KYDC chapter 48

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I had no authority to stop him, so all I could do was watch as Hernan carefully broke the wax seal of the Velesa family’s ornate crest.

The letter inside was small, barely the size of a palm.

“……”

Hernan’s expression darkened as he read the short, three-paragraph letter.

What could it say to provoke such a reaction?

Did it contain some kind of provocation?

For what reason? And why now?

The messenger, noticing Hernan’s expression, hastily pulled out another envelope and handed it to me. “You should receive yours as well, Lord Everdeen.”

I couldn’t leave him standing there forever, so I reluctantly accepted the letter.

My first instinct was to burn it and feign ignorance, but I knew I couldn’t do that.

“Understood.”

With a grim expression, I tore open the envelope, and as expected, inside were the ornate, flowery words of a greeting I didn’t want to read.

I skipped the long, pointless formalities and started reading from the middle, where the real message began.

And just as I feared—she’d heard some rumor and was so interested in my current affairs.

[To the Honorable Jurgen Nil Everdeen, Heir of Nirvan]

[I have heard the joyful news regarding your father. While I had wished to visit Ever Paradise to personally extend my congratulations and wish for its continued prosperity, I have been informed that you are currently away in Velon for business. What, pray tell, keeps you there…]

Too long.

This entire letter just to say she wanted to see me.

I kept reading through the tedious lines with little interest until I reached the last paragraph, where the reason for Hernan’s letter became clear.

[I have requested an audience with the Grand Duke Yudenet. We shall meet soon. I wish you peace and divine blessings until we next meet.]

“……?”

I glanced at Hernan in shock.

What is this about?
Are you hosting a party or something?

I wanted to ask directly, but it wasn’t the time or place.

“Grand Duke Yudenet?”

I tried to suppress the tremor in my voice as I addressed Hernan. “May I… read what you received?”

Hernan hesitated for a moment before handing me his letter.

The content was simple and to the point, without the usual flowery embellishments.

The date was three weeks from now.

She would be coming, bringing around ten people with her.

The tone was downright commanding: ‘It’s been a while since I last visited. If you’re not planning to hide away in the mountains like your father, you’d better prepare a proper welcome.’

It was an arrogant declaration of arrival.

“What will you do?” I asked without thinking, then quickly corrected myself.

“No, please invite her. I’ll take care of the preparations.”

Of course, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of the Duchess arriving.

But there was a reason I couldn’t refuse.

She wasn’t just some influential figure in the central provinces.

Her influence in the noble circles was so immense that even the imperial family found her difficult to deal with.

It was precisely because of her, constantly showing up with potential brides, that I couldn’t simply tell her to stay away.

Her endorsement had brought countless noble families to Ever Paradise, transforming it into a prime vacation destination.

It was impossible to reject her, even though she was a constant headache.

And now, with a new branch of the hotel set to open in Velon, her promotion could secure massive profits during the launch.

So despite how frustrating it was, I had no choice but to see this as an opportunity.

Hernan, clearly surprised by my sudden agreement, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Excuse me?”

His slightly surprised eyes quietly examined me, narrowing as if asking, “Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’ll handle the preparations, so please just decide on the budget, Your Grace.”

The initial sales of the branch needed to go well for us to end this pact quickly.

With a determined look, I urged Hernan, glancing up at him.

“Are you going to keep me waiting?”

I needed to send him back soon.

Someone from Duchess Velesa’s side was watching me so closely it felt suffocating.

Hernan stroked his chin thoughtfully, then nodded.

“Alright. I’ll send out invitations to each residence soon, so let them know to wait.”

Scanning through the names of the expected visitors written at the bottom of the invitation, Hernan finished his business.

“That will be all. You may go now.”

He gestured lightly with his eyes for me to follow.

‘Sigh…’

Why do things never end?

My head hurt, but there was nowhere to escape.

Thud.

The door to the Duke’s office closed, and at the same moment, Hernan threw a letter onto his desk and asked,

“What is going on here?”

He looked at me, demanding an explanation.

“I don’t know either.”

That was the only thing I could say.

I knew Duchess Velesa had been showing me excessive favoritism, but I had no idea why it was affecting Hernan.

“So you don’t know why she wants to come to Velon either?”

With an equally confused expression, I handed him the letter I received.

“Read it for yourself.”

If I had to guess, maybe Duchess Velesa was curious about what I was doing in Velon, since I rarely left Everdeen unless for special events.

My father is soon to become a count, yet we hadn’t even hosted a proper celebration, remaining isolated.

As Hernan studied the letter for a while, he suddenly asked with a displeased expression.

“Is your taste in women much older than you?”

What kind of misunderstanding was this?! I retorted, dumbfounded.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Duchess Velesa is just a loyal customer. Don’t make ridiculous assumptions.”

Still looking dissatisfied, Hernan muttered,

“Isn’t it suspicious? The woman who sends me a three-paragraph letter, complete with greetings and a visitor list, wrote an even longer greeting to you. And you’re saying you two are just customer and supplier?”

I snatched the letter from him, replying,

“She always sends letters like this. She’s a wealthy old lady with too much time on her hands. Don’t underestimate that.”

As I emphasized that nothing inappropriate was going on, Hernan still looked puzzled and said,

“Still, it’s odd. Why would she suddenly arrange a meeting with me just because the heir of her favorite hotel hasn’t been around? And why are you telling me to agree?”

I raised my voice, trying to clarify the situation.

“Because we need the publicity! Are we not doing business? You proposed we expand beyond the mines’ precious metals and timber, right? You can’t expect customers to show up just because we built a hotel!”

I punctuated my words by lightly hitting his shoulder with the letter, and although Hernan avoided my gaze, he still seemed unhappy.

“And it’s offensive. Why would you assume I’m involved with a woman old enough to be my grandmother? That’s absurd.”

I shot him a sharp look, demanding an apology. Startled, Hernan blurted out,

“No… It’s just that a few days ago, I heard you rejected a marriage proposal because the woman was five years younger than you…”

Oh, that.

Well, the girl hadn’t even been an adult at the time, and besides, my actual age would be around 13 years older than I looked.
Of course, it felt like a bigger gap.

“That’s different. How can you compare a five-year age difference to a 50-year one?”

I replied irritably, and Hernan hesitated for a moment before asking,

“So, between someone 50 years older and someone three years younger, you’d obviously choose the latter?”

Why was he even asking this?

Of course, I answered confidently.

“Yes.”

At that, Hernan’s face turned a deep shade of red, like a ripe apple.

“Alright. That’s all I needed to hear.”

What was this guy’s problem?

I stared at him, suspiciously recalling that he was three years younger than me.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but don’t get any strange ideas. There will never be anything between us, Your Grace.”

I turned to leave, wanting to end the conversation, but Hernan blocked me.