TTMLPTWW ~ Chapter 81

“I-I’m okay.”

Duke Rukanosa quickly distanced himself, afraid she might hear his rapidly beating heart.

He involuntarily avoided Cynthia’s gaze as she stared intently at him.

Her claim of possessing a special ability to discern others’ thoughts suddenly came to mind.

‘To a woman who’s merely a commoner-born maid… why am I…?’

He struggled to understand the source of this absurd emotion.

His thoughts spiraled back to memories of playing in the royal gardens as a child.

“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Princess Margarita.”

“Oh dear, I’m already engaged to a prince from another country.”

“Then call me if you break off the engagement.”

“Oh! You know the words ‘break off’! How clever.”

The dazzlingly beautiful smile of Princess Margarita flashed through his mind.

The kind princess never hesitated to praise even the smallest things, and she had a way of making others feel special.

She had been his ideal woman since he was a child who knew nothing.

‘Ah, it must be because they look alike. Where on earth did the Count find someone like her…’

Cynthia and the Princess only differed in hair and eye color.

Just then.

“Lady Cynthia, would you like a ride?”

Major Rodriguez, passing by on a white reindeer sleigh, waved at Cynthia, who ran towards him with sparkling eyes.

“Wow! I’ve been wanting to ride one since earlier, but no one offered, so I was feeling down!”

The Major gave an awkward smile as he looked at the blankly standing Duke Rukanosa.

“But there’s only room for one.”

“I’m fine.”

The Duke declined the offer to share the ride and watched Cynthia disappear into the distance on the sleigh, lost in thought.

Cynthia, on the sleigh, had a flushed nose and a delighted expression.

The Major, dressed in a white military uniform, looked like an envoy of snow as he said,

“Today’s snow removal is finished. It’ll be back to normal tomorrow, though.”

“Thank you for your hard work. Will I be riding this home too?”

“If you wish, I’d be happy to give you a ride.”

Cynthia, beaming, noticed a tall, dark-haired young man walking with a box.

It was Makia, returning with a cake.

“Come quickly, it’s almost lunchtime.”

“Yes.”

In response to Cynthia’s words from the sleigh, Makia waved lightly with a smiling face.

“……”

Major Rodriguez looked back at Makia until he turned around completely, then asked Cynthia,

“Who is that?”

“I met him at the orphanage for the first time today. He said he’s a salesman. Do you know him?”

The Major shook his head.

“No, I don’t.”

As a soldier who had been on the battlefield, he sensed a dangerous aura from the man.

* * *

Masera, having arrived in Nox, gazed at the vast snowfield where railway construction was in full swing.

Covered entirely in snow, it seemed like a place where only white land and sky existed. The only people coming and going were construction workers and hunters.

“With this investment from the Medea royal family, completion seems to be ahead of schedule. It should be finished as early as next summer.”

The director in charge of the construction added,

“Have you decided on a name for the station?”

Masera paused for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

“Not yet.”

“Nox means ‘night’ in the traditional language. The nights here are long. Ah, your wife’s name is related to the goddess of the moon, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

Masera, who had never considered the etymology, showed a hint of interest.

“The moon goddess Artemis’s nickname is Cynthia. In other places, she’s also called Diana, which is the name of the crown princess of the Medea Kingdom, the investor. This land must have been chosen by the goddess of the moon.”

“Ah.”

Not having anything more romantic to say, he simply uttered a short exclamation.

He was recalling the time when he had wiped out the remnants of the Empire here.

At the time, the target was Blake, the leader who had entered Rutemia with the aim of assassinating Princess Margarita and created a firearms smuggling organization.

His peculiarity was that his wife was an Esatain, and his son also had Esatain features, but both had been processed as deceased.

‘If his son were alive, he would be my age.’

Even if he were alive, he would be living mixed in as an Esatain, so it would be difficult to find him.

‘Unless he comes to avenge his father.’

Masera thought as he drank his cold coffee.

* * *

Helene, who was enjoying a simple tea time with guests on the weekend, was told by someone,

“Duchess, the newspapers have issued corrections and apologies regarding Princess Cynthia.”

Another lady tilted her head in confusion.

“Unless there’s external pressure, such things are rare.”

“I wonder who took action? Brigadier General Vicente doesn’t seem to care much about his wife…”

They subtly belittled Cynthia, trying to curry favor with Helene, the Duchess.

Then, one of the ladies from the press shook her head with a troubled expression.

“No, he’s very concerned about his wife. The newspaper that first reported it received a huge fine and a suspension of business. That’s why the newspapers issued apologies one after another.”

The lady who had asked the question looked surprised.

“Brigadier General Vicente did that?”

Someone interjected, seeing Helene’s increasingly stiff expression.

“It’s just for show, as always. He just doesn’t want to seem like a husband who’s indifferent to his wife.”

Helene recalled the Duke, who, far from covering up her mistakes, made all sorts of unpleasant remarks and acted like he was doing her a favor.

Since then, even their conversations had ceased.

She loathed the feeling of being compared to someone else. She wanted to be superior to others, even if it meant becoming a villain.

Her desire to monopolize her father’s recognition was also due to this ambition.

As Helene’s silence grew longer, a quick-witted lady brought up the story of the trading company run by the Ducal house.

“By the way, the ‘Duchess’s Scent’ that was introduced at the trading company this time is a huge hit. It’s famous as the perfume used by the Duchess of Rukanosa.”

“Promoting it as the Duchess’s unique perfume is amazing. It’s been in magazines and newspapers, hasn’t it?”

Everyone praised her business sense.

However, Duke Rukanosa himself did not show any attitude of acknowledging her achievements.

“It would have been impossible without the name of the Dukedom in the first place.”

She was well aware that it was a political marriage, but it was lonely to know that there was no affection between the two people who would spend their lives together.

In the late afternoon as the sun was setting, Helene returned to her room after finishing her guest reception and leaned her tired body against the armchair.

Maintaining an upright posture all day was no easy task.

“…What do others do in their free time?”

Listening to the stories of other noble ladies, it seemed they usually spent time with their families.

On the other hand, the room she was left alone in was luxurious but somehow empty. Helene listened to the ticking of the clock and unknowingly dozed off.

How long had it been?

She felt a presence and opened her eyes.

“……!”

And she was startled and almost screamed when she saw the man standing in front of her, staring at her.

“You changed your perfume. No wonder I’ve been smelling your scent on other women too.”

The man with a languid smile was Capitano.

Helene hurriedly straightened her back and sat up straight.

“What, what are you….”

Why did he come?

More than that, didn’t he say he didn’t work on weekends?

Seeing the question on her face, Capitano continued.

“It’s my belief not to work on weekends, but the Duchess is special.”