Why the Northern Duke Wanders the Snowfields - Chapter 58

While Agnes listened to Tarion explain the dinner menu, Aileen’s eyes darted about before turning toward Kaeloc.

Seated directly across from her, Kaeloc took a sip of strong liquor with an indifferent expression, then slowly set the glass down on the table.

Flutter, flutter.

Aileen fanned herself. The fan, made of transparent white lace and decorated with emeralds the same color as her eyes, slid closed.

The tip of the fan tapped precariously between her cleavage.

Aubrianna, who was still breastfeeding and therefore drinking clear leaf tea instead of an aperitif, nearly spat out her tea.

The way Aileen deliberately fluttered the loose fabric over her breasts was far too blatant.

Her audacity in exposing her breasts directly within Kaeloc’s line of sight was almost admirable. Then, when Agnes sat upright again, Aileen quickly lowered her fan and stared at Kaeloc with a sly smile.

As though asking what he thought.

Aubrianna barely managed to swallow the tea in her mouth, then covered her lips with a napkin to conceal her expression.

Unconsciously gripping her fork tightly, Aubrianna shifted her gaze and glanced at Kaeloc beside her.

The man’s mouth was relaxed, and his blue-gold eyes were fixed on the fresh vegetables and cooked seafood served as appetizers.

Aubrianna relaxed a little. Then she noticed Aileen shifting in her seat as though uncomfortable.

Agnes sat at the head of the long, narrow table, with Aileen and Kaeloc seated to her left and right respectively.

As the duke’s lover and mistress, Aubrianna sat beside Kaeloc. Beside Aileen sat Tarion, Agnes’s attendant but a man of viscountly birth, who took the lead in keeping the conversation flowing.

“Everything looks delicious.”

As though nothing happened, Aileen put down her fan and smiled brightly at Agnes.

“It’s well known throughout the Kingdom of Trilan that your personal chef was a veteran chef from the royal palace, Lady Agnes. It’s a great honor to have the opportunity to taste his food.”

Unable to hide her pleasure at Aileen’s words, Agnes placed her interlaced hands on the table.

“I’ve always been a picky eater, even from a very young age. His Majesty knew I would only eat Francisco’s cooking, so when I married, he personally gave me a chef from the royal palace.”

“His Majesty’s grace is truly deep and boundless.”

With a soft laugh, Aileen placed a bite of salad drizzled with tangy dressing into her mouth and savored it.

“It’s truly delicious. My family’s chef is also very skilled, but this dish is exceptional.”

“Since you praise him so highly, I should reward Francisco.”

Tarion responded, “Yes, Lady Agnes. I’ll arrange a separate reward for him.”

The atmosphere remained warm and pleasant throughout the meal, apart from the occasional moments when Aileen shifted slightly in apparent discomfort.

And each time she did, Aubrianna noticed Kaeloc leaning back against his chair with a blank expression.

When a bowl of warm soup made with finely chopped mushrooms and clam meat was placed before her, Aubrianna’s sinking mood improved slightly. Breathing in its fragrant aroma, she said, “Seeing this reminds me of our life in the cabin.”

“That’s right! Kaeloc, could you tell us about what happened then? There’s a rumor circulating in the capital that you beat a huge bear to death with your bare hands.”

“Surely not! I heard that the bears of the snowfields are far stronger and larger than bears from other mountains. There aren’t even any forests there in the first place, and hardly any trees. I was told that only enormous, powerful bears with no need to conceal themselves can survive in the snowfields.”

Aubrianna looked appalled. As she remembered it, Kaeloc brought back several bears like that.

“It sounds as though you were in tremendous danger.”

Aileen looked frightened, but clasped her hands together and gazed at Kaeloc in admiration.

“And yet you survived there by living as a hunter. You’re truly so manly and impressive!”

Her enraptured eyes sparkled as they swept over his masculine, powerful jawline, broad shoulders, and large hands.

“What about other animals? I heard that mysterious creatures from the lands of the Carnu tribe sometimes come down as well.”

“I’m not sure,” said Kaeloc indifferently as he stirred his soup. “I only went around hunting cute rabbits, so I wouldn’t know.”

With that single answer, Kaeloc instantly shattered everyone’s expectations, then turned his face toward Aubrianna.

“I absolutely needed rabbit meat.”

At Kaeloc’s implication that he went around hunting only rabbits solely so he could have sex with her, Aubrianna’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

“Th-That was truly just something I said….”

“What about the blizzards?”

Interrupting Aubrianna, Aileen spoke again.

“Do they really last for days and days? I heard the snow can reach as high as a person.”

“It snows a great deal. Truly….”

Kaeloc paused for a moment, then raised his deep-set eyes and looked at Aileen.

