Episode 57

“…Pardon?”

I widened my eyes in surprise.

“You are the one and only person who is precious to me in my entire life.”

His face showed no hint of deceit, leaving me more flustered than before for even asking.

Once again, he was confusing me.

Ludwig had always shown me kindness and affection, which he had called friendship.

But if a friend looked at you with such eyes, it was hard not to misinterpret it.

“…Thank you for thinking of me that way. It doesn’t feel bad to be someone’s special person, even if it’s just for a moment.”

Even though it was a fleeting sentiment, to be honest, it made me feel a certain way.

“I’ll also do my best to be a friend you can trust and rely on, Ludwig.”

I made sure to emphasize the word “friend” as I smiled and turned away.

There seemed to be an invisible line between us that I knew I shouldn’t cross.

And every time, I found myself turning back before stepping over it.

This time was no different.

“The wind has gotten quite cold. Let’s head back inside, Ludwig.”

“……”

“Ludwig?”

I turned back to look at him when he didn’t respond.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“It seems I’ll need to make some adjustments to my plans.”

“…Plans?”

Ludwig didn’t answer my question, instead offering me an enigmatic smile.

Was it just my imagination, or did his gaze seem even more intense as he looked at me?

* * *

Time passed swiftly, and before long, two weeks had gone by since the Emperor’s birthday celebration.

The Grand Duchy welcomed its new master.

A tapestry embroidered with the black lion, the symbol of Karsian, fluttered above the throne.

Pessel Karsian looked down at the only son left behind by the woman he had once loved, who now knelt before him.

Among the people watching the succession ceremony from below, the Elders Council that once bound him was nowhere to be seen.

Most of them were imprisoned, and some were on the run, being actively hunted.

Ludwig had filled the void with capable retainers, turning them into his own loyal followers.

It finally felt like the beginning of the reign he had long dreamed of.

As Pessel looked at Ludwig, standing proudly before him despite all the prejudice about being a descendant of the Hilten tribe, he briefly thought of a woman.

‘Charmay, our son has grown so strong. Unlike me… He resembles you more than I thought.’

He had been a weak Grand Duke, a puppet dancing to the tune of the Elders Council, a role he never wanted.

And in the end, it was his son, Ludwig, who severed that string and set him free.

“Thank you.”

Pessel whispered, and Ludwig flinched at the words.

Hoping the meaning of those simple words had been conveyed, Pessel then spoke loudly.

“Ludwig Karsian, in accordance with the will of the heavens, accept the sword and take your place as the proud Grand Duke of Karsian.”

As Ludwig received the ceremonial sword from Pessel, the Archbishop, standing as a witness to the sacred rite, raised the Holy Grail high.

A wave of applause erupted from the hall.

Ludwig had finally become the Grand Duke.

It was a rightful and just succession, without a single drop of bloodshed.

Even those who had avoided Ludwig because of the negative image spread by the Elders Council could no longer look down on him.

Next, the retainers of Karsian knelt one by one before the young Grand Duke, swearing their loyalty.

Among them, Sierra noticed a man with striking red hair.

It was Raven Fidelus, the leader of Queensbury, rarely seen at official events.

He knelt before Ludwig, kissing the back of his hand in a pledge of fealty as his vassal.

Just as Ludwig had promised, Sierra would soon have a private meeting with Raven.

Everything was proceeding as she had anticipated.

Well, almost everything.

Two weeks earlier, on the Emperor’s birthday.

As the cold wind brought an end to their walk, Ludwig had said to Sierra,

[If you achieve your ultimate goal through Queensbury, could you grant me a small favor in return?]

[Ludwig’s wish? Of course!]

She had agreed without much thought, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that Ludwig’s eyes weren’t focused on anything “small.”

‘What could it be?’

It gave her an uneasy feeling, as if it were something even the wealth of Drenihan couldn’t solve.

As she recalled that memory, Sierra glanced at Ludwig, who was now receiving the oaths of his retainers. Their eyes met.

He smiled brightly at her, a smile so breathtaking and otherworldly that the room buzzed with excitement.

“Did he just smile at me?”

