Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 66: Write Your Name For Me

Chapter 66: Write Your Name For Me

The uncomfortable silence inside the Duke’s study magnified every single move, making it thunder through the room with unusual volume. The cluttering of cutlery resonated like the clanking of swords and spears, while every movement made by both Tillian and Aideen sounded like the rustling of dry branches and leaves against the harsh wind.

It was unbearably awkward, and that awkwardness was almost palpable.

Though determined to resolve their unnecessarily complicated situation at first, once the princess entered his study and took a seat across his desk, Duke Valentine found himself at a loss on how to proceed.

At last, with a quick and generous sip of red wine to fuel his dying courage, the man cleared his throat and began,

"So, Your Highness... Stanis tells me you are showing quite a noticeable progress in your studies. How is it going? Is it hard? Do you enjoy your lessons? Because if that imbecile is giving you a hard time or refusing to––"

"Not at all, Your Grace!"

The frantic torrent of what seemed like an unfiltered stream of consciousness that escaped Tillian’s mouth was interrupted by the lady’s quick interjection, followed by a rather enthusiastic shake of her head.

"Ahspid seems bizarre and extravagant in his antics, but truthfully, he is a great teacher! He listens to my requests and puts up with every mistake I make without much complaining. I am very grateful that you have chosen him as my mentor, Your Grace. I am sure that with his help, my progress will not make itself wait."

"Oh?"

The Duke arched his eyebrows, somewhat surprised by the princess’s unmasked enthusiasm, then stretched his lips into a wide smile and nodded,

"Well, if you are indeed so happy with his efforts, then I will try to change my opinion about him as well. You see, he did not present himself as the most reliable person at first..."

"Yes, well..." Aideen lowered her eyes and set her silver fork aside, taking a brief moment to collect her thoughts, "Perhaps there is more to it than a mere whimsical nature. Ahspid is, without a doubt, a very knowledgeable magus, but I also think that he is a very good person. Just like with most things that are worth something, we have to make an effort to unveil this, too."

Tillian could not help but smile again.

"This is quite an admirable thing to say, Your Highness. You have a very kind and unprejudiced heart."

The princess offered her companion a somewhat timid smile, allowing a slight blush to grace her pale cheeks before she finally continued,

"He is eccentric and strange, but I don’t find these qualities particularly bad. Behind that fake wall of whimsy hides a man with a big and sincere heart. If at first, it seemed like his only motive was selfish and scheming, now, I feel like he genuinely wants me to succeed. At least this is what I want to believe. Yes, I’d rather believe exactly that."

The man fixed his deep eyes on Aideen’s calm face, her melodic voice still echoing deep inside his head.

He found it fascinating how, despite all the abuse and discrimination she had gone through, the woman before him remained determined and unbreakable. She even managed to preserve such a beautiful heart full of kindness and love.

’I was frightened that even after coming here, she would shut herself away from everyone and make me watch her wither in silence, burying herself deep under the layers of unbearable pain. However, it looks like all she needed to bloom was to simply feel safe and respected. I hope that soon she will stand tall like a rare flower that overcame harsh surroundings and opened up to spite everyone who tried to level her with the ground. And I will treasure every moment spent in her presence.’

As the room fell silent again due to Tillian’s sudden immersion into quiet inner musings, Aideen got scared that their newly budded conversation lost its track once again. Shifting awkwardly on her seat, she raised her head to face the Duke and added in a somewhat shy tone,

"Your Grace... Today, during my lesson with the mage, I learned the alphabet!"

"I beg your pardon?"

The Duke’s question delivered a rather negative undertone, although all he wanted was to express his genuine surprise. As he noticed the excitement on the woman’s face rapidly change to a dark shade of disappointment, Tillian rushed to redeem himself yet again, nearly shouting,

"Forgive me, I did not mean to sound so negative, Your Highness! This is truly great news! I am very happy for you, I promise! So you have decided to learn how to read, too?"

Another frantic torrent of words made the lady release a soft chuckle. She found it funny how easily Duke Valentine was startled, just like she was easily embarrassed, and Ahspid was easily amused.

Confirming Tillian’s assumption with a nod, she finally replied,

"Yes, in addition to learning magic, I have expressed a strong desire to learn how to read and write. Ahspid taught me how to use my own mana to help me ’see’ the letters, and now I can proudly declare that today I have managed to master every single letter! I can even write my own name now!"

The childlike and innocent excitement on the princess’s beautiful face made Duke Valentine stretch his lips into another wide and happy smile. He understood that such accomplishments meant the world to her, and he could not help but feel incredibly proud of Aideen.

But what he liked even more was the easiness with which the lady could share her feelings with him, even if they only concerned her educational progress. It was important, sacred even, and he wanted to let her know that he was there to support and encourage her regardless of what she did.

Retrieving a small white sheet of paper from inside one of the desk drawers, the Duke carefully placed it in front of the princess. He then took an ink set, walked around the desk, stood right next to the lady, and said in a kind, anticipating voice,

"It is indeed an incredible achievement, Your Highness. Would it be too much of me to ask you to write your name for me here?"