“It falls so relentlessly that it becomes irritating.”

If too much snow accumulated, the roof could collapse.

Whenever he heard even the slightest strange sound from the roof, Kaeloc had to rush outside, even at dawn, and clear away the snow.

“It must’ve been terribly difficult. You weren’t alone, either. You had a frail woman and a baby to take care of as well.”

When Aileen’s gaze turned toward her, Aubrianna pretended not to notice and chewed the springy clam meat.

Kaeloc did suffer a great deal. She was unconscious, and Theo was so frozen that his entire body turned blue.

To keep them alive, Kaeloc had to use more of the firewood he gathered and hunt more frequently.

“Aubrianna lost consciousness after we reached the cabin.”

“Oh, my!”

Agnes and Tarion exclaimed.

“She kept her eyes closed for nearly a week, so I honestly thought she was going to die.”

That was an exaggeration. She opened her eyes the next day, spoke with Kaeloc, and even nursed Theo.

“So although I didn’t know who Aubrianna and the baby were….”

He continued with a broad smile, “I couldn’t help knowing that these two held a special meaning for me. That was why none of it felt difficult.”

Liar.

Remembering how Kaeloc berated her when all she could do was lie there, Aubrianna quietly glared at him.

“I did use quite a lot of firewood.”

Aubrianna confessed as though coming clean and shrugged.

“I wasted a lot of water too.”

She used water meant for drinking to bathe and seduce Kaeloc.

“Supplies must always be conserved. I heard that most of the North is struggling and impoverished. How could anyone indulge in luxury under such circumstances?”

Aileen spoke coldly, then turned to Agnes.

“Fortunately, our estate is prosperous enough to hold a spring festival. That’s why my father is always praised by his subjects.”

Count Lott’s lands were located at the southernmost edge of the North, making them safe from raids every year.

However, the count imposed such excessive taxes that it was one of the regions where more people abandoned the land than even in the border territories.

“Your Grace, may I invite you to our estate for the spring festival this year?”

With a solemn expression, Kaeloc cut into the meat that had since been served and ate a bite, appearing to consider her invitation.

‘If no one told them, who would think this man had lost his memories?’

Although they both received lessons from Tarion on formal dining etiquette, Aubrianna still confused the different types of forks, while Kaeloc observed dining etiquette almost perfectly.

“As you said, many places, including the border regions, lack supplies and have so little food that people can’t even eat one proper meal a day.”

Kaeloc indifferently placed another bite of food into his mouth.

“As the duke who rules the North, attending a festival while the people of my territory starve….”

After speaking in a cold voice, he smiled.

“What an absurd contradiction, Lady Lott.”

Then he raised his knife and pointed toward her plate.

“This food was prepared by the royal chef you praised so highly, so eat some more. You’ve left nearly all of it.”

Aileen’s face flushed bright red. She huffed as though slightly angry, then glared at Aubrianna.

“Very well. Miss Morel, what do you think?”

At Aileen’s question, Aubrianna set down her fork and picked up her napkin.

“I agree with Kae… His Grace. After leaving the snowfields, we stayed in a village where not a single animal could be heard because of the Carnu tribe’s raids.”

While Kaeloc negotiated with the dressmaker to arrange their departure for the ducal castle, Aubrianna briefly walked through the village with Theo.

The children wore thin clothes despite the cold, and everyone was painfully thin and appeared to be in poor health.

In comparison, Kaeloc and Aubrianna, who were isolated in the snowfields, looked healthy and full of vitality.

“I thought their suffering wasn’t theirs alone. It was suffering that could’ve befallen every northerner. I believe they need help.”

Agnes raised an eyebrow at Aubrianna’s words.

“What sort of help?”

“What?”

Aubrianna was slightly flustered because she hadn’t thought deeply about that.

“Lady Agnes. Even if she’s wearing extravagant clothes, a mere….”

Aileen looked Aubrianna up and down and scoffed.

“employee can hardly understand the rights and duties of the nobility.”

Aubrianna’s hand faltered. She felt ashamed to be openly mocked with the implication that even if she dressed extravagantly, her true nature would never change.

“Then what do you think, Lady Lott?”

At Kaeloc’s question after remaining silent until then, Aileen assumed a confident expression.

“First, we need to collect more taxes.”

“Oh, my. Wouldn’t that make life even harder for the people of the territory?”

At Tarion’s question, Aileen raised her fan.

“Everyone, listen.”

Her emerald eyes sparkled beautifully. When her alluring lips curved into a confident smile, she captured everyone’s attention.

At that moment, Aubrianna caught sight of a small foot clad in a silk stocking brushing against Kaeloc’s firm thigh.