Chapter 12

Chapter 12

As Seth entered the East Annex, his current mansion, Noah’s attendants were already waiting to greet him at the door. He ordered, staring coldly at them as they bowed their heads as if they were sinners.

“No matter if Noah ordered you to step away, you were so negligent that you couldn’t even find your master… Are you all out of your mind?”

“…I’m sorry, Duke.”

“From now on, never leave Noah’s side. Especially, don’t let the ex-Duchess be around him.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“Then, step aside.”

Soon, the servants withdrew and Seth walked towards the East Annex.

Normally, he would have taken him to the Northern Annex where Noah was living, but today, it seemed that he should keep his eyes on him. So, even if it was a little uncomfortable, Seth hugged Noah once more, thinking that he would have to take him to the office and work.

Then, as if frustrated, Noah released his hand that was wrapped around Seth’s neck and tapped him on the shoulder. In the end, Seth lowered him slightly as he was asking to be taken down.

Noah, who dropped down gently to the floor, grabbed his brother’s hand. Seth lowered himself down a little and bent down to meet his eye level.

He opened his mouth.

“Noah.”

“…Yes, brother.”

“I understand that you are bored because there are no people your age in the mansion. But, please refrain from hanging out with the ex-Duchess.”

“…Why?”

Seth’s earnest request returned overshadowed the way he had expected. He sighed as if frustrated by Noah’s question as he tilted his head and added his words.

“Why, have you forgotten—what she did to you?

“…Please be nice to her now! She fixed Leo and made him a friend. She feeds me, too! And…”

“And…?”

“Now, sister-in-law is different from then. Well, at first, I…I didn’t know.”

“What do you mean? Different, who? That woman?”

At Noah’s words, which he could not understand, Seth grimaced involuntarily and grabbed the child’s shoulder. With that, Noah, who thought he was going to be scolded, pouted his lips as though he was about to cry and blushed around his eyes. Seth looked at him with a sad face.

He knew that Noah had lost his mother early and was always hungry for affection, though he did not know that he would give her affection on the pretense of that woman.

He slowly pulled the little body closer to him, hugged him by the shoulder, and patted him tenderly.

“…I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, but don’t you know that your words don’t make sense at all?”

“…Brother.”

“Do not give affection to the ex-Duchess. After all, if the Vatican approves and she can leave, she will leave without regret even though she has been kind to you. You are the only one who’s going to get sad again.”

Just like his former self, who firmly believed that even if there was no affectionate love between lovers, the loyalty between family members should still be preserved.

He asked, suppressing objections in a tone that might sound harsh to Noah. However, the boy only put his arm on Seth’s shoulder, who was still holding him, but he did not answer the question.

‘…There’s nothing I can do about it, then.’

No matter what he was to say in the current situation, it seems that persuasion is not going to work. So, Seth put off getting a confirmation from Noah for now.

As he got up, grabbing Noah’s hand, Seth spoke toward the end of the hallway where there was no one.

“Sir Lancelot.”

All of a sudden, from the end of the hallway, a knight with dark blue hair, wearing thin silver armor, appeared in front of Seth and paid his respects.

“Did you call me, Duke?”

“Please take care of Noah. Don’t let her approach him in front of you. He’s safe today, but she may be harassing him in a place out of my watch.”

“No, brother! Sister-in-law didn’t bother me! Oh, she said she wouldn’t do that anymore!”

Seth, who had been firmly urging Lancelot, the guardian knight attached to Noah, stopped talking to the boy’s protest. He once again turned to him and tried to persuade with a troubled face.

“Noah. The former Duchess is accustomed to lying. The reason I met you was because she went to the Northern Annex to avoid my surveillance.”

“Ha, but…”

At Seth’s words, Noah grabbed the hem of his shirt as if he wanted to object, but he hesitated, not knowing what to say.

“Sir, may I talk to you about the matter?”

“What is it?”

Surprisingly, it was actually Lancelot who spoke up to Seth as he was satisfied that he had succeeded in persuading Noah.

Seth turned his head to him and replied coldly.

Seeing so, Lancelot spoke carefully.

“It seems to be true that the former Duchess said that she got lost and had to clean the North Annex, instead of the East Annex.”

“…Any proof of that?”

“I stopped by the North Annex a little while ago to find Noah, but it was very clean and organized.”

“…What?”

“Of course, it wasn’t as clean as the attendants did, though it seemed obvious that she had been mopping and dusting several times. If it were the usual Duchess, I would never have imagined.”

“Are you certain that she didn’t ask other servants to do it instead?”

“No. You know that there are no servants in this mansion who are friendly to the Duchess. Also…”

“…Also?”

“She really did fix Noah’s doll.”

After speaking, Lancelot stuck out two dolls in front of him. Seth had a blank expression to the familiar lion doll, and rabbit doll he had never seen before.

‘What did she do? When all she had ever done with her hands was put makeup on her face and caress that man?’

“Ah! My doll!”

“Here you go, Noah.”

Whether or not he knew Seth’s feelings, Noah just stared at her doll and reached out to Lancelot, urging him to give it quickly.

Lancelot smiled sweetly at him and held out the doll. Then, holding the doll tight, Seth said, staring blankly at the beloved Noah.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a rabbit doll. That… are you saying that’s what she made?”

“You may not believe it, but it is true.”

“…Nonsense.”

“I have been observing, fearing that the Duchess would do something cruel to Noah. However, that has never once happened since ‘that day’.”

“It must be all acting. That woman could never do that.”

Still, Seth shook his head resolutely at Lancelot’s repeated testimony.

With everything he had been through, what he had heard, and what he had researched over the past three years—

Who would believe that a person could just change in just a few days? It must have been a play.

With that in mind, Seth spoke as if affirming. Lancelot silently stared at the face of the man in front of him. Obviously, he understood the Master’s heart.

Even if it wasn’t love, he knew how painful it would be to be betrayed by someone he believed would keep promises and family bonds.

Besides, before all the facts were revealed, the Duchess was very evil. So it was natural that the Master would not believe her no matter what good deeds she did.

Regardless, Lancelot felt he had to say it. He took Noah’s hand as he embraced the doll and said,

“But, Duke… Whether it’s acting or pretending, the appearance of the former Duchess to Noah in the past few days has not been bad. So, at least in the presence of Noah, why don’t you at least refrain from blindly criticizing the Duchess?”

“…I’ll take your advice, then.”

“Thank you, Duke.”

“Well, I will go back to the office in the East Annex first. Noah, see you in the evening.”

“Yes, brother!”

Seth stroked Noah’s little head and quickly strode down the hallway.

‘Damn, I have a bloody headache.’

So far, in any battlefield or even in the imperial palace full of dark battles, he had never had such trouble before.

He then recalled the words Minase had shouted a moment ago while holding Noah and covering his ears.

‘Why don’t you stop treating people as kidnappers? I am still your wife. That means, I’m the older sister of Noah, right? Have you seen any normal older sister harassing her younger brother?’

“…’I’m still your wife’? Ha…”

He never thought he would hear those words from her mouth—A person who, on the inside, considered this marriage more terrible than anyone else.

Although he spoke bluntly to Lancelot, Seth also knew that what she was doing now was harmless.

That’s why it was even more confusing.

Seth stopped his brisk pace and sighed heavily, resting his hand on his temples.

She is truly a woman who gave trouble to the end in many ways—Minase Persen…