The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned – Chapter 135

Author: alyalia

Summoned straight to the office, the two of them were calmer than Declen had expected. Wearing a grave expression, he opened the conversation. “I wanted to hear about the rumors going around lately from your own mouths.”

Declen had been waiting for them to say it was a misunderstanding, or that they were merely acquainted. But the answer he received was the exact opposite.

“It’s true.”

“…What?” Declen froze in place, nearly breaking his quill yet again. “What is that supposed to mean?”

The answers came the instant he finished the question.

“I have romantic feelings for the young lady.”

“I have feelings for Sir Kiana as well.”

It was an utterly absurd situation. For a moment, Declen wondered if he’d misheard and doubted his own ears, then narrowed his eyes. “Are you two… making fun of me right now?”

Until very recently, the two had hardly ever crossed paths. Even when they did, they had been distant with each other. No matter how much people said you could never really know what was going on between a man and a woman, there hadn’t been so much as a hint of a strange atmosphere between them, not even the slightest interest. The idea that, at some point, the two of them had started harboring feelings for each other was hard to believe. And of all people, it had to be the two closest to him.

Declen glared sharply at both of them, especially at Kianan. “I’ll give you a chance. If there’s something you’re hiding from me, you’d better tell me now.”

“It’s the truth. How could I possibly dare lie to you?”

“…”

“I’m sincere too.” Following Kianan, Shailoh answered with a resolute face, then secretly swallowed hard. She was the one who had insisted they keep it from her brother to the very end.

If, by some chance, Caleb discovered that this engagement was nothing but a ploy, then at the very least, the ones who should bear the brunt of his anger were the two directly involved. She had no idea how that anger would manifest if he found out that Declen had known and cooperated with them.

Declen was the one who had brought her here at his own risk when she had nothing and no one, a benefactor she was deeply grateful to, and the only blood relative she had in this world. Even if she was only his half-sister, Shailoh was truly thankful that the moment he learned she existed, he had searched for her without giving up until he finally found her and helped her. So at the very least, she didn’t want him dragged any deeper into her mess.

Declen was terrible at lying. Whatever else Caleb might doubt, he would believe in Declen’s innocence.

“Haa…” Declen let out a heavy sigh as he looked back and forth between their unwavering eyes. “I won’t ask since when.” There was no point in questioning it now, and he didn’t particularly want to know anyway. Having quietly set aside the important issue, he pressed them further. “What on earth are you two planning to do? In a situation like this.”

“It’s true… I am in a difficult position.”

“His Majesty wants to bring you to his side. And in the middle of all that, you suddenly start a scandal.”

“I understand why you’re worried.” Shailoh nodded at his concerned words and readily acknowledged what Declen was saying. “But we have a plan too.”

“What plan?”

“That’s—”

“I’ll explain.” Cutting in, Kianan stepped forward. “We intend to be formally engaged before His Majesty returns.”

“…What?”

“There is such a law, isn’t there? ‘Any woman who has previously been engaged to another man can’t become queen.’”

At those words, Declen’s eyes widened. “There is… a law like that?”

“I’m certain. I looked it up myself.”

“…”

At the unwavering answer, Declen abruptly stood up, took a thick, hardbound law book from the bookshelf, and spread it open on the desk. He kept turning through pages thick with accumulated dust until he stopped at a particular page.

“What are you looking for?” Shailoh approached Declen as though entranced, then her eyes widened when she saw the line of text his finger was pointing toward.

Declen’s brows drew together as he read it through. “It’s true. No doubt about it.”

“I told you so.” Kianan shrugged and flashed a self‑satisfied grin. “And as it happens, I have a favor to ask, Your Grace.”

“What favor?”

“Please make the arrangements so we can be engaged as early as tomorrow.” The words came as if he’d been waiting for the opening.

Declen shook his head firmly. “That’s impossible.”

“Brother!”

“I know you don’t approve of me as her fiancé, but this is a matter of every moment counting.”

“That’s not what this is about,” Declen answered coldly, putting force into his words. “This is a noble engagement. And on top of that, Shailoh, you’re also the only ducal lady in this northern region.”

