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“…With Lucius?”
I was surprised by the unexpected question and looked at him. He seemed unusually proactive today—talking more than usual. Maybe because it involved someone he knew? Perhaps he had a good impression of Count Werner.
I’d be grateful if he came with me, but his different attitude made me curious. Alexandra seemed to notice the strange change in Lucius too and wore an awkward expression as she spoke.
“You said brother is going? Why?”
“I’m curious about the situation at Count Werner’s house. The count must have heard the rumors too, but since there’s been no news, it seems strange. I want to check if something is going on.”
“I knew you were acquainted with the count… but is he someone that brother would personally get involved with?”
“Tiana is worried about Lady Werner, and I’m just curious. The count is also someone trustworthy. There’s no problem with me going, right?”
“I don’t think there’s no problem…”
She sighed lightly as she glanced between me and Lucius.
“It’s one thing for Tiana to visit, but if brother also steps in, then it’s a problem. If you go quietly and without drawing attention, it might be okay, but if it gets out later, there’ll be a lot of talk.”
Indeed, the Werner count’s family was neutral, while Lucius and I belonged to the noble faction, so there could be misunderstandings that we were trying to sway the count’s family to our side. After all, the grand duke’s family was the core of the noble faction.
Lucius seemed to be thinking about that too, cautiously continuing.
“I’ll go quietly, so it’ll be fine. Besides, Count Werner is surprisingly stubborn and strong-willed. If those rumors came up, he won’t just let it slide. He’s not someone who’d be easily persuaded.”
That sounded like he had already tried to persuade him.
“You tried to recruit him to the noble faction?”
“…He’s capable, trustworthy, and I like his personality. I didn’t approach him directly, but I have mentioned it a few times.”
“But he refused indirectly?”
“…The count’s convictions are very stubborn…”
I looked away briefly, holding back a laugh. His ears turning red in embarrassment was cute.
He actually has a bit of a talent-hunting streak. I never imagined he’d try to recruit nobles from other factions. I thought he had no interest in the throne and just maintained the faction because of the pressure from Marquis Calvino, but that wasn’t the case.
Well, as grand duke, he’d need a stable support base, so it makes sense for him to cultivate his supporters carefully.
Though Marquis Calvino is the representative face of the noble faction and actively involved, not all members follow him well.
Because Lucius is the grandson of the faction’s founder and doesn’t actively restrain others, aside from a few nobles who follow Calvino, most are just watching. The real core is still Lucius.
Surprisingly, he’s been building his side quite well. It’s impressive how he can charm people. Well, that’s why I was won over.
Alexandra, listening to our conversation, teased him with a smile.
“Brother, I see now you’ve been doing all this behind the scenes?”
“You’re quite the greedy one, Lucius.”
“No! I just… it’s not like that…”
Seeing him flustered and unsure what to do, I burst out laughing. Alexandra laughed loudly too at his bright red face.
After having lunch at Alexandra’s palace, a lot of time had passed. We shielded our faces from the bright sunlight and took a short walk through the palace grounds with Lucius.
Apart from the servants passing by, there was hardly anyone in the halls.
“It feels like there aren’t many people here.”
“That’s probably because it’s meeting time for various departments now.”
“Is that so? So they usually have meetings at this time?”
“Yes. Right after lunch is when everyone is most sleepy. They’re probably nodding off during their meetings.”
I laughed at his teasing and asked,
“Do you ever fall asleep in meetings, Lucius?”
“I don’t. But sometimes people doze off after eating too much lunch.”
“True, being full and warm makes you sleepy.”
“The heating stones in the meeting room probably don’t help either. Because of the warming magic stones, the building temperature is always kept at a comfortable level.”
“Really? That’s amazing.”
Heating magic stones… Since magic exists in this world, that makes sense. I think I’ve seen similar things in the grand duke’s and marquis’ mansions—in their spacious parlors or bedrooms.
We talked about small things and walked slowly. Both Lucius and I had been busy recently, so it was nice to have some quiet time together. Though we didn’t discuss anything special, it felt good to spend peaceful moments.
Walking and talking, we quickly reached the palace gate. As we moved toward the grand duke’s carriage, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Sister!”
“Lennox?”
He approached quickly, his curly red hair fluttering. He wore a dark red robe instead of the formal suit I’d seen him in before, which looked unusual. I stared at him blankly, and he greeted me happily.
“I saw you through the window of the magic tower. Ah, Your Grace the Grand Duke. I should have greeted you first—sorry if it was rude.”
“No, it’s fine, prince.”
