Chapter 61
“……I will summon them all.”
Violetti bowed her head as she replied.
She didn’t utter thoughts like, “Isn’t the strength of a single knight order from the House of Serenia greater than the entire army of a small kingdom?”
I’ll need to reconsider the justification for striking the House of Baharman, he thought.
For now, he simply measured, calmly, just how many documents would need to be rewritten.
Chapter 10: Another Curse
The place I arrived at, following Lloyd, was a large room.
The interior was both antique and lavishly decorated, and judging by the furniture—all of which seemed to be high-end—it was clearly not put together carelessly.
“…Even if he’s just a little guy, a grand duke’s household really is grand.”
I nodded as I looked around the room, and Lloyd, watching me with a pleased expression, finally spoke.
“This will be the room where Einra will stay from now on. Of course, only until we get married.”
I froze for a moment as I had been wandering around the room absentmindedly.
“…Married?”
He had mentioned love before, and then again at the last banquet… could he really be thinking about marriage already?
If so, it was genuinely creepy.
How many times had we even met for him to be talking about marriage?!
“But since I snuck in for reconnaissance, I can’t exactly refuse.”
I decided I’d just gather information as quickly as possible and leave.
“Until the wedding, Einra, you’ll stay here and take lessons for a duchess-in-training.”
Lloyd said brightly.
“Since you’re a commoner, I thought the idea of becoming a duchess might be intimidating, so I prepared this especially for you. Normally, you’d have to learn all this at your family home, but you don’t need to feel pressured.”
“Oh, yes…”
I half-lidded my eyes and nodded dully, letting a tired expression show.
“Um, I’m a bit confused and tired right now, so I’d like to be alone for a while.”
The first priority was to contact As.
Pressing my temple lightly, I saw the surprised expression on his face, as if he hadn’t thought of that.
“Ah, I was so happy to see you again, Einra, I didn’t think…! I’ll introduce the staff tomorrow. For now, just rest comfortably here.”
With that, Lloyd turned as if to leave.
But just a few steps later, he stopped abruptly.
“Ah, and Einra.”
He turned back, folding his eyes softly.
“You won’t be able to use spirit magic until we’re married.”
“…”
“I’m telling you in advance in case you panic about not being able to summon spirits. But I’ll make sure it won’t be inconvenient, so don’t be too upset.”
With a voice that seemed to melt, he added, and then left entirely.
I had been stiff until the door closed, and as soon as it did, I let out a deep sigh.
“I should’ve known, this grand duke…”
The entire mansion was saturated with the same level of spirit suppression magic that had blocked all my nature affinity before; it was strange not to expect it.
“Unconscionable… they’d cut off arms and legs at the slightest provocation.”
Completely helpless.
“I’m glad I got help from Elye…”
I murmured, raising my natural affinity.
With no restrictions, I summoned Quiel effortlessly.
Quiel popped up like a bursting droplet in midair, smiling widely, and leapt into my arms.
I gently stroked Quiel’s small head and whispered,
“Quiel, can you pass a message to As for me?”
After briefly explaining why I came to the Baharman Grand Duke’s household, Quiel listened attentively and nodded vigorously.
Returning to natural form for quicker travel, Quiel vanished from my sight.
Finally relieved, I staggered to the unfamiliar bed and collapsed onto it.
“Who wakes someone in the dead of night…”
As the tension eased, the delayed drowsiness hit heavily.
Yawning, I summoned the advanced water spirit Eldimir in a way that only I could see, just in case.
The wolf-shaped Eldimir took its place beside me.
‘Much better now.’
I smiled faintly and petted Eldimir’s fur before sinking into sleep.
How long I wandered in dreams, I couldn’t tell.
A cold touch on my forehead startled me awake.
Reflexively, I flinched, and the touch slid slowly down my temple.
“Ugh…”
I instinctively turned my head to avoid the unfamiliar sensation, but for some reason, I couldn’t move.
Frowning in discomfort, I heard a soft laugh tickling my ear.
‘…Why… are you… here?’
A low, playful voice came from the depths of sleep.
It sounded so pleasant that I couldn’t help but smile faintly.
The cold sensation tracing my cheek now brushed against my lips.
‘…Thought… you’d stop.’
As the voice lowered further, I suddenly snapped my eyes open.
“—Huh.”
“…Too bad.”
A lingering, regretful voice drifted beside my head.
Startled, I raised my head to meet the eyes of a man cloaked entirely in black robes.
“Long time no see, Einra.”
Familiar, yet somehow oddly strange, his red eyes curved softly.
I blinked in shock, then jerked upright.
“Ah, Aces?!”
“Hmm, it’s nice to be welcomed.”
He murmured lazily, extending his hand.
Grasping a handful of my hair, he brought it to his lips.
“If you make a loud noise, someone outside might hear.”
Aces placed his lips gently on my hair and locked eyes with me again.
Moonlight streamed through the window, shadows stretched long across the room, and in the darkness, his red eyes curved wickedly.
Heat crept up my face.
“Y-Yes… I should… speak quietly…”
Rubbing my flushed cheeks, I muttered, but really, that wasn’t the important thing right now!
“Ah, Aces, how did you get here? Are you allowed in?”
I asked hurriedly.
Smiling as if I were adorable, he stroked my cheek.
“Of course.”
“Then…?”
“You disappeared from my sight, Einra.”
His voice drifted lazily.
With no words left, I quietly closed my mouth.
“So I came to find you, to where you are.”
His hand, still on my cheek, slid into my hair.
I stared at him dumbly, unable even to breathe, as his gaze pinned me down.
It was as if I’d been thrown in front of a predator.
“I originally intended to clean this place off the map…”
He tilted his head, continuing slowly.
“But Quiel told me. You had something you wanted to find out here.”
Swish.
His long fingers combed through my hair from the back of my head.
“So I decided to wait for a while. Until your curiosity is satisfied.”
Aces smiled softly.
I could finally exhale slowly after his fingers fully left my hair.
“Ugh… th-thank…”
“But it’s better to satisfy that curiosity as soon as possible.”
“…Huh?”
“You can’t learn anything from the dead, can you?”
“Y-Yeah…?”
“I’m not generous enough to tolerate anyone looking at my lover with dirty eyes.”
Aces whispered softly, laying me back on the bed.
“Now, Einra, sleep. You’ll be busy figuring things out tomorrow.”
His large hand pulled up the covers, gently patting my chest.
I blinked blankly, then my face burned.
‘Lover…?’
Huh, since when? From that day—day one? Or the next day?
‘Aaah…’
Dizzy, I tugged the blanket over my face.
Hearing his quiet laughter by my bedside, I struggled internally for a while before finally drifting into sleep.
Faint sunlight tickled my eyes.
I vaguely realized the day had begun, but I didn’t want to wake yet.
As my drifting consciousness tried to sink back under the surface of sleep,
Knock, knock.
“…Did… you cough?”
Intermittent sounds disturbed my deep sleep.
“Miss.”
“Mm…”
Tossing in my sleep, I suddenly opened my eyes.
The events of last night flashed through my mind in an instant.
I had entered the Baharman Grand Duke’s household using Dante’s magic circle and met the grand duke.
Then I had gone to the room assigned to me to sleep…
“…Aces!”
Last night, Aces had snuck into the grand duke’s mansion, clad entirely in black robes.
I hurriedly looked around the room.
Bathed in sunlight, there was no sign of anyone else.
