Chapter 13
Even Genos didn’t take his eyes off the documents he was examining.
“Pardon?”
For a moment, a flustered Catarina just stood there, her long eyelashes fluttering. Only then did Genos, letting out a deep sigh, direct his gaze toward her.
In his teal-colored eyes were nothing but slight annoyance, contempt, and irritation.
“How can he be so cold-hearted!”
But in truth, his coldness wasn’t new.
Catarina had known his icy temperament well from their childhood, back when she had dreamed of becoming the Duchess.
Still, even someone as indifferent as Genos couldn’t ignore the shocking news Catarina now held:
Rene Blanche—the sly little vixen—had committed adultery!
And the undeniable proof was…
“I am the proof!”
Yes, Catarina herself was the evidence. She had seen the affair with her own eyes!
Normally, such eyewitness testimony without tangible evidence would be dismissed as slander. But Catarina was too blinded by her immediate goal—getting rid of Rene Blanche—to think logically.
Pouting her lips repeatedly, Catarina summoned her courage and raised her voice:
“I saw it with my own eyes! Rene Blanche was standing in front of the annex with a mysterious man!”
“She wasn’t just a servant running an errand for the Ducal Palace?”
“No way! If there had been such a handsome servant, I would have noticed!”
“…?”
Genos glanced briefly at the visitor, then returned his gaze to Catarina with a look of disbelief.
Realizing her mistake, Catarina’s face flushed slightly.
“Uh, uh! That’s not the important part! The man’s hair was green, unusually long, reaching his waist. To my knowledge, there’s no servant in this palace with that hair color!”
“Carl, is this true?”
Genos asked indifferently.
Carl, the butler, who had been waiting in a poised stance as if painted into the scene, answered:
“Miss Hugo is correct on this. There is no servant with long green hair in our mansion.”
“See!”
“It’s true! Why won’t you believe me?”
Catarina’s voice trembled with frustration. She might have stomped or jumped in anger, but in front of Genos, she held herself back.
“Sigh…”
Whether Catarina fidgeted or not, Genos on the opposite side struggled to contain his annoyance.
Catarina Hugo.
From childhood, she had been vain and boastful. She had loudly claimed she would become the Duchess herself. When another woman actually became the Duchess, she had come to the Ducal Palace under the pretense of being a maid, clearly scheming for her own opportunity.
Even this displeased Genos.
“But…”
The Hugo family, to which Catarina belonged, had been loyal retainers of the Celeste Ducal House for generations. When Genos had lost his parents early and only had his strict grandmother, the Count and Countess Hugo had treated him kindly, like family.
Their warm nature had allowed their precious daughter, Catarina, to grow somewhat spoiled, which could be seen as a problem.
“Still, they are my benefactors.”
For that reason, Genos couldn’t bring himself to harshly reject Catarina. Unlike his reserved grandson, the slightly immature but affectionate Catarina was someone the grandmother doted on.
It wasn’t that she was considered a bride for her grandson, but more like a cute addition to the family…
Catarina, of course, believed that her grandmother wanted her to be paired with Genos.
For Genos, however, it was awkward. He had always believed marriage had no place in his life. Naturally, he had never even considered anyone, Catarina or otherwise, as a suitable Duchess.
He had intended to bear all burdens himself and cut off this long-standing obsession.
Sigh…
Thinking about marriage reminded him of that woman: Rene Blanche.
With her wide-eyed innocence, she acted demure, a seemingly ordinary noblewoman.
“The problem is her family.”
The Blanche Marquisate had produced a high-ranking official. Yet the family, despite their noble lineage, was steeped in luxury and indulgence—a reckless bloodline, indeed. Knowing the nature of her family, the official openly wished to erase their background.
Genos’ mind was already racing when Catarina’s whining voice cut through:
“Your Highness! Please believe me! That woman is unfit for the Duchess, a reckless person. The one truly fit for the Duchess is… me!”
“That’s enough. Leave.”
“Genos!”
Catarina’s high-pitched voice filled the study. Genos’ gaze, sharp and tinged with danger, fixed on her. Catarina froze, unable to speak.
“Th-the intimidation…”
Like a predator looming nearby, her entire body tensed, every nerve on edge.
Seeing her tremble, Genos finally withdrew the dangerous aura. Accepting the presence of a swordmaster’s energy directly as a woman was not easy.
“That should scare her enough.”
Genos composed himself and spoke again, in a frostily calm tone:
“When did I ever give you permission to call my name?”
“….”
“Don’t overstep, unless you want to return to the Hugo estate immediately.”
“…Huh!”
Catarina fled, tears streaming, like a tragic heroine. Naturally, Genos had no intention of stopping her and returned to his documents.
“Hmm.”
Yet for some reason, he couldn’t focus on the words. Thoughts of the early dawn resurfaced in his mind:
A woman’s silvery hair, reminiscent of moonlight.
Eyes sparkling like the crimson sun, in contrast.
A faint scent of roses, moist eyes… all unsettled Genos.
“I just… wanted to take a bath…”
“At this hour?”
“I couldn’t sleep. The cabin I’m staying in doesn’t have a bath as big and sturdy as the main house. I just… ended up bathing alone at night.”
Genos hadn’t paid much attention before, but he hadn’t realized she lived in such poor conditions. Logically speaking, Rene’s reasoning made sense—he hadn’t told her to avoid the main house either.
Yet strangely, only her image remained lodged in his mind, disturbing him.
“I just spoke without thinking… not like me.”
She had looked hurt at his words, and then said something absurd:
“After just one bath, what a mess! Not worth it, not worth it!”
A strangely pitiful, yet spirited little woman—completely unpredictable.
Though he instinctively disliked her, Genos had found himself unsettled these past few days. He didn’t understand the source of this emotional turmoil. Sleepless nights continued.
Even alone in the quiet hours before dawn, just seeing her face was enough to exhaust him.
“With that innocent look…”
Was it real? Catarina’s absurd claims, and the way he was shaken by them—Genos disliked it all.
“Your Highness, is something troubling you?”
The perceptive butler Carl asked. Genos set his documents down with an irritated hand.
“It’s nonsense. She probably just wanted to tarnish Blanche’s reputation.”
“Perhaps.”
“….”
Yet strangely, her testimony was detailed. Catarina Hugo wasn’t particularly clever, yet she described time, place, and even the man’s appearance with remarkable precision.
“Shall I fetch the maid we left behind?”
Seeing the lingering unease on Genos’ face, Carl asked. Genos nodded lightly.
“Yes. Also… I’ll go to the room at the end of the west tower.”
“!”
Carl’s expression showed brief surprise at this, but by the time he replied formally, the shock was gone.
“…Understood.”
