OPDPS 141

The voice belonged to a man wrapped up far too warmly for the weather, wearing a blue cloak with a thick fur scarf coiled around his neck. Though most of his face was obscured, the glimpse of his forehead and high-bridged nose revealed such beauty that he seemed truly breathtaking.

He stopped speaking and pointed toward the tailor’s shop.

At that moment, a chill swept through the area as shock rippled outward. That someone would halt in the middle of the Grand Duke’s inspection just to look at clothes—how outrageous.

Given the Grand Duke’s infamous reputation, people expected the man in the blue cloak to be immediately discarded, banned from ever working at the Grand Duke’s estate again. He might even be thrown into prison on the spot for obstructing the inspection.

But contrary to all expectations, the Grand Duke and his entourage came to a stop. The Grand Duke himself addressed the beautiful man.

“Do you like it? Go on in and take a proper look.”

“Are you sure I can?”

“Of course.”

Not only did the Grand Duke readily give his permission, he even escorted the man down from the horse to ensure he dismounted comfortably.

At this point, the people watching in fear all found themselves thinking the same thing.

Who is that person?

Who could he be for the Grand Duke to act so kindly?

Everyone knew Grand Duke Asirion as a man utterly devoid of warmth—the last person in the world you’d associate with kindness. Rumors even claimed he was a yeti from the snowy mountains, lacking any human emotion. Of course, it was more of a joke than a serious belief.

But what truly shocked the villagers was the attitude of the Grand Duke’s entourage.

Rather than appearing surprised, they accepted the Duke’s actions as natural, calmly adjusting their formation so as not to disrupt the festival. Some of them even looked amused, as if they found the situation entertaining.

Who is he? Just who is that man…

The villagers exchanged glances, but none of them knew the truth.

Within the Grand Duke’s castle, gossip about his romance had long run wild, blown far out of proportion—but that was all confined to the castle. The rumors had never breached the walls, thanks to figures like Rynello and other higher-ups who emphasized the gravity of the matter and enforced strict silence.

To the uninformed locals, the appearance of the beautiful man in the blue cloak was like a bolt from the blue. Yet, seeing how things were unfolding, one hypothesis began to emerge.

Could he be… the future Grand Duchess?

If that were true, it would be an incredible blessing!

The Grand Duke had been so averse to romance—never mind marriage—that people had begun to suspect something was wrong with him, or joked that he melted if touched by a human.

While bearing the brunt of all the villagers’ curiosity, the Grand Duke entered the tailor’s shop with the beautiful man. The moment they disappeared inside, the crowd erupted in hushed, excited chatter.

Meanwhile, inside the tailor’s shop, a different kind of tension filled the air.

The tailor broke out in a cold sweat the moment he saw the man accompanying the Grand Duke.

It was the same man he had once begged to model his clothes—the beautiful one who had been shivering from the cold because he had nothing warm to wear. What was he doing now, walking in with the Grand Duke?

“It’s an honor to have you visit.”

The tailor bowed and cautiously glanced at Aeryl. When their eyes met, Aeryl looked away.

So it was the right choice not to acknowledge him.

Some strange man had visited earlier and warned him repeatedly not to greet the guest, saying someone important would be arriving. The tailor had thought he was crazy—but now, he was glad he listened.

“Bring in the clothes hanging outside and the warmest ones you have. He gets cold easily.”

“Yes, sir.”

At the Grand Duke’s command, the tailor rushed around the shop, gathering one outfit after another. Aeryl looked at the Duke with a mix of curiosity and wonder at his uncharacteristically attentive behavior.

“I’ve actually been worried about your clothes.”

“Connie prepared everything well.”

“But you still feel cold. I heard you turned down her offer to bring more clothes.”

“She’s just a servant. I felt like I was already receiving too much.”

It was a kind of self-imposed boundary. As a physician of the Grand Duke’s castle, he saw no reason to accept kindness beyond what his role entitled him to. So he tried not to make personal requests.

