Trapped in a Secret Room With the Magnificent Duke - Chapter 20
“Of course. I’m glad we had the chance to meet and talk before marriage.”
Kadrion’s brow furrowed.
“Marriage?”
Kadrion blurted out the question without thinking. Just then, the nobleman, who was standing not far away, noticed Kadrion and approached him.
“Isn’t this Duke Gerard! It’s been a long time since we last met.”
Kadrion gave the nobleman a slightly displeased look. With his brown hair and mild demeanor, the nobleman was someone Kadrion had seen a few times before.
“Ah, I believe I have met the Duke a few times before…”
“Lord Wellington?”
“Yes, that’s right! I’m glad you remember me.”
Lord Wellington’s face brightened with pleasure.
“Hello, Duke. I’m Reyna of the Hendrick family.”
Reyna, who had been watching the two from the side, greeted Kadrion. She was undeniably beautiful—much more so than in his dreams. Kadrion momentarily forgot to breathe as he gazed at Reyna.
Lord Wellington, looking uncertain, turned to Kadrion.
“Duke! Could you spare a moment of your time?”
Kadrion quickly grasped Lord Wellington’s intentions.
Lord Wellington had long been eyeing business expansion opportunities, and it seemed that the Eastern Continent was a perfect fit for them. As the owner of a merchant ship heading to the Eastern Continent and with exclusive trading rights, Kadrion was a valuable contact.
“I was just about to head back after finishing my business, but I can spare a moment.”
Kadrion’s positive response made Lord Wellington’s face light up.
“Excellent! Duke, please follow me. I’ll take you to a place I know well.”
Lord Wellington led the way.
“Lord Wellington. You don’t plan to leave Miss Hendrick here, do you?”
Kadrion showed his displeasure. It was only then that Lord Wellington remembered Reyna, whom he had momentarily forgotten in his excitement.
Meeting Duke Gerard, who was known to be almost impossible to see, was already a stroke of luck, and now he was willing to spare time. Knowing how much Duke Gerard despised wasting time, Lord Wellington grew increasingly anxious.
‘What if Duke Gerard leaves before I can persuade him?’
He thought that if he could just secure the trade rights for the Eastern Continent, sparing a few jewels wouldn’t be a big deal.
‘If I present a valuable gemstone during our next meeting, it might quickly mend Lady Reyna’s mood.’
Just as Lord Wellington was about to speak, he shuddered under Duke Gerard’s intense gaze, which seemed like it could burn a hole through him. He hesitated before speaking.
“D, Duke, may I escort Miss Hendrick to her carriage? Could you please wait for a moment?”
“I will accompany you.”
“If you could do that, I would be very grateful.”
Lord Wellington, who had been obsequiously bowing, addressed Reyna.
“I’ll take you to your carriage, Miss.”
Kadrion thought to himself that a man with such a lack of manners and respect for his fiance was certainly not suited for Reyna.
* * *
Kadrion had no desire to cling to someone who had rejected him.
‘I really don’t want to be clingy.’
Yet, Kadrion found himself obsessing over Reyna, which included investigating Lord Wellington and his fiance. Since his chance encounter with Reyna and her fiance at the Saint Street, he couldn’t shake his preoccupation with them.
Lord Wellington was, as Kadrion had expected, an unimpressive man. This was not just in comparison to Kadrion but in general.
“Pathetic.”
Kadrion growled as he threw the report on Lord Wellington’s investigation onto the desk. Bennet, who was standing respectfully with his hands clasped, nodded in agreement.
“As Duke mentioned, this man falls far short of the esteemed Hendrick family’s standards.”
Following the tradition of primogeniture, Lord Wellington was set to be the next head of the Wellington family. While the Wellington family had a relatively strong position and ample wealth in the Empire, it was nothing compared to the standards set by Kadrion.
Nevertheless, for a family with this level of status and wealth, he might have seemed adequate on the surface. Kadrion was already aware of these facts, but the problem lay in the secret details Bennet had uncovered.
The most concerning was that Lord Wellington had a forbidden hobby: human hunting.
Kadrion had heard rumors about this, which often involved targeting the slaves of fallen nations or death row inmates.
However, it was a serious issue if a common child in the Empire became a target. The fact that Lord Wellington had managed to maintain this hobby without being discovered meant that he was exceptionally adept at hiding his true nature.
Furthermore, his sadistic tendencies would undoubtedly affect Reina in some way.
“Duke, may I show you an article from the Boardman region?”
Bennet subtly placed a newspaper article on the desk.
[Barbaric Culture Still Prevailing in the Boardman Region: Abduction Marriages]
Kadrion’s interest was piqued as he scanned the article. This could potentially provide a way to ruin Reina’s engagement with Lord Wellington.
