120.
“Sir Batar.”
A knight passing by bowed politely to the aide.
He returned the greeting and continued down the corridor.
As he did, he recalled what had happened that morning.
The duke, who had disappeared from the capital for a time after even leaving behind the aide who was practically his right hand, had appeared in his office looking no different than usual.
And, slowly tapping his fingertips on the desk, he had asked him.
‘Why did you not report it?’
‘……I thought it best to understand the circumstances first.’
Even as he answered, he could not predict the duke’s reaction.
It was because he had experienced the very foundation of the faith he had taken for granted being shaken.
Naturally, he had assumed Baron Roxan had approached the duke first.
He had been wary that Baron Roxan might harm the duke, and had thought that, unluckily enough, they had become entangled with Baron Roxan.
Of course, from a certain point onward, that resolve had become rather meaningless.
It had not even been that long ago. The aide remembered that day clearly.
At the imperial victory banquet, the duke had ordered them to check whether there was anyone acting suspiciously in the hall.
The subordinates present there had little difficulty finding the “suspicious person.”
The aide had been one of them as well. He had also been the one to retrieve the wineglass he judged needed verification and bring it all the way to the duke’s hand.
‘Your Grace. It is this glass.’
‘I see.’
Having recalled that much, the aide came to a stop before the entrance leading down to the underground cells.
That day, that moment, the voice of the attendant that had come from far away was slowly returning to him.
‘Baron Anastasia Roxan has just entered!’
When the aide, who had briefly glanced that way at the murmur of the crowd, turned his gaze forward again.
He saw the duke’s throat move.
‘……Your Grace?’
It was not an action one could readily understand.
But the duke was not the sort of superior who explained his every action,
and on the battlefield, simply trusting and following him had proven effective for both survival and the greater cause, so he did not press the matter.
The underlying intention behind the duke drinking and emptying the wineglass himself, a glass that was practically suspicious evidence.
That is, until the day he heard the rumor that “that Anastasia Roxan has brought three men to their knees at once this time.”
Unlike himself, he had stopped the people who were chattering away and had to question them for quite some time right there on the spot.
‘I’m telling you, it’s true. They say even His Grace the Duke fell victim to it, Sir Batar! Haven’t you heard anything at all in the meantime? Anything suspicious, or…….’
He understood that he should immediately send an urgent report to the duke, who had left the capital, but at the same time, he was seized by a strange doubt.
If “that wineglass” had truly been laced with a potion.
If the duke had known that in advance. No, if he had at least suspected it.
Isitan Gladineer had, in effect, drunk the potion of his own accord.
‘Why on earth?’
The aide thought of a certain man who would be imprisoned deep within the underground cells.
He was the one the duke had personally arrested during the previous sacrifice incident…….
* * *
“I’m so busy I could die!”
To think things had ended up like this even though I had woken up earlier than usual.
Leaving my hair dripping with water, I hurried to put on my dress first.
If I were any later, all the effort I had put into dressing up would go to waste, and I might have to charge into the banquet hall on horseback instead of in a carriage.
Then my hair would be a wild mess, the hem of my dress would be covered in wrinkles, and I would arrive looking ridiculous.
After imagining something that felt all too likely to happen, I thrust my roughly dried hair toward the mirror and hurriedly began braiding it, then lifted my head.
“Would this hairstyle be all right?”
I turned around, but Julie was not there.
“…….”
Without a word, I lowered my head again and tied the end of the braid with a ribbon.
Whenever I was dressing up, the person who would always come running first no matter what anyone said and interfere with everything had not shown so much as the tip of her nose today.
Julie and I had been in a cold war for several days now, ever since the day we returned to the capital.
I sighed and rubbed around my eyes.
While I had been away for a short while, I had also hurriedly written replies to the letters from Romi that had once again piled up across my desk, and had stored the “Heart of Merinis” in a safe place.
Even so, Julie’s anger showed no sign of abating.
As I sighed repeatedly and tried sticking one ornament after another into my hair, a helping hand appeared from behind.
“Julie?”
“Sorry I’m not her.”
Zaka tugged at the knot tied at the end of my braid and undid it, then began braiding my hair anew.
“I really have to leave now.”
“There’s enough time to braid this again, so calm down.”
Zaka grabbed my shoulders and sat me back down in the chair.
After combing my hair down again, Zaka gathered it loosely and began braiding.
“Baron, I suppose if Julie isn’t around, you don’t hear any of the rumors going around these days?”
