Chapter 74
That little annoyance kept nagging at me, like a thorn under my fingernail.
“Don’t worry about it. It’ll disappear from your sight soon enough.”
“I just wish it wouldn’t be seen in the Empire at all.”
“I’ll make it so.”
After leaving the Duke and the palace, we boarded the carriage, followed by a group of knights. They were probably assigned to keep an eye on the Duke’s house arrest.
“By the way, Duke… about the house arrest… are you really okay with this?”
“I was annoyed by the nobles’ council anyway. This might be for the best. I can rest properly and continue my magic research.”
He already seemed strong enough; what more could he want to do?
As the carriage headed toward the Duke’s estate, the sound of the horses’ hooves and the knights’ armor clattered behind us.
“I do worry, though… what might remain for Eloise, who isn’t the Crown Princess.”
Whether or not the Duchess had mentioned it, the Duke looked at me with deep, quiet eyes, as if he knew nothing. Perhaps, unknowingly, he was seeing his daughter through me.
“Only Monclair will remain intact. That should be enough for Ellie.”
At my confident words, the corners of the Duke’s mouth lifted slightly. His previously stern expression softened, revealing glimpses of a gentle, mature man.
“Lisette, think carefully about what I said earlier.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… that you are Monclair. I mentioned it casually before when I realized you were a beastkin.”
“Oh, if you mean my formal adoption into Monclair, I’m fine with that.”
Of course I wouldn’t mind being adopted as the Duke of Monclair’s daughter. It’s just moving from being Monclair’s cat to his daughter—nothing else changes. Raoul will handle the estate, and I just get to enjoy the perks as the youngest. I’ll live leisurely as a wealthy noble. Definitely.
“I hope the day comes soon when you can openly reveal you’re a beastkin.”
“Me too! And before that, we should celebrate today! Ellie will be happy!”
The Duke smiled even more broadly than before. Eloise was no longer the Crown Prince’s fiancée or a villainess.
When the carriage reached the Duke’s estate, royal knights surrounded the walls.
“That won’t be nearly enough…”
“They’re just for show.”
To cover the endless walls of the Duke’s estate properly, at least one of the five royal knight divisions would need to be stationed to monitor it even sparsely.
When I was carried down in the Duke’s arms, Eloise, the Duchess, and Raoul were waiting at the door as if to greet us.
The Duchess approached first.
“Serge, things went well, didn’t they?”
“Of course they did, Madam.”
Finally, the rigid expression on the Duchess’ face softened into her usual elegant composure.
Next came Raoul, and finally Eloise stood beside them.
The Duke set me in Eloise’s arms and spoke.
“Eloise, if you wish, live as Monclair for life. Being a son-in-law isn’t so bad either.”
Was he jumping straight to the point without any preamble?
Squirming in Eloise’s arms, I explained the situation clearly.
“The Crown Prince’s ridiculous talk about reinstating the Empress system has fortunately been completely abolished. Using that as an excuse, the Duke officially announced your engagement’s cancellation. The petty Emperor ordered the house arrest.”
Everyone in Monclair listened attentively.
Eloise gently brushed my fur aside and looked straight at her father.
“Thank you, Father.”
“No need to thank me. It was all the doing of that girl and the Second Prince.”
“Thank you, Lisette.”
She bent slightly and brushed her lips against my fur. The scent of teal roses reached my nose.
The Duke looked at us and added, somewhat belatedly,
“This should have been done long ago… but it’s not too late, I hope.”
“…Just a little, a little late. There’s still plenty of time left.”
Had the ice in her heart begun to melt? I could feel her previously cold warmth slowly growing warmer.
“Let’s hold a celebration! A Monclair-exclusive feast!”
“Very well, Lisette.”
The Duchess called the head maid, gazing at me fondly.
“Prepare the dining hall. Use everything in the kitchen if you must; today, let’s all eat and enjoy ourselves.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The news of Eloise’s engagement cancellation quickly spread throughout the Monclair estate, and everyone celebrated as if it were their own joy. Perhaps they had never been pleased when their lady was ignored by Marianne and the Crown Prince. After a sort of ‘purge,’ only those sincerely devoted to Monclair remained.
The one most delighted was Sophie.
“Miss, this is truly wonderful!”
Sophie held Eloise’s hands tightly and tears streamed down. Having grown up alongside Eloise, she must have been just as overjoyed. Then she held my paw.
“Lisette, you are Monclair’s greatest happiness.”
“That’s too flattering, Sophie.”
“No, I truly believe so, Lisette.”
Eloise’s faint smile sent a flutter through my heart. Stars seemed to fall from her heavenly face.
I couldn’t resist such beauty and accepted the shy compliment.
“Hehe, then I shall become Monclair’s happiness!”
“Good idea.”
“Now, let’s enjoy the feast for even greater happiness!”
Together with Eloise and Sophie, I entered the dining hall where everyone had gathered.
At first, the staff didn’t know how to enjoy the feast and stood awkwardly. But after the Duke and Duchess encouraged them with drinks, everyone gradually relaxed.
They ate, drank, and sang. The stiff, quiet atmosphere was gone, replaced with lively cheer.
Eloise seemed to enjoy herself more than usual. Even the Duke and Duchess commented that such nights should happen more often.
Only Raoul initially struggled to adapt but soon blended in.
The Monclair-exclusive feast lasted until late at night.
And in the early dawn, when everyone was asleep, I opened my eyes, pretending to still be asleep.
“Alright.”
Only three tangled circuits remained in Eloise’s system. Since learning healing magic from the Duchess, recovery had doubled in speed. With the Crown Prince’s engagement now canceled, there was no reason to delay further.
“Then, let’s get to it!”
I pressed firmly on Eloise’s unusually cold lower abdomen, gradually pouring healing magic. The mana threads, tangled like frozen yarn, slowly began to thaw and flow.
I’ll ask Eloise later if she wants to learn magic from Marcel. Now that nothing blocks their love, it’s time for their sweet romance.
A week later, Marcel sent a letter saying he would visit with Étienne. Perhaps because of the Emperor, or the attention from the Duke’s house arrest, they couldn’t come earlier.
By then, Eloise’s mana circuits were almost fully restored.
I sat on the second-floor parlor sofa, sipping herbal tea, lost in thought.
“I think I can untangle the remaining mana today… but I’m not sure what to do next.”
The Duchess, sipping her black tea elegantly opposite me, put down her cup. While Eloise bathed, I asked her for a tea-time consultation.
“You need to circulate the stagnant mana yourself. Healing magic alone won’t work.”
“Really?”
“Eloise must do it herself.”
“I thought Étienne helped her before…”
Recalling the time she first transformed into a human, I murmured this, and the Duchess explained.
“Eloise’s case is different from yours, Lisette. You had something surrounding the mana core, so the flow elsewhere wasn’t affected.”
“Ah… so Eloise struggles because her mana has been stagnant for so long.”
“Yes. If external mana tried to force circulation, it would actually harm her.”
I nodded and accepted a cookie from the Duchess. Over the past few days, I had grown closer to her while practicing light-element magic when Eloise was away or asleep.
“Couldn’t Madame Catherine teach Eloise how to circulate her mana?”
“I’d rather you handle it. I’m not very honest with her as a mother.”
I had expected a deep rift between the two, not easily mended.
