CHAPTER 79………………………
Because the distance from the main castle to the annex was quite far, I took a carriage to the main castle.
I didn’t bring Pablo with me.
He had offered to “guide me,” but of course, common sense said he wouldn’t. And even without a guide, it was obvious where Priscilla would be.
I entered the main castle and quickly went up to the second floor.
Right? Left?
I was glancing around, wondering where to go first, when an old butler approached me.
“Greetings, Your Highness. If you are looking for Lady Priscilla, I shall guide you.”
Like a butler who had served in the ducal castle for a long time, he led me straight to Priscilla’s room.
“Lady Priscilla, Her Highness the Princess has come to see you.”
“Let her in.”
After a dignified voice replied, the butler opened the door.
Through the large windows, sunlight streamed in, and all I could make out was Priscilla’s silhouette.
There was also a faint acrid smell—she must have been smoking.
Only when I got closer could I see her face.
The familiar mint-colored hair and blue eyes caught my attention first.
But her gaze—unlike anyone else’s—was closer to that of a beast.
Priscilla gave a proper bow.
“It has been a long time, Your Highness.”
“It has indeed, Lady Priscilla.”
“I am honored you came in person.”
“Don’t think anything of it. I simply wished to see you.”
After a brief exchange of greetings, we sat at a table.
While refreshments were being prepared, we began with light small talk.
“This must be your first time in the duchy. I hope the land I cultivated is to your liking.”
She spoke as though she were still the duchess.
Wasn’t she being a bit too candid in showing me the state of her household?
Since long ago, Priscilla had acted as if I were her peer, often showing me this kind of personal goodwill.
“I was very worried for you. It was a trial you could easily have overturned, and yet…”
“I only wanted to be away from the palace for a while. It was a good change of pace.”
“Then I am glad.”
“Now that I think of it, I remember you remained in the capital all this time. But surely you must have had a reason to come see me, even though I have not yet been reinstated?”
Give me some support so I can be restored.
I probed her subtly.
Priscilla took the bait willingly.
“Of course. Whatever you wish, simply command me. The House of Eckhardt will lend you its strength.”
“How fortunate. Truly, I must have been born with good luck in people.”
When I paid her such polite lip service, her cold lips curved faintly upward.
She’d be in serious trouble soon—might as well gild her a bit more while I could.
“Truthfully, where I had been staying was attacked, so I was uneasy. But the duke was a great help.”
“An attack? Such sacrilege…”
“Fortunately, I was safe. The duke’s swordsmanship is remarkable. He even healed my precious companions. He reminds me very much of you, Lady Priscilla.”
Priscilla seemed doubtful that her son could have shown such dependability, yet she wasn’t displeased.
“I shall be sure to repay such kindness.”
“Please don’t. As one of Your Highness’s people, it was only natural.”
The tea time wasn’t exactly warm, but it was peaceful enough.
This much conversation would serve as good groundwork for the bomb I was about to drop.
As I began to rise, Priscilla stood as well, regretful.
“Leaving already?”
“I only came to pay a brief greeting today. My fondness made me thoughtlessly impose on a tired person.”
“Please come again anytime. I plan to stay for quite some time.”
“In that case, may I ask one small favor?”
“By all means.”
Priscilla smiled as if she had several plans to get rid of Mars immediately.
Plans are convenient enough, but there was something that had to be dealt with first.
“While you’re staying in the castle, I’d like to ask you to refrain from smoking.”
Not just during conversation—while staying here at all?
Priscilla looked faintly puzzled.
I kindly gave her the reason.
“There are two children in the castle. Since you’ll likely run into them often, we must be careful about secondhand smoke.”
“Two…?”
For a moment, a clear look of shock crossed Priscilla’s face.
As expected, what caught her attention wasn’t the existence of children—but the number.
And right on cue, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor before the door burst open.
It was the duke.
From the way he was panting, he must have rushed quite a bit.
He seemed to have plenty to say, yet thanks to his acquired mental affliction, he couldn’t get the words out.
Priscilla frowned at his rude behavior, but I, who had been waiting for him, greeted him with a bright smile.
“Welcome, Duke. I was just about to share our story with Lady Priscilla.”
“…What?”
So flustered was he that he even spoke aloud through his mask.
I stepped closer, leaned to his ear, and whispered softly.
“At last, I hear your precious voice, Duke. But… it’s a voice I’ve heard somewhere before.”
“…!”
“I’ll take your apology in the form of what I’m about to do next.”
“W-wait—”
His panicked protest was drowned out by Priscilla’s demand.
“Your Highness, you said two children… What do you mean by that? Surely there was only one…”
Even Priscilla couldn’t help but slip up in such a situation.
The “duke” had no children. Only “Ede” did.
Got you.
When I glanced at the duke, he looked like he wanted to faint.
Not a chance.
I pulled him close by the arm and leaned affectionately against him.
“The duke and I have a child together. She lives like a sister to Ayla. Since they’re here, please take care that the children don’t breathe in any smoke.”
* * *
Stricken by the revelation that her son had an illegitimate child, Priscilla clutched her neck and eventually collapsed.
She wasn’t usually this weak.
She had destroyed many rivals with scandal, yet her obedient son having a child out of wedlock struck her differently.
Since I had warned Priscilla in advance, she wouldn’t dare lay hands on my children.
Now it was time to have a proper talk with the duke.
After dragging the about-to-collapse man into the garden, I sat him down in a shaded chair.
“Sit, Duke.”
“…Since when did you know?”
Ede—or rather, Lloyd—asked in a voice like the world had ended. I answered calmly.
“Since I came here.”
“Was it Aslan…?”
So Aslan had figured it out too.
How on earth did he know?
“No. But it’s thanks to him in a way. You dropped far too many clues. And your alias wasn’t very convincing, was it? Lloyd, Ede.”
Once I realized it, it almost seemed like you wanted me to notice.
Lloyd’s eyes showed he felt the same.
“You can take off the mask and wig.”
“This is more comfortable.”
“Not because you don’t want to show your expression?”
“…”
He avoided answering.
From the way he sat, you could tell he was weighed down with regret.
His exposed neck was pale as paper.
I sat beside him, kindly reminding him of his mistakes.
“The first strange thing I noticed was your hands. Aslan said the duke had injured his hand while saving him. But your stand-in was clenching both fists without a problem. Pablo must have been extremely nervous.”
“…”
“And then, even accounting for you being the duke’s subordinate, the items you used were far too luxurious. In the countryside, you should’ve been more restrained.”
“…I had no plans to approach Your Highness at all.”
“It all went wrong because of Aslan, then. And the final blow—your resemblance to Lady Priscilla. That hair color isn’t exactly common, is it? If you wanted to hide it, you should’ve done so as Ede, not as the duke.”
“I hated being constantly compared to my mother…”
“And you even said Sir Mente’s mother was strict, didn’t you? Piece after piece, the clues all fit: if Sir Mente was the duke, everything made sense.”
After listening to my deduction to the end, Lloyd no longer tried to make excuses. In a murmur, he admitted his mistake.
“I was… far too careless.”
“Yes. Still, I only realized most of it after coming here.”
If I hadn’t come here, Lloyd would have remained “Ede” to me forever—though perhaps with a sliver of suspicion.
Resigned now that everything was revealed, Lloyd removed his mask and wig.
Running his fingers through his flattened hair, he asked,
“Will it be all right? If I present Aslan to my mother as my son?”
“All right? What do you mean?”
“You… have someone you love, don’t you?”
At that, I blinked.
I do? Since when?
