CH 70

“You’re too close, Elusiana. How can you protect me like this, so direct—”

Aster, who covered his mouth with one hand, quietly avoided her gaze with flushed cheeks.

Elusiana put her lips to Aster’s ear and spoke her words in a serious tone. “How much have you prepared, Your Excellency?”

Prepare? Aster, who blinked, slightly turned his head and looked at her. Her eyes, filled with anticipation, somehow looked slightly different from what he thought.

Aster asked again, just in case. “…What do you mean?”

“Five hundred gold. It’s the amount of sponsorship given by the Klaus family.”

“…?”

“How much was Your Excellency going to donate?”

Elusiana smiled helplessly, sticking out her hands in front of Aster. “You’re not going to give less than Klaus’s family, right? The money, I mean sponsorship.”

* * *

Huff—

Huuff—

Klang.

Noel threw down the sword he was holding and laid down on the training ground.

“Gasp, gasp, gasp.”

He couldn’t breathe easily. With his trembling hand on his forehead, Noel clicked his tongue low.

“How pathetic.”

Noel recalled the Grand Duke Sestein he had met during the day. He pretended to be calm the whole time, but in fact, he couldn’t move when he appeared right in front of him. It was like he was weighed down by his oppressive force.

“Damn it!”

Noel, who breathed heavily, slowly raised himself. It had been only a couple of hours since he swung his sword, but his hands didn’t move as he wanted. He was annoyed. He didn’t know why, but it had always been like this.

“Sigh.”

No, not knowing why was a lie. His inside had been twisted since meeting him, to be exact, when Grand Duke Sestein referred to her as his ‘mine.’ It was unpleasant. Until now, the grand duke hadn’t even shown his nose, but he appeared out of nowhere and said don’t covet what is his.

“It’s not even funny.”

The moment he uttered those words, Noel paused involuntarily. Whatever the Grand Duke Sestein said, whatever the grand duke was thinking, why did he have to care about it? He had no reason to be so angry. But—

Noel, who covered his face with both hands, breathed a long sigh. He couldn’t help but know what this feeling was. Her face came to his mind every now and then, that flower store he frequently visited because he was bored. He knew very well everything about it was nothing more than his excuse to meet her.

“To think of someone else over Eva. A guy like me is no different.”

Noel, who had been giggling and laughing, suddenly screamed. “Aaaagh!”

He was so pathetic and stupid. He couldn’t forgive himself for his change of heart. Having seen her by her side for the past two years, he clearly guessed where this emotion was headed, but because of his complacency, he put it off repeatedly.  Did he think he could only atone for the dead Eva by turning away like this?

“I’m really an idiot.”

Noel lay on the floor again. His face, looking up at the blue sky, was slightly distorted.

“I’m sorry, Eva. I’m sorry.”

Noel, who closed his eyes again, sighed.

“I think I’ve come to like her.”

Tears flowed down the corners of his painfully twisted eyes.

* * *

Returning to the room, Noel immediately called the knight. As he confirmed his heart, he couldn’t let go of it.

“I need to dig into more detail about Grand Duke Sestein.”

So far, all he had been able to find out was just like the surface of a watermelon.

The great magician who will never be seen again in the continent’s history.

An illegitimate son who took place after expelling the successor to another empire and bringing down the former grand duke, who was fine.

The owner of a cool-headed person who rallied forces in a short time and ruthlessly expelled rebellious vassals.

All of them were descriptions of Grand Duke Sestein. But nowhere was he able to find out anything about when Grand Duke Sestein had known Lusi and why he had suddenly offered an employment contract.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Noel, who was sweeping his forehead in a chair, narrowed his forehead as he looked at the person who entered the room.

“…Butler?”

He thought it was the knight he called for, but Marquis Klaus’s butler was the one who came to visit. For what reason? Noel titled his head.

“What’s going on?”

“Master is looking for you, young Master.”

“Father is looking for me?”

“Yes, young Master.”

Hmm, Noel nodded his head. He thought it was better. It would be quicker and more detailed to use Marquis Klaus’s information network than to find out about Grand Duke Sestein through his men.  

