Episode 40

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“No, I’m the one who should apologize for making such an unreasonable request.”

Thud.

The fifth knight had just left.

Including the four before him, all these knights had served Chris faithfully for a long time.

As the fifth knight exited, Jade entered the Grand Duke’s office.

“Are you still searching?”

“Yes.”

“Give it up. Who in the North would want to serve as a bodyguard for someone from the Reinhardt family?”

“……”

Chris had been asking his trusted knights over the past few days if they could accompany Mindia Reinhardt as her escort when she went out.

Just thinking about the situation Mindia had been in made him feel a vague sense of dread. The mere thought of her throwing herself at a blade made his chest tighten, and his old wounds ached.

‘…Never again.’

He never wanted something like that to happen to her again.

The thought of her leaving in such a way, disappearing from his life, made his vision go dark, filling him with despair.

Chris attributed this feeling to the shock of potentially losing a carefully constructed alliance.

His offer to assign her a bodyguard was genuine.

He wasn’t one to beat around the bush, and neither were his knights the type to refuse with indirect excuses.

‘I’m afraid I can’t do it, Your Grace.’

‘Anyone but someone from Reinhardt, please.’

‘I acknowledge that the young lady took the poison meant for you, but honestly, wasn’t it her own doing?’

‘I suspect that her drinking from your cup that day was just another one of her usual tantrums. She probably ended up taking the poison by chance.’

Chris recalled the various refusals with a bitter smile and accepted their decisions. He wasn’t the kind of superior who forced people to do what they didn’t want to do.

‘It’s understandable since they don’t know Mindia.’

In hindsight, he realized that he had never properly explained to the people of the Grand Duchy what he and Mindia were plotting.

He had only hinted at it to his chief aide, Jade, but even Jade hadn’t seemed to fully believe him.

‘Mindia Reinhardt? Are you serious?’

Jade’s reaction had made it clear how they viewed this alliance.

Lately, some of the Northern knights had been showing signs of concern, wondering if their Grand Duke had fallen for a woman from the Reinhardt family.

Jade himself had voiced those worries directly.

“You went to get information from the Oracle and ended up cutting down thugs because of that woman, didn’t you?”

“Chris.”

“If it weren’t for that young lady, we could have already squeezed the Oracle dry…”

“You know better than anyone that’s impossible.”

Jade fell silent at Chris’s pointed remark.

No matter how powerful the Grand Duchy was, it couldn’t coerce or shake down an information guild like the Oracle. They were fortunate the Oracle hadn’t tried to infiltrate the Grand Duchy instead.

Moreover, the Oracle had moved its headquarters from Relm Street. The building they revisited later was empty.

Not long after, a note from the Oracle arrived at the Grand Duchy.

[If you can find us again, we’ll offer you something valuable.]

Chris had sighed when he read the note, but he wasn’t overly concerned.

He had already found the Oracle once. If necessary, he could find them again.

“Besides, don’t forget—it was Mindia who led us to the Oracle in the first place.”

Chris sternly reminded Jade, who then pouted slightly.

“Are you on such familiar terms that you’re calling her by name?”

“…It’s better than calling her Lady Reinhardt, isn’t it?”

Jade shot a glance at Chris, noticing the slight furrow in his brow—a sign that Chris was feeling a bit embarrassed, as Jade had learned over time.

“In any case, you won’t find anyone here willing to serve as Lady Reinhardt’s escort.”

Chris seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking again.

“I suppose there’s no other choice. I’ll have to escort her myself.”

“Oh, is that young lady so precious to you?”

“Wouldn’t you say she’s important?”

At Chris’s rhetorical question, Jade pursed his lips and remained silent.

Even if they weren’t sure if she was truly providing the information she claimed, the possibility made her important.

But there was something about Chris’s tone that felt ominous to Jade, a fellow Northerner.

Jade leaned in and whispered, just in case.

“If you end up bringing that young lady into the Grand Duke’s estate, there will be an uproar.”

Chris, understanding the concerns of Jade and the other retainers of Elzerian, responded firmly, making it clear there would be no compromise.

“Prepare yourselves for that possibility.”

“Your Grace…”

“We’re allies, pretending to be lovers. It wouldn’t make sense not to have her visit the estate.”

It would be odd for a couple not to make personal visits to each other’s homes. Chris thought this was only natural.

“Besides, I’ve already visited the Reinhardt estate. By that logic, I should be the one to be scolded first.”

“That’s different, isn’t it? Going into enemy territory and bringing the enemy into our land are two entirely separate things.”

