Chapter 66 …
Merjeri flinched at Prea’s visit. Ever since Prea returned from her trip, he had been like this—nervously twitching like a puppy needing to go outside. It was a little pitiful to watch.
“Oh… you’re here, Mistress.”
“Yes, woof-woof. Busy sweeping energetically as always, huh? Don’t think you can skip work just because I’m not around.”
Prea corrected Merjeri’s discipline with a cheerful tone.
Bishop, knowing Prea was deliberately teasing him, tried hard to suppress a smile and watched the two.
Merjeri replied with a thoroughly dejected face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t just say you’re sorry—work diligently! With sincerity!”
“Y-yes…”
Merjeri weakly responded to Prea, who treated him like a dog, and continued sweeping. His shoulders drooped completely.
Bishop looked at Merjeri with a sympathetic gaze for a moment, then spoke to Prea.
“Today’s the day you’re meeting Duke Esid, isn’t it?”
“Ah, right.”
Prea answered absentmindedly, as if she had been lost in thought. Bishop quietly observed her and then asked.
“Is something wrong these days? You seem distracted.”
“No, I just rested a lot, so I’m not quite in the groove yet.”
Prea smiled faintly.
From her expression, it was clear something was on her mind, but Bishop didn’t press.
“So even the representative sometimes can’t focus on work.”
“Hahaha. Seems so.”
“Don’t overdo it.”
Prea gazed at Bishop quietly and then hugged her warmly with a grin.
“As expected, you’re the only one who worries about me, Bishop.”
“You’ve become quite spoiled.”
“Only because you keep indulging me.”
When Prea subtly blamed her, Bishop patted her back lightly.
A short while later, Prea packed the things she needed. She had only come by the office to gather her belongings.
As Prea was leaving, she stopped and said:
“Bishop, if the puppy slacks off while I’m gone, make sure to scold him. If you let it slide, he’ll get spoiled.”
“Don’t worry, he’s doing well. Go ahead.”
Bishop said firmly, as if it were obvious. Prea winked lightly at her reliable attitude.
‘I really did pick the perfect secretary.’
How could someone be so competent? The best thing her teacher had done was introducing Bishop.
Prea and Bishop shared a smile for a while.
The only one not smiling was Merjeri, still holding his broom.
By the time Prea arrived at Duke Esid’s castle, she ran into Deo Lazli just as he was leaving. Though she had been to Esid’s castle several times, this was the first time encountering Deo Lazli.
He approached Prea first and extended his hand with a friendly greeting.
“Long time no see, Lady Rachel.”
“Yes, it’s the first time since leaving Mariane’s gathering, Lord Lazli.”
Prea smiled calmly as she shook his hand. They had met often when she visited Maria’s estate as a child, so it was a polite gesture.
Esid, standing next to Deo Lazli, greeted Prea.
“Have you arrived?”
Prea gave him a slight bow, clearly pleased to see him. Deo looked at her quietly and offered a brief apology.
“I heard my younger brother behaved rudely at the recent celebration. I’ve reprimanded him, so I hope you’ll forgive him.”
“Well, I wasn’t particularly polite to your brother either, so there’s no need to apologize.”
“Is that so?”
Both understood that the apology was mostly formal.
Prea silently nodded, and Deo spoke to Esid.
“I’ll visit again once the matter is settled.”
“Very well, you’ve done well.”
Esid lightly patted Deo’s shoulder as if encouraging him. It seemed their closeness wasn’t just talk—there was deep trust between them.
Prea watched them quietly. A scene that would normally seem ordinary now gave her much to ponder.
Piecing together what Murenni had said and her parents’ conversation, she realized Duke Esid could be a suspect in the mage’s death, while Deo Lazli might be guilty of either murdering his father or being an accomplice.
Since Marquis Lazli had been part of the rebels, Empress Anemone might also belong to the rebel faction.
This suggested that the rebellion was larger and more organized than expected.
Moreover, the Mage Tower might also be part of the rebellion—and could even be its center.
