Chapter 20
[Hey, do you really have to do this at bedtime? Just ask your 21st descendant tomorrow where it is.]
He trudged along behind me, yawning as if he were far more tired than my young body could ever be.
Hmph. And this from the same person who had been nagging me to awaken the soul as soon as possible.
“Shh! Quiet, please. This isn’t exactly a laid-back situation right now.”
[Huh. You’re not just worried about what your 21st descendant will think, are you?]
I flinched.
“Ha! Who says I’m worried about that…!”
To be honest, half of what Lord Juno said was true.
My obsession with the flower was suspicious, and if I talked to the Duke too comfortably, I might slip up and call him “Dad” like I used to. I had to be careful.
The secretary is fine with it since it was his choice, but the Duke isn’t. He’s still grieving the loss of his child…
In the past, I had shamelessly called him that to survive, but now that I regretted that time, I didn’t want to cross that line again.
Ignoring Lord Juno, who was rubbing his sleepy eyes, I took off my shoes and stepped onto the marble floor.
The ice-cold tile against my bare feet snapped me awake.
Carefully, like a flying squirrel, I crept down the broken hallway, all my nerves on edge.
Then Lord Juno whispered behind me.
[But seriously… you look kinda professional right now.]
“Huh? What do you mean?”
When I turned back, his eyes had narrowed suspiciously.
[Look at yourself. What normal person goes to this extent?]
I glanced down at myself.
A mirror in one hand for peeking around corners; a black cloak over my head in case I needed to hide.
Considering it was my first stealth mission, my setup was pretty advanced — so there was really only one job that fit.
[Bingo! Detective! Someone who died in their past life doing a sloppy investigation!]
“…Nope, not even close. I told you not to ask. If I’d been a detective, I’d brag about it.”
[Then what were you, huh? Tell me your job!]
“Shh! Shhh! Quiet!”
Before I knew it, I was just around the corner from the Duke’s study.
I reached out and angled the mirror — a faint light leaked through the crack under the door.
‘Ugh, so tonight wasn’t the night after all?’
Unfortunately, it seemed the Duke was still working late.
I was about to whisper to Lord Juno that we should give up and go back when I heard a strange sound from inside — and froze.
“You’re the first person who’s ever turned me down. Why? Didn’t we have a lovely evening?”
“I agreed to spend time with you only because His Majesty requested it.”
His voice was flat, calm, and the steady rustle of turning pages filled the silence.
Apparently angered by his indifference, Lady Diana’s sweet tone sharpened instantly.
“Duke, do you not realize your current position?”
“?”
“The only reason my brother hasn’t issued an imperial marriage order is because I asked him not to. I took pity on you as a fellow widow.”
‘What? A marriage order — for a widower? Just how lightly does the Emperor take the Duke?!’
The Duke must have been thinking something similar, because he stopped flipping through papers and asked,
“That’s serious. It seems His Majesty’s young mind isn’t sound.”
“What?! How dare you insult my brother — the Sun of the Empire! What if I tell him what you said?!”
“Please do. It’s honest advice.”
“Ha!”
Her exasperated gasp echoed through the study.
It was the attitude of a princess who had lived her entire life getting her way.
After a moment, she composed herself and spoke again — softer, coaxing, almost like she was trying to soothe him.
“If you truly dislike me, at least think about what you stand to gain. You have no allies, Duke. The Imperial Family would be a strong backing for you. Besides, your wife has been missing for five years—”
“Enough.”
“Duke, I understand your feelings. But it’s already been five years. She’s as good as dead.”
Crack!
The sound of something hard breaking pierced the air.
“Ah! You got ink on my silk gown!” she shrieked — he must have snapped the pen in his hand.
“This is as far as I’ll indulge you. Get out.”
A sharp intake of breath followed, then silence.
It had been five years since the Duchess disappeared.
I didn’t know what benefit the Imperial Family sought, but as the princess had said, marriage would bring the Duke many advantages:
An end to years of political tension and rank disputes, and the trust of the conservative nobility that someone of common birth could never earn.
It would solve everything I’d been working for — in a single stroke.
[Hey, let’s get out of here before we get caught.]
At his words, I glanced around — somehow, my feet had carried me right up to the study door.
