In the heart of the capital, Rante Frittil, the future master of the Frittil Marquisate, opened the door to the office.
Rante’s father, who had called her, was leisurely sipping tea. The Marquis of Frittil slowly lifted his eyes to meet Rante’s gaze.
“What did you call me for, Father?”
“I hear that the Marquis of Bethelgius has filed some lawsuits.”
Rante’s face immediately twisted.
“There are so many rumors about people’s dispositions, origins, appearances, and so forth, yet it seems there are plenty of them. Thanks to that, the loose-lipped youngsters of the conservative faction are likely to be dragged into court.”
With a gentle smile, the Marquis of Frittil set down his teacup.
“It is the way of the world for the lowly and incompetent to grovel at the feet of the capable and noble. I taught you that, and I was raised the same way. But my dear, some things must be done with more elegance and subtlety.”
“Father.”
“Left alone, he’s running wild like an unbroken colt. Until now, I’ve allowed it as long as he stayed within bounds, but not this time.”
Apologize. At the soft command, Rante could not hold back and let out a sharp cry.
“Father!”
“Going in person to bow your head is not fitting for the Frittil name, so a handwritten apology letter should suffice.”
“You can easily smooth over such trivial lawsuits!”
“What you said is too vague to even take to court in the first place. It will likely fizzle out on its own. However, I don’t want Frittil to appear as if it’s in opposition to Bethelgius.”
At least, not yet.
“The marquis is not as lowly and ignorant as you think. He’s quite capable.”
“……Are you saying he’s useful?”
“More than words can express.”
The Marquis of Frittil slowly clenched and unclenched his hand.
The highest position beneath the throne was never Frittil’s, simply because the title of his ancestors was that of a marquis. Not once since the founding of the Solaris Empire.
To be able to topple one of the two solid duke houses and take its place is undoubtedly the result of the long efforts of our ancestors, and myself.
A thrill filled the marquis’s eyes.
This is the moment I’ve long waited for. I had nearly resigned myself to the fact that the Frittil name would never be able to surpass that threshold in my lifetime, but it seems the heavens will not abandon us.
The marquis mouthed words he could not yet say to Rante.
“When Bethelgius has served his purpose, it won’t be too late to deal with him. I have a fine sword ready to sever his head.”
“It must be certain.”
“Yes. A crime so clear that even His Majesty the Emperor cannot protect him.”
Understood. Reluctantly, Rante nodded. If it was necessary, she could write such a letter with ease.
As if the conversation was over, the marquis spoke casually as Rante bowed her head and prepared to leave.
“It’s best to get a new hunting dog.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bethelgius won’t attack Frittil at this point, so he’ll likely pick a suitable sacrifice to save face. Yes, that child, Emily Renier.”
Although it was something Rante had guessed, she had intended to help behind the scenes. However, it seemed her father had no intention of allowing that.
“Thinking the tiger’s strength is its own and running wild—it’s not only incompetent but also shameless. This time, she even tried to overstep and pour tea. Ten years is long enough; it’s time to discard her.”
“She’s my person. Even you, Father, shouldn’t interfere with my friendships.”
“Heh, your person, you say… The daughter of a lowly baron’s family, your person.”
Even attachment has its limits.
The Marquis of Frittil threw the teacup that had been in front of him. The teacup shattered against the door right next to Rante, but Rante Frittil did not flinch.
“If you’re going to play at being friends, then keep it just as that—friends. If you drag unnecessary baggage around and tarnish the Frittil name, someone else might end up being the master of Frittil, you know?”
“Don’t threaten me. I know very well that there’s no one more suited to that position than me.”
Pleased with his daughter’s defiant words, the marquis curled his lips into a deep smile. Although she had a somewhat reckless side, her unyielding nature in any situation was a commendable quality.
“Well, I won’t go as far as killing her. At worst, I’ll expose some corruption and bring her family down a notch. If you really miss her, you can pick her up from under a fallen roof. But I won’t allow any intervention beforehand. You understand, Rante. The master of Frittil is me.”
“…I understand.”
“Good, you’re a good child. You may leave now.”
Oh, and be careful—the teacup shards are sharp.
Rante laughed at the marquis’s feigned concern as she left the office.
The sound of the door closing wasn’t loud, but her clenched fists, turning white, betrayed Rante Frittil’s fury.
As she turned the corner, heading back to her room in a fit of rage, she locked eyes with one of the two people walking down the corridor.
A gentle-looking face with honey-colored hair—it was Rante’s younger brother, Conte Frittil.
“Your expression is really terrible. Got an earful?”
“Shut up, Conte. What are you doing here?”
“What else would I be here for, other than Father’s office?”
Conte Frittil, in the marquis’s office? Perhaps his unruly behavior was finally being reined in.
As she was about to dismiss it, Rante noticed the woman standing beside Conte. The woman had blonde hair and sharp eyes, with a sullen look that gave her a bad impression. She was dressed in a maid’s uniform.
“Someone I’ve never seen before. Who are you?”
“Alexia Goosefoot, my lady.”
“Even your last name is unfamiliar.”
“Well, she’s a commoner. She hasn’t been here long. I brought her, and Father seems to like her too. He called for her again this time.”
