The duke had not yet returned from the imperial palace, and there was no way Taiz could have left the place without the children. But who on earth is standing in front of the Duchess’ bedroom this late at night?
Thinking that he might be the culprit, I took a step forward, feeling very wary.
“Who…”
Just then, the clouds cleared and moonlight came through the window. As the wind blew through the open window, the curtains fluttered softly, and the soft moonlight that came through them illuminated the man.
“…young master?”
I froze when I saw Lucio’s clearly visible face. Now that I think about it, I think I heard that Lucio returned from the Academy the night the Duchess collapsed. But I hadn’t seen him at all for several days, so I had completely forgotten about his existence.
“Wow, I was surprised. Why are you standing like that? Where has the vice-captain gone?”
I didn’t know that he was a person who usually walked around quietly, but I was embarrassed for being so alert, so I kept saying various things for no reason. But Lucio just looked at me without any expression.
Without answering what I said or taking his eyes off me. A strangely long silence followed.
“…why.”
Why aren’t you saying anything? I’d rather ignore it and just pass by.
I couldn’t even get a single word out of my mouth. However, I felt a little strange because I couldn’t avoid eye contact.
‘No. I can’t sleep properly right now…’
“Are you pretending not to know, or do you really not know?”
It was that moment. While I was in a hurry, Lucio came right in front of me. Words of unknown meaning continued.
“Making it so that you can’t feel sad or doubt.”
He sighed deeply and it was really strange.
‘No, maybe I’m weird.’
Maybe I’m dreaming because I’m tired. My mind was blank. But to prevent me from continuing the illusion, I felt a vivid touch on his face.
Lucio gently swept under my eyes with his long, cold fingers.
“Are you going to sleep and work?”
As I froze in shock at the sudden contact, I heard a low voice in my ear.
“I can’t even tell you to take it easy.”
As I listened to Lucio with my ears turning bright red, I noticed a hint of regret mixed in and shook my head.
“I’m fine. I do it because I want to.”
“But don’t push yourself too hard. My mother wouldn’t want that either.”
“…I am doing so.”
As I lowered my eyes and spoke, avoiding eye contact, a sigh fell across my forehead.
“That’s a lie.”
When I looked up in confusion, he looked down at me and said.
“It’s okay. If I’m not going anywhere.”
“…Where are you going?”
I tilted my head and asked at the incomprehensible words. Then Lucio suddenly burst into laughter.
“Yes, you will always be by my side. Don’t even think about leaving without permission.”
“…?”
Again, I didn’t know what it meant. I shook my head inwardly and took a step back. This is because I realized late that the distance between me and Lucio was too close.
“But do you want to see the lady now? It’s too late…”
When he recalled standing in front of the Duchess’ bedroom and asked, Lucio slightly tilted his head with a smiling expression.
“I came to see you.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. When I went to the dispensary, I heard that Viscount Bardot had gone to rest for a while. I don’t think it’s in the room.”
I was surprised to hear that Lucio personally went to my room.
“Why were you looking for me? What’s going on?”
It’s not yet clear whether the poison was the reason the Duchess collapsed, but just in case, the Duke said he would secretly track down her culprit. Lucio was the heir of the dukedom, so he must have been deeply involved in this matter. I might have caught a clue. But unexpectedly, Lucio looked at me in surprise and handed me something.
“This…”
“You’ll be tired, so eat while you’re at it.”
I was dumbfounded when I looked down at the box full of round chocolates.
“Try one. I heard from Allen that you like chocolate.”
I don’t know how I became known throughout the neighborhood as a child who was obsessed with chocolate. However, thinking about the sincerity of the person who gave it to me, I picked one up with a hesitant expression and put it in my mouth.
“What’s the matter? It tastes awful?”
“…yes?”
“The expression… I feel like I want to cry.”
I was startled by Lucio’s words and raised my hand to touch my face. Even so, I couldn’t tell what my expression was.
I said with a forced smile.
“It just reminds me of the old days.”
“…”
“Thank you. Chocolate is delicious. Even then… Even now.”
After I finished speaking, I felt ashamed and lowered my head. Then Lucio said.
