I’m Not the One Who Seduced the Grand Duke – Chapter 14

Author: isuzuuy

“Your Majesty.”

A calm yet unmistakably sharp voice rang through the reception room.

Gulp. I swallowed dryly and looked at him.

‘W-what is this? This is the first time I’ve ever seen him look this angry.’

No, come to think of it, was this man even capable of getting angry? He always had such a pleasant, easygoing expression that I’d never imagined it.

“Oh my. Someone’s awfully angry.”

Perhaps the Emperor was thinking the same thing as me, because I heard him click his tongue softly.

“Ahem. You’re here, Grand Duke.”

“Yes. I am.”

“You came earlier than I expected. I thought it would take you a little longer. Anyway, perhaps we should start with a light exchange of pleasantries. How have you been—”

“Why did you summon the Marquis of Zaherette?”

Leon cut him off as though the pleasantries were the last thing he cared about.

“You’re rather impatient. Can’t you at least sit down and exchange a few words? I’m still your older brother, you know.”

“Yes. I’m impatient. So please answer me quickly. I asked why you summoned the Marquis.”

“……”

Leon stubbornly pressed him for an answer.

I faintly heard the Emperor muttering, “Good grief. What’s so difficult about saying hello once?” but I pretended not to hear.

“Your Majesty. I told you clearly, didn’t I? Don’t concern yourself with it.”

“Ahem. Well, this is……”

“If you interfere in my affairs like this one more time, I really will get angry.”

“No, I was just curious……”

Whatever excuse the Emperor tried to make, Leon merely let out a small sigh before walking toward me and holding out his hand.

“Let’s go, Erna.”

“……”

“You don’t have to worry about His Majesty.”

But still.

‘He looks awfully hurt.’

Even if he told me not to worry about it, what could I do when it was right there in front of my eyes?

At his younger brother’s cold response, the Emperor’s brows drooped pitifully.

There was even a hint of wounded indignation on his otherwise solemn face. He looked less like the ruler of an empire and more like an ordinary older brother sulking because his younger brother was rebelling against him.

“Hmm. But my conversation with the Marquis isn’t over yet.”

“Your Majesty.”

“…All right. I know, I know.”

At Leon’s firm words, the Emperor finally raised the white flag.

“This is all because of my ridiculously impressive little brother. No matter how many times I call, you never come to see me.”

“I’m a busy man too.”

“Hmph. You’ve been in the capital since last week. Once you came up here, you could at least show your face to your older brother.”

“I was busy.”

“Ah, yes. Fine. I know, I know.”

……What was going on between these two?

‘I’d heard the rumors that the Emperor dotes terribly on the Grand Duke.’

But rumors were only rumors. I had thought that perhaps things were different in reality.

Surprisingly, though, it was exactly as the rumors said.

Judging solely from the situation before me, the Emperor was practically clinging to Leon and craving his attention, while Leon seemed to regard the Emperor as nothing more than some bothersome nuisance.

“I’ll make time to come see you separately later. So please stop using the Marquis as an excuse to interfere in my affairs. I’m letting it slide this once.”

“Ahh. How frightening.”

The Emperor pretended to tremble in fear, despite not looking frightened in the slightest. Then he casually waved his hand as if to say that was enough and we could leave.

He just seemed resigned.

“All right. I’ve learned roughly what I wanted to know. Ah, Marquis of Zaherette, do take care on your way home.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then I’ll take my leave.”

I bowed, and the Emperor smiled brightly and gave me a light wave.

We hadn’t had much of a conversation, and all we’d really done was drink tea, yet strangely, I felt as though I had become a little closer to him.

And so, I left the reception room, practically being dragged along by Leon, who I still had no idea how he had known to come.

Even as we crossed the corridor, he didn’t say a word.

Hmm. What was this…….

“Are you angry?”

Because I had met with the Emperor without consulting him?

‘But how was that supposed to be up to me? His Majesty summoned me. Of course I had to go.’

