An angel-shaped statue came into view right before our eyes as we ascended the staircase. It was undoubtedly the work of a renowned sculptor, intricately detailed down to the feathers on its wings. It was the kind of work that naturally deserved to be called a masterpiece.
“The room at the far right end from here is Veniat’s workshop. He has a hobby of hunting and taxidermy, so it’s filled with animals inside.”
“Ah, I see…”
So that’s why Theo had mentioned something like ‘on the far right, from in front of the angel’ as if it were a riddle. The Duke nodded in response as if answering me, and turned left after the statue.
He led me down the corridor and into the parlor. I followed suit.
We took our seats at the table and shortly after maids appeared carrying trays laden with all sorts of luxurious treats. They began piling an array of delicacies onto the table—various-colored macarons, cakes adorned with strawberries, and cute-shaped cookies, among others.
I marveled at the slice of cake in front of me. Strawberries are out of season! Right now, they cost five times more than during their season!
Come to think of it, Ren really loves strawberries. I wish I could take some home to feed him.
I carefully picked up my fork and began to cut into the strawberry cake. However, the Duke sitting across from me ignored the desserts and sipped his tea instead.
Is something bothering him? How can he drink tea before touching the cake?
As I discreetly glanced at him, he seemed to feel my gaze and met my eyes. After taking a sip of tea, he calmly set down his teacup and then spoke quietly.
“…Not many people knew about the Marquis having an illegitimate child. It is also a well-kept secret that the child who perished in the great fire at Carsen was that child.”
He said this, now gazing at the gently rippling tea. I watched him, no longer focusing on the strawberry cake decorations.
“…”
“It’s not forbidden to have a mistress in this country, but it’s not exactly a story one would positively associate with, right? It’s a matter of the Marquis’s reputation and honor.”
“…”
“It wasn’t until almost a decade after I became friends with Veniat that I heard he had a brother who died in a fire. Despite the time that had passed, he always seemed quite fond of his brother whenever he talked about him. Perhaps it’s because he was his brother that time couldn’t erase his memories of him.”
The ripples in the tea subsided, and the Duke’s eyes shone. Somehow, I felt like I could glimpse his emotions through those sorrowful eyes.
“…”
“So… I don’t really know how to broach the subject of that child to Veniat.”
Starting such a conversation would be awkward. I couldn’t say anything. I wasn’t eloquent in the first place.
“Did you wait long?”
At that moment, the parlor door swung open and the Young Marquis entered. His cheerful voice inserted itself into our conversation.
“No.”
The Duke answered calmly while taking another sip of tea.
“So, what brings you here on a day I happen to be free?”
The Young Marquis asked as he approached and sat down next to me. I blinked in confusion and looked at him. He appeared as if he had just washed his face, with his bangs slightly damp. He turned his gaze to me, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Hello. You’ve come with Elias, I see.”
“Veniat.”
The Duke called him quietly, but the Young Marquis didn’t even glance at the Duke, his eyes fixed on me.
“What?”
By the way… He has really nice skin.
I was embarrassed but I didn’t know how to react, so I just sat there in a daze.
“Why are you sitting over there? Come here.”
The Duke said with a small sigh, gesturing to his side of the table with his chin.
That was right. In truth, it was ridiculous to have a Young Marquis sitting next to me, the daughter of a Baron. There was a proper seat for him. It would be different if we were public lovers, but this wasn’t the case.
“Your hair color is unique. Do you dye it?”
“Oh… no.”
“It’s your natural color? Your hair is really pretty.”
He ignored the Duke’s words and kept talking to me.
Strange. They look exactly the same, but… is this person really Theo’s brother, the one I saw in Theo’s memories? Their vibe was entirely different.
“Thank you…”
I nodded slightly in response.
“Lord Carsen, please sit here,” the Duke said in a subdued tone.
The sudden formality hung heavily in the parlor’s atmosphere. The Young Marquis, who had been momentarily startled, shrugged his shoulders and stood up. Seating himself next to the Duke, he asked.
“Alright, what’s this all about?”
“…”
The Duke didn’t immediately respond. No, he couldn’t. Perhaps he felt conflicted, not knowing how to start or what to say.
