The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Side Story 6

Side Story 6

The Bride of June. 

The day to acquire that title was not far off. 

Before one knew it, two days later would be the wedding day. The wedding was scheduled to take place in the oldest and most splendid cathedral in the capital.

Duke Conway, who had been recuperating in his estate for a long time, came up to the capital to attend his second son’s wedding.

“Don’t meet my father alone, come with me.”

Jasper insisted. 

Rose couldn’t refuse the duke’s summons. While Jasper was still at work, she traveled alone to the Conway townhouse.

‘Why did he specifically call me separately?’

As she followed the guide towards the garden, Rose had various thoughts. 

Jasper rarely talked about his parents, so the Duke still felt like an unknown existence to Rose. The conversations they had when they met before were few and far between.

The Duke was waiting for Rose in the middle of the garden, basking in the sunlight. He sensed her presence and turned to look at Rose, who stood there with proper etiquette.

“Duke Conway, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Rose greeted promptly. The Duke merely nodded without saying anything. After the guide withdrew, a moment of silence lingered in the garden.

Rose stood frozen, swallowing nervously. She couldn’t fathom the Duke’s thoughts. He seemed somewhat displeased with her, yet he had accepted the marriage without objections.

Moreover, compared to the Duke, Jasper was cheerful and playful, almost to the point that the Duke seemed stern and expressionless.

The Duke’s low voice broke the uncomfortable silence that had lasted for a long time.

“It seems that Her Majesty values you.”

Rose was completely surprised by the unexpected topic.

‘What could Her Majesty have said?’

Suddenly, Rose recalled the emperor offering to help with her and Jasper’s relationship. Could it be that the Duke accepted the marriage because of the emperor’s decree? Did Jasper know about it?

Various thoughts crossed her mind, making her uneasy.

‘No, I have to do better in the future.’

Silently focusing on her work would eventually earn the Duke’s approval. 

Rose opened her mouth, trying not to be overwhelmed by the Duke’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Thanks to Her Majesty’s high evaluation of my abilities…”

Before Rose could finish her sentence, the Duke interrupted.

“No need to be so tense.”

“Huh? Oh.”

“Am I frightening you?”

Rose’s shoulders twitched.

“No, not at all. It’s just that…”

“Honestly, you can speak your mind.”

Rose hesitated, biting her lip. 

It was her first opportunity to have a more relaxed conversation with the Duke. If this conversation ended in a tense atmosphere as well, dealing with the Duke would forever seem challenging.

Choosing honesty over packaged language to hide her emotions, Rose spoke frankly.

“I don’t truly find the Duke frightening. However, it’s inevitable for me to feel tense. It seems that in the Duke’s eyes, I may… not measure up. I understand that part well.”

A brief silence hung between them. Rose stiffened her shoulders to prevent her unsettled feelings from showing.

With his cane in hand, the Duke looked at Rose, slightly tilting his head before speaking.

“When did I do that? Have I ever said you’re inadequate?”

“Well… You haven’t said that explicitly.”

Given the Duke’s intimidating gaze every time they met, Rose expected him to deny it outright. She looked at the Duke with a surprised expression.

“Hmm.”

The Duke stroked his chin and spoke.

“If we’re going to be precise, I was in favor of this marriage. Her Majesty’s influence played a role, but I supported it.”

“I thought… I thought you didn’t like me.” 

“Generally, I don’t fancy everyone.”

This trait seemed to be shared with Jasper.

‘He seems as reserved as his father.’

Jasper would often be misunderstood as angry if he kept his mouth shut. 

Thinking of the Duke as an older Jasper made Rose feel more at ease. The tension on Rose’s face gradually eased.

The Duke looked at Rose with a hint of a smile.

“I see Jasper hasn’t told you.”

Then he began to bring up stories that had long been hidden.

* * *

“Where’s Rose?”

Jasper rushed into the townhouse with an urgent tone. 

Upon hearing that Duke Conway had called for Rose, he had hurried home as soon as his work ended. Despite being impeccably dressed in his uniform, his face was filled with anxiety, and his hair was disheveled. 

