The Prodigal of the Esbaden Family (2)
“You don’t look very happy.”
A beautiful young lady with red hair reached out toward the face of the man sitting next to her.
The man, whose beauty resembled an unnamed young god from mythology, stared at her expressionlessly.
“Oh, come on, lighten up. Is this because I left you alone in the library earlier and ran away?”
“……”
“But you know, if you get caught doing something like that, it’s the woman who ends up at a disadvantage. You know that, right? Cheer up, okay?”
Daniel, the man, let the young lady touch him without resistance, but then, as if coming to his senses, he opened his mouth.
“Stop it, Amelia.”
The moment he uttered her name—
“What did you just say? Amelia?”
The young lady’s face twisted horribly.
“I’m Diana! You damned philanderer—!”
She abruptly stood up and slapped Daniel hard across the face.
Smack.
With a sharp sound of impact, the young lady stormed off, fuming.
But Daniel made no move to stop her and remained seated.
This sort of thing happened all the time.
After all, neither he nor his partners were ever truly in love.
It was merely a pastime for those with too much time and nowhere to place their emotions.
Most nobles already had predetermined marriage partners, and until then, they simply enjoyed themselves and parted ways.
Among such circles, Daniel was the most sought-after, a diamond among men, and he never turned away the women who approached him.
Yet, despite being rejected in this manner by women time and time again, he remained immensely popular. The reason was simple.
Publicly, he was the kind, gentle, and dignified ‘prodigal of the Esbaden family’ to everyone.
Showing kindness with a smile even to those he disliked was easier for him than drinking cold soup.
Daniel frowned.
‘You don’t need to try so hard to gain favor with people you dislike.’
She was a woman of vivid colors that caught the eye at first glance.
Her seemingly delicate body overflowed with strength, and her seemingly refined way of speaking concealed sharp blades.
Moreover, her insight that instantly saw through the shell he wore.
“…How fascinating.”
Daniel muttered quietly to himself as he tilted his neck back.
Though he had never been without women by his side, this was the first time he had allowed a single woman to dominate his thoughts.
Before he knew it, his mind had become completely filled with thoughts of the new Duchess.
*** *** *** *** ***
‘What kind of person could he be, really?’
At that moment, having returned to her room, Duha was lost in thought.
Thinking about Daniel, the man she had encountered in the library.
Though she had called him out for his obvious facade, delivering a sharp rebuke for his pretentious behavior that clearly showed the disparity between his outer and inner self, she felt uncomfortable.
The way his expression had become empty at her words kept haunting her.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Duha soon turned her attention elsewhere.
Her gaze fell on the Duke’s family tree she had borrowed from the library.
The family tree, decorated with gold leaf, contained not only portraits of successive Dukes but also their siblings, wives, and children.
Duha carefully traced the intertwining branches of the family tree with her finger.
Finding Leonhardt’s name wasn’t difficult.
Next to his name was Duha’s, seemingly added not too long ago.
[Duha von Esbaden.]
Seeing their names written side by side gave her an odd feeling, but Duha quickly shifted her attention.
After all, it wasn’t their names she was looking for.
“…I’m sorry, Mother.”
Duha vividly remembered the words Leonhardt had let slip while drunk.
As well as Nate’s words about bringing in ‘another’ person of lowly blood.
“This is…”
Her finger stopped moving when she found the previous Duke’s name.
The portrait of the Duchess that should have been next to the Duke was missing.
In the empty space, only a name was briefly written.
‘Eliza’
Just a name, without any family name or title.
There was only one case where a noble lady would have neither family name nor title.
When their origin was too lowly to be acknowledged as a member of the family.
Duha quietly closed the book.
The clue she had found out of simple curiosity revealed the Duke’s weakness all too clearly.
‘So this is what they meant by a lonely person.’
She leaned back silently in her chair, recalling what the head maid had said before.
Somehow, a corner of her heart felt heavy, like cotton soaked in water.
*** *** *** *** ***
“We meet again, Duchess.”
Duha frowned as soon as she saw the man who appeared before her.
It was none other than Daniel, appearing with his usual radiant smile.
Today he wore a deep purple coat with elaborate embroidery draped over his shoulders.
“Indeed. Though I doubt it’s coincidence.”
Coincidentally, the two had met again in the library.
She had come to return the family tree she had borrowed from the library, but Daniel’s purpose…
Duha frowned as she glanced behind him.
“Fortunately, it seems you’re without company today.”
Daniel burst into laughter at her reaction.
