AFRPR 56

Episode 56

“Are you joking?”

“I’m really going to kill him.”

“Let’s change the premise.”

After returning from the princess’s birthday banquet,
Lennox kept replaying Estelle’s smile in his mind…
No—he kept thinking about how it would be a shame if they divorced.

No—that wasn’t it either.

He regretted not grabbing Matthias by the throat when Matthias raised a hand to Estelle.

‘Wait. That’s not the point either.’

The more he thought about it, the stranger that whole situation seemed.

“This isn’t about me—it’s about an ordinary family I know. The married younger sibling meets a strange man. That’s all we know for sure. The suspicion that it was an affair is just speculation. Would you still kill him?”

“Speculation? Still, you’d be in the wrong.”

“I said it’s not about me.”

“Hmm… Who was the person they met?”

“Exactly. That’s the first thing you’d ask, right?”

Even Glesia thought that was the normal way to respond.

But at that time, Matthias had only said “a blond man.”
Then he immediately accused Estelle of cheating and even hit her.

‘If I hadn’t gone over there, that conversation might have dragged on… and Estelle might have…’

Grit.

Lennox ground his teeth.

“Tia?”

Glesia looked at him curiously.

“You’re asking because of Tia?”

“It’s just something I heard.”

“You don’t even know many people.”

“…”

“And you’re not interested in people either.”

He couldn’t deny it.

“Fine. But don’t tell anyone I asked you about this.”

When Lennox said this seriously, Glesia just nodded lazily.

“By the way, where’s Tia?”

“Duren said he wanted to see the friend he made yesterday, so they went out to play together.”

“And you?”

“Me? I have to work.”

“Are there monsters nearby?”

“No.”

“You idiot.”

Lennox blinked at the sudden insult.

“Instead of asking questions like this, you should be with Tia.”

“But kids cry when they see me.”

“So what if they cry? Can’t you tell? This isn’t just some kids’ playdate.”

Even though she spelled it out, Lennox still didn’t get it.

‘Even if you’ve never cared about others, this is obvious. Sigh… Even I can tell.’

Glesia clicked her tongue.

“Do you think only kids are there? Their parents will all be there too! You’ve just thrown Tia alone into a pack of wild beasts without any protection!”

“I did?”

“Yes! That’s the wild out there, the wild! Go!”

Smack!

Glesia slapped Lennox hard on the back.

Still looking confused, Lennox left the room.

But from the window, Glesia soon saw him heading out quickly—at least his actions were fast, if not his understanding.

“He must like Tia.”

Glesia muttered.

She had pushed him, but if it had been about anyone else, her brother wouldn’t have moved no matter how much she yelled.

“This is serious.”

It seemed Lennox really liked Estelle.
The biggest problem was—he didn’t seem to realize it himself.

“They said it’s a contract marriage and they’ll divorce soon.”

Hmm…

“Well, there’s no law saying you can’t marry the same person again.”

The special contract couldn’t stop them from divorcing…
But after the contract ended, Lennox could just marry Tia again. Then Tia and she could be family forever!

It was at that moment Glesia decided to actively support her brother’s romance—something she had never been motivated to do before.

Meanwhile, Estelle…

“I didn’t expect the duchess to visit us so willingly.”

She had left the children to play nearby and was now enjoying tea time with the other ladies.

“That’s right. We often have gatherings like this, but for you it must have been sudden.”

“My child was just asking to see her friends, so I’m grateful you invited us.”

Estelle replied politely, then looked around the table, greeting everyone with her eyes.

The most influential figures of the social circle were all here.

Although they often gathered, it was obvious why such notable people were meeting the day after the banquet.

“To have a chance to speak with such a famous lady privately—it’s an honor for us.”

“That’s right. From the rumors, I thought you’d never come.”

‘This atmosphere isn’t entirely friendly.’

There were already solid factions here, and she could feel subtle tension.

Just as Glesia predicted—this place was like the wild.

But Glesia had overlooked something: Estelle herself wasn’t easy prey.

“Rumors? What rumors have you heard?”

Estelle asked with a gentle smile, pretending to know nothing.

“There are always many rumors. I thought you’d already heard them.”

The speaker was Lady Alt, the host today, who clearly didn’t like Estelle. Estelle had heard she was close to the princess.

“You all must be very interested in me. I’m touched by your kindness.”

Lady Alt’s expression faltered.

“People who talk about me fall into two groups: those who like me, and those who just like to gossip.”

“…”

“The second type usually feels inferior to me.”

Estelle smiled sweetly.

“But of course, none of you would be like that. Right?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Ha ha.

The women forced smiles.

Lady Alt’s face was hard to read—half smile, half irritation.

“By the way, what’s going on with the holy relic?”

“It’s going to take some time. The temple seems quite shaken.”

“Yes, it was a useful relic…”

“And the other relic the duke brought back—is it in the temple now?”

“No, my husband is keeping it himself. Because of that, until the temple gives an official answer, we’re stuck here in the capital.”

Estelle said with a slightly troubled expression.

“But shouldn’t the duke avoid being away from the north for too long?”

It was Lady Alt again, voice sharp.

“What if monsters appear while the north is undefended? I’ve heard the duke has never been away this long before.”

“Monsters don’t appear all the time. Even if they did, an urgent message would be sent, and we could return immediately through the warp gate.”

“That still doesn’t make sense! This concerns the safety of the entire empire!”

Her words made it sound like Estelle’s husband was a traitor. Estelle’s big eyes welled up, her lips trembling.

Seeing this, Lady Alt secretly rejoiced—she thought Estelle would flee in tears.

But then Estelle spoke, voice soft with emotion:

“I’m sorry. It’s my selfishness.”

“Your selfishness?”

Estelle lowered her gaze slightly, her long lashes casting a shadow over her sad eyes.

“The truth is, I begged him to stay in the capital with me a few more days. I could stay alone, but he’s so overprotective…”

Mothers at the table understood immediately.

“That’s how it is when you’re newlyweds.”

“When you’re apart even briefly, you miss each other so much.”

“And if it’s unrequited love, it must be even harder for him.”

Kyaa!

They remembered Lennox’s public confession and squealed.

“To think the duke is a romantic. Is he different when it’s just the two of you?”

“Not really.”

Huh? That didn’t sound right.

“If I cough even once, he calls a doctor immediately, and he insists on carrying me even though I can walk perfectly fine.”

“…”

“He’s treated me like a porcelain doll since the moment we met. It’s a bit much, really.”

The ladies were stunned.

“It’s so natural for him that I thought he was always like that… Oh, did I say something wrong?”

“No, no. He just seems different from the man we know.”

Some wondered if she was exaggerating—but remembering how Lennox acted around her, it was believable.

“Wait… where are the children?”

“They must have wandered deeper into the garden. It happens often.”

Children out of sight?

That makes a parent anxious.

Out of sight and unusually quiet?

That means it’s beyond anxiety—it’s an emergency.