~Chapter 47~
“Your Grace, yesterday I met the mountain guards at Mount Varg.”
“Did you?”
The Duke answered without much interest and started eating again.
Before the silence could return, I quickly spoke.
“What about Brother Vincent’s search? I heard you put the mountain guards in charge.”
“……”
“You haven’t found him yet?”
For a moment, the Duke’s calm eyes wavered.
He looked at me with a strange expression—not openly angry, but not exactly friendly either.
“They said he hadn’t returned to the parish as of yesterday. If something really happened to Brother Vincent, the Holy City will officially complain.”
“Hmm.”
“If we fall out with the Holy City, that’s not good for Lombard.”
The capital keeps a close watch on Lombard’s strong army. So, to keep the balance, Lombard has to stay on good terms with the Holy City. The previous Duke’s death already taught that lesson.
‘Ah, I shouldn’t have brought that up.’
The former Duke died because of the old Crown Prince—Elicia’s father.
Remembering this too late, I bit my lip and looked away.
The Duke let out a low sigh and asked,
“Do you trust me?”
“No.”
“I said before, there’s no need to worry too much about Brother Vincent. No matter what sweet words he told you…”
He ignored my answer and kept talking.
“The Brother I know isn’t the type to lose to wild animals.”
“Yes, he is tall and strong, like a knight. I admit that. But he’s actually very timid. He even hid behind me once because Mrs. Olden glared at him.”
“I’ll ask again. Do you trust me?”
“No.”
“The Holy City sends priests out for all sorts of reasons. Usually it’s nothing special, but sometimes they have secret missions.”
Again, he skipped my reply and spoke as he liked.
“So you think Brother Vincent was sent on a secret mission and just went home quietly?”
“That’s what I think.”
At his confident answer, I started to remember my own encounters with Brother Vincent.
‘I’m sorry! I really couldn’t see where I was going… I need to get new glasses but haven’t had time…’
The first time we met, Vincent was just an ordinary, nervous priest who bumped into a noblewoman.
‘Didn’t you look in the mirror? It might sound odd for a priest, but you’re handsome, Brother.’
‘I—I am?’
‘Why do you look like that?’
‘It’s the first time anyone said I’m handsome…’
When I half-joked and said he was good-looking, he blushed all the way to his ears.
Could anyone fake being that shy, even if they were on a secret mission? Maybe, but I’d watched him closely for months.
I decided even that kind of awkwardness couldn’t be acted.
My judgment wasn’t that bad—at least, not anymore.
‘Of course, in the past, I was terrible at reading people.’
But after being betrayed and killed by Edwin once, I wouldn’t fall for the same thing again.
Probably… not. Maybe.
“I understand what you mean, Your Grace.”
“I’m not sure you do.”
“But for Lombard’s relationship with the Holy City, please keep searching. I’ll pay for it if needed.”
Berry’s mother, who knows the mountains well in winter, was already helping. But if the mountain guards searched too, I’d feel better.
Even if I didn’t have strong feelings for Brother Vincent, I wanted to try every way I could.
“Since you ask, we’ll keep looking. No need to give the Holy City a reason to complain.”
“Thank you.”
While we talked, the food got cold.
But I was already full, so I put down my utensils and was about to stand when the Duke spoke again.
“Why don’t you take charge of Lombard’s household affairs?”
“…What?”
I meant to reply smoothly, but my voice came out weird.
‘Did I hear that right?’
He always hated Elicia—the daughter of the man who led to the old Duke’s death. He even refused to do the wedding night, like a proper noble, and never tried for an heir.
So now he wanted to put me in charge of this huge estate? If I failed, everything would collapse.
Everyone remembered what happened with useless duchesses—floods in summer, starvation in winter, plagues in spring and fall.
Lombard, in the North, can’t grow enough food on its own and must be carefully managed. The old Duchess, spoiled in the South, ignored the officials’ advice and spent money. The result was disaster.
Edwin knew this better than anyone. There’s no way he’d give me that job.
Especially since I’m like the old Duchess—except she was foolish but kind, and I’m foolish and mean.
So the only answer was that my ears were broken.
But then—
“I think you’re the right person to manage Lombard’s affairs.”
So my hearing was fine after all.
“I refuse.”
I answered instantly, before even thinking.
But the Duke kept talking calmly, as if he didn’t hear me.
“I’m often away because of the Northern Wall. Lombard needs a wise and decisive mistress. I think you are the right one.”
If I heard this in the past, when I was desperate for approval, I would have grabbed the chance, no matter the risk.
If I could make Lombard as rich and happy as the South, and see people smiling…
‘But that’s not me anymore.’
The Elicia who cared only for Lombard and Edwin is gone.
Now, I value myself most of all. Only myself.
So I won’t take responsibility for anything.
“I’m busy enough preparing for the guests. Bertolt can keep handling things as before.”
“That’s a shame. If you change your mind, let me know anytime.”
“That’ll never happen. Even if I die.”
Even though I was blunt, the Duke didn’t seem bothered.
What was he thinking? I couldn’t tell from his eyes.
“Then… why did you do that?”
The words just came out on their own.
I wanted to see past his calm, unreadable face.
“The knights I met yesterday said you told them to prepare the Mount Varg area in advance.”
“……”
“As far as I know, the mountain guards are supposed to watch the area near the Northern Wall, not Mount Varg. Why did you suddenly move them to the east?”
I wasn’t really expecting an answer.
He could say he didn’t trust someone from the capital, or that my safety could become a political problem. He had plenty of excuses.
But—
When our eyes met, I saw a crack in his perfect mask.
He didn’t look like his usual cold, unreadable self.
“If I’m honest… will you trust me?”
“I… well…”
“…Never mind.”
I froze, not knowing what to say.
The Duke looked away.
“Forget I said anything.”
And just like that, he was back to his usual self again.