Lennox bowed, and Lucius looked a bit flustered, shaking his head. His expression seemed tense, but I didn’t mind since it was nice to see Lennox after a long time.
“Did you have business at the palace?”
“Yes, just some errands. I was on my way back after seeing Her Highness the Princess.”
“I see.”
“Lennox, you’re wearing a robe—are you working right now?”
“The experiment just finished, so I was taking a short break. I’m lucky to have seen you.”
He smiled shyly, and I felt my expression soften. We had exchanged letters and talked in our spare time, so the awkwardness had faded, and now he approached freely. Having a cute little brother is the best.
“The robe suits you. Oh, and thanks for earlier. Because of you, I was able to have a good discussion with His Grace.”
“Really? That’s good. Has something for you been decided?”
“Not yet. It’s a secret, but I’ll tell you when there’s progress. It could only start because of you.”
“If I could help, I’m glad. I’m looking forward to hearing about it.”
He smiled slyly, and I reached out to pat his head. The soft, fluffy texture of his hair made me smile, and his ears turned red as he stepped back.
“I’m not a child.”
“Sorry. It’s just so cute and soft.”
“Cute… I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that!”
“Why? It’s a compliment.”
“Not at all…”
Lennox bowed deeply, his face getting even redder. After a moment, he suddenly asked.
“By the way, have you seen Father recently?”
“No. I thought about visiting him at work, but the timing seemed tricky.”
“Oh, that’s right. He’s probably in the middle of a meeting now…”
He checked the time on his wristwatch and nodded. Hesitating a moment, he cautiously spoke.
“If it’s okay, please come to the Marquis’s mansion. It feels empty without you. Father has been looking rather down lately, and I’m worried.”
“Really? Is it because he’s busy?”
“No, it’s because you’re not here. Even if he doesn’t say it well, he must miss you. Of course, I do too.”
I smiled softly at his shy expression.
I’d sent Edwin a letter when I sent one to Lennox, but he hadn’t noticed since I only asked about his wellbeing. Well, having lived together for over 20 years, it’s natural he’d miss me. I missed him too.
I glanced at Lucius. Our eyes met, and he smiled gently, nodding. I returned his smile in thanks and then spoke to Lennox.
“Alright, I’ll visit soon. It’s been a while since I saw Father and the marquis family too.”
“I’m sure everyone will be happy.”
He smiled widely and was happy. After chatting a little longer and checking the time, he left. I laughed when he turned around repeatedly, making sure I really would come.
Lucius and I got into the carriage, which slowly departed the palace. Seeing him finally relax a bit, I asked.
“You looked tense when you saw Lennox earlier. Why?”
“…He’s your brother. I couldn’t help but get nervous.”
I laughed quietly when I saw him sigh in relief. So that’s why his expression stiffened. He made a similar face around Edwin too. Could it be…
“Do you get nervous around Father too?”
“Yes. Even more nervous in front of His Grace, Father…”
Just thinking about it made his relaxed face tense again. Oh dear, my husband. How can he get nervous around his father-in-law and brother-in-law? At this rate, it might be Lucius, not me, who develops stage fright.
Of course, from Lucius’s point of view, these are his wife’s family. I also still get nervous around Marquis Calvino and the Crown Princess, so I can’t say much. But I hope he can relax a bit more now that we’re family.
Seeing my worried look, he slowly softened his expression again and smiled gently. I smiled back and took his warm hands in mine.
The next day, just as Lucius, Alexandra, and I had talked about, we visited the Werner count’s house early in the morning. I thought about visiting late in the evening when fewer people were around, but there was no way to completely hide that we’d come, so we left early.
When we arrived, a soldier stood guarding the firmly closed front gate. He was startled when he saw the grand duke’s carriage and approached politely.
“Your Grace the Grand Duke, Your Grace the Grand Duchess, welcome to Count Werner’s house. I’m sorry, but we didn’t receive notice of your visit.”
“We sent several letters to the count’s house, but since there was no reply, we decided to come in person. If anyone is home, please check for us.”
“Yes, understood. Please wait a moment.”
The soldier hurried inside, holding a magic stone and speaking into something. Maybe a communication stone? Watching the soldier, Lucius quietly said,
“It seems there are people inside the house.”
“Then why didn’t they answer our letters? We definitely sent them properly.”
“…I don’t know.”
He turned his head to look at the front gate. His eyes narrowed as he carefully examined the high wall, bars, and gate. After a moment, the closed gate slowly opened.
The soldier approached, looking troubled.
“The butler said he hasn’t received any notification, so there must have been a misunderstanding. Please come inside first.”
The soldier stepped aside, and the carriage slowly entered through the now wide-open gate.