“I’ll be right there.”

Noel stood up from his seat and the butler stepped aside. “Yes, I will lead you right away.”

Noel, who hurried to the Marquis Klaus’s office, paused at the entrance as soon as he opened the door. No, why are these people here? Even with such a question, the door behind his back was closed for a while. At that moment, an uncomfortable stillness hung indoors. Apparently, he came at the call of course. But why was Yeriel, including their mother, sitting on the sofa in the office? Noel swallowed his saliva as if the current situation was frustrating and brought it up.

“Why are you all here?”

“What’s wrong? I missed my husband. Do I need any other reason?”

Noel’s right foot, which faltered unknowingly, moved back. The Marchioness, who caught it with the hawk’s eyes, smiled graciously and said, “What are you doing? Noel, just sit down quickly.”

“No. I’ll come back later. I just remembered something to deal with in a hurry—”

Tak. Marchioness, who put down the teacup she was holding, shook her head. “Even if I told you to sit down quickly? What’s wrong with the most idle guy in this family? Will you only sit still if this mother checks every detail of your urgent matter? Huh?”

“…I will sit down, right away.”

Noel, who suddenly put himself in the tiger’s gill, answered helplessly and sat down opposite the marchioness. Right next to him was Yeriel, who was very comfortable, unlike him.

“Father.” The gaze of asking what happened was directed at the Marquis Klaus, who sat in the upper seat. But before him the marchioness asked.

“Where have you been? It seems like you took a thick money pouch, but when you came back, you were broke.”

Unlike the smiling mouth, the marquis’s eyes were as chilling as a north wind. Noel turned to Yeriel to ask for her help, but clenched his fist as she avoided his gaze. Yeriel said it.

He was a bit short of money, so he had some help from Yeriel. He didn’t expect her to holding back like this.

“Don’t tell me you came from the training ground. You know better that I’m not asking that.”

“…”

Noel couldn’t find what to say and bit his lip. It wasn’t difficult to reveal his whereabouts. But it could have made her mad at him. My mother is not an ordinary person.

Noel, who looked carefully at his mother, spoke in a blunt manner. “Just, I’ve been roaming here and there.”

“Just roaming here and there?”

“…Yes, Mother.”

“Wasting 500 gold on the street?”

“That. I was roaming a long way.”

The marchioness looked at Noel with a deep gaze. The look in her eyes stung as if they were saying, ‘I know everything about where you’ve been.’

“I see. It looks like you intend to deceive this mother until the end.”

The smile on marchioness’s lips disappeared instantly. Noel, who flinched, looked reflexively back at Yeriel.

“You mean the daughter of Viscount Waieos?”

“What?”

“The lady of the flower shop whom you visit every day.”

“Waieos…”

“Yes, the florist’s lady.”

This time, Noel was really surprised. He thought he heard it wrong, but fortunately, his ears didn’t seem to be wrong. And yet he didn’t know she was the daughter of Viscount Waieos.

Is Lusi a noble? No, more than that, how did Mother know about it?

“Why do you look so surprised? Do you really think I didn’t know what you’ve been doing for the past two years?”

“Ah, no, it’s not like that… What? What do you mean?”

“Noel, I’m your mother. I know everything about putting your subordinates next to her, giving her expensive artifacts, and visiting her every single day.”

“It’s not like that. Sigh… Did you know all that?”

“You can be honest, Noel. You don’t have to hide it.”

“That’s not it, Mother.”

“Then?”

“You haven’t been interested in me at all in the whole time.”

Marchioness clicked her tongue and raised the teacup. “That’s because this kid didn’t show his true feelings. So I just pretended not to know.”

“…!”

Noel, who bit his lips lightly, frowned. How could his mother be so sure of the feeling he just realized?

“Oh my. I guess you didn’t know your heart.”

“…”

“But don’t worry too much, Noel. This mother has no intention of reconsidering.”

“What do you mean by reconsidering?”

“I already gave my permission, El.”

“P-permission? For what?”

“It means I will recognize her as my daughter-in-law.”

“What?”

Noel felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head. He couldn’t come to his senses as if someone had hit his head with a hammer.