Chapter 20

Linus arrived right on time to pick me up.

As always, his startlingly beautiful face and honey-sweet smile drew delighted gasps from the maids.

Father even came out personally to see me off on my first date and offered Linus a handshake.

“Duke Piction, we meet again.”

“Duke Titanoa. Thank you for allowing me to accompany your daughter.”

“Our Ayrbet’s health is fragile, so I worry a great deal. I hope she won’t catch a cold from the evening breeze…”

It was the height of spring, when even the night air carried warm traces of blooming flowers.

Catching a cold in this weather, Father… really…?

Not to mention, Linus had already seen me running wild trying to kill the ant queen.

For someone supposedly so delicate she needed to fear the night breeze, I had been swinging a sword way too aggressively.
But Linus only nodded understandingly and answered Father Lloyd with a gentle smile.

“I will return her before it gets late. I will look after her carefully, so please don’t worry.”

“Next time, visit our home.”

“I look forward to it, Your Grace.”

Father stared at Linus with clear disapproval.

Good thing we were eating outside. With those eyes, Linus would choke on soup, Father…

Father kept up a one-sided staring contest for a long while, but eventually retreated under Linus’s steady, smiling defense.

“If you feel tired, come back right away, Ayrbet.”

“I will. I’m healthy now, remember? Henry even said I was fine.”

Henry was the name of our family doctor.

Before today’s outing, he’d given me a one-hour checkup.

Father had muttered suspiciously, “Perhaps it’s time to replace the physician,” but I pretended not to hear it.

I took Linus’s offered hand and climbed into the carriage. As it began moving, I leaned out the window and waved.

“I’ll be back!”

I raised my voice on purpose to reassure him, but Father flailed in panic.

“Be careful, Ayrbet!”

I had no idea what was supposed to be dangerous, but he looked ready to chase the carriage, so I pulled my head back inside.

Linus was quietly laughing, so I shrugged and gave an excuse similar to the one I’d used before.

“Father worries about everything.”

“I can tell he truly cherishes you.”

“He does. More than I deserve, honestly.”

I still couldn’t believe that the same Lloyd Titanoa, described as cold and stern in the original novel, was that man.

Thinking of Father made me smile softly, and Linus’s lips curved into a cool, graceful line.

When his neat upper teeth peeked out between those pleasant lips, the corners of his eyes softened downward.
And his eyes sparkled like bright stars.

“Ayrbet is someone worth cherishing.”

Linus was a man who could silence people just by showing his face.

How could anyone smile that sweetly?

My longtime ideal type had always been a man with a pretty smile, but this wasn’t just pretty, it was sweet. Sweet.

I nearly took a bite without thinking.

Feeling as if I’d had dessert before the meal, we arrived at the restaurant.

After stepping out of the carriage and entering, the inside was as elegant as its reputation as the finest restaurant in Arendel suggested.

A formally dressed attendant guided us to our reserved table and brought rosewater in a transparent bowl.

It truly catered to nobles, every etiquette imaginable, necessary or not.

Seeing Linus look startled by the sudden appearance of the bowl, I quickly washed my hands in the rosewater.

Sharp as always, Linus copied me at once.

After wiping our hands with the cloth the attendant provided and placing the napkin on our laps, Linus finished preparing exactly as I had.

I smiled at how well he followed my lead, but then a loud voice erupted from the next table.

“Since when did this place become a cheap restaurant that accepts any riffraff! I can’t eat with my dignity insulted like this!”

Startled by the noise, I turned and saw a badger with poodle-like hair banging the table with his paw, barking loudly.

The restaurant manager rushed over, sweating, and bowed.

“Duke Duncan, is there a problem with your meal…?”

“Is it not obvious? You expect Duke Duncan to dine beside the likes of that? Is this an insult?”

Has this fool gone mad eating expensive food?

“Riffraff”? Who is he calling riffraff?

Duke Duncan belonged to the anti-imperial faction.

Originally, the Dioretta Empire had only three ducal houses: Toned, Sidonia, and Am Sparrow.

But the emperor flooded the nobility with new titles to diminish their influence, and now there were nineteen dukes.

Among those nineteen, one of them happened to be this poodle-headed badger.

As every gaze in the restaurant turned toward us, the innocent manager bowed repeatedly, trying to calm the badger down.

“Duke Duncan, these guests are Duke Piction and the young lady of House Titanoa. Please, calm yourself…”

“Who are you calling a duke? That rootless brat is the same rank as I am? You dare insult me!”

Duncan shot to his feet, looking ready to punch the manager.

At the same moment, I stood up as well.

I walked toward them with steady steps, napkin in hand, and lightly tapped the manager’s shoulder where he was bowing and begging to relocate us.

When he turned around, his face was on the verge of tears.

That lunatic was picking a ridiculous fight, but Linus was the emperor-recognized, legitimate Duke Piction.

And House Titanoa was a fairly influential senior member of the pro-imperial faction.

I pushed the helpless manager aside, and slapped the badger’s face with the napkin.

“Ugh!”

Duke Duncan, struck by a napkin thrown by the famously frail duke’s daughter, toppled backward.

How’s that? That’s the grip strength of an awakened person.

Even with a napkin, I threw it with full force. It had to hurt, you brat.

Duncan flailed on the floor, then stood up with a beet-red face and shouted,

“What do you think you’re doing!”

“Sorry. My gloves were too expensive to waste on such an unworthy face.”

“W-what?”

“You insulted me to my face, so I’m requesting a duel. Tell me the time and the place, and…”

“I will be your opponent.”

Linus cut in before I could finish.

He loomed over Duke Duncan, staring down with a cold, threatening gaze completely unlike the gentle one he showed me.

Duncan recoiled instantly.

Ah. This is absolutely my taste.

I love men who breeze like spring in front of me but turn cold as a winter storm when angry.

Just look at that expression. His side profile is lethal.

Unable to withstand the red, murderous pressure radiating from Linus, Duncan stumbled back, stuttering.

“H-hmph! A duel with me? As if I would lower myself to fight the likes of you!”

“If you don’t want a duel, how about a filthy brawl? Personally, that’s easier for me.”

Wow. Linus, mocking him in casual speech. This is new. This is thrilling.

Sweet Linus is wonderful, but charismatic Linus was so blindingly attractive that I almost thanked the badger for giving me the chance to see this side of him.

Meanwhile, the badger was shaking so hard he rattled, yet still barked like a cornered mutt.

“Y-you think you’ll get away with threatening me?”

“That was a threat? I haven’t even started yet.”

Linus stepped forward quietly, and Duke Duncan panicked, abandoning his entourage and stumbling backward.

He kept retreating all the way to the restaurant entrance before he finally found his voice again.

“Just as the rumors say, you murderer! I’ll report you to His Majesty and expose your true nature!”

What a coward, backing out of a duel but still running his mouth.

Should’ve strangled him instead of throwing a napkin.

Duncan kept acting pathetic until the end, but the moment Linus glared once more, he sprinted out of the restaurant.

If he was going to run away like that, he shouldn’t have started anything.

All he did was ruin the mood.