No matter how angry I was at the princess’s insults, there was nothing I could do.
I was just about to turn away when—
“Duke, listen carefully. I’ve had everything I’ve ever wanted in my life.”
“So?”
“So if you reject me, it won’t matter if you take your precious daughter to the capital — I’ll make sure her name never appears on the noble registry.”
“…”
Through the crack, I saw her perch seductively on the Duke’s desk.
“Affection can grow over time. With your face, I’m sure it will.”
‘…That poisonous spider!’
[Hey! Hey! You’re gonna get caught! Why are you so mad? He’s not even your real dad!]
Lord Juno tugged at my nightgown hem to stop me.
Yes, I knew.
The Duke was a grown man, and it was crossing a line for a contracted “temporary daughter” to interfere in his private affairs.
But… I was going to find her. I would find the Duchess.
Until then, nothing like this could happen!
Bang!
“Get your hands off him! That’s my dad, and he’s saving that for Mom!”
Startled, the woman hastily pulled her half-slipped gown back into place.
“Heavens! What are you doing here at this hour, young lady? Go back at once!”
“No! I don’t wanna!”
“That’s enough, Airi.”
The Duke stopped me.
I looked up at him, eyes brimming.
‘Duke? You really want me to go? But I can find your wife. I tried so hard today…!’
As despair welled up, tears pooled and threatened to fall — but then I realized the floor was receding beneath me. Someone had lifted me up.
“…?”
“Don’t cry. No one in this house can throw out my daughter. Especially an outsider.”
The Duke, still holding me, turned toward the open door.
The princess’s face flushed crimson with humiliation.
“You and your daughter — you’ll both regret this!” she spat, storming out.
After she left, the Duke raised his arms high, lifting me until my feet dangled.
My legs kicked for the floor, but he clearly had no intention of putting me down until he got what he wanted.
“Duke?”
“Not that. You were saying it just fine a moment ago.”
“…But…”
“I’ve told you before — calling me by a formal title alone breaks our contract.”
He had a point.
Actually, he didn’t need one.
Before he could change his mind, I blurted out,
“…Dad!”
A faint, genuine smile spread across his face — the first I’d ever seen from him.
I’d always thought the most important thing was not to remind him of his missing family.
But in that moment, seeing that smile, I understood.
Maybe, back then, my existence had been a small light in his shattered world.
A sign of life — a reminder that he still had someone to call family.
As I leaned against his chest, Lord Juno muttered,
[Hah. Anyone who sees this would think you’re really father and daughter.]
✽ ✽ ✽
“So, the reason you came to me in the middle of the night was… because of a flower?”
“Mm-hm! I was curious. Grandpa wrote in the record that it was really important.”
He seemed to remember something, because he turned off all the lights in the study and opened the window.
Cold moonlight poured across the desk.
“The only flower here is that one. Watch — when the moonlight hits it, it dances.”
I looked where he pointed.
A small plant on the corner of his desk was glowing faintly, swaying gently — even though there was no wind.
What… that was it?
It was cute, sure, but honestly a little disappointing.
After all the mentions in the records, I’d expected something grand.
Still, since it was the most promising lead, all that remained was to take it to the grave and awaken the soul!
Just then, Lord Juno, who had been playing with a pen on the desk, suddenly froze and mumbled,
[Oh… wait. I just remembered — I don’t have enough power to open doors.]
“What? What did you just— You useless owl…!”
“What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing! The flower’s just so pretty, haha…”
While the Duke turned his gaze, I yanked on the edge of the invitation beside me, frustrated.
He should’ve told me earlier!
We’d gone through all this sneaking around for nothing!
Lord Juno, looking guilty, covered his face with his paws and said nothing.
I shot him a glare, then turned back to the Duke, mustering my courage.
After that whole business with Lady Diana, the sooner I moved forward, the better.
“I have a favor to ask! D-Dad… hehe.”
“Alright, what is it?”
Funny — he seemed to accept it even more naturally than I did, which gave me courage.
“This. I want to take it to Grandpa’s grave! He loved it a lot! Is that okay…?”
Hearing that, he didn’t hesitate for even a second. He rose from his seat.
“It’s been a while. A night walk — not alone, for once.”
Huh? Wait, that wasn’t exactly what I meant…
