THHAAWMF

Chapter 40

What?

Why does Duke Absulekti have Reynos' handkerchief?

"Lady."

It was when I was looking down at my handkerchief and confused.

The Duke called me in a crushed low voice. When I looked up, I saw a man with a pitifully dark complexion.

"Did you promise to go to the ball with that man?"

"That man?"

"That man just now."

"Oh, you mean Leather? No, there's someone else I'm going to go with."

The Duke's face turned pale at the word "someone else I'm going to go with," and then darkened again.

I couldn't understand what was going on, so I just blinked.

The duke spoke again.

"May I ask who it is?"

"Oh, well, he looks quite like the Duke."

I was not sure what the connection was between Reynos and Duke Absulekti, so I fudged it appropriately.

If he's met Reynos, he'll know who I'm talking about; if not, he'll figure it out for himself. It seemed to be the former, as his expression was noticeably brighter.

But what does who I go to the ball with have anything to do with him?

"You mean that of all the men you meet, I am the most special?"

I don't know if I heard it properly because he murmured so quietly, but something scary seemed to have passed.

Excuse me? It was when I didn't understand what was going on and just stared. The Duke, whose face was slightly flushed, smiled beautifully.

It was the same smile that Reynos used to make every time he saw me.

"I want you to avoid seeing other men as much as possible, but if I'm the most special, it's okay. I'll try to understand if my lady wants me to."

"Pardon?"

What does this mean? Please tell me when we met. I had just opened my mouth in amazement.

Suddenly Duke Absolekti got up, one hand gripping the wall behind my back and the other gripping the back of my seat. I was suddenly trapped between them.

What is he trying to do? I huddled back against the backrest, my expression hardening.

"What-"

"It's hard to believe, my lady, but I'm Reynos."

"Pardon?"

This was impossible.

With that in mind, I worked diligently on Duke Absulekti.

A handkerchief that looked exactly like Reynos' for some unexplained familiarity, even a face that looked exactly like Reynos'. Yes, that's right. Duke Absulekti was Reynos... What was I thinking all this time?

"What did you say?"

I remember the duke approaching me with pressure and saying something, but I didn't really remember the contents.

The Duke frowned gently as I asked, alert to the sense of distance that he was too close.

"I'm Reynos."

"What... Did you say?"

"Duke Absulekti and Reynos are the same."

"I knew it... What did you say?"