IV · DIMITRI

Dimitri Delacroix's point of view

➵➵➵

JEAN CAME TO ME WHEN I WAS finishing signing some papers in my office. He had a letter in his hands and by the crest at the end of it, an eagle with lilies in its eyes, I could tell it was from House Bourseiller. "Your Grace," he handed it to me, "a messenger from the east came to give this to you."

I look at it and my eyes read the news inside of it, "It's Lady Jeanne's handwriting!"

|||||

Your Grace,

Duke Dimitri Delacroix,

I received your letter, and I absolutely agree with you. Don't get me wrong, Your Grace, but I also do not wish to have anything romantic with you. To be honest, my heart already has an owner, but it's been difficult to make my family understand that, even when it's a person of noble status. So, I'm really relieved to know that you also do not feel the same way towards me, because it wouldn't be amusing to break your heart.

Besides, I hope you don't get offended by this, but I do not feel attracted to tall people, and you are taller than me, so even if my heart wasn't already taken, you wouldn't have a chance with me. Although, I believe you must also feel the same way, Your Grace, seeing as how we are almost the same height when I'm with high heels, and that's just uncomfortable for me.

Anyways, I would appreciate if you also firmly expressed to your mother, that you do not wish to have any kind of romantic relationship with me. I'll try making my parents understand that here, on my side. I owe you one for this, Your Grace.

Thank you, for being honest with me. I appreciate it.

With relief in my heart,

Lady Jeanne Bourseiller.

|||||

Sigh, "Damn, I feel like a burden was taken off of my shoulders," I exclaimed, putting the letter down on the table. "I knew she also didn't want anything with me." I handed the letter to him. "Take a look, I know you are curious."

His eyes ran down her letter and he seemed amused, "It seems like you were right about her being affectionate towards someone else." Of course, I was.

"Even a blind person could tell, especially after seeing her flirting with my own two eyes," I mocked. "Anyways, I'm just glad that she's fine with me telling her how I felt nothing towards her at all. I thought I could have hurt her feelings. But she also feels the same way, so, that makes our situation easier to deal with!" Taking my glasses off and putting them on the table, I got up. "I'm done with those papers. Is everything ready and on the carriages?"

Jean nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. Her Grace, your mother, is already waiting for you outside!" Great.

"Did you also pack your things?" He nodded again.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Then let's go. It's 10 days from here to the Desmoulins, after all. It's a long way to go. And my mother seems to have made appointments for 11 days from now. Which means, no resting," I sighed annoyed and we left my office, heading out.

As usual, he followed me, "At least we won't have to suffer a heavy climate change, once we live in an eternal winter and it's winter in the capital now."

"Indeed. We'll feel at home, while the others won't. That's quite delightful, I have to admit," I grinned and he giggled at that. "I think the ones who will feel more out of their natural habitat are my godfather, Duke Florentin Baudelaire, and his offspring."

Jean seemed to agree with me. "Seeing as they live in the south, and the south is always spring, they will probably feel colder than the others. It must be annoying for them."

I rolled my shoulders. "Poor House Baudelaire, they can't even deal with a little cold," I mocked.

"You won't mock them like this in their faces, will you, Your Grace?" If someone who doesn't know Jean heard he saying that, they would think he was worried for them.

However, I know better. He's enjoying this as much as I am! Best friends always know each other, after all. He, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess, are the best friends I ever had. We know each other like we know ourselves.

"Me?" I asked sarcastically. "I would never!"

❁❁❁

It was nighttime when we arrived at the Capital. Mother had decided that we should spend the first week on the Baudelaire's manor, once she said she wanted to get to know her best friends' kids better. As if they were kids and not all past 20 years-old.

But being stubborn the way she is, I couldn't deny her request. So, we went to their manor directly after we entered Desmoulins, and the Duke himself was waiting for us with his heir, Prince Adrien Delannoy Baudelaire, as expected. It was kind of disrespectful, but we decided to let his daughter and son's disappearance go slide, after all, it was past midnight.

The Lady should be sleeping, while the infamous Mathis Baudelaire was probably out, with some shameless girl, or drinking. He was famous for a reason. And it wasn't a good one.

Duke Florentin Baudelaire seemed tired, not physically, but of everything. I could see it on his face. It mustn't have been easy to raised two boys and a girl after his wife passed away 12 years ago. I can't even imagine how tough it was for him.

"Florentin," mother exclaimed and hugged him. "You look terrible, brother-in-law. Are you sick?"

