s wasn’t that small either, being around five years, but that seemed so small in comparison.

He’d wondered why Duke Ingelos had handed over power to his successor so early, and saw that it was because he was older than he’d thought.

“The duke and duchess of Ingelos seem to be on good terms,” he teased lightly.

“Is that so?” Alessia closed her eyes, much like she shut the conversation down.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

Kaon thus agonized over the awkwardness alone.

***

Even though they kept moving and spent as little time in one city as possible, they arrived in the Velloum only after ten long days.

The carriage entered through a huge gate guarded by several soldiers. The moment they arrived, it became evident that it was indeed the capital of the kingdom. Multi-storey buildings were packed tightly on either side of the road, which was well-maintained to make it easier for vehicles to travel. Some of the larger buildings seemed to have just been built.

An overwhelming sense of congestion filled the atmosphere. It felt a dozen times more crowded than Briar, the busiest city in the Ferdinand duchy.

The sight was distracting him, and so Kaon pulled the curtains shut, but Alessia was transfixed. She didn’t take her eyes off the landscape until they reached the palace.

Rows upon rows of carriages indicated the scale of the court banquet.

“Sir Kaon Ferdinand, Lady Alessia Ingelos. I’ll take you both to your rooms.”

After a simple meal, a lady-in-waiting assigned to them politely led them to—fortunately—two separate rooms. Although they were still directly across each other, it was still better than sharing a suite.

“The banquet will be held two days from tomorrow at the Deimonys Hall, and will begin as soon as the bell tower tolls. Shall I pick you up in time?”

“I think we know the way already, so that won’t be necessary.”

“I see. Then, please make yourselves at home.”

Kaon nodded.

After all, all he had to do was attend the second day when the kind would be making an appearance. Leonida wasn’t expecting him to attend both when there was no reason to.

As soon as he entered the room, he stretched out on the bed. It was already late, so he planned on resting and scheduling his activities for the next day.

“Should I stop by the blacksmith’s?”

On the outskirts of Velloum was a well-known blacksmith’s shop. The old man there had a good relationship with his father and was quite fond of him by extension.

For the past few months, it had been exhausting dealing with Alessia, and it was a relief to think that he would be able to stroll around without thinking about anything for the first time in a long while.

He fell asleep feeling refreshed, for once.

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