One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 31

“Aileen… would you be my partner at the upcoming Imperial banquet?”

Jeron asked carefully, pausing slightly as if the short question were too heavy to carry in one breath. His voice trembled just a little. It had come out of nowhere.

His flushed ears were hard to miss, but Aileen couldn’t answer right away.

This came after the scandal involving Carlisle had already spread through society like wildfire. If she showed up to the banquet with Jeron as her partner—what would happen? For her, it might be fine. But Jeron?

It was obvious he’d be dragged into the gossip. He didn’t deserve to be tangled up in a scandal that had nothing to do with him. Even if it didn’t last, just being associated with her at this moment would be enough to give society something to chew on—and it would leave her with guilt she didn’t want to carry.

No matter how fast rumors moved through the social world, there was nothing pleasant about becoming their subject—even briefly.

More than that, her feelings toward Jeron hadn’t even begun to form. Their relationship hadn’t been clearly defined. But if she brought him to the banquet—the most anticipated event in the capital—society would seize on it, hungry for anything to tear into.

They’d link them together, not because they cared, but because it entertained them.

And in that storm of whispers, her intentions wouldn’t matter anymore. Things could easily spiral, far beyond what she wanted.

She didn’t want things to progress that way—driven not by feeling, but by pressure.

What should she do?

As her silence stretched and her expression stiffened, Jeron’s gaze grew heavy with unease. His hand, resting on his thigh, curled tightly into a fist.

“If it’s hard to answer now, I understand. I’ll wait. Even a letter later would be fine. Just… take your time, Aileen. Please.”

Even if she gave her answer the day before the banquet, he would be happy—so long as she said yes.

But in the increasingly tense atmosphere, Jeron almost began to hope she’d postpone her answer altogether.

“…I’m sorry, Jeron.”

But his hope was met with the firm wall of Aileen’s heart—one still too guarded to accept him.

The moment she gave her answer, Jeron’s face crumpled. Seeing it made Aileen uncomfortable, but she didn’t take her words back.

“…Is it really not possible?”

Jeron asked again, summoning what little courage he had left.

“I’m sorry. I think… it would be better if I went with my brother this time.”

That was the gentlest way she could put it. Faced with her conflicted yet sincere expression, Jeron had no choice but to nod.

He quickly changed the subject, forcing a smile.

“Then… may I ask for a dance instead?”

“…Yes. That’s fine.”

“Thank you, Aileen.”

Jeron clasped his hands together as if he’d been given a rare and precious gift. He even bowed his head slightly. Aileen, flustered, gently asked him to stop.

But having secured at least a promise for a dance, Jeron looked visibly relieved. Aileen, too, felt a small weight lift from her chest.

Later, as she sat in the carriage, she thought of him again—Jeron, who had insisted on seeing her to the carriage once more.

“What does he even see in me?”

What had made him fall so hard, even after she turned him down? What could possibly be so appealing?

Sometimes, the way he looked at her stirred a strange familiarity. Maybe it was because—

“…He reminds me.”

Of herself, long ago, when she had followed after Carlisle’s shadow.

Maybe that’s why it left her so uncomfortable. Why it hurt a little more.

Back in the academy days, Aileen had wanted to give Carlisle everything. He had seemed so alone—though, more than sympathy, her feelings had been deeper, more complicated.

Before she even realized she was in love, she would always find herself making things for him: snacks to help with fatigue, scarves to wrap around his cold-looking neck… little gestures like that.

But at the time, her affection was still one-sided. She was afraid Carlisle might find it burdensome, so she never found the courage to give him any of it. She just kept making things and setting them aside. And every time she saw his neck turning red from the wind, her heart ached, thinking of that scarf waiting unused.

“…I gave him everything once we started dating.”

She had been so happy. When the things she had only imagined finally became reality, her heart swelled so much it nearly burst. She couldn’t even speak—she just cried and cried.

“Maybe it’s the same now.”

But now… her once overflowing heart had dried out. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t reach out to Jeron.

Aileen let herself stop thinking.

In the end, time would pass, a direction would appear, and the answer would come—whether it was what she wanted or not.

The day of the Imperial banquet arrived quickly.

The national holiday commemorated a long-ago victory over a foreign kingdom, a triumph sealed with the empire’s banner flying high.

The Empire treated it as a significant day, and so the banquet held in its honor was always grand in scale. Which, of course, meant countless nobles would attend—and there could be no room for mistakes.

“Can we stop now?”

“No, not yet. We’re nowhere near finished.”

Sera’s answer was firm, despite Aileen’s pleading tone.

