Chapter 45
‘She outright asked me today if I had any interest in meeting her son?’
From the moment he’d heard that Empress Rosaria had shown interest in Rodellia, she’d been a thoroughly irritating figure.
He’d immediately launched an investigation, but the information he uncovered revealed nothing exceptional.
Her history was far too clean.
Especially suspiciously so, brimming with nothing but virtue.
Alferen had traced Cesare’s tracks without letting Rodellia notice.
Using detection magic, he’d confirmed that Cesare had brazenly groped her waist and hand.
A surge of momentary rage had risen, and before he knew it, he’d incinerated the handkerchief—it was an unavoidable impulse.
‘I’ve shown an unsightly side in front of Delly.’
Alferen glanced at the pile of ashes stacked like a grave.
Perhaps because he’d never desperately desired something before.
When it came to Rodellia’s matters, he often lost his self-control.
She was the first person he’d ever truly wanted, so he was willing to do anything to win her heart.
“You’re here?”
Upon his return, Isaac was the first to greet him.
A significant number of the staff who’d been sent to the annex had returned to the main house, following Rodellia’s advice.
‘You’re the head of the family. They’re all people loyal to you. Isn’t treating them like strangers a bit much?’
In just one day, she’d grasped the awkward dynamic between him and the staff and delivered a sharp piece of advice.
Her spirited demeanor seemed to have already won Isaac over halfway.
For Alferen, who’d known her charms long before, it was gratifying, yet mingled with a sticky reluctance to share her.
As he casually looked around, the atmosphere inside the mansion felt somehow different.
Sensing his curiosity, Isaac explained.
“Today, Lady Rodellia changed the curtains and decorations for us.”
“I see.”
“She recommended various things, and since her taste is so excellent, I asked her to adjust them to her preference, and the results are truly splendid.”
A home decorated according to Rodellia’s tastes.
It warmed his heart, thinking he’d be reminded of Rodellia every time he came here.
As Alferen wore a faint smile, Sophia, standing nearby, seized the opportunity.
“Um, Your Grace. Lady Rodellia asked if it would be alright for her to visit the annex.”
“The annex?”
“It seems she wants to be of some comfort to the previous duke. She said she’d like to be by his side. She truly has such a kind heart.”
Sophia added the subtle praise while gauging Alferen’s reaction.
He was particularly sensitive about his father’s matters, so she was cautious, but unexpectedly, his response was agreeable.
“If Delly wants it, then sure. There’s no place in this house she can’t go.”
Moreover, seeing his shoulders subtly puff up as if he’d been the one praised, Sophia felt certain.
‘Thank goodness. If he’d married Princess Nanael like this, Lord Deven would have been furious.’
It was at such an inopportune time that he’d suffered severe injuries and fallen into a coma, becoming a burden rather than a protector for his son.
Back when Alferen had maintained the engagement, she’d feared the Ainluk family’s fortunes were fading away.
The imperial pressure, disguised as holy water, had only intensified, and Princess Nanael had behaved with utter disregard for others.
The entire staff of the Ainluk ducal household actively welcomed Rodellia’s arrival.
“I’ll convey that.”
Even after Sophia withdrew, Alferen leisurely strolled through the house, savoring the joy of discovering traces of Rodellia.
* * *
“He gave permission?”
“Yes. His Grace said there’s no place in the ducal residence that Lady Rodellia cannot access.”
Hmm. Does he trust me that much?
Truthfully, I hadn’t expected to be allowed to meet the previous Duke of Ainluk.
Especially since in the original story, he was overly sensitive about his father’s affairs.
“Then I should bring a gift.”
“A gift?”
“Could you pack some gardening shears and a basket for me? The greenhouse has quite a few flowers blooming.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll bring them right away.”
Only then understanding my intent, Sophia fetched the items.
Upon arriving at the greenhouse, it was filled with vibrant, multicolored flowers.
Unlike other areas that had been neglected, this place was impeccably maintained.
“It looks like someone has been managing it separately.”
“The previous duchess had a great interest in horticulture. She was the one who first created this place.”
That explained the composition that stood out with a professional’s touch.
I’d loved plants since childhood myself, so I recognized it immediately.
Even after the previous duchess’s death, they must have kept a dedicated caretaker, as the plants were in excellent condition.
“Was there anything His Grace particularly liked?”
“He loved lilies the most.”
“There’s some right over there.”
With lilies as the centerpiece, combined with baby’s breath and mini roses, I made a bouquet and headed to the annex.
The previous duke I encountered was unexpectedly not pallid or sickly-looking like a patient.
He simply appeared to be in a deep sleep. Beside him, a magical device containing holy water and mana stones whirled around.
That must be what was maintaining the previous duke’s condition.
“He was attacked in the mana core by a blackened ice dragon, causing time to freeze. Normally, his heart should have stopped soon after, but Lord Alferen is protecting him with magic.”
“Then that magical device….”
It was evidently inscribed with complex formulas at a glance.
“Yes. Lord Alferen is the sole caster.”
Goodness.
That meant for over six years, he’d been ceaselessly maintaining the magic to keep his father from dying.
“Using magic for such a long period must take a toll on the body.”
“He won’t listen even when we try to stop him.”
Ah, now I understand.
The staff’s expressions had been particularly gloomy not just because of the previous duke’s illness.
It was concern for Alferen, who was wasting away alongside him because of it.
“I’ve heard that thanks to the holy water, the strain on his body is lessened….”
Sophia glanced at me and trailed off. I finished what she meant to say.
“With the broken engagement to Princess Nanael, even that has become difficult, I suppose.”
Sophia smiled bitterly without denying it.
Holy water was under imperial jurisdiction.
As long as Alferen relied on it, his relationship with the imperial family was crucially important.
And I was the culprit who had introduced discord into that relationship.
‘I pushed Alferen to break the engagement without any plan, oblivious to these circumstances.’
I’d simply hoped that since the Duke of Ainluk would die soon anyway, Alferen wouldn’t get manipulated by Nanael and meet his death trying to protect his father.
But there were far more complicated factors hidden beneath.
“Is there no way at all?”
“It’s not that there are none, but they’re all nearly impossible.”
Sophia sighed and continued.
“Holy water merely purifies corrupt energy; it can’t melt the ice dragon’s glacier. The only thing with even a chance is the ‘Tears of the Fairy King,’ said to melt anything, but fairies aren’t that common, are they?”
Fairies were legendary-level rarities even among magical creatures.
Their traces were occasionally found, but I’d never heard of anyone directly sighting one or making it a familiar.
“That’s why His Grace seems even more immersed in his work. According to Eden, he’s conducting some experiment….”
“An experiment?”
“I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard progress is slow. I worry that before the experiment succeeds, our duke’s body might give out first.”
Sophia gazed at the previous duke with a face full of worry, her look tinged with resentment.
“It would be better if….”
Sophia let slip just that one phrase before swallowing the rest.
I didn’t respond.
I could guess what she meant to say.
It was fortunate the duke wasn’t awake. Hearing and seeing this dreary atmosphere and conversation would have been excruciating for him.
I placed the bouquet by the previous duke’s bedside.
The more I learned, the more pitiable this father-son pair seemed.
‘If only there was something I could do to help….’
