Chapter 32
Liersha stared intently at the man she could see outside the carriage.
He was a handsome man with crimson eyes.
When their eyes met, he smiled gently.
“Hello, you must be Liersha, the one I’ve only heard about in words.”
“…Hello.”
Liersha greeted him and stepped out of the carriage.
As the entrance to the mansion, which had been partially visible, came fully into view, a familiar crest caught her eye.
“Huh? This noble family crest…”
Liersha’s eyes widened.
Even though she didn’t know much about noble families, she recognized this crest.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m called Kaisen.”
This was the Marcella Ducal Family, the house that had dominated the empire’s culture and arts, bringing it to a golden age.
Entering the Marcella Ducal mansion, Liersha curiously looked around.
The mansion was dazzlingly luxurious, almost bordering on extravagant.
“I can’t believe I’m actually at the Marcella Ducal House.”
So Pernor is friends with such an incredible person.
“A maid will show you to the room you’ll be staying in.”
“Yes.”
“I need to speak with your father briefly, so Liersha, would you go ahead with your brother first?”
“Yes!”
Liersha nodded, acknowledging the request.
Her innocent eyes were clear and pure.
The Duke of Marcella faintly smiled.
It had been a long time since he had met someone who treated him purely and without ulterior motives.
“You answer well and are truly kind.”
Just as the Duke of Marcella raised his hand to pat Liersha’s head—
Thunk.
“Don’t touch my daughter.”
“How rude.”
Pernor swatted his hand away right beside him.
Grumbling, he withdrew his tingling hand.
“Persistent, aren’t you? Do people without daughters live in envy?”
When Pernor’s crimson eyes glared, the Duke of Marcella fell silent.
Lysideon briefly watched the two of them with a curious gaze.
The meeting of Aracrene, who commanded the empire’s battlefields, and Marcella, a dominant figure in the arts, gave a strangely surreal feeling.
It was hard to believe that these two completely mismatched people had been close friends since their academy days.
“Ah, it’s been a while, Lysideon. We saw each other at the last party, right?”
“Yes.”
“It must be tough, raising the Crown Prince like that.”
The Duke of Marcella spoke to Lysideon in a friendly manner.
He was one of the few who knew how Lysideon had fared at the imperial palace.
“Then let’s send the children ahead and have our talk, Pernor.”
The two left, and the waiting maid approached.
“Then I shall show you the way.”
“The adjoining rooms are where you two will be staying.”
It was the first room visible as they turned into the right hallway on the mansion’s second floor.
“Feel free to explore the mansion until dinner.”
“Yes.”
“If you need anything, please call for me.”
After the maid left, Liersha looked around the room.
The guest room was very neatly cleaned.
“What should I do now?”
Being in the room all day felt boring.
But going to Lysideon’s room…
‘Is Lysideon resting?’
The room next door was quiet.
It seemed Lysideon intended to spend the rest of the day alone.
Perhaps he was uneasy because he would soon have to go to the palace.
‘Why does Lysideon want to stay at the palace?’
Could something be happening there?
Liersha sat on the bed, pondering.
No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t understand the reason.
After tomorrow’s palace party, she might not even see Lysideon again.
‘Maybe Dad knows the reason?’
Liersha lifted her head sharply.
Where did Pernor and the Duke of Marcella go earlier?
By now, enough time had passed that their conversation might be ending.
Quickly opening the door, Liersha stepped out.
Entering the mansion garden, she retraced the direction the two had disappeared in.
Soon, she saw Pernor and the Duke of Marcella together not far away.
“Ah…!”
“But, Pernor, how do you feel seeing your daughter? Do you still feel the same?”
Liersha’s mouth froze as she was about to call Pernor.
What did he mean, ‘how do you feel seeing your daughter’?
And ‘still feel the same’?
Mesmerized, she hid behind a bush, kneeling and placing her hands neatly on her lap.
Her fists clenched tightly with tension.
‘They’re talking about me.’
Her heart pounded. She knew eavesdropping was wrong, but…
Liersha held her breath and listened closely.
Marcella Ducal Garden
After confirming the children had gone ahead into the mansion, the two went to the garden.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Since your daughter was born, this must be the first time?”
“About that.”
Pernor answered flatly.
“Time flies. I can’t believe your daughter is already walking.”
The Duke of Marcella made a forlorn face.
“Meanwhile, I’m still unmarried while my nieces and nephews keep being born. How tragic. Such a wasted face!”
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, let’s stop here.”
“In times like this, a little comfort is in order.”
“Don’t you realize how trivial your concerns are?”
Pernor gave him a disdainful look, and the Duke sighed deeply.
“This is a serious issue. Me not marrying is a huge loss for the empire.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m always serious.”
Pernor chose to ignore the worthless conversation.
It was unfortunate that a man like this was one of the respected nobles of the Declaire Empire.
Fortunately, no one knew what kind of person the Duke of Marcella really was.
Also, it was probably good for his mental health that he didn’t know the one hearing this complaint was Sub-Duke Aracrene.
“Control your expression, Pernor. Your thoughts are so obvious.”
“I’m doing it on purpose.”
“I’m hurt too, you know.”
The Duke smiled lightly, chuckling repeatedly.
“So, what’s the reason you wanted to meet separately?”
“Ah, that.”
Pernor prompted him to get to the point, and the Duke of Marcella changed his expression to serious.
“You asked me to check on how Lysideon was doing at the palace, remember?”
“And how was it?”
“…I heard that Lysideon has been frequently going to the basement. It was not easy to find out.”
The Crown Prince’s palace was directly managed by the Empress, with very strict secrecy.
Even under the Duke of Marcella’s influence, few would speak openly.
“A basement?”
“It seems the Crown Prince takes out his anger on Lysideon.”
Pernor’s expression turned cold.
The Crown Prince was still young, so severe punishment was impossible…
“He reportedly subjected Lysideon to verbal abuse throughout the two years he trained as his swordsmanship instructor.”
“…”
“You know the Empress didn’t really take him as a sword instructor, right?”
Pernor knew she had taken Lysideon to show off.
In the Aracrene family, swordsmanship for heirs was taught in strict secrecy.
Additionally, those guarding the royal family had to pass tests to belong to the Imperial Knights.
Lysideon had very little he could do in the palace.
He had stayed near the Crown Prince under the pretext of guarding him but was not formally a knight.
“I know he was treated like a little animal.”
“Lysideon’s mental state is the issue.”
No matter how mature he was, Lysideon was only fifteen.
Handling that environment alone must have been extremely difficult.
“So the Empress intends to completely ruin him?”
“I think so.”
The Duke of Marcella spoke with a serious expression.
“If it becomes known that the heir of the family has psychological issues, there will be many rumors. You know that, right?”
“But we can’t just leave it be.”
“What if the Empress spreads rumors?”
Pernor clicked his tongue. If that happened, Lysideon would be in serious trouble.
The Duke shook his head in disbelief.
“Why is the Empress so hostile toward the Aracrene family?”
“I don’t know either.”
But in truth, there could be plenty of reasons if one wanted to name them.
