142. Not Actually Dead?
The Marquis of Balton clicked his tongue as he looked at Aiden.
He had entered the palace to see Shylo, and while he was at it, decided to check in with Aiden for a progress report.
But when he heard a commotion behind the knights and went to see, he found Aiden bickering with the commander of the knight order.
The Marquis of Balton smoothly inserted himself between them.
“Aiden, I have urgent matters to discuss. Let’s move elsewhere.”
“Ah, my lord…”
Aiden was caught in an awkward spot, unable to say yes or no.
“My lord, Aiden is a knight of the Imperial Palace Guard. If you have business with him, you should go through me.”
“What was that?”
Brecht stepped in, blocking the way.
The Marquis of Balton glared at him with dissatisfaction.
“Ahem. I act under His Majesty’s orders in affairs of state. This is no matter for a knight commander to interfere in.”
“My apologies, Marquis, but I’ve received no such instructions from His Majesty. Without a legitimate reason, I cannot allow one of my men to leave.”
If it had been an ordinary knight, they would have bowed their head at once. But the knight commander stood there like a stone statue.
The Marquis narrowed his eyes and pulled something out of his breast pocket.
“Here. Look at this. Proof that I carry the Emperor’s command! Will this convince you?”
He held out a token marked with the imperial seal.
In truth, it was a token bestowed by the Emperor for diplomatic dealings with Pylon. But the Marquis had no qualms about using it for other purposes.
He often flashed it when meeting Shylo or Evelyn—so this was nothing new.
“If you understand now, step aside.”
“…”
At last, Brecht reluctantly moved aside. He cast a cold glance down at Aiden.
“Once your business is done, report to my chambers immediately.”
“Y-yes, sir…”
Aiden mumbled, still looking dazed.
The Marquis jerked his chin.
“Aiden, what are you waiting for? Come at once!”
“Y-yes!”
Aiden hurried after the Marquis, who strode ahead.
The Marquis led him to a reception room inside the Crystal House.
It was originally meant for Shylo’s use when entertaining distinguished guests, but because the Marquis frequented the place so much, it had practically become his own.
“Why are you just standing there? Sit!”
“Y-yes!”
Aiden quickly set down the sack he was carrying and sat.
“What on earth is that? What’s with that baggage?”
“I—I’ve committed a grave sin!”
“What?”
Aiden immediately dropped to his knees.
He hadn’t even properly disposed of the man’s body. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out.
Rather than spin a poor lie, he decided to tell the truth.
“So, you’re saying… the man took his own life?”
The Marquis of Balton gaped, utterly shocked by Aiden’s explanation.
Seeing his reaction, Aiden shrank back even further.
“Y-yes. I believe he realized long ago that he was being followed. The moment he saw me, he drew his sword. In the scuffle that followed… things got out of hand…”
As Aiden stammered through his explanation, he loosened the robe he was carrying.
Inside was the body of a man, lying still as if asleep in death.
When he saw the corpse, the Marquis collapsed heavily into a seat.
“My precious token… wasted…”
Staring blankly down at the body, the Marquis suddenly grabbed Aiden by the collar.
“How are you going to answer for this? I told you to investigate him, not kill him!”
“M-my lord—”
“Who’s your lord?!”
The Marquis roared, and Aiden flinched back as though burned.
“Useless worm! Worthless trash!”
The Marquis grabbed whatever was within reach and struck him repeatedly.
After enduring the blows for some time, a thought suddenly struck Aiden.
“C-come to think of it, my lord… that man seemed to know you. Just by looking at me, he realized I was related to you.”
“!”
“He killed himself before I could question him further, but I’m certain he knew something…”
“What?”
Both the Marquis and Aiden turned to look at the body at the same time.
And then—they saw it. The supposedly dead man’s fingertips twitched ever so slightly.
Meanwhile, at that very moment—
Back at the Blaine estate, Seraphine sat in a daze.
