CH 100

They wandered around the west side of the castle the entire morning, but Nelia and Zenuit found nothing. They talked to the duke during lunch, but he said that he also found nothing.

Nelia was more concerned about other things than the fact that she found nothing.

The duke’s condition. The duke seemed a lot like lost in his thoughts during lunch. He looked as if his soul lost his body just like when it rained.

“Your Grace, are you alright……?”

Nelia whispered to him quietly, but he only offered her a smile.

“I’m alright.”

“It seems that you slept late last night….. You haven’t slept well, have you?”

The duke shook his head calmly.

“Although I slept late at night, I slept well. There’s really nothing to worry about.”

Nelia knew that the duke was telling a white lie to reassure her just now.

However, she held back because she knew that the duke would be uncomfortable if she asked him more.

She was going to wait a little longer and ask him again if this went on. Upon thinking so, Nelia sipped tea as dessert.

The duchess put down the teacup and talked to Nelia.

“Young Lady Nelia, Your feet must be hurt from walking all morning, is that right? Why don’t you take a break with me sometime in the afternoon?”

The duchess whispered with one palm beside her mouth.

“Women are chatting amongst themselves.”

Nelia agonized. As she heard from Zenuit, she felt impatient because she had to get everything she could find for coming this far to the dukedom’s castle. She hasn’t found anything except for a book in the basement yet.

However, she felt guilty if she rejected the duchess’ offer.

In the midst of all this, Duke Hart spoke up.

“Nelia. You should rest with my mother.”

“Is it really okay to take a rest……”

Nelia, who was thinking, threw a glance to Zenuit, who was busy savoring cookies.

He wasn’t fond of staying indoors. It would be boring to stay with her whilst she chatted in the room with the duchess.

Perhaps, the duke noticed Nelia’s glance so he suggested.

“I’ll take Zenu with me.”

Zenuit’s hand stopped in the air when he was about to pick up cookies eagerly.

“Uh…… I want to be with my sister.”

“It’s just boring to stay where the women would be busy chatting.”

“Yes, please keep Zenu company for a few hours.”

Zenuit seemed to be bewildered when the duchess agreed to the duke’s remarks.

Zenuit whispered quietly so that only Nelia who sat beside him could hear it.

“I don’t want to be alone with His Grace…!”

Nelia sighed.

“It seems that Zenu was still too shy to be alone with His Grace.”

“The more you try to do it, the more you can learn to get along with others.”

The duke was quite persistent with his suggestion. As if he was trying to get Zenuit to go with him.

“And wouldn’t it be better than listening to adults’ conversations in the room?”

The duke assumed Zenuit’s character accurately.

Having said it, Nelia had no choice but to step back. It was also strange that he insisted on staying indoors all of a sudden.

“Understood. Then please take Zenu with you, Your Grace.”

She could feel Zenuit’s resentful eyes from the side, but Nelia had to pretend she didn’t know.

***

Zenuit eventually came out alone with the duke.

“We’ve looked in the east and west side this morning, so we’re going to look in the southern side in the afternoon.”

Duke Hart explained to Zenuit before walking down the path.

“Understood, Your Grace.”

“Tell me if your legs hurt or if you want to use the bathroom.”

Zenuit nodded.

Duke Hart and Zenuit walked together to the southern side. They didn’t say anything while walking down the path.

Zenuit glanced quietly at the duke, who didn’t say anything, he was concerned, but the duke only maintained an expressionless face which made it hard to guess what the man was thinking. He also frowned frequently.

Zenuit finally asked the duke.

“Are you sick, Your Grace?”

“I’m fine.”

He answered with the same words as when Nelia asked him at lunch a while ago.

“Your Grace doesn’t look fine at all.”

The duke didn’t answer again. He chatted very well when he was with Nelia, but now he was just quiet.

Zenuit, who was uncomfortable with silence between them, tried to muster up something, but gave up a moment later.

As they walked, they found a path surrounded by trees. Only the sound of trees falling off, the sound of birds singing, and the sound of stepping feet on the ground echoed quietly.

Zenuit was looking around with twinkling eyes.

“I’m glad I brought Zenu here.”

Oh right, the duke was with him. Zenuit concealed his embarrassment and tried to speak in a bright voice.

“Yes, I like to move.”

To be precise, it was good to see a completely different landscape from the past.

“Sometimes when I look at you, I feel like you’re from a completely different world.”

Zenuit paused for a moment.

What is he saying? Did the man notice who he actually is?

“Well, that’s how a child is supposed to be. I don’t usually get close to children, so watching Zenu is interesting to me.”

Uh…… What is he supposed to say here?

Zenuit mentally swept off his surprise.

“At the end of this path, there is a beautiful big lake. I think you will like it, Zenu.”

Zenuit could barely hold back from opening his mouth in mesmerization at the mention of a lake.

‘Come to think of it, the duke seems more carefree than I expected.’

Nelia seemed to be worried that she might get nothing from the duke’s castle except for the books in the basement, but the duke seemed quite calm despite being involved as well.

He felt a little displeased when he realized one thing.

