Chapter 119

“The horse has gone mad!”

“Get out of the way!”

Suddenly the area erupted into chaos. Catherine, barely keeping herself atop the wildly bucking horse, managed to plaster a triumphant smile on her face.

Her whole body was already aching, but it was worth it. Anyone with eyes couldn’t help but notice the commotion.

And there was only one person around here who would be on horseback at this time, wasn’t there?

Clip, clop. The sound of an experienced rider’s horse’s hooves rapidly closed in from behind. A low voice, right at her back, spoke.

“Let go of the reins.”

“I-I’m… scared!”

Catherine feigned confusion as if she truly had no idea what was happening. Moments later, strong arms wrapped around her waist. She made her move as naturally as possible, transferring onto the other horse.

“Whoa!”

Once she was safely on the other horse, the rider slowed their pace. With her weight gone, Bella galloped away in a frenzy.

“Aaah!”

A kitchen maid in Bella’s path screamed. Whinny! The mare’s legs stretched out, almost trampling the maid to death.

Thud.

With a heavy sound, the dark brown horse crashed to the ground. A knight had rushed over and cut the horse’s neck with his sword.

Only then did the horse carrying Catherine stop. With tears brimming in her eyes, she looked up.

“Th-thank you.”

There was no reply. But Catherine didn’t mind—she already knew Aidan Pickering, her rescuer, was not a man of many words.

Now was the crucial moment. Catherine’s gaze slowly shifted to Bella. Snow had begun to fall, melting as it touched the gruesome puddle of blood.

“Be… Bella…”

She shed tears as if deeply shocked. Aidan helped her down in silence.

Staggering, not caring that her fine dress was ruined, she approached Bella’s corpse. Covering her face, she wept in silence, looking so pitiful it would move anyone watching.

“Was she dear to you?”

A stable hand approached, offering a handkerchief. Catherine thanked him and wiped her tears.

“She was the only family I had left in this world… We’ve been together since I was a child. Why did this have to happen…”

It was true that Bella had been with Catherine since she was young. She’d grown deeply attached to her, closer than anyone else. Seeing her dead like this left a cold emptiness in her heart.

Yet at the same time, Catherine was certain Bella would be happy for her in the afterlife. After all… isn’t it only right to do this much for your family’s sake?

“I see. You must have been very frightened. Let’s get you inside for now, your clothes are soaked with snow.”

“Ah… But first, I need to thank Sir Aidan. He saved me.”

Catherine wiped her tears away and slapped her cheeks to pull herself together, then forced a brave smile and turned around.

Of all the people who had gathered at the commotion, only two men sat tall on horseback above the crowd: Aidan, and the Grand Duke.

That sculpted, handsome face.

That inscrutable, beautiful smile.

Catherine felt herself drawn into the Grand Duke’s gray eyes. Thump, thump. Her heart pounded for the first time in ages—even though this had all been calculated, she couldn’t help but be pulled in.

The Grand Duke stared at her for a moment, then turned to Aidan.

“You saved her.”

He sounded almost regretful, but even that voice was alluring to Catherine. Aidan replied bluntly,

“I couldn’t just let her die before my eyes.”

“I see. Take care of that.”

The Grand Duke’s chiseled chin indicated Bella’s corpse. Servants quickly moved in to deal with the remains.

Catherine didn’t miss her chance.

“Um, Your Grace!”

It was the height of rudeness for someone of low status to address a great noble so familiarly, but Catherine knew when to throw etiquette aside.

The Grand Duke, just turning his horse, paused. Even that motion was graceful and elegant. Catherine hurried up to him, her eyes earnest.

“I’ve been causing so much trouble, and I’ve never properly thanked you. If you’d allow me, I’d like to visit and offer my gratitude in person.”

Then, she turned to Aidan, curtsied gracefully.

“Thank you for saving me, Sir. If you ever have time, I’d be grateful to see you again, even just for a moment… although now might not be the best time…”

Tear-stained face, a dress hem splattered with blood. No one could say Catherine’s gratitude was insincere in these circumstances.

Aidan gave her a brief, knightly nod, but Cledwyn acted as if he hadn’t even heard her. Somehow, that made him all the more appealing.

‘If I can have him, he’ll be mine alone.’

A hundred men, no matter how easily won over, couldn’t compare to Cledwyn Maindulante. Catherine felt a surge of determination.

Just then—

Cledwyn’s gaze fixed somewhere, and for a brief instant, his lips curled up. It was a small change, but the coldness from earlier was gone, replaced by open admiration.

Catherine knew this look well—she’d seen it many times before.

It was the look of a man in love.

Hiding her chill, she followed Cledwyn’s gaze. Nerys Truydd was watching them from a distance, perhaps drawn by the commotion.

‘So what are you going to do?’

When their eyes met, Catherine gave Nerys a dazzling smile. She’d never failed to win a man from a rival before, especially not when there was no official engagement…

As Catherine expected, Nerys turned and started back inside. With her pride, there was no way she’d rush over to interrupt.