“What? Is something going on?”
The Young Marquis asked, puzzled.
“Veniat, your brother, the one you told me about before. You said his name was Theo, didn’t you?”
“…Yes. What about him?”
“He’s in my mansion.”
“…”
“He wants to meet you.”
“…”
A long silence followed. I watched them, holding my breath. Finally, the Young Marquis furrowed his brows and frowned.
“…What are you talking about?”
“Ven.”
“Are you talking about those invisible beings you’ve been talking about since you were a child? I sympathized with you back then because we were children. But you haven’t mentioned them since we became adults, so why are you bringing this up now?”
“…My words may sound ridiculous, but…”
“Elias.”
The Young Marquis stood up abruptly, his expression turning cold.
“Talking to me about that dead child.”
“…”
“You’ve crossed the line.”
He turned and started to leave the parlor. The Duke couldn’t stop him and just stared down at the dark tea in his teacup with a distorted expression.
“The lion figurine!”
I shouted, jumping up without even realizing it because I thought that the Young Marquis would leave. He paused in his tracks.
“Lord Carsen… It was… a toy in the shape of a lion carved out of wood.”
I stammered. He didn’t turn back to look at me, but it seemed he was listening.
“You… gave Theo a lion figurine, didn’t you…?”
The Young Marquis walked to the door without saying a word. His movements seemed unnaturally stiff, and I felt like I had touched a raw nerve by mentioning his brother’s name.
He slowly pushed open the parlor door but didn’t immediately step outside.
“Elias, stay here for tonight. Mother and Father are very happy about your visit.”
Saying this, he finally left. With a soft thud, the door closed, leaving only the Duke and myself in the drawing room.
“…Did I make a mistake?”
“No…”
The Duke replied, rubbing his forehead.
“I’m sorry, but would it be alright if we stayed here for tonight?”
“Yes. That’s fine.”
I quickly nodded.
• • • • • • •
“How did Miss Laura end up at Covozhalden?”
The Marchioness asked me at the dinner table with a gentle voice.
“I heard that they were looking to hire at the Ducal mansion, and I applied.”
“I see. I’m glad to hear he’s hiring people now.”
She responded with a smile and pointed towards the Duke as she spoke.
“He tends to do everything alone. There have been times when the Crown Prince tried to send help, but he insisted on managing things himself even though it’s not good for him to do it all by himself.”
The Duke chuckled lightly.
“I’m sorry to have worried you.”
The Marquis chimed in.
“It’s fine. We don’t have to worry about you anymore. You have an aide now.”
The atmosphere at the dining table seemed quite pleasant with the small talk exchanges. If someone didn’t know about the earlier tension between the Duke and the Young Marquis, they wouldn’t have noticed the subtle shift in the air between them.
I discreetly observed the Young Marquis sitting diagonally across from me as if checking his reaction. He was quietly eating, slicing his meat with slow movements.
Suddenly, he lifted his head and locked eyes with me. I found myself avoiding that gaze involuntarily.
“When did you start working with Elias?”
He asked me out of the blue. I looked at the Young Marquis again. He still had his gaze fixed on me.
“It’s been less than two weeks.”
“Oh, really?”
The Marquis’s wife exclaimed in surprise. After confirming my answer to her, I glanced at the Young Marquis once more.
He seemed entirely disinterested in the conversation he had initiated. He continued to eat slowly as if to say that he had finished discussing this part of the conversation.
“Our family has known His Grace for quite a while now. We first met that child when he was ten years old.”
The Marchioness continued.
“I see.”
“In fact, that child’s mother and I have been close friends for a long time. However, I couldn’t see her for a while after she got married and had a child. The baby wasn’t in good health, so she couldn’t engage in social activities much.”
“Really? I can’t imagine that. He looks perfectly healthy.”
I nodded and engaged in the conversation. The Duke appeared a bit tired, but overall, he seemed robust. He was tall and appeared to be in good health. It was hard to imagine him being so weak during his younger years that he required special care.
“My mother suffered a great deal because of me.”
The Duke replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
“It’s a relief that you’ve grown up like this now. Helena must be very happy.”
The Marchioness smiled; she seemed affectionate and somewhat talkative.
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