‘Nelia is the only one who is nervous amongst us.’

Zenuit cleared his throat and spoke with a child’s tone.

“I hope to find something in the southern side. My sister said she’d reward me with something if I found something during my walk with Your Grace. So let’s work hard to find something, Your Grace!”

“I’ll reward you, so please rest assured and enjoy the scenery.”

“But is it alright……”

“Of course.”

As he expected, the duke didn’t seem to panic at all.

The duke stopped and bent his torso toward Zenuit.

“This is a secret, Zenu.”

“What is it?”

“I actually don’t want to find anything more here.”

Zenuit blinked.

“……Why? Wasn’t Your Grace going here to look for something?”

The duke raised his bent torso.

“It was that at first, but now I’m so confused that I don’t think I’m ready to accept other truths.”

As the duke spoke, Zenuit stared wordlessly at the man.

“I heard from Nelia that Your Grace might be a dragon.”

The duke smiled lightly.

“Did Nelia say that to you, Zenu?”

Zenuit asked with a serious look.

“Are Your Grace going to hate it if you are a dragon? I think it’d be nice. They are really strong and cool.”

“Even if my ancestors were really dragons in the past, I am not one now. I’m not a human or dragon.”

“Even so…..”

“Zenu, you are still young, so you won’t know it. The feeling when your existence is imperfect, and the feeling of wanting to stay beside the beloved one.”

Even though the duke’s tone was dull and soft, it somehow filled with determination.

Zenuit completely closed his lips.

They began to walk again silently. Then soon, a big lake came into sight, just as the duke said.

Red fishes were swimming in the lake. The duke sat on a flat rock beside the lake.

Zenuit also climbed a rock and looked around the lake.

“You may fall into the lake, so be careful.”

“Yes!”

Zenuit answered brightly in front of him but secretly pouted once turning away from the man.

Just like him, it was very dangerous to see the duke sitting on the rock because he seemed to be not well.

‘That grown man, why is he sick all the time?’

He wasn’t sure if the man was able to feed Nelia well, as she usually eats a lot. Anyway, he was disqualified as Nelia’s husband in many aspects.

He was shaking his head with a frown, but he suddenly sensed the man’s gaze, and he met the duke’s eyes as soon as he lifted his eyes.

He was pressing his forehead as if he had a headache a while ago, but since when has the man been looking at him?

“Zenu, sometimes you look like an adult.”

“……”

“You look unusual for a child.”

Zenuit was bewildered, but he answered with a smile, pretending nothing happened on the surface.

“I don’t know what Your Grace means, but do you mean it in a good way?”

“I meant it in a good way. Perhaps,Nelia rely a lot on Zenu’s mature bearing to make her more determined, she appeared more energetic lately.”

The duke continued in a low voice.

“I saw how energetic she became, and even showed great strength.”

It was a meaningful remark, but Zenuit didn’t fail to lose his smile.

“……I give my sister a lot of strength!”

The duke stared blankly at Zenuit, the child not knowing what the man was thinking.

In the gaze that seemed to see through him, sweat seemed to drop on Zenuit’s palm.

However, the duke spoke again with a light smile.

“Zenu, you are very mature.”

Zenuit smiled and mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

‘He’s been listening to me since earlier.’

Even so, it was fortunate that the man didn’t seem to have noticed his identity.

Zenuit looked at the lake again, thinking that he should pay more attention to his behavior in the future.

The duke sat on a rock, his head resting on the tree beside him, his eyes were shut.

Is he sleeping……?

He seemed to be somewhat unwell from a while ago, but it seemed that he fell asleep as soon as he sat down.

Zenuit thought it was better that way. He was concerned about the duke, but he wouldn’t be puzzled by the man’s useless remark when he was asleep.

As he was walking around the lake by himself, Zenuit suddenly turned his head to look at the duke. The duke’s head, which had previously rested on the tree, was leaning forward.

The child seemed worried about the possibility that he could fall into the lake.

“I guess he’s not going to……”

The duke’s head was leaning forward as soon as he thought so, it was scary to think about it even just a bit.

Considering the duke’s condition, who had been like a chick taking medicine all day today, it was no wonder that he couldn’t wake up and fall into the lake.

Zenuit hurriedly walked up to the duke to wake him up. However, his head was gradually leaned forward even more to the lake.

“Oh, no……!”

It was too late before a child like him could reach the duke…..!

The moment when the duke’s torso was about to fall into the lake.

“Stop!”

Zenuit flicked his finger and shouted loudly. The duke’s body stopped just as he was about to fall into the lake.

‘Phew, such a relief…….’

In the midst of his relief, the duke slowly opened his eyes. His eyes met Zenuit.

However, he seemed strange. A thin smile quickly ascended his face without a hint of sleepiness.

Zenuit felt as if the hair on his nape had risen frighteningly for the first time in thousands of years.

‘Don’t…… Don’t tell me……’

The duke moved his smooth lips.

“Just as I expected.”

This time, the duke flicked his hand and his body landed leisurely on the rock.

“I assumed you were not just an ordinary child.”