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The servants, who heard the situation from Kalt, exchanged glances with one another.
No one opened their mouth first.
To be more precise, it was more correct to say that they could not open them.
Silence settled inside the Duke’s mansion.
Agnes’s death became a secret known to everyone except the master of this mansion.
Simon swallowed his words several times as he tried to speak.
It was because Kalt, who was beside Lionel, shook his head very subtly.
In the end, the old butler closed his eyes with a sorrowful expression and answered.
“Understood. I will send a letter to Lady Agnes tomorrow.”
Like that. An awkward play began, granted a grace period of a few days.
A play that no one could enjoy or be happy about.
Lionel, who moved his body that had grown heavy due to moving recklessly and headed to the bedroom, took off his thick coat and looked for Simon again.
“Simon.”
“Yes, Duke.”
“Clean up and arrange the room in advance where Agnes will stay after the marriage.”
“Lady Agnes’s…… room.”
Simon, who received the coat, answered as naturally as possible.
“Then I will prepare it in the guest room.”
However, as if it was not the right answer, Lionel’s hand movements paused as he was unbuttoning his cuffs.
“Guest room?”
The blue gaze that slowly turned back to Simon sank coldly.
“What are you talking about. Why would Agnes stay in such a place.”
Simon thought, ‘Oh no.’
Because in the past, it was Lionel himself who instructed Agnes to stay in the guest room.
So, naturally, he only followed the order given back then, but Lionel’s reaction was different from the past.
Lionel was displeased, as if he himself had been insulted.
“Agnes is the person who will become the mistress of this mansion. Prepare it on the same floor as my room.”
“I am sorry, Duke. I made a mistake. I will prepare it without a hitch.”
Lionel, who knitted his brows, searched for his cigar case to shake off the displeasure.
Then he pressed his forehead.
It was because his vision momentarily blurred once again.
The wall and ceiling swayed like waves, moving further and then closer.
“…….”
Lionel, who put down the cigar case, roughly rubbed his eyelids and continued talking.
“And search for the wedding venue again. To a place without steps where a wheelchair can move comfortably. Ah, and do not lay down carpets either.”
The corners of Simon’s mouth trembled.
At Lionel’s words, it was because the image of Agnes, whose wheelchair wheels caught on the carpet and fell on her wedding day, came to mind.
That night when the wedding, which was unfortunate for both Lionel and Agnes, came to an end.
Lionel had stared for a long time at the military boot print stamped on the dress Agnes had taken off.
Simon could not forget Lionel on that night, who seemed like he would reach out over the trace he left, but ultimately could not touch it.
A sorrowful shadow settled over Simon’s face.
Perhaps his master had buried that event in his heart for much longer than he thought.
He felt like he knew the reason why every single order Lionel gave was different from the past.
Therefore, Simon could not dare to break this play.
“……Yes, I will do so with that as well.”
“Reduce the guests to a minimum too. No, it would not matter if they do not come at all.”
Failing to see Simon’s clouded expression, Lionel pressed the inner corners of his eyes with a little more force.
“Even if those old, stubborn people who think status is everything crowd in, it is obvious they will only blabber useless nonsense.”
Yes, that would be good.
Lionel muttered toward himself.
In any case, good words would not go back and forth, so there was no need to deliberately make Agnes listen to such bullshit.
“A simple wedding is not bad either. Is it not so?”
****
While Lionel was finding a false peace within the stopped time.
In the emperor’s office in the imperial palace, the sound of suppressing low laughter was spreading.
The Emperor was looking down at the knight of the Imperial Guard who was kneeling in front of him.
A long golden candle light fell over the knight who bowed his head deeply.
“Right. Did my younger brother leave comfortably?”
“As you ordered, I handled it so that there would be no trouble later.”
“Good work.”
The Emperor rolled the wine glass in his hand while lifting his cheekbones.
“Dear me, foolish things that covet my position keep appearing no matter how many times I strike them down. It means I am quite bothered too.”
The Emperor, who reflected the red shimmering wine under the light, held a sip of it and rolled it slowly inside his tongue.
The Emperor tilted his body sideways against the back of the chair and raised the corner of his mouth slyly.
“Still, Jerome, that foolish thing did a pretty nice thing at the end. Shooting Duke Valheim.”
“That is correct.”
“What is the Duke’s condition?”
“I confirmed that he returned to the Duke’s mansion after regaining consciousness. However, it seems his body is not yet complete.”
The Emperor’s cheekbones went up a little more.
“That is indeed welcome news among what I have heard.”
The Emperor gulped down the wine again.
However, as if it did not suit his taste this time, he suddenly crumpled his face severely and spat out the wine he was holding in his mouth to the side.
“It is uselessly sweet.”
The Emperor, who muttered while clicking his tongue, set down the glass with a clack.
