Please Be Patient, Grand Duke

If Lia had been in a dream state, this would surely be a nightmare. She sat at the vanity table and applied her make-up as quickly as she could while Pepe rushed about helping her to choose an outfit. After dashing out of the bedroom, they walked down the long corridor toward the staircase, and Lia felt as stiff as a wooden block. She was not looking forward to the meeting with Claude.

Upon entering the restaurant, Lia noticed the soft lighting and saw Claude sitting slanted at the circular table with a newspaper in his hand.

“You’re late.” He spoke without bothering to look up from the paper.

Lia was astounded by the way he calmly sipped his coffee. Wearing a white jacket with a light blue vest and pants, he looked more gentlemanly than he did in the uniform he wore yesterday. She also noticed that the restaurant seemed to look smaller than usual, which could be because of the Duke’s height.

Lia approached him nervously and saw how the waitress standing next to Claude became red in the cheeks because of her proximity to him. “My apologies,” Lia replied. “I did not sleep well last night. Why did you call me in these early hours?”

“I don’t know. Why do you think so?”

“Even if you ask me, I am not you, My Lord, so I do not know your intentions.” Lia returned the cheeky wordplay and stepped forward once more. Claude looked up and chuckled at her daring response.

Lia then boldly brushed past the newspaper he was reading while subtly glancing at it before she sat in the seat on the opposite side of the table. The article on the front page of the newspaper, which was about the daughter of Count Garion getting engaged, caught Lia’s eye. She was only thirteen, but age was not a factor to royals, who wanted connections to good families.

Suddenly, she became curious. Kieran was only fifteen when a decision had been made by the family that he would marry a princess. She then wondered about Claude’s romantic situation. When did his relationship with Marilyn Shelby become like that?

“Would you like to eat together?” Claude asked.

“No, thank you. Coffee is enough for me.”

Claude ignored her reply and lifted his coffee pot, gesturing to the waitress, who then placed a pancake with a generous amount of fig jam on it, fresh juice, and a colorful goblet in front of Lia. Her mouth watered from the sweet scent of the honey, and Lia tried everything in her power to stop looking at the plate.

Liking sweet things was just a preference, but Claude sometimes teased her for smelling sweet. She hated how her face always went red at those words, and she didn’t want to be made fun of for seeming like a child, at least not by Claude.

Lia didn’t touch her fork, regardless of all the delicious food in front of her, and Claude watched in amusement, smiling crookedly, “Don’t be stubborn. Eat until you are full because I have somewhere we need to go.”

“And where may that be?” Lia asked, staring at him quizzically.  She found it hard to meet his eyes, probably due to the night in the alley, but she tried to act normal. Even if she had suspicions, she couldn’t make accusations without having any evidence.

“I received a request from Kieran.”

“My brother?” She asked, looking surprised.

As Lia ate a boiled peach with sticky syrup dripping off it, Claude whispered, “So adorable.”

She was unaware of what she was eating because a storm raged in her mind. It could’ve been a peach, a stone, or a candy in her mouth for all she knew. But on the outside, she looked calm as she munched on her food.

“He requested earnestly to tell his younger brother, Canillian, about life in the capital.”

Lia’s eyes shook like an earthquake. “My Lord, I,”

“Claude,” he interrupted.

“Sorry, My Lord.”

“Stop calling me ‘My Lord’ I don’t want to hear it!”

She didn’t know what this unpredicted manner of his was, but Claude’s face looked serious. Lia coughed dryly and fixed his title with difficulty, “Claude, my brother asked you to do that?”

“Why? Don’t you like the fact that he spoke to me?”

“No, of course not. It’s not that but,”

Claude interrupted her once again, “If you don’t hate the idea, just finish eating then, Canillian.”

She was getting angry, but she kept her composure. Claude was sometimes rude, but that was how the royals were. They’d say what they had to say without listening to the other person and then expected an immediate answer.

Claude leaned over and pushed the plate towards Lia, whose hands had stopped moving. With a leisurely and dangerous smile, just like the time when he gave her sandwiches, he said, “Let’s eat first and then leave. Starving is not good. Eat as much as you need.”

***

In the center of Ataer City, the Duke’s black stallion came to a halt. The sturdy carriage, built with thick black wood, drew the attention of passers-by. It seemed like they were curious about who would step out from the elegant carriage.

Before he stepped out, Claude observed Canillian’s face. His features looked child-like, and his irises became a shade lighter, twinkling in the sunlight. He knew how soft Canillian’s platinum blond hair was. But other than that, he didn’t know much about him. As he sat next to him, he was also comparing Canillian’s face to that of the girl he’d bumped into the night before.

“Um, Claude.”

Hearing his name, he looked at Canillian again, seeing that his eyes looked fearful, and he smiled kindly, “Let’s get off.” Canillian glanced at him briefly and then exited from the carriage. As the two got out, the people looking at the carriage erupted into a cheer.

The rumors that sprouted from the academy had spread throughout Ataer of the arrival of the Marquis’ second son, Canillian Vale, also known as the “Shadow Boy” in the capital. The news about the beautiful and intelligent boy, who suppressed the arrogance of the teachers, made the middle-class people, who didn’t even have titles, feel more enthusiastic. He had unintentionally proved that titles and status were not that important. One could even say his existence alone was dangerous.

The confused Claude headed to the center of Ataer City, to the Cohen Bank. Starting from the bank, the roundabout trip, lined with the museum, art gallery, and opera house, along with post offices, were landmarks that almost everyone visiting Ataer went to see.

