Chapter 22
As expected, Rowena burst into giggles at the shocked expression on Dante’s face.
Dante found it difficult to immediately process everything he was hearing.
But one thing was clear.
“So you’re saying… Uncle intends to make me the heir? Not you?”
“That’s what I’ve been telling you! I’m here for your sake.”
Rowena briefly explained the succession plan. The reason she was here, the reason Seymour was raising her—it was all because of Dante.
“Even if you cause trouble, no one’s going to kick you out. You were always meant to belong in this house from the beginning!”
At her explanation, Dante looked utterly dumbfounded.
“…So all of this was just my misunderstanding?”
“I told you! I know it’s hard to believe, but—”
“No. I believe you.”
This time, it was Rowena who looked surprised.
It was understandable. Dante had always been defensive around her.
Ironically, that was also exactly why he believed her.
She has no reason to lie to me about something like this.
If someone else had told him—especially an adult—he never would have believed it.
But Rowena was a child just like him.
A child who, in more ways than he’d realized, had a lot in common with him. A child who had nothing.
In fact, if he thought about it carefully, Dante had more than Rowena did. He had noble blood, and he had an uncle.
If either of them was likely to be abandoned at any moment, it would obviously be Rowena.
And yet…
She approached him without hesitation.
Why?
“…Why are you telling me all this?”
“Hm?”
“You didn’t have to tell me. Everyone likes you—”
What use could someone like me possibly be to you?
He couldn’t bring himself to say the rest aloud. It was embarrassing to reveal such thoughts to a little girl younger than himself.
But as if she’d heard the words he couldn’t say, Rowena beamed brightly and grabbed his hand.
“Well, because you’re going to marry me!”
Husband and wife are supposed to be one.
“So we’re on the same side.”
The same side.
The words lodged themselves deep in the boy’s ears. Their clasped hands, her unwavering gaze—everything in that moment did.
Beneath the boy’s black hair, a strange light flickered in his once-calm golden eyes.
“Rowena. Then… are you on my side?”
“Hm? Of course!”
Rowena nodded vigorously before speaking with exaggerated solemnity.
“And you have to be on my side too. No betraying me. I absolutely need you.”
That way, I won’t get kicked out of here, and I can get the cure.
Completely unaware of her true motives, Dante stared quietly at their joined hands before suddenly asking,
“Forever? You’ll keep being on my side?”
For once, even Rowena had to pause to think about her answer.
The reason was simple.
Actually, the contract only lasts until Dante inherits the title.
Rowena was merely a stepping stone for the succession.
So once Dante inherited the title, if he wanted to, they could divorce whenever he pleased.
Come to think of it, I never thought about what happens after that.
Well, somehow it’ll work out! Surviving comes first.
Shaking off her unease, Rowena nodded firmly.
“Yep! Forever.”
“…Ha.”
At her clear answer, a laugh escaped Dante without him realizing it.
But it wasn’t mockery.
It was the sound of satisfaction swelling up inside him.
“You’re on my side.”
Someone he would one day marry.
A child who openly said she was here for him, who said she needed him.
Why did something so small make him feel this way?
Sunlight suddenly streamed in behind Rowena, dazzling his eyes. For a moment, it seemed less like the sunlight was shining and more like the girl standing before him.
Dante narrowed his eyes slightly.
“If you don’t betray me, then I won’t betray you either. So don’t betray me.”
“It’s a promise!”
Rowena stuck out her pinky finger, and Dante hooked his around hers to seal the promise.
The promise was made.
Beaming, Rowena grabbed Dante’s hand and pulled him to his feet.
“Then let’s go steal apples!”
“…You’re really going to steal them?”
“Of course!”
“That’s ridiculous.”
But there was an unmistakable smile on Dante’s lips.
The two snuck into the kitchen and successfully stole one apple and three cookies. Then they hid together on a deserted staircase and shared them fairly.
And the last cookie—
I should bring it to the Duke!
Clutching the cookie, Rowena hurried toward Seymour’s office.
After making the promise with Rowena to “come home before dinner,” Seymour had moved part of his major workload into the ducal residence. As a result, instead of going all the way to the company, he could continue working from the mansion’s office.
When Rowena first learned this, she had been a little flustered.
Ah, this wasn’t part of the original plan.
The idea had just been for him to come home early and sleep early!
But after seeing Hugo’s reaction, Rowena changed her mind.
“I can’t even remember the last time I saw His Grace this often. Before, we practically had to beg him to come back, and even then he’d only stop by once to grab clothes…! This is all thanks to you, Miss!”
Apparently Hugo had suffered quite a bit emotionally.
In any case, it turned out well. At least if Seymour stayed at the mansion, Rowena would get to see him more often too.
And I can bring him snacks!
Standing before the tightly shut office door, Rowena knocked and stepped inside.
“What is it?”
“I came to give you this!”
When she held out the cookie, Seymour effortlessly lifted Rowena and set her down on the desk.
“You always bring me food. Don’t you ever get tired of it?”
“Eating is important! Duke, you mustn’t go hungry.”
In Townsend, giving someone food was considered an enormous expression of affection.
If there’s no food, you get hungry. And if you get too hungry… you could die!
So giving food was practically the same as sharing your life.
The fact that he didn’t know that meant the Duke was an idiot.
“I’m not hungry, so you eat it.”
“Yes! Hehe.”
The Duke is a genius!
As Rowena happily munched on the cookie, Axel—who had been watching her fondly—bowed his head.
It seemed he had been in the middle of giving a report.
“Your Grace, then I’ll return later and continue the report—”
“No need. This concerns the child too. Continue.”
At Seymour’s casual gesture, Axel resumed speaking.
“It appears Miss Dona Devon was supposed to become the face of the new brand. They’ve been proceeding with the matter quite secretly…”
“So this incident exposed it prematurely. Understood. What’s the brand called?”
“Eden.”
The moment she heard those words, Rowena froze mid-bite.
Eden?
The reason was simple.
The luxury clothing brand Eden.
It was the business run by Valentin Latimer, the male lead of The White Lions—
And the single greatest reason Seymour’s clothing business collapsed.
The Latimer Ducal House.
A great family said to rival Somerset itself, and the house ruled by the original novel’s male lead, Valentin.
In The White Lions, Valentin and Seymour are portrayed as light and shadow. Everything Seymour attempts is repeatedly crushed by Valentin, and that pattern extends even into love itself.
The launch of the luxury clothing brand Eden was practically the beginning of it all.
Rowena carefully recalled the original story.
They said it launched out of nowhere without any prior news.
In truth, a surprise launch alone wouldn’t have caused such massive problems.
What mattered was the design Eden introduced.
The revolutionary clothing designs they obtained from the famous fashion designer Rothschild!
Because of that, Seymour’s clothing brand ended up collapsing completely!
