Chapter 19
Because You’re Standing in the Rain
Polished black shoes stepped across the marble floor.
Entering the courthouse, Leonardo lifted his gaze toward the magnificent statue standing proudly at the center of the grand hall—the goddess Justitia, symbol of justice and order.
Blindfolded with cloth over her eyes, she held a brass scale weighing truth against falsehood in one hand, and a great sword of merciless judgment in the other, as though silently observing the affairs of mankind below.
Though in the end, it was merely a statue.
How would today’s trial unfold?
Wondering whose side the goddess of justice would favor, Leonardo strode forward with calm confidence, accompanied by an impressive team of attorneys.
His long steps halted after only a short distance.
With cool, lowered eyes, Leonardo looked toward the man who had blocked his path.
The other party made no effort whatsoever to hide his hostility.
The surrounding air tightened instantly.
And the first to move was Leonardo.
Closing the distance with unhurried yet decisive strides, he extended a courteous hand.
“I look forward to working with you.”
It was a greeting wholly unsuited for two men who had come armed with the law to cut each other down.
Heinz clasped the offered hand with eyes sharp enough to kill.
“I’m very eager to hear what sort of excuses you’ve prepared.”
“I won’t disappoint you, Count.”
“You seem remarkably confident.”
Arrogant little bastard.
Heinz ground his teeth together, swallowing the insult before it could escape.
But the next provocation snapped the final thread of his patience.
“Is there any reason not to feel confident when facing a tiger that’s already lost its fangs?”
“What…?”
For a moment, Heinz genuinely doubted his hearing.
No matter how many times Devonshire had gotten the better of him, Rosenberg was hardly a house deserving such mockery.
Watching Heinz’s expression crumple like paper, Leonardo let out a low scoff.
Strangely enough, he looked fouler-tempered than the man he was provoking.
“Surely your instincts haven’t dulled enough to approve a marriage that brings no benefit.”
“W-What—!”
That’s your fault, you damned—
The furious shout died in Heinz’s throat when pressure suddenly tightened around the hand they were still shaking.
This bastard was actually trying to overpower him physically.
“I’m concerned the business you spent your life building may be completely ruined by your son-in-law.”
Meeting Heinz’s bloodshot gaze directly, Leonardo spoke with false politeness, as though genuinely worried.
Then, withdrawing his hand at last, he turned away with his lawyers and headed toward the courtroom.
His blue eyes had sharpened dangerously low.
Rain suddenly began pouring from the sky.
Ariel, who had stepped out to buy embroidery thread, found herself stranded beneath the awning of a shop.
She looked up at the darkened heavens.
“I don’t understand this weather. It was perfectly clear just a moment ago.”
Mary, who had come with her, anxiously shifted beside her.
“My lady, wait here a moment. I’ll go find an umbrella.”
“It’s fine, Mary. Let’s just wait together until the rain stops.”
The downpour was fierce.
Ariel did not want Mary running alone through weather cold enough to invite illness.
But her loyal maid could be surprisingly stubborn.
“It doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon. I’ll be right back!”
“Ah—!”
Dumping the pile of newly purchased thread into Ariel’s arms, Mary dashed straight into the rain before she could be stopped.
Watching her disappear into the crowd, Ariel eventually shook her head with a helpless laugh.
“Honestly. She’s impossible.”
But the smile faded almost as quickly as it appeared.
Silence settled around her.
Her gaze dropped toward the paper bags in her arms.
Though she had pretended otherwise, the storm inside her heart had never truly calmed.
How had the trial gone?
Her father’s figure from that morning resurfaced vividly in her mind as he departed for court.
He must have prepared himself with gritted teeth.
Which meant the courtroom battle had likely been brutal.
Was it over by now?
Or still ongoing?
She had tried distracting herself by pouring her restless thoughts into embroidery—stitching roses, stitching tulips, letting countless flowers bloom beneath her needle.
Yet nothing inside her had settled.
After today, she and that man would drift even farther apart.
For some reason, the thought stirred her heart pointlessly.
So what if we drift apart?
What does that matter?
She had bought far too much blue thread.
And staring down at that color filling her bag, a pair of vivid blue eyes inevitably surfaced in her mind.
Beautiful eyes.
Arrogant one moment.
Almost innocent the next.
Trying to escape those useless thoughts, Ariel lifted her head once more.
The city had darkened considerably beneath the rain.
That was when a familiar carriage rolled past through the curtain of water.
The Devonshire crest.
The moment she recognized it, Ariel’s green eyes trembled faintly.
Because of the dim weather, there was no way to know whether she had truly met the gaze of the silhouette seated behind the carriage window.