“Try to remember this road, Canillian. Everyone will explain directions using the Cohen Bank as a landmark. You have a good memory, so this will be easy.”

“I think I have heard of it before. Two-point seven miles north from the bank is the academy, and three miles from the bank is the palace,” Canillian replied confidently.

“Hmm, not bad.”

Canillian smiled proudly at his playful praise and continued walking, with Claude following closely behind. Claude didn’t miss a detail as he watched Canillian’s small strides, wide swinging of the arms, and his excited expression as he looked at his surroundings. He didn’t know what the emotion that was stirring inside him was. Being aroused by a boy, and kissing him, was a mistake, and saying Canillian’s name to a strange girl was also a mistake. He was unhappy with those mistakes, and it felt as if he’d acted on impulse rather than rationality, which he hated.

There were many reasons why Kieran didn’t return to Cosoar during the four years he lived in Geore, but there was one reason in particular. The face that he remembered every time it snowed was an uncomfortable memory. But why did that kid keep appearing in front of him?

As Claude followed the happy Canillian, who looked like an excited child as he wandered around the city, they found themselves in front of the St. Matthew statue in the city square, which also had the most beautiful view of the Leon River. And, it was also next to Duke Ihar’s townhouse.

Seeing all the people gather in the area for a picnic made Canillian smile broadly, “The people in Ataer look so relaxed. They all look wealthy too.”

“Darkness follows light. The brighter the light, the darker the darkness. Don’t assume everyone will be like that,” Claude warned.

His eyes crossed the river to another city, and Canillian turned her head to follow his gaze. With her height, which only reached Claude’s shoulders, and her thin body that Claude could wrap one arm around, Canillian felt the chill of the breeze easier, which caused her to shudder.

“The people living in the darkness do not know they are living in the dark. Not knowing is probably better for them. Getting used to that lifestyle is why that is dangerous.”

“Why do you think that way? Are you saying the people living in darkness are satisfied with their life?”

“I don’t know for sure. Happiness is relative. Seeing people different to me, better than me, brings unhappiness. By not knowing at all, it means they expect their life to be like that. I suppose it’s slightly different to being satisfied or not.” The moment Canillian wrinkled his forehead and became lost in thought, Claude saw a woman’s face in his. Trying to distract himself from his disturbing thoughts, he called out, “Canillian.”

“Yes?” As Canillian turned to face him, Claude faintly smiled and pointed to the colorful store diagonally across the street. It was the same place they had passed by in the carriage earlier. The shop sold cotton candy that was so sweet, it hurt one’s tongue.

“You suit sweet thoughts more than difficult ones.”

Canillian, whose eyes were sparkling at the thought of candy, turned her head, pouting, “Just because I like sweet things, please don’t treat me like a child.”

“I’m not treating you like a child because you are a child.”

“Then that means you are not an adult either.”

“You are right. I am still young. I am senseless, young, rash, and I make mistakes.” At his acknowledging manner, Canillian turned away to show that she didn’t want to speak to him further.

Claude found him amusing. Although being around him sometimes was uncomfortable, it was also fun, and even though he got irritated at times, he wanted to continue seeing Canillian’s face.

Claude left Canillian and walked over to the shop where the people, who were receiving their candy, and the store owner, all bowed in respect to him.

“Welcome!” The store owner said gleefully.

“Please give me the sweetest candy you have,” Claude said.

“Is it a gift?” Lia asked and Claude nodded, and the owner was ecstatic as he put some yellow candy in a glass jar.

There were two types of men who bought candy here: fathers buying candy for their children because they wanted to restrict sugar from them at home, and boys who bought gifts for the girl they loved; the unmarried Duke would be the latter.

The store owner stretched his neck out, looking for the girl who would receive this gift soon. But the only person outside was Canillian, swallowing his saliva as he waited. Flustered, the owner looked back and forth at Claude and Canillian before adding some blue candy to the jar with a bashful expression, “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I put in two flavors. Have a nice day.”

The jar that the owner hurriedly decorated with a white satin ribbon was sweet even just looking at it. As he walked out of the shop, after paying for the candy, he saw Canillian’s eyes fixated on the jar in his hands, “Do you think it’s for you?”

At his mischievous question, Canillian felt highly embarrassed and shook her head, “No! That’s not it. I heard Her Ladyship, Marilyn, has recovered. I think she will be delighted to receive this gift.” Lia didn’t understand why she was acting like this nor why she felt oddly jealous.

As Claude thought to himself, Canillian searched inside the well-stocked candy store, and then without regret, turned around and left. She then walked confidently towards a flock of pigeons but was frightened by the sound of their flapping wings and jumped back.

A strange sense of embarrassment had crept up on her, and the inside of her neck felt suffocated. And as if she’d eaten something rotten, her stomach felt clogged, and it was hard to breathe.

Claude, meanwhile, found a landau carriage waiting in the city and then walked towards Canillian, who was tiptoeing towards the birds sitting on the fountain. Walking up to him, he gently pulled his shoulder and said, “It is yours.”

“What?”

“Marilyn Shelby doesn’t like sweet foods.” Shoving the candy in Canillian’s hand, he grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the carriage that was waiting for them.

Feeling confused, Canillian stared at the candy jar and then looked at Claude, and both her ears became red as she stuttered, “T-t-thank you.”

Claude mumbled something and then sank his head. The crazy one was not just himself. Silently he stared at Canillian’s red cheeks and ears and then said, “Now that you have seen the light, you must experience darkness.” Claude met eyes with the coachman, who was looking at him expectantly for a destination, and he instructed, “To Louvre. North entrance.”