The Duke's Passion

"Oh? Did I mention something that I shouldn't? I guess you are also swimming in this sea of fools as well, huh?"

Silvia was clearly not pleased with Yul's remarks. The side of her lips stretch into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Not good, I thought, but I kept silent and sipped tea. Silvia and Rufus and their complicated relationship also intrigued me.

"Is this how you repay me for giving you wonderful advice, Your Grace?" her brow quirked, tilting her head a little to the side. 

"My lady, I didn't mean to offend you. I am simply concerned if the reason you refused all marriage proposals is because of your... hang-ups."

"You seemed quite interested in other people's hang-ups, Your Grace." Silvia chuckled, sending a chill down my spine. But her aura didn't faze him.

"Well, to be truthfully honest, I am waiting for a certain person's marriage proposal. I'm certain that if he sends me one, I will accept it in a heartbeat."

"My. I'm intrigued. Who is this lucky man?" Yul picked up the teacup while I held my breath. 

'Sivi is already waiting for a certain man's marriage proposal?' I sipped the tea in anticipation, waiting for Silvia's answer.

She let out a shallow breath while staring at Yul. "Who else? There's only one person in this empire who is just as capable as me. And that is the Duke in the west."

As soon as I heard her remarks, I coughed and spilled some of my tea. Yul glanced at me and offered me a handkerchief in silence.

"Thank you," I accepted the handkerchief, wiping my lips. 

Silvia chuckled while looking at me. "Lilou seemed surprised. Don't worry, Lilou. It seems my hang-ups are marrying my brothers."

"Sivi, don't joke like that." I chuckled awkwardly, only to cringe when Yulis spoke.

"How flattering, my lady," Yul smirked as he focused his attention on Silvia. "The most beautiful woman in the empire wants me. I might reconsider. We're not actually blood-related, after all."

"You shouldn't make a lady wait for too long, Your Grace."

"Then, expect an official marriage proposal from me."

"Haha!" I burst out in laughter while clapping. "You two... you're not serious, right?"

I darted my eyes from Yulis to Silvia, and my claps stopped. My eyes slowly dilated the more I realized they looked... serious about it! Although Silvia and Yulis weren't blood-related, and purebloods marrying each other was normal, they grew up as siblings! 

Yulis and Silvia? I couldn't imagine! We've been together, so it was hard to see the two of them in a romantic relationship.

"Pfft --!" 

Suddenly, Silvia burst out in laughter, and Yulis too. I looked at these two meanies with a frown. 

"Oh, god, Lilou..." Silvia hunched in as she held her stomach. "How can you... fall for that...?"

My frown grew worse as I narrowed my eyes, glaring daggers at the two of them. How could they pull a prank like that?

"It wasn't funny, you two. I was really shocked!" I puffed my cheeks, unhappy at the joke. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"My. Don't you also approve of me as your sister-in-law?"

"Sivi, you are already my sister-in-law since your brother is my husband."

Silvia chuckled as she leaned back, glancing at Yulis. "Make sense. But I am not joking, though. If Yulis proposed marriage, I will accept it in a heartbeat. In that case, I will stop receiving marriage proposals and my people stop worrying about not having an heir."

"I agree. It's not that bad since some of my people had been increasingly annoying regarding this matter as well." Yul nodded in agreement, taking their own marriage as if a thorn that they wanted to get rid of. "I never thought about this before."

Yulis and Silvia looked at each other and smiled subtly. Watching them made me let out a sigh. 

"So, in the end, you two seemed serious about this? For convenience?" I asked helplessly, thinking that it wouldn't be a surprise if I received a wedding invitation in the future. 

"Don't you want us to be together?" Silvia inquired in a light tone. "If you don't approve of this, I'm very sure Yulis will not marry me."

"Even if Lilou approved, I still have to reconsider. If I marry you, I naturally need you to stop thinking about another man, which is quite impossible."

"Jealous already? But how can that be? The Princess from the Karo Kingdom had been hanging around you."

"You two... you hadn't talked about this in the past?" came out in a weak voice while sighing helplessly. "Am I supposed to listen to how my brother and my sister-in-law talk about the conditions of their marriage? It's not like I forbid you to do so, but it feels strange."

Yulis and Silvia smiled as they looked at me. I knew their intention was to get rid of annoying marriage proposals. I've been in their position when I was managing the duchy. Still, I wanted these two to be... happy as well. 

"You might not share the same beliefs as I do about happy endings, but I really wish you to treat marriage with a bit more importance," I said weakly, casting them a soft look. "You're already adults — capable adults and had proven yourselves to everyone. But you two worry me."

"Goodness, Lilou." Her eyes softened, seeing the concern in my eyes. Yulis remained silent, but he was also staring at me. 

KNOCK KNOCK!

I snapped my eyes towards the door, watching it open until it revealed Fabian. My brows furrowed and waited for him to state his purpose.

"Your Majesty, the carriage from the north had arrived," Fabian informed me, making my eyes dilate. 

"What?"

"The Earl of Monarey is outside." 

I sprung up from my seat in surprise. "They already arrived? That soon?!" Fabian answered with a slight nod.

"Wow…" I gasped, blinking twice before casting Silvia and Yulis a look. "I'll leave the two of you first. I'll come back, wait for me!"

When they nodded their heads, I didn't idle as I followed Fabian out of the room. 

*****

"I'll leave the two of you first. I'll come back, wait for me!" 

Silvia and Yulis stared at the shut door as silence descended into the room. A sigh slipped past her lips as she cocked her head to him. 

"Happy ending, huh?" she murmured, staring at Yulis's side profile until the latter set his eyes to her. 

"Is there such a thing for us?" Yulis asked and her answer was a shrug. 

"Shall we test it, Your Grace?" Silvia suggested, gazing at the dashing duke. "To see if there is a happy ending, I mean."

Yulis remained silent before he raised his hand, extending his arm to play with the tip of her ebony hair. "I was just joking, but I never think you'd take it so seriously."

"Well?"

"There's no need since it is strange and… as you've said, I am less affectionate than a cat." His playful smirked remained when she rolled her eyes.

"Then stop giving me mixed signals, Yul." Silvia frowned and brushed his hand away. "You've been playing too much when you know we can never return to what we are after that night."

"I'm not playing, my lady." He feigned innocence, making her click her tongue.

Silence enveloped the two of them, but their eyes held each other's gaze for a long time.