‘…It must be done.’
Even though his resignation was confirmed, he was still the butler of the Duchy. Especially regarding such a critical matter, it couldn’t be overlooked. The butler swallowed the burning sensation in his throat and began to speak.
“Uh, Your Grace.”
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“Actually, I have something to tell you about the Prince.”
“Well.”
I’d like to recommend that you refrain from unnecessary meddling, myself.
Rutus’s voice, which had softened a moment ago as he ordered him out, turned sharp again. The warning was clear: if you want to extend your life, don’t cross the line.
At that, the butler bowed his head. The shiny toes of his well-maintained shoes filled his field of vision.
“…I have a story I heard from the Prince’s personal maid.”
If it were just that, he wouldn’t risk his life by opening his mouth any further.
“However, I have also witnessed it myself… I judged that it was right to tell you, Your Grace. I apologize.”
The butler replied in a firm voice. In the past, Rutus might have even cut off his head in one breath, saying that even this was out of line. However…
Something was definitely wrong with the ducal family. The butler finally confirmed the uneasiness he had always carried with him.
He had always hoped that his master, whom he had watched over since he was a baby, would stand up on his own feet and overcome his pain.
Although he had made the wrong choices and tried to escape in the middle, his expectation that he would soon be on the right track had long gone awry. It was right to turn him around a little before it was too late.
“…Go ahead, then.”
Seeing that the unyielding voice did not back down, Rutus finally sighed and spoke. He looked noticeably tired.
“When I went to the annex to see the young master as per your orders, I witnessed a strange scene.”
“A strange scene?”
“Yes. As I was about to open the door and enter, I heard a voice. Upon checking, I saw the Prince calling for the Madam in the air…”
“……”
“He was crying, asking her not to leave. Even though there were other people around, he seemed to be staring at the air, not a person, suggesting he might have been seeing things…”
At the butler’s words, Rutus placed his forehead on his interlaced fingers and fell into thought.
The butler watched Rutus’s reaction carefully and continued his story.
“Also, according to the young master’s dedicated maid, there was a small birthday party the day before, and during that time…”
“Did he see something again?”
“…No, he was looking for you, Your Grace.”
“…Me.”
Rutus’s eyebrows twitched in surprise at the unexpected answer.
Seeing Rutus display an expression other than irritation or anger was rare. The butler nodded briefly up and down at him.
“Yes. But it wasn’t just calling for you. When a flowerpot he had been taking care of for about a week broke, he cried and said—”
“……”
“‘I didn’t take care of it properly, so now Daddy won’t come.'”
As the butler recounted these words, he recalled what he had heard from Mari.
The young master had been caring for a flower of the same type that the late duchess had cherished. Moreover, the maid’s additional comment troubled him.
“…The young master also said, ‘Even if Your Grace doesn’t like him, he will like the flower because the Madam did, so he was planning to give it to you.'”
“……”
“The maid speculated that he believed if he kept the flower that the Madam liked, Your Grace would come to see him—”
“I understand. You may leave now.”
“…The young master is still very young. He seems to need your presence—”
“—That’s not for you to interfere with.”
Don’t mistake my leniency for a promise of future tolerance. How long must I put up with your insubordination?
Crack.
As Rutus spoke in a low, threatening voice, he cut off the Butler’s words.
Amid the awkward silence that filled the office, an unusual sound echoed in their ears. The butler, quickly searching for the source, froze in place.
‘…Just by applying a bit of pressure with his elbow, he cracked that desk?’
It seemed impossible. The desk in the office was crucial, given the endless workload typical of the ducal household. A broken desk would severely hamper work efficiency.
Thus, the desks in the Duke and Duchess’s offices were specially reinforced with mithril alloy, making them highly resistant to damage.
Yet, here Rutus was, cracking it as if it were a frail twig.
“……”
The butler swallowed hard, staring at the desk that was now covered in cracks radiating from Rutus’s elbow.
Seeing the desk on the verge of collapse, he was reminded of the sheer monstrous power of the Swordmaster standing before him.
The butler, feeling suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere, staggered as he inhaled. Rutus, looking at him coldly, spoke with a voice strained by bulging veins.
“Do not overstep your bounds.”
“……”
“Leave.”
“…Yes.”
The butler couldn’t add another word and retreated. He knew that if he persisted, he might end up just like the desk before him.
TL/N: LMAO.
* * *
After the butler left, Rutus remained motionless in his seat before leaning back and resting his head on the chair. He covered his eyes with the back of his hand, finally noticing the throbbing headache.
His mood had been unsettled all day, probably due to his restless sleep, and the reports brought to him were anything but normal. Moreover, the butler’s last remarks grated on his nerves.
“……”
He said the child was looking for his mother.
