CH 24

Bad Temptation (3)

It was only then that Valks saw her properly.

The woman in front of him could hardly be thought of as a woman who became arrogant due to the rise of her status.

She had drawn a line, acknowledging his loyalty while reminding him of the respect owed to her position.

There were only two kinds of people who could turn things around that quickly. Those who were born with such an ability, or those who learned it after suffering through it many times.

The woman’s trembling fingertips came into the old knight’s line of sight.

***

That wariness of people from outside Cadis.

She wondered if something had happened.

Valks immediately bowed deeply. “…I have shown great disrespect, Madam.”

Lily smiled faintly, relieved. “I fully understand the count. That’s why I came here to tell my family to go back. So, will you open the gates for me?”

“You came to send them back… not bring them in…” Valks’ face turned red with embarrassment. He turned his head toward the soldiers. “What are you looking at? Open the door!

The soldiers moved in a hurry. Seeing the drawbridge slowly descending, Lily sighed inwardly.

What if Valks’ hostility was bigger than she had expected? Wouldn’t something bad happen?

She pretended to be nonchalant, but she was nervous the whole time.

The gates went all the way down and she crossed the moat. Lily resolutely steeled herself.

The second challenge, the main issue of the day, was waiting for her.

Lily stopped. Her eyes widened.

Across the gates, a man leaned against a brown carriage with her family’s crest.

Her expression gradually brightened. “Tristan!”

An old friend of hers was here.

Lily walked past the castle gate. Talin and other knights followed her.

Tristan’s black hair, tinged blue in the light, fluttered softly in the wind. A haze of cigarette smoke drifted from the pipe in his mouth.

He was a man reminiscent of a cat taking a nap on a sunlight windowsill. Although his physique was firm, he had an elegant body like a dancer’s.

When he saw Lily approaching, his blue eyes softened. He lowered his pipe and bowed politely towards Lily. “I greet the Duchess of Winter. It’s been a while since I saw you.”

A look of sadness crossed Lily’s face. No matter how close they were, he couldn’t help the formalities because of the difference in status.

It was not strange for him to bow down to her.

Tristan only smiled kindly as he looked at the sullen Lily. “It’s a blue dress. Fortunately, your husband seems to be taking good care of you this time …”

Blue was a noble color that could only be seen in the imperial family. This was because the raw materials to create blue dye were quite expensive.

Tristan’s eyes were strangely dark.

He tried to erase the bitter smile from his face before Lily noticed.

“Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Anyway, I’m living happily without any problems.” Lily smiled as naturally as he could at him, looking at the stretch of carriages lined up. “But what happened all of a sudden? I heard my younger brothers came but I didn’t know you would come. The carriage… Did my father force you to come?”

Tristan grinned and patted the wagon with a pipe. “Dandelion, why don’t you wake up now?”

The carriage door burst open and a silver-haired young man yawned on his down.

The face hidden beneath the naturally curly hair also belonged to a graceful young man. Her second brother, Dandelion, was 18, this year.

Dandelion got off the carriage and stretched for a long time. “Oh, it’s so cold, I almost froze to death… Ack! What’s that?” Dandelion took a few steps back.

Lily, who was about to say hello to him, was also startled, and she looked in the direction of his gaze.

It was the wall. No, to be precise, it was the head of a man hanging from the wall.

Her face turned as blue as her dress.

Dandelion trembled. “Oh my God, that’s disgusting! Can you cover that for me? Sister, are you okay? Are you sure you’re doing well? You don’t have a lot of heads hanging in your room, do you? Oh? Then I don’t want to go in here. Sister!”

“Dandelion. You can’t talk like that!” Lily tried to hush her brother while tamping down her own shock.

“Madam. Why don’t we finish the conversation and go inside?” Tristan suggested.

Lily was stunned for a moment.

She was grateful to him for reminding her about the topic at the right time, but the changed situation was equally difficult.

Lily lowered her head and avoided their eyes. “Dandelion, Tristan. I’m so glad and grateful that you came all the way.” She looked at them, swallowing her hesitation. “But I can’t let you in. So please set a date, get permission from the lord, and visit us again. I’m sorry.”

“What? What do you mean, sister?”

“In order to enter Cadis, you need the lord’s permission. He’s out on business… So I can’t let you in.”