Chapter 103.1

Chapter 103.1

The problem began when Richard helped Jasmine out of the carriage upon arriving at the duke’s residence.

Naturally, since this was the Liovanni family’s estate, it wasn’t unusual for a few Liovannis to be strolling in the garden.

And, of course, it wasn’t surprising that those Liovannis happened to notice the Duke’s carriage arriving at the main gate and saw the youngest getting out.

Truly, it was a day ruled by coincidences.

“Jasmine.”

The problem was that Jasmine hadn’t thought that far ahead. Distracted by the sudden encounter with him, she hadn’t considered the family members who always came and went from the estate without a second thought.

As soon as Jasmine got out of the carriage, she was met with the triple axel of her father, Duke Liovanni, who was staring wide-eyed at the duke and his daughter, James with his mouth agape, and Caras with a fierce scowl.

Why were all these busy people gathered here in broad daylight? Jasmine blinked in confusion.

“Why is everyone here?”

“Why wouldn’t we be? Is there something wrong with us being in our own home?”

Her doting father muttered oddly as he scrutinized Duke Aion, who was holding his daughter’s hand, from head to toe with narrowed eyes. Then, in a manner unbefitting a grand noble, he addressed him with a somewhat delinquent attitude.

“But I don’t understand why the Fuke is at our house. Did I miss a message that was sent separately?”

“No, Your Grace.”

Richard placed his fist over his chest and greeted elegantly, neither too humble nor too arrogant. Despite his impeccable old-fashioned manners, the duke’s furrowed brow did not relax.

“Then? With my daughter, with whom you have no relationship.”

His tone emphasized that there was no relationship between them. Despite the Duke Liovanni’s eyes glaring like an angry owl, Richard maintained a polite smile as he responded.

“I happened to meet Lady Jasmine and was just escorting her home.”

“Duke, do my daughter’s legs look like twigs to you?”

“What do you mean…?”

The Grand Duke, who had his hands behind his back, crossed his arms with a cynical expression and said,

“I’m asking if she looks like a child who can’t even come home by herself. There’s no need to go out of your way to bring her back. Our Jasmine is a strong and healthy girl who doesn’t need such overprotection.”

It was quite an unfitting remark for someone who used to fuss over the doctor whenever Jasmine caught a cold, groaning as if he were the one sick, and even danced with joy when she didn’t get into the academy because he didn’t want to send her there.

The siblings, well aware of their father’s extreme overprotection of the youngest, looked at him with cold eyes.

“I suspect it’s because of that chivalry or whatever, but I hope you refrain from such trivial courtesies when it comes to my daughter. Actually, I’d prefer if you just ignored her altogether.”

“It’s not a courtesy.”

“What?”

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows twitched. Jasmine, who knew her father was incredibly soft towards his daughter and wife but stern in other matters, nervously watched the tense exchange between the irritated Grand Duke Liovanni and the overly calm Duke Aion.

Jasmine quickly tugged on Richard’s sleeve and shook her head.

“Please go back now.”

“How can I leave after seeing Father?”

“What? Father? Father?”

The Grand Duke, seemingly enraged, repeated the word, his voice trembling. The expressions on Jasmine and James’s faces showed they knew trouble was brewing.

Caras, even more infuriated than his father, had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if ready to challenge to a duel.

“Who do you think you’re calling Father?”

“Since you are Lady Jasmine’s father, isn’t it natural to call you Father?”

“I mean, I’m my daughter’s dad, not the Duke’s father.”

“If it displeases you, I apologize. I just thought Lady Jasmine is very beautiful, just like her father…”

“What, what? Beautiful?”

The Grand Duke’s face turned red at Richard’s polite yet nonchalant reply. Was it out of embarrassment? No, it was out of anger. Jasmine’s explosive temper when angry was a clear reflection of the Grand Duke’s own intermittent hot-headedness.

“Stop calling me Father! Save that word for your damn biological father! What was Chiron thinking, giving birth to someone like you!”

James, taken aback by his father’s finger-pointing, quickly intervened.

“Father, calm down! Why are you making a fuss over titles, being so petty?”

“He’s trying to subtly get involved with our Jasmine! Can’t you see his obvious tricks?”

“I can see it very well. But if we just get angry openly, we’re the ones being played.”

Indeed, as the second-in-command of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, James was quick to calculate. His keen sense, eloquence, and sly skills were the reasons he consistently triumphed in the diplomatic battlefield, which was like walking on thin ice.

He was generally very clever, except when it came to matters involving his sister. The overprotective blood he inherited from his father turned him into a meek meerkat in front of the cunning cat-like Jasmine.

However, that didn’t mean he held no grudge against Richard, who had hurt Jasmine several times. At one point, he had hoped they would get along, but now, although he didn’t share the murderous intent of his father or his second sibling whenever Richard’s name came up, he still found him distasteful.