4. Because You Did Not

“Tell the suitors not to come.”

“What are you talking about, Leah?”

My mother asked.

“It would be a waste of time for them to come all the way to the northernmost part of the kingdom. I will never marry any of them anyway.”

“Is there a young man you have a crush on?”

“No. There is no such person.”

“You can tell me. He’s a nobleman, right?”

“There is no one. Mom, I will not marry anyone. Never. I will live alone for the rest of my life.”

My mother, knowing my volatile personality, kicked her tongue slightly, and she put on a ‘You will change your mind later’ expression on her face.

My father, the great and wise Prince of Riverrun, who had no interest in his seven children, and could not bear to death even the slightest of their children disobeying his will, heard the news and ran wildly over here.

“Don’t ever talk about it again!”

Those are the words he said to my mother, not his subordinates. It was a commanding tone as usual.

He muttered, “How did you raise her?!” then got up from his seat and walked out.

“Leah, you’re making your father angry again. Stop talking nonsense.”

“Is mother my only parent? I am the daughter of my mother and father. ‘How did you raise her?’ Is that what a husband says to his wife? Why is he blaming mom? I really don’t understand father.”

“Don’t be loud, Leah Riverrun! What are you going to do if Prince Riverrun hears that?”

It’s a bit pitiful to see my mother keep turning to see if my father is back.

Like my first life, or my second life. My mother has the sad eyes of a woman in an unhappy marriage.

Indeed, it is very pathetic to see myself not saying a word to my father but only yelling at my mother.

No, no matter how frightening my father may be, I have to make my voice louder this time.

Once again, I made up my mind.

“No matter what my father says, I will never marry.”

Some of the older sisters said, “Leah, do whatever you want.”

Some of my brothers looked at me with worried eyes. They are worried that their father’s anger will spread to them for no reason.

Sister Isabella declared that she would support me, saying, “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to do it.”

My father won’t be able to help it. Bella is not Isabella Riverrun anymore. She’s the Duchess Isabella Orle. From my father’s point of view, who thinks women belong to men, Bella is no longer his.

My father can’t argue with Bella. That’s funny.

Time passed peacefully on Riverrun Island, regardless of my firm declaration which made the castle a bit noisy.

In the first week of June, three men arrived on our island as scheduled.

Two of my ex-husbands, Antoine Güell and Count Rosemond. And Duke Julien Renal, who had been ignoring me all my two lives.

Three people are like a sign that my third life will also flow in the same way.

The three repeat the same action again.

Antoine, the poor bastard, again began to recite all sorts of poems under the window of my room.

Phil Rosemond, the obsessive guy, called me ‘my jewel’ again.

Julien Renal is the same. As always, he is dazzlingly handsome. But he won’t be interested in me again this time.

In the first week, as always, he gave me a large, coveted peach from his territory.

“Do peaches grow on Riverrun Island?”

“No. But I have tried Renal’s peaches,” I replied.

Duke Julien Renal looked at me curiously and asked, “Have you tried it?”

“Yes. It was very sweet and delicious. It melted in my mouth.”

“Renal’s peaches don’t go outside of Renal, have you ever come to my territory?”

“No. You brought it, Duke.”

In my first life and in my second life.

“Sorry?”

A bewildered look appeared on Julien Renal’s face.

In my third life, everything is annoying now. I just want to say whatever I want.

At this rate, I’m sure the Duke will see me as a completely crazy woman. Well, we won’t see each other again anyway.

“Just kidding. It’s my first time trying it. I heard that Renal’s peaches are so soft that you can’t cut them with a knife. Would you like to peel the peach yourself then?”

Julien Renal stared at me for a moment, maybe wondering how I knew it, then shrugged and walked away.

As always, he opens the door to the garden again. The gesture that opens the door, the striding footsteps, everything is elegant and wonderful.

The way he carefully washes his large hands is also too erotic to be seen alone.

As he washes his hands with his head down under the shade of the willow tree near the garden sink, his straight spine and hard muscles under the light shirt can be seen. He is a picturesque man.

But what’s the point? He’ll be the same. Marrying him would be the worst.

While I’m thinking about this, Julien Renal comes back inside and peels the peach with clean hands. The juice gets on his hands and becomes sticky.

“Your hands are getting dirty,” I said.

“You asked me to peel it.”

Julien Renal spoke slightly sullenly but has a smile on his lips.

Watching him working hard peeling the peach skin, I get the illusion that he must be a very kind person. Even though I know that soon he will be cold to me.

Juice dripped down his wrist bones, and he raised his hands as if uncomfortable.

“Give it to me.”

I grab his arm and quickly fold up his clothes a couple of times to keep his sleeves from getting wet.

Julien is so startled that he doesn’t even move. Like a broken doll.

It seems that he was surprised that a young aristocratic lady came forward and touched a man’s body first.

Let me surprise you more.

I lightly lick the peach juice flowing down his wrist bone with my tongue.