Catherine turned back to Cledwyn, ready to say something more.

“I…”

But before she could finish, he had already dismounted.

“Wait!”

As his voice rang out, Nerys hurried away even faster. Cledwyn strode after her with long, decisive strides.

‘Did he just ignore me?’

Catherine almost laughed. He was acting as if she didn’t exist.

But it would do no good to let anyone see she was bothered by this. Catherine, aware of the eyes on her, gave a weak smile and turned to Aidan.

“Um, Sir, I wanted to thank you again. Truly.”

“You already thanked me.”

Aidan was as blunt as ever. Catherine tilted her head at the most delicate angle, looking as pitiful as possible.

“Still, you helped me so much. If you ever have a moment, please let me know. I mean it… would that be all right?”

‘If you have time’—she’d even added a condition, so it was hard to refuse outright. Polite as ever, Aidan nodded.

“All right.”

“I’m so glad. Thank you. Now, I’ll go check on Bella.”

Catherine gave another curtsy and hurried toward Bella’s body, barely holding back her tears.

A squire who’d come to stand by Aidan scoffed.

“She’s something else.”

Aidan didn’t understand but nodded anyway.

❖ ❖ ❖

Don’t get angry.

Nerys was running away before she realized it—away from the sight of Catherine Haricote and Cledwyn talking, and away from her own feelings.

She thought she heard someone calling her name, but she couldn’t focus. Everything was spinning.

Don’t get angry.

That was all she could tell herself. The snow-covered garden flashed by.

‘I have no right to be jealous.’

Really, what had Catherine and Cledwyn done?

And even if they had done something, what right did she have to be angry?

It was Nerys herself who told him, ‘I don’t like you at all.’ She wanted him to lose interest in her, to care about someone else.

But that wasn’t the truth.

There was no way she didn’t like him. There was no way she was fine. There was no way she wasn’t jealous!

“Nerys!”

Someone called her name. The moment she heard it, someone grabbed her hand and she stopped.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Standing in the falling snow, Cledwyn looked at her.

Cledwyn had called her name before—sometimes in public, or, back at the Academy, using her full name “Nerys Truydd” with suspicion.

But he had never called her like this.

Never, not once.

Nerys froze in place as if struck by lightning. The same urgency and faint joy colored Cledwyn’s face as she’d heard in his voice.

This wasn’t right. She quickly steeled herself and glared.

“Why did you follow me?”

“Why did you run?”

“I wasn’t running. I was just on my way inside.”

“Funny, you never ran like that before.”

She couldn’t come up with a dignified reply. Nerys glared at Cledwyn in frustration.

If she said she hadn’t regretted a hundred times over not having a private conversation with him all this time, it would have been a lie. Of course she’d wanted to pretend nothing was wrong.

What did it matter to her, all the good things he could have had, that only someone like him deserved?

It would have been easier to forget consequences and enjoy love, reaping only the sweet fruits of her station. She’d seen many people live that way in her past life.

Megara Lykeandros was a prime example.

Even before it was certain Nerys couldn’t have children, Megara never let Abelus come to her. With both Camille and Izet unmarried, if Abelus didn’t produce an heir soon, ambitious rivals could weaken the empire.

A monarch without an heir would lose authority, and that meant suffering for the people.

But what did that matter to Megara? At least until Abelus died, she must have thought she’d always be happy with her “fated partner.”

That was all before Valentin was engaged to Abelus.

Nerys didn’t want to live that way. She couldn’t understand those who did. ‘You can’t break up because you’re in love’? What nonsense.

She couldn’t bring herself to do that to Cledwyn. The more she liked him, the more so.

As her thoughts deepened, her expression grew firm. Cledwyn, oblivious to her inner turmoil, smiled brightly.

Snow settled gently on their heads. All the awkward silences that had come between them melted away into the pure white hush.

“Does it bother you?”

“What is there to be bothered about?”

“Right. There’s no reason to worry. If you don’t like it, I’ll kick her out immediately.”

Nerys knew Cledwyn had no feelings for Catherine. But hearing him say it so plainly made her confused feelings subside a little.

Cledwyn gazed at her with the warmest, silliest smile.

“She didn’t do anything. Were you just jealous because she spoke to me?”

“No.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

It was nonsense. No diplomat could have gotten by without lying.

But Nerys wasn’t jealous just because Catherine had “spoken to” Cledwyn. What made her jealous was—

‘The woman who would one day stand at his side, far in the future.’

Cledwyn would never again let the Marquis of Tipion manipulate him, so Catherine Haricote could never become Grand Duchess. But one day, a worthy woman would come to stand beside him.

Someone lovely, warm, and from a good enough family.

Someone who could give Cledwyn, who had no trustworthy kin left, a big family.

She hated that it wouldn’t be her more than anything. But Nerys hid all these feelings.

Because unlike Cledwyn’s assessment, she was very good at lying.

No one had ever accused her of that before.

And if she had to bear the guilt for it, she could bear it alone.