Chapter 51.1

Chapter 51.1

Her father was nearly in tears at the sight of his long-lost daughter, and her mother, the Grand Duchess, was nagging at her, demanding to know how she could have gone a week without hearing from her. Jasmine giggled and covered her ears to keep from hurting.

“My baby, you look like you’ve lost some weight, and my goodness, hasn’t the Prince been feeding you well?”

“I heard there was a sudden downpour, and the bridge washed out. I was worried. I was going to go down there with Alex immediately, but do you know how relieved I was when I realized you were already almost there?”

“Oh really? I heard it was raining.”

Jasmine had been busy crying all the way to the mansion. Eventually, she curled up in the carriage and fell fast asleep. She even snored, according to Marie. The fact that she was able to sleep through the pain of her heartbreak suggests that she was of sound mind.

She thought she even heard thunder and rain in her sleep. But Jasmine and her party had narrowly avoided the rainy season and shortly entered another province, so she had no way of knowing.

“The Crown Prince’s party said that’s why their return will be delayed….”

“His Majesty must be in a bad mood again.”

“….”

The conversation made Jasmine remember Richard, whom she had left behind. She wondered what he was thinking, watching the rain pour down.

What are you doing, alone in that space where we talked, laughed, touched, and looked each other in the eye? Thanks to the sudden rain, she won’t have to worry about running into him for a few days.

She wondered if the man, his pride firmly crushed, might still have a soft spot for her. The memory of him on his knees, clinging desperately to her, made her feel uncomfortable, and she tried not to think about it.

Truth be told, Jasmine wouldn’t be comfortable if he found her again, and she wouldn’t be comfortable either if he turned his back on her. This double-mindedness was a headache. It hurt, so she put it aside and prioritized getting over herself.

It was then that Caras lifted her hand to Jasmine’s head and carefully turned her sister’s face to examine it. Dumbfounded at being treated as if she were porcelain, Jasmine pushed Caras’ hand away.

“What are you doing?”

“You look very upset. Is something wrong?”

Jasmine pressed her lips together, then looked at her brother, who was trying to be nonchalant but had concern in his eyes. Tears threatened to burst for a moment, but she held them back.

Even Caras, who is insensitive to rumors, would already know about the scandal with Richard. Plus, he would have been more worried since she was outside the home.

The men of the house, who are very uptight and conservative, must be burning up inside. She, who had been discussing getting married, spent a week in the same house with Duke Aion. The man whom she was infatuated with, and eventually had a scandal.

In fact, enough had happened in that week to make them worry. Jasmine is probably not the same person she was a week ago.

The look on her family’s faces, like a baby bird returning home, made her realize that. Whether that was a good thing or not, she couldn’t tell at this point.

But now she knew for sure. Jasmine smiled awkwardly but brightly.

“I’m back.”

This is where he belongs.

***

Perhaps it was a bit of luck, or perhaps it was not. It was impossible to determine whether the postponement of their meeting was ultimately a good or bad thing.

But to Richard, the sudden shower, peculiar to this part of the country and the rising river, were terrible bad luck.

“What were you thinking!? The bridge was almost flooded, and you tried to cross it?”

Jilian, who had heard of the Duke of Aion’s sudden departure from the manor at dawn, rushed out in the early morning breeze, gown flying in the wind.

Richard’s mind was elsewhere even as the crown prince berated him for returning soaked to the bone.

Where is Jasmine? He wondered. Has she reached the capital safely? I hope so. The torrential downpour had started after she’d safely crossed the bridge, so she should be safe in the capital by now. That was a good thing.

Then Richard was slapped across the face with a flying document.

“You disloyal bastard,” Jilian said, “Why are you distracted when the Crown Prince is speaking? Did you get struck by lightning or something?”

“Cousin. Are you scolding me as a subject, or are you scolding me as a blood relative?”

“Both! You dam!ed basta!rd!”

Jilian laughed in disbelief as Richard shamelessly gathered up the documents and put them on the desk.