One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 54

“Aileen.”

The last voice she wanted to hear fell heavily from above her head. When had he gotten so close?

“Captain Carlisle.”

His deep blue eyes—resembling an abyss too far to reach—lingered on Jeron for a brief moment before turning to Aileen.

“What brings you here?”

Her voice was clipped, her expression firm. She wasn’t speaking as a duke’s daughter, but as one of his knights.

Even as she asked, Aileen quickly ran through her memory. Was there any reason for Carlisle to seek her out in person? The joint training, the upcoming tournament…

No matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find a justification for this. Training was set to continue as usual, regardless of the tournament.

“Is this something that absolutely must be addressed right now?”

She had no intention of going with him so compliantly. Why now, of all times? And especially when she was already in the middle of a conversation with someone else.

Granted, Jeron had barreled in and rushed through everything like a bulldozer, putting her in an awkward spot. But if Carlisle was going to act as the savior here, that only made it worse. Nodding along obediently with either of them would only make her look foolish.

Carlisle, face unreadable, paused for a beat before speaking.

“There’s something I meant to say to you. I forgot until now.”

Even at his words, Aileen couldn’t shake the strange emotion curling within her like smoke.

“What is it about?”

“It’s regarding the tournament starting tomorrow. Not something to discuss in front of outsiders.”

His indifferent gaze once again flicked to Jeron, then dropped away. It was only then that Aileen fully became aware of Jeron’s presence again.

His face had stiffened, like wax hardened by cold. His expression, already crumpled with frustration, was barely pulled together as Aileen glanced toward him.

Hidden from view, Jeron’s fists clenched tightly.

Right at the moment he had gathered the courage to speak… why him? Of all people, it had to be Carlisle.

Aileen had been seriously considering his words. This was a rare and meaningful moment for him.

And Carlisle had shattered it in an instant, snatching her attention away just like that. The resentment Jeron had harbored for so long toward Carlisle stirred violently within him.

“I’m sorry, Jeron. This is a matter concerning the Order. I have to go. I’ll see you again later.”

Aileen offered a small, apologetic smile, her expression caught in a tangle of guilt, discomfort, and regret. Her slightly lowered brows and hesitant smile made his heart ache—and made it impossible to look away.

Normally, he would’ve stepped back with a quiet sigh. But not this time. He couldn’t.

Carlisle—the man who had ruined this moment—was also the one with a fiancée named Judith. And yet, for some reason, Jeron had a terrible feeling that he shouldn’t just let Aileen walk away.

Maybe that was why he stood his ground.

“Then, Aileen… could you at least give me an answer before you go?”

“Ah…”

“Is it really not possible? Just give me your answer. If you do, I promise I won’t bother you any further.”

He didn’t know where the courage had come from—he hardly recognized himself. His words bordered on rudeness, far more direct than he was used to being.

But he couldn’t stop. It felt like he was hanging by the last rope. He couldn’t let her ex-fiancé—who had shattered everything with betrayal—win again.

Across from him, Aileen was struck speechless. Why was Jeron being so bold today?

Had he grown during their time apart?

And to make it worse, Carlisle was right there, watching everything unfold. Just realizing that he was witnessing this uncomfortable moment made her even more uneasy.

Should she be blunt with Jeron? But that would be no different from dismissing him outright in front of Carlisle. Jeron might be pushing, but he was still the one she’d been speaking with first.

Unconsciously, a faint crease formed between Aileen’s brows. And then, just like that, the tense atmosphere shattered.

“My apologies, but this matter is urgent. I’ll have to go now, Lord Diar.”

Both Jeron and Aileen turned to the one who had so effortlessly broken the air between them.

“This is a matter of the Order. It’s not something that should be discussed in front of outsiders.”

There was nothing personal in Carlisle’s flat tone. It was calm, almost as if to say, Why are you making such a fuss?

Even the way he looked at Jeron—distant and detached—felt like a deliberate dismissal.

Jeron clenched his jaw, emotion surging painfully in his throat.

The word knight—it was the very thing that starkly separated him from Carlisle.

Though he’d always looked the part more than anyone, with a knightly presence since childhood, he hadn’t even been able to wield a sword properly back then. And even now, praised as a prodigy, he still couldn’t shake the deep-rooted inferiority he felt toward knights.

And of all people, the one he guarded himself most against—as a man—was Carlisle Avergue, who just happened to be hailed as the Empire’s greatest knight. That was why Carlisle’s dismissal of him as a mere outsider, unworthy of the title, felt utterly unbearable.

