Chapter – 37
“Why am I feeling like this?”
So flustered that even the teahouse owner seemed to notice, she finally had to step outside in a hurry. Calles didn’t rush, yet his long strides brought him beside her effortlessly.
“I understand the situation, but there’s nothing to be done. Your grandmother tends to drift in and out like this, and most of her memories are rooted in the past. Even if she knows, she probably won’t say anything.”
“That makes sense.”
She finally stopped smiling, something she had only suspected after talking to her nanny over the last couple of days. It wasn’t just news about her mother—it was the fact that her nanny was sick that weighed on Evangeline’s heart.
“Wouldn’t it be better to take her to a big hospital in the city? There might be some hope there.”
“No. It’s not just any illness—dementia can’t be helped much. She’ll be more comfortable staying here, even for just a day.”
“That’s just a country doctor’s excuse. I don’t know which irresponsible doctor would just give up like that…”
“I’m the one.”
“…….”
He stood against the sunlight, his eyebrows slightly raised. Evangeline, captivated by his sunlike red hair, instinctively tilted her head back.
“You’re probably thinking, ‘Is this guy really a doctor?’”
“That’s not it.”
“…….”
“No, really, it’s not.”
Her pace quickened. She forgot, for once, the lesson left by her late duchess grandmother: Don’t run yourself—make others run for you. She turned through small alleys, eventually spilling out onto a main street. Anywhere was better than meeting Calles’s unwavering gaze.
Then she stopped abruptly.
The harbor stretched out before her, crowded with small and large ships alike. The salty scent of the sea mingled with the constant bustle of people. Evangeline lifted the hat that had been pulled down over her head.
“Wow.”
“Careful.”
Calles pulled her back just in time as she almost collided with a cart. She straightened quickly, her breath catching.
“So this is all there is?”
“Calles… no, Doctor.”
“Just call me Cal.”
He chuckled lightly and nudged her to the side. Among the busy throngs, Evangeline’s eyes gradually cleared. Calles, as indifferent as ever, leaned against a wall with his arms crossed.
“This town’s been quite busy lately. The winds have changed, so trading ships are coming in droves. They even started trading with Irneo for the first time, I think.”
“Irneo?”
“You know it?”
“…….”
“I only heard briefly, but it’s supposed to be some island nation. Normally, they wouldn’t even acknowledge our trading ships, but something changed, and they came first. Just took a look along the coast and left.”
Calles tilted his head, puzzled at the tiny island nation that didn’t even show up clearly on maps. Evangeline, demoralized by the news of her mother, showed an interest in such things, which was at least somewhat relieving—but it was difficult for him to keep up with the ever-shifting emotions of a woman.
“Everyone’s just trying to make a living. If they get a good haul this time, they won’t have to worry for years.”
“……I see.”
“So, I wanted you to at least observe that and feel something.”
Calles glanced at the merchants rushing by. He didn’t expect her spirits to fully recover, but he couldn’t just let her give up entirely.
“Your grandmother still tells old stories now and then. If we keep an eye on her condition for a while, who knows what might happen.”
“Yes.”
“Meanwhile, is there anything else you want to do?”
Waiting for a dementia patient to regain clarity isn’t easy—and it could take who knows how long. Calles thought of things she might do in the meantime. He didn’t know the hobbies of noblewomen, but even if he guessed, there were usually one or two she might enjoy.
“There’s a garden near your home where you could get some flowers, or there’s a woman skilled in needlework. Could be a hobby—”
“Or to earn some money.”
“…….”
Evangeline’s pink eyes met his. For the first time since arriving, a strong will shone in her usually subdued gaze.
“I have to make a living too.”
◇ ◆ ◇
“Her name’s Mare. It’s a small port town in the west. The nanny who raised her is there. Looks like she’ll be resting there for a while… Shall we find out more?”
Recalling Mikael’s report from the previous night, Decarno’s eyes darkened. Mare, of all places. He chuckled bitterly.
So now she even missed her nanny’s embrace.
His crooked smile matched his twisted thoughts. The woman who had been so proud and noble had chosen a countryside retreat. Ridiculous, he thought. The nanny’s house was probably smaller than the spare room she used to occupy at the family estate. What was she thinking?
“If we could have parted some other way, it would have been better. But maybe this is fate.”
Fate.
To Decarno, fate was about protecting what was born to you: family reputation, wealth, noble duties. He never thought beyond that. Naturally, the “fate” that led to parting from her was the same.
She was just one of many things assigned to him.
Just as he was the Duke of Teze, Evangeline was the Duchess of Teze by birthright. He had no doubt that she would remain indifferent even to the downfall of the Ohara family.
Everything might not be perfect between them, but it wasn’t a relationship that could simply be ended.
No, he believed it wasn’t. Even now, after she had left.
“…….”
The confusion made him drink. Normally, he rarely drank this much, but something had snapped.
Wasn’t this dangerous?
Decarno was instinctively sensitive to crises. His disrupted routine weighed heavily on his nerves. A few drinks now were no big deal, but he knew this could spiral into much bigger consequences later.
Honestly, it wasn’t so much her leaving that hurt—it was understanding why she had made that choice.
Why?
He had given her everything and planned to give more. Missing the funeral was regrettable, but rationally, it wasn’t worth stubbornly clinging to. He had been on a royal mission, and leaving it would have caused far-reaching consequences.
Evangeline must have understood that. She had acted the same way for two years, and it had never been an issue. Even if she had felt upset or angry, she would understand his position. She was the most rational woman he knew—there was no doubt about that.
She certainly was.
Yet her uncharacteristic choice gnawed at his mind like a relentless whisper. He could almost hear it even when standing still.
“…….”
Fortunately, the solution was simple. He didn’t even need to ask her. Seeing the countryside with his own eyes would confirm whether her smart choice had been right. Once he knew, all his frustration would vanish.
But even that wasn’t easy.
Decarno was far too busy to personally go just to prove he wasn’t wrong. Even while drinking and staying up nights, he couldn’t abandon his duties. Any pause now would multiply the complications later.
He had to remain rational. He had to be different from her.
“Duke, was the food to your liking?”
“…….”
Only then did he notice Bellona, the princess, who had hovered by his side the whole time. Although she had attended due to the emperor’s invitation, this was no different from a royal banquet. The emperor, far across the room, kept avoiding his gaze—something must have made him uneasy.