Her parents didn’t yet have information on the mage’s mysterious death, so they tried to exclude the Mage Tower objectively. But from her partial knowledge, she suspected the Mage Tower’s spirit experiments were related to rebellion planning.
The biggest puzzle was Esid.
If he was the mastermind, why would he have killed her mother?
Why was he eliminating Empress Anemone’s close aides?
What did he truly want? Was he part of the rebellion? Or was he acting out of loyalty to suppress it for his brother?
Prea realized she could no longer interact with Esid as comfortably as before.
Upon entering the reception room, Esid served warm tea and asked:
“Did you enjoy your trip?”
“Yes, it was nice to get out of the capital for a while.”
Prea smiled brightly.
Esid’s lips curved naturally into a gentle smile.
Leaning back lightly, he exuded a relaxed, unguarded air. His thin linen shirt had a few buttons undone. Like a cat basking in sunlight, he appeared elegant yet lethargic.
When Prea stared at him, Esid smiled softly and asked:
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh… it’s just… I find it oddly amazing to sit and talk with you so comfortably.”
“Is that so?”
Scratching his cheek, Esid chuckled, and Prea continued:
“You seem very at ease with me, Duke.”
“Hm? Ah. I suppose I was too comfortable around you.”
Startled by her comment, Esid straightened up and adjusted his clothes. Though she hadn’t criticized his posture, he fumbled nervously.
He buttoned up all the buttons and sat upright, close to the chair’s back.
The situation seemed both awkward and amusing, and Prea let out a light laugh.
“Someone might think I’m the Duke and you’re the Viscount. I just meant it’s nice that you seem comfortable.”
“Ah…”
“If the buttons bother you, you can leave them undone. Millian does that often.”
Of course, Millian’s reason for unbuttoning several buttons might differ from Esid’s.
Prea chuckled, thinking of Millian acting coquettishly in front of her.
Even before the war, he had behaved like this. She had always dismissed it as playful sibling teasing, but perhaps unconsciously, she had felt his heart.
Esid, sensing her smile, spoke shyly:
“I do find you somewhat easy to be around.”
His relaxed tone made Prea feel equally at ease, and she leaned back in her chair. She didn’t sit comfortably at first because if she did, he might remain stiff and upright.
Softly, she asked:
“Duke, am I comfortable for you?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Why?”
Esid stared at her and chuckled:
“Well, perhaps it’s because of your charisma?”
“I can be a bit blunt with you, after all.”
Prea rolled her eyes sheepishly. Esid looked at her calmly and said:
“It’s a positive kind of charisma. You remind me of my late nurse. She was the person I respected most.”
“Now you’re treating me like a nurse, not even just a bodyguard?”
Prea joked lightly with a grin.
But the mood wasn’t really for jokes. Esid’s face darkened, and over that shadowed expression, a faint light of melancholy appeared as he murmured:
“Well, the nurse was also a protector from my mother. In that sense, your position is similar.”
His expression conveyed nostalgia.
Prea felt the atmosphere grow heavy and cleared her throat. She regretted her playful comment.
Esid, with a blank expression, tried to ease the moment:
“Ah, perhaps I spoke too gravely all of a sudden.”
“No, it’s fine. You must have been very attached to your nurse.”
Prea reassured him, and Esid gave a bitter smile.
She hesitated to ask more. He might answer, but she didn’t want to intrude into personal matters. The mere fact that his nurse had died suggested a tragic story—part of his painful past.
Usually, she wouldn’t mind a deep conversation, but not now. If she became emotionally involved and he later turned out to be a rebel or criminal, it would be problematic.
Prea stayed silent, and Esid didn’t press. He spoke plainly.
For a brief moment, his eyes flickered—a rare display of swirling emotion for someone who rarely showed feelings openly.
“He was a good person, like you.”
Esid said this gently, then smiled softly.
Their conversation about Esid’s nurse didn’t progress much. He held back, and Prea skillfully changed the topic, returning him to a relaxed expression.
While discussing spirit experiments, Esid spoke:
“You know the Mage Tower’s Night is coming soon, right?”
“Of course. You’re planning to infiltrate the Mage Tower then?”
“Yes. I’d like you to come with me that night.”
