Slap—! Ash’s face turned at Grand Duke’s slap.
“What a fool!”
“…”
“How could you make such a fuss because you couldn’t handle one thing properly?” The grand duke gritted his teeth. “What would have happened if their identity had been revealed in front of the imperial knights!”
Ash wanted to ask back. Why is it his fault? This wouldn’t have happened if his father hadn’t done something useless.
“You do all the work and let somebody else get the credit. Rumors will spread that Siani Felicite saved the royal princess in the festival.”
The grand duke slammed the table as if he couldn’t bear his anger. “I’ll destroy the evidence even if it means killing those who are involved in it, so watch your mouth.”
“…I understand.”
“All sorts of strange things are happening.”
“…”
Ash nodded his head as always. He just needed to endure, even though his cheek tingled.
“But you.” At that time, the eyes of the grand duke turned to Ash. “I heard from the guards that only Siani Felicite and you were left. What did you two talk about?”
The image of Siani from before flashed through Ash’s mind again. What is the reason that guy put on not only a robe but a mask too? He was thinking about the guy next to her.
“We didn’t have much conversation because we were in a hurry.”
“…”
“Don’t you know? That Siani doesn’t want to deal with me these days.”
“It’s been a long time since Siani’s heart left you, and you couldn’t even say much when you were being left together.” The grand duke clicked his tongue as if he had nothing to expect.
There was something else that stung Ash’s ears more than his complaint. It was about Siani’s heart that had left him…
“I’ve been watching from the welcoming party until now, so I can tell. I guess that means your abilities only reach until there.” The grand duke waved his hand as if to tell him to leave.
“It would have been better for you to go down to the territory. Tsk.”
It was a gesture similar to that used to shoo away a dog begging for food.
“Grand Prince, are you okay?”
“…”
An aide followed Ash out into the hallway.
“Your face is more…”
Face? At that word, Ash stood tall in front of the mirror. His cheek, where the bullet had grazed, was swollen, and the red scar became more and more vivid.
“Ha, damn it.” Ash laughed in vain and muttered swear words.
“My face is really a mess.” His emerald eyes, reflected in the mirror, became cloudy as if there was smoke in them.
“Find it out now.”
“Yes?”
“Who is that b*stard that Siani Felicite was protecting,” Ash ordered his aide. “Everything about who she walked around the streets with on this eve, and what happened while I was away from the capital!”
Who is it… No matter how much he thought about it, it only made him angry, and he couldn’t figure out anything.
“Uh, by the way, Young Master.” The aide, who was watching Ash, spoke to him. “I heard that the Felicite family will be attending the monster hunting competition that will be held soon.”
“What?” Ash frowned as if wondering what that meant.
“To be exact, it was said that participants would be the knight order directly under Princess Felicite.”
“…”
“I heard a rumor that the princess puts a lot of effort into them.”
The knight order directly under Siani? She’s always been treated as someone who didn’t exist in the duchy, so what kind of knight order does she have?
“If Princess Felicite personally takes him by her side…”
“…”
“Wouldn’t he be one of the knights who will participate in the monster-hunting competition?”
Aha, so he will participate in the monster-hunting competition. Ash’s expression turned strange at the plausible guess.
“Our family’s knights also participated in that competition, right?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“How precious it must be to cover him not only with a robe but a mask too.”
He remembered her face, which was desperately trying to protect him. At least she shouldn’t have been caught in front of him, and she should have kept anything that could be her weakness hidden. Siani Felicite… Tsk.
In the end, that woman was in his palm.
“It would be good to remove his mask in front of everyone.”
The corners of Ash’s mouth slowly rose.
“You will pay the price for making me angry.”
* * *
“According to the princess’s opinion, we have also decided to purchase all the land around here. And this business…”
The duke’s vassals and Irik were in the middle of the meeting.
“But, Your Grace, we don’t see the princess today.”
“She went out to watch the eve festival.”
“Watch? With whom?”
“…Watch? Who did she go with?”
At the same time, Irik and Aeron looked at each other. The look in their eyes was like, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’.
While there was such a silence.
“Ah!”
Clink! At the door, a sharp, shattering voice came out.
“I-I apologize, Your Grace!” The maid, who had let go of the teacup, was trembling, clutching her hand.
