Chapter 57
There was no time to savor the joy of reunion.
“Benen oppa! I’m here!”
“Ah, Sol! You’ve grown so—ack! Father, don’t push me!”
“Hurry and leave. The people of the territory are waiting for you.”
“They’re waiting for you, Father!”
“Business always runs best when the master is away.”
“Don’t spread ice on the stairs!”
…And so, after Benen clung to the carriage door and I latched onto the Duke, the chaotic struggle finally ended, and we siblings managed a proper reunion.
In the townhouse’s reception room, veteran-looking maids brought tea and refreshments.
“Benen oppa! How have you been?”
Benen, who had turned twenty last year, already looked grown, and this year he even carried an air of maturity. His firm grip on my hand smelled faintly of ink.
At first glance, he was a well-groomed, handsome man. But when those blue eyes behind his glasses softened and curved, it made me want to believe anything he said.
Was this how the serpent in Genesis must have looked? If he asked, ‘Pardon me, but may I have one of your kidneys?’ I’d probably nod.
…Wait, hold on.
“Your eyesight got worse? You’re wearing glasses?”
Just two years ago, he was fine without them!
“I don’t wear them all the time.”
“Still…”
In the original story, it seemed his vision worsened from being overworked by the Duke. But was he simply destined to be a glasses character all along?
…Can I really change the future of the Duke and Elber?
I almost sank into gloom, but quickly forced a bright smile for Benen’s sake.
“They suit you well!”
“Thanks. And you’ve grown taller in just a year.”
“I’m still growing!”
I puffed my chest with pride. Maybe here, I could grow taller than my original 163 cm!
…But both the Duke and Benen looked down at me as though amused. Ugh, I get it—you’re both tall.
“By the way, where’s Elber oppa? I wrote that I’d be coming.”
“Elber’s been busy lately. He’ll probably be back tomorrow.”
“He’s still a student, right? Isn’t graduation soon?”
“You can’t treat the Duke’s heir like an ordinary student.”
Benen chuckled. Thankfully, there was no bitterness in it, so I breathed easier.
“These days he’s training swordsmanship with General Fine’s family. Today he’s on patrol outside the walls, so he should be back tomorrow.”
“What? But tomorrow I’ll already be entering school!”
“Worried Elber might visit while you’re gone?”
Benen laughed. Ah, those sly fox-eyes again. I had a bad feeling.
“I thought I’d get your full attention today, but you only care about the brother who isn’t here. I feel a bit hurt.”
“That’s not true—it’s just the difference between someone being here and not! If you weren’t here, I’d be asking even more questions about you.”
“Haha, I was joking. You’re cute when you overreact.”
“I’m not overreacting.”
My cheeks puffed on their own.
But… Benen had sounded a little too sincere just now! I hurried to change the subject.
“This townhouse is huge. I thought it’d be crammed between other houses like matchboxes, but it’s an actual mansion with a garden! Must be tough to maintain.”
“Thanks for noticing. Managing a house larger than most noble estates in the capital is killing me.”
Benen immediately seized the chance to vent his woes. The Duke’s gaze grew sharp, but Benen didn’t stop, excusing himself with, “My sister wants to know.” Ha! That’s what younger sisters are for.
Perhaps the long complaint softened the Duke, because Benen wasn’t immediately dismissed from his role as acting lord.
“You may stay until after her entrance ceremony tomorrow.”
Don’t act generous with that!
Still, Benen seemed satisfied with the reprieve. He squeezed my hand and said with relief,
“On your first day, people need to see that Benen Schlaeger is behind you.”
“…Oppa, did you do something notorious in the capital?”
“…Depends on your definition of ‘notorious.’”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.
After dinner, I was shown around the estate and unpacked in my new room.
Gruner Bant was a boarding school, but weekend leave was allowed. Which meant this room would be mine for at least a year.
“My room wouldn’t be complete without this.”
I hung the dreamcatcher—the first gift I’d ever received from the Duke—by my bedside.
May I dream good dreams tonight, and tomorrow as well.
Gruner Bant… Ugh, what a hard name to remember. Can I just call it Groot? Anyway, the school stood behind the temple, like blocks of snowy rice cakes.
The entrance ceremony was simple. Each new student merely registered, received a priest’s greeting, and said a prayer.
I was relieved—it seemed quiet and modest. Unlike in Flogel, where every time the Duke’s carriage passed, people caused a ruckus that embarrassed me.
Surely in the capital, a carriage like ours wouldn’t draw such fuss.
…But that was my naïve assumption.
As the black carriage slid down the back road of the temple, the priests who had been guiding students parted to both sides and bowed deeply.
One apprentice priest gawked upward, until another quickly forced his head down. His muffled voice still escaped.
