RODH Side Story Chapter 22

Side Story 22. The Blessing of Kirias

Having just arrived at the mage tower and barely seated in the reception room, Klain was already being dragged back to the Grand Duke’s estate.

The tea hadn’t even cooled when Elena shouted.

“Sir Klain! Let’s go quickly.”

“Do we need to leave right now?”

“Yes! We have to go see Father…”

Hehehe.

Elena rubbed her hands together with a sly smile.

Just what was she planning to do to His Grace?

Klain let out a deep sigh and took the lead.

Behind them, Luke leisurely sipped his tea and waved.

“As fast as you come, you go just as fast.”

“See you later.”

Klain’s voice was unusually low.

“Sure, sure. Just don’t take your frustration out on Lady Elena.”

Without answering, Klain strode off toward the estate.

And so they arrived at the Grand Duke’s mansion.

Before Klain could stop her, Elena threw open the office doors wide.

“Father!”

At her loud cry, the elders inside all turned toward her at once.

Dozens of eyes fell on Elena, and she lost her words, stepping back.

But Klain was standing firmly behind her, blocking the way.

Trapped, unable to go forward or back, she stood frozen until Nevan spoke first.

“Elena, what brings you here?”

“Well…”

No matter how brave Elena was, she couldn’t reveal her plan in front of so many people.

Klain cast her a quick glance, then addressed Nevan.

“Your Grace, it seems Lady Elena has something urgent to discuss with you.”

“With me?”

“Yes. On the way back from the mage tower, she insisted on coming due to an important matter.”

Klain did not mention that it was about Ian’s birthday present.

Truly, when it came to keeping his mouth shut, Klain was second to none.

“I am rather busy at the moment. Come back in an hour.”

“Yes!”

Before leaving, Elena did as her etiquette teacher had taught her: she lifted her skirt slightly and bent her knees in a curtsey.

“I beg your pardon for the disturbance. May you spend a pleasant time in Kirias.”

The moment Elena left, the grim expressions of the elders broke into smiles.

“She has grown so much already, Your Grace.”

“She would not look out of place at a debutante right this instant.”

“And who will Lady Elena’s partner be, I wonder…”

Hearing all else calmly, Nevan’s eyes flashed dangerously the moment the word “partner” was mentioned.

“I think it is far too soon to be speaking of partners.”

“Ahem, perhaps my words were a bit careless.”

“Let us resume the meeting.”

* * *

While Nevan was in conference with the elders, Elena was busy with Taylor and Blony, making paper flowers.

Who would have thought that the games their tutor had taught them would come in handy now.

Elena folded and folded flowers of many colors.

Blony, watching her so focused, asked,

“But my lady, what are you planning to use the paper flowers for?”

“For Mother’s birthday present.”

“Didn’t you give those last year as well?”

“This time will be different. Look, Blony.”

Elena pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and handed it over.

[Surprise Birthday Preparations!

– Paper flowers

– A big box

– A grand ribbon

– Father]

Blony rubbed her eyes, thinking she had read it wrong.

But no, the list still clearly included His Grace the Grand Duke.

“Um… my lady, surely you don’t mean His Grace is the present?”

Flinch.

Elena stopped folding flowers and looked embarrassed.

“Yes… I guess you figured it out.”

At her silent plea not to tell anyone, Blony could only nod.

But why did she need paper flowers, a ribbon, and a box?

After a long moment of thought, Blony realized what Elena had in mind.

The picture forming in her head made her shudder.

This couldn’t be right.

“My lady, wouldn’t another gift be better?”

“No.”

“Did you get permission for this?”

“No. But Father will like it. I’m sure of it!”

“Well…”

Ian’s birthday was only two days away.

For the sake of His Grace’s dignity, Blony quickly came up with another plan.

“Then, let’s give the gift early.”

“Early? Why?”

“Wouldn’t that surprise Her Grace even more?”

For an improvised excuse, it wasn’t bad.

Elena’s eyes lit up.

“Perfect! I’ll surprise Mother before Leo does. Thank you, Blony.”

“You’re welcome.”

Your Grace, this was the best I could manage.