“Haha, unfortunately, that young lady and I parted ways two days ago.”
“…Parted ways?”
Two days ago was when Duha and Daniel first met in the library.
So he was saying he broke things off with that young lady who had stormed out, that very same day.
“Young love tends to be short and intense, wouldn’t you agree?”
“How long were you together?”
“Let’s see. About a week?”
Duha was internally quite shocked by his casual response.
Was it common in the Empire for unmarried men and women to meet and part so easily?
“Since neither of us was sincere anyway, there’s nothing to regret.”
“If you don’t truly like each other, why date at all?”
At her question, Daniel hesitated briefly before giving a quiet smile.
Like when they first met, it was a smile both seductive and empty.
“I have too much time on my hands, you see.”
Rebelling against his ambitious father had left him with nothing but time.
And Daniel had spent all that given time trying only to displease his father.
Even if people pointed fingers at him behind his back for being dissolute, even if his father called him useless.
Meanwhile, Duha frowned, apparently displeased with his answer.
“If you have so much time, why not try something more productive?”
“But aren’t I doing something productive right now?”
Daniel smiled, his eyes curving prettily.
“Spending time with you, Duchess.”
“…Ah.”
Duha made a disgusted face as if feeling nauseated and stepped away from him.
“My, when you show such obvious distaste, even I get hurt.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just not immune to such cringe-worthy remarks.”
Duha quickly walked toward the bookshelf to return the family tree to its original place.
Daniel followed her like a chick, trailing close behind.
Finally, Duha snapped at him in irritation.
“Why do you keep following me?”
“Actually, I have something I’m curious about.”
If he had something to ask, he should just say it quickly.
Duha’s face showed considerable annoyance.
“What is it?”
“About what you said to me that day, two days ago.”
Daniel seemed not just eager but somehow anxious.
“When you said ‘You don’t need to try so hard to gain favor with people you dislike.’”
“Ah, that. What about it?”
“Why did you think I disliked you?”
“Because I felt that you disliked me.”
“But why did you feel that way…”
“I told you already. I’m good at reading things. Books, people’s feelings.”
Duha answered dismissively and continued walking.
“Then how about now?”
“What?”
“Do you still think I dislike you now?”
Duha turned her head at his question.
Daniel stood quietly right behind her.
His hair, caught in the sunlight streaming through the window, shimmered golden.
Bathed in the midday sun, he somehow looked translucent, as if he might disappear at any moment.
And surprisingly, the emotion flowing through that space wasn’t hostility.
It was curiosity, bordering on fondness.
The sharp hostility he had shown toward her until the day before yesterday was gone, replaced by a gentle spring breeze-like energy filling the space between Daniel and her.
Duha stared at him blankly, unable to find words.
“Well?”
Looking at Daniel, who seemed almost pleased, she finally spoke.
“…I’m curious why you’re suddenly showing me such fondness.”
“Because you’re the first.”
Daniel smiled, leaning casually against the bookshelf.
“The first person to see through to my true feelings.”
That no one had ever seen through to his true feelings until now—did that mean no one had ever cared about him?
Or was it that he had never revealed his true self to anyone?
Either way, it was a sad situation for him, but it wasn’t Duha’s concern.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. But I’d prefer if you didn’t deliberately follow me around like this in the future.”
She inserted the family tree into the empty shelf and stood up abruptly.
“I’m used to being the one who chases, not the one being chased.”
“Then what are you chasing right now?”
Daniel continued, looking at the spot where she had been sitting.
“Is it the Duke?”
It felt like being caught off guard.
Duha silently glared at him instead of answering.
“It seems I’ve seen through to your true feelings as well.”
“That’s not particularly pleasant.”
“How unfortunate—I found it quite pleasant when it happened to me.”
To find such things pleasant, he wasn’t some masochist, was he?
Daniel smiled even at Duha’s frowning face.
“So, has your curiosity been satisfied?”
“Why are you so curious about that…”
“Because I think I could be more helpful in satisfying your curiosity than those paper books.”
“Helpful?”
“There’s probably no one in this castle who knows the Duke better than I do.”
At his response, a long wrinkle formed on the bridge of Duha’s nose.
The Duke and Daniel weren’t on good terms. At least, the Duke clearly disliked him.
Yet it was suspicious how he spoke as if he knew everything about the Duke.
“Are you close with the Duke?”
“Of course. We once even lived together like real brothers.”
Duha’s eyes widened at this unexpected revelation.
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