One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 105

“Why don’t we leave it to Aireen? We’re her parents, yes but we can’t live her life for her. If she can accept it, then that’s enough. If she can’t forgive him, then that’s where it ends.”

“Is that really, okay?”

“Of course. If Count Avergue had cheated out of malice, I would’ve objected no matter what Aireen said. But that wasn’t the case.”

“He deceived us. Aren’t you angry?”

“Of course, I am. Just thinking about how Aireen had to suffer through that lowly performance makes my blood boil. But when I imagine Aireen or Ashite in Count Avergue’s shoes… I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him.”

“……”

“And the more upset we get, the more it’ll hurt her. The one who’s suffering the most is Aireen. I don’t want to become another burden to her.”

The Duke sat with his wife’s words for a long time.

And at last, he made his decision.

He would follow her lead.

Though reluctant, he tried to understand Carlisle’s perspective. He imagined being in his place.

And to be honest… the choice wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. Thinking of Ashite in the same position made Carlisle’s actions seem—if not forgivable—then at least pitiable.

Still, Aireen had borne the brunt of that reckless decision. She had suffered for far too long.

Even if it turned out that the betrayal had been staged, and that the Revart family had been deceived along with Aireen, the pain she had felt was real. The relief that it had been a lie couldn’t erase the hurt entirely.

The Duke felt a mix of bitterness and frustration.

Still, the choice wasn’t difficult.

He didn’t know what Aireen truly thought of all this—but their daughter was strong-willed. Perhaps she’d appreciate being trusted to make her own decision.

More than anything, what swayed him was knowing that the one carrying the heaviest emotional burden… was Aireen.

“I trust you. Whatever path leads to your happiness—follow it.”

She had expected him to get angry.

But the volcanic fury she had braced for was gone. What flowed from her father now was a quiet calm.

She hadn’t thought he would let it go so easily. She’d expected him to rage for days, maybe even storm off to confront Carlisle himself. But,  he hadn’t.

Surprised, Aireen turned her eyes to her mother. The Duchess met her gaze and smiled softly.

Ah… it was Mother.

Aireen gave a small nod, a silent thank-you. She understood. Her mother had guided things this way so that Aireen wouldn’t be crushed by guilt or shame.

That kind of gentle consideration,  she could never fail to notice it.

Whether or not the Duke caught the subtle exchange between mother and daughter, he moved on to the next topic.

“His Majesty said he’ll be holding a banquet soon. To commemorate the historic event of the three Imperial Orders joining forces for the first time in battle and to honor your efforts.”

Aireen blinked in surprise at the unexpected news.

“Well, after everything, there should be some kind of reward. But if you’d rather not attend, just make an appearance at least. If you don’t, His Majesty might get a little… offended.”

A sigh slipped out.

During the campaign, she had come face to face with her limitations. She needed to focus entirely on training now—there was no time to waste.

But it was a banquet held in her honor. Skipping it didn’t feel right.

In the end, she gave in with a quiet sigh and began chatting lightly with her parents, exchanging stories they hadn’t had a chance to share.

“How are things with the Marquess lately?” she asked.

The Duke clicked his tongue in irritation.

“Seems like those bastards think their job is to oppose everything His Majesty tries to do. Just recently, he proposed building a dam in the southern region, and they claimed the allocated budget was already more than enough.”

“The southern region… that would be where Count Seriel’s territory is, right? One of the Emperor’s supporters.”

“Exactly. The funny part is, part of Viscount Letter’s land—he’s aligned with the noble faction—is in the area too. It’s absurd to oppose a project meant to benefit the people just out of personal spite.”

Duke Revart shook with barely restrained anger.

“And with the recent monster attacks and the northern tribes ambushing us out of nowhere, His Majesty ordered a financial report from the treasury so we could fund the recovery efforts. Before he even mentioned anything publicly, they jumped in first and started whining. Trying to block it in advance.”

“Did they catch wind of it somehow?”

“Probably. There are rats everywhere. It’s delayed the entire support plan. And we need to prepare for the next battle too. His Majesty planned to tax luxury goods—gems and premium liquor, things that benefit the noble class—but now they’re demanding he cut the budget from other areas instead.”

“……”

“There’s nothing serious enough to worry about yet, but… they’re a real nuisance these days. I’d love nothing more than to sweep them away.”

Aireen shook her head, picturing the nobles scrambling to protect their own wealth.

