Confirming that everyone had gathered, the food came out in order as if it had been waiting.
I offered food to Jack, whose gaze was stolen by the steaming dishes.
“Please, help yourself.”
“Then, I’ll eat well.”
There were several reasons why Lord Elais decided to come to the capital with his elderly body and son.
One was naturally to see the inauguration ceremony, and the second was to create a natural opportunity, as he had secretly marked Carol as a potential spouse for his son.
If it were the usual Elais, he would have spoken about it as soon as they met, given his straightforward personality. But he remained silent as there was something he needed to confirm first.
Thanks to that, he was able to avoid being rude to Miss Carol, who was already seeing someone.
‘What a shame.’
It was regrettable.
As it seemed that the relationship with the person she was already seeing was quite serious, Lord Elais could only smack his lips in disappointment.
He should have realized when the coachman came to the restaurant separately to escort them.
While they had sent a carriage without emblems on purpose, saying they hadn’t yet told Lord Elais about the Duke’s identity, why were they so extravagant when selecting a place to stay?
‘It’s excessive.’
Carol had expected it to be somewhat luxurious, but this exceeded even her imagination.
Although not an extremely large building, it was a classic hotel perfectly maintained in every aspect.
A bellboy standing in front of the building called someone from inside, and two people came out together to greet Carol’s party.
“Are you Lord Elais and company who are scheduled to stay today?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
The bellboy bowed politely at Jack’s dazed answer.
“Please entrust your luggage to me, and the carriage to this fellow.”
“Uh, okay.”
Lord Elais and Jack looked at Carol with bewildered faces.
“Is this the right place?”
“…Yes. It should be.”
Standing in front of the hotel in the middle of the capital, Carol furrowed her brow, recalling a conversation from a few days ago.
They had clearly promised not to be this excessive then.
[The people who helped the teacher are no different from benefactors to me.]
[But they’re my guests.]
[You’re drawing a line.]
[…That wasn’t my intention.]
[Please allow me to offer at least some help.]
The Duke said, kissing the back of Carol’s hand. Seeing that she wasn’t entirely refusing, Carol nodded with difficulty and made a request.
[Then I’ll ask this of you. But please don’t overdo it.]
[Is there a special reason?]
[…The lord doesn’t know who my partner is yet.]
[…Why haven’t you told him yet?]
[That’s…]
It was a bit embarrassing to convey through a letter. Telling an adult about one’s love life in a permanent form like a letter was more difficult than imagined.
[Oh right. I need to book a hotel, so who did you say he’s coming with?]
[With his son.]
[I see.]
The Duke narrowed his eyes and nodded. She thought he had understood what she meant, but…
“Is this really the right place?”
Jack asked with a dumbfounded face. Beside him, Lord Elais stood in a daze, his luggage already taken by the bellboy. Carol, who grasped the situation first, smiled awkwardly.
“It seems to be the right place.”
****
“If you need anything, please pull the bell rope next to the bed to call me.”
The two remained silent until the bellboy’s guidance ended and the door closed.
Click.
Only after hearing the door close completely did Jack put his hand to his forehead.
Something had gone terribly wrong. His father, who had dedicated his life to the sword and supported beastmen, was oblivious to worldly matters.
“Father, didn’t you say she was the daughter of a family you used to support?”
Lord Elais muttered as he sat on the edge of the bed.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then what’s with this luxurious lifestyle? The restaurant, this hotel, it doesn’t make sense!”
Unable to calm his excitement, Jack shouted while pacing restlessly around the room.
They were said to be a struggling family. The situation could have changed, and the whole family could have improved their living conditions by working.
But not to this extent.
“They couldn’t have suddenly become nouveau riche.”
Jack rubbed his chin. Lord Elais, looking confused, wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.
In the end, there was only one conclusion.
“They must be earning money through illegal means.”
At Jack’s confident statement, Lord Elais squeezed his eyes shut.
“The letter clearly said she was running a tutoring school.”
He couldn’t completely deny Jack’s suspicions, but his faith hadn’t entirely disappeared.
He wanted to confirm it with his own eyes.
