“Look, this is what has become of my son!”
My steps halted as I was heading to the dressing room to change clothes.
“Only a few days in the duchy, and he’s ended up like this!”
Okereman’s voice rang out in the central hall.
“…devil, I swear I saw a devil.”
His son, Jeff, was sprawled on the floor, his hair disheveled.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“That’s, he keeps saying he saw a devil.”
“What?” I asked, looking down, and Daisy whispered back quietly.
“He’s been like that since the day before the council meeting, couldn’t even attend yesterday’s meeting, and he’s still like this today.”
The day before the council meeting was the day of the banquet.
A devil, he says?
Thinking about it, Jeff’s condition was definitely odd. Just a while ago, he was all haughty, boasting about his so-called superiority, and now…
“A devil, it was definitely a devil!”
He seems really out of his mind.
His pale face looked like he had been haunted by nightmares for days. Why had he suddenly changed like this after bringing Ash over for a night of drinking at the banquet?
“It’s been creepy since they started talking about that strange skin disease.” Okereman looked down at his son with pity.
“As you’ve seen, my son was perfectly fine. But this has happened ever since he came to this duchy!” He burst out angrily at the duke.
“Why are you blaming me for your son’s madness?” The duke shrugged his shoulders as if to say he had said nothing wrong. His straightforward manner was truly that of a military man.
“Indeed, this is why people say this duchy is cursed.”
I watched them from the staircase for a while.
“So, not only people are dying. Now we have filthy disease and madness!”
Really, Okereman seemed more despicable the more I saw of him. Clearly, he had gone mad from jealousy that his younger brother had inherited the duchy.
“And now, your young daughter, what does she know to be granting her the power to punish the high-ranking vassal?”
It seemed he still had some sense left not to gossip in the hallways, but even that seemed to have flown out the window. Considering his son had become like this, I tried to understand him, but…
“You’re determined to destroy Felicite! Didn’t that’s why you cursed Father, and then a devil appeared!”
He’s getting worse. I was starting to get irritated by his words.
“Uncle, what’s happening?”
As I descended into the central hall, Okereman glared at me, his eyes sparking with fury.
“Ah, I heard him bring Ash to the banquet the other day and drink all night, leading to this mess.”
“I saw it, I tell you.”
I clicked my tongue at Jeff, who was muttering like someone possessed. “I heard he drank so much that the light in the west building never went out all day.”
“…You!” Okereman bit his lip, glaring at me. “You, a girl who’s always been cooped up in the inner mansion, wouldn’t understand. Men discuss important matters over drinks. What do you know?”
“That’s right. Considering how much trouble the maids tending to Jeff went through because of the important matters you had, it’s astonishing.”
Jeff’s record, as noted in Obelo’s ledger, was impressive. He was the number one person the maids avoided due to his filthy habits.
“Old habits die hard, as they say…” I shook my head. “I even warned my maids to stay away from the west building when Jeff was around.”
“What? Watch your mouth. Jeff is your cousin, the eldest grandson of our Felicite ducal family.”
Yeah, right. I wanted to ignore him, but dealing with these types required a different approach.
“How shamelessly the eldest grandson of Felicite has lived…”
Rather, it was best to counter him with logic.
“Coming for the council meeting only to throw a drunken feast.”
I muttered, looking down at the disheveled Jeff. “If the late grandfather knew his grandson was behaving like this, he would be deeply saddened.” Adding a sneer at the end always made it more effective.
“You, this…!”
“And the reason I stripped Mathun of his vassal status.” I cut Okereman off before he could say more. “Numerous anonymous letters were found in Mathun’s house.”
For a moment, the fierce look in his eyes wavered.
“Everything about our duchy was being leaked to someone. From the new servants’ information to visitors’ records and work schedules.”
I had already deduced from Obelo’s ledger. Mathun had been leaking information about the duchy to him.
“This should be enough reason to strip him of his vassal status, right?”
“…Cough.”
