One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 103

“So, you’re telling me, you were stranded? Stranded in the wilderness?”

Duke Revart stammered after hearing Aireen’s heavily shortened version of events.

“Stranded might be a bit dramatic, Father. I was just briefly separated from the main unit, that’s all.”

“That is being stranded!”

“Well, I wasn’t hurt, and I made it back safely. It wasn’t even that hard. The monsters dropped like flies with a single swing of my sword.”

“Aireen.”

The longer the conversation went on, the more Duke Revart’s expression hardened, like stone. But Aireen kept speaking brightly, pretending not to notice.

“There were a lot of monsters I’d never seen before. But they weren’t that strong. Once you understand their traits, I think they’ll be much easier to deal with next time.”

“Unfamiliar monsters…? That’s incredibly dangerous!”

“It’s nothing unusual for knights, Father. Once we clear them out properly, things will settle down.”

“Clear them out? Clear what, exactly?”

“Um… His Majesty will explain it all to you in detail…”

Aireen trailed off. As much as she wanted to be honest, she didn’t feel right talking about Marquess Hessiden’s scheme in front of her family.

Especially not with her mother present. Edys had specifically asked that the matter be handled at the Duke’s level only.

Seeing her hesitate, the Duke surprisingly let his curiosity fade. If the Emperor was involved and Aireen was holding back, he trusted there had to be a reason.

“It’s fine. I’ll ask His Majesty directly later.”

“Thank you, Father. That would be better. I don’t know all the details myself.”

“That aside, Aireen…”

Suddenly, Duke Revart’s tone grew serious. Even Duchess Revart, who had been smiling gently, now wore a more thoughtful expression.

Aireen, sensing the shift in atmosphere, instinctively straightened her shoulders.

“Are you sure nothing happened? With… that Avergue boy.”

The Duke asked carefully. Aireen hesitated for a brief moment, like a clockwork doll whose gears had snagged.

Of course something had happened. She had already admitted to being stranded with Carlisle—there was no hiding it from the Duke.

He was likely worried that, during their isolation, Carlisle might have tried to sway her feelings or upset her in some way.

But Aireen couldn’t speak of the curse. So she left out that part and answered simply.

“Nothing happened. We were too busy gathering food, fighting off monsters, and finding a way back. We barely had time to speak.”

The Duke and Duchess both looked like they wanted to press further, but in the end, they held their tongues.

“All right. If you say so, I believe you. Still, I’ll ask His Majesty to make sure you’re never alone with that man again.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Aireen gave a deliberately cheerful smile.

With everyone hiding their worries behind a thin veil of calm, the rest of the meal passed peacefully.

Aireen soon returned to the Khan Order. The knights who had gone on the subjugation mission were welcomed back with celebration.

“I heard it was close, Dame Aireen!”

Setz, a fellow knight, came running up to her with exaggerated concern.

“I guess word travels fast.”

“Of course! There are no secrets in Khan.”

Aireen gave an exaggerated sigh and shook her head at his dramatics. Setz only grinned in return.

“But seriously, I’m glad you’re back safe, Dame Aireen. Now it’s your turn to teach us what you learned in the field.”

“…Back to work already, huh.”

“There’s no such thing as rest in the Khan Order!”

There wasn’t even time to let her thoughts wander. The knights bombarded Aireen with questions, eager to learn about the monsters and how best to fight them.

While she was deep in training with the others, a familiar voice called out from behind her.

“Dame Aireen—it’s been a while.”

“Vice Captain!”

It was Siran.

She’d already exchanged a brief greeting with Captain Cylas earlier, but Siran had been away. She had been planning to find him later—so it was a pleasant surprise to see him approach first.

“You look well. I’m glad you made it back safely, Dame Aireen.”

Siran gave a gentle smile as he offered his congratulations.

He looked a little thinner than before, as if he hadn’t been sleeping properly. Aireen noticed and, instead of simply saying “thank you,” she responded with a light comment.

“It’s all thanks to you, Vice Captain.”

“Me?”

It was a polite remark, nothing more—but Siran looked genuinely puzzled.

Maybe he really had been that distracted lately. Aireen, thinking nothing of it, smiled and replied again.

“Yes. Thanks to your concern.”

“Uh… What exactly did I do for you…?”

“…It was just a polite thing to say.”

“Oh. I see.”

Ha. Only then did Siran laugh the way he usually did.

Normally, he would’ve brushed off a comment like that with a smooth grin, but today felt strangely different. His face showed genuine confusion—like he truly didn’t understand why she thanked him.

For a brief moment, Aireen felt a sense of discomfort, something subtly out of place. But she let it go. He must be tired, she thought. Maybe she was just overanalyzing things.

