Forgotten Juliet

The Northern Dukedom’s main conference room.

It was the regular meeting day held once every three months. Since morning, the vassals of the Duke’s family and the lords of the Northern Duchy were present in the conference room.

“…So there should be no problem with the production quantity until autumn.”

“The mines of Elpasa and Alje are also being smoothly restored.”

Having subdued the neighboring nobles under the pretext of territorial inspections during the summer, and having secured a favorable position in negotiations with the imperial family, it seemed there was no room for the prestige of the Duchy to rise further.

Slowly, there were whispers suggesting that at this rate, the Duchy might seek independence.

However, Duke Carlyle, leaning back comfortably in his chair with a big window behind him, exuded a different kind of leisure compared to the youthful intimidating aura he usually had.

It was hard to pinpoint, but something was certainly different.

The nobles were secretly side-eyeing the Duke, whispering amongst themselves.

“The Duke is late to the meeting.”

“…What’s going on?”

Duke Carlyle appeared in the conference room about 10 minutes late today, without a tie, and with slightly disheveled black hair.

Being late for the meeting wasn’t the only strange point.

Throughout the reports, Lennox was fidgeting with a small box on the table or gazing outside.

Gasp.

The lords, who had been closely watching the Duke, doubted their eyes for a moment.

There seemed to be a softness around Duke Carlyle’s lips, known for his cold demeanor, which was replaced by a fleeting hint of a smile.

‘What’s going on? Is he feeling unwell?’

The lords began reviewing his actions as they felt their throats tighten.

They had known Duke Carlyle for over a decade, but his smile was usually a precursor to ominous events.

For example, brutally retaliating against those who defied him.

‘Did he enjoy decimating neighboring territories?’

‘…We should be cautious anyway.’

The blood of the families who opposed the Duke hadn’t yet dried, so to speak.

The lords decided to be cautious, which led to an oddly tense conclusion of the meeting.

The meeting, which usually was brief, exchanging just mission reports and instructions, never lasted over two hours.

“So until the next reporting day-“

But just as the meeting was concluded and people were getting up to exchange greetings, Duke Carlyle suddenly spoke.

“Is there anything you want to say?”

“Excuse me?”

“Is there nothing more to say?”

What? The lords’ eyes were drawn to the small box that had been igniting their curiosity.

Tucked away in a corner of the table, the small box revealed a pair of gleaming rings.

“Oh… the rings! The rings…”

“Your Highness!”

“You’re engaged? Congratulations!”

The Duke’s vassals, now keenly aware, were the first to express their joy and congratulate him.

Then the other lords realized why Duke Carlyle, infamous for his cold-blooded demeanor, had been smirking like a drugged person all along.

“No way, an engagement? Such a joyous event…!”

They regretted not noticing sooner. Duke Carlyle seemed to have been sick with a fever for which there was no cure, metaphorically speaking.

The lords sighed with relief and began to chime in one by one.

“These are wedding rings, right?”

“So when is the wedding…”

But Duke Carlyle bragged about the rings with some arrogance.

“These aren’t just any wedding rings.”

“Excuse me?”

“Juliet chose these with her exquisite taste.”

Moreover, it seemed the Duke was quite feverish in his love.

‘Am I going crazy…’

And a while later, upon hearing the story, Juliet was so embarrassed that she almost died of shame.

Social life is hard.

Juliet hurriedly sent her condolences to the northern lords who congratulated her.

“Congratulations, Miss.”

Among the attendees was sir Milan, who greeted her warmly with a smile.

“I knew this day would come!”

The secretary, Elliot, seemed the most moved.

“Everyone said our Master would never get married, but I always believed steadfastly.”

Like a father sending off his daughter, Elliot was shedding tears of emotion, pouring out his long-held sorrows.

“When everyone bet that our Master would get rejected again by Miss because of his stubborn temperament, only I…”

“What bet?”

Elliot, who was holding onto Juliet and lamenting in tears, froze at the voice that came from behind.

It was Duke Carlyle who had just entered the reception room with the door wide open.

Juliet saved the frozen Elliot without even turning around.

“Could you both give us a moment?”

“Certainly, Miss.”

With a sweet smile, sir Milan quickly escorted the rigid Elliot out of the reception room.

“How could you say that?”

Left alone, Juliet rolled her eyes sweetly.

“What?”

But as Lennox genuinely tilted his head not understanding, Juliet lost her previous intentions.

