Chapter 22
“Elia!”
In an instant, Estine’s face went pale as she urgently snatched the letter from Elia’s hands. Her gesture was so sharp, it felt almost like she almost cut herself on the paper.
“Who taught you this habit? Coming into a room where your father isn’t and rummaging through the study like this.”
Estine grabbed the letter tightly as though she might tear it. Her hands were trembling. Quickly, she hid the letter in her arms and scolded Elia loudly.
Normally, Estine didn’t raise her voice like this, but today she was unusually angry.
“Mother, is this… a letter from the Damon family?”
“That’s none of your concern. Don’t upset your father. Just pretend you didn’t see it.”
Her voice was sharper than usual. Estine, hiding her trembling hands behind her, gestured for Elia to leave. Feeling unfamiliar with her mother’s behavior, Elia was hurriedly escorted out.
“It clearly had the Damon family’s emblem on it.”
Elia stood quietly, staring at the now-locked door.
* * *
The late summer had begun to wane. Elia’s red hair gently swayed in the breeze.
Elia was tired of these events, which felt like little more than an escort for men. But with her engagement to Rias now public, avoiding such official events was impossible.
People would undoubtedly gossip about the two of them, and that wouldn’t be good for either Rias or Elia.
A large tent had been set up on the edge of the vast hunting grounds. People gathered in twos and threes, chatting, while Elia seemed disinterested. She quietly sipped her tea, her eyes absent.
Rias watched her feeling apologetic.
“I wonder if I made a mistake bringing you along.”
At that moment, Elia’s eyes turned toward Rias. She smiled faintly, shaking her head. She hadn’t intended to make him feel awkward, but it seemed she had unconsciously made a bored expression.
“It seems you don’t enjoy hunting.”
Looking down at his clean, pristine hands, Elia spoke. She had noticed that the hands of men in this age either looked like Rias’; neat and scholarly, or like Cyrone’s; marked by scars from wielding a sword.
Rias belonged to the former, while Cyrone belonged to the latter. They were similar in age and looked alike, yet their personalities seemed to differ greatly.
“Well, of course.”
Elia pushed away the thoughts of Cyrone that kept popping into her mind. Rias, who was organizing his arrows in his leather quiver, nodded in agreement.
“I don’t enjoy it much. No matter how much of a game it is, it feels cruel.”
Rias slightly furrowed his brows as he spoke. He seemed genuinely saddened by the thought. Soon, the hunting grounds would be filled with the cries of animals and the stench of blood.
“Since the Crown Prince is attending, I can’t really skip out on this.”
Rias shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
This hunt, which involved releasing hawks and deer to enjoy the chase, was a regular event held every season. As the heir to the Damon family, Rias must have been accustomed to such events since childhood, but it seemed like he was just going along with it reluctantly.
“Still, it’s nice to have you by my side today.”
Rias smiled at Elia, trying to lighten her mood with an unexpected joke. His playful behavior made Elia smile faintly.
Now that she thought about it, Elia had attended such events with her father a few times, but this was the first time attending as someone’s lover.
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Elia gently held Rias’ clean hand. He slowly clasped her hand in return. Their hands touched, and warmth from an unknown source passed between them.
“Of course, I won’t.”
Rias gave her hand a slight squeeze, and his voice carried a soft assurance. Elia found herself feeling strange at this moment. The exchanged kind words, the gazes free of any pain, all felt unfamiliar.
Perhaps these moments, which were so natural for some, were things Elia had never truly experienced. She felt a rare hope rising within her.
Maybe, with Rias, this kind of life was possible for her. It wouldn’t be love, but a life lived with mutual respect and light affection.
It seemed like it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“By the way, I heard that Duke Reiffers will be arriving soon.”
Rias released their joined hands and spoke as if he had just remembered. It was about Elia’s father, Duke Caber Reiffers, the head of the Reiffers family. Caber had been staying in the southern territories for the past year, so Elia hadn’t received much news from him lately.
“Yes, he mentioned that.”
Yesterday, Elia had received a message that the Duke would soon return to the capital estate. Officially, it was about discussing her marriage, but that felt secondary. The Duke hadn’t even appeared at the Crown Prince’s ceremony, so his sudden hurry seemed strange…
‘I only received the urgent letter last night, though.’
Elia tilted her head slightly, puzzled. How did Rias know about the Duke’s return so soon?
Elia had only just received the message the night before, and until then, only the steward, Nastan, in the capital mansion was aware of it.
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