“I guess my mother gave it to me. I ate a lot when I was young.”
Looking at his side profile that seemed lost in memories, I just smiled instead of answering.
* * *
Lucio said he had to go now and looked at Lia’s back as she turned around. The back of the child walking away was too small. Well, she is only 9 years old. However, her body was smaller and thinner than her age, so it felt like it would break if I touched her by mistake. Naturally, the weight that that child was carrying felt too heavy.
The secret that I am hiding from myself without anyone knowing, and the situation where the whole family, including me, can only look at that child. In fact, after Lucio visited ‘Lue Ze’, he began to figure out where the information was leaked to check the guild’s security status. However, even after reinvestigating all the way to Tesar Orphanage where Lia stayed, no clues could be found.
Now it was time to become more curious about Lia’s secret than if the information had been leaked. He received news that his mother, who was on her way to the imperial palace, had collapsed. An urgent message came to Lucio, who was about to finish her urgent work and return to the mansion.
I don’t think I’ll be able to make magic stones for a while. I’m sorry for breaking my promise. Although it was only a six-month contract, the news was delivered through a communication channel given to someone who instantly became a VIP. It was briefly explained how thorough the calculation was and that he would later pay compensation for the damages. Even though he held his tongue at the sight of him looking like a bigger salesman than me, Lucio decided that the child’s decision must have something to do with his mother’s news.
“But I didn’t expect this.”
How much do you have to surprise him to feel relieved?
Lucio, who returned home and heard the story from his father, burst out laughing.
‘It certainly seemed like he wanted to keep his proficiency in magic a secret.’
Lia’s decision to dedicate herself to revealing her abilities and creating her mother’s medicine, aside from the fact that she stopped making magic stones, was both surprising and shocking. And suddenly Lucio realized that he was relieved.
I thought he wouldn’t reveal the secret until the end. Seeing her rushing to save his mother, showing off her abilities like this, made me think that at least one day she wouldn’t leave without saying a word.
‘Maybe the reason I was trying to uncover her child’s secret was to keep her from leaving.’
In any case, Lucio, whose mind was at peace, busily worked to resolve the suspicions of this incident, following his father’s orders.
As a result, although he didn’t intend to, he continued to cross paths with Lia. And today, Lucio, who had some free time, even made the excuse of chocolate and appeared in front of her. He was curious.
I wonder if the child who seemed to see through everything really knows his own identity. But…
〈Where am I going?〉
Even before he could look at it properly, the moment he saw her tilting her small head, Lucio felt that Lia was unbearably cute. I felt strange, as if someone had blown warm air all over my body. If you think about it, it was like that from the beginning. There was absolutely no reason for me to feel sad when I saw this child, but strangely, every time I looked at her, my heart ached and my heart ached.
‘I’ve never been like this even after seeing her blood relatives.’
Is that all she is? It felt like she was suffocating from the frustration that had been constricting her throat ever since she heard the news about her mother, but when she faced Lia, she seemed to be able to breathe.
“So it doesn’t matter anymore.”
No matter what secrets she has or what she’s thinking. Lucio no longer wanted to find out why he was interested in Lia.
* * *
The night I ran into Lucio.
Determined to repay the kindness of those who gave me sweet chocolate in my life, I devoted all my energy to creating an antidote. Did that heart reach heaven? The antidote I had prepared was perfectly prepared, with a clear pink color, as if it had been brewed from splessia flower petals. Finally, they created the best antidote that detoxifies all poisons and has no side effects.
And now.
“…!”
As I looked at the Duchess’ complexion with a nervous expression, my eyes widened.
“The complexion… You’re back.”
It’s been less than 5 minutes since I took the antidote. The Duchess, who had been breathing heavily, became more comfortable. Her brows, which had been frowning as if she no longer felt the pain in her chest, were also smoothened out. This meant that the medicine prepared with great care was working properly.
“Her pulse has returned to stable status.”
“Then…”
I looked at Viscount Bardot, who had just finished examining him, with trembling eyes. The Viscount, who, despite her tired face, smiled more proudly than ever, turned to her and said to the Duke:
“She will wake up soon, Your Excellency.”
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
Next post will be released on July, 13.
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