Still, just in case……

“If you’re worried that I might have said something unnecessary to His Majesty……”

“I never had that concern.”

“Then why are you so worked up? And, more importantly, how did you even know I was here? I definitely didn’t tell anyone.”

Aside from Valen and Laura, who had been there when I received the invitation, I hadn’t told anyone. So how had this man found out?

“I received a letter.”

“A letter?”

He had been striding ahead without a word, but now he stopped, pulled out an envelope, and held it out to me.

It had a design I was very familiar with.

[Today at 11. I’ll be enjoying a cozy tea time with the Marquis of Zaherette.

If you have time, feel free to join us.]

The contents were similar to the letter I had received, but slightly different.

It somehow had the feeling of deliberately getting under the recipient’s skin.

“Nothing happened, right?”

“What do you mean by ‘nothing’?”

“Well, for instance, did His Majesty say anything unnecessary to you?”

Hmm. That was awfully vague.

“No. Nothing like that.”

After thinking for a moment, I shook my head.

There had been a few conversations that bothered me a little, but nothing to that extent.

That was why I answered as I did. Even so, the faint shadow lingering over Leon’s face did not disappear.

He looked rather displeased.

‘To think the great Leon Obsidian could even make an expression like that.’

If other people knew, they would be utterly shocked.

After all, completely separate from his sharply sculpted appearance, his public image was more or less this:

Gentle, mild, warm…… the very embodiment of someone so soft and harmless that you could supposedly swallow him whole without even chewing.

Yet the man standing before me was simply an ordinary man who was slightly displeased with his older brother and openly expressed it.

Not a benevolent saint or a gentle priest.

“I’m sorry. I was invited rather suddenly too. If something like this happens again, I’ll tell you.”

“I told you, I’m not angry because of you.”

“It really doesn’t look that way.”

“……”

At my words—sorry, but to my eyes, he certainly didn’t look like he wasn’t angry—he seemed slightly flustered and ran a hand through his hair.

Then, in a slightly sulky voice, he said,

“To be precise, I’m displeased with His Majesty. Not you, Erna. If His Majesty calls for you again, just ignore him.”

“Is that really okay?”

I gave him a sidelong look that clearly said, Are you kidding me? How is that even possible? He answered without hesitation.

“It’s fine. Use my name. Then they won’t be able to force you into anything.”

“You’ll get arrested for disrespecting the Emperor.”

“I’ll get you out. Of course, I’ll pull you out somehow before you even get arrested, so don’t worry.”

Huh. Where did that confidence even come from?

A small laugh escaped me before I knew it.

By then, the slightly sharp edge in his demeanor from earlier seemed to have softened considerably.

“So, what did you and His Majesty talk about?”

“Nothing much. We talked about our academy days.”

“The academy?”

I quickly answered his questioning look.

“He asked if there really was no connection between you and me…… Since I had to refute that, it naturally came up.”

“Was there any need to refute it?”

“Then what was I supposed to say?”

Honestly, we ended up like this because I caused an accident. Yes. I got drunk and pounced on His Majesty’s precious little brother.

……I couldn’t exactly say that.

‘It was much more normal and safer to say that we’d had some interaction before.’

No, more importantly……

“Come to think of it, didn’t we talk separately at our last graduation ceremony? You know, when I gave the congratulatory speech as the representative of the current students.”

“……”

“I feel like we talked about something, but I was so nervous back then that I can’t remember what it was……”

“If you don’t remember, there’s no need to try.”

“What?”

I looked at Leon, wondering what he meant.

He was staring back at me as well, and then, strangely enough, a smile curved across his lips.

“Unfortunately, it’s a rather embarrassing memory for me.”

Leon reached out his hand as he said that.

His thumb pressed against my forehead with a subtle but unmistakable amount of pressure.

As though urging me not to remember.

But only for a moment.

He smiled and withdrew his hand, saying, “Ah, I left a mark.”