I Accidentally Imprinted On The Wolf Duke - Chapter 50

She was surprised that the duke called her ‘Chloe’, and somehow felt a chill in her heart at the fact that this ‘Chloe’ woman seemed to fill the duke’s mind.

No, what are you thinking, Chloe Liden. Get a grip!

She should be glad if the duke turns his attention away from her and thinks of another woman, even if it’s someone he can never find.

She looked at the duke, feeling pathetic about the large hole that seemed to have opened in her chest.

“Your Grace, I think it would be good to start from the central square. But it’s a bit crowded there, not suitable for horseback riding.”

“Hmm… Look. There’s a horse stable.”

Horse stable?

Chloe turned her head, wondering if there was such a thing in Bergen, and couldn’t help but smile. Sir Joyce was walking from the direction the duke had pointed.

It seemed that from the beginning, the duke had planned to tour the town and had Sir Joyce wait at the entrance. Otherwise, there was no way Sir Joyce would appear so timely.

Despite her earlier words about the central square being crowded, when she went there with the duke, only the sound of water falling from the central fountain was loud, with hardly any people around. It seemed no one had come out to the square due to the early hour.

Who would come out to the square fountain so early in the morning in this still chilly weather?

“Your Grace, this place is usually full of people. So much so that there’s no place to sit on this fountain.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Chloe pointed to the edge of the fountain.

The circular edge was high enough for people to sit and rest, and it was made much farther out from where the water fell, so people who came to the square would all sit here and spend leisurely time. When it was crowded, one had to stand around waiting for a spot. Anyway, not a single person was sitting there now.

“You sit here?”

The duke asked, sitting down on the fountain edge she had pointed to.

“You’re sitting… here?”

Chloe’s words became tangled as she looked at the duke who had already sat down, slightly taken aback.

Sitting at the fountain in the center of the square, watching people passing by, looking at goods sold in stores, eating street food, and flower viewing.

She had brought the duke here thinking of these things, but the square at this hour was too deserted, making sitting here feel awkward. Moreover, Duke Ulpaz sitting on the stone slab edge of the square fountain like commoners.

“You sit too.”

But at the duke’s words, Chloe finally sat down a little distance away from him.

“Chloe Liden.”

As soon as she sat down, the duke called her name. Again with the name ‘Chloe’.

“…!”

Chloe turned her head sharply to look at the duke. What is it? Did he call me wrong again? Why again…

“I mean your younger sister.”

“Ah… yes.”

Chloe felt relieved at the duke’s continued words, but also felt somewhat uneasy.

‘Chloe Liden.’

The duke’s tone sounded as if he was calling her sitting next to him, rather than talking about Clyne Liden’s younger sister. There was no basis, but it just felt that way.

“Have you sat here with your sister before?”

“Ah…!”

Me and my elder brother?

In an instant, memories of sitting at the square fountain eating ice cream with her brother came to mind. Every two weeks when they came down to town, she and her brother would borrow books from the library and then sit here waiting for their mother to come.

This was the meeting place with their mother who had bought necessary things in town. The square fountain was a place that everyone living in Bergen knew, so there was no way they couldn’t find it.

“Yes, very often.”

“You must have been close with your younger sister.”

Was I close with my elder brother? Was I? I’m not sure. We always fought. But I was always happy when we sat here eating ice cream. Even if mother was a little late, it wasn’t boring or scary because we were together.

And yet…

Why couldn’t we have been closer? Why couldn’t I have been nicer to him?

Now that he’s dead, I only remember the things I didn’t do well for my brother, the times I was mean, and it breaks my heart.

Chloe, who had been tense ever since the duke called the name ‘Chloe Liden’, was now lost in thoughts of her brother, forgetting her tension.

Was it because she was in a place of memories? Strangely, at the duke’s ordinary question, emotions she had suppressed came rushing like a flood.

“What did she look like?”

She looked at the duke, trying hard to gather her emotions.

“Your sister, I mean. What did your sister look like?”

Why does he keep asking? Get a grip. I need to be careful.

“Why are you asking that?”

“I know she was blonde with blue eyes. What else?”

“What do you mean by what else?”

“Did she resemble you?”

“…”

Why is he asking such things?

“You’re not blonde. Your sister was blonde. Which of your parents was blonde?”

“…”

Mother is blonde. And though I’ve never actually seen him, I heard father was blonde too. That’s why my brother who took after father was blonde, and I who took after mother was blonde too, that’s what mother said.

“My mother is blonde.”

“And your father has brown hair?”

“I… suppose so. I’ve never seen him, so I don’t really…”

She didn’t want to pile on another lie. If she said she didn’t know, it wouldn’t be a lie, right?

“What kind of sister was Chloe?”

“…”

“Ah… should we stop talking? It might be difficult for you to talk about deceased family members, and because of the name ‘Chloe’…”

“She wasn’t a very good sister.”

Chloe answered before she knew it. It was as if her mouth was moving on its own, ignoring her will.

You wanted to talk too, didn’t you? Actually, you wanted to talk about your brother to someone!

It felt like her mouth was arguing with her like that and acting on its own will.