Chapter 115. Return (2)
“Our Temia… our little girl…”
“The youngest… with a man… Could it be that he seduced her first when she went outside…?”
Temia’s family, who thought nothing could shock them more than her running away, now sat in their rooms, clutching their heads in stunned silence.
The Duchess, however, regained her composure the quickest. Not even an hour later, she went to Temia and asked quietly:
“Temia… how serious is your relationship with that magician?”
“Pardon?”
“Just tell me, your mother. Magicians are said to be quick to familiarity, but you haven’t… crossed any lines, have you?”
“M-Mother!!!”
It seemed the Duchess had already imagined all sorts of scenarios. By bluntly asking, she appeared to gauge just how close Temia and Lowell were.
Temia, embarrassed and twisted with shame, shouted, and yet the Duchess smiled calmly as if it were nothing.
“You asked me the same thing last time you came home. What’s your relationship with that man?”
“At that time, we really weren’t… no, we still aren’t anything! It’s just… just…”
“Just?”
“I just… didn’t realize I liked Lowell. And now… somehow everyone’s preventing me from joining the investigation because they worry I’ll get hurt again…”
But upon hearing her youngest daughter’s vague answer, the Duchess’ expression stiffened. Though she maintained her gentle demeanor, the tension was palpable, and Temia felt as if she might hiccup from nerves.
“You wouldn’t say you like him just to join the investigation, would you?”
“Uh… th-that’s not…”
“You said you requested a meeting with him under the pretext of affection. Surely you haven’t deceived us over something like this?”
Even the notoriously strict Duke supposedly revealed his feelings freely and even cried in front of the Duchess. Temia, witnessing what she had only heard of in rumors, unconsciously felt her clenched fists tighten.
“N-No! I only recently realized my feelings, and I wanted to meet Lowell to understand them myself… I also wanted to see his face, really. After that day, when I returned home, I didn’t even properly greet him.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s true. I wanted to ask him if he’d learned anything new, and… I missed him too.”
This time, Temia summoned the courage to speak with a firmer, more resolute expression. Seeing her mother’s face, which seemed to believe her, she took a breath and continued.
“I didn’t like Lowell just because he saved me. I just realized that he’s someone who always tries for me.”
“Is that all?”
“No… if I explain a bit more, it’s that he makes me feel I can always be honest. When I’m with him, I feel I can act naturally, without pretense. If I’m angry, he accepts my anger; if I smile, he sees me as I am.”
“…”
“The same goes when I cry. He’s always the first to notice my sadness. And in the end, it’s what makes me… me.”
This time, the Duchess’ face softened, seemingly satisfied with the answer. Meanwhile, Temia, who had just laid bare all the reasons she liked Lowell, clenched her hands again—but this time from embarrassment at confessing her feelings.
Looking at her daughter’s flushed cheeks, the Duchess smiled gently and said in a graceful voice:
“Yes… and above all, he’s handsome. I thought my daughter had an eye for beauty like me.”
“…?”
“It seems your mother will soon have a handsome new son-in-law. You can look forward to that, can’t you?”
‘What’s this? Suddenly, I feel a chill…’
The Duke of Etval shivered unexpectedly while planning operations with Lowell to pursue the remnants of Prometheus. Had he left the window open? He briefly turned his stiff neck to gaze outside, but despite the goosebumps on his skin, the window was firmly closed. He tilted his head, then returned his attention to the table.
Currently, he was studying a map of the capital, Faren, and secretly planning operations with Lowell.
He had wanted to request assistance from the palace to send knights, but the difficult magician before him made that impossible.
- “Previously, I found the Chief Court Magician’s statements a little suspicious. If we move palace personnel openly, they will learn of our plans. It’s better to form a separate team and act independently.”
The second son of the Treya family had rescued the Duke’s daughter, yet he also appeared to be the type who might always have his eye on her. The Duke was certain that if he hadn’t hurriedly sent Temia home in a carriage that day, she would have been taken by that magician. That was why, even before treating him as a benefactor, he kept him under close scrutiny.
Yet this bothersome young man was indeed exceptional—if not for his interest in the Duke’s youngest daughter.
Even after rescuing her from danger, he expected no reward. He immediately started investigations without rest, tracing magical traces and collecting countless documents and evidence.
Moreover, he completed in a single day what would have taken several days with multiple magicians, summarized the results, and presented them to the Duke. He argued that palace personnel were suspicious and a separate investigation was necessary.
From the perspective of a Duke, such remarks could have seemed audacious. But instead of being offensive, the Duke found them bold. As a fellow magician, he saw that Lowell wasn’t blindly shielding other magicians, was capable of ethical criticism, and took responsibility for his actions. His words showed clear conviction.
‘As a person, he’s remarkable. Not someone I’d expect from the Treya family.’
The Duke glanced at Lowell, who was reviewing the documents. Despite being usually critical, he couldn’t help but recognize the young man. Looking past his own paternal caution, the Duke judged him to be a capable and determined gentleman.
The Treya family, in the Duke’s experience, were mostly reckless gamblers, so he had never expected a hidden gem among them. He later discovered that Lowell was adopted after the death of the Count’s brother. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing the young man was not the blood of those reckless nobles.
‘Not all family members are the same, but if there’s a chance my daughter could be entangled, that’s another matter entirely.’
Reports suggested that during his youth, Lowell briefly rivaled Theodore, the fourth son, in social popularity. He had no close young ladies around, but with his striking appearance, he was bound to attract attention.
‘Just thinking that Temia could be troubled by that boy makes my chest ache.’
The Duke cleared his throat to call Lowell, who was quickly reviewing the papers. As their eyes met, crimson staring into crimson, he asked:
“You said you employed my daughter as your assistant. Is handling matters alone, apart from working with me, too much for you? If needed, I can assign more personnel, though the situation is so secretive it’s difficult to involve many.”
There had also been a letter from Duke Widlow:
*“Duke Etval, it’s been a while.
Urgent matters compel me to write.
I hear you are investigating an incident with Lowell.
Difficult as he may be, I hope you persevere. His skill is trustworthy.
I will assist as well.
Ensure no information leaks from the palace, and you complete the matter smoothly. Contact me if you need anything.
- Duke Widlow”*
The brief, informal letter bore Widlow’s unmistakable seal. That he personally intervened proved the incident’s importance to the kingdom’s security.
‘If information leaks from my side, it would be humiliating.’
Thus, he couldn’t deploy personnel recklessly. Fewer people knew, easier it was to maintain secrecy. He exhaled, realizing he must rely on Temia’s help.
“Very well. Temia will assist.”
“Ah, I’ve been waiting for that. She will certainly help.”
“Due to the special circumstances, this is her only assignment. She won’t be used in matters requiring force.”
“Of course. I have no intention of putting her in danger again.”
Nodding at Lowell’s reply, the Duke said:
“Now, shall we discuss Temia?”
“…Isn’t that what we’ve been talking about?”
“No, not that. I know you don’t see my daughter as merely an assistant. You’ve already given it away, so pretending otherwise would be foolish.”
The Duke’s tone dropped ominously. The iron-blooded Duke’s usual rigid, cold demeanor was gone. His eyes seemed to burn with intensity.
Facing that, Lowell swallowed nervously. It was a trembling he had never felt before.