Learning about her father’s past had left her as bewildered as could be.
As soon as she returned home, she gazed down with conflicted eyes at Baron Blaine, who was lying in a troubled sleep.
Who knew how much time had passed when he finally stirred and opened his eyes.
“Where… am I?”
“You’re home.”
“S-Seraphine?”
The Baron sat up in alarm.
Seeing his daughter’s deeply troubled face, he bowed his head at a ninety-degree angle.
“I’m sorry.”
The first words out of his mouth were an apology.
“I have no face left to see you with. Once matters are settled, I’ll leave.”
“Where will you go?”
“Anywhere. Somewhere you’ll never have to see me again, and I’ll live as though dead.”
At those words, Seraphine’s long-suppressed resentment burst forth.
“Running away again, are you?”
“Seraphine, I just…”
The Baron could not finish the words.
Tears welled up in Seraphine’s eyes like dew.
“It’s always like this with you, Father. You hid such a terrible secret, and yet you never said a word to your family.”
All her life, he claimed to atone to some nameless child, while never once showing his face to the family that waited endlessly for him. A cowardly, heartless father.
Tears streamed ceaselessly down the Baron’s cheeks.
Seraphine bit her lip hard.
“The ones left behind… they wait their whole lives. Even knowing you’ll never come back.”
“…”
“They wonder—if I’m good for ten nights, will he return? If I behave, will he come home? That’s how we waited for ten long years.”
“…”
“And then all you say is that you’ll disappear forever? How can you be so cowardly? If you abandoned us once, you shouldn’t abandon us again!”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
At his pitiful apology, Seraphine let out a hollow laugh.
Her father was cruel and unfeeling.
But what she hated even more was herself—for being unable to cast him off coldly.
“I learned patience and forgiveness first. Because no matter what mistakes people make, forgiving them is easier than forgiving the father who abandoned me.”
“…”
“So again… I have no choice but to forgive you.”
It was foolish. It was bitter.
But all she could do was endure.
A lifetime of waiting had carved patience and forgiveness into her very nature.
And suddenly, she realized—
That patience and forgiveness were her father’s true legacy.
“Don’t ever abandon me again.”
“Seraphine…”
Sobbing, the Baron pulled his daughter into his arms.
“I missed you, Father.”
And at last, Seraphine released the sorrow she had bottled up for so long.
A few days later.
It had already been several days since the Administrator had gone missing.
“Disappearing must be his hobby…”
Even with guards dispatched to track him down, there was no sign of him.
He’s even ignoring telepathy.
I couldn’t help but worry.
Then suddenly, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[An anonymous subscriber is staring intently at you.]
Great. The anonymous backseat driver again.
They’d been quiet for a while, but now that the Administrator was gone, they had reappeared.
But unlike the Administrator, they were… useless.
[The anonymous subscriber opens their mouth as if to speak.]
[The anonymous subscriber wants to talk to you.]
[The anonymous subscriber…]
For days now, they had been tailing me silently, just making their presence known.
“If you have something to say, just say it already.”
What was so earth-shattering that they couldn’t?
They used to be so chatty with their advice—why not now?
But in the end, the anonymous subscriber remained silent.
[The anonymous subscriber beats their chest in frustration.]
“And what exactly am I supposed to do with that?”
I snorted in exasperation. That was when someone suddenly knocked on my door in haste.
“My lady, the Countess of Gote has arrived at the ducal estate!”
“Already?”
When the maids informed me of the Countess’s arrival, I rose at once.
By the time I reached the parlor, the Countess was already there.
“My lady, how have you been?”
“Quite well, thanks to you. And you, Madam?”
“I’ve hardly slept these past days—I’ve been hearing the most thrilling news!”
“What news could possibly keep you up?”
The Countess let out a snort of excitement.
“It’s about the trade with the Kingdom of Pylon. They pushed it too far, and it seems to have ended in disaster. Word is, relations between the two nations may be permanently damaged!”
“!”