The ringleader of those snake-like nobles was none other than Marquess Hessiden—the one who crushed her once-promising future and even threatened her life.

Just thinking about that man, who harmed countless innocent people for the sake of his own gain, made Aireen quietly grit her teeth.

Time passed in a blur. Before she knew it, the day of the banquet had arrived.

Aireen had planned to attend in a simple outfit, but the Duchess insisted she dress to impress—especially to put other noblewomen in their place. And so, she ended up fully adorned.

“You look absolutely stunning, my lady.”

“Thank you, Sera.”

Sera carefully adjusted the jewel near Aireen’s collarbone and smiled warmly.

“I was so worried when you first came back looking so pale, but now you’ve regained your color. You look wonderful.”

“Really? …Honestly, I think I’ve been eating too much lately.”

“You could eat more! You’re always out training, and it comes right off anyway.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“At this banquet, you’ll be the most beautiful woman there. To think someone could be both the Empire’s finest knight and this gorgeous—I’m nervous just thinking about it!”

“If you keep flattering me like that, I might actually get flustered.”

“Be as flustered as you like. Just make sure you steal the spotlight tonight.”

“Alright. Thanks, Sera.”

They shared light-hearted banter, and before long, it was time to leave.

Aireen, now fully prepared, headed to the Imperial Palace with Duke and Duchess Revart. Ashite hadn’t yet returned from his mission, so it was just the three of them.

The Duchess gently asked if she’d like an escort for the entrance, but Aireen shook her head.

She didn’t care if society whispered behind her back anymore. The poisonous gossip of the nobility wasn’t what mattered.

Besides, she’d only be alone at the entrance. Once inside, she’d be swarmed by knights eager to see her.

With that thought, Aireen confidently stepped into the banquet hall. At the sound of the herald announcing House Revart, the eyes of the gathered nobles turned toward her like a volley of arrows.

Rumor had it that she and Carlisle had gone missing together—and it seemed that story had spread widely. Whispers brushed her ears like wind, murmurs barely disguised.

Luckily, Carlisle hadn’t arrived yet. From what she overheard, it seemed Judith was already present.

It didn’t matter what they said anymore. All of it would fade soon enough, just another piece of gossip to rot in the corners of the social scene. What Aireen cared about was that the Emperor would appear soon—so she could leave just as quickly.

“Aireen, would you like to join me?”

Wearing a bored expression, Aireen turned to see the Duchess looking her way. She seemed to be heading toward a group of noblewomen from the Emperor’s faction.

“It’s alright, Mother. I’ll stay with my fellow knights.”

“Very well, then.”

In the past, her mother might’ve insisted she at least make an appearance in noble circles. But today, she let her go without fuss.

According to Sera, the Duchess had recently been boasting about Aireen’s excellent results in the swordsmanship tournament. It had warmed Aireen’s heart more than she’d expected—to finally feel truly acknowledged by her mother.

Once separated from the Duchess, Aireen glanced around the hall. The Duke, naturally, was already surrounded by nobles, his position far too prominent for him to stand alone.

“…Still not here.”

She murmured, looking around as she strolled. Soon, she spotted familiar faces—Tanil, Sets, and others—and the tension in her chest eased immediately as she fell into friendly chatter with them.

She was sure she heard whispers from the nobles around her calling her behavior unbecoming of her status, but that didn’t matter either.

After a while, Aireen excused herself from the group to rest. Wearing a dress and heels for the first time in a long while was more exhausting than she’d expected.

She made her way through the crowd to the balcony.

Thankfully, it was empty.

She closed the door behind her, sank into a chair, and slipped off her shoes. The fullness of her gown concealed her bare feet—no one would see.

Looking up, Aireen let her eyes settle on the night sky. It reminded her of black paper sprinkled with tiny shining gems.

Inside, the music and chatter never stopped, the banquet roaring on. But here, she felt strangely disconnected—as if she had fallen into another world.

She tried not to let her thoughts wander. Letting her guard down now would do her no good.

Deliberately, she forced her mind toward other things—Santinu’s offer, his swordsmanship techniques—anything else.

And then… she heard the door open.

If someone realized she was already inside, they’d probably step back and leave.

But instead, the intruder drew closer.

Before Aireen even turned her head, the voice announced itself, cutting through the air with unwanted familiarity.

“Lady Revart.”

Of course. It was Judith Hessiden.

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