“From what I’ve heard, there’s a lot that wasn’t written in the letter.”
“…”
“Was Janet’s visit before also because of the Langer family?”
The two hadn’t suddenly come to think that Carol had been doing something wrong.
Janet was a servant who had devoted herself to the Elais family for a long time.
The elderly lady had reduced her working hours a few years ago because her daughter’s child was very ill, and eventually quit and left the mansion.
The problem started when she returned to the mansion.
Six months ago, Janet visited the mansion saying she had something to confess.
[The traces of time are truly unavoidable.]
[It’s been a long time.]
When Elais welcomed her, Janet, who was sitting in the reception room, stood up abruptly.
[Seeing your face, I guess this isn’t just a courtesy visit to ask how I’ve been.]
At his words, her face noticeably hardened.
Janet, who couldn’t stop fidgeting with her hands, didn’t say anything for a long time, and Lord Elais sat silently beside her throughout.
Only when the sun was about to set did Janet finally speak with difficulty.
[Before I left the mansion, my daughter’s child, who was hard to conceive, started getting sick.]
Elais already knew this fact.
[Yes, that’s right.]
[They said the heart was weak from birth and needed treatment from a young age.]
[Yes, I heard.]
[They said it would cost an astronomical amount. Much more than the money you gave me when I quit.]
[Is that so? I wish I could have given you more.]
At Elais’s words, Janet squeezed her eyes shut. As if his kindness felt painful.
[There was someone who gave me a large sum of money and asked about Lord Elais.]
[About me?]
[Yes. And they also asked about the people you support.]
[…..]
[It seemed like they were chasing one of them.]
Was it discovered that he had helped the beastmen?
Although not illegal, it was clear that it would receive scrutiny from neighboring territories.
The territory was not prosperous.
In the worst case, the residents might even riot, asking why tax money was being spent on beastmen.
[So what did you answer?]
[I just said that you were an upright person who hadn’t done anything wrong.]
[……]
[I told them all the names of the people you supported.]
Janet confessed, squeezing her eyes shut.
If they had found a common point among those being supported, the fact that he was supporting beastmen would have been discovered long ago.
[When was this?]
[About two years ago.]
[…I see.]
[I’m sorry. I felt uneasy about receiving such a large sum for such trivial questions.]
[…And your granddaughter?]
[She’s fine now.]
[I’m glad she’s better.]
Elais smiled warmly, and Janet finally burst into tears.
In the six months since her confession, he had tried to trace back to the person who had investigated him, but couldn’t find any clues.
However, he had a hunch. Most of the people he supported lived quiet lives.
Except for one family.
Even looking at the time when people approached Janet, it coincided with when Carol moved.
“It’s still just speculation.”
“Isn’t that man she’s dating also part of this?”
“Jack!”
“I hope I’m just overthinking this.”
Jack looked at his father’s hunched back. His father, who had saved on his own food and clothes to share with others.
“We’ll need to hear the full story first.”
The last reason he came here was because he actually wanted to ask Carol something.
He needed to know why she had to leave the North as if running away, and what had happened.
****
Unfortunately, the Duke was truly busy and could only make time after the inauguration ceremony.
The Duke, who had dealt with all the work he had postponed while spending time with Carol, furrowed his brow and sighed.
‘This has become troublesome.’
While Carol wanted to introduce them, the Duke already knew about Elais.
‘It was difficult to investigate discreetly.’
The Duke had told Carol about the background check. Carol took it calmly, but the Duke knew.
Hearing about it secondhand and actually being the subject of an investigation were completely different.
That’s why he had planned to meet Elais separately beforehand.
He wanted to ask about this matter if possible.
But apart from being busy, he missed the chance to meet because Kevin and Dylan kept hanging around with that son of his.
As news spread that the Crown Prince was knighting someone for once, it seemed the First Knight Order also wanted to tag along. Using this opportunity, some from the First Knight Order also decided to receive knighthood from other royals, increasing the number of participants in the inauguration ceremony more than expected.
But the main characters were undoubtedly Kevin and Dylan.
Before entering the palace hall where the inauguration ceremony was held, the two greeted the Duke at the entrance.
