Chapter 16

A troubled smile rose to Riandri’s lips.

As he fiddled with his innocent hair and dragged things out, Noel, unable to bear it any longer, spoke first.

“What on earth is the problem that you’re acting like this?”

Only then did Riandri reluctantly open his mouth.

“Ahem, ahem. Well, you see……apparently, it was stolen on the way to the imperial palace.”

“What?”

Noel looked at his sovereign with an incredulous look.

“How on earth did you manage things so poorly that such an important object was stolen?”

At Noel’s reprimand, Riandri wore a sulky expression.

“Do you think I wanted to lose something so precious? If that thief hadn’t been a mage, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“……A mage. Don’t tell me the thief was a mage?”

Noel’s expression hardened the moment he heard the word mage.

“According to the investigators, there were traces of magic use around the safe where the map was kept.”

“……Did you contact the Magic Tower?”

“I was already in the middle of asking Viscount Magnus for help. Among those stubborn old men, he’s the one who can at least be reasoned with.”

Riandri also let out a sigh and muttered.

Perhaps the mere thought of it gave him a headache, for deep wrinkles were etched between his brows.

“……Viscount Magnus—you mean the mage the late emperor held in such high regard?”

“That’s right. He seemed to have holed up in his territory for a while, but for some reason, he’s recently come back up to the capital.”

Riandri paused briefly and gauged Noel’s reaction.

“While we’re on the subject—Noel, I’d like you to carry out the investigation together with Viscount Magnus.”

“……Why me, of all people?”

“Who else could I trust with something like this besides you?”

Riandri smiled bitterly.

At that, Noel fell silent for a moment.

Honestly speaking, it was not a request he was eager to accept.

If it had been anyone else, he would have refused without a moment’s hesitation.

But the other party was the emperor of the empire, and a friend he had watched over for a long time.

“……Understood. Then I’ll get in contact with Viscount Magnus.”

After a moment’s deliberation, Noel nodded with a sigh.

Perhaps relieved at last, Riandri faced him with a bright smile.

“Thank you. You really are my friend.”

“This is the last time I’ll do a favor for Your Majesty. From now on, handle things yourself.”

“Got it. I’ll be sure to repay this debt someday.”

With that brief exchange, the two rose from their seats.

Noel lightly ignored Riandri’s invitation to come visit again anytime and left the reception room.

“……Things are going to be busy for a while.”

Noel muttered low as he stepped into the corridor.

The first thing that came to mind the moment he received Riandri’s request was Yvette’s face.

If he became busy, the time he could spend with Yvette would naturally decrease.

‘Just in case, it would be better to meet her in advance before things get busy.’

At the thought that rose unbidden, Noel unconsciously came to a dead stop.

‘……Since when did I start looking after that woman like this?’

Noel let out a hollow laugh and swept a hand over his face.

Originally, the reason he had proposed the engagement to Yvette was to keep her by his side and observe her.

Even his unusually affectionate behavior was closer to bait he had thrown out to discover her true intentions.

But at some point, that bait had become part of his daily life.

‘I’ve gone soft, and it doesn’t suit me.’

Noel let out a soft laugh and began walking again.

Just then.

Someone walking from the opposite direction happened to spot him and called out in a pleased voice.

“Well now. To think I’d run into the Duke of Averon here.”

“……Viscount Magnus.”

At the unexpected encounter, Noel raised one eyebrow.

Viscount Magnus was a thin man who appeared to be in his early twenties.

If there was one peculiar thing about him, it was that half his face was entirely covered by a mask.

“Has the Duke also been summoned by His Majesty?”

Viscount Magnus spoke to Noel in a friendly manner. His yellowish gaze swept Noel up and down.

Noel, by contrast, maintained a cold, expressionless face.

“I’m just on my way back from seeing His Majesty.”

“Aha. Then the Duke must have heard the news as well.”

Whatever was so enjoyable, Viscount Magnus kept smiling.

“If my thinking is correct, I believe we’ll be running into each other often from now on. Why not take this chance to get better acquainted?”

Viscount Magnus smiled meaningfully and held out his hand to Noel.

But instead of taking his hand, Noel coldly turned his back.

“I have a prior engagement, so I’ll be going first. Good day.”

With those words, Noel brushed past Viscount Magnus.

Watching Noel’s retreating figure disappear into the distance, Viscount Magnus lowered his hand.

The face that had been smiling until a moment ago sank into something terrifying.

“……Father and son alike. Insolent bastards, the lot of them.”

Just an ordinary human whose only possessions were a name and a body.

He muttered as if to himself and swept back his hair.

A black shadow rippled in his bright yellow eyes.

Despite appearances, Viscount Magnus was close to sixty years old.

