“...My Lord.”
Bella interrupted with a cough.
I knew she understood my feelings. It was just way too strange of this guy to tell soone he just saw for the first ti that he was going to kill him!
As expected, even though they were from the Tristan Duchy, they still at least had a semblance of justice and common sense—
“What is it, Bella?”
“I completely understand how you feel, but Milady definitely…”
After that, the two began to whisper to each other in a low enough voice that I couldn’t hear them anymore.
“...”
I see. She understood him completely, huh?
So in their eyes, being friends with Eleanor was a big enough felony for them to imdiately kill .
“...Hm.”
As I pondered about how the world had beco such a harsh place, Leonid, who had been whispering with Bella, looked at before letting out a snort.
His disapproval was clearly plastered in his face, but as the head of the family, he was still obligated to treat appropriately as I was his guest.
To prove this, he opened the drawer and picked sothing up.
“Take this.”
It was the key to the room.
“...I’ll be frank. It’s impossible for to like you, Sir.”
“...”
This guy just said that he hated my guts straight to my face.
Well, I could tell from the way he treated as soon as he saw , but since his dislike for was strong enough to the point that he said such a thing, I couldn’t help but be curious about it.
“...May I ask you the reason?”
Hearing what I said, Leonid snorted theatrically.
“Ask again after you cut down the number of won around you by half.”
“...”
“Your reputation in Elfante is already great enough, to the point that I don’t even need to do an additional investigation on you.”
“...”
“Just think of it, your one and only granddaughter brought ho a weird playboy like you. As her family, how would you feel about that?”
[Well, he got a point…]
“...”
Caliban.
Whose side are you on?
…Well.
His reason was more convincing than I thought.
Honestly, I thought that he was just hating for a weird reason that I didn’t know.
…Anyway, this guy is a complete fool for his granddaughter,
For many reasons, Eleanor was the apple of his eye.
That was part of the reason why Eleanor, who was practically neglected by Gideon ever since she was a child, didn’t grow up as twisted as expected. It was all thanks to Leonid’s care and love.
And this was why I was so worried when I found out that it was him who called for .
I an, it would be a problem if he was planning sothing bizarre to screw over. But, it seed like that was a needless worry, as he was just worried about his granddaughter.
As I thought so, Leonid clinked the key in front of , as if urging to take the thing quickly.
“That’s the key to your accommodation, Sir. The place wouldn’t be as comfortable as your ho, but do try to make yourself at ho the best you can.”
Those words were sothing I could agree on, there was no way the place would be comfortable.
Then again, ever since I entered the Duchy, I already knew that this whole thing wouldn’t be smooth sailing for .
“...Thank you.”
As I replied and was about to receive the key without complaining.
The office’s door burst open.
And the one who barged in was soone familiar, so familiar that I unknowingly called her out in a daze.
“...Eleanor?”
Since she was wearing an outfit I had never seen before, I almost didn’t know her. The Eleanor I rembered always dressed herself in the school uniform, including the hat.
She was wearing an off-shoulder dress with black frills. Her long hair was elegantly twisted with hair ornants. She looked like an exemplar of a Lady from a noble household from hair to toe. Everything about her looked luxurious.
But, even if that was the case, her appearance didn’t give off a vain air.
Because she exuded an aura that turned all those things into re ‘decoration’.
As if implying that you'd need objects at this level to decorate what was most ‘valuable’. That the the difference in class was what turned such items into things that ‘matched’ her.
“...”
Honestly, it was to the point of giving chills.
She was beautiful.
I unknowingly stared at Eleanor in a daze.
[...Have you finally lost it?]
“...”
Caliban’s fearful voice snapped back to my senses.
Huh? What was that supposed to an?
I an, she’s that beautiful. Anyone would lose it after seeing her!
[No, not that. I was just surprised to find out that you’re able to feel such an emotion when you see a girl…]
“...”
[So our Dowd isn’t impotent after all…!]
This fucker must have so kind of illness that would kill him if he didn’t talk nonsense periodically.
As I thought so while scratching my cheek, Eleanor trudged towards and grabbed my wrist.
Seeing that, Bella and Leonid’s bodies stiffened, as if they were getting caught doing sothing they shouldn’t have done.
Eleanor’s eyes shone coldly.
There was a clear anger in her eyes.
“Grandfather.”
She said in a cold tone.
I swear, she could start a hail during midsumr with how cold that tone was.
“This is the key to the annex.”
“...My dear.”
“The building is near the knightage post in the territory.”
“...”
“In other words, it’s the best place to lock up soone and keep him out of contact with anyone, am I right, Grandfather?”
“...”
Leonid and Bella fell silent at the sa ti.
anwhile, after snatching the key from my hand, Eleanor trudged towards Leonid and put the key on the desk.
There was sothing strange about the cold air that was coming out from her whole body.
“Grandfather.”
Her eyes were fixed on Leonid as her red iris flashed a dangerous light that almost seed like blood.
“You may do whatever you want of course, but I have requested you several tis to never do anything that could get in the way of my ti with Dowd.”
“...Eleanor. I have things to say about that ma—”
“Whatever they are, I refuse to hear them.”
Leonid was about to say sothing before Eleanor cut his words off.
From her attitude, it was clear that she wouldn’t accept any objection coming from his mouth.
“Grandfather, Bella.”
Then…
In a solemn voice, she declared.
“I hate you.”
“...”
“I won’t see you for a while.”
“...”
I swear this would be perfect if she were to add a ‘hmph’ at the end of her sentence.
[...Is that right?]
