CHAPTER 145…………………………………………
“…Um, Count.”
The butler wiped the cold sweat from his brow at the unusual intensity radiating from the Count.
Earlier, he had been the sort of man who spent whole days meeting scholars and busy collecting names. Now, his red eyes glinted sharply above his clasped hands.
A stifling atmosphere filled Count Sergio’s study.
‘This isn’t necessary…’
To the butler, the sudden change in the Count was nothing short of alarming.
Whether it was because the physician who had treated the young lord had said it was not a relapse, or for some other reason, it was clear that ever since the day the glass greenhouse was destroyed, the Count had grown noticeably quieter.
“Where is Adele right now?”
“She is at the Marquis’s residence, my lord. He said he was inspecting the construction site.”
The butler answered as if he had been waiting for the question.
In fact, the young lord no longer went without food or wandered about with a dark expression. He had stopped suppressing himself.
He treated the staff kindly and handled matters competently.
It was true that the sharp-witted young lord occasionally failed to understand the staff’s questions at once and had to ask again, but compared to before, it was almost peaceful.
The head steward no longer cut down or carved up perfectly fine trees either.
He simply lingered around the young lord, eyes lowered in a dignified, meditative manner.
One might have thought to approach and speak, but seeing a staff member recoil in fright after making eye contact suggested there were special circumstances.
So the main problem now was, indeed, the Count.
The man who had always done whatever he pleased with composure was now scowling with a serious face for the third day in a row.
“…Count.”
And he was not the only one wearing such a dark expression.
Aaron, who had come to see him early that morning, cautiously spoke, and the Count glanced at him subtly.
“What brings you here, Your Highness?”
For someone addressing a prince, his tone was unusually cold.
No matter how much of the South he actually governed, he could not compare to a prince acting as the Emperor’s proxy. That the Count behaved like this showed just how significant his dissatisfaction must be.
“I came to discuss how to handle matters with you, of course—”
“I meant, why did you come here? Surely the Imperial Palace has plenty of people who would welcome you.”
Aaron flared at the pointed remark but could not refute it.
He had come all this way, knowing his elder brother would not welcome him, and caused this upheaval.
And then there was Chloe’s issue. No matter his royal status, he could not behave with complete pride and rigidity.
“Furthermore, handling the aftermath is not our responsibility. The parties involved are clearly someone else.”
“But you said my sister-in-law is doing well…”
“Do you truly think my daughter is doing well, Second Prince?”
Aaron clenched his fists at the Count’s sharp, red gaze. He, too, had much to say, just as the Count was highly sensitive about his own daughter.
“It is the same for my brother,” Aaron said.
“….”
“Even when he endured those harsh humiliations at the Imperial Palace… he never wore such a pained expression.”
Aaron’s voice had grown grim. He had long buried the past, pretending not to see it, but now he could no longer do so.
“…Harsh humiliations?”
The Count looked him squarely in the eyes, and Aaron’s face twisted.
Though he had only recounted the events briefly, the memories that surfaced were so grim that the story had to be interrupted several times.
“…Perhaps my brother will not speak of it, but please try to understand the circumstances. He must have endured a great deal.”
“Endured a great deal? How would Your Highness know that?”
“Well, the situation…”
“How can one who has never lived a single day as my son-in-law judge so rashly?”
The Count’s cold voice made Aaron flinch.
It was the moment he finally understood whom the lady at the greenhouse, standing silently with the dragon, resembled.
“I do not mean it that way. I now fully understand my brother’s wishes as well.”
“That is heartening to hear,” the Count said as he rose and put on his coat. Though he spoke of being pleased, his face showed not even the faintest smile.
“Your Highness. I will not tolerate even a single hair on my people being harmed.”
“I understand you are displeased about my sister-in-law, Count, but—”
“Your Highness seems to be under some misconception… I am not speaking of my daughter at the moment.”
“….”
“Therefore, please stop speaking as if you know everything about ‘my son-in-law’s’ past.”
Whether it was a request or a warning, the Count’s expression was firm.
In a way, it was reassuring. But at the same time, being tied to him by family felt more like a terrifying curse than a blessing.
“Half-hearted understanding can be dangerous. If Your Highness truly respects my son-in-law, cherish the future rather than dwell on the past.”
“Then what do you propose, Count…? We cannot just leave them as they are.”
“Of course not. They are my daughter and my son-in-law.”
The Count finished preparing to go out and opened the door. The shadow of his hat cast darkness over his eyes.
“But whether it will continue to be so… I do not know.”