“By the way, what was Jerome trying to do going to that far port?”
“He was looking for a ship heading to Marsen. As you expected, he seemed to be searching for the secret letter.”
In an instant.
Both of the Emperor’s eyes narrowed slenderly.
Like a hungry wolf that found prey.
“Then, does it mean the secret letter is in Marsen?”
“It is not certain, but the probability of that is high.”
“Does Duke Valheim seem to know as well?”
“Even that has not been confirmed, but I saw Duke Valheim’s adjutant looking for the Duchess on the list of passengers heading to Marsen.”
“Hmm? The Duchess?”
Inside his eye shape that was becoming narrower and narrower, the Emperor’s golden eyes gleamed strangely.
“It is quite an interesting story.”
The Emperor, who received a new wine glass brought out by the attendant, buried his body deeper into the throne.
“It seems I should send a person to Marsen after all. It seems there are many fun things there.”
In many ways.
Adding so, the Emperor held the new wine in his mouth.
***
“You are saying there is still no reply from Agnes?”
Lionel, who was trying on the completed formal dress on his body, narrowed the area around his eyes.
“Yes. Because it is right before the wedding, she must have been out of her mind with many things to prepare. I will try to contact her again.”
Simon spoke quickly, fearing that Lionel might personally go to the Bardo Trading Company.
“Alright.”
Fortunately, Lionel accepted Simon’s words.
Lionel, who was finishing tidying up the posture of his formal dress, opened his mouth again.
“Ah, and also. Take down all the articles regarding Agnes.”
“Lady Agnes’s articles…… you mean?”
“Right, arms trafficking or whatever. We cannot just leave such absurd rumors to keep circulating, can we.”
Lionel let out a chuckle.
The malicious articles regarding Agnes that the newspapers made a fuss about every day recently.
It was self-derision toward himself, who had been swayed by it even for a short while.
Recalling that he had poured sharp blame onto Agnes, who had just risen from her sickbed because of that, Lionel let out a sigh.
“There was one more thing I had to apologize for.”
Indeed, criticizing himself for busily committing terrible deeds in that short time, Lionel discovered Simon with a subtle expression.
“Why is your expression like that? Could it be that you believe the rumors about Agnes as they are?”
“……It is not that. However, it seems the Duke trusts Lady Agnes’s innocence very firmly……”
Lionel’s face, which was about to turn cold, relaxed somewhat.
“I believe it, of course.”
“May I ask…… why you are so certain?”
Simon knew this was not the proper duty of a butler, but his tongue was already moving.
In the past, he suspected Agnes no matter what he heard, yet now he showed such unconditional trust.
He wondered if that might be a result reflecting his current memories.
He asked because he wondered if this awkward play might end a little faster if Lionel realized that part.
However, regrettably, Lionel’s answer was different from Simon’s expectation.
“Because Agnes said it was not.”
“Pardon?”
“When I visited the trading company before, Agnes said those articles were not true. Therefore, it is not.”
Ending with those words, Lionel checked his appearance reflected in the mirror.
With a face full of certainty without a single shred of suspicion.
Thus, Simon had no choice but to bow his head deeply to avoid getting caught with his heavy heart.
“How is it. Would Agnes like it to this extent?”
“……I think she will like it.”
“That is a relief. Since it seems I have already made a terrible first impression, shouldn’t I at least look respectable at the wedding venue.”
A white snowflake collided against the large window beside Lionel, who was straightening the ornaments attached to his formal dress.
Outside the window, snow was falling.
Slowly, and quietly.
In the desolate landscape that seemed to swallow all the sounds of the world, the snowflake that touched the glass window failed to melt and left a faint trace.
Drawing a thin line like cracked glass.
Lionel unintentionally raised his head.
Looking at the line crossing the window, he felt a sense as if a crack was forming in something.
Lionel, who took his hand off the ornament, moved his steps to the window and looked down.
The garden was entirely submerged in white light.
Snow settled on every tree branch, making them drop their heads, and only stillness lay on top of the grass without a single footprint.
It was strange.
Clearly, the season to hold the wedding was not winter.
Lionel’s gaze stopped above the garden.
Himself dressed in formal clothes, and the snow-covered garden.
The two landscapes were running separately without interlocking.
Like cogs idling because they did not fit.
“…….”
“Duke? What are you looking at like that?”
Anxious at the lengthened silence, Simon approached cautiously.
Then Lionel slowly turned his head and looked at Simon.
Simon swallowed his breath
without realizing it.
It was because the atmosphere strangely emanating from Lionel became slightly different from a moment ago.
However, soon, as if nothing had happened, Lionel’s voice flowed out calmly.
“I must plant flowers in the garden. I cannot show Agnes such a desolate landscape.”
