"Is Lady Cordelia still not coming?"
"She's ill."
Of course, Cordelia Mabelwood was far from ill—she was perfectly fine.
"I'll have to return without seeing her face even once."
"Since Father is so busy with public and private affairs, the lady will understand."
She half-listened to the conversation between the two n that seed like jousting lances clashing. When she set down her utensils, a familiar sound ca from afar. The sound of a cane tapping. Slow as if dragging feet, but the sound of solid shoes alternated with the cane tapping. Esperanza stood up.
"What's wrong?"
Almost simultaneously with those words, the dining room door opened. Cider, whose eyes t with the standing Esperanza, tilted his head slightly and smiled with just his eyes.
"Good morning, isn't it?"
"It was a good morning until I saw you coming down here."
If you're a patient, you should obediently eat the patient als the servants bring you!
"Avondale. Seeing you here."
The Duke spoke in a blunt tone. They didn't have particularly good feelings toward each other. With this dungeon causing considerable damage to the pirates, and the mine nationalization plan ultimately being scrapped, Cider decided to maintain only minimal courtesy. When he nodded in greeting, the Duke shook his head and rose from his seat.
"I'll see you in the afternoon, Alastair."
"Are you going to city hall?"
"Don't such disasters require relief funds? Where else in Dunbarton would relief funds co from?"
The Duke turned sharply and left. His footsteps clearly showed his stubborn personality.
Once the host disappeared, everyone relaxed. Alastair began finishing the food that had barely been touched and gone cold. Esperanza grabbed Cider's sleeve with a fierce expression.
"You're going to eat this greasy stuff? You must be crazy. You're the person who had a hole in his stomach yesterday."
"I'm fine now."
"Ah, whether you're fine or not is sothing we need to see!"
If the potion had worked properly, he should be fine. But there was a big problem. Esperanza pointed at Cider's bandaged arm and asked.
"Your arm is in that state, but who says your body will be fine?"
"So lady seed to worry about
so much that she spilled the potion incorrectly."
Cider answered nonchalantly while drinking hot tea.
Wait a minute. So at that ti, with trembling hands, she had opened the potion bottle and poured it over his visibly wounded body. She had shaken out the entire bottle, so no matter how resistant to potions a human might be, he couldn't help but recover. However, while the hole-like wound in his stomach had captured her attention, she hadn't noticed that his arm was also broken. Esperanza only learned this fact after dealing with the entire dungeon.
"......Should I open another potion?"
"You said there was only one left."
Cyrus would have plenty! Unlike Esperanza, he would have co over with full preparation. Just as Esperanza was about to answer that way, Cider shook his head as if he had seen through that response.
"It's fine. They said this arm is also half-healed."
"Who said that?"
"This mansion's physician."
Cider gestured toward Alastair with his chin.
"Ah, that's right. As soon as we moved to the mansion yesterday, we checked Lord Avondale's condition. He said all the stomach wounds had healed and the arm was also beginning to heal."
"See, I told you I'm all better."
"He also said recuperation was necessary."
Cider pretended not to hear. Alastair sighed as if this ignoring was familiar to him and continued.
"Since you two have co, it would be good to stay here for at least a few days."
"Because of recuperation?"
Is it bad enough that long-distance travel isn't possible? Esperanza thought she might need to send Cider away imdiately.
"Ah, no. No. It's not that, but the transportation situation is really bad. The outside is quite chaotic too. Most importantly, if you return now, there's a high possibility you'll be summoned to Parliant."
From Parliant's perspective, it would be more efficient to summon Senator Claiborne, who happened to return from there to Nine Holder, instead of the seasoned politicians far away in Sterling. It would be even better to secure testimony before the official announcent. If summoned to Parliant, everything would be thoroughly investigated, from hearing a magical engineer's opinion on this massive disaster to why he went to Sterling.
Cider was disgusted just by those words. Alastair said it would be better to lay low until the military, Sterling City hall, and House Dunbarton aligned their stories.
"How long would that take?"
"About a week should roughly finish it."
"A week......."
Esperanza nodded. It wasn't a bad proposal. Cider also readily agreed. His agreent seed to contain so personal feelings.
"Sterling, I have a favor to ask."
"Please speak."
"I have research that needs to start urgently. Could you give
a room to use as a laboratory?"
Research? Alastair tilted his head. Co to think of it, even at Mabelwood, Cider Claiborne had rarely co out, being holed up in his room tinkering.
"I'll arrange it by this afternoon."
"Thank you."
That was the end of the al. Cider went up to the bedroom. And before the door could even close, Esperanza followed him in with a face full of complaints.
"You're going to start research already?"
"Since I've already decided to do it, there's no need to postpone."
"Why wouldn't there be a need?"
While he can't even remove his bandages. Anyway, in just a week, he could remove the bandages and return to Nine Holder or Avondale, so she couldn't understand why he needed to start research imdiately.
