How the Disgusting Suitor Met His End - Chapter 24

He was doing something to get on the bad side of royalty over a trivial matter like this?

While the Montieux count’s family was a noble house that couldn’t be ignored, such words didn’t apply in front of a higher-ranking title.

To make matters worse, that man had a gun. Rogerick didn’t even have a sword. Cecilia barely held back her urge to smack Rogerick on the back of his head.

Instead, she tensed her entire body, ready to somehow dodge a potential bullet if the angry David were to pull his gun.

But David didn’t even look at the gun. Instead, he was looking at Cecilia. His gaze was so deep that she couldn’t guess what he was thinking.

“…You don’t even know why the lady is trembling like that.”

Rogerick turned his head in the direction David was looking.

He was startled by the sight of the white horse’s brutalized corpse. It was the same spot Cecilia had been looking at.

‘…So that’s why?’

Only then did Cecilia realize why David had acted so unreasonably. He must have been trying to prevent her from seeing the dead horse. It would be a shocking sight for a refined young lady to see.

This one act of consideration, albeit in a very arbitrary way, was quite effective even for Cecilia, who wasn’t just a refined lady.

‘Does he have poor social skills?’

Is it because he’s a proud, high-born royal? Or is his personality just naturally eccentric?

As Cecilia was contemplating, her head was suddenly pushed against Rogerick’s chest. Rogerick had belatedly tried to prevent Cecilia from seeing the sight.

At the sight of that, David scoffed once more.

“You’re imitating the very rudeness you criticized me for. Are you lacking in imagination, Lord Rogerick?”

“…My apologies, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Your apology isn’t important.”

David’s gaze returned to Cecilia.

“…I’m fine.”

“With that disgusted look on your face?”

“Of course.”

Cecilia looked back at the dead horse.

“It’s just that an animal died.”

This time, she was surprisingly unaffected. No, to be honest, it had to be this way.

Her body had changed, but her mind hadn’t. Her memories hadn’t either. The audacity and numb conscience that had been honed for twenty years were still hers.

“Aha.”

David seemed to be somewhat displeased with that answer.

“In that case, you can accept my invitation, can’t you?”

“An invitation?”

“Aren’t you curious about what kind of weapon killed that horse? It’s a gun, one of the new weapons I’m developing.”

David picked up the gun that had fallen in the bushes and propped it on the ground like a cane.

“Would you like to go to my shooting range? You can even try shooting it yourself if you go.”

“Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”

Rogerick pulled Cecilia closer, as if to protect her.

“You’re going too far. Cecilia needs to rest.”

“I’m asking for the lady’s opinion. Not yours.”

In an instant, David’s temperature dropped. Even Rogerick fell silent at the chill. Cecilia felt the gazes of the two men focused on her.

‘A mysterious Grand Duke with a gun business.’

Around the time the original story began, all military forces were supplied with guns. She didn’t know who led that business, but if the Grand Duke was the owner, she couldn’t avoid getting involved with this man in the future.

‘Besides, it wouldn’t be bad to form a connection.’

He was a suspicious man. However, if he wanted to hide his existence, he should have hidden completely. Now that they had recognized each other, there were only two paths.

To become bad acquaintances, or to become good ones.

“Thank you for the invitation, Grand Duke Raphaeli.”

“Cecilia.”

“I’m fine, Rogerick. I really am.”

Cecilia patted Rogerick’s arm. His expression was quite grim. But at Cecilia’s resolute face, he could only sigh.

“Then I’ll come along too.”

“I can squeeze in one more uninvited guest. Now, then, Miss Cecilia.”

David smiled faintly and gestured.

“Instead of that dangerous horse, would you like to take the comfortable carriage of Grand Duke Raphaeli to the shooting range?”

***

Raphaeli’s carriage was more luxurious and comfortable than any carriage Cecilia had ever ridden in.

Even when the carriage hit a rock and rattled, there was only a slight shake, and her lean body didn’t feel the chair at all. The seats were that soft, and the carriage was that durable.

What was a little strange was that the cushion on the side where Cecilia was sitting was especially soft. In comparison, the cushion on the Grand Duke’s seat across from her seemed to lack effort.

He couldn’t have been short on money, so it was strange that he had deliberately made the seats different.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Thanks to Grand Duke’s protection, I’m not.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The conversation was short for the lingering gaze.

Cecilia briefly met his eyes and then looked out the window. The carriage was spacious, but the man had long legs. The tips of their knees swayed as if they were about to touch.

It bothered her so much that she had been tensing her legs since a moment ago.