“So…”

As Juliet was contemplating where to start her objection, Lennox sat down at the table, picking up Juliet’s left hand to inspect.

“It suits you well.”

On Juliet’s ring finger glittered a blue diamond ring.

In conclusion, the engagement ring he prepared went on Juliet’s left ring finger, and the pair of wedding rings that Juliet prepared as a birthday gift ended up with Lennox.

Lennox was puzzled as to why he couldn’t wear the ring she gave him right away, but was somewhat convinced by Juliet’s words that, ‘Wedding rings are meant to be worn only at the wedding.’

Juliet explained it to him step by step.

Until the wedding, she would wear the engagement ring to signify her acceptance of the proposal, and on the wedding day, they would exchange and wear the wedding rings.

And from after the wedding, it was the etiquette of married ladies to wear both the wedding ring and the engagement ring together.

Last night, Juliet finally saw the gifts that she had only heard about through rumors for several months, the gifts that he had bought.

Lennox said indifferently, ‘It’s all yours,’ but all the expensive items somewhat overwhelmed Juliet.

Juliet glanced at the ring case he was holding.

She wished she had prepared something fancier. It had been a rush, preparing it in secret for his birthday.

What Lennox prepared was not only the engagement ring for the proposal. It seemed like he had prepared for the ceremony, there was also a ring that matched the engagement ring.

“Lennox.”

“What?”

Juliet hesitated and spoke several times.

“If you don’t like it, you can change it to something else.”

You wear the wedding ring for life, so wouldn’t it be better to wear the ring he prepared?

However, the returning answer was the same every time.

“I like it.”

Lennox was firm.

“Because you chose it.”

* * *

Wedding preparations progressed slowly but steadily. However, there were minor differences of opinion.

Lennox wanted a big and flashy wedding, and Juliet didn’t want to draw people’s attention.

And minor arguments always ended with serious reconciliations.

Thanks to that, they were always arguing and reconciling whenever they locked eyes, it was chaos.

“Okay. There is a problem with the way of communication.”

Eventually, Lennox, who had argued for the third time that night during the bath, thought some countermeasures were needed.

“Tell me.”

“What?”

He put down the towel he was using to dry Juliet’s hair and looked seriously into her eyes.

“What do you not like?”

Lennox stood with his hands on either side of the table where she sat. The loose white shirt Juliet was wearing was his.

“What did I do wrong again?”

Juliet tilted her head.

“Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”

You think I don’t know you. Lennox caressed Juliet’s cheek.

He knew the expression she made when she was hurt.

“You have a certain expression whenever you don’t like something.”

“…Do I?”

“Yes.”

With her lips tightly sealed, she looked at him with hurt eyes like a lost child.

Lennox was always scared when he met such a gaze.

“Don’t you like the gift?”

“Are you kidding? Of course, I like it.”

Juliet playfully wrinkled her nose.

“Who doesn’t like shiny things?”

But Lennox wasn’t fooled.

This was the expression Juliet made when trying to avoid an uncomfortable situation.

“So what’s the problem?”

“…”

Juliet hesitated.

“Tell me, Juliet. What did I do to you again?”

He wouldn’t know if she didn’t say it. Damn it, he wasn’t eloquent, and Juliet was afraid to ask him anything because of her past trauma.

And because of that, he had almost lost Juliet several times.

He didn’t want to leave even a sliver of anxiety.

“It’s not your fault. Thank you for the gifts. But.”

“But?”

“It’s too much.”

Juliet said it bluntly.

“…Especially like this morning, I don’t like it when you disappear leaving only the jewelry on the bed. Give me flowers instead.”

Lennox was staring at Juliet to hear her answer, but he frowned, not understanding what the problem was.

What’s the problem? Isn’t jewelry better than flowers?

Seeing that he didn’t understand, Juliet blushed a little and said again.

“It’s like compensating… I don’t want to be left alone as if paying a price.”

Lennox was shocked.

“That’s not it. I didn’t mean to pay a price.”

“I know. It’s just, sometimes I feel that way.”

Lennox seemed to understand a bit. Juliet was talking about their previous relationship.

When he looked shocked, Juliet seemed to regret what she had said.

“Don’t worry about it.”

But how could he not worry after hearing such words.

Lennox gently touched Juliet’s white hand on the table.

“But then how do I prove it?”

Juliet was stunned for a moment.

“If I don’t give you beautiful things, things that you would like… how do I prove that I value you?”