"What research are you going to do with that tattered arm?"
"Anyway, in the beginning stages, I'll only be doing calculations and design, so I don't need both hands. I'll need books, but even this mansion's humble library should have the basics."
Cider, who had casually disparaged the scale of Sterling mansion's book collection like breathing, turned his head toward Esperanza. Esperanza wasn't even listening. Instead, she picked up a dicine bottle from the table and shook it into her hand.
"Be quiet. Like a good child, just take your dicine."
Cider, who received the dicine and water glass, asked.
"If I take it all, will you give
candy too?"
"No. Your teeth will rot."
Cider smiled and bent at the waist to touch his cheek to Esperanza's cheek. With only one good arm, his posture was sowhat awkward, but he could see her angry face gradually softening.
Esperanza was definitely not of a soft disposition. Rather, she was harshly indifferent to those who had fallen from her favor. So being able to see such a softly lting expression was a rare privilege. When he gently stroked her elbow with his thumb to soothe her, Esperanza rested her chin on his shoulder.
Though Esperanza was exceptionally soft and generous toward him like this, she wouldn't stay in this world for him. It wasn't to that extent. It couldn't be helped. Since he had made up his mind, it was better not to delay. Lest he have other thoughts.
"Esperanza. I have a favor to ask."
"Go ahead."
"My research materials and equipnt are at Colonel Donovan's official residence. I'd like you to bring them."
"What about you? You're not coming along?"
"I have my own work to do. It'll take quite a while to select the necessary books from this mansion's library. I'll send Millen with you."
"So there's really no need to start already......."
"It's not for you. It's for ."
She could understand without explanation. There was no way to end this without hurting Cider. Perhaps this way would be better. Esperanza reluctantly agreed.
"Promise you won't overdo it."
"There's not enough work to overdo, so don't worry."
She had absolutely no trust in this matter. However, Esperanza silently nodded and pulled away.
"I'll be back."
Oh my, is she leaving right away like this? Cider looked down at his empty, cold arm with a wistful feeling. Esperanza didn't look back.
And shortly after, Alastair Renfrew ca up to the room.
"Miss Hunter told
to watch Lord Avondale. I've co under orders not to let you leave the reception room."
??????°??☆????°??????
Millen opened the door to Colonel Donovan's official residence. The residence was clean except for a light layer of dust. Esperanza, who was looking around the interior of the residence that still had signs of life since the maid hadn't co yet, found a non-empty ashtray in the reception room.
"He smoked trendously....... Can't he quit?"
"He won't quit."
Millen, who was opening the door leading from the reception room to the study, answered. Esperanza looked at the ashtray and sighed.
"This way."
"Annie, be careful of the step."
"Yes."
Annie, who entered the study, threw open the thick curtains. Esperanza looked at the bookshelf with her arms crossed. Not all of these would be Cider's books. It was questionable how many of these he had even read.
"What do I need to take from here?"
"The materials the count used are over here. The equipnt is on the second floor, but there's quite a lot."
"Really? Annie, could you take out the books and materials? I'll go to the second floor."
Esperanza, who had grabbed the towering Millen, went up to the laboratory on the second floor. Millen took out equipnt from the laboratory drawers. Tool box, magic power ter, converter, magic stone storage box....... They poured out like a mountain.
"But where did all this equipnt co from? You fled with just two bags."
Millen, who had been on the 'fleeing' side, reflexively hunched his shoulders. Esperanza, regardless, didn't care and threw the piled items into her inventory.
"It was supported by the navy. The quality is poor, but it's usable for urgent needs."
"Cider said that?"
"Yes. Actually, this was also quite carefully supplied by the navy."
Still, it seed insufficient to Cider Claiborne's sky-high standards. Understandable. Tools are important to craftsn. Esperanza lifted a large tool box and threw it into the air.
"......You're not even hiding it anymore."
"? Should I hide it? From you?"
Millen decided to keep his mouth shut. Though he was the only one among Esperanza's acquaintances in Sterling who had avoided the dungeon, he had so idea with his extraordinary intuition. But he didn't expect her to be this unhidden about it.
"Miss, I've taken out all the books! Is there anything I can help with?"
"No, no, it's all done. Millen, what are you doing? Put that in."
Millen, who had reflexively thrown in the equipnt, stared blankly at the disappearing hole. Esperanza dusted off her hands and went downstairs first. Millen, who was following, spoke quietly to Annie who had co up to the second floor.
"Miss Tate, did you know?"
"About miss? Of course."
Annie said, deliberately shrugging her shoulders. Though she herself hadn't known for very long either.
"I wonder if it's not dangerous. Such abilities could easily be misused, couldn't they?"
Annie, who had beco sulky at those words, turned her head sharply and said.
"But she tolerates even when you act presumptuously like Mr. Millen does."
Feeling like he had been hit, Millen stopped walking. Annie giggled at the sight and went ahead with cheerful steps.
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