After dinner, Yelena went on a stroll with Aendydn, per the latter’s suggestion. She glared daggers at him.

“Have you gone mad?”

“Your harsh words hurt me, Yelena.”

“Whatever. Go away. Go back to where you came from. I haven’t seen you in years and this is what you choose to do…”

“Yelena.”

“What do you want?”

“I was showing off back there.”

“What?”

“I was showing off how well I know you, how much time we’ve spent together.”

Yelena stared at Aendydn, unable to comprehend what he was getting at.

“…Why would you do that?”

“Who knows,” was Aendydn’s ambiguous reply. Then, he asked Yelena a question of his own. “Do you like being married?”

“…?”

“I’m asking, are you in a happy marriage?”

Yelena blinked. The question was very abrupt, but she had her answer anyway.

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

“Are you sure?”

“Ugh, I said yes.”

Yelena furrowed her brow at Aendydn’s repetitive questioning. Aendydn stared at Yelena and then took a step back.

“Well, we’ll just have to wait and see if you’re actually telling the truth or lying for your family’s sake… Five years is a long time, after all.”

Coincidentally, a gust of wind blew as Aendydn spoke, so Yelena couldn’t hear him properly. “What did you say?” she asked.

“I’ll be staying in the fief for a while, Yelena. I’ll be in your care.”

Aendydn grinned. Yelena looked at him and pictured another face in her head: Edward.

***

‘I can’t believe that shy kid came back with Edward’s personality…’

Yelena was very shocked. While she was lying in bed in the dark, refusing to believe this grievous reality, Kaywhin, who was looking at her from his side of the bed, spoke.

“About Marquess Kayle, Jr.”

Yelena was suddenly reminded of something that had happened earlier that day that had caught her off guard.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duke Mayhard. I’m Aendydn Kayle. You can call me Marquess Kayle, Jr.”

That was how Aendydn had introduced himself when he met Kaywhin. However, he was the youngest son of his family. If Yelena recalled correctly, they were in the same position, meaning that they were both disqualified from the fight for succession since birth.

And now, all of a sudden, he was back after five years as a junior marquess.

‘What in the world happened during those five years?’

The day had been too chaotic for Yelena to get a chance to ask about that. Yelena made a mental note for the next day to ask Aendydn what he had been up to for the last five years. Then, she asked, “…What about Aendy?”

“Were you two very close?”

“Sure, we were. Our families would visit each other often.”

Count Sorte and Marquess Kayle were immensely close friends. Yelena had heard that before she was born, one family had been of great assistance to the other when the latter was in decline.

‘Though the visits came to a lull after Mom passed away…’

Nonetheless, she still remained friends with Aendydn.

“He wasn’t always like that. He was frail and timid… I took care of him like an older sister would, you know!”

“I see.”

“He’s become so strange in the time I haven’t seen him…” Yelena grumbled unconsciously.

“It seems you haven’t seen him for a while; why did you part ways?”

“Ah, about that.”

Aendydn had been born with a weak physique. He looked okay now, but in the past, he fainted just from stepping out in the sunlight.

Marquess and Marchioness Kayle searched for a way to bring their sickly child to good health. They even set their sights overseas.

“…So, he left the kingdom and went abroad. I don’t know where exactly he went. He didn’t tell me for some reason.”

“…”

“Anyhow, it seems he’s healthy now, which is a relief.”

Aendydn’s personality wasn’t the only thing that changed, his appearance did too. Truthfully, his appearance was what changed the most. He was now tall and broad; his facial features were defined and his complexion looked good. To be completely honest, had it not been for his eyes and hair, Yelena would have had trouble recognizing him.

An abrupt silence ensued. Yelena gazed at Kaywhin. Then, he asked something she would have never imagined would come out of his mouth.

“Can I hold you?”

TL/N: To clarify, Aendydn isn’t officially the marquess and “junior marquess” isn’t an actual title. I’ve used it here just to imply that he seems to be in the running for the succession now, which was a surprise to Yelena.