NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19
“It’s been a while, Ludeville. I’ve heard great news about your victories.”
The Duke of Jabilon smiled warmly and gave Ludeville’s shoulder a hearty pat.
Ludeville bowed politely without a word.
“You must be full even without eating. Your son is growing up so splendidly, after all.”
“Stop saying pointless things and just go inside.”
Despite his gruff words, Duke Sorpel seemed to enjoy the compliment about his son, letting out a faint smile.
“Of course.”
The Duke of Jabilon nodded and began walking. His gaze briefly flickered toward Camilla and Ravi.
“……”
Even as Ravi and Camilla bowed respectfully, the Duke of Jabilon didn’t say anything. He simply returned a light nod of acknowledgment.
Unchanging as ever,
Camilla thought, observing his demeanor with a calm expression.
The Duke of Jabilon valued bloodlines and family lineage more than any other noble. Naturally—
To him, we’re not even worth dealing with.
To the Duke of Jabilon, Ravi and Camilla, who shared none of Duke Sorpel’s blood, were merely freeloaders living under his roof.
‘Are you out of your mind?!’
‘I’ve made up my mind. Ravi and Camilla are my children. They’ll share in the glory of Sorpel.’
‘You’ll regret this decision, mark my words!’
‘What are you, a prophet now?’
The Duke of Jabilon’s words weren’t entirely wrong. In the end, Ravi and Camilla had once plotted to kill Ludeville, Duke Sorpel’s biological son.
Even so, at that time, Duke Sorpel had ignored the Duke of Jabilon’s warnings completely.
At least Ravi was acknowledged for his talent as a mage and received a polite nod of recognition. Camilla, however, wasn’t so fortunate.
The Duke of Jabilon’s disapproval was written all over his face when he looked at her.
What irritated him the most was Camilla’s apparent interest in his son. How dare she covet someone of his bloodline?
‘Don’t worry, I’m not interested anymore.’
I wouldn’t take your son even if you offered him to me now, so rest easy.
Despite the Duke of Jabilon’s displeased look, Camilla didn’t stiffen her expression as she might have in the past. Instead, she even gave him a bright smile.
“……”
The Duke of Jabilon’s brows twitched briefly at her reaction, but he quickly dismissed her as unworthy of further attention. He turned and followed Duke Sorpel inside.
“It’s been a while, my lady.”
A handsome man with blazing red hair approached with a gentle smile.
Petro Jabilon.
‘No wonder she fell for him.’
That overly kind smile, those warm eyes—it was a kind of friendliness Camilla had never received in her life.
She probably didn’t even stop to question whether it was genuine or fake.
She must have eagerly grabbed the hand he extended to her back then.
He is good-looking, after all.
To her, he must have seemed like a prince on a white horse. Little did she know this so-called prince extended the same kindness to every woman he met.
‘Ugh, the type I hate the most.’
There were plenty of people like him in the entertainment world too.
Those who knew full well how their “kindness” misled women but enjoyed the attention anyway.
And when a woman gathered the courage to confess, they would feign shock, claiming they had no such feelings and quickly pull away.
They’d then leave behind vague words like,
Thank you for liking me. If it weren’t for my agency’s no-dating policy, I would’ve said yes.
‘Yeah, right!’
The man standing before her now was precisely that type.
The kind who needed to own every fruit on the tree, whether he could eat it or not.
“Is this the first time we’ve met since the party?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
“I’m sorry about that. I should have helped you back then, but I wasn’t present at the time…”
I saw you leave.
She had clearly seen him slip out of the party the moment a fight broke out, clearly trying to avoid any trouble. Yet here he was, pretending otherwise.
“Is that so.”
She didn’t even feel angry. This was just who he was; there was no point in wasting emotions on someone like him.
Camilla smiled brightly, and Petro’s eyes curved pleasantly at her smile.
‘Damn it.’
He really was handsome.
“I’ve heard the Sorpel estate has a beautiful garden. I’d love to see it for myself.”
“Yes, it’s quite lovely.”
Camilla gave him another cheerful smile. Had this been the original Camilla, she would have jumped at the chance to personally guide him to the garden.
“Rube.”
But I’m not her. Camilla called for the butler standing nearby.
“Yes, my lady?”
“Lord Petro here wishes to see the garden. Please show him the way.”
“Understood.”
Petro’s expression turned blank. His eyes widened as he glanced at Rube, who approached him.
“Well then, enjoy your tour.”
Camilla waved lightly at Petro before briskly walking away.
“……”
She’s just going to leave me here?
