~Chapter 29~
When the sun was setting, a big banquet was held to celebrate Cedric’s return.
To enjoy the short summer, it wasn’t inside the hall but outside in the courtyard.
‘Honestly, I just want to rest now…’
Eileen sat with Cedric at the main table. The banquet was also meant to welcome her, so she couldn’t leave.
But sitting there, surrounded by strangers staring at her, was tiring.
“Greetings, Lady Eileen Cassiar.”
“Nice to meet you.”
So many people came to greet her.
She could barely remember the names of a few—like the knight commander and some retainers of the estate.
But even the subordinates came one after another to say hello.
Some men even kissed her hand across the table, trying to flatter her.
Eileen started feeling very uncomfortable.
“That’s too much. This isn’t the capital,” Cedric suddenly said, stopping one of them.
Eileen sighed softly and leaned her chin on her hand.
“It’s kind of silly to treat me like a royal here, don’t you think?”
“That’s not why I stopped him…” Cedric looked flustered.
The truth was, he just hated other men touching her.
“You don’t like it when strangers touch me, do you?”
“…You make it sound like I’m picky.”
“You’re not picky?”
Eileen thought Cedric had changed. But maybe he hadn’t changed at all.
He was still blunt in the same way.
And oddly enough, instead of being annoyed, she found it familiar and comforting.
“I’ll step away for a moment. Stay here, don’t go anywhere,” Cedric said.
Before Eileen could answer, he had already walked away.
Left alone, she played with her glass.
Mary, standing nearby, came closer and whispered:
“This kind of banquet is new to me.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s… interesting.”
Eileen smiled faintly and looked at the lively scene.
Nearby, nobles were calm and proper.
But in the distance, the atmosphere was like a festival.
Tonight, even commoners from the outer city had been allowed inside the walls.
They laughed and danced freely—it was cheerful, almost like a fair.
“…How long has Cedric been gone?”
“Quite a while. He hasn’t returned yet,” Mary answered.
No one else seemed to notice Cedric’s absence. Only Eileen cared.
But she could feel all the eyes watching her instead.
She was the “new arrival” at the main table, and everyone was curious about her.
As the night went on and people drank more, the stares lessened.
Mary muttered, “That girl is glaring at you again.”
“Diana, of course.”
“I don’t get why you’re so forgiving to her when she’s so rude.”
Mary was still upset about what happened earlier.
Before the banquet, Diana had begged to sit next to Cedric.
But Cedric refused her firmly:
“Diana, Eileen is my fiancée. Of course she sits next to me at an official banquet.”
“…Fine.”
Diana stormed away, angry.
Eileen saw Cedric sigh afterward, rubbing his temple like he hadn’t wanted to be so harsh.
To Mary, though, it was unforgivable that a girl like Diana dared compete with her lady.
“Diana is well-liked here, even by Cedric. If I start hating her openly, it will cause trouble,” Eileen explained.
“…I guess that makes sense, since you’ll be staying here.”
Eileen almost reached for her glass, then froze.
She had meant she wouldn’t be here for long.
But to others, it must look like she was here to stay forever—eventually to become duchess after marriage.
“Right… that’s what they think.”
She realized that her patience with Diana came from knowing her own time here might be limited.
“…This is suffocating.”
Cedric was still missing. Eileen finally stood up, deciding to look for him.
“Aaron, Mary—you don’t need to follow me.”
Both her knight and her maid wanted to come, but she shook her head.
“This is the Duke’s castle. I’m not going far. You two should enjoy the banquet instead of just guarding me.”
Ignoring the stares, Eileen walked away.
She tried to recall the layout of the castle. After climbing some stairs, she found him.
Up high, near the top floor, Cedric was leaning against a railing, looking down.
Eileen walked over and leaned on the railing beside him.
From there, the noisy sounds below faded. The whole courtyard, full of lights and people, looked peaceful.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked softly.
After a pause, Cedric answered:
“That this is the peaceful view I protected.”
Eileen followed his gaze.
“…It’s beautiful. No wonder you spoke of this place so often.”
“Of course,” he said quietly.
Suddenly, laughter floated up to them—bright and pure.
They looked down and saw Diana, laughing and spinning in dance with a little boy.
It was easy to see why everyone adored her. She shone with innocence.
“Diana… she’s my whole childhood,” Cedric murmured.
“…”
“But I can’t live in the past forever.”
His voice sounded like he was talking about something unreachable—something precious he wanted to protect forever.
Eileen thought: maybe the Cedric from the “original story” hadn’t simply loved Diana as a person.
Maybe he longed for what she represented: his lost childhood, his peace, his light.
All his feelings and obsession had been focused on her because she embodied all of that.
Then, a heavy crash echoed nearby, breaking their silence.
