Invitation of the Crescent Moon - Chapter 68

The setting sun cast a lazy red glow throughout the forest. The knights waiting at the entrance of the mountain lodge dismounted as they observed the darkening sky.

They had waited for more than two hours without moving, either inside or outside. During all that time, Drushia remained motionless, his gaze fixed beyond the road.

The distant sound of hoofbeats grew closer, but the face that finally appeared was not the one he had been longing for.

“Mia?”

“Your Grace, the lady asked me to deliver a message.”

Mia hurriedly stopped her horse, dismounted, and showed proper courtesy. Seemingly troubled by coming empty-handed, she continued without even raising her head.

“…She said she’s sorry.”

Drushia remained motionless on horseback, silently looking down at Mia, waiting for further explanation. But there was no additional explanation or excuse.

“Is that all?”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Drushia’s face hardened.

A brief response to his proposal to meet as usual. She hadn’t even made the effort to write and send a letter herself. That curt “I’m sorry” delivered with what seemed like a lack of sincerity—what did it mean?

Because she had never contacted him first? Because she had rejected even his request to meet? Or because she couldn’t promise a future? Or perhaps it encompassed all of these meanings.

An uneasy feeling crept up from the corner of his heart.

‘This woman, really.’

She had a talent for driving people crazy with her seemingly indifferent, cold face.

“Ha. What is this.”

Drushia’s mood plummeted. His horse, sensing its master’s unstable mood, began acting up.

“Your Grace, we need to leave the forest before it gets darker. We have a long way to the domain.”

Mihail stepped in, unable to watch any longer. All the knights who had been waiting for orders focused their attention on Drushia.

It would take at least ten days to travel through the Grand Duke’s territory to reach Talion domain. If they left now, he would be absent from the capital for about a month. Though they were in a hurry, he had felt he needed to see Ashika’s face at least once before leaving.

‘But the answer that came back was a rejection.’

He had clearly explained the situation in his letter, yet she hadn’t even given him a reason.

“Is Ashika at the mansion now?”

“Well, that’s…”

Mia, who knew about their relationship, hesitated to answer. Before leaving the mansion, she had seen people unexpectedly arrive from the boutique. Ashika had ended up attending an unscheduled ball.

“I heard she’s attending Duke Sinclaredelt’s ball.”

“What?”

Drushia’s face wrinkled fiercely.

‘She ignores my letter, and where did she go?’

What purpose would an unmarried noble woman have for attending a ball she didn’t even enjoy? There was only one reason. Finding a marriage partner.

Was that the meaning of her brief, terse “I’m sorry”?

“This is maddening.”

Heat rose to the top of his head. The woman who had so passionately rolled in bed with him had suddenly changed her attitude. And of all times, right after he had sent a letter saying he would be leaving the capital.

Many unexpected things had happened over the past month. Then what would happen during the coming month while he was away? He couldn’t even begin to predict.

‘This won’t do.’

He had an ominous feeling that if he left the capital now, something irreversible would happen.

“Postpone the trip to the domain. Return to the capital.”

“Your Grace!”

Mihail raised his voice without realizing it.

They had just set out on this difficult journey. They had been running around frantically to prepare everything in a short time for the long-distance travel. Even the capital residence was in chaos as Kalf was taking over duties to substitute for Drushia.

“What, is there a problem?”

Drushia’s expression was cold as he turned around.

Is there a problem? The problems that would cascade from this one change in Drushia’s schedule were countless.

‘What exactly are you trying to do?’

Mihail swallowed all the words he wanted to say and kept his mouth shut.

“We’re returning to the mansion. I’ll depart first, the rest of you follow as you see fit.”

No sooner had he given the instruction than Drushia spurred his horse. With a sudden kick, he disappeared from sight in an instant. Left behind almost as if abandoned, Mihail and the knights were left with bewildered expressions.

“Why is His Grace acting like this? The lady you mentioned couldn’t be Lady Igraine, could it?”

At Mihail’s question, Mia shook her head. Busy traveling between the domain and the Grand Duke’s territory, Mihail was still unaware of the relationship between the two. So the current situation was understandably confusing.

“Someone please explain to me. I need to know what’s going on!”

The knights who understood the situation ignored Mihail’s cry.

After all, who could possibly mention that Duke Talion seemed to have gone mad over a woman? Especially since the woman in question was Igraine.

****

‘Marriage, marriage, huh.’

It was a marriage that had already been overturned once. She had thought she would be free from this issue for a while, given how many eyes were watching.

‘Why are you rushing so much?’

Issues with the Grand Duke’s territory were becoming public, causing unrest inside and out. The imperial court was getting involved, making the problem bigger, yet he was demanding marriage immediately.

Whether the daughter of a humble nobleman or the daughter of a prestigious high nobleman, once they entered the marriage market, they were in the same position. Being evaluated, having a price put on them, and being matched with the most suitable partner.

‘It’s suffocating.’

What she had resolved to endure for the sake of her family now felt like a noose around her neck.

Ashika looked at the glass in her hand with unfamiliar eyes. The expensive crystal glass reflected the light scattered around, shining as brilliantly as a jewel. Beautiful, but the cold chill in her hand felt as cold as her heart.

“…so in September…”

The voice of the man who had been enthusiastically talking beside her came in fragments. Even the music filling the ballroom felt distant. The man apparently hadn’t noticed that Ashika’s mind was elsewhere.

‘Was he from a Count’s family? Or was it a Marquis?’