“Well then, I’ve got work to do. You all keep training hard.”

With a smile, Siran disappeared just like he always did. Aireen turned her attention back to training with her fellow knights.

“I’ll be bothering you again tomorrow, Dame Aireen!”

“Ask someone else next time, would you?”

“Oh please. You’re already doing it and pretending you’re not.”

Covered in sweat, the knights came over one by one, offering words of gratitude and teasing farewells. Aireen, wiping her damp cheek with the back of her hand, smiled back.

“You’re all doing great already, really. See you tomorrow.”

It hadn’t even been that long, but somehow it felt like ages since she’d last trained on the field. Buoyed by that strange sense of excitement, Aireen finished her drills and stepped out of the training grounds.

She hadn’t gone far when—

“Aireen.”

There he was—Carlisle Avergue. Standing off to the side, half-hidden in the shadows, waiting for her.

The lightness in her heart sank like a stone.

Her voice came out stiff and guarded the moment she recognized the unwelcome guest.

“…What is it?”

“Could I… have just a moment of your time?”

His voice trembled with desperation, completely devoid of confidence. It was cautious—fearful even—like he already expected to be rejected.

But Aireen still didn’t want to see him. Every encounter only weighed her down further. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, and she’d been trying—perhaps intentionally—to push him out of mind.

If he hadn’t kept showing up like this, trying to talk to her again and again… she would’ve ignored him forever.

“I believe we’ve already said everything that needed to be said. I don’t think there’s anything more to add.”

She glanced around quickly, checking to make sure no one was listening, and spoke in a flat tone.

Carlisle’s face stiffened. Once again, he realized that Aireen had no intention of forgiving him. That no matter what, she was still guarded—still closed off.

A surge of fear hit him. What if she never spoke to him again? What if she truly left him behind for good?

He felt like a child, stranded at the edge of the water.

That cold expression she had worn before she knew the truth… the chill in her voice… the way she treated him like a complete stranger—it was all back. But now, there was something worse: rejection, so clear and final. Not even pity remained.

Revealing the truth only made the rejection harder to bear. Now that she knew, and still looked at him this way, the weight of his past mistakes crushed him all over again.

If she would just glance at him with even a shred of sympathy, he’d be willing to lick the dirt off her shoes like a dog.

He had less than a year left—if the curse remained. That looming deadline only made the fear worse.

Unaware of how pale his own face had become, Carlisle pleaded again.

“There’s something I need to tell you. Please… even if just for a moment, would you listen?”

His eyes were bloodshot from sleepless nights, and they began to glisten. His voice trembled. Without realizing it, his hands pressed together as if in prayer.

Aireen looked at him, then let out a small sigh.

“…Only for a moment.”

“…Thank you. Truly.”

They moved away together. Instead of heading to his office—where too many eyes could follow them—they went somewhere quiet, deep within the trees where few people passed by.

“What is it you want to say?”

Aireen asked the moment they arrived, blunt and direct.

Truthfully, she had no desire to talk face-to-face. If this wasn’t about something essential—like Judith, or Marquess Hessiden—she would’ve refused outright.

She still didn’t know why Carlisle had agreed to fake a relationship with Judith, or what conditions were involved. She didn’t know what Judith knew, or how much the marquess was involved. She knew nothing.

She hadn’t wanted to know. But eventually, she would have to face it.

And to prepare for what was ahead, she needed to listen now.

She could tell how anxious he was—how desperate—but she pretended not to notice.

“…Judith Hessiden and I… it’s just a contract.”

Carlisle exhaled deeply, his voice hollow as if the weight had drained all strength from it.

And with those words, Aireen’s hand twitched.

What? A contract?

She felt breathless—like something caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected to hear this here, not like this. Her mind went blank for a moment.

It was the part that had hurt her the most all along. Edys had mentioned a “contract” in passing, but this was the first time she heard it directly from Carlisle’s lips.

Hearing it from the person who had caused her pain… it felt different. It hit harder.

“She approached me first. Judith Hessiden. Said she was pregnant with another man’s child—a child she didn’t want. She came to me drunk.”

Carlisle’s voice was low and steady, filled with quiet regret.

“If that was all she said, I wouldn’t have agreed. Even if I needed an excuse to distance myself from you, I would’ve found another way. But… she let something slip while she was drunk.”

“……”

“She said the child’s hair and eye color could be changed. That Marquess Hessiden could make it happen.”

“……”

“That kind of thing… only a shaman from the northern tribes could do it. So I couldn’t ignore it. I had to say yes. I thought, if Marquess Hessiden was connected to the curse, this might be the only clue.”

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