Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 45.1
Chapter 45.1
Rumors spread quickly within the imperial palace, especially those concerning foreign princes and crown princes. Such information would travel even faster among those who dealt in secrets. Luke Randy contacted me starting the next day, requesting a meeting. Of course, I refused each time, citing my still-recovering health. I knew exactly why he wanted to see me.
“Master Luke was very worried. He’s relieved you weren’t seriously injured, Lady Amelia.” The butler spoke with a relieved voice.
“Thank you for your concern.”
“The young master would be much more at ease if he could see you himself.”
Listening to the butler’s regretful tone, I simply offered a silent smile.
‘Worried about me?’ That Luke Randy? Unbelievable. Dear butler, the young master you serve is a far crueler person than you imagine. He wasn’t worried; he wanted to see me injured so he could mock me. He’d probably sneer and ask why someone like me would dare to meet with princes.
If Luke had come today, he’d have seen my relatively unscathed state and said something like, “As expected, you’re sturdy. Well, you’d be useless if you weren’t.”
I could picture his reaction clearly, which was why I kept refusing his requests. I thought he’d give up after a couple of attempts, but for some reason, he was persistent this time. He’d been contacting me all week, wanting to meet, which was why I finally agreed to see him today.
‘Fortunately, something came up for Luke today.’
I was relieved I wouldn’t have to see his smug face. I had agreed to meet him once, so he should stop bothering me now.
“Please, let me know if you need anything at all, my lady.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“The young master will be very pleased that you accepted the gifts he prepared today.”
“Ha…ha… Will he?” I laughed awkwardly, looking at the various medicinal herbs piled up behind the butler. The sheer quantity suggested they were meant to kill me, not cure me. Knowing Luke, it was entirely possible.
“Of course. The young master procured all of these himself. He wishes for your speedy recovery.”
That made it even more suspicious.
“…Please thank Luke for me.” I forced a reply. Regardless of Luke’s true intentions, I appreciated the butler’s effort in bringing all those herbs. The butler smiled with satisfaction at my words. He then called my name softly, “Lady Amelia,” and began to speak cautiously.
“Although Master Luke is still childish and not always forthright, he is a kind person at heart.”
“Childish… Well, Luke is that.” I couldn’t agree with anything else he’d said.
“He’s also quite lonely and always yearning for affection. I’ve tried to be there for him and fill that void, but there’s only so much I can do.”
“That’s not true. Luke knows you’ve helped him sincerely.”
A gentle smile spread across the butler’s face.
“I was so relieved when he made a friend like you, my lady. He became noticeably brighter after he met you.”
“Brighter…?” I couldn’t finish my sentence and closed my mouth. I felt like I was about to say something I shouldn’t in front of Luke’s butler.
“Although you two inevitably drifted apart as you became adults, I hope you can become close again like you were before.”
I could only gape at the butler’s words. ‘No, butler, you’ve got it all wrong. Luke and I have never been close!’ Where did this misunderstanding begin? Was it because I’d been vaguely polite in front of his staff, mindful of his reputation?
Was it because I’d brushed off his childish torments as if they were nothing? My indifference, born of annoyance, must have been interpreted as us being close. I wanted to explain, but it seemed like things had gone too far. In the end, I could only offer a helpless smile.
***
After Luke’s butler left, I was alone in the drawing-room.
“Ha…” I rested my chin on the table and stared at the gifts that filled one side of the room. “I never imagined he’d send something like this.”
Receiving gifts from Luke Randy of all people felt incredibly burdensome. I dreaded what he might ask for next, using this as leverage. The thought alone made me frown.
“But I couldn’t refuse what the butler brought.” Although my relationship with Luke was terrible, I was on relatively good terms with his staff. I had known them since childhood, and they often apologized for Luke’s mischievous behavior towards me. Of course, I always accepted their apologies graciously.
A child’s tantrums hardly bothered me. Perhaps that was why I had a decent reputation among the Randy household staff. My resilience in the face of their unruly young master must have made me stand out. But I never imagined they’d think this.
“Now that I think about it, I heard about the rumors of your broken engagement with the Duke.” The butler had said this just before leaving the drawing-room, as if he’d suddenly remembered.