Jasper knew that his father, Duke Conway, was a cold person.

‘He must have said something unnecessary to Rose.’

The Duke had not expressed any regret about the wedding this time, despite the occasional displeasure he showed personally, even with the emperor’s support.

Whether it was due to aging and physical discomfort or being under the emperor’s scrutiny, was unclear. But calling Rose separately just before the wedding made Jasper wonder about the reason.

‘What could be the matter?’

Knowing that Rose wasn’t the type to easily break under others’ words, he still felt worried. Jasper, who was desperately searching for Rose, witnessed an unexpected scene.

In the living room, Duke Conway and Rose were calmly sipping tea in a somewhat relaxed atmosphere. Moreover, the Duke’s mouth corners were slightly upturned. 

While he might seem expressionless to others, Jasper knew better.

Jasper stood still as if he had seen something bizarre. Rose, noticing Jasper rushing in, greeted him with joy.

“Jasper!”

The Duke, without any greeting, just gave a slight nod. 

Jasper, regaining his composure at Rose’s voice, sat next to her, taking a deep breath.

With a stern gaze directed at the Duke on the opposite side, Jasper asked.

“Why did you summon Rose?”

The Duke slowly took a sip of tea. It was Rose who seemed more flustered at Jasper’s clear voice.

“I just called her.”

“Why just like that?”

“I said I would meet my future daughter-in-law. Do I need a reason?”

Rose held onto Jasper’s elbow with a weak force. 

“J-Jasper, why are you…”

Ignoring Rose’s protests, Jasper confronted the Duke. 

“Don’t say anything bad about her. She’s not someone you brought here to hear such things.”

“You impudent fellow.”

“You’ve been indifferent to family matters so far, and it’s not pleasant to intervene now.”

Rose, shocked by Jasper’s attitude, stood frozen, her large eyes shaking.

The Duke put down the half-empty teacup and stood up. He didn’t seem bothered by Jasper’s cold gaze. 

Immediately, a servant rushed over and handed the Duke his cane, supporting him.

The Duke, with a subdued groan, spoke.

“Find out what was discussed with Rose directly. I’m tired, so I’m going up now.”

Jasper shot a piercing gaze at the Duke’s staggering figure as he climbed the stairs. Once the Duke disappeared, Jasper turned around and grabbed Rose’s cheek.

Until then, Rose had been in a daze due to the harsh conversation between the two wealthy men.

“What did my father say? Are you okay?”

“I-I’m okay.”

“I told you to stay away from him. He’s a person without affection. He easily hurts others…”

Desperately interrupting Jasper, Rose spoke.

“Jasper, I think there’s a misunderstanding. The conversation with the Duke was very… meaningful.”

“What?”

“He’s not as cold as you think.”

“I’ve never seen anyone more ruthless than my father. What kind of conversation did you have?”

Rose hesitated before carefully explaining the situation. The story the Duke brought up was about Jasper’s late mother, who had died years ago.

It happened at a time when automobiles were just starting to be developed, and conservatives were concerned about the stability of car technology, promoting the safety of traditional carriages. 

The Duke’s wife died in a carriage accident, but fearing that the revelation would weaken the conservative argument, the Duke had buried the incident. Even within the household, they treated the death of the Duchess as if it had never happened.

Regardless of the adults’ reasons, young Jasper had no time to mourn his mother’s death.

“The Duke regrets what happened back then.”

Jasper, listening to Rose’s subdued voice, furrowed his eyebrows.

“My father… he said that to you?”

Jasper’s understanding of his father didn’t align with such sentiments. Could people change so much in the few years of reduced interaction?

As Jasper heard the Duke’s sincerity through Rose’s words, he felt a strange mixture of emotions.

“At that time, I genuinely thought automobiles were dangerous. I believed it was an invention that shouldn’t exist. There were frequent accidents until you developed the new braking system.”

“I’m an old-fashioned person. The times are changing rapidly, but my thinking can’t keep up. In the process, I’ve made decisions that I thought were the best, but in the end, they turned out to be wrong. Our family needs someone like you.”