Aileen had been up since dawn, working up a sweat with her morning training. After soaking in the bath for a while, she’d just begun the ordeal of getting dressed. Now, completely drained, she was ready to rebel.

“I’ve already tried on ten dresses. I think that’s more than enough to choose from, Sera.”

“But there are still just as many left, you know?”

Aileen looked at the rows of gowns hanging like an impenetrable wall and finally put her foot down.

“I’m not trying on any more. I’m picking from what I’ve already worn.”

“…But…”

Sera’s face fell into a pout as she opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish.

Aileen understood why she was being so stubborn. With an event this grand, Carlisle and Judith were bound to attend, and Sera was determined to make sure her lady looked absolutely radiant in front of them.

Aileen, too, wanted to carry herself with pride. But at the same time, she didn’t want to let them occupy any more of her mind than they already had. Wasting her energy on the undeserving was exhausting.

In the end, after several rounds of back-and-forth, the two compromised on selecting from the dresses already tried on.

“What about this one? Today, my goal is to make you look elegant, noble, and completely untouchable.”

Aileen didn’t know how one was supposed to “look untouchable,” but she nodded at everything Sera suggested. Her maid’s eye for styling was unmatched—Aileen trusted her completely.

“All done! You did so well, my lady.”

Sera gave Aileen’s hair a final touch, then stood back with her hands on her hips, smiling proudly at the reflection in the mirror.

“…Wow.”

The word slipped out before Aileen realized it.

Her soft pink hair had been loosely braided to one side, cascading over her right collarbone in gentle waves. A diamond-studded hairpin sparkled on the opposite side, scattering soft white light. Matching earrings and a necklace, each set with evenly spaced small gemstones, glimmered subtly—framing her features beautifully.

“You really chose the perfect one, Sera.”

“Doesn’t it look amazing on you?”

The pale blue gown draped gracefully over her shoulders and collarbones, revealing the delicate curve of her neck and falling softly down her figure. From the mid-thigh down, the skirt flared gently, dotted with countless tiny diamonds that shimmered with her every movement.

The lack of large jewels made it elegant rather than flashy. The understated design gave her an ethereal presence—quiet and mysterious, not plain in the slightest.

“Why do you look like a stranger today?”

As Aileen descended to the first-floor lobby, she was met with her brother’s wide-eyed stare.

“You’re not one to talk.”

Ashite had neatly swept back his silver hair, revealing his striking features more than usual. His deep navy formalwear clung perfectly to his frame, and somehow, it paired flawlessly with Aileen’s pale blue gown—as if the two had coordinated.

The siblings were first to climb into the carriage. Not long after, the Duke and Duchess joined them, and the four set off for the palace together.

“If anyone gives you trouble, just let me know. Actually—should I just stay by your side the whole night?”

“I’m not a child, you know. I’ll be fine.”

Ashite looked unconvinced, gently stroking his chin in thought, prompting Aileen to roll her eyes.

“You have people to greet too, don’t you? You’re the future Duke Revart. Stop trying to shirk your responsibilities.”

“Caught me.”

“In return, I’ll honor you with the first dance tonight.”

“I’m truly touched, Lady Revart. So touched, I could cry.”

As Ashite bowed dramatically, the Duchess let out a soft, amused smile. The quiet tension that had lingered around them all morning melted away, replaced by warmth.

This was the first banquet since House Revart had formally declared its entry into the central political stage. With the emperor’s recent subtle moves, the power struggle between imperial loyalists and noble factions had become increasingly visible.

Even if no one said it out loud, everyone knew tonight’s banquet would be rife with hidden tension. And with Carlisle and Judith both likely to attend, Aileen could feel the subtle energy her family was holding—calm, but focused.

She showed no hint of discomfort and played along with the cheerful chatter until the carriage finally arrived at the palace.

“Shall we, Aileen?”

“Let’s go, Ashite.”

Taking her brother’s arm, Aileen stepped down from the carriage.

In an instant, the air changed. A sudden silence fell, and she felt as though invisible arrows of attention were piercing her from all directions. Countless eyes turned toward her, sharp and curious.

Feigning calm, she entered the grand hall without flinching.

As the herald announced the entrance of House Revart, the nobles already gathered turned as one. Aileen moved only her eyes, swiftly scanning the room.

They weren’t here. That was a relief. She wasn’t ready to see them yet.

Ashite spotted Siran chatting in the distance and strode toward him, while Duke Revart was quickly surrounded by nobles coming to greet him.

Only the Duchess remained at Aileen’s side, smiling graciously as other noblewomen approached with their daughters in tow.

“Aileen.”

She had just stepped aside for a brief moment, catching her breath after offering pleasantries, when a familiar voice called her from behind.

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