100.
“Pardon? Could you…… say that once more, clearly? I don’t believe I heard you correctly…….”
As though he had heard something absurd, Rogiche asked, his cheek twitching.
But Rohwinas did not waver.
Eyes as cold as ice fixed precisely upon Rogiche.
“I asked if you fed me the potion that made me fall in love with Anastasia Roksan, Young Master.”
“No. I did not feed it to you.”
And Rogiche answered very easily.
As if he had been asked an exceedingly simple and clear-cut question—briskly and lightly.
“Can you swear to it?”
“Pardon?”
Rogiche blinked.
“That if your words are not the truth, you are willing to die on this very spot with your limbs torn apart.”
“……That seems rather excessive, Count.”
“If those words are true, there should be no reason whatsoever to hesitate. Of course, you are free to refuse.”
“…….”
Nothing in the room moved save for the steam rising from the teacups.
In the silence so deep one could almost hear a pin drop.
Rogiche let out a heavy sigh and opened his mouth with a bright smile.
“Well, fine.”
While Rohwinas withdrew the magic stone required for an oath conducted without a mage and made simple preparations.
Rogiche did not appear inclined to remain silent.
“I truly cannot fathom…… why the Count would suddenly conceive such a bizarre notion.”
“…….”
“Still, in times like these, following along willingly should prove beneficial to our relationship, don’t you think?”
Even though Rohwinas showed no reaction whatsoever, Rogiche paid it no mind and continued to chatter.
The two appeared to be polar opposites in temperament, yet in their disregard for others, they were remarkably alike.
“I do wish you would understand that it is only because you are my younger sister’s fiancé that I am indulging such an impertinent demand…….”
“…….”
“That’s right! Could you not mention just once before my sister how dearly I regard you? She’s been so rebellious lately…….”
At last, the preparations were complete.
Of course, an oath could not be made unilaterally.
That meant Rohwinas, too, had something to pledge.
“I suppose I may propose this?”
Rogiche brought up that fact as if he had been waiting for it.
“That you shall not reveal to anyone the result of this oath, your reaction, or any of it.”
“…….”
“Should you reveal it, you shall, of course, pay the same price as I. How does that sound?”
Rohwinas agreed.
And finally, Rogiche’s clear voice, speaking the vow, resonated through the quiet parlor.
“I, Rogiche Peregrin, swear that the love potion which causes one to fall in love with Anastasia Roksan,”
“…….”
“was never administered to Rohwinas Kanesion.”
“…….”
“Should these words differ from the truth, I shall die on this spot, my limbs torn apart.”
A thin, thread-like trace of magic appeared upon Rogiche’s nape and vanished.
Even after Rohwinas finally completed the oath, it remained still without incident.
Rogiche asked in a cheerful tone.
“How about it, Count? Are you satisfied now? I told you it wasn’t me.”
He even rose from his seat and spun around in place.
“See? I’m perfectly fine. Nothing happened.”
“…….”
When he had assumed the culprit was within House Peregrin, Rogiche was the first person to come to mind.
But it had not been him.
He felt the tension that had gripped his entire body drain away helplessly.
Yet the weight pressing down upon his stiffened shoulders remained.
“An oath between nobles ordinarily requires the signature of a notary and the permission of the family’s elders……. I trust there must be a reason that someone who should know better came barging in to make such a demand out of nowhere, but…….”
“I have committed a grave discourtesy. I shall compensate you later.”
Cutting off Rogiche’s words at an appropriate point, Rohwinas stood up without hesitation.
But he did not succeed in leaving just like that.
Because a mocking voice flew at him from behind.
“Ah, I think I have some idea why the Count entertained such an imagination.”
“…….”
“Trying to fall in love again with a woman who once deceived you—your pride must have been wounded. So you needed a plausible excuse, didn’t you? For instance, that it was all……. a false accusation, perhaps.”
“…….”
“If possible, you must also have harbored the desire to hold your fiancée’s family responsible and free yourself from public censure. Isn’t that right, Count?”
Rohwinas did not answer.
For he would not have been surprised to learn that he had acted according to such calculations without even realizing it.
But in his most honest heart, he had wanted to believe that woman’s words, just once.
He had not wanted to believe that she had once again made a terrible choice in her craving for other men’s love.
“But Count, have you considered? If that woman truly was innocent…….”
“…….”
“Then what of all the things we have done to her until now?”
Rogiche even let out a snickering laugh, as if amused.
“Surely you haven’t forgotten? What all the things we have done meant to that woman.”
“…….”
“For her, life up until now must have been a quagmire unlike any other.”
“…….”
“If you have forgotten, I recommend you recall it slowly and carefully.”
