Edited

Episode 8

Igon, the Duke Rodore, participated in the war last spring after receiving the imperial order.

The Emperor sent an army citing the withdrawal of the alliance with the Dechido Kingdom, which bordered the empire, as a reason, and Igon led the vanguard.

Such a story was not in the novel.

Worried yet trying to ignore the anxiety that overwhelmed me, I thought the male protagonist wouldn’t die before the story even began.

Soon after Igon left, the deputy of the Duke’s mansion asked me to engage in social activities.

He was a loyal retainer of the Duke, a distant relative with the title of a viscount.

He was diligent and capable, smoothly handling the Duke’s external affairs in his absence.

However, a Duke was still a Duke.

So, Igon couldn’t refuse the tasks that he could refuse.

Though he could have been firm, facing the earnest plea from the matured adult with a lowered head, I had no choice.

Continuing to see each other often, I didn’t want things to become awkward.

I also sought advice.

I asked to decline invitations beyond tea parties, excluding congratulatory events, and requested proper social etiquette lessons.

That’s how I ended up being invited to several meaningless tea parties and banquets.

Fake smiles.

Appropriate responses.

Maintaining a suitable distance and drawing clear lines.

It was no longer difficult to read the true intentions behind people’s laughter.

Pretending not to be afraid of facing the ladies.

Pretending not to care about my own poverty.

I became quite skilled at pretending.

By the time these things started to become familiar, I had grown taller.

In a few more months, I would turn nineteen.

On the nearing promised unknown day, a nightmare that I had temporarily forgotten engulfed me once again.

Lately, in the mornings, I felt the chilling presence of impending death approaching.

At such a time, Igon was not by my side, and I had to bear my misfortune alone.

A month ago, news of victory arrived, but Igon had not returned.

Even after winning the war, there were still minor and complex diplomatic issues to deal with. As the Duke and the commander of the imperial army, Igon was the right person for the job.

Therefore, the day I would reunite with my dear fiancé was postponed to the next season.

The time apart has been prolonged, and I’m not sure if my goal of leaving a mark on Igon’s heart has succeeded or not.

Duke Rodore has not returned yet, and I had no certainty about whether he would reaffirm the promise he made last year.

“Lady, so what are your thoughts?”

She asked.

Pretending to think in response to the lady’s unheard question, I nodded slowly.

“The lady is correct.”

It was an appropriate response.

Lady seemed satisfied, smiling as if she had obtained my approval. I smiled back and turned my head.

A beautiful garden came into view.

The midday sun cast a radiant glow, and even the tree shadows on the lush blue grass seemed to sparkle.

It was a beautiful and fleeting spring.

* * *

It was a weary and sluggish afternoon.

I had been taking dance lessons all morning.

While I had received etiquette lessons before, dance lessons were unfamiliar to me, and using muscles I had never used before left me exhausted.

My feet were hot and throbbing.

I dipped them in cold water and sat down to read a book.

It was from a popular author these days, as they say.

Surprised by the considerable skill, I flipped through the pages, much like the romance novels I had read in my past life.

As I was engrossed, a maid entered.

“Miss, the viscount is looking for you.”

Suddenly me?

I tilted my head in confusion, but without questioning, I dressed appropriately.

No one would call me for trivial matters.

Entering the study used by the deputy, the viscount I had met for the first time looked a few years older than when we first met.

As he saw me entering, the viscount, now looking aged, stood up from his desk and gestured for me to take a seat at the table.

“I will prepare tea for you.”

“It’s okay. I’ve already had some.”

Upon my refusal, he sighed deeply and slumped into the seat opposite me.

“The Duke will return within a fortnight.”

A fortnight?

I was surprised by the much quicker arrival than expected.

Although I was surprised, Igon’s return was undoubtedly a good thing for both me and the viscount. However, his expression didn’t reflect that.

After silently staring at the viscount’s face, I ventured to speak.

“He’s arriving earlier than expected.”

“The Imperial Court will host a reception welcoming the victory of the war and the Duke’s return. Naturally, the lady should attend.”

Was that the reason for the summons?

Preparing for a reception was manageable.

Although I had never attended such a large-scale event, I had become accustomed to fitting in among the nobility.

However, his expression was excessively gloomy just for this reason.

“I’ll make the necessary preparations. Anything else to convey?”

The viscount let out a deep sigh.

He gestured to the servants in the room, and when they left, leaving only the two of us, the viscount massaged his temples for a while before speaking.

“The Duke has killed the king of Dechido.”

It wasn’t surprising.

Perhaps it was expected.

“Why…”

“And he exterminated the entire royal family.”

“What?”

I was so surprised that I almost bit my tongue.

Thoughts in my head became entangled.

While the Dechido Kingdom had played the card of alliance withdrawal, it wasn’t rebellion. The preemptive strike was from the Empire.

Even if the Emperor didn’t know, he wouldn’t have wished for the fall of that royal family.

“The situation has become complicated because of that. His Majesty hoped that the crown prince would succeed his father. No, he didn’t even wish for the king to die. He wanted to depose the king, elevate the crown prince, but the Duke…”

I pressed my temples.

Why?

Refusing to say words to protect Igon, I bit my lip.

I don’t know him well.

I couldn’t understand why he had undertaken such a significant action.

“I understand what you’re trying to say. The Duke is not the type to provoke Dechido for personal gain. However, what he possesses is more than we think. Not only the visible wealth and power but also the admiration of all the knights in the entire empire. Not just the empire, but the knights from all over. So, I don’t know how the Imperial Court will perceive this matter.”

Despite being incredibly wealthy and influential, Duke Rodore lived as if he had no greed for power.

He didn’t force successors, crushed rebellious ethnic groups on the harsh border, and stood at the forefront of every war in the Empire, yet he remained loyal to the Empire rather than the Imperial family.

While thinking about these things, my mind became chaotic.

I felt suffocated.

It was a moment of regret for refusing the tea.

If something warm could enter me, it might have made me feel a little better.

“What should I do in this situation?”

In response to my question, the viscount let out a deep sigh.

* * *

Igon’s posture at the forefront remained unchanged.

He had almost circled for three days with barely a break, yet there was no sign of exhaustion on his face.

As people and horses began to tire, a lieutenant approached the Duke and requested permission for rest.

The man’s face, as he spoke, seemed almost like that of a dying person.

Igon quietly looked down at his lieutenant for a moment and then nodded lightly.

Descending from his horse, he removed his helmet and washed his face in the stream.

Then, he gazed quietly at the path ahead.

His eyes, low in intensity, had no expression.

Eyes of admiration and reverence followed him.

Even without armor, when he sat, there was no noble better than him.

Even after such intense riding, there was no sign of fatigue.

It was as if he were not a person.

Not a monster, but too dazzling to be called one.

Whispers surrounded Igon.

“My Lord, the meal is ready.”

Without responding to the calling, he turned around.

In his slow walk, a head with thick-colored hair caught his eye.

He knew that color of hair.

His precious one, so lovely that he had the impulse to chew and swallow her.

The reason for this twist of events was partly because of her.

Igon recalled the last words spoken by the deceased king of Dechido.

‘Do you think we will forget such brutal violence? Do you think Dechido will let you go? We will make your parents and siblings just like us!!’

It was a familiar threat.

Even though there was almost nothing left to protect him, there were still those who tried to threaten him, as if he were someone who could still do something.

The old man was no different.

It was a ridiculous threat.

He didn’t lose his reason; on the contrary, what was once blurry became clearer.

‘Right. If you’re not going to forget or let it go, then I must make sure that you can’t do that.’