He was a man who had pushed aside countless men approaching Ashika to claim the spot beside her. But she couldn’t even remember his name. Despite her not responding, the man persistently continued talking.

“I would like to escort you as my partner to next month’s festival. What do you think?”

Ashika blinked her dazed eyes and called over a passing servant to hand over her glass.

“Lady Igraine?”

“Coming out after so long makes me dizzy. I’ll take a short break.”

“Then at least an answer…”

“I’m sorry.”

Leaving the man with a bewildered expression behind, Ashika hurried her steps. She could see nobles who had been watching the two of them slowly approaching now that she was alone.

Ashika changed direction and crossed through the middle of the hall where men and women were dancing. She escaped like a fugitive, passing through the hall and climbing the stairs so no one could approach her anymore.

The second and third floors of the banquet hall, where the ball was in full swing, had many intimate and quiet spaces. In her desire to escape people’s gazes, she opened a door without thinking and was startled.

“Oh!”

A half-naked couple, unaware that the door had opened, were entangled with each other. Ashika quickly closed the door again.

‘Goodness!’

She had only attended balls a handful of times a year, and even then, she mostly stayed in the banquet hall before returning.

‘I’ve heard about this, but my goodness!’

A space where men and women who met eyes at the ball secretly sought each other out. She had heard that some people attended balls solely for this purpose. The Duke’s ball was no exception.

Ashika covered her flushed face and made her way to a nearby balcony. Worried that someone might recognize her and approach, she quickly went outside and closed the door.

“Phew…”

The fan she was holding felt heavy, so she let her hand droop over the railing. Perhaps what was heavy was not the fan but her heart.

A dress that emphasized her slim waist, a bosom generously lifted, hair twisted up to highlight her white neckline, and jeweled decorations. Despite her careful grooming since morning, she felt out of place.

The summer breeze gently caressed her face, cooling the heat. Music from the first floor came through the balcony window. Mixed in were the voices of unfamiliar men.

“Where did she go?”

“I think she went to the second floor. Do you think she went to meet someone?”

“No way. There’s a reason she’s called the Ice Flower.”

The smoke from the cigarettes the men were smoking drifted up to the second-floor balcony. Ashika frowned at the acrid smell.

‘Rushia didn’t smoke cigarettes.’

Not only Drushia, but none of those close to Ashika smoked cigarettes. Perhaps they were being considerate about the smell.

‘I wonder if Rushia is traveling well.’

She had to decline their meeting due to poor timing. She felt too sorry to leave a refusal in a letter, so she substituted a brief message instead.

Ashika’s brief contemplation was interrupted by the continuing voices of the men.

“Her face might be worth looking at, but how could anyone live with such a block of wood? No wonder Lord Oclein had an affair.”

Ashika only then realized that she was the subject of the men’s conversation.

“Look at that cold air blowing from her face. Ugh. Is it easy for any man to pledge loyalty to his wife and live in submission for life?”

“If she’s giving up her domain, can’t he at least do that much? There’s no rule saying a man has to look only at his wife. He can keep one pretty, gentle woman as a mistress.”

“Oh my. That’s asking for trouble. Haven’t you heard what that woman did to Lord Oclein’s mistress? She kidnapped her from the provincial palace and locked her up. She went crazy when she heard about the pregnancy. If she did that much before marriage, what do you think she’ll do if she catches you having an affair after marriage?”

Unaware that the subject herself was listening, the men were busy disparaging Ashika.

‘Ha, how brazen.’

Listening quietly, she couldn’t help but laugh mockingly.

Ashika had never seen these men before. They were probably from humble families, second or third sons who hadn’t even received titles. Men who didn’t dare to even submit a marriage proposal often satisfied their petty sense of inferiority in this way.

The men’s voices were suddenly drowned out by increasing music. It seemed the door to the first-floor balcony had opened. The men returned to the ballroom, and the surroundings became quiet again.

“I suppose they’re not the only ones thinking like that.”

Her mouth tasted bitter, as if she had glimpsed an aspect of arranged marriages she hadn’t considered before. She felt foolish for not having realized it.

Noble marriages were strictly strategic, and since what was given and received was clear, she had considered them clean transactions. But relationships between men and women were not so simple. Even she had been acting irrationally since becoming entangled with Drushia.

Could she really get married like this? And to a man other than Drushia?

Her mood plummeted as she faced a question she couldn’t answer.

“Lady Igraine, so you were here?”

The curtain covering the door was drawn back, and bright light from the corridor poured in. Turning around, she saw a familiar face from a few days ago, smiling brightly.

“Lord Perido?”

“So you remember me this time. Pleased to meet you again, Lady Igraine.”

He looked as pleased as when they had met at the racetrack. It was uncomfortable having someone show one-sided affection without any real acquaintance. Sensing this, Deyran approached cautiously.

“I received your reply well. My father has also decided to send a positive response.”

“What do you mean?”

Ashika didn’t understand what he was saying. It was rather Deyran who seemed puzzled by her reaction.

“I’m referring to the reply to the marriage proposal. I didn’t expect the Duke to make an offer so quickly.”

“Marriage… proposal?”

What was this about? Ashika wondered why a marriage proposal she had never seen was being mentioned here. A look of dismay crossed Deyran’s face.

“Don’t tell me you came out without knowing? A letter was recently delivered to each family stating that House Igraine would accept marriage proposals.”

Seeing Ashika’s pale face, the other party also looked embarrassed.