Rogiche lifted his teacup, took a sip, and savored the taste of the tea languidly.
Without answering to the very end, Rohwinas left his seat.
For a while, only a faint sweet scent of tea and Rogiche’s languid humming lingered in that place.
And then…….
Around the time when Rohwinas’s presence could no longer be felt even beyond the parlor in the outer corridor.
Rogiche’s expression changed completely.
“Aren’t you going to come out now?”
“…….”
“My dear sister.”
The door leading to the inner chamber connected to the parlor had been slightly ajar.
“Eavesdropping on others’ conversations without any manners—when will you fix that rotten temperament of yours? Hmm?”
The door opened a little wider, revealing Meriana’s figure.
A strange light flickered in his beautiful violet eyes.
“Even though you knew I was here……. Why didn’t you reveal yourself before Rohwinas?”
“No, Meriana.”
Rogiche spoke as if scolding her.
“That’s not what you’re truly curious about. Didn’t I tell you to be honest before your older brother?”
Stepping forward, Meriana clenched her teeth and shouted in a choked voice.
“Fine, then answer me, Brother. Why did Rohwinas demand an oath from you?”
“Are you asking me that now, Meriana? My poor, foolish sister.”
“…….”
“Naturally, it’s because he finds loving you anymore utterly revolting.”
Rogiche furrowed his brows as if looking down upon a pitiful creature and clicked his tongue.
“A mere four years, and even with that pretty face of yours……. Most regrettable, indeed.”
“Brother!”
Meriana asked again, her fist clutching her skirt hem and her shoulders trembling.
“Did you feed it to him?”
“…….”
“Did you feed it to him? Did you?”
“You saw me swear just now, didn’t you?”
“So you prepared an antidote in advance as well?”
“Oh.”
Rogiche’s gaze changed.
“Do you want to hear it?”
For a moment, Meriana’s breath stopped.
Her older brother, wearing an expression so gentle, so affectionate it sent chills down her spine.
“This brother of yours is always ready to be honest with you, you know……”
He whispered.
“Do you truly want to know, Meriana?”
* * *
A clear blue sky, sweltering weather without so much as a breath of wind.
From morning onward, the entrance to the mansion was crowded with a group of people.
I was hurrying out of the mansion with travel bags in both hands when……
I spotted them and my mouth fell open.
“Why—what is this? Why is everyone gathered here?”
Prien came over and took the bags from my hands.
“I naturally assumed you would have guessed……”
“You’re coming with me?”
“Strictly speaking, I’m in a position where I can’t be separated from the bracelet.”
“……”
I had completely forgotten.
For the past few days, the mansion had been in an uproar because I had stubbornly packed my things under Julie’s terrifying pressure, saying I would be going on a trip alone for a while……
So of course it wouldn’t have been difficult for them to figure out that I was leaving today.
“Fine, that…… I understand.”
Pressing my lips together, I strode toward the duke.
“Your Grace, how are you here right now?”
The aide cut in from the side.
“The baron submitted a leave request, so of course he knew.”
Even as I glared at the aide out of habit……
Yes, that made sense too.
Since I would be going far from the capital, it was naturally something that required reporting to my superior.
But that still didn’t excuse him standing in front of the carriage like a person whose intention to accompany me was obvious to anyone.
“No, so why are you here……”
At the duke’s glance, the coachman who had been waiting took a map from his coat and spread it out.
“The baron’s destination is here, correct?”
……So even my destination had been exposed.
“It is?”
Starting from that point, the duke’s fingertip began to sweep broadly across the surrounding region.
After moving for quite some time and outlining a vast area, the duke tapped the edge of it and said,
“All of this is my territory.”
“Pardon?”
“The Gladineer Duchy.”
As it turned out, the place I was going was a small city that belonged to the duke’s territory.
“I have business there for an inspection anyway. ……And since there is a more convenient way to travel, I thought I’d offer it to you.”
“……”
“There have also been reports lately of somewhat disturbing movements within the duchy.”
There were indeed many things to be cautious about when traveling alone.
That was why Julie had tried so hard to stop me.
‘If I’d known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have needed to listen to Julie’s nagging, would I?’
Feeling strangely bitter, I looked back and forth between Prien and the duke.
“……Fine, then, well……. So the two of you have already come to an agreement?”
I said that as I opened the carriage door.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Jaka, who had been leaning back inside the carriage, asked with perfect composure.
“Did you know that the northern region is at a high altitude, so it’s cold even in midsummer?”
No. I didn’t.
But was that really important right now?
“Shall we check right now whether you packed outerwear in your clothing bag?”
“……”
As it turned out, it was an important issue.