Chapter – 49
Chapter 29
Endlessly stretching gardens and buildings, even the people staying there all belonged to him. Everything was like that. Decarno’s gaze, which had been drifting westward absentmindedly, stopped at the only place that was not his.
“….”
The duchess’s annex.
It had never been his, even in the past. He had confirmed that painfully during the past few days’ journey.
“I like this place. More than the house I stayed in with you.”
Evangeline had no intention of returning here.
His chest tightened unpleasantly as he stood still. He had thought that once he met her again to confirm whose choice was right, all these abnormal symptoms would disappear—but instead, they had doubled.
‘Ridiculous.’
Even the shabby house where she smiled brightly while opening the door, the way she carefully handled the flowers she had to sell, and the sight of her wearing another man’s clothes as she stepped off the ship—all of it lingered like unpleasant afterimages he couldn’t erase. But he had not realized something worse.
Compared to the time he had waited for her in the endless sea when she never returned.
“….”
Looking up at a window on the second floor of the annex, Decarno’s Adam’s apple moved slowly.
The shadow of Evangeline that had once been there flickered like a dark night hallucination. He knew it was impossible, yet strangely, he couldn’t look away.
Then he realized.
How unbearably quiet this time was.
“…Crazy.”
He muttered a short, barely audible curse.
In the perfect silence he had so desired, he did not know what was so disturbing. Normally, he would have already returned to the main building, sitting at his desk or lying in bed at this hour, yet his feet felt as if they were stuck to the ground.
Even after committing so many unplanned actions, he did not know what was still lacking, and strength gathered in his tightly clenched fist.
In fact, it had been like that since he boarded the carriage in Mare.
First, he had to bring Evangeline.
That was the conclusion he had reached. Even though he knew how foolish he sounded, he could not reach any other conclusion.
‘It’s all because of that woman.’
In the first place, all these troublesome emotions started from her—or rather, from the moment she left.
If going down to Mare had not solved it, then the only way was to return everything to its original state.
Yes, it had to be that way. The matters after that… could be thought about later.
At least if she were in this house, there would be nothing he couldn’t solve. Evangeline was still the best candidate for the future Duchess of Tezern, so no other reason was needed.
‘Not bad.’
Thinking so, a hint of stability returned to Decarno’s face.
He lowered his head and straightened his tie.
Before he could even take a step, his thick eyebrows tilted.
Only now did he realize the flaw in the perfect conclusion that everything would be resolved if he brought her back.
How exactly?
“Woof! Woof!”
He had only thought about bringing her here, not the method.
As Decarno stood frozen, the loud sound shattered the night silence.
There was no need to check where it came from. The barking grew louder as his steps approached.
“Woof! Woof woof!”
“Shh. You can’t do that, Rex! The duke really hates noise. Please, stop….”
The trainer pacing in front of the glass greenhouse clung nervously to Rex’s neck.
But true to its noble bloodline, Rex never obeyed anyone except its master.
Though it did not bite, Rex shook its body violently to shake off the trainer’s hand, then ran forward with the leash loosened, finding the source of the footsteps.
“…kngh.”
“…Be quiet.”
They were equally disappointed upon seeing each other.
The silver-furred Rex ran toward Decarno and immediately went limp when it saw him. Decarno frowned as if displeased.
This was the first time he had faced Rex like this since Evangeline left.
“Y-Your Excellency! Forgive me! I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Of course you didn’t.”
“I did not intentionally let it loose. Rex suddenly ran out, and I couldn’t stop it. It probably thought the Duchess had returned.”
“…Duchess?”
“S-sin, I deserve death, Your Excellency.”
Realizing his mistake as he spoke, the trainer turned pale.
The duke was not someone who openly showed anger, which made him even more terrifying.
A quiet predator—there was a reason people called him that.
Setting aside the trainer’s fate, he could not guarantee Rex’s safety either.
“Please forgive me once. Rex has become very sharp. After the la… Lady left, it hasn’t eaten properly.”
“….”
“We are following the feeding schedule left by the Lady, but since she raised Rex herself from the beginning, it seems Rex cannot accept it.”
“…I see.”
His eyebrows, which had twisted slightly at the word “letter,” straightened again.
Instead of anger, a faint, pleased smile slowly appeared.
The terrified trainer bowed once more.
“I have handled many dogs, but this is my first time dealing with a northern hound, so it is difficult. But if you give me a little more time, I will try to help it adapt.”
“No. There is no need.”
“Your Excellency?”
“Is there any need to suppress its nature?”
Nature’s order—what can you do about it.
The corners of his lips murmured softly, strangely satisfied.
The surprised trainer’s eyes widened, but Decarno lowered himself to his knees and faced Rex directly.
Even in a relationship where either could bite the other first, the duke extended his hand without hesitation.
Not toward the shiny silver fur, but toward the black leash.
“Grrr.”
“Close your mouth. Our purpose is the same.”
Whether it was pressure from his sharp gaze or understanding his intent, Rex’s baring teeth gradually calmed.
For the first time since Rex was born, the duke tightly wound the leash in his palm as if praising it.
◇ ◆ ◇
“Congratulations. You are now truly a resident of Mare.”
“…I see.”
She closed her eyes against the stinging sunlight while looking over the vast land stretching toward the seaside.
The pleasantly blowing wind never tired her. The land deed in her hand was even more so.
“You look that happy? You must have looked at it more than a hundred times already.”
“It’s the first time I obtained something with my own effort.”
Evangeline only smiled at Calles’ teasing.
The document that placed her name on the first property she earned by her own work carried special meaning.
Even though she was used to hiding her emotions, her lips kept twitching since she stamped the document.
“From now on, I plan to divide this land into sections and plant crops. I’m thinking of planting Karnak flowers as well as other plants.”
“Do you have anything in mind?”
“Yes. I want to cultivate flowers and medicinal herbs. When I was in Adis, my father ran a farm. We planted almost everything there. Mare’s climate and soil are similar, so I believe it will work.”
She remembered running across the vast green farm with Kirion in Adis.
Back then, she wondered what meaning a farm that didn’t generate much income had—but now it might help her.
“As soon as the business license is approved by the municipal office, I plan to start. I submitted all the documents in proper format, so I think the answer will come soon.”
“I heard it might take a while. The market got cut off.”
“The market? Why?”
“Don’t know. They were embezzling quite a lot… Sorry. That’s just my habit of speaking.”
Calles lifted his hat awkwardly with a sigh.
It made her smile even though the etiquette was unfamiliar.
Still, this was already the best manners Calles could show.
“I’m fine. We’re people living in the same house after all.”
“So why are you moving out and living separately?”
“Calles.”
“You own the land and the house. You must be happy.”
He glanced back at the small house attached to the edge of the farm, complaining.
It was clearly long abandoned, and no matter how one looked at it, it was too shabby for a woman living alone.
“Is it because someone is pressuring you to leave? Or… because of people’s eyes?”
“No. I know Calles has no other feelings toward me.”
“…That’s true.”
Calles’ dark green eyes somehow looked displeased.
But Evangeline truly seemed to like this house.
Her steps were graceful, as if entering a palace as she walked through the cottage.
“Anyway, if I’m going to take care of the farm, it would be difficult to go back and forth from there. Since someone lived there until recently, I don’t need to prepare much, and the structure looks solid, so I don’t think there’s much to fix.”
“Leave the repairs. I’ll come and fix them one by one.”
“You’re a doctor; I can’t make you do such work.”
“What’s so new about that? It’s not like I didn’t do it before.”