He had succeeded in restoring his appearance to youth, but as a side effect, half his face had become horribly distorted.

Those who had known his former appearance called him a monster and kept their distance.

Even after most of those people had died, the notoriety of being a monster did not easily fade.

The only reason he had been able to live without bowing and scraping was that he had enjoyed the favor of the late emperor.

But now that the late emperor was dead, he was no different from a lost puppy with nowhere to go.

The nobles called him a monster and kept away, and the current emperor was wary of the abilities he possessed.

Perhaps the moment his value ran out, his head would roll.

‘Of course, I have no intention of letting that happen so easily.’

Viscount Magnus stared for a long while at the spot where Noel had vanished, then turned on his heel.

The eyes hidden behind the mask glinted dangerously.

* * *

“Countess! What kind of dresses do you like?”

“Hmm. I don’t know about anything else, but first of all, I’d like them to be comfortable. I don’t like things that get in the way when I walk.”

“Then we should avoid kinds with too much lace or that are too heavy.”

During the carriage ride, Filia meticulously noted down Yvette’s words.

Perhaps because she was thinking of clothes her mistress would wear, her enthusiasm was overflowing.

While Filia busily took notes, Yvette glanced out the window.

The rattling carriage had already turned into the city center.

‘Huh?’

Yvette stopped mid-turn of her head.

Because she had spotted a familiar face.

“……Oh? Over there—isn’t that the Duke of Averon?”

Perhaps she had seen the same thing, for Filia cried out loudly and pointed out the window.

There, dressed to the nines and walking with Syd, was Noel.

Perhaps they were out on business, for the two were discussing something with serious expressions.

“Shouldn’t you go greet him right away? He’s your fiancé, Countess.”

Filia spoke in an excited voice. But Yvette could not bring herself to step forward.

Perhaps because it was the first time they had run into each other since the jewelry shop. Somehow, approaching him first felt embarrassing.

“Hmm, is there really a need to? Noel looks busy too.”

When she hesitated, Filia glared as if to ask what she was talking about.

“He’s not just anyone—he’s your fiancé. You should at least greet him before you go!”

“But……”

That was when it happened.

The carriage, which had been moving along, came to a stop, and at the same time, Filia let out a “Gasp.”

Wondering what was going on, Yvette turned her head and flinched the moment she looked out the window.

Because Noel, who had come close before she knew it, was looking straight at her.

* * *

Inside a café filled with customers chatting amicably.

Yvette sat facing Noel with a single cake between them.

Quick-witted Filia had excused herself, saying she would do some shopping while they were out, and Syd had volunteered to carry her bags and followed her.

And so only Yvette and Noel remained.

“What brings you to the city center?”

It was Noel who broke the silence between them first.

Perhaps because he had not slept properly the night before, a faint trace of fatigue was visible on his face.

“I came out to shop. What about you, Noel—what are you doing in the city center?”

“I had some business around here too.”

Noel answered smoothly, as if water flowing, and then asked Yvette again.

“What did you come to buy?”

“I came to buy dresses. It seems I’ll have a lot of parties to attend soon.”

As she answered indifferently, Yvette narrowed her eyes and looked at Noel.

“While we’re on the subject—right now there are more invitations piled up in my study than I can handle. How do you feel about this situation, Noel?”

“……I think it’s regrettable.”

When Noel answered with a face that looked not the least bit regretful, Yvette glared at him.

“Half of this is your responsibility, so you can’t just end it with ‘regrettable’!”

“How is that my responsibility?”

“It’s because you added unnecessary flourishes to the engagement announcement that people went even crazier!”

“……Did I do that?”

Noel shrugged, feigning ignorance.

Yvette glanced around, then lowered her voice so only he could hear.

“Who else could have started the rumor that we fell passionately in love but you?”

“Oh my. My fiancée is sharper than I thought.”

Whether he had no intention of denying it to the end, Noel let out a soft laugh.

At his utterly shameless attitude, Yvette nearly threw the fork on the table at him.

“Why on earth did you spread a rumor like that? You could have just said we were engaged.”

“It was too sudden an engagement for that. I simply threw the dogs a suitable piece of meat so they wouldn’t make pointless suspicions.”

Noel answered calmly and brought his teacup to his lips.

“Of course, it was also more convenient for shooing away the flies that kept clinging to me.”

“So you’re saying you used me as fly repellent?”

“You used me to step on your uncle too, so aren’t we even?”

Momentarily at a loss for words, Yvette picked up her fork with a sullen face. Then she stabbed a piece of cake and brought it to her mouth.

The cake, filled with lemon cream, was so refreshing and sweet that it revived an appetite she hadn’t had.

‘……What is this. Is it even allowed for cake to be this good?’

For a moment, Yvette forgot she had been angry, and her cheeks flushed pink.