Chapter 105
“Ah…”
I hesitated for a moment before composing myself and speaking.
“It’s nothing serious, but a guest has come to see you, Your Grace. And… the Marquis of Diapel is here as well.”
“The Marquis? Already?”
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
Turning my head, I saw Duke Elard and Lucio entering the room.
“He arrived earlier than expected. I thought he’d come in a few more days.”
The Duke, moving naturally, picked up Diana and took a seat.
For a moment, I was puzzled to see the normally indifferent Duke show a hint of warmth. Then, I recalled something and nodded.
Duke Elard had been childhood friends with the current Duchess of Grand Duke Belus—formerly Lady Diapel.
Given his long-standing relationship with the Marquis, it made sense that even now, as a Duke, he addressed him with formality.
‘Now that I think about it, didn’t Grand Duke Belus and the Marquis of Diapel support Duke Elard when he succeeded his title?’
It had been long before my time as an informant, so I didn’t know the full details.
But one well-known fact remained: Duke Elard had gone so far as to participate in a war to depose his own father, the former Duke.
Suddenly, Lucio pulled out the chair next to me with a loud scraping sound.
I almost turned my head instinctively but barely restrained myself.
Lucio, who usually moved without making a single sound, was now making unnecessary noise.
‘Is he trying to get my attention…?’
The thought crossed my mind briefly but seemed too absurd to consider seriously, so I quickly dismissed it.
“So, have you been well? Nothing frightened you?”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head at the Duke’s sudden question before realizing what he meant.
The Marquis of Diapel guarded the empire’s borders, constantly battling the hostile frontier nations.
His entire being exuded an imposing, domineering presence, and his face bore a massive scar, so fearsome that even grown men flinched, let alone children.
‘…Right. A normal child would’ve been terrified.’
I grimaced slightly as I recalled my encounter with the Marquis earlier that day.
***
⟨Grandfather, are you alright?⟩
In my shock, I had instinctively spoken to him as I had in my past life.
Worse, I had mistaken his hardened expression as a sign of pain and nearly called for a physician.
Only when I noticed the pale, stricken faces of the servants did I realize my mistake.
That was when I truly saw the Marquess.
He was not leaning on a cane as I remembered.
And behind him…, why had I not noticed sooner? stood a massive warhorse.
It seemed he had only just dismounted.
Dazed, I glanced between his face and his legs before realizing my blunder.
⟨Your leg…⟩
⟨Marquis…?⟩
***
Fortunately, before I could make things worse, Ascart appeared out of nowhere, causing a distraction that allowed the situation to dissolve.
Still, my mistake continued to nag at me.
Seeing my troubled expression, Duke Elard spoke.
“It’s alright.”
“Pardon?”
“He may not seem like it. But he’s a good man.”
“Ah… I see.”
He had misunderstood, but I didn’t bother correcting him.
Instead, I nodded to myself.
‘More importantly, shouldn’t his leg be hurting by now?’
There was a reason for my earlier slip-up.
In this period, the Marquis of Diapel suffered a leg injury, which later worsened due to improper treatment.
He had told me this himself.
‘I should visit the Marquis’s estate tomorrow to check on him.’
I made my decision just as another thought struck me.
“Isn’t it about time for the delegation from Grand Duchy Bellus to arrive?”
“Yes. If they travel swiftly, they’ll arrive the day after tomorrow. At the latest, within the week.”
At that, I momentarily forgot my worries.
The thought of seeing Bianca again made my heart race.
“By the way, a messenger arrived from the Duchy. It seems they need assistance; there’s more snowfall than last year.”
“How much more?”
“A lot.”
The Duke’s curt response made the Duchess’s face darken.
Elard’s lands were naturally cold and snowy, so they were always well-prepared.
For them to request aid meant a severe snowstorm was approaching.
“Shouldn’t you go check?”
“I can’t leave the palace right now. The chancellor suddenly took leave, and the administration is in chaos.”
Duke Elard frowned.
“If I don’t oversee things myself, the reports won’t get approved until next year.”
“That’s why Lucio will go in my place.”
“Lucio?”
“Yes. It’s about time he visited the territory and met with the vassals in person.”
So that was what they had discussed in the office before dinner.
“What if the snow traps him there before graduation?”
