Free Web NovelChapter 34: Chapter 34: Did You?
Chapter 34: Did You?
—SEBASTIAN BLACKWOOD—
I flinched instinctively.
The reaction was small enough that Duke Valen thankfully did not notice it.
But the male servant did.
The servant’s gaze shifted toward me briefly before lowering again, though I could already tell he had caught the hesitation in my expression.
Annoying man.
Meanwhile, Duke Valen remained completely cheerful, entirely unaware that my thoughts had become increasingly disordered over the past several minutes. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"Come," the older duke said warmly while gesturing toward the inner halls of the estate. "It has been a while since we last spoke properly. Let us have tea together."
I hesitated briefly before nodding.
"...Very well."
As we began walking deeper into the estate, I glanced once more toward the grand staircase leading upstairs toward Aria’s room.
Even now, something about the situation continued bothering me.
The fact that she had isolated herself for days without letting anyone in...
The fact that she refused to see even me...
And most irritating of all...
The fact that her servant seemed to understand her life better than I did.
The servant himself remained downstairs after Duke Valen dismissed him, though I noticed his gaze linger briefly toward the staircase as well before finally turning away.
Duke Valen eventually guided me toward one of the balconies overlooking the western gardens of the estate.
The space itself was elegant without feeling overly formal. White marble pillars lined the edges while flowering vines climbed carefully along the railings. Afternoon sunlight stretched warmly across the balcony floor, and a small tea table had already been prepared near the center.
The gardens below looked peaceful beneath the fading golden light.
Far too peaceful considering the increasingly complicated thoughts currently ruining my peace of mind.
A servant quietly poured tea for both of us before leaving the balcony.
The moment we were finally alone, Duke Valen released a long breath.
Then unexpectedly, he smiled, genuinely relieved.
"...Truthfully," he admitted while lifting his teacup, "I have been planning to head over to your estate."
I looked toward him quietly.
The older duke sighed again before leaning back slightly in his chair.
"I am glad Aria finally chose to end the engagement."
The statement caught me off guard immediately.
My brows furrowed slightly.
"...I see."
"Not that I am demeaning you," Duke Valen continued calmly while lifting his teacup. "You are a capable young man after all. Any woman fortunate enough to gain your favor would undoubtedly live comfortably."
He paused briefly.
"But..."
Something about his tone made me uneasy.
"It would have been such a waste if you ended up with Aria."
I flinched slightly at the bluntness of his words.
Not because I necessarily disagreed before.
But because hearing a father speak that way about his own daughter felt unexpectedly uncomfortable.
Duke Valen sighed quietly afterward, sounding more tired than cruel.
"Aria is talentless," he admitted plainly. "And suffocating in more ways than one."
My grip against the teacup tightened faintly.
"She is emotional, impulsive, overly attached, and incapable of handling noble society properly." He shook his head lightly. "Though she is my legitimate daughter, she has never truly achieved anything remarkable."
For some reason, irritation stirred unpleasantly inside my chest.
Because if someone had spoken that way about Aria several weeks ago, I likely would have silently agreed.
Now however...
Hearing those words aloud left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Duke Valen, completely unaware of my thoughts, continued speaking calmly.
"But my other daughter..." his expression softened noticeably, "she is quite capable."
I remained silent.
"She resembles her mother greatly," he said with unmistakable pride. "Beautiful. Intelligent. Talented. Accomplished in both etiquette and academics despite being raised away from noble society."
The difference in tone did not escape me.
Not even slightly.
The man sounded proud.
Genuinely proud.
And suddenly, against my own will, I remembered Aria’s face again a few months back.
That forced smile she always wore whenever Duke Valen praised someone else during noble gatherings.
At the time, I assumed she merely disliked sharing attention.
Now...
I was no longer entirely certain.
Duke Valen smiled faintly into his tea.
"I believe the two of you would suit each other far better."
Before I could respond, soft footsteps suddenly approached from the balcony entrance behind us.
I instinctively looked up.
And immediately recognized the woman standing there.
The same woman from several days ago.
The gentle beauty Aria had practically shoved toward me inside the corridor while behaving like an overly enthusiastic matchmaker losing control of her own plans.
Cynthia.
Sunlight spilled softly behind her figure while the afternoon breeze stirred faintly against her pale dress. She carried herself gracefully, her movements calm and refined in a way most noble ladies desperately attempted but rarely achieved naturally.
Beautiful.
Undeniably so.
And yet...
The first thing that surfaced in my mind was not admiration.
It was Aria loudly whispering at me to "look properly" while practically vibrating with excitement beside the hallway wall.
I nearly frowned at the memory.
Cynthia seemed surprised seeing me there before quickly lowering her gaze politely.
"Father," she greeted softly before looking toward me. "Your Grace."
I inclined my head slightly.
"Lady Cynthia."
Duke Valen immediately brightened.
"Perfect timing," he said warmly. "I was just speaking to Duke Sebastian about you."
The young woman looked mildly embarrassed afterward.
Meanwhile, I sat there silently realizing something deeply inconvenient.
This should have worked.
Logically, everything about this situation made sense.
Cynthia was beautiful, graceful, and accomplished.
Exactly the type of woman noble society would praise endlessly.
Exactly the type of woman I once imagined myself marrying.
And yet...
For some reason, all I could think about was another woman entirely.
A loud woman.
A troublesome woman.
A woman currently hiding inside her room while apparently drowning herself in magic books and avoiding the world.
"Oh well," Duke Valen suddenly said while rising from his seat, "since my daughter is here, I shall leave you two together."
Before I could respond, the older man smiled knowingly and patted my shoulder once.
"I trust the two of you will get along well."
And just like that, he left the balcony.
Lady Cynthia slowly sat across from me.
Unlike Aria, who would have immediately filled the silence with nonsense conversation, complaints, or emotional accusations, Cynthia remained quiet.
Honestly, this interaction should have felt comfortable.
Instead, the silence somehow became heavier.
I lifted my teacup slowly before finally speaking.
"I was under the impression that you and Aria were cousins."
Cynthia looked slightly startled by the question.
"I did not know you were Duke Valen’s daughter."
A faint awkwardness crossed her face afterward.
Then she smiled softly.
"...That is because most people were told exactly that."
I frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
For a brief moment, Cynthia hesitated.
As though carefully deciding how much she should say.
Then eventually, she lowered her gaze toward the tea resting untouched before her.
"My mother was not married to the duke," she admitted quietly.
Ah.
Immediately, everything became clear.
The hidden daughter.
Raised separately from the estate.
Introduced to society as a distant relative rather than acknowledged openly.
Cynthia let out a soft breath afterward and smiled faintly, though the expression carried slight sadness beneath it.
"Father wished to protect both the estate and my mother from unnecessary scandal," she explained gently. "So officially, I was introduced as Lady Aria’s younger cousin."
I remained silent while listening.
The young woman folded her hands neatly over her lap before continuing.
"I only arrived at the capital recently because my mother passed away several months ago," Cynthia said quietly, her hands resting neatly over her lap as though holding herself together through discipline alone.
"My condolences," I replied quietly.
"Thank you, Your Grace. Lady Aria was actually the first person who welcomed me warmly into this estate."
For a moment, I did not respond.
Until I could not help it. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of my lips, sharp with irony rather than amusement.
My voice came out quieter than intended, but there was an edge to it I did not bother to hide.
"She is kind, isn’t she?" I said slowly, watching Cynthia carefully. "But did you tell her the truth?"
Cynthia froze.
