RTPM 8

Chapter – 8

Seeing the people rattling the doors and sticking to them, her fingertips stiffened automatically. Even after experiencing something similar yesterday, she simply could not get used to this. Meanwhile, the crowd’s reactions grew even harsher.

“Hurry up and come out! Stop hiding there like cowards!”

“Good heavens. How can someone have the audacity to lift their head so shamelessly….”

Amid those who shouted openly, her ears went momentarily deaf. Though her lips refused to move, she couldn’t run away. She tried to force even a single word, but the surroundings fell abruptly silent. The one person capable of quelling a commotion that seemed endless with just his presence was Duke Teze.

“What’s all this commotion about?”

“Y-Your Grace.”

The crowd parted in two as he descended from his carriage. Deckarno approached, removing one black glove after another, moving with the elegance of a predator on the plain. His lofty silver eyes showed no trace of surprise, which only made the onlookers feel more awkward.

“I-It’s nothing like that, Your Grace. It’s just that our situation is urgent….”

“If it’s that urgent, you could have come to me through the main entrance.”

“…….”

It was an absurd statement. In the Empire, meeting someone as busy as him would normally be impossible without significant connections. But more than anything, what made them hesitate was having the courage to meet Duke Teze alone. Just looking at him was intimidating enough, and there was no guarantee they could utter even a single word.

Deckarno knew this very well.

“If you have something to tell me even now, go ahead. I don’t mind.”

“…But Your Grace, we have matters to attend to with Lady O’Hara.”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to speak to me in front of her?”

“….”

“Either say it now while she’s here, or I can call my lawyer so that the damages can be assessed and dealt with more reasonably.”

His eyes conveyed the choice indifferently. In the end, the hesitant group quietly lowered their heads, letting their posture speak for them. It was a little submissive, but with the Duke taking responsibility, they felt relieved—or even fortunate. Even when the doors on the west side of the Duke’s estate, which had been rattled open, stood wide, they didn’t dare enter.

“And why are you out here?”

“….”

Deckarno stepped calmly inside, standing before Evangeline at the doorway. He seemed entirely unconcerned with the gazes of those following her. When his hand deliberately rested on her shoulder, she flinched, her eyes momentarily losing focus.

“Evangeline.”

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll go in.”

Her words barely escaped, scattering hastily into the air. He supported her waist as she turned away, despite the creditors surrounding them—no different from how he had escorted her at the banquet. It was only when they reached the annex that his hand returned to its place, though the oppressive weight remained.

“….”

She wanted to look up at him but couldn’t. He, too, must have never experienced anything like this.

Should she apologize? For sullying his honor with such an incident?

Her trembling lips pressed together again. Deckarno, who had been standing indifferently as if waiting for her reaction, only turned when Mikael informed him of a visitor. Once he left, Evangeline could slowly lift her head. Even catching just the back of him made her chest ache.

Perhaps it would be better if he had just driven her out immediately.

She had nowhere to go, but for now, that might have been preferable. Then, a thought struck her.

Why hadn’t he chased her out yet?

“….”

Come to think of it, that was the strange thing. Their marriage had been one to exchange what each lacked—money and power—so if the deal broke down, annulment would have been entirely possible. Especially with Duke Teze. He could have created trouble out of nothing, yet he let this pass as if it were nothing. It was not just unusual—it was outright strange.

Her eyes narrowed unconsciously.

“…No. It can’t be.”

Evangeline shook her head at the ridiculous thought that had surfaced. Still, she lingered, not stepping fully inside, and instead followed the path he had taken.

“What’s all this about, then?”

By now, no one was unaware of the impending bankruptcy of the next Duchess. The relatives who had rushed to his estate to confront him were among them.

“What’s it about? What is all this about? Do creditors really just come barging into Duke Teze’s estate now?”

“Good grief! I thought my heart would stop just looking outside!”

“…So your uncle just stood by and watched?”

“Your Grace!”

At Deckarno’s sharp gaze, Count Rian snorted. A cousin of the late Duke, he was among the closest relatives of Duke Teze and proud of his proximity.

“That’s not the point, is it? The question is, how can creditors just come to Duke Teze’s estate!”

“So you’re okay with the next Duchess being harassed by creditors?”

“The next Duchess? Are you really talking about marriage?”

Really? With that woman?

Even without their whispered insults, one could almost hear them. Yet the Duke, looking down at the documents, remained entirely unmoved.

“Isn’t it natural?”

“Huh….”

The mouths of those who had half-expected this fell open. The ones who had rushed to his estate after reading the news were doing so to figure out who could replace the woman who had left. The Duke, precise as a blade, left no room for doubt.

“…This makes no sense. Where does the next Duchess of Duke Teze’s house rank? She should represent the nobility as you do! And yet, she’s the daughter of a fallen count?”

“That’s right!”

Others watching from behind joined in the argument.

“From the start, could the O’Hara family even compare to House Teze? The marriage was impossible from the beginning!”

“Then why didn’t you oppose it back then?”

“…Duke!”

Deckarno closed the documents he had been looking at. He glanced at them with a mix of annoyance and mischief.

“Isn’t it amusing? Those who accepted gifts from the O’Hara household are now suddenly concerned about rank.”

“T-That’s….”

“Perhaps you should first examine where the clothes and jewelry you are wearing came from.”

His gray eyes fixed on Count Rian’s tie pin. A sapphire easily over twenty carats, surrounded by diamonds, heavy even to behold. The nobles, caught off guard that the Duke knew such details, coughed awkwardly and blushed.

“…The O’Hara count had offered his daughter for me to look after, didn’t he?”

“Then keep your promise. You accepted the gifts, so the transaction is valid, isn’t it?”

“Duke! Why—”

Count Rian narrowed his eyes at Deckarno, who answered without raising his voice. Something had gone very wrong. He pressed one hand on the Duke’s desk, frowning at a sudden thought.

“Could it be that you… love that woman?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“I don’t understand. Who would marry someone that would clearly be a loss to the Teze house? Maybe it’s a matter of your heart.”

Though she thought it impossible, Rian’s eyes gleamed, as if trying to extract an answer. Everyone else, desperate to know, fell silent, staring at Deckarno. The tension was palpable, as if the next word could shift the world.

“Of course not.”

“Ah….”

A sigh of relief—or something similar—escaped the onlookers. In the distraction, they didn’t notice footsteps stopping at the doorway.

“Then why insist so stubbornly?”

“For convenience.”

“….”

“Evangeline O’Hara is a prepared Duchess. At this point, finding another woman would be troublesome, and there’s no guarantee anyone else could manage as well as she can.”