Just like last time, and now again—why did Carlisle Avergue, her former fiancé, keep stepping in to disrupt the conversations between him and Aileen?

Jaw tight, Jeron responded in a cold, composed voice, doing his best to suppress the storm of emotions swirling inside him.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you, Sir Avergue? That I was the one originally speaking with Aileen. If you understand how discourteous it is to interrupt so abruptly, then I ask that you wait until we’re finished.”

It was true—Carlisle had cut in. But in a setting like this, it wasn’t unusual. People came and went from conversations; someone might join in, another might leave, or even pull someone else away mid-conversation. So long as noble decorum was upheld, it was all quite acceptable.

From that perspective, Carlisle hadn’t actually been rude. If anything, perhaps it was his dry tone that made it seem colder than it was.

The only thing that seemed increasingly out of place was Aileen’s expression—caught between the two men and growing paler by the second.

The banquet was loud and festive, but this particular triangle—Carlisle, Aileen, and Jeron—had drawn attention. Nearby nobles, pretending not to look, were glancing their way.

She didn’t want to be anyone’s spectacle. Least of all in a setting where Judith was present.

She hadn’t done anything wrong, so she had nothing to hide. But that didn’t mean she wanted to be part of the latest gossip floating between idle aristocrats with too much time and too little tact.

Aileen could sense Jeron’s emotions, vaguely—enough to understand. But the truth was, Carlisle was no longer anyone to her. He had no reason to react like this. If anything, it was Jeron’s reaction that had drawn all this attention.

Aileen made her decision.

“Jeron, I’m sorry. I regret leaving in the middle of our conversation, but as you know, the preliminaries begin tomorrow.”

“…”

“And I believe the Finance Department understands this as well—but depending on the situation, there are things that can only be shared among knights. At the moment, I serve not only the Khan Order but also under Sir Avergue’s command. As a knight, I must carry out my duties whenever needed. So I’ll be going now. This matter doesn’t just involve me—it concerns my fellow knights as well.”

Her voice was distant, firm, and unmistakably professional.

Only then did Jeron begin to face reality. And as he blinked and looked at her again—

“…Aileen.”

It felt like being doused with ice water in the dead of winter. He was frozen in place.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

He wanted to stop her, say something—anything—but the words refused to come. The Aileen he knew, the one who was always warm and kind, was gone. In her place stood a resolute, cool-eyed knight.

As the situation seemed to settle, Carlisle turned silently to go. Aileen looked once more at Jeron, whose face was locked in stunned silence, and gave a small nod before following Carlisle.

The image it left behind—of a woman coldly discarding one man to walk away with her former fiancé—was awkward at best.

And Jeron wasn’t the only one fuming. Aileen could feel a slow burn of irritation rising within her toward Carlisle as well. Why did he have to appear at that moment, just when she was with Jeron?

If not for the watchful eyes of others, she might’ve been at least slightly grateful to Carlisle for helping her out of that tense conversation. But not now. Jeron’s persistence had only made things messier.

It wasn’t exactly Carlisle’s fault—but at the heart of it all, wasn’t he the root cause?

Then, as if triggered by instinct, another face floated into her mind.

Aileen’s eyes searched for the flash of crimson—those vivid red irises she had failed to notice until now.

And there they were. An intense, unyielding gaze, not far away. So sharp and searing that, had Judith been an arrow, Aileen would’ve already been pierced through.

With a blank expression, Aileen met Judith’s glare. It was tiring to react to every petty look. Ignoring her altogether might agitate her more—but so be it.

Compared to what Judith had already done to her, this was no more than a childish tantrum.

Whether it was because her hunch was right, or because Judith mistook Aileen’s composed expression for a smug one—as if proud to be walking beside Carlisle—Judith’s fury only seemed to intensify.

“Are you ready for the preliminaries?”

Carlisle’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes.”

Aileen turned to him and answered simply. He didn’t ask anything further.

As they walked a bit farther, Tanil and Setar came into view. Aileen stepped toward them first.

“Sir Setar, Sir Tanil.”

“Oh—you’re here. Wait, isn’t that the Captain?!”

Startled by Carlisle’s presence towering behind Aileen, Setar quickly tacked on a respectful greeting.

“Captain! It’s good to see you.”

Tanil bowed as well, and the other knights nearby promptly followed suit, standing straight and offering formal salutations. Even one of the Lille Order knights, who had seen the group from a distance, hurried over to bow.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

Carlisle led the four of them to a quieter spot, away from the crowd.

Support