“Bow, it’s the Duke’s house!”
“What? That Duke’s house? Oh no!”
…And just what does “that Duke’s house” mean?
I glanced at the Duke and Benen opposite me.
“Please, both of you, be honest. What’s our family’s image in the capital?”
In the original, it was absolute garbage.
The distance of Flogel County from the capital only fueled the rumors. Few had actually seen them, so the infamy grew unchecked.
They said he was a ruthless monster. That even the King feared him, granting audiences only in summer. That when his black carriage slid into the capital like a killer whale, children fell silent in terror…
But this time, things should be different. Nobles had surely gossiped about the Duke’s doting behavior after witnessing it. Benen and Elber had been active here too…
Yet the answer I wanted never came. Benen whistled and stared out the window.
“Nice weather.”
“Oppa, what did you do in the capital?”
“Nothing much. Sometimes when older nobles dismissed me for being young, I just mentioned Father’s name.”
“You left everything to their imagination!”
Duke, please scold your son!
At last, the Duke spoke.
“Benen, so you allowed my infamy to persist.”
“Put that way… yes.”
“It can’t be helped, then.”
Huh? That’s it?
The Duke turned to me.
“To soften that dreadful reputation, I must protect you even more.”
…You’re twisting this to your own liking. Benen grinned like he’d won.
Even the walk from the carriage was like a path of thorns. Apprentice priests tried to guide me, but were pushed aside by higher-ranking clergy who bowed to the Duke instead.
As we stood to fill out documents, whispers rose behind us.
“That’s the Duke of Schlaeger, right? Truly?”
“I thought the rumor about him adopting a girl was false!”
“What’s the point of adopting if he sends her to such a cheap school instead of the Central Academy—mph!”
A boy was silenced by his guardian before finishing.
The Duke’s pen froze. That alone made the boy and his guardian drop to their knees, terrified. But the Duke didn’t so much as glance at them, addressing the priest instead.
“You know well of Schlaeger’s reputation. The god may command you to accept even my child, but as a man, it must feel burdensome.”
“Ah, ahaha, wh-what are you saying! We—we are always welcoming!”
“Good. To make that welcome more genuine, I’ve prepared a small token.”
At once, a servant brought forward a locked case. When it opened, a soft glow poured out as though filled with jewels.
The priest’s jaw dropped.
“Th-this is Saint Berthe’s relic… lost during the civil war! H-how did you find it?”
“Buried in the deserts of Viste. I thought it belonged in the temple. Did I not return it to its rightful keeper?”
“Of course! We searched everywhere for this! We’ll enshrine it with the utmost care!”
“Excellent. Then please take care of my daughter as well.”
“Without question!”
The priest forgot all dignity, bowing deeply.
So that’s why the Duke had arrived nearly at the same time as us, despite riding alone—he’d delayed to retrieve this offering.
I almost felt grateful, but then the Duke added,
“Above all, I trust there won’t be any disgraceful affairs like ‘free romance.’”
The priest chuckled as if it were a joke. I wished it were. But the Duke’s eyes sharpened, and I chose to focus elsewhere.
“Benen oppa, still no sign of Elber?”
“Strange. I sent word for him to come as soon as he returned.”
We both scanned the crowd.
There were plenty of people, but I was confident I’d recognize him. He was the male lead of a romance novel, after all.
In fact, in Rank 99, he made his first appearance at precisely this moment. When he arrived, surely everyone’s eyes would be drawn to him.
Yes, just like the heroine…
“…Oh?”
Before I could spot Elber, another girl caught my eye.
Golden hair like melted sunlight, soft green eyes like budding leaves. A girl who radiated the scent of spring.
…Seraphina.
The heroine of this story.
“Benen oppa, I’ll be right back!”
“Huh? Where are you—wait! He’s here!”
Whatever Benen said didn’t matter. All I could see was the heroine. I had to talk to her on the first day—it would make becoming friends so much easier!
But as I hurried toward her, the shrinking distance between us suddenly froze. A hand had clamped firmly around my arm.
I turned, startled. Gasps echoed around us.
And there he stood—a man so beautiful that everyone held their breath.
The boyish innocence was gone. Only the blue eyes gazing down from a daunting height confirmed his identity.
Elber.
His deep voice rumbled.
“Where are you going? After calling me here like I’m not busy.”
“Elber…”
“Say it properly. Call me oppa.”
His grip tightened. What the hell—did he ruin his personality in just one year in the capital? Is he following the original story’s path after all?
While people whispered in awe—“That’s the Duke’s son”—
…Elber bent close, his voice suddenly gentle, meant only for me.
“Sorry for being rough, Sol. I really, really missed you, my little sister…”
