chapter 53……………………………….
The carriage rode steadily along the flat roads of the capital.
The townhouse of the Northdian Duke and the imperial palace were very close; we would arrive soon. Yet at this moment, the distance seemed to stretch for hundreds of kilometers.
“So quiet.”
I glanced at his face and fidgeted with my fingers. I wanted to say something, anything, but couldn’t bring myself to speak.
The duke had his eyes closed, lost in thought.
I stole another glance at his face.
“Even with his eyes closed, he’s handsome. Even with all that hair pushed back, his perfect features don’t lose their charm. I want to touch the bridge of his nose.”
I watched him in awe, as if I had never found him intimidating before.
Just as the palace began to come into view, the duke opened his eyes. I was startled when our gazes met and quickly turned my head, pretending not to have looked.
“Why did he have to open his eyes now…!”
I tried to cool my burning face with my hands when I heard his voice.
“Count Uberis will attend the banquet today.”
I flinched at his words.
“Yes… that’s right.”
I screamed inwardly.
I completely forgot!
I had been so preoccupied thinking about the duke all day that I had completely neglected the very thing I needed to prepare for.
You idiot!
Thankfully, I had brought the wedding ring and the talisman. At least these would serve as a minimal shield.
I carefully fumbled with the talisman under my glove, since so many people would recognize it immediately.
“Are you worried?”
I nodded at his question. The concern I had felt just moments ago about how to behave around the duke now seemed trivial, replaced by a sinking dread.
“That man wouldn’t hesitate to do anything to enhance his magic. If he finds out about your current state, he certainly won’t let it slide.”
“Why doesn’t he realize that he can’t do anything at this point? Is he really that stupid?”
The duke snorted softly.
“….”
I suddenly realized that my body was trembling slightly. The marks of abuse engraved over the years seemed to have left echoes in my soul as well.
Nervously, I fiddled with my handbag.
What if I get dragged back again? With my current abilities, can I even subdue Count or Cosette?
I could only use a few types of magic. Even then, my mana was unstable, and I might fail to control it.
It should be fine. I can handle this on my own.
With the wedding ring etched with protective magic, at least I wouldn’t be harmed by spells. But if he tried to overpower me physically or ambush me magically, there was no way I could manage alone…
A dark anxiety began creeping up to the surface, riding on my memories.
“Eloah.”
“Ah!”
The moment a warm, large hand rested on mine, I realized I had been holding my breath.
“You are not alone.”
“Ah…”
I recalled what the duke had said to me recently:
“Right now, I am your husband and your family, so lean on me a little.”
On the first day I used magic, when loneliness had overwhelmed me and I had cried, he had said this.
He promised to stay by my side and help me.
“You are the Duchess of Northdian. If anything happens, call me. I will protect you.”
His gaze had been incredibly gentle as he said this, and then he draped his coat over my shoulders.
“It’s okay. You are strong enough.”
It was amazing. His words felt like armor, surrounding and protecting me.
“Thank you.”
I gave a small smile and nodded.
By the time the coldness of my shoulders was warmed by his coat, I opened my eyes, which had been closed for a moment.
“I have a good idea.”
He looked puzzled at first, but after hearing my explanation, his eyes began to sparkle.
“That’s quite an interesting idea.”
“Right?”
“If it works as planned, we’ll be the talk of the capital.”
The duke lifted one side of his mouth, clearly amused by the thought, probably imagining the people who would be embarrassed by this scheme.
If it works, it could even clean up Northdian’s image.
Thinking again, I realized I had the Northdian Duke—“the worst enemy if against you, the strongest ally if on your side”—with me. No matter what crisis came, it seemed fine as long as he was on my side.
Somehow, I began to look forward to the banquet immensely.
“What a crowd.”
Isabella, attending the capital’s banquet for the first time, frowned slightly. Accustomed to the quiet of the Uberis estate, the overflowing capital banquet hall felt unfamiliar.
Count Uberis snorted at her comment.
