CH 19

“As this is a reunion with my beloved daughter, would you mind giving us a moment?”

Those were the words spoken by Duke Alors as soon as I entered his study.

Naturally, his gaze was directed at the Argenta people who were about to follow me inside. As Vielle and the others, including the Argenta people, hesitated and took a step back, he asked as if he was bewildered.

“Surely you don’t think I would harm my own daughter?”

With those words, Vielle and the Argenta people retreated further. The Duke may not have known, but they only did it after they received a reassuring gaze from me.

Thud.

As soon as the door was closed, the smile disappeared from Duke Alors’ face. Instead, I felt the gaze of someone who only saw me as a tool.

“So, how is it progressing?”

It seemed that his order to discreetly send someone to seek evidence from me was not enough. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be asking about it right away.

“I heard you’ve done some stuff.”

He continued.

I let out a hollow laugh but faithfully gave my response. At this moment, I had to be a ‘faithful pawn of Duke Alors.’

“First, I have succeeded in continuing to share a room with Diello. However, the problem lies with Diello Argenta. He’s just too…”

I finished my words, wearing a perplexed expression.

“…Naively idealistic.”

“What?”

When telling a lie, it was a rule to mix 5% falsehood with 95% truth. That way, the other person wouldn’t easily sense anything amiss.

While I didn’t know if Diello truly went overboard with his idealism, in many ways, he was pure.

“Anyone from Argenta who frequents the fourth floor can be trusted.”

I sighed, remembering the night he said those words.

“It seems that it’s taking time for him to open up to me, likely due to my background.”

“You haven’t been making an effort, have you?”

Duke Alors’ sharp gaze swept over me.

I lowered my head.

“Of course, I’ve been making an effort. Still, you also know, my lord, that it’s not simply a matter of taking away his innocence for him and the Ferro to be connected.”

“…I’m aware of that.”

The more the head opened up to his Ferro and gave away his innocence, the mark that suppresses his abilities gradually disappeared.

“That’s why it might take some time.”

“Tsk. Didn’t you anticipate such things?”

Duke Alors clicked his tongue at my words. Then, with an audacious expression, he went on.

“It’s not for nothing that there’s a thing called ‘skill in seduction.’ Haven’t you been doing it properly?”

Even though I knew he was trash, actually facing him made me realize that he was even more despicable than I had imagined. It was the first time I had a one-on-one encounter with Duke Alors, as I had possessed Krua’s body while riding in Argenta’s carriage.

Thanks to that, this would become my first impression of him.

Trash among all trash.

A despicable human being.

That was what I thought at that moment.

Sigh.

The air around me felt heavy.

More precisely, even the moisture in the air seemed to weigh me down. Even the teacup placed between the Duke and me, from the tea inside it, a strong sense of pressure emanated. Naturally, the source was Duke Alors himself. His water manipulation ability began to oppress me.

In an instant, I felt my breath being stifled.

“Didn’t you hear me say to seduce him somehow?”

Whoosh!

The tea in the teacup in front of me instantly transformed into sharp blades and pointed directly at my throat.

“….!”

Along with a sharp sensation, I felt something dripping down my throat. It wasn’t tea… it was blood. My blood.

Instantly, my whole body trembled.

“…Of course, I’m trying my best to do that.”

Unconsciously, I lowered my voice as I spoke. It was because it felt like if I spoke loudly, I would be stabbed in the throat.

“What use is effort without results?”

Duke Alors furrowed his brow.

The pressure became even more unbearable, making it difficult to even breathe. Nonetheless, it was fine. I originally knew he would apply this level of pressure. He was a thorough trash in the original story as well.

If things continued like this, I’d have to report to him every night about how far I’ve progressed. Of course, there was nothing to report. However, when it came to this, I had no choice but to play my final card.

“…But that’s really impossible, my lord.”

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I bit my lip, my face filled with unease.

“Why? Surely, you don’t think that brat has lost his abilities at such a young age?”

It was clear that the ability the Duke was referring to wasn’t Argenta’s fire manipulation ability. It was probably his ability at night… how pathetic. Although I had speculated, he was even more lowly than I imagined.

Thinking that way, I lowered my head.

“It doesn’t seem like it. Still…”

‘…I’m sorry, Diello!’

After making a declaration internally, I continued speaking with a desperate expression on my face.

“It’s because our heart doesn’t resonate. I simply can’t spend the night with him.”

‘Don’t suggest that! How am I supposed to do it?’

“If I forcefully spend the night with him, it will have the opposite effect, as it will only close his heart further… So, for now, I’m trying to get closer gradually.”

“This is driving me crazy. Talking about lovey-dovey stuff…”

Duke Alors leaned back against the sofa as if bewildered. However, being a person with Ferro himself, he should know that spending the night without opening one’s heart was pointless.

Splash!

Just before my throat was about to be slit, the tea returned to his cup. He, who had taken a sip from the tea mixed with my blood without hesitation, spoke.

“We don’t know when the real Ferro will appear. Before that happens, we must surely strip away his ability. Understand?”

“…I understand.”

Duke Alors narrowed his eyes.

“Above all, it’s important not to get caught. Don’t forget, Krua Alors.”

He raised my chin with his fingertips.

“Useless tools will be discarded.”

…And even if they were useful, they would still be discarded in the end.

I nodded, knowing that fact. This was the extent of the relationship between Krua Alors and Duke Alors. Even in the original story, Duke Alors had never recognized Krua Alors, the illegitimate child, as his daughter.

“…I will keep it in mind.”

This level of conversation was well within the expected range. Pretending to gauge the Duke’s mood, I opened my mouth.

“But, my lord, I have a request to make.”

Duke Alors raised an eyebrow at my words. Who would call this situation a conversation between a father and daughter?

“What is it?”

He had a face that seemed to say, ‘What now?’ What kind of audacious request do you want to make when you can’t even fulfill your duties properly?

“I would like the funds for maintaining the dignity of the Duchess to be redirected to me. It doesn’t have to be all of it—even just 1/10 would do.”

“Oh…?”

Duke Alors wore a face of disbelief. It seemed like he was quite open about money, even though they couldn’t handle our tasks properly. Nonetheless, I had already prepared the reasons to add to my request.

“If the funds for maintaining dignity are subtracted, I will have almost no money. To win Diello’s heart, I need to do something, whether it’s dressing up or beautifying myself… though without money, I can’t do anything.”

Of course, human hearts couldn’t be won solely with money. However, there were people who believed that hearts could be won with money. Duke Alors was a prime example of such a person.

He twitched his eyebrows and nodded his head.

“I suppose so. I will redirect a portion of it to you, however…”

Then, he blinked his eyes.

“You must have better results next month, understand?”

“I understand.”

All right! From the documents I saw in Argenta, the funds for maintaining the dignity of the Duchess were of a considerable scale. It would be enough to purchase the lands currently left idle in the central continent.

“Very well…”

As if signaling the end of the conversation, Duke Alors gestured with his hand. Was he telling me to leave now? Just as I was about to rise, he said.

“Then, turn around.”

“…Pardon?”

Turn around? Why all of a sudden?

When I asked, Duke Alors furrowed his brow.

“Diello Argenta’s name.”

Thump, thump.

As he knocked on a table, Alors’ servants dressed in black appeared silently and they grabbed both of my arms.

In the Duke’s hand was a small dagger.

“It needs to be engraved again.”

“….!”

His words were chilling.