you've got the wrong woman, duke! | phileo boleoti

04.

♡

"my lady, count lurkley is still waiting outside the estate."

"tell him if that he's alright with starving and staying there in the next few days, then he's free to continue what he's doing because he is not welcome in this place."

you reply nonchalantly and continue to gloss over business proposals and letters.

it has been years since you were able to properly manage the marquess and eliminate any rats you could find in the management, suddenly you were adept at business opportunities and would always score contracts and deals. you also made it a weekly occurrence to expose a spy on your premises for the sheer fun of it.

it's been a long time since one emerged, though.

"shouldn't we just beat him to make him go away?" audrey asked, refilling your tea cup with honey and lemon tea. you had become used to her extreme words throughout the years. to be honest, you'd do so if you could. the paperwork it would ensure, however, was something you'd rather avoid.

you give her your usual response, "you already know the answer to that, audrey." she huffs and doesn't say anything more. you're still going through envelopes when a silver and purple seal catches your eyes, recognizing it to be a close friend of yours you open it, read its contents, smile, and summon your butler back inside.

"yes, my lady?"

"prepare for queen usis' arrival. she'll arrive in 4 hours."

audrey and your butler pale at the news and immediately rush out to prepare.

...

"I'm afraid next time you should send a letter maybe...at least a day beforehand usis. you're trying to create trouble for me but the only ones being troubled here are my servants, so stop it." your tone is monotonous and serious but you wear a small smile on your face.

usis replies with a hearty laugh. "alright, alright, that'll be the last time, I promise."

the contents of the letter she sent you were her intention to have a late lunch with you, she had always been like this. either spending time with her son or with you, sometimes she'd even bring the first prince alice when he was not busy with studies and whatnot.

she'd always send them a few hours before the actual time of engagement so that you could not refuse, not like you would anyways.

as the food progressed usis as you the one question you avoided for years, "do you really have no plans to marry, amelia?" she asks curiously as she sets down her utensil on her plate and crosses her arms.

she's not the first person to ask you these years and won't certainly be the last, whether it be your brothers or those nosy nobles who would plan to set up their sons with you. "as i've said for a thousand times previously, I have no intentions of marrying. Don't even start with any talk regarding this matter because I especially won't hear anything from you."

irritated at the fact she had even mentioned the topic in the first place you unintentionally call her out on her own marriage. you always wondered how she'd have enough patience in her life to marry your brother. well if she didn't ignore his entire existence that is, which was what you did.

especially because of what happened back then.

years ago...

"i'm afraid there's nothing more I can do, your highnesses." the royal physician shakes his head, disappointed in himself that he could not cure the great emperor of illness. subtheo was silent and did not look your way so you had taken the initiative to let the old man go.