CHAPTER 58……………………………..
“Yullia, you should finish what you were working on. Didn’t you say your catalyst experiment has already failed for the thirty-sixth time?”
Just last night, I had seen a massive explosion go off on one side of the mansion.
“Ugh… why isn’t it working? I clearly set every condition perfectly…”
Yullia suddenly groaned in pain, perhaps reminded of her experiment. If even the great Yullia couldn’t manage it, that spoke volumes about how difficult it must have been.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, the head butler entered the office.
“Young Lady. Preparations for departure are complete.”
Good thing I told him in advance last night. As soon as he finished speaking, Isaac shot up from his seat.
“We’re leaving today?!”
“Yes. Right now.”
“Noooo! Don’t goooo!”
Isaac ended up clutching at the hem of my clothes, refusing to let go! I glanced over at Yullia for help, and she reluctantly rose to her feet in response to my signal.
“Don’t gooo!”
Then she promptly lay down on the opposite side of Isaac, copying him exactly!
“…Haa.”
I let out a deep sigh.
It took almost an entire hour of coaxing and calming them down before I could finally get onto the carriage.
Only once everything around me fell quiet did I manage to breathe again. As the unfamiliar silence wrapped around me, I spoke aloud the name that had become a habit on my lips.
“Rev.”
……
Still, there was no reply.
All my knowledge of black magic came from Rev. Without him, I had no idea where I could even begin searching.
Resting my head against the carriage window, I thought:
When will you return? Or… will you ever return?
Did you leave me forever…?
Traveling from the Belond Empire to the Grand Duchy of Ghehlain was simple. The two capitals were connected by a teleportation circle.
‘This is the first time I’ve gone to the Grand Duchy myself…’
Fwaaahhh—
As the light of teleportation faded, a new sight unfolded before me.
Unlike Belond’s Imperial Palace, which was resplendent with ornate carvings and grandeur, the Grand Duke’s castle in Ghehlain was elegant in its own way—its beauty lay purely in its curves and lines, with no need for decoration.
‘They said their aesthetics developed from a focus on practicality. I see now—it’s true.’
That alone told me how different the spirits of Belond and Ghehlain were.
“Greetings to His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.”
The first to welcome us was the Grand Duke of Ghehlain himself, a man with gray hair.
One glance was enough to see the knightly aura he carried. His well-trained body was evident even under his uniform. His posture was impeccable, and though we were inside the castle, a sword hung at his side.
The pelt of some unknown beast draped over his shoulders only amplified his presence.
“It has been a while, Your Grace.”
Tristan replied with equal courtesy.
It was his way of showing respect to a Grand Duke who had honored him first.
“As you wished to come quietly, I have summoned only a minimal escort.”
“Thank you for your consideration. This is, after all, an unofficial visit.”
“I had thought you would come alone…”
The Grand Duke’s gaze briefly swept over me.
“I was unaware you had company.”
It was a polite way of asking for an introduction. I removed my robe and stepped forward.
“I greet the master of the Grand Duchy.”
“……”
“I am Emilie Walker of House Walker.”
I offered my greeting with proper decorum, but no response came.
Puzzled, I raised my head slightly—and saw him staring at me, stunned.
‘What is this…?’
When our eyes met, he quickly regained himself with a cough.
“Emilie… Lady Emilie Walker, I presume.”
His reaction was strangely complex. His face was like that of someone gazing upon something dearly missed.
Why? To my knowledge, we were complete strangers.
“I hear you’ll be staying here tonight and departing tomorrow. This place was originally built as a summer villa, so it lacks the majesty of the main castle, but it should be perfect for keeping away prying eyes.”
“Thank you for the thoughtfulness.”
“I’ll see that you are well attended. For now, please rest. I’ll take my leave.”
His tone returned to formal as he greeted Tristan and turned to go. But just before leaving, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and stood before me. Bending one knee, he pressed his lips to the back of my hand.
“May the blessing of the Divine be with you.”
“…May the blessing of the Divine be with you.”
Caught off guard, I replied with a faint smile. Without hesitation, the Grand Duke continued:
“If possible, I would like to share a light tea with you after dinner tonight. Would that be acceptable?”
“Eh? Ah… of course.”
There was no way I could refuse, not in front of everyone.
Had he planned this on purpose? Whatever the case, I now found myself stuck having an unwanted private tea time with him.
“Then I shall look forward to it.”
With that, the Grand Duke exited, every eye following him.
I could feel the people around me staring at me in disbelief, mouths hanging open. I did not want this kind of attention.
“…Were you acquainted with the Grand Duke of Ghehlain?”
Even Tristan asked with a strange expression.
“As far as I know, today is the first time we’ve met.”
When I shook my head, just as baffled, Tristan’s face grew grave. Beside us, Werner broke into a grin.
“Well now! Could it be the Grand Duke has fallen for Miss Emilie at first sight? Otherwise, how could he act like that?”
“Oh, come on. That’s impossible. Do you know the age gap between us?”
“About twenty years, wasn’t it? A bit much, sure, but not impossible.”
“No, more importantly—the Grand Duke had a late wife. After her passing, he’s kept the duchess’s seat empty all this time. His fidelity is famous even in the Empire.”
“Haha, but you never know with people.”
Werner chuckled teasingly. It didn’t seem like he was serious, so I just laughed it off.
Though the way he glanced at Tristan as he said it, I almost wondered if the remark was aimed at him instead of me… but no, surely not.
“Why you damned thief, how dare you—! Mmphhh!”
Among the cloaked knights, a brief commotion broke out, but it quickly settled. I couldn’t make out what had been said, though it seemed to be about how odd the Grand Duke’s behavior had been.
‘But I really don’t understand.’
Why did he look at me like that? Like someone who had just reunited with a person they thought they’d never see again…
“What a beautiful garden.”
After dinner, a maid led me toward the garden. It was a rare glass conservatory, and at its center, a glass table and chairs looked as though placed straight out of a painting.
The Grand Duke was already there. He was perhaps the least fitting man I had ever seen surrounded by flowers.
A man more accustomed to roaming rugged mountains on hunts, now sitting awkwardly in a small chair with a teacup in hand—it was almost amusing.
When he saw me, he rose from his seat.
“Please, sit here.”
Surprisingly, he was rather skilled at escorting! He pulled out my chair smoothly and pushed it in at just the right moment after I sat.
“Thank you for accepting my sudden request so graciously.”
“Think nothing of it. With such warm hospitality, this much is hardly worth mentioning. And please, I’m your junior here—feel free to speak informally.”
Strictly speaking, as master of the Grand Duchy, he was on equal footing with the Empire’s Crown Prince.
So technically, he didn’t need to show such courtesy to Tristan. But the relationship between Empire and Duchy wasn’t that simple.
For generations, the Grand Dukes of Ghehlain had addressed the Crown Prince with reverence, a tradition born of their ancient oath of loyalty to their former sovereign state.
“Well then… Emilie.”
Huh? Straight to my name?
I tilted my head slightly in surprise. Why was he treating me like this?
I had told him to speak casually, yes, but I didn’t expect him to just use my name outright.
When he saw my faint surprise, he quickly explained himself.
“My apologies. It’s just that when I hear ‘Walker,’ it reminds me of someone else.”
“…Pardon?”
It was surprising enough that he was so refined in speech, but what shocked me more was that he knew another member of my family.
Especially since the Walkers rarely left the Empire, and the Grand Duke himself seldom left the Duchy.
As I looked up at him in confusion, his face softened even more with something like longing.
“I mean the previous Duke Walker.”
My eyes widened.
“…You knew my mother?”