“You should have been careful. Reiji, oh my gosh! What’s going on here?” The head maid, who approached with a stern look on her face, frowned.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Your Excellency, that’s… Today, all the maids in charge had red spots and couldn’t come out, including this child.”
Their gathered gaze fell on the maid’s hand.
“What on earth is going on? Even the doctor said it was the first time he had seen it and that he didn’t know the cause.”
Bright red spots covered the back of her hand.
“Ah, come to think of it, I heard that even the gardener has spots spread on the back of his hand and can’t come out.”
“The gardener too?”
Rubel nodded as if it had just come to his mind.
“If they all have the same symptoms, wouldn’t the skin disease be spreading among the servants?”
“Skin disease?”
“We need to find out the cause.”
How could a skin disease spread in the duchy? At that time, the duke’s and his vassals’ expressions became somewhat serious.
That’s. Irik’s face slowly hardened as he looked at the maid’s hand. Don’t tell me…
It was a very familiar spot to his eyes.
* * *
“It will be difficult to get treatment here. Let’s go up to my room first.”
Redian glanced around. White wallpaper, dazzling chandeliers, sparkling picture frames, and a soft bed.
“I have something else to tell you.”
What is she trying to say? However, Siani had gone to the duke to report the situation today. In the meantime, Redian remained alone in her bedroom.
“Ah, you can use the bathroom inside the room. I’ll also put clothes for you to change in front of it.”
“…”
“Wash comfortably, then come out.”
First of all, the smoke on his body made him feel uncomfortable, so he washed himself… He didn’t know what to do when he found himself in a place like this as he had used to the narrow, dark cage as his home. Moreover, Siani’s scent in the room strangely made him uncomfortable. He didn’t know what to do, so he slowly walked around the large room. Water dripped from his wet hair.
“…This.”
At that time, a painting hanging on the wall came into his field of vision. The blue sea, the cliff, and a woman’s hair fluttering above them.
“Do you like this painting?”
“Yes. Because it’s pretty.”
“Pretty?”
It was the painting that stopped him at the store he went to with Siani. The difference was, if what he saw back then was the woman’s back, what he saw now was the woman’s front. And the woman’s face… It’s clearly master.
“What were you doing?”
At that time, Siani came in. Redian unknowingly took a step back from the painting.
“It’s nothing.” He felt like he was caught staring blankly at a woman.
“Why didn’t you eat any cake or snack? I prepared it for you.” Siani asked, looking at the desserts left on the table.
“…I don’t like it.” Redian sighed softly.
“Um, then, should I give you some candy? Is that your favorite?”
“Princess.”
Siani burst out laughing as if she was enjoying teasing him. Her face, with lightened makeup, looked gentle.
“Fortunately, my father didn’t say much. I said it happened while I was trying to save the royal princess, and he praised me for doing a good job.” Siani murmured as if she had calmed down. “I can take you out from time to time in the future.”
Then she lifted her hair and tied it up. Her golden hair, which had flowed down to her waist, was sorted out, revealing her delicate neckline.
“…”
Redian quietly looked at that figure.
Siani, who was wearing a glamorous dress, had changed into a light and simple one-piece dress. She wore it because it was comfortable and not cumbersome, but it showed off the lines of her body…
What on earth? Suddenly, Redian thought. How old does this woman see him?
“Well, as I said earlier, I have something to tell you. Should I say it’s a request or an order?”
This time, it was her earrings. With her hair tied up, Siani was seen in the mirror taking off her earrings.
“I don’t know how you’ll take my words.”
When that fact started to bother him, he couldn’t really hear what Siani was saying. She naturally tied her hair and removed her accessories as if it wasn’t enough to let herself alone with him in this bedroom.
“There will be no turning back now.”
This time, he had a different thought. What on earth is she looking at him as? Is she really looking at him like a dog wagging its tail towards its owner? Despite the fact that they’re only a few years apart anyway.
“So I want you to cooperate.”
“Say it.” Redian opened his mouth in a slightly subdued voice.
“Before that…”
Siani turned around and looked at Redian. Her red eyes looked him up and down slowly.
“Take off your clothes and lie down.”
Ugh. That loser’s plan better not last long. If Irik doesn’t come forward to expose her plot and clear Siani’s name—I hope he gets kicked out from the family too.
Thanks for updating <3