On a broad scale, this was not an unusual report. The child wouldn’t remember his infancy and wouldn’t know any better, but even without full understanding, a sick child might instinctively seek his mother.
While the idea that the child had planned something absurd simply out of a desire to see me was unexpected, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
The small, fragile figure that could be cradled in his hands—there could be no one else the child would call “mother.”
But,
‘Of all times.’
The timing was rather coincidental.
He recalled when he had ordered the butler to check on the child’s annex after waking up at dawn. If the butler’s report was true, it meant the child had seen an apparition around the same time Rutus had dreamed of Ellie.
And both focused on the same person.
“Is it just a coincidence….”
Ellie, pleading tearfully about the child’s sickness in his dream. Then, confirming the child was indeed ill when he sent someone to check. And both thinking of the same person at nearly the same time.
…Can all of this be mere coincidence?
Rutus felt an inexplicable, eerie sensation, which he tried to ignore, biting his lip until it hurt.
The sharp pain helped him regain some composure.
‘Just a foolish thought.’
He knew such occurrences were rare but not extraordinarily special. It was all due to the strange dream he had at dawn. Normally, he wouldn’t assign much significance to it, but now it was making him irrationally conjecture.
Rutus applied pressure to his dangling arm, took a deep breath as he sensed the metallic taste of blood at his nose.
He must have bitten his lip hard enough to draw blood, the faint taste of it lingering in his mouth.
‘I thought I had gotten used to the smell of ink these past few days.’
Having been too busy processing documents to train in the practice yard, he had temporarily forgotten the smell. It was a scent he had become sick of during years on the battlefield.
Still, he felt this suited him better than any useless sentimentality.
Rutus rose from his chair and headed to the couch in one corner of the office, where he had been sleeping since returning to the mansion. He couldn’t bring himself to set foot alone in the room filled with memories of Ellie.
“…….”
I should just sleep.
Assuming his excessive thoughts were due to lack of proper rest, Rutus lay down on the couch, staring at the ceiling.
Paradoxically, in an office deliberately cleared of any trace of Ellie, Rutus found himself remembering a time from the past.
Whether it was due to the strange dream or his child who reportedly cried while looking for him and Ellie.
Or perhaps to chastise himself for being stupid and helpless during such dire situations.
The truth was known to no one. Not even Rutus, who was forcing himself to close his eyes, was an exception.
* * *
“Rutus, shall we go for a walk today?”
“It’s still too cold. And you’re not feeling well, so going outside might not be a good idea…”
“No! I actually feel quite good today. Look, I slept in late and finished all my breakfast, even had dessert?”
“But—”
“Look, the flowers outside are in full bloom! The baby has been cooped up inside because of me too. Staying indoors all the time isn’t good for health.”
“…Alright, but just for a short while. Promise we’ll only walk around the garden in front of the manor. Let me know if you feel tired.”
“Okay!”
Despite usually having poor health and struggling to sleep deeply, that day Ellie slept soundly until late morning.
Perhaps because of that, she felt exceptionally well, finishing a meal she normally couldn’t complete.
When they finally went outside, the weather was warmer than expected, and they ended up spending over an hour enjoying the fresh air.
Even their usually quiet child seemed delighted by the rare outing, drooling and sparkling with excitement.
When they returned to the mansion, the child was still so excited that both Rutus and Ellie broke into a sweat trying to calm him down.
Rutus remembered every detail of that day, even though it had been years. Having replayed it in his mind countless times, it was only natural.
“Are you sleepy?”
“Hmm, no.”
“You say no, but your eyes are drooping.”
“Oh, is it obvious?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe it’s because I woke up late. I don’t really want to sleep just yet…”
With a drowsy voice, Ellie smiled dreamily, her eyes half-closed.
Rutus lay beside her, gently gathering and tidying her disheveled hair.
“Still, you should sleep. Look, the baby is already sleeping soundly.”
“Well, the baby is a baby, so of course he’s asleep by now. Besides, he never fusses about sleeping.”
“Even so, if we keep talking, we’ll wake him up for sure.”
“…Is his sleep that light?”
“Not exactly… But since you’re holding him on your chest, he probably feels the vibrations when we talk.”
Oh, then there’s no choice. Ellie shrugged slightly, seeming a bit disappointed but also satisfied as she closed her eyes.
That day,
Looking back, it was an oddly perfect day.
So perfect that it’s surprising he didn’t notice sooner.
Rutus pondered. Was the problem that he forced Ellie to sleep despite her reluctance, or that he didn’t stop her from spending so much time outside enjoying the fresh air?
Or maybe the issue was allowing her to eat too much when her stomach had shrunk from not eating properly for a while.
Despite countless reflections, he still couldn’t find a definitive answer.
So, it must have been his fault.
“Ellie?”
Finding you breathless the very next day…
* * * *
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