“Ha, Mother hasn’t been gone that long, and he’s already at it. Unbelievable.”
Nothing to worry about. Without leaving any further remarks, Rante walked past the two of them.
* * *
Despite drinking wine almost to the point of losing consciousness, both on the day of the wedding and yesterday, Goyo Bethelgius woke up feeling refreshed this morning as well.
Goyo woke up feeling clear-headed, but the man beside her still had his eyes closed.
Was he teasing her? Goyo got up alone, washed her face, combed her hair, and changed clothes with Annie’s help, but even by then, Annecy had not woken up. By that point, she realized it wasn’t a joke.
‘How unusual.’
Goyo dismissed Annie and sat down next to Annecy.
The bed dipped noticeably beside him, but Annecy remained completely still, except for a slight twitch of his eyebrows. His eyes, long and deeply set, looked slightly darkened, giving him a fatigued appearance even as he slept soundly.
Without thinking, Goyo reached out and gently touched the area around Annecy’s eyes. His skin, though pale and cool in appearance, felt warm to the touch. Naturally, as he was alive.
As her finger traced the deep lines near his eyes, Goyo suddenly realized she was touching someone else’s face.
Flustered, she tried to pull her hand away, but Annecy’s hand had already moved to grasp hers and kissed it.
So he was awake. Startled, Goyo looked at Annecy, whose sleep-filled eyes narrowed with amusement.
“Are you trying to seduce me this early in the morning, my lady?”
His voice, already deep, was rough and husky, making it sound strangely suggestive.
But it wasn’t just his voice. His disheveled hair, sleepy eyes, the pronounced bones of his fingers, and the loose nightgown—all of it made Annecy seem unfamiliar to her, even though she had seen it all before.
Feeling unsettled by the strange emotions that arose, Goyo hesitated and pulled back slightly. Although his puzzled gaze followed her, Goyo managed to change the subject.
“You must have been tired… I’ve never seen you sleeping before.”
“Indeed. I suppose I was a bit tired from thinking too much yesterday. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
“You haven’t been sleeping well? Is it because of my sleeping habits?”
“No, not at all. It’s just a personal issue of mine.”
Annecy smiled vaguely. He didn’t want Goyo to know that she was part of his personal problem. Although he had spent a long time thinking about it, he had eventually come to the same conclusion.
He had overthought it, but the issue was simple.
Annecy Bethelgius had grown fond of Goyo Bethelgius. However, it wasn’t the same as what he had felt for Lucullui; it was deeper and of a different kind.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before, but it might be somewhat similar to the affection between a man and a woman. Though, of course, it wasn’t love.
But even if that were the case, so what?
It wasn’t an emotion problematic enough to matter. After pondering all night, Annecy reached the same conclusion.
Annecy could handle the situation with Goyo Bethelgius as originally planned. Therefore, the outcome would be the same, whether his affection had deepened or not, whether it was for the person or a romantic inclination.
The fact that it was a relationship to be severed and could be severed—that remained unchanged.
After organizing his thoughts, Annecy felt he could ignore the lingering residue of his emotions.
Despite getting out of bed later than usual, Annecy still took his time washing up and getting ready. He had been busy lately, so he had some time to relax for a while.
After finishing breakfast with Goyo, Annecy walked towards the front gate with her as she came out to see him off.
“Thank you for yesterday.”
“As a husband, it’s only natural to celebrate my wife’s birthday.”
“If it’s a husband’s duty to celebrate his wife’s birthday, then I suppose I should fulfill my duty as well.”
“It’s the husband’s duty, not the wife’s.”
“At this rate, we’ll end up talking about the duties of a person. When is your birthday?”
“April 1st, but really, there’s no need to celebrate it. As you know, your husband isn’t someone who lacks anything.”
“If you truly didn’t want anything, you probably wouldn’t have mentioned your birthday, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
Annecy felt a slight sense of unease as he noticed his wife’s growing skill with words.
Did she pick it up from me? But then again, Kolabe, who’s been with me for years, still has terrible conversational skills.
“The registration period is approaching, so I’ve signed us up for the hunting competition. Two spots for Goyo Bethelgius and Annecy Bethelgius.”
“…Weren’t you going to make me a handkerchief?”
“I’ll cheer and participate too. There’s no problem with doing both, is there?”
“Well, no, there isn’t.”
As they stepped out of the mansion’s front gate, a breeze carried the scent of Annecy’s cologne towards Goyo, causing her eyebrows to twitch slightly, which Annecy quickly noticed. He hastily cast a scent-neutralizing spell.
“My apologies, my lady. It seems I forgot to neutralize the scent on this coat.”
“It’s fine, but it might be better not to wear any during the hunting competition. You never know if it might attract some strange monsters.”
“Human cologne shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, even if I went around wearing a scent that attracts monsters, I’d still be safe.”
“No. The Ramona Forest is a protected area where entry is normally forbidden to preserve the ecosystem, isn’t it?”
“Hmm, so what you’re saying is….”
“Please protect the ecosystem.”
Annecy blinked, caught between feeling proud of her confidence in his strength and admiration for his wife’s dedication to nature conservation.
Leave a Reply