We ended up retracing our steps. In the anti, the people seed to have had a great ti, as they were all quite drunk.
“Ha ha! Magic is a gift from the gods!”
We took a spot in the corner and decided to fill our stomachs first.
“Sigh, that was a complete waste of ti.”
Simon expressed his regret but focused on eating.
Make up your mind!
Just then, Marcol stood up with a hiccup.
“Shall we toast to the prosperity of magic!”
At his words, everyone raised their glasses toward the ceiling. I wanted to raise mine too, but at so point, my glass had been filled with juice.
Just as I raised the juice with a sigh.
Bang!
The door burst open and Elliott’s mischievous voice rang out.
“We’re a bit late!”
As I turned my trembling eyes, I spotted Ricardo.
“Your Grace!”
Marcol, apparently sobered up by Ricardo’s appearance, rushed toward him in a hurry. The reaction of the seated mages wasn’t much different.
‘……I didn’t want Erkishian to co, but that didn’t an I wanted Ricardo!’
My hand holding the glass montarily faltered.
“Careful.”
Peril, seeming displeased with my reaction, took the glass from .
“Duke Hessen, it’s been a while!”
Lily also awkwardly got up and approached him.
To think she looked that flustered. I thought only Simon could manage that!
“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve co with you from the Empire.”
Among the tense atmosphere, only Ricardo’s group remained composed.
“I heard His Highness prepared a welco ceremony. What brings you here…….”
Marcol was sweating profusely.
“Oh dear, why is our lieutenant so nervous! I had sothing to ask Lady Lily, and I wanted to see the lieutenant again after so long.”
Did things not go well with Orphen?
It didn’t seem like he had attended the welco ceremony…….
“Are, are you speaking to ?”
Lily asked, unable to hide her bewildernt.
“Well then, since you must be tired, let’s save the detailed talk for later.”
“Would you mind if we joined you?”
Ricardo’s commanding tone echoed.
……Was that supposed to be a request?
“Of, of course, it would be our honor.”
Marcol, drenched in nervous sweat, gave instructions to the attendants. anwhile, Ricardo’s knights began taking their seats one by one.
The atmosphere quickly beca noisy.
“Ah, so that’s the Duke of Hessen.”
Simon mumbled, unable to take his eyes off Ricardo.
“……You knew?”
“Of course. He’s quite famous.”
“Then why didn’t I know?”
“Well…….”
Simon looked at with pity. But then he held his tongue.
What, why stop halfway through?
“I think it’d hurt Anne if I said it, so I’ll stop here.”
“That’s more hurtful!”
I scowled deeply.
More than that, I hadn’t expected to et Ricardo here.
‘Good thing I’m in disguise.’
After ntally thanking Peril, I decided to avoid Ricardo as much as possible.
But I couldn’t help having all my attention drawn to him.
As I poked at my salad aimlessly, Simon carefully spoke up.
“By the way Anne, your face is pale as a corpse. Are you alright?”
“Not really.”
At that mont, Peril cut Simon off and took the salad away.
“W-why are you taking that!”
“Eat so at.”
I had no idea what had made him angry, but Peril’s expression was grim.
“Eat. Unless you want to draw attention.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Right. You’ve had a rough day, so let’s just do as Thomas said.”
Simon chid in, quietly placing a tomato on my plate.
“……Thomas said to eat at though?”
“You should have a balanced diet.”
“Just admit you hate tomatoes.”
He tried to smooth things over with a smile.
I forced down the tomato, trying my best to divert my focus from Ricardo. But at so point, I realized my gaze had drifted toward him again.
“…….”
Sothing seed different.
In fact, it was my first ti facing Ricardo as the head of House Hessen.
When we were together, he was always just my fiancé.
How should I put it? He seed unapproachable.
A sharp jawline as if carved by a blade, icy blue eyes like winter frost.
Even a single indifferent glance carried a chilling pressure. The people seated around him were all holding their breath.
‘……That’s how he used to be.’
At least, that’s how the Ricardo I once knew had been.
But there was a strange sense of incongruity.
Outwardly, he was the dignified, composed duke. But his unusually pale fingertips trembled slightly as he buttoned his coat.
His eyes, unreadable in depth, remained sunken as he held his glass for an unusually long ti.
A fleeting hollow gaze. He rarely faltered, but this ti he did. And it felt unfamiliar.
Ricardo wasn’t good at hiding his expressions.
He had been the sa when he couldn’t save , and even the last ti I saw him, he couldn’t control his emotions and revealed everything to .
Ricardo, the duke, was different, but as my fiancé, he had been like that.
So compared to last ti, his complexion now seed better.
……Should I be relieved?
I had always regretted hurting him unnecessarily.
‘What the, I worried for nothing.’
That sense of incongruity bothered , but it must’ve been because I didn’t know Ricardo as a duke.
Besides, both Elliott and Rose were treating him the sa as always, weren’t they?
I was just starting to feel a wave of relief when my eyes t Ricardo’s.
“……!”
Since when had he been looking at ……?
I panicked. I wanted to turn my head away imdiately, but instead, I bit the inside of my cheek hard.
A proper young lady wouldn’t avert her eyes so quickly, right?
Ju-just act normal…….
I greeted him with a slight nod of my head. Then I turned away.
As I exhaled a sigh of relief, Peril, who had been staring at , narrowed her eyes.
“……W-why?”
“Because I’m offended.”
“What? Why all of a sudden? Is it because I took your at? Here, have so.”
Without ti to sort out my feelings, I quickly placed the at onto his plate.
“There. Happy now?”
Peril let out a hollow laugh as if he had nothing more to say.
Just then, I heard Lily’s voice coming from Ricardo’s side.
“You’re saying you need a mage?”
“Yes. I’m eting Seiren tomorrow, and I was told a mage must accompany .”
It was a chilling expression I had never seen on Elliott before.
“But, there are no mages in the kingdom……”
Elliott rolled his eyes.
“You didn’t give any notice, so this sudden request has put us in an awkward position too.”
Lily let out a sigh.
Ah, so Ricardo had co to inspect Seiren’s tomb.
Well, Seiren was the only suspected ringleader who was assud to be alive.
From the sound of things, the kingdom wasn’t too eager to let Ricardo et Seiren easily.
Marcol, caught between Lily and Ricardo, looked flustered.
“But since the Tower just happened to be visiting Orphen, it’s a fortunate coincidence.”
“Of course. I’m just glad I can help.”
Lily added that it would be a great honor for any mage.
“Then is there a specific mage Your Grace prefers? Fortunately, all the mages who ca with us are quite capable. You can choose anyone.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Elliott gave a hollow laugh and glanced at Ricardo.
Well, they probably wouldn’t take Lily.
Aside from Peril, she had the best skills among us.
Thinking that, I turned to Simon.
“Shall we head back? We have plans tomorrow.”
At my words, Simon nodded in agreent, but then his eyes widened as he spotted sothing behind .
“A-Anne?”
He urgently tapped my arm.
For so reason, a shadow seed to fall over , and I had a bad feeling.
Trying to ignore it, I turned around—Ricardo was staring at intently.
……Wait, ?
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