Chapter: 146
‘Sweet dreams, huh?’
Iris was sleeping so peacefully that you could carry her away without her noticing. As the butler gently brushed aside her hair, her tightly closed lips formed a cute “s” shape. Just looking at her adorable face brought a smile to his lips.
‘…Do I really need to stay here until the Duke returns?’
He hadn’t committed any crime, so meeting the Duke would go smoothly enough. As the butler said, he might even receive substantial compensation. Yet, the reason he wanted to leave the Duke’s House quickly was simple.
‘Everyone’s eyes are shining more and more…’
As Lian showcased his impressive abilities, the people in the Duke’s house began looking at him with the predatory gleam of hyenas eyeing their next meal. It was sparkling in a good way, but in a bad way, it was… a greedy, glistening gaze.
In a world where just reading and simple calculations could get you a decent start in administration, any small contribution from Lian would bring reactions of innovation from everyone around.
And that’s not all.
His swordsmanship was shocking enough to make the Captain of the Knights dumbfounded, and even the Head Maid had a hard time hiding her expressions due to his exceptional household skills.
The only reason people in the Duke’s House were keeping their mouths shut was that they believed he was blood-related. But if it turned out he wasn’t, there would be a deadly recruitment war.
Lian instinctively realized that staying until the Duke returned would bind him here.
‘But…’
Even knowing that, he found it hard to leave. His gaze fell on Iris, who was sleeping with a peaceful expression.
Having grown up together, he had become more attached than he thought. Because of that, he couldn’t bring himself to push away her desperate touch.
‘Hmm… I’ll talk to Iris slowly when she wakes up. The Duke isn’t coming back anytime soon anyway.’
As Lian was organizing his complicated thoughts, the butler returned to his office with a dazed expression and collapsed onto the sofa.
‘I knew he was extraordinary, but… I never imagined he’d be the Saint!’
Various emotional waves washed over his face. First, there was surprise, followed by a deep understanding reflected in his eyes.
‘Even the Pope’s divine power didn’t feel so pure and wondrous; he must truly be the Saint.’
Before long, his pupils glistened with joy.
‘…This might actually be real. No, it has to be real. That aura couldn’t be lying.’
The butler pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the tears that were pouring down.
“Oh, dear lady… I’m so glad you’ve returned.”
Overwhelmed with emotions, he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. His handkerchief became wet and, by the time his eyes were red, his tears finally stopped. Quickly gathering his somewhat dazed thoughts, the butler became contemplative.
‘The Saint said she would leave, but… that can’t happen.’
He couldn’t let the benefactor of the Duke’s House go like this.
‘Even aside from that, the current lady needs the Saint desperately.’
Recalling how the lady had cried, his expression turned heavy.
‘The Saint must consider the Duke’s House as her home. That way, even if she leaves following the will of the Divine, she’ll be able to return anytime. Also, she has to be able to receive help from the Duke’s House without hesitation to repay the grace properly.’
The butler’s eyes sparkled like the Duke’s House servants did when they looked at Lian.
‘To achieve that… yes, adopting her would be the best method. From what I’ve gathered, it seems like she has no family. Plus, it just so happens that the lady thinks of the Saint as her real brother, and with the white hair and golden eyes that signify the Duke’s bloodline, she should be able to register without issues.’
He started mentally greasing the rusty wheels in his head, and then suddenly, an even better idea popped up.
‘Or—yeah, connecting the two as a couple could be a great approach. The Saint, with his outstanding character, dignity, and skills, would be a perfect match for the lady.’
The butler envisioned the scene of Lian and Iris exchanging vows under lavish wedding bells.
‘The most important consideration will certainly be the lady’s feelings… but honestly, I don’t even need to ask to know the answer.’
In the harsh world of nobles, being perceptive was essential. Hence, the butler had already picked up on Iris’s feelings for Lian.
‘But just to be sure, I should ask the lady about it.’
With a grin forming in his mind, the butler happily mapped out his plan to make Lian and Iris a couple.
*
Meanwhile, deep within a forest far from the Duke’s House.
A woman with a pale and icy face, as if sculpted from snow mountains, stared vacantly between the dense trees. With a voice delicate enough to be swept away by the wind, she spoke.
“Little one…?”
Where her gaze settled was a girl quietly standing, dressed in a pure white dress. She had long, white hair down to her waist, and her round, curved eyes slightly revealed golden irises that were enchanting and mesmerizing.
The girl was a perfect mirror reflection of Iris, smiling softly as she looked up at the Duke.
Her smile was dazzlingly bright, yet behind that smile lurked an oddly unsettling discomfort that suffused the air. The girl stood in the shadow of a tree, her arms spread wide towards the Duke, like a child begging to be held by a parent.
Her actions contrasted sharply with the dangerous atmosphere of the monster-infested forest, creating a sense of unease.
“Little one…?”
Yet the Duke didn’t notice. Even if he had recognized the girl was not his real child, a parent’s heart longs to reach out to a child who appears before them.
Just as the Duke took a step closer to the eerie girl.
Flap!
The Imperial Courier perched on the Duke’s arm was startled by the ominous aura and flew up. The neatly tied letter around the courier’s ankle was drenched in the monster’s blood that had soaked the Duke’s arm and needed to return to the Duke’s House.
Rumble!
Just after the courier soared into the sky, the entire forest shook violently as if caught in an earthquake. Branches crashed into each other wildly, and both large and small trees quivered as if rattling down to their roots. Even the monsters in the forest seemed to hold their breath in shock.
Where the Duke had been standing was now nothing but a massive pit, unfathomably deep as if the ground had opened its mouth wide. The tremors of the forest appeared to have been caused by this pit.
The earth, like a living creature, closed its gaping mouth as the pit quickly vanished. All of this transpired within merely a few seconds. Once the pit disappeared, the spot where the Duke stood returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
*
“What on earth…?”
The butler trembled as he unfolded the bloodstained letter. It was a letter he had sent. His face turned paler than it had ever been.
The fact that the courier had returned without a scratch meant that the blood on it was not from an attack. That realization meant…
The butler mumbled with a voice that seemed ready to crumble.
“Sir… there’s been an incident.”
Feeling as if the world around him might collapse, the butler vigorously slapped his cheeks to regain his senses.
‘In times like these, I have to remain sharp.’
With a resolute expression, he quickly summoned the Head Maid and the Captain of the Knights. He then rapidly relayed the news. No matter how toughened they were by all sorts of experiences, the news of the Duke’s incident was unbearably shocking. The Duke had always been their mental pillar.
While shock ran deep, so did their loyalty, and they began to move swiftly without crumbling. As the atmosphere of the Duke’s House turned deadly serious, even the guests, who were supposed to be mere visitors, started to assist in confusion.
“Thank you so much for your help.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you. I really appreciate all the help so far.”
“Even so, I mean, gratitude is gratitude.”
With the situation urgent, the Duke’s people didn’t refuse the guests’ assistance. Amidst the preparations, there was one person who was utterly shocked and horrified.
‘An incident occurred with the Duke? How is that even possible?’
It was Lian, his brain going blank upon hearing the news that the nation’s top sword (according to the Duke, of course) had gone missing in a beginner hunting area.
—
(Author’s Note: Thanks for reading today! I hope you enjoyed it. Have a happy day :3 I tried to capture the frantic nature of the butler and the looming danger with a humorous touch. Recommendations and subscriptions are love! Check out the next chapter.)
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