“Everyone is desperate to make an impression on His Majesty the Emperor or the high nobles, so there’s no helping it. Tch, pathetic creatures.”
Looking down on the lower nobles as if he were above them, Count Uberis grabbed a wine glass from a servant who had been cleverly avoiding the crowd.
At that moment, Cosette, who had been wandering around the banquet hall, returned.
“Father, hasn’t my sister arrived yet?”
From head to toe, Cosette was adorned with emeralds and peridots, a display of the Uberis family’s wealth.
By her side stood her fiancé, Heron Byorn, the second son of the Marquis of Hayes.
“Cosette, the Duke and Duchess of Northdian will attend, so don’t worry. I got this information from Father, so it’s certain.”
Heron, with curly black hair and a slender build, had a noticeable beauty mark under his right eye. He gently kissed the back of his fiancée’s hand, as if to calm her restless nerves.
“…Heron.”
Cosette staggered slightly, and Heron quickly steadied her.
“Are you okay?”
“Sniff I’m so worried. I can’t imagine what that terrifying Northdian Duke might have done to my sister. If anything happened… I would really—”
Leaning slightly against Heron’s chest, Cosette wiped her tears and sobbed, appearing genuinely concerned for her sister.
Especially since Heron knew that both his fiancée and the Uberis family cared for the fragile Eloah, he understood her worry.
The count and countess also looked uneasy; they were clearly concerned for their daughter.
“Don’t worry, Cosette. Even if the opponent is the famous Northdian Duke, if he harms your sister, I won’t stand by. So, my dear, stop crying. You’ll ruin your eyes.”
“Sniff Heron, I trust only you.”
He carefully wiped the tears from Cosette’s eyes. He thought to himself:
Comforting her is one thing, but it’s tedious. By the way, the Northdian Duke…
Heron, who had just come of age, had never met the widely rumored Northdian Duke.
The only aura master on the continent.
A hunter of magical criminals.
And an immensely wealthy man who ruled over nobles not by magic, but by money.
Surely the rumors are exaggerated. One man can’t possibly have it all.
Moreover, he was also known as the Duke Notch.
Reactions of those who knew him were divided:
Those who despised him for being lowborn yet seated as a duke.
And those who feared him for raising his family’s status to rival high mage families despite lacking magic.
No one had a favorable opinion. Saying otherwise implied denying the magic-based noble society.
Still, the reality was undeniable, which Heron always found strange.
He’s just shameless; a noble who can’t use magic and doesn’t even know it’s shameful.
Heron thought this, and Count Uberis agreed.
“No matter how much he captures criminals on the emperor’s orders, it’s still menial work. I won’t send my precious daughter to such a man. I can’t accept it!”
“But His Majesty has already approved it; is that alright?”
At Heron’s words, the count’s face contorted. The gentle expression he usually wore vanished, leaving a grim look that left Heron momentarily taken aback.
“The emperor has been deceived by that Notch! Otherwise, how could he disregard the taxes our family pays every year? Today, I will appeal this injustice and take back my daughter!”
Count Uberis showed the resolve of a warrior ready to fight to the death.
Heron listened politely, though he was thinking something else.
Whatever happens to her is none of my concern, but this is my chance.
Count Uberis was a low-level mage. He would struggle to oppose the Northdian Duke with force.
So if Heron, a fifth-rank mage, intervened, he could take over the title instead of Cosette, who would be inexperienced managing the estate as a future daughter-in-law.
“His Majesty will surely understand your grievance, Count.”
Heron smiled, confident everything would go as planned.
At that moment, the voice of a palace servant boomed through the banquet hall.
“The Sword of the Empire, the Glory of the East, His Excellency Rectorion Eden Northdian of the House of Northdian, and Duchess Eloah Finn Northdian!”
The bustling hall fell silent as if water had been poured over it. Everyone’s attention snapped to the entrance, where the most awaited guests finally appeared.
“My goodness.”
No one knew who had gasped, but everyone was thinking the same thing.
