“Another tale? What’s that?”
Astel’s eyes twinkled curiously, amused, for a moment.
“Once upon a time.”
…The voice was rather aggressive for someone telling a classic tale.
“There was a stupid, pathetic knight who was constantly fooling around with women, and even after he had a child of his own, he couldn’t help himself.”
Just as Cassian had done earlier, the Duke grabbed a nearby rock.
He threw it toward the surface of the lake. It bounced back with more force than Cassian had thrown earlier.
“Uh… that’s a very nasty fellow! How did he become a knight?”
“That’s right.”
Cassian scowled. But the Duke continued with a look of satisfaction.
“The scoundrel played a trick on a water spirit in the form of a woman and ended up drowning in this lake.”
“It’s so sudden…”
Raising a hand to cover her mouth, Astel stared down at the lake with a despairing look in her eyes.
It was deep enough, but it didn’t seem like the kind of water a man like a knight, who was supposed to know how to swim, would drown in.
But the Duke of Anais stopped teasing and continued gravely, “It is true, and so the story goes that this lake contains the soul of a scumbag.”
Astel, looking bitter, alternated between Cassian and Duke Anais before nodding seriously.
“Still, since it’s the Imperial Palace, the lake has so many stories… It’s pretty cool!”
“Yes, it is. Astel, let’s go.”
“Ah, yes!”
The Duke left Cassian Gray behind and took Astel’s hand.
Although he was sharply disturbed by the man’s story, he had no intention of showing it to Astel.
Cassian Gray would be in charge of protocol. Of course, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
It was obvious that the shameless man had been trying to get close to Astel ever since they’d arrived in the capital.
But now that it’s so visible, it makes things twice as bad.
‘That filthy, unpleasant way he looked at Astel.’
The look in Cassian’s eyes was so vile it made his stomach churn. His will to stay in contact with Astel, no matter what, was unbearable.
‘…If you can’t give up, I’ll crush you like a weed. You and I are clearly different.’
Astel giggled, not knowing what to make of it.
“The imperial palace is indeed a curious place, isn’t it, Duke or Knight?”
The Duke’s eyes suddenly turned sad at being called a knight. It was the first time he’d ever felt his stomach twist at Astel’s disarming laugh.
He’d entrusted his baby to her, and now he’s happy to see her fooling around and doing the honors…
She pretended not to, but it was all too obvious that Astel was happy to see Cassian, too.
Something burned inside him.
What the hell was so great about him?
The Duke composed himself and nodded, “Indeed, very interesting.”
It’s not over until it’s over.
His time in the capital had only just begun, and he was confident he would prove himself worthy.
We walked through the palace’s magnificent halls, toured the conference center, and walked along the promenade.
My legs were a little sore from the long walk, but before I could say anything, the Duke was quick to grant me a short break. He also ordered Cassian to use the break to report to his superiors about protocol.
So, finally, with just the two of us left, the Duke and I sat down on the outdoor benches set aside for relaxation inside the palace.
‘Still, isn’t today’s goal practically an achievement?’
I smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
On the surface, the purpose was to tour the palace as Duke Anais’ official guest.
The inner purpose was to spread rumors in the capital about me, Astel!
I seemed to be fulfilling these purposes rather well at the moment. I’ve been wandering around the palace with the Duke and my brother and have stamped my mark on many people.
As we passed through the palace, onlookers would glare at me, wondering who I was, traveling with Duke Anais and Lord Cassian Gray.
— ‘Isn’t… she… not…?
— ‘…What the heck…’
— ‘Run…’
I couldn’t hear the exact words being exchanged. But I could hear enough to realize that they were all paying attention to me.
‘Phew, if only they weren’t fighting…’
Earlier, as we walked along the walkway of the imperial palace, my brother had spoken easily about the Duke’s past that was unknown to anyone else.
— ‘Many people have seen the Duke’s accomplishments in the Great Monster War, and are eager to follow in his footsteps.’
— ‘I see.’
— ‘His Excellency is a god of war.’
Though it was obviously a compliment, my brother’s expression was too cold. It sounded strangely like he was sarcastically saying, ‘You’re a beast who knows nothing but war, and whose past remains a mystery.’
Of course, the Duke was no stranger to provocation.
‘Lord Cassian, your past behavior is also remarkable, especially when it comes to your private life. It is fitting that you live as you do now.’
At the suggestion that he should live frivolously, he smirked and nodded.
— ‘As it is, you mean as frivolously and promiscuously as possible?’
— ‘Yes.’
I didn’t expect an immediate affirmative!
Caught in the middle, I swallowed hard as I watched them argue. The Duke continued without pause.
— ‘As you know, Astel, I am quite a family man, unlike some of the others. I am close to the child, even though he is not mine.’
The words ‘child’ and ‘closeness’ from the Duke’s lips instantly relieved my brother. But those words alone were not a clue that Rune was doing well.
I opened my mouth to emphasize that Rune was fine at the Duke’s mansion.
— ‘…Well, I mean. You should be nice to other people’s babies, even the one staying at the Duke’s mansion right now.’
— ‘He’s following me like his own father.’
I suppose now my brother knows that Rune is safe and sound? A moment of half-reassurance.
— ‘I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Ah, now I think I’ll settle down somewhere stable. I hope you can give me a lesson in how to handle a baby, Your Excellency.’
The Duke could be heard grinding his teeth at my brother’s words.
…In many ways, they’ve been at each other’s throats all day long.
Still, if he’s in charge of protocol, I bet we’d be seeing him in the capital more than once, perhaps even at banquets.
