HDBMTD 99

~Chapter 99~

Even though they said such shocking words, they spoke as calmly as if discussing the weather.

“Doctor, your wife is in Graymoss too, isn’t she? Why not bring her to the show tomorrow?”

“Ah, don’t joke. It might be too much for someone with a terminal illness.”

“Don’t worry. She only needs to see the first act before leaving.”

“Then tomorrow, we’ll get to meet your wife!”

While small talk went around, I discovered the terrible truth.

Dr. Karno’s wife, the Duchess of Ruin, is a clone.

She was born the only daughter of the Duchy, but her body was weak and she was declared terminally ill. Because of her poor health, her husband Dr. Karno handled all public duties in her place, living as though he himself were the Duke.

The problem was—they had no children. Once she died, the title and territory should have passed to her cousin.

But in truth, it already had. The “real” Duchess of Ruin had died four years ago.

The only reason Dr. Karno could still act as Duke was this:

He had cloned his dead wife and brought her back to life.

“…Sera.”

Nocturne’s voice startled me, and I raised my head.

“Shall we leave now?”

“…Yes.”

He nodded, took my hand, and helped me up.

I couldn’t even remember how I managed to leave that gathering.

The carriage ride back was silent—different from the one before.

Nocturne kept glancing at me with caution, but my tangled thoughts made it impossible to respond properly.

“About this morning…”

He carefully brought up the topic, and I remembered our quarrel. Earlier, we hadn’t had time to discuss it, so we postponed.

I spoke slowly.

“I’m sorry for what I said about Minette and you this morning. It wasn’t my place to interfere.”

“…Already an outsider, then.”

He muttered bitterly.

“That wasn’t what I wanted to say.”

“Ah.”

I sighed softly.

“From the beginning, we said this was a temporary pair. When the goal is done, it ends. Let’s end this talk here.”

Nocturne gave a quiet sigh.

“Once you cut ties with me, what do you plan to do?”

“Well…”

After destroying the Cambiata Club and ending my bond with him, I wanted to go to the sea. A place corrupted by miasma where all who approached would rot—there, no one would find me. And there, I could completely erase Aria’s body.

“I thought maybe I’d live in some quiet place, farming.”

His eyes wavered for a moment, then narrowed sharply.

“You could never do that.”

“…What?”

“You’re not made for farming. You hate quiet places, you can’t stand boring or simple work.”

“Maybe people change as they get older.”

“You’d starve to death.”

His outlook on my rural life was grim.

It didn’t match my plan, but in a way, the symbolism of starving felt almost fitting.

Then suddenly, he spoke with a voice heavy with pent-up feelings.

“Did it mean nothing to you? Helping Bill’s family with me? Coming to Graymoss together?”

His voice faltered, then continued painfully.

“Even while spending nights with me… were you only thinking of leaving me?”

“…That…”

I opened my lips, then whispered:

“Sorry.”

His eyes grew faintly red. Saying sorry to that face made me feel like a terrible person.

“This relationship… when you said you were satisfied, that was a lie, wasn’t it?”

He muttered weakly.

“That nothing was lacking—also a lie?”

“No. Everything I said was true.”

“If it was true…”

He brushed his hair back, frustrated.

“You once said—Bill isolating himself after losing his family wasn’t the best choice. That the true best was living happily with loved ones for a long time.”

He was right. I had told him that when asking him to help Bill stay with his family.

“…Yes, I said that.”

“Then why are you only trying to push me away?”

I could answer that without hesitation.

“Because Bill and I are different.”

“What’s different?”

“Bill is a hero who saved his city.”

“You too—!”

Nocturne suddenly raised his voice. I looked at him in surprise. His lips trembled before he spoke again.

“You saved people too. The villagers in Revenant Town.”

“…Ah.”

“And you saved Bill. If he’s a hero, then you’re the hero who saved a hero.”

I gave a small laugh.

“That was all you, Duke.”

“…What?”

“You’re the one who defeated the Revenant King. You’re the one who saved Bill’s family. Not me.”

He frowned.

“There you go again, calling me ‘Duke.’”

“…Oops.”

“Without you, none of that would have even started.”

I turned slightly away.

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“…What?”

His jaw dropped. I added awkwardly:

“Even if it is, that doesn’t erase the massacres I committed.”

I shrugged lightly.

“We agreed to be temporary from the start. So that’s all this is. Let’s end this talk.”

“…”

He fell silent, lost in thought.

The carriage filled with heavy silence.

I thought we’d ride to the mansion without another word, but then he spoke.

“Sera.”

I realized—this name, at least, came so naturally from him. Maybe he avoided calling me “Bis” just because he disliked the sound.

I braced for him to bring up the pair bond again. Instead, he spoke an unexpected name.

“What do you think of the Duchess of Ruin?”

“…What?”

“The woman Dr. Karno cloned five times.”

His voice was calm now, different from before.

“It keeps bothering me.”

“…Me too.”

Clearly, the story about the Duchess shocked him as well. Any human would be unsettled by such a thing.

“I found out the Duchy of Ruin shares its roots with the Empire.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

As expected, most principalities under feudalism traced their origins to the Empire—descendants of the first Emperor’s line.

“I also heard the Dukes of Ruin were always high-level Eshafes. One even an S-class.”

“Really?”

“But the current Duchess is uncertain. Some say she’s an Eshafe, others say a Normer.”

I thought for a moment.

“I think she’s probably a Normer…”

If she was Eshafe, that would mean another Eshafe clone exists besides me. That would complicate everything.

“They say she’s in Graymoss now.”

“Yes, I heard she’s staying for the performance in two days.”

“Don’t you want to meet her?”

His words widened my eyes.

“…I do. But…”

“With only two days left before destroying Cambiata, tomorrow is the only chance.”

He looked straight into my eyes.

“I can make the arrangements. We’ll need to hurry.”

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

I couldn’t hide the hope in my voice.

If I could meet her—hold her hand—I might help her face the truth and choose her own path.

“Yes. I wanted to meet her too.”

He gave a faint smile.

I half expected him to use the Duchess as an excuse to prolong our bond, like he once did with Bill. But he didn’t.

As soon as he dropped me off, he got ready to leave again.

“If we’re meeting her tomorrow, I have things to take care of tonight. Eat dinner without me.”

“…Alright. Take care.”

“Give me a kiss for luck.”

He tapped his cheek with his finger. I hesitated, then kissed him lightly. He smiled and walked back to his carriage.

“…Did he give up?”

I murmured while watching him go.

It seemed our argument, from morning till now, ended with his concession.

“This temporary pair bond really has only two days left.”

A strange mix of relief and emptiness filled me.

“But… what about those rats Nocturne hunted every night? I never did get the chance to ask.”