“……”

Despite hearing those words, Chris’s mind wandered, picturing Mindia standing inside the Grand Duke’s estate in the North.

He imagined her standing in the hallway, which was designed in the Northern style, similar to parts of the Grand Duke’s castle.

In his mind, Mindia was draped in a fur cloak, the kind often worn in the North—a violet cloak, the color resembling his own eyes.

Mindia stood quietly, then looked at him and smiled.

– I’ve always wondered what the North is like.

Once again, a voice mingled with the stale scent and the smell of blood echoed in his mind.

The sound of clinking chains reverberated like a chorus. But it no longer bothered him.

– It’s beautiful.

“…….”

Chris flinched at the realization that the imagined Mindia fit so seamlessly into the Northern surroundings.

Even her ash-gray hair resembled the snowy, gray skies of the North.

“Your Grace.”

It was at that moment that one of the servants of the Grand Duke’s estate entered the room.

“You have a visitor.”

* * *

“Is this the right place?”

I stood still, gazing up at the building in front of me.

Even though it was a townhouse in the capital, the use of the rugged Northern architectural style was prominent.

It was fitting for the Elzerian Grand Duke’s residence in the capital.

The carriage that had brought me quickly departed.

The coachman had driven the horses with a grim expression, as if the sight of a Reinhardt family carriage parked in front of the Grand Duke’s estate was an insult.

As I approached the main gate, the gatekeepers immediately turned their attention to me.

I sensed a faint hostility from them and calmly spoke.

“Mindia Reinhardt is here to see His Grace, the Grand Duke.”

As I spoke, I deliberately fiddled with the necklace Chris had given me. It served as a signal of sorts.

“Please come in.”

The gate opened shortly after. Just as I was about to step inside, Chris himself walked out.

He was already properly dressed for an outing.

“Your Grace.”

‘Could it be that he was about to leave when I arrived?’

I was starting to feel awkward, thinking I had come at the wrong time, when Chris slowly extended his hand toward me, as if to escort me.

“I was just coming out to go out with you.”

“…….”

“I would have invited you inside, but the knights aren’t very fond of the idea.”

That was to be expected.

Even if it wasn’t the Grand Duke’s main castle in the North, the loyalists of the North would never be pleased with a member of the Reinhardt family stepping into the Grand Duke’s residence.

The relationship between Reinhardt and Elzerian was still far from amicable. I understood their hostility well.

“It’s fine. That’s understandable.”

“I hope I can invite you in another time.”

His words made me feel a bit strange. After all, Chris had gone to the trouble of preparing for an outing just to accommodate me in this situation.

I recalled the last time I had seen him—when he had killed unnecessarily because of me.

Instinctively, I checked Chris’s expression, worried that he might still be angry about it.

But there was no trace of the displeasure that had marred his face before. I cautiously spoke up.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“There’s no need to feel that way.”

At that moment, a carriage from the Grand Duke’s estate pulled up in front of us. It was a rather modest carriage. For a moment, I considered suggesting that they hide the Grand Duke’s insignia, but I decided against it.

The more our meetings were known, the better—it was advantageous for them to be seen.

“Please, take my hand.”

Chris lightly escorted me into the carriage. As we touched briefly, I felt a lukewarm warmth in my hand. I quickly wrapped my other hand around it to cover the sensation.

Once we were both seated, the carriage began to move slowly. I took a deep breath and spoke.

“There are two things I need to tell you.”

The violet eyes across from me met mine slowly.

“I’m listening.”

“…A debutante ball is going to be held at the Duke’s estate soon.”

“Is it for you?”

“Of course not. I had mine years ago.”

“…I don’t recall hearing about a debutante ball being held at the Duke’s estate.”

“I attended a formal debutante ball along with others. The Duke’s estate didn’t hold one just for me.”

It wasn’t a pleasant memory. I smiled bitterly as I continued.

“In any case, this debutante is entirely for Aria. It’s her debutante ball.”

I watched Chris’s expression closely as I mentioned Aria’s name, curious about how he would react.

‘What if he smiles like before?’

If he showed that kind of smile…

I felt a strange tension, but Chris showed no particular reaction. He simply nodded, signaling for me to continue.

“Since she’s been living outside the capital and hasn’t had a formal debutante, they’re taking this opportunity to hold one for her.”

“Yes, that’s right. It will be quite a significant event within the Duke’s estate.”

I took a deep breath and handed Aria’s letter to Chris.

“This is a letter from her, addressed to you, Your Grace.”