Chapter 11
“I should be going now. If you have time later, we’ll have dinner together. Until then, Anastasia, I’ll pray for your recovery.”
The Duke stood up. Just leaving like that, after dragging someone into a swamp of worry…
I decided to be a little rebellious.
“Is that for Adel, or are you worried about me?”
When I asked why he wished for my recovery, the Duke let out a hearty laugh.
“My dear, of course I’m worried about you. Wil’s daughter is practically my child. Do you know how hurt I was the last time you declared you wouldn’t visit the Duke’s house anymore? I even let him hit me with the shoes Wil used to wear, and I just took it.”
There was affection in his words. I obediently apologized.
“I’m sorry.”
And so, the rebellious streak in me was said to have died.
“…I’m glad you’ve reconciled with Adel for now. I was quite worried, actually. Adel rarely mingles deeply with others. Being kind and gentle is just the surface. He’s never opened his heart to me either.”
The Duke smoothed his attire while letting out a light sigh. Only then did I begin to somewhat understand him.
Adel’s kindness, politeness, and courtesy were all taught steadily by the Duke and his wife—they weren’t innate.
Adel was merely a well-behaved child.
So no one really knew his true feelings. Whether he genuinely liked helping people or not.
Curiosity struck me.
“Has Adel ever been angry with you, Duke?”
“Never. Not once.”
The Duke shrugged.
“That’s why I’m afraid of what might be hidden within him.”
I blinked. The Duke gave a short laugh.
“Was I too serious?”
“No.”
As the Duke prepared to leave, I stood up. He gently patted my head.
“Thank you for talking with me. Must feel lonely with all your family gone, right? Now that you seem a bit more at ease, I’ll make sure to visit the Count’s house more often.”
Huh?
“You don’t have to—”
“As your godfather, it’s only natural. Besides, I have a nice item for you. A gift for our reunion. It’s a tea cup set the royal family has long coveted. Penelope wanted it so badly in her lifetime, but ironically, I only obtained it after her death. I no longer need it, and it’s too precious to return to the royal family—but perfect as a gift for my daughter. I’ll find more gifts as well. No need to worry. My taste is impeccable.”
Knowing what that tea set truly was, I couldn’t just laugh it off. It was a treasure of a now-destroyed nation. Even the Duke, rumored to possess more wealth than the royal treasury, had spent years obtaining it.
“P-please calm down.”
The Duke didn’t even hear me.
“Sit. I’ll call Adel.”
The Duke left, and I slumped onto the sofa, dizzy. Really! Both father and son give one a headache!
I crunched on some chocolate to relieve stress.
Whether it was because Adel kept his distance, or had spoken with the Duke separately, he returned about ten minutes later.
“You had quite a long conversation. Was it uncomfortable?”
My lips twisted.
“Not at all. The Duke is always pleasant.”
It was ambiguous, but Adel didn’t seem to mind.
“So you can package that kind of personality nicely. Others say he’s obnoxious.”
“Pfft!”
I almost spit out what was in my mouth. Adel hadn’t noticed.
“When fighting over a newly discovered diamond mine, the Marquis spat while passing the Duke’s house.”
“You mean Marquis Cloud?”
I wiped the corner of my mouth. True to being the father of a villain, Marquis Cloud was notorious for his temper and obsession with the Duke.
The Duke himself wasn’t easy to deal with either.
“Yes. The Ash Cloud I met at the lantern festival a few days ago is his direct descendant. Come to think of it, the Chichimeme event will be held in a fortnight. Only nobles who haven’t had their coming-of-age ceremony may attend, so the young marquis will go too…”
I remembered the event. Chichimeme was a party for minor nobles’ children, with a rather violent origin. Still, it was like a ball, so it should be fun.
Commoners couldn’t even come near, so there was nothing to worry about. Ash could be ignored, and the timid Olga wouldn’t enjoy such parties anyway.
Since I intended to attend, I asked Adel.
“And you? Want to be my partner if you go?”
“Is it alright if it’s me?”
Playfully, I stepped back.
“If you want to go with someone else, I’ll let you.”
As expected, Adel got serious.
“I absolutely want to go with you, Anastasia.”
“So passionate.”
I felt a quiet sense of pride. I’d worried Adel might be hesitant, but it was a needless worry.
He spoke firmly, reassuring me.
“This time, nothing like what happened before will happen. And even if some accident occurs…”
Suddenly, a cold, strange gleam flashed in his red eyes.
