Chapter 49
Both Helia and Aidan were aware of that fact.
Could it be that Aidan regrets it? He married someone he hadn’t even seen, simply because she was the daughter of the King of Altomole.
But now, having met Helia, perhaps he wishes this beauty were his wife.
The thought made her stomach churn.
Whether they considered the Principality of Sieff a distant, boring northern land, or gazed at Aidan with a dazed expression, it didn’t matter.
But when Aidan took Helia’s hand…
Floria’s stomach twisted, and her heart began to pound.
She couldn’t quite understand why.
Aidan, bowing, took Helia’s hand and kissed it.
“P-Pleased to meet you.”
Helia’s voice trembled slightly as she greeted him.
Aidan released her hand and then took her mother’s hand, placing a kiss on the back of it as well.
Then, stepping back, Aidan returned to Floria’s side.
The man standing right beside her leaned slightly and smirked.
“That’s how it’s done, right?”
Not understanding his words, she looked up at him, and his neat eyebrows twitched slightly.
Only then did Floria realize his intent.
On the day they first met, Floria had extended her hand to him.
In Altomole, when greeting a lady for the first time, a man kisses the back of her hand.
But it seemed that such customs didn’t exist in Sieff.
She had waited quite a while for him to kiss her hand.
Eventually, not understanding why she was extending her hand, Aidan had stopped, and she had to embarrassingly explain herself.
“In Altomole, when greeting a lady, especially for the first time, a man kisses the back of her hand.”
To which he replied, “I apologize.”
Thinking that he remembered her words and acted accordingly made a smile appear on Floria’s lips.
The anxiety she felt moments ago dissipated, as if someone had poured water over burning logs.
Whether Aidan was aware of Floria’s feelings or not, he straightened up again.
Then, he politely addressed his wife’s family, whom he had met for the first time today.
“I have matters to attend to and will return tomorrow afternoon.”
The battle in the western region was still dragging on tediously.
In the seemingly endless conflict, Aidan had made several trips there to check the front lines.
At his words ,disappointment briefly crossed the faces of her mother and Helia.
Before their expressions could sour, Aidan spoke with a courteous smile.
“However, I’ve arranged for a welcome banquet tomorrow evening.
Until then, farewell.”
With that, he mounted his horse and spurred it on.
Both Floria and Helia, as well as her mother, watched the gradually receding figure of the man in a daze.
“I must admit, the Principality of Sieff is better than I expected.”
With Aidan absent from the castle for the first time in a while, Floria had dinner with her mother and sister Helia.
Even though it wasn’t a banquet and the Grand Duke was absent, the meal was more lavish than any Floria had experienced in Altomole.
Upon seeing this, her mother commented.
“The food is more palatable than I thought.”
She never imagined her mother would utter anything resembling praise.
Surprised, Floria looked at her.
Even her sister, Helia, who was stingy with compliments, narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“Grand Duke Aidan is also… contrary to the rumors of him being a rough, beast-like demon, he seemed like a decent person.
Or rather… decent might not be the right word…”
Helia’s description of Aidan trailed off.
He had a striking appearance.
Instead of saying that, she merely moved her lips.
At her mother and Helia’s words, a smile spread across Floria’s lips.
She was genuinely pleased by their compliments.
Although she hadn’t been in the Principality of Sieff for long, Floria had grown fond of the place. Even the stern head maid, Grace, turned out to be a kind-hearted person once you got to know her, despite her curt speech.
She had also grown attached to the kitchen staff.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.