“Even now?”

“Now that things have changed, I’ll accept it gratefully.”

Aeryl answered playfully, and the Grand Duke smiled. Everyone except the two of them blinked in disbelief, questioning their own eyes.

“Here are the clothes, Your Grace.”

The tailor brought over two fully loaded racks of clothing.

“I’ll show you to the changing room.”

“I’ll go try them on. It might take a while…”

“I’ll just come with you.”

“You most certainly will not.”

Aeryl snapped. The Grand Duke, whose thoughts had clearly taken a mischievous turn, sank weakly onto the sofa, his intentions exposed.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Aeryl followed the tailor into the fitting room.

Being a high-end boutique, the changing room was large and luxurious. The beautifully decorated space included a full-length mirror, a wardrobe full of accessories, a sofa to rest on, and a vanity table.

“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”

Once the tailor set the clothes down and left, Aeryl locked the door behind him.

“Come out.”

As if speaking to himself, Aeryl muttered—and from behind the wardrobe, a brown-haired man jumped out. It was Derbas.

“Hey! Your High—”

“Shh!”

Aeryl silenced him at once. Derbas quickly mimicked him, placing a finger to his lips with exaggerated seriousness.

Finally.

In truth, Derbas had been trailing behind ever since Aeryl descended into the town with the Grand Duke’s entourage. With so many spectators around, he didn’t particularly stand out—but the real issue was how they could meet in secret and talk.

While mulling it over, Aeryl had spotted the tailor shop.

‘I heard noblewomen often hold secret meetings in dress shops.’

So Aeryl had subtly signaled Derbas to slip inside, then followed under the pretense of browsing clothes.

He hadn’t realized this was the same shop where that incident had happened when he’d once snuck into the village. Fortunately, whether because the shop owner had good instincts or Derbas had handled it well, they had passed through without issue.

‘I didn’t expect the Grand Duke to come in and wait with me, though.’

Because of that, they had to be cautious with sound. Aeryl pulled out the small notebook and pen he always carried. Derbas nodded, catching on quickly.

[Do this favor for me. In return, I’ll help you meet Valbean.]

Derbas nodded enthusiastically.

[Is there any magic that can change my eye color?]

Derbas shook his head.

Of course not. These golden eyes were a special hereditary symbol—not something one could replicate or alter. Aeryl had looked into every possible option, but the best he’d managed was to obtain glasses.

[Then can you transform into me?]

Derbas paused, then pointed at Aeryl’s eyes and shook his head again. He meant the golden eyes were impossible to mimic. Aeryl already knew that.

[Brown eyes are enough. Just transform into me and show the Emperor’s knight that I don’t have golden eyes once the glasses are off.]

The knight was likely here to confirm whether Aeryl truly had golden eyes. He’d try to take off the glasses and see for himself.

Once he saw there were no golden eyes beneath them, he’d back off. Of course, this wouldn’t solve everything.

Derbas gestured toward the door, shrugging.

Are you going to deceive the Grand Duke too?

[For now. I’ll tell him once full winter comes.]

If he revealed his identity now, the Grand Duke might hand him over to the Emperor’s knight and send him back to the palace.

So first, he had to drive the knight away—and wait for the heart of winter. When the snow and cold blocked all roads, even if the Grand Duke felt betrayed, he wouldn’t be able to immediately return Aeryl to the palace.

‘Before spring comes, I’ll make sure the Grand Duke forgives me and keep my place by his side!’

That was the plan Aeryl had painstakingly devised.

After reading everything, Derbas beamed and snatched the pen from Aeryl. Apparently, he approved.

[Your Highness, are you an idiot?]

…What?

Aeryl furrowed his brows and glared at Derbas. He’d spent so much effort crafting this plan.

[If you just cried a little and confessed, the Grand Duke would probably handle everything for you.]

Aeryl’s expression contorted even more.