“Brother…”

“To prepare an engagement like that, even three months in advance would barely be enough.”

Caleb would arrive long before then. Which meant this talk of an engagement and legal loopholes was sheer nonsense.

Declen scrubbed a hand over his face, searching for some other way, when Shailoh suddenly declared, “If that’s all, it’s fine. There’s no problem.”

“What?”

“There won’t be an engagement ceremony. Just the formalities of the engagement itself.”

The atmosphere grew even colder. As though a winter wind had blown in, the air filled the room, and silence settled between the three.

It was Declen who finally spoke after a long while. “Just now…what did you say?”

“Exactly what you heard,” Shailoh answered calmly, then went on. “Just prepare a neat chapel and a priest who knows how to keep his mouth shut. As a witness, Brother and Rose will be enough. If you want one more, then only Butler Rohan. We’ll have a simple ceremony with the bare minimum. That will be the end of it.”

“That won’t do!” Declen roared and slammed his hand down on the desk.

At the resounding crack, Kianan flinched and started to say something, but Shailoh stepped in front of him.

“Sir Kianan. I’m sorry, but could you give us a moment?”

“But…”

“Please. There’s something I need to say to my brother alone.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Kianan reluctantly nodded. “Then I’ll wait outside the door.”

“Thank you.” Shailoh gave him a faint smile in reply.

Once Kianan left the office, only the siblings remained in the suddenly frigid room. Shailoh stepped closer to Declen, who sat as rigid as stone, and took his hand.

“Brother.”

“…”

“I think you’re disappointed in me. I suppose you must have been displeased that I, as a ducal lady, failed to conduct myself with propriety and went around in a scandal with Sir Kianan, your closest aide. Of course you’d be disappointed.”

Since she hadn’t told him the whole story, it was only natural he’d feel betrayed and let down. Shailoh had expected such a reaction, but facing it in person made her left chest ache as though pricked by a needle. He was the brother who might be cold to others, but had always been kind to her.

“Please forgive me.” Walking around the desk, Shailoh knelt beside him and humbled herself completely.

“…Get up.”

“I won’t get up until you say you forgive me.”

“I said get up.”

“Are you that angry with me?” Half worried and half afraid, Shailoh slowly raised her head.

“…I’m not.”

But the face she saw wasn’t filled with anger. Rather, it was filled with concern.

“Brother?”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Declen rose from his chair and pulled her to her feet. “That’s not it, Shailoh. I was surprised, and perhaps a little offended, but I’m not angry at you.”

“Then why…?”

“I’m angry at myself.”

“…”

“I don’t think Kiana is worthy of you, but if you like him, then it’s fine. I never intended to sell you off in marriage anyway. And considering your feelings, being by Kianan’s side would be better than His Majesty’s.” His voice was steady and sincere.

Shailoh quietly looked up into her half-brother’s eyes. Declen’s expression tightened with regret as he lifted a hand and stroked her cheek.

“But I’m furious with myself for failing to protect you before things got this far.”

“Brother…” Shailoh’s voice trailed off as she laid her hand over the back of his where it rested on her cheek.

Maybe Declen had already guessed, at least vaguely, what she and Kianan were trying to do. But the reason he didn’t say it aloud was probably that he understood her feelings well.

“That’s not true, Brother. You’ve already been more than kind enough to me.”

“Shailoh…”

“When I was struggling at the bottom of despair, if I hadn’t had your existence, I really would have sunk all the way down.”

If she had been unable to flee to the north, she would have either slowly withered away beside Caleb as his second queen, or gone mad and taken her own life. There were only those two paths.

“So please, don’t blame yourself.”

At her heartfelt words, Declen tightly closed his eyes, then opened them again. “The engagement ceremony…”

“…”

“I’ll hold it tomorrow at dawn. It would be best to conduct it secretly, without attracting as much attention as possible.”

Instead of answering, Shailoh simply nodded and leaned into his chest. Declen silently stroked her hair. His poor, fragile little sister.