“Jasper was a lonely child. It seemed too late for me to fill that void. These thoughts only come to me in my old age.”

The fact that the Duke cared about him was disconcerting to Jasper. They had been distant for a long time. Above all, it was unexpected that he was trying to convey such sincerity through Rose.

‘The person who wouldn’t trust anyone over their dead body… Did she know I would listen to her?’

Choosing Rose as a mediator was shrewd and perhaps the best move. If nothing else, she’d convinced him that he shouldn’t argue with his father anymore.

Jasper gazed at Rose, who was sniffling, with a mix of emotions. Suddenly, he noticed her flushed nose.

“Your nose is red.”

“Huh?”

Rose blinked, her face still in Jasper’s grasp. His narrow eyes softened.

“Did you cry?”

“Well, I…”

“Is it because of what my father said?”

“I got a bit emotional listening to the Duke’s story.”

Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Is there something emotional to cry about?”

“Yeah, you being a lonely child.”

“You cried because of that?”

Rose’s lips trembled in embarrassment.

“Not exactly crying, just a bit… I got teary. Hearing the Duke’s story made me feel emotional. I thought you must have had a hard time…”

Jasper, who had been quietly listening to Rose’s sniffles, impulsively spoke.

“I love you.”

“…Huh?”

“I love you.”

“Oh? Uh, I, I love you too.”

“I just wanted to say it.”

It felt like he had to say the word “love” right away. 

Rose Bell, who shed tears for him, the person who sympathized with his past loneliness, made the feeling of love undeniable, irresistible.

* * *

Behind the cathedral doors, Rose swallowed nervously. 

A white wedding dress enveloped her, sparkling with diamond dust on the veil as it reflected the sunlight.

Her wavy red hair was neatly tied up, although a few stray strands stubbornly escaped. 

The pinkish aura of excitement adorned Rose’s flushed cheeks. She held the bouquet tightly in one hand, ensuring not to let it slip away.

The other hand was intertwined with Jasper’s. 

Rose looked at Jasper, standing beside her, with a radiant smile. Dressed in a tuxedo, Jasper looked even more handsome than usual. 

At that moment, she forgot they were in the midst of the wedding ceremony.

Jasper glanced at her and whispered.

“Nervous?”

“Oh, no.”

“Really?”

“Well… truth be told, I am nervous.”

Her father did not escort her down the aisle. 

After contemplating the bride’s perspective, they decided on an unusual entrance for both the bride and groom. Given the unconventional nature of their marriage due to the difference in status, it wasn’t surprising that the ceremony deviated from tradition.

As the cathedral doors slowly opened, the processional music flowed through the gap. 

Jasper gently took Rose’s hand.

“Shall we?”

“Yes.”

Side by side, they walked down the aisle on the pristine white path.

* * *

To the scholarship recipients,

Hello. I regret that I couldn’t personally attend the Scholarship Foundation’s 3rd-anniversary event due to being overseas. Instead, I convey my congratulations through this letter.

I hope that your passion for learning will never be extinguished. In truth, my role is not significant; I merely supply the fuel needed for your journey forward. Just pouring fuel doesn’t make the train move.

The driving force to awaken the engine lies within each of you. Move forward. Don’t stop. If, at times, you feel weary and your steps slow down, we will be there to support you from behind.

And never let go of your happiness at any moment. Unhappiness seems to attract more unhappiness. So, protect yourself. I understand that challenging times can be like stories of catching clouds for younger students. If you’re unsure, I recommend approaching a good friend nearby and suggesting a walk together.

A walk, you might think. There’s already not enough time for studying. Such thoughts are understandable. However, a friend walking beside you is incredibly precious. Even if I provide the fuel and you move forward with determination, if the rails derail, you may end up at an unintended destination.

With a good friend by your side, when your rails go awry, they will stand next to you and say, “Are you okay just as you are?”

My not-so-special speech ends here. I sincerely wish that your journey towards your dreams never stops.

With love and courage,

Rose Bell Conway, Foundation Director

<End>