“Why? Are they writing all sorts of novels about me and the three men?”
“That too, yes. But apparently someone is getting married.”
“Married? Who?”
“Rohwinas Kanesion.”
For a moment, I dropped the ornament I had been holding.
As if she had expected it, Zaka immediately caught it and placed it back in my hand.
“Of course, the rumors about you are the hottest topic, Baron, but right now those two seem to have been dragged into it as well and are suffering from some rather sensational rumors.”
“……I don’t know. He’ll handle it himself.”
I mean, who told him to announce his marriage at a time like this?
I pouted, then rose from the chair.
Honestly…….
It seemed he had not listened at all when I said the Peregrine family was suspicious.
Either that, or he believed the agreement between the two ducal houses was valuable enough that it did not matter even if the Peregrine family had been the one to feed him the potion.
Whichever it was, it was an irritating decision all the same.
When I turned around with a frown on my face, Zaka laughed softly and pressed her thumb firmly between my brows.
“I thought you weren’t interested?”
“I’m not interested, but it does irritate me a little.”
“Why? Because you’re jealous?”
“You’re not seriously saying that, are you?”
“Then go with a smile. And when you get there later, don’t frown even if the sunlight is too strong.”
“They’re my eyes, and you’re telling me I can’t even frown as I please?”
“Then people will immediately spread rumors that you’re all twisted up inside because you regret losing Count Kanesion.”
“There are already rumors boiling over anyway. One more won’t be the end of the world.”
I snorted, then let out a sinister laugh like someone with a scheme.
“And for a rumor like that to spread, I plan on giving them something even more entertaining.”
Zaka shook her head loosely, as if she found me ridiculous.
A single strand had slipped out from her neatly pinned-up hair and swayed along with her head, so I pressed it down with my fingertips,
and just then, my eyes met Prien’s, who had apparently just arrived and stopped in the doorway.
“You’re here? What did the temple say? Nothing happened, did it?”
“Yes. I explained the situation, so there should be no trouble.”
“I’ve felt this since last time, but when you say something is no trouble, Sir Prien, it doesn’t seem very reliable.”
“If you put it that way, I believe I will feel a little hurt.”
Today, too, Prien was dazzlingly beautiful as ever.
But…….
I tugged lightly at the hem of his clothes and tilted my head.
“Why is it that today, you look so…….”
Prien blinked and met my eyes.
“What is the matter?”
“You’re as handsome as usual, but how should I put it? Today your eyes seem a little more dewy…….”
“Didn’t you say you were busy? A moment ago you were frantic about being late, so what, is it fine to take your time now?”
Jaka cut in from behind and gave my back a light shove.
“Ah!”
Only then did I come to my senses and dash madly down the corridor, with Prien falling in beside me.
“Baron, considering our situation, I think it would not be bad to arrive as though we were a little late. So please don’t walk so hastily…….”
Prien caught me at once from the side as I staggered, then smiled faintly.
“It would be best to be careful.”
“……All right.”
I let out a sigh and straightened my posture.
With Jaka and Prien leading the way, I descended to the first-floor hall and saw the back of someone waiting before the main doors, hands clasped behind him.
As always, beneath the morning sunlight, the first thing that caught my eye was his red hair.
Sensing our presence, Isitan turned halfway toward us.
Dressed splendidly, he spotted me and gave a faint smile.
“Good morning, Baron.”
At last, this day had come.
I felt my heart beating with a light tension.
I glanced at Prien and Jaka, who had stopped beside me, then finally looked back at Isitan.
“……You really won’t regret it? If you want to change your mind, this is your last chance.”
“Didn’t I say I was actually glad?”
Jaka answered readily. His face looked at ease as he turned to me.
“In my opinion as well, there seems to be no reason to refuse this.”
Prien also furrowed his brow playfully, then smiled.
Watching us, Isitan released the arms he had clasped behind his back and held out his hand to me.
“Come here, Baron.”
I suddenly felt something churn inside my chest.
It also felt as though the blazing sunlight was already heating my head.
I passed through the main doors, stepped down the low stairs, and approached Isitan.
I was staring intently at the hand still stretched toward me, and the very moment I twitched and began to lift my own hand—
“My lord Baron, if you really intend to arrive after the banquet is over, I won’t stop you.”
Startled, I hurriedly crammed myself through the carriage door Jaka had opened.
‘……That was close.’
I buried my right hand in the folds of my dress, clenching and unclenching it as though it had gone numb.