“He’ll use teleportation. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Still…”
“There’s plenty of time before the ceremony. I’ll finish my work and return beforehand.”
Lucio and the Duke remained unbothered despite the Duchess’s concern.
Seeing their indifferent response, she huffed in frustration.
“You two are exactly the same.”
I watched quietly as the Duke tried to soothe his wife. After all, I knew her worries were unfounded.
Yes, there would be an unprecedented snowfall this year.
‘But not in Elard’s lands.’
Though the snowfall seemed to start early in the Duchy, it would soon return to normal.
Instead, the capital would be buried in snow.
At nine years old, I had barely survived those bitterly cold streets, almost freezing to death multiple times.
Even the orphanage in Tessar was brutally cold in winter, but at least there had been a roof, walls, and thin blankets—small mercies I had once taken for granted.
‘I remember cursing Duke Elard every night with the other children back then.’
And yet, thanks to him, those same children were now warm and safe.
Even I was here, seated at the same table, sharing a meal.
It still felt surreal.
Struggling to soothe the deeply sulking Duchess, the Duke wiped the sweat from his brow. Watching the scene, I couldn’t help but think once again—everything still felt like a dream.
***
At that moment, in the Marquessate of Diapel…
Marquis Diapel, Ascart, Clara, and the late-arriving Earl and Countess Amber were seated for dinner.
Unlike the warm, lively atmosphere at Duke Elard’s estate, an oppressive silence filled this room.
Only the occasional clink of silverware disturbed the stillness.
As the quiet meal neared its end, a hesitant voice broke the silence.
“Um…”
The moment Ascart cautiously opened his mouth, the Countess abruptly set her glass down with a sharp clatter, her expression sour.
“I heard you were fighting a battle until dawn two days ago?”
The Marquis’s gaze, which had briefly lingered on Ascart, shifted to his younger daughter.
Deep fatigue was visible in the wrinkles around his eyes, and the Countess scoffed at the sight.
“Yet you came straight to the capital without resting? You must have really missed my sister.”
“…”
Because the Marquessate of Diapel bordered hostile territory, no teleportation circles connected it directly to the capital, this was a precaution against potential enemy occupation.
To reach the nearest teleportation site, one had to ride on horseback for a full day.
Yet, despite just finishing a grueling battle at dawn two days prior, the Marquis had immediately set out for the capital.
It had indeed been an exhausting journey.
But it wasn’t just for his eldest daughter, who had finally recovered from her long illness.
He had also wanted to see his grandson, who was graduating soon, and his youngest daughter.
Just as the Marqueis hesitated, wondering if he should correct the misunderstanding, the Countess smirked.
“Well, I suppose it must have been such a joy to see your precious daughter again after she spent so long living like a corpse.”
“You…!”
“Enough, my dear.”
Sensing the Marquis’s expression darken, the Earl quickly intervened, trying to rein in his wife.
However, the Countess stubbornly shook off his hand, her chin raised high as if she had done nothing wrong.
The Marquis, already burdened by exhaustion, suddenly felt a crushing wave of fatigue.
He had hoped to get through the evening quietly, but that now seemed impossible.
With a sigh, he spoke furiously.
“Regina, you never fail to run your mouth. Do you ever stop talking? If you don’t want to see my ears start bleeding, for the love of all things, shut up.”
“Father, how can you say such a thing…!”
“Ascart. Speak.”
“…What?”
“You had something to say, didn’t you?”
More than anything, the Marquis just wanted to hear what Ascart had to say and retire to his chambers.
Ascart, who had been fidgeting uncomfortably at the now-tense table, swallowed hard.
Normally, he would have kept quiet, but this time, he forced himself to speak.
“It’s about the child you saw earlier today.”
“Hmm? Ah, that child.”
The Marquis nodded.
“Yes, I’ve been meaning to ask, who exactly is she?”
“She is a maid of the Elard household… and my guest. What happened earlier was simply a misunderstanding. She is still young and didn’t know better, so please forgive her.”
Ascart had arrived late and only heard about what had happened afterward—how Lia had impulsively grabbed the Marquis, calling him Grandfather.
In truth, despite his gruff demeanor, the Marquis rarely got truly angry.
But Ascart was worried Lia might have offended him, so he wanted to ask for leniency in advance.
For a moment, the Marquis remained silent before muttering under his breath.
“Forgive?”