Blony didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

* * *

On Ian’s birthday.

As always, the four alphas’ gifts arrived.

Nevan ordered them set aside for later, so Ian could look at them afterward.

It was fortunate Ian was caught up with Blony and Bain returning from a trip, otherwise he would have surely gone around hugging everyone again in thanks.

Nevan worried constantly. Ian only seemed to grow more beautiful with age, blossoming with allure even while raising children.

What if he ever decided he wanted to take a consort?

That thought alone gave Nevan a sense of crisis, and so he never skipped training, pushing himself harder each day—because Ian liked his chest muscles.

While he was still tense, the troublesome four alphas arrived.

“It’s still all snow here.”

“Hm, what a shame there’s no garden. Perhaps I should gift you a greenhouse?”

“There’s glass under study by engineers. When it’s perfected, I could demonstrate it for you.”

A greenhouse.

Nevan recalled then that Ian had always loved gardens.

There was one in the north as well, but compared to House Ruben, it was much smaller.

He remembered hearing in a meeting that some nobleman had even been divorced over flowers.

Should he have prepared a greenhouse as a birthday gift instead?

Anxious, his stomach turned.

Surely he wouldn’t be divorced over a gift.

What Nevan had prepared was a fine horse.

A northern steed raised under gentle parents, free of sickness and docile in nature.

He only hoped Ian would be pleased.

No matter what Nevan asked, Ian’s answer was always the same.

“All I need is you, my lord, and our children.”

At first, Nevan had taken that answer literally.

But Klain’s advice had shifted his mind.

“Your Grace, Her Grace is heir to House Ruben. There may be no one in the Empire richer. For those who have more than enough, it is said they do not know what they want.”

So was that why Ian said he needed nothing?

Having never dated, much less courted, before their marriage, Nevan found loving someone the most difficult thing in the world.

Even after years of marriage, it was still hard.

Lost in thought, he failed to greet or even acknowledge the alphas.

Only after Peter called to him twice did Nevan return to the moment.

“Forgive me, I was distracted. How is Lord Hubert?”

“My father is well. He asked me to convey his regards.”

“Please send him mine as well.”

“Of course.”

Soon Luke arrived to lead the guests to the party hall.

Nevan, standing in the slowly warming breeze of Ferost, turned toward Ian’s room.

Knock knock.

Blony peeked out when the door opened.

“We’re not quite ready yet. Would you like to come in?”

Nevan entered without answering.

The moment he saw Ian’s attire, he refused to let him leave dressed like that.

“Why? I waited three whole months for this outfit to be tailored!”

Bain looked at Nevan indignantly, but he would not back down.

“What is your reason?”

“It’s too… revealing.”

“…Pardon?”

Ian studied his reflection in the full-length mirror.

Was he talking about the sheer fabric beneath the collar of the white shirt, since the weather had warmed?

Ian silently pointed at the translucent fabric with his finger.

Nevan’s head bobbed up and down furiously.

The sight was so endearing Ian clutched his stomach with laughter.

Nevan seemed utterly lost as to why.

“I’ve never seen you dislike something this much before…”

Ian wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.

Bain draped a jacket over Ian’s shoulders.

“Even with that, it looks too revealing.”

“Then I’ll just wear something else.”

“No, Your Grace, you can’t!” Bain nearly wailed.

“This outfit was made for today alone!”

“But Nevan dislikes it, so what can I do?”

“What if you layer something thinner underneath?”

“I suppose I could try.”

Without much thought, Ian stripped the outfit off.

Nevan startled and whipped around.

Ian’s lips curved with mischief.

Sometimes, teasing him like this was fun.

After Ian tried on the adjusted outfit, he called,

“My lord, you can turn around now.”

Nevan cautiously glanced over his shoulder.

“I said I’m dressed.”

Finally turning fully, he was captivated at once.

Drawn as though entranced, he closed the distance in a flash.

The nearness made Ian’s breath catch.

The crisp scent of the forest was so sharp he could even detect the moss.

“My lord, your pheromones…”

Ian murmured, heat rising in him. Nevan hastily pulled back his pheromones.

Instead, his rough fingertips brushed Ian’s chin.