“And although I don’t know who exchanged letters with Mathun.” I smiled kindly. “I’ll be sure to inform you, Uncle, once I find out.”
“Cough, cough!” Okereman coughed awkwardly.
Having lived through n lifetimes, I had long discarded any Confucian notions of respect from the East. I couldn’t ignore his nonsense, even if he was my uncle.
“Aah! The devil is here!” Jeff screamed again, clutching his head.
“Too much drinking can make you hallucinate. Maybe it’s an addiction.”
“Every morning, cleaning up after him was hell. The place was a mess with bottles every day.”
As Jeff’s delusions worsened, even the servants began to murmur.
“The devil clearly said there’s his m-master in this mansion. The devil that serves the master here!”
Then, suddenly.
What? Master?
A familiar word caught my ear.
“Black eyes, as if born from darkness itself, everything black…”
“Shut up, Jeff!” Okereman couldn’t stand his son’s disgrace any longer.
Hmm, black eyes…?
Redian doesn’t have black eyes.
“My shoulder hurts so much. I won’t be able to speak any more!” Jeff writhed as if he had been beaten, clutching his shoulder.
And looking at him now, it reminded me of the kidnappers after being left alone with Redian… Could Redian have done something to Jeff?
No, that can’t be possible. Our Redian, afraid to even go outside alone, couldn’t have done that.
“Or could it be…!” Suddenly, Okereman glared at me sharply. “Those Norma wandering around the west building must have done this to our Jeff!”
“What nonsense.” I reflexively replied. “My children return to their quarters after the last training session at 6 p.m.”
I glanced at Aeron. “Right, Sir Aeron?”
“Yes? Yes! All Norma were confirmed to be asleep by 7:50 p.m..” Aeron, now strictly disciplined, answered. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
Good, Aeron was finally in sync with me.
“How can that be? How can grown men sleep at that time?” Okereman got angry as if telling him not to lie.
“Why not? My children are so gentle.”
“…What, what?”
“Unlike Jeff, they don’t drink alcohol, just enjoy jelly, chocolate, and candies.”
The central hall fell silent at my response. Everyone glanced at me with a mix of surprise and disbelief, but…
Well, let them. It wasn’t a lie, was it?
* * *
Bergman was waiting for me in the dressing room, holding a mannequin.
“This uniform has the same design and functionality as our knight order. However, regulations dictate that ladies must wear skirts, not trousers…”
At that moment, Bergman dramatically ripped apart the skirt portion of the mannequin with a flourish.
“Wow, unbelievable.”
The skirt was torn away in an instant, revealing trousers underneath.
“Though it appears to be a single dress from the outside, it’s actually a two-piece ensemble. This means trousers can be worn underneath, with a skirt draped over them like a banner.”
Regulations required women not participating in the competition to wear dresses. But given the unpredictability of circumstances, it was necessary to be prepared for anything. That’s why I had asked Bergman to think of a solution…
“You really are…” I slightly frowned as I looked at Bergman. “A once-in-a-century genius.”
Immediately, his face lit up with delight. Clearly, Bergman thrived on compliments.
.
“Wow, this really looks like a jacket with a skirt. It’s so cool.” Daisy, who had been watching alongside me, clapped and marveled.
The outfit, designed to match the knight order yet fashioned like a dress, was certainly unique. Especially since the skirt could be torn off if there was a need to run, it suited my needs perfectly.
“My goodness, you look like a female warrior, Milady!”
“Sniff, sniff.”
The maids cheered as I changed into the outfit. Meanwhile, Bergman seemed moved to tears by the transformation.
It’s understandable. Seeing my reflection in the mirror, I could see why their reactions were so enthusiastic. Given Siani’s cool demeanor, this style of dress suited me exceptionally well.
“What about the Norma?”
“They’ve all departed in carriages prepared for them. Ah, and as you instructed, Redian is waiting at the main gate.”
Nodding, I checked the dagger hidden inside my jacket once more. Now, truly, all preparations were complete.
♥ thanks