He giggled lightly, "I'm not sick, don't worry!" His hypnotizing navy blue eyes seemed like the night sky and full of stars when light hit them, did any of his other two children inherited his eyes from him? Because his son has dark orange amber eyes, probably from his mother. "Dimitri," he came closer to me, "It's been such a long time since I last saw you, my godson," here we go.

I was fourteen when I last saw him, the year his wife died, so I do remember him faintly, but I don't remember his children's appearance at all. We never crossed paths on social gathering either. "Godfather," I greeted him. "It's been a while. Have you been taking care of your health?"

"My children are taking care of me," they don't seem to be doing that great of a job. "Your godmother's death has been difficult for us all even nowadays." I can't even imagine what I would do if I lost mine. "Do you remember Adrien?" His son turned to me and bowed lightly and respectfully.

Unlike his dad who had glittering navy blue eyes, straight glowing hair of the same color, and pale skin; Adrien had amber eyes, golden wavy hair, and a more vivid tone of white skin. He didn't seem to have anything physically in common with his father. "Honestly, I didn't remember how he looked physically, but I do remember that he was a very more pleasant company then..." my mother side-looked me and I gulped, "most kids."

Although he's a year older than me!

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Grace," I doubt his unruly brother is as respectful as he is. "It's an honor to cross paths with you once again." It seems like he does remember me. "And I'm sorry, godmother, for my siblings' not being present. Isabelle seemed to be sleeping, while Mathis was reading in his room. And that surprised us so much that we couldn't bother him," I giggled to that.

It seems like I misjudged him for a second. "It's alright, darling," mom said with a kind smile on her lips. She must be happy to see them again. "We also came too late, it's past midnight already. We'll meet them tomorrow." Then she turned to his father, "I'm really glad you contacted me, Florentin. And I'm also happy to see that you are holding things together."

He nodded, and turned around, "Come, we'll show you your chambers. The manor isn't a castle like our own territories, but I managed to free up three chambers for you two and the gentleman with you," oh, he also cleaned up a chamber for Jean?

I turned to see his face and caught him blushing. He must be happy with that. "Thank you, Your Grace!"

"Don't mind it, child. I heard you go everywhere the Duke goes, so I figured you would come with him," he had a kind smirk on. "Feel at home. We are all nobles in here!"

Mother turned to me, grinning, "See? I told you they were all amazing," she muttered making me roll my eyes.

We followed the Duke inside, without saying anything. Enjoying the pleasant silence. Until the girl in nightclothes appeared, with her messy dark blue hair and The Lovers of June 7th volume in hands. She froze, staring at us, and her eyes stopped at my mom.

"Charming deep honey colored hip length wavy hair, big bright dark pink eyes that reminds me of dawn, fair white skin, high-bridge thin small nose, full heart-shaped lips, a deep solitaire dimple on the right cheek, straight and thin dark honey eyebrows, long eyelashes, soft marked jaw, beautiful collar bones, sharp cheekbones, hourglass figure with a very tiny waist, long legs, probably around 173 and 177cm tall," she analyzed my mother from head to toes, her enchanting voice sounding a little rough, and her eyes seemed tired because of the light.

By her appearance being identical to Duke Florentin's but very feminine and extremely enchanting, I realized she was his daughter. The famous weird and freak Countess Isabelle Delannoy Baudelaire. And I've never heard anything good about her that wasn't related to her appealing appearance.

"You are probably the most beautiful woman I've seen in my life, after my mother," she sighed and her eyes traveled to me, making my heart stop for a second, as she analyzed me with her night sky eyes. "Almost identical to her, except for you lips that are fuller at the bottom, you have dimples in both cheeks, broad shoulders, a sculpted but slim muscled body with also a thinner waist, really long legs, and slender hands," she looked up to meet my eyes, "and you are what? Around 2 meters tall?" Her eyes turned to my mother than back to me, "You must be her son."

"Isabelle..." Adrien called her with a more demanding tone.

She snapped out of it, smirked and that spread goosebumps down my entire body. Slowly she handed the book to her brother, loosened her long navy-blue hair, and put it all together again, then passed her hands through her nightclothes. Only then, she bowed gracefully, "Your Grace, godmother, Genevieve Delacroix," then turned to me, still bowing, "Your Grace, Duke Dimitri Carpentier Delacroix. I'm Countess Isabelle Delannoy Baudelaire, the only daughter of House Baudelaire," she sighed and looked up at us, then to her brother. "Satisfied?"

What's up with this girl?