No, did I imagine that?
“I won’t stand idly by.”
“Uh… okay.”
Adel ended gently, and I nodded, bewildered.
Something felt different… or was I just imagining it because I was still thinking about the Duke’s words?
Duke Friedrich certainly had experience and reason to judge that Adel lacked humanity and performed learned acts of kindness, but I found it hard to agree.
Adel’s golden, flowing voice carried suffering, guilt, and affection for me. He looked at me politely and with dignity.
“When you coughed up blood in front of me, trembling as if you were about to die, yet comforted me, I realized how precious you are to me. Compared to that, everyone else is worthless.”
Even knowing it wasn’t meant rationally, my heart raced.
How could he be so honest? I realized just how deeply hurt Adel had been. For him to utter “worthless” about others…
“I’m sorry. You must have been very upset.”
“It’s not your fault. This is my mistake. I have to fix it.”
I raised my eyelids in puzzlement.
“Fix it? How?”
“Well…”
A faint, almost disappearing smile appeared on Adel’s face. I asked more lightly to discern his thoughts.
“You’re planning to become a bad person that no one will help?”
“If I become a bad person, Anastasia will hate me, right?”
I denied the childish question.
“That’s not true.”
“Really? Can you promise?”
This time, Adel seemed unusually insistent. To ease his anxiety, I promised.
“I promise. Even if you become a bad person, I won’t hate you.”
Adel looked relieved.
“Good.”
His beautiful face now wore a clear smile, different from before. He said playfully:
“Now I can safely throw trash on the street.”
I felt a bit better, so I responded.
“Candy wrappers, huh?”
Ah, so cute. I wanted to pinch him.
“I might try something slightly bigger than that.”
Adel replied shyly. Suddenly, a foreboding feeling arose.
“Wait… you’re not planning to throw away my painting, are you?”
Only a couple of hours had passed, but the sun was already setting. I went to the dining hall, yielding to the Duke’s suggestion to have dinner.
The dining hall at Magnus Duke’s mansion was so extravagant, it felt more like a cathedral.
Golden candlesticks, statues of saints, and murals of gods enjoying the Eucharist adorned the room.
The stiff, formal atmosphere made me feel like I might choke.
It was completely different from the cozy Count’s house. Adel could dine comfortably here…
The Duke had already arrived, waiting for us. He seated Adel and me across from him and spoke with a satisfied expression:
“I don’t know how long it’s been since I last dined with you.”
I scanned the table with dissatisfaction. It was a feast of green, purple, and red—basically, all vegetables.
Fresh, crisp, but tasteless vegetables were laid out in every variety. The only rich dish was a single steak.
“Today, I prepared a healthy meal for Anastasia…”
I immediately doused the clove-studded steak with spices. As I prepared to eat, looking satisfied, our eyes met.
“Hm?”
“Yes?”
We tilted our heads in mutual confusion. The Duke frowned at my steak.
“Anastasia, you’ve put too many spices on it.”
“I like it this way.”
I loved sweet, salty, spicy, and strong flavors. The Duke furrowed his brows.
“I’m worried your taste resembles Wil’s.”
I giggled.
“Does your father write to you too, Duke?”
“Well, we’re in frequent contact. I research remedies and send the information, then Wil goes in person to get them. He obtained a few usable ingredients, though preparation is tricky and time-consuming.”
Adel quietly listened to our conversation. I was surprised at how much the Duke cared for me.
“I suppose I’ve been causing you trouble as well.”
The Duke spoke gently.
“Don’t say that. It’s natural for me to worry about my daughter. Hmm… I remember once calling you my daughter in front of Wil, almost getting shoved into the clock tower. Truly a strong, petty child. Please keep it a secret from Wil.”
“I will.”
Thinking of my father’s temperament, I couldn’t help laughing.
Anastasia’s father, Count William Sinclair, was famed for his beauty—not handsome, but pretty.
A poet once remarked that he resembled a flowered branch bathed in moonlight… and died soon after.
He had fair skin, delicate features, dazzling silver hair, and barely exceeded 170cm, often mistaken for a woman.
The Duke and other nobles always teased him.
Especially the Marquis, who was exceptionally cruel in personal attacks, made my father so irritable that even the emperor would click his tongue.
At meetings, no one escaped being grabbed by the collar by my father. He was truly extraordinary.
