Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 18
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why everyone was showing leniency towards Macy. Rubens himself had grown more forgiving towards her.
At first, he had briefly suspected her of attempting to seduce him with her body, but such misunderstandings were quickly resolved after just a day or two.
‘A timid girl who flinches at every slight noise couldn’t possibly be capable of such antics.’
Macy was naive to the point of being gullible. Like a herbivore, fragile and insignificant, which made her seem harmless.
Macy understood her place well. Whenever something was commanded of her, she complied without backtalk, and she was cautious enough to avoid anything he disliked.
She never once showed curiosity about his identity, after being warned not to. Her obedient demeanor was praiseworthy.
It was even pleasing to him.
It was crucial that the truth of ‘Rubens Krygen’ being ‘Eren Wood’ never be disclosed publicly.
As long as she continued to behave, Rubens was willing to be even more lenient. Holding her, so small and emitting a pure scent, even comforted his severe insomnia to some extent.
‘Perhaps there is such an influence from the Name.’
In any case, the Name master met Rubens’s criteria in many ways. Now, he just needed to maintain this relationship without issues.
“Isabella brought up something related to the Name.”
“She knows the subject is Miss Horton?”
“It doesn’t seem so.”
There was a maid in the Krygen household who had been bribed by Isabella. It’s likely through this maid that Isabella had learned of Rubens’s manifestation of the Name. She probably sent letters immediately after the nights Rubens suffered high fevers and secretly left his house.
Despite knowing this, Rubens had so far chosen to ignore it.
“Should I deal with the Werfel’s maid now?”
“No. It’s an issue that can’t be hidden forever.”
The truth would naturally come out once they were married. Moreover, dismissing that maid could just lead to another spy being placed.
It would be better to monitor the situation nearby and let Isabella know only the information that’s safe to leak. As long as there’s no indication of being followed or attempts to find the Name master, it should be fine.
“Make sure the Werfel spy doesn’t overstep; keep a close watch on them.”
“I understand, Your Grace.”
Kronen bowed respectfully. Rubens, having engaged in distasteful public activities, felt more tired than usual. He pressed his temples as the noise outside seemed to grow louder.
Looking out the window, he saw the imperial band’s parade blocking the way of his carriage.
Ideally, he would have wanted to stop the parade and move on, but even if Rubens Krygen, the Duke, was known for being unsociable, the Krygen family was regarded affectionately by the citizens.
For the sake of the family’s reputation, he had to endure. The sound of trumpets intensified, deepening the furrow in Rubens’ brow.
“Macy! Over here! Come this way, you can see better from here!”
Suddenly, a name that caught his attention rang out.
Rubens looked towards the source of the sound. Between the musicians of the parade, he saw the young woman he had made eye contact with earlier.
Macy, with flowers tucked into her wide-brimmed hat and her wheat-colored hair cascading down, was making her way to the young woman who had called her.
Her steps seemed slightly awkward, causing passersby to glance her way. She looked as if she might fall if pushed. Regardless of the surrounding gazes, Macy painstakingly reached her destination.
A light rosiness touched her somewhat fuller cheeks.
‘She seems to have improved quite a bit.’
Still, it would have been better for her to recover more before venturing out. What was so urgent that she had to flounder in a crowd like this?
Displeasure was evident in Rubens’ gaze. Just then, a young man standing behind Macy wrapped his arms around her shoulders, seemingly to protect her from the bustling crowd.
He appeared to be around her age, with curly hair. His rough, tanned fingers touched her skin, hesitated, then firmly grasped her again, possibly without her noticing.
Macy seemed unaware of his touch, her eyes busy watching the parade.
‘Such lack of caution.’
Macy’s skin, so translucent that her veins were nearly visible, felt as smooth as silk. Rubens knew this sensation best; he had held her while she slept.
When flustered, the delicate pink of her cheeks seemed to spread beautifully across her body. Even the plump and pale flesh marked with the name Eren Wood had this effect.
Her awkward pallor might unwittingly invite the thirst of men even as she continually pulls at her clothing cluelessly.
She was perilously naive, and falling into the wrong man’s grasp could mean being devoured. If Rubens hadn’t remembered that Macy had just reached adulthood, he might have easily let his instincts take over.
‘How absurd to be aroused by such an ignorant child.’
It must have been the influence of the Name. It had to be.
She was just a mediocre girl marked by his name, merely a pretty face. And Rubens didn’t want to succumb to fate.
To him, fate was a shallow trick used by the powerful to secure their positions. He had no intention of dancing to the tune of God’s prank.
“Let’s go.”
“Sir? We’ll need to wait for the parade to pass before we can move.”
At Rubens’ abrupt command, Kronen replied, somewhat puzzled.
“Can’t we just take a detour instead of this route?”
“Yes, we’ll go around then…”
Soon after, the carriage wheels began to turn again, taking a longer route to avoid the delay.