Caliban asked, dumbfoundedly. What she ended up saying was ridiculously cute compared to how she set the mood.
The reactions to her words were dramatic.
Leonid and Bella’s expressions didn’t change, but as I had trained my eyes to the point that I could read expressionless faces well, thanks to Eleanor, I could tell what was going on with them.
From how the muscles in their cheeks wriggled and how they failed to hide their shaky arms…
And how Leonid’s beard seed to have grown longer than earlier…
“...My dear, what does that—”
“It’s as you have heard, Grandfather.”
Her speech had beco more relaxed compared to how she addressed him formally just a few monts ago.
However, when they heard that shift in tone, Bella and Leonid’s faces gradually turned pale.
It was as if when she was using this kind of speech, their words would never go through her at all.
“That’s the punishnt for the cri of trying to take Dowd away from .”
Those words…
Ca out so firmly, showing her refusal to even consider backing down a little.
●
“...Please excuse his rudeness.”
As soon as we got out of the room and went to the hallway, Eleanor said that while clearing her throat.
“My Grandfather always overreacts to everything whenever I am involved.”
“...Uh, don’t sweat it.”
I replied in an awkward tone while scratching my cheek.
Well, I already roughly knew that Leonid was that kind of person, so I didn’t really feel anything even though he did that to .
But, it seed like she wasn’t satisfied with my answer as Eleanor gave out another excuse with a sigh.
“With the Upper Nobles Association keep trying to pick a fight with our Tristan Duchy about every single thing, it was him who had to deal with them since the current Duke is absent. Because of that, he’s probably beca more sensitive than—”
Suddenly, her words were cut off.
Then, she walked a few steps closer to while tilting her head.
“Your face seems a little red. Are you sick?”
“N-No. Don’t mind , I’m fine.”
I shook my hands and even took a few steps back.
All to hide my face that was blushing even more furiously than before.
“...If you say so.”
She tilted her head again before taking a few steps back.
That made feel relieved.
God, what’s wrong with , seriously?
It wasn’t like this was the first ti I’ve seen her! Why did my heart keep pounding like an adolescent boy just because I saw her dressed up?!
…Seriously, why?
What was going on with , really?
As I thought so, completely puzzled, Eleanor, who was walking in front of , stopped.
“We’ve arrived. This is the place you are going to stay in.”
Her words snapped back to my senses as I turned my gaze ahead.
In front of was a huge annex. No, an enormous one—it was as if they had taken off a whole Student Center in Elfante and brought it here.
To put it in a more easy-to-understand way, it was like a 60-story building laid horizontally.
Size wasn’t the only thing it had going on for it. It looked luxurious enough that it could pass off as a building inside the Imperial Palace.
I could tell that it was one of the most expensive buildings inside the Tristan Duchy Territory.
“...Can I just get a small room instead?”
I said, letting out a bitter smile.
Soone with a commoner’s sense like wouldn’t even be able to sleep in a room in such a luxurious building because it would be burdenso.
However, hearing my words, Eleanor tilted her head.
“What are you saying?”
“Huh?”
“This whole building is yours, though.”
“...”
I looked at the building, then at Eleanor.
Again, I looked at the building, then at Eleanor.
“Sorry?”
“I have already notified the servants. Think of it as your own and use it as you wish. I’ll tolerate anything as long as you don’t do anything bad to the female servants.”
“...”
“Get used to it. Because it is likely to be yours from now on.”
When I could only stand still, at a loss for words, Caliban let out a chuckle from inside the Soul Linker.
[She's so generous. She already prepared the furnishings for the marriage.]
‘...’
[Congrats. You just have to be a pimp daddy and you won't have to worry about making a liv—]
Shut up, please.
I told him off and followed Eleanor, who began to walk again.
When we arrived at the large door that seed like the entrance to the annex, I could see a huge painting of the person who I assud was the previous owner of this building.
“...”
Eleanor stopped a mont and looked up at the painting.
Longing. Affection. Remorse. Regret.
A fond gaze that could be described with one of those words,
…This.
I also silently looked up at it.
Though, I did it for a different reason than hers.
She’s quite familiar.
The Gray Devil.
That was why she looked familiar. The woman in the painting looked exactly like the Gray Devil; I even unknowingly connected her with the Devil the mont I saw her face.
Both the woman and the Devil had sothing in common; Both were a more mature version of Eleanor.
“....Iris Linea La Tristan.”
Eleanor read the letters written below the painting before continuing in a slightly hoarse voice,
“She is my mother. This is the building she used to live in.”
“...Are you sure it’s okay for to enter your mother’s house?”
When I asked her that in a serious voice, Eleanor turned her body around to face .
Then, she instantly answered.
“Of course.”
The corner of her lips were slightly curled up.
“Because you are precious to .”
“...”
Those words struck my heart.
Once again, I realized how tenacious this person was.
Just how could she manage to say such an awkward thing so casually like this?
“Soon, you will beco even more precious to .”
“...Sorry?”
“Dowd.”
She approached again and poked my nose with the tip of her finger.
Then…
She chuckled.
It was a child-like innocent laughter.
“Change your clothes. Let's eat together.”
“...”
“Just the two of us.”
“...”
Before I could even reply…
Eleanor continued with a wink.
“Do we not have a lot to talk about with each other? Since the night is long.”
After she said so…
A shout that sounded like a scream imdiately ca out from the Soul Linker.
[Let's gooooo—!!!]
“...”
I don't know how many tis I've said this, but.
Mister.
Shut up, please.
Reviews
All reviews (0)