Chapter 50
Cecilia only realized Pierre had disappeared quite a bit later. When she asked Leo, who was staying by her side, he replied that Pierre had probably gone to see her father in his office.
She considered going to check, worried about what business he had with her father, but her uncle had stopped her and handed her a beer, saying it would just be one drink. Before she knew it, a good amount of time had passed.
Cecilia enjoyed the softly blowing breeze, the laughter of people around her, and the warm heat from the campfire. It was Niberius who had shown her this kind of free and relaxed atmosphere.
She liked the noble and glamorous beauty of the Grand Duke’s house, but if possible, Cecilia thought she’d like to show Pierre this other side of life too.
And before she knew it, she realized that even in the midst of all these people, she was thinking of Pierre. She stopped in her tracks. To her surprise, there he was, standing in the distance where her gaze landed.
Cecilia carefully stepped away from the group and approached him.
“Finished your business?”
“…Yes. Was it okay for me to come here? You looked like you were having fun.”
“Oh, it’s fine. My uncles are so drunk they wouldn’t even notice who’s beside them.”
Cecilia smiled brightly, her eyes curving with the grin as she spoke casually. Pierre looked down at her flushed cheeks, her smile almost childlike, and said:
“Looks like you’ve been drinking.”
“Is it that obvious?”
She rubbed her cheeks in embarrassment.
“I was feeling good, so when my uncles offered me a drink, I had one.”
Cecilia looked into Pierre’s blue eyes that glimmered even in the darkness. She wondered if he’d smile with those same beautiful eyes if he ever drank.
“Now that I think about it, I’ve never had a drink with you before, Pierre.”
She suddenly said his name without thinking and quickly covered her mouth in surprise. But the words were already out. She mumbled quietly, touching her lips.
“…You said I could call you that.”
“Yeah, call me whatever’s comfortable.”
“Okay, Pierre.”
“……”
Pierre chuckled softly at Cecilia’s confident response. The way she acted, with hints of charm and cuteness, must’ve come from just a few drinks among friendly company.
Seeing this, Pierre could imagine just how tense she must have been at the party. Now that she was home, she seemed genuinely relaxed and at ease.
Pierre was looking at her with a curious gaze when Cecilia asked,
“What did you talk about with my dad?”
“There was something I wanted to confirm regarding the strange weapon case. I just asked a few questions.”
“…You’re not still suspicious of him, are you?”
Pierre spoke calmly, as if trying to reassure her worries.
“Now that the blueprints were found in Zilkerk’s office, Niberius is no longer a suspect.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Yeah, it is.”
As Pierre looked at Cecilia genuinely relieved, Kargo’s words came to mind.
“She doesn’t really know how to lean on others. But she looked truly comfortable when she was beside you, my lord.”
But from Pierre’s point of view, it was clear who Cecilia truly cared about: her family here. To her, Niberius was everything.
After a moment of thought, Pierre turned to leave. Cecilia called out to him.
“Where are you going?”
“Now that I’ve confirmed the head of the Niberius family is okay, I need to go back. There’s still a lot to do.”
Cecilia’s eyes widened.
“Oh, then I’ll get ready right away and return with you.”
She looked ready to head straight to her room to pack. Pierre asked again,
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“There’s no longer any reason for you to come with me.”
He stated it plainly, as if just relaying facts. Cecilia’s shoulders flinched, her body stiffening. It was true that the reason they’d first joined hands was to catch the real criminal — to clear the Niberius name.
Remembering this, she spoke firmly.
“Pierre, you know that Count Zilkerk isn’t the real culprit.”
“……”
“The factory I saw had lots of materials, yes, but they were all divided into small parts, processed, and packaged. That means those items were headed somewhere else. Isn’t it obvious Zilkerk was only supplying the materials?”
Pierre didn’t show much reaction, and Cecilia’s voice grew more urgent. Then Pierre asked bluntly:
“You’re right. Catching the real culprit is my job. But Cecilia, what was your original goal?”
“…My goal?”
“Wasn’t it to clear your family’s name? Then your job is done.”
“…But!”
Cecilia couldn’t finish her sentence, despite the strong start. That was because he wasn’t wrong. Whether Zilkerk was the real culprit or not, Niberius would no longer be blamed for this case.
Now was the time to focus on her father’s recovery. Even if he joked around, it was clear he wasn’t in the best health.
And yet… for some reason, she couldn’t agree. The idea of sending Pierre off alone and staying here felt unbearably wrong.
With her expression stiff, she stared at him. Pierre gently brushed her hair a few times. Startled, Cecilia touched the spot he’d grazed, and Pierre gave a small laugh.
“No need to take it so seriously. I’ll find the real culprit who brought trouble to your family. You just stay with your people now. We’re all just going back to where we belong.”
“……”
“If you ever need help, send me a letter. If it’s about you, I’ll send someone — for old time’s sake.”
With that, Pierre turned his back on Cecilia, as if there was nothing more to say. Cecilia instinctively reached out to stop him — but in the end, she couldn’t.
Even if she had, what could she have said?
“We’re all just going back to where we belong…”
Murmuring his last words, she blankly watched his figure grow more distant.
* * *
Returning to the Grand Duke’s residence, Pierre sought out a western expert to examine the blueprint and soon sent a copy to him. It would take time to get a response.
They couldn’t delay Zilkerk’s judgment for too long, so Pierre worked tirelessly without rest.
Honik assisted him, but couldn’t hide his growing concern. That night, he visited Pierre, who was still working late in his study, and offered him a warm cup of tea.
“As you instructed, with the Emperor’s approval, the Richmond family has started exponentially increasing weapon supplies. At this rate, weapon production and distribution for the entire empire will be under our control.”
“…Don’t stop tracking.”
“Yes, sir.”
Pierre pressed his tired eyes. Honik spoke cautiously.
“Have you not slept since returning from the Niberius house?”
“Correct.”
“It’s been nearly two weeks. You’ll collapse at this rate.”
“Has it been that long already…”
Honik grew more worried at how Pierre spoke of his own health like someone else’s.
“Why don’t you get some rest tonight?”
He offered gently, but Pierre’s expression turned cold. Honik quietly studied his master’s face. Pierre was always cynical and barely showed emotion outside of formal social occasions.
He believed even showing expression was a waste of energy. That’s how rigid and efficient a man he was. But lately, he’d clearly changed.
Cecilia Niberius. While she had stayed in the Grand Duke’s residence, her unique personality seemed to have influenced him.
And now that she was gone, it was as if the cold wind had returned.
Pierre gave him a stern look, as if warning him not to meddle too far.
“Then what about that matter?”
“…That…”
The “matter” Pierre mentioned referred to a letter from the Emperor a few days prior.
In preparation for the soon-to-break-out war with the Harkan tribe, and to ease national unrest, the Emperor had instructed Pierre to take a wife.
He had even sent a list of daughters from prestigious noble families — eligible brides to stand as the Grand Duke’s wife and greet her husband as he went off to war.
Ugh