“No, he was looking at me.”

“I just want to capture that face on canvas.”

“I won’t just dream about it. As soon as I return home, I’ll be sending a marriage proposal to the Grand Duchy.”

“Don’t even mention it. The Grand Duchy is already overwhelmed with proposals.”

“Unbelievable. Just a few months ago, everyone was avoiding the young Grand Duke.”

Now, he was a man that everyone envied and desired.

At that moment, Ludwig, having completed the succession ceremony, stepped down from the platform and walked toward one particular person.

That person was none other than Sierra Drenihan.

Ludwig knelt before her and kissed the back of her hand.

“The glory of Karsian will always be with you.”

There was an old tradition in the Empire.

Immediately after the succession ceremony, the successor would seek out the person they held most dear and pay them homage with a kiss on the hand.

Typically, this gesture was directed toward the former head of the family, a senior family member, or a mentor.

“L-Ludwig?”

He looked up at Sierra with a deep smile.

It was a moment where he imprinted his name onto her life, making it clear that no one else could lay claim to her.

It was a selfish emotion, perhaps.

But if he just stood by idly, she could fly away from him at any moment, like a free bird.

[It seems I need to adjust my plans.]

Despite his earlier resolution to approach her slowly so she wouldn’t flee, Ludwig found himself already desiring Sierra.

* * *

“I was so surprised when you approached me.”

I sipped the warm tea in Ludwig’s study, still a bit flustered from earlier. Ludwig had been smiling, seemingly in good spirits since the ceremony.

Wearing his gold-rimmed glasses, he had been reviewing documents related to the succession but now set them aside as he spoke.

“I still can’t forget the surprised look on your face, Sierra.”

“You’ve been saying that since earlier,” I replied, half-pouting, as I watched him chuckle.

If I could, I would love to see the expression I had at that moment.

It was practically an announcement that I was under the protection of the Grand Duke of Karsian, in front of everyone. In fact, I was likely talked about even more than Ludwig, the star of today’s ceremony.

The expression of homage during the succession ceremony had to be directed at someone—it was tradition and procedure.

But if I thought about it, who else could Ludwig have chosen? No one came to mind.

If Rachel had been there, it might have been different, but as a commoner, she couldn’t attend the succession ceremony.

‘If not Rachel, then maybe Ludwig’s father?’

But imagining Ludwig paying homage to the former Grand Duke, who he didn’t particularly respect, was out of the question. The elder members of the family were all imprisoned in the royal dungeons.

So that left… perhaps a mentor?

‘Could I really be considered a mentor…?’

Well, in any case, it seemed I was the only option left for him.

Ludwig was now seated directly in front of me, looking at me with a focused gaze.

I had never seen anyone wear gold-rimmed glasses so well.

His perfectly groomed black hair, flawless skin, and those golden eyes that gleamed like jewels—all of it added up to an impossibly handsome man sitting in front of me, watching me intently as if I were some kind of art.

“Wh-what is it?”

Was there something on my face? Why was he looking at me like that?

Suddenly, he stood up from the sofa and slowly approached me.

“……??”

What is he doing?

He came so close that I could feel his breath against my skin, and instinctively, I shut my eyes tight.

When nothing happened, I cautiously opened my eyes to see Ludwig standing right in front of me, smiling warmly.

He gently brushed a strand of my hair and then said,

“There was a leaf stuck in your hair.”

In his hand, he held a tiny leaf.

“Huh? When did that get there?”

I hadn’t even been in the garden today, so how did it get there? It felt almost supernatural.

“Th-thank you.”

I was so flustered that I felt like my breath had caught in my throat.

But more than that, this felt like déjà vu.

This was exactly the kind of move I had used on him in the carriage last time.

[It’s a surefire way to see if someone is paying attention to you!]

I suddenly recalled Viet’s enthusiastic words.

‘Could it be… Ludwig?’

He returned to his documents, his expression noticeably brighter than before.

He really was an unpredictable man.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

“It seems our guest has arrived.”

Ludwig said, rising from his seat.

Moments later, Raven Fidelus, the leader of Queensbury, entered the room.