Petro stood frozen, unable to speak for a moment.
“Pfft.”
Hearing the sound, he turned to see Ravi quickly averting his gaze, acting as if nothing had happened.
Ludeville also glanced at Petro briefly before quietly following after Ravi.
“Well, shall we? The garden is this way.”
“……”
The butler’s calm voice snapped Petro out of his daze, leaving him looking bewildered.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips after a moment.
“Another unsuccessful attempt, I see,” the Duke of Jabilon teased.
Duke Sorpel ignored him entirely. This wasn’t the first time Jabilon had mocked him about finding the divine beast. The man didn’t even bother to feign sympathy, openly gloating instead.
“Why are you here?”
“I told you. I’m here to discuss business.”
“Then stop spouting nonsense and get to it.”
“That strange mineral from the mine you own—”
“What about it?”
“We’d like to analyze it at our Zuta Trading Company.”
“Why would you?”
“You haven’t figured out its use yet, have you?”
“And?”
“We’ll help you figure it out. In return, when you sell it, distribute it through our trading company…”
“No.”
“What? Why not? Our distribution network is larger than yours.”
“Even so, I’m not handing it over to you.”
“Stingy. Still holding a grudge?”
“Who’s holding a grudge?”
“You are. Obviously.”
“Shut up!”
Their bickering carried on like that, the relaxed tone making it clear they were long-time friends.
The usual stern and sharp demeanor was nowhere to be found—just two old friends squabbling like children.
Knock knock
A melodious voice filled the room.
“I’ve brought some refreshments.”
Camilla entered, carrying tea and a tray of light snacks, which she carefully set on the table.
“This is a tea I’ve never seen before.”
“I heard you’ve been having trouble sleeping lately. This tea is supposed to help with sleep.”
Across all times and cultures, one of the moments that brings parents the greatest pride is when their children show concern for their well-being.
Especially when it’s in front of others.
Camilla poured tea into the cups with a gentle smile on her face.
“I’ll bring you another cup before bed.”
“Alright.”
Duke Sorpel, too, smiled warmly at his daughter’s gesture. He seemed touched, his eyes reflecting pride that she knew about his struggles with sleep.
How do I know?
The ghostly butler, Derin, had told her.
Lately, Derin had been extremely concerned about how the duke hadn’t been sleeping well at night. It was also Derin who had recommended this tea.
“Sit down and join us for tea.”
“Can I? I don’t want to interrupt…”
“Nonsense.”
Without even asking for the Duke of Jabilon’s opinion, Duke Sorpel invited Camilla to sit.
Camilla, as if asking for permission, gave a polite nod to the Duke of Jabilon before taking her seat.
The Duke of Jabilon watched quietly, his gaze moving between Camilla and Duke Sorpel, his expression slightly surprised.
“It seems they’ve grown closer?”
Not too long ago, Duke Sorpel had been indifferent at best—no, he had found Camilla’s very presence a nuisance.
I told you so! You should’ve listened to me from the start!
He stifled the urge to tease, holding his tongue.
Yet now, the two of them seemed to have a much more amicable relationship. Had something happened while he wasn’t around?
“Please, have some tea.”
Camilla offered the tea to him as well.
“It shouldn’t taste bad.”
At her words, the Duke of Jabilon picked up the cup and took a sip.
“Hmm.”
He gave a small nod, a faintly surprised look crossing his face.
The tea tasted far better than he had anticipated. It was perfect even for someone like him, who had a discerning palate for tea.
Of course it does.
I didn’t make it myself.
Camilla had gotten help from Derin, the ghostly butler.
Whether it was because of his role as a butler or not, Derin possessed an impressive wealth of knowledge about tea. His skill in brewing tea was beyond question.
As the Duke of Jabilon sipped the tea, clearly finding it to his liking, Camilla’s gaze was drawn to something on his shoulder.
‘A red eagle.’
A bird, its entire body shimmering in a fiery red hue, was perched on the Duke of Jabilon’s shoulder.
‘Is that a divine beast?’
Camilla had heard that the Jabilon family’s symbol was a red eagle.
Now she realized that the magnificent bird in front of her was indeed the divine beast people spoke of.
But why am I the only one who can see it?
Camilla glanced at Duke Sorpel. He was calmly sipping his tea, looking rather at ease. There wasn’t the slightest indication that he was aware of the divine beast.
The others in the room were the same. No one seemed to notice the radiant bird perched so boldly on the Duke of Jabilon’s shoulder.
It didn’t make sense. How could such a vividly colored, large bird sit there without drawing a single glance?