Judging by the fact that the carriage continued past without stopping, probably not.
Though even if he had seen her, there would have been no reason for him to stop.
The rain roared endlessly in her ears.
Yet before she realized it, Ariel found herself watching the departing carriage.
Then suddenly—
The wheels halted.
A stranger dressed in formal attire stepped out first, opening an umbrella.
And moments later, Leonardo emerged.
Streetlamps flickered to life one after another the instant he turned his head.
Heavy rain crashed down between them like a barrier, yet Ariel somehow knew immediately when their eyes met.
She drew in a breath without meaning to.
After quietly instructing the man who appeared to be his secretary, Leonardo took the umbrella himself and began walking toward her.
Reflected gaslight illuminated his dark figure as he gradually grew closer within her bright green eyes.
Ariel tightened her grip around the paper bags.
“I trust you’ve been well, my lady.”
His calm greeting left her strangely deflated.
And somehow irritated.
Because she knew exactly where he was coming from.
How could he stand there acting so shamelessly composed?
“I’ve been very well thanks to Your Grace.”
A trace of sarcasm slipped into her reply.
The memory of being trapped alone with him in the library resurfaced vividly.
But the man standing before her now was utterly different from the one she remembered then.
Not a trace of warmth remained.
Not even the faintest smile.
Only cold eyes and rigid composure.
“So the rumors say.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“I heard that thanks to me, you’ll be marrying an excellent second son. My congratulations in advance.”
“…It takes talent to make congratulations sound so rude.”
This man honestly—
A disbelieving laugh escaped her lips.
Narrowing her eyes, Ariel glared at the gentleman standing in the rain.
If provocation had been his goal, he appeared quite satisfied. The corner of Leonardo’s mouth curved faintly upward.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Ariel stood beneath the shop awning avoiding the rain.
Leonardo stood outside beneath his umbrella.
Separated by only a single step.
And yet neither of them crossed the distance between them.
It was Leonardo who finally broke the silence.
“I happen to be competent in many areas.”
Realizing belatedly that he was responding to her earlier remark, Ariel let out another dry laugh.
Yet the sharpness within her eyes had softened somewhat.
“What did you buy?”
“That’s hardly your concern.”
“I’m not particularly interested in embroidery supplies.”
Leonardo’s gaze flicked briefly toward the contents of the bag she hurriedly tried to hide.
Then he glanced through the shop’s glass doors before lazily meeting her eyes again.
“Though I do enjoy receiving gifts.”
She had bought enough thread to distribute embroidered trinkets to everyone she knew.
So what?
Was he expecting a handkerchief or something?
“I have no intention of giving Your Grace any gifts.”
“I wouldn’t dream of expecting one.”
Leonardo answered lightly, completely unaffected.
But the blue eyes that had softened slightly hardened once more.
“Today… Devonshire won.”
There was no need to ask what he meant.
Ariel’s green eyes trembled faintly.
“Congratulations. It must be nice being so capable.”
“Luck favored me as well. It seems the goddess of justice is fond of me.”
“Really? Then why don’t you seem very happy about winning?”
For a brief moment, Leonardo fell silent.
Only the veins tightening around the umbrella handle betrayed anything at all.
What exactly had angered him?
“I’m wondering whether Count Rosenberg intends to accept the ruling.”
“If he has no choice, then he will.”
“If he wishes to revoke the canal tariffs on the Ezra Canal, he should accept defeat as quickly as possible.”
“Wouldn’t Devonshire suffer losses from that canal as well?”
“We still have more room to spare than Rosenberg. At the very least, we haven’t managed to ruin our daughter’s marriage prospects.”
“…!”
Ariel frowned sharply, disbelief flashing across her face.
Meeting her gaze directly, Leonardo continued speaking with that same mocking smile.
“In many ways, it seems Rosenberg has far more urgent damage control to worry about.”
“Did you come here just to pick a fight?”
Her sharp accusation hung in the air.
Yet unexpectedly, the man who had seemed intent on provoking her until the end suddenly said nothing at all.
For the briefest moment, his blue eyes looked strangely lost.
“…Because you were standing in the rain.”
Ariel blinked twice in surprise.
During that silence, Leonardo glanced past her shoulder.
“It appears my concern was unnecessary.”
Turning to follow his gaze, Ariel spotted Mary hurrying back toward them with an umbrella in hand.
Apparently satisfied, Leonardo lightly touched the brim of his hat and inclined his head.
Then he turned away without another word.
Watching his retreating figure, Ariel’s green eyes trembled with complicated emotions.