As the saying goes, if you see it often enough, you might as well trust in my brother’s goodwill…
As I recalled our earlier conversation, the Duke spoke again, “Astel, do you believe him when he says he will settle down?”
“Ah… yes, well. Maybe.”
“Have you decided not to believe him anymore?”
I rattled off cautiously, “Uh… he’s not as bad as I thought he was.”
I added, rolling my eyes cautiously, “What do you dislike about the knight? Maybe if the Duke commands it, the bad deeds will be rectified…”
“I hate everything.”
“Oh…”
For Cassian Gray, the Duke’s feelings were literally an impenetrable castle.
As he walked around the palace, smoothing my disheveled hair, he whispered something under his breath.
“…I see you still have feelings for Cassian Gray.”
“It’s only respect. He has a reputation for bravery, even among the people of the capital.”
For a moment, I glanced away. The Duke looked upset. I was compelled to change course immediately.
“He is absolutely single-minded!”
“…Yes.”
The Duke’s expression softened a bit. It looked like I could push on.
“I’m never, ever interested in fame, and when a person gains fame…well, that’s how humble they should be, right? I would say it’s closer to your heart than a favorite!”
I drove a wedge in the Duke’s unraveled expression.
“That’s right, Astel. We are of one mind.”
I blinked at him, feeling very relieved, “That’s right.”
…I’m doing really well.
Surely Brother didn’t hear me?
Unaware of my restlessness, the Duke bowed his head. His face was close, and I could feel his breath on my ear.
I stood even stiffer than before, hairs on my body prickling, and listened to his words.
“Actually, I kind of expected that.”
“What?”
“That Cassian Gray would approach us.”
So I’m the only one who didn’t know he’d be in charge of protocol…?
I glanced at his expression.
Fortunately, the Duke’s expression was fairly stoic.
Although I was surprised by his sudden appearance, I felt that I should take this opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings.
No, I shouldn’t reveal my relationship with my brother, so I thought it would be better to make the Duke feel more favorable toward him than to resolve the issue.
To be honest, I don’t think I would have been able to resist the charm of being directly related to my brother.
Not because he’s my brother, but because he’s a real person.
Besides, I didn’t want to bring the Duke and my brother into direct conflict now that we were in the capital.
I cautiously spoke to the Duke, trying to convince him.
“…But since we know each other, it’s easier, right?”
The Duke smiled at my serious tone and replied, “Yes.”
The answer was quick and neat enough to make me suspicious.
“You’ve made yourself comfortable.”
Too cooperative, almost overly so…
I glanced up at the Duke warily.
“If it’s good enough for Astel, it’s fine with me. As for Cassian Gray, I hope you’ll take this opportunity to relax…”
His voice was warm, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a murderous, crooked smile.
“Another tale? What’s that?”
Astel’s eyes twinkled curiously, amused, for a moment.
“Once upon a time.”
…The voice was rather aggressive for someone telling a classic tale.
“There was a stupid, pathetic knight who was constantly fooling around with women, and even after he had a child of his own, he couldn’t help himself.”
Just as Cassian had done earlier, the Duke grabbed a nearby rock.
He threw it toward the surface of the lake. It bounced back with more force than Cassian had thrown earlier.
“Uh… that’s a very nasty fellow! How did he become a knight?”
“That’s right.”
Cassian scowled. But the Duke continued with a look of satisfaction.
“The scoundrel played a trick on a water spirit in the form of a woman and ended up drowning in this lake.”
“It’s so sudden…”
Raising a hand to cover her mouth, Astel stared down at the lake with a despairing look in her eyes.
It was deep enough, but it didn’t seem like the kind of water a man like a knight, who was supposed to know how to swim, would drown in.
But the Duke of Anais stopped teasing and continued gravely, “It is true, and so the story goes that this lake contains the soul of a scumbag.”
Astel, looking bitter, alternated between Cassian and Duke Anais before nodding seriously.
“Still, since it’s the Imperial Palace, the lake has so many stories… It’s pretty cool!”
“Yes, it is. Astel, let’s go.”
“Ah, yes!”
The Duke left Cassian Gray behind and took Astel’s hand.
Although he was sharply disturbed by the man’s story, he had no intention of showing it to Astel.
Cassian Gray would be in charge of protocol. Of course, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
It was obvious that the shameless man had been trying to get close to Astel ever since they’d arrived in the capital.
But now that it’s so visible, it makes things twice as bad.
‘That filthy, unpleasant way he looked at Astel.’
The look in Cassian’s eyes was so vile it made his stomach churn. His will to stay in contact with Astel, no matter what, was unbearable.
‘…If you can’t give up, I’ll crush you like a weed. You and I are clearly different.’
Astel giggled, not knowing what to make of it.
“The imperial palace is indeed a curious place, isn’t it, Duke or Knight?”
The Duke’s eyes suddenly turned sad at being called a knight. It was the first time he’d ever felt his stomach twist at Astel’s disarming laugh.
He’d entrusted his baby to her, and now he’s happy to see her fooling around and doing the honors…
She pretended not to, but it was all too obvious that Astel was happy to see Cassian, too.
Something burned inside him.
What the hell was so great about him?
The Duke composed himself and nodded, “Indeed, very interesting.”
It’s not over until it’s over.
His time in the capital had only just begun, and he was confident he would prove himself worthy.
We walked through the palace’s magnificent halls, toured the conference center, and walked along the promenade.
My legs were a little sore from the long walk, but before I could say anything, the Duke was quick to grant me a short break. He also ordered Cassian to use the break to report to his superiors about protocol.
So, finally, with just the two of us left, the Duke and I sat down on the outdoor benches set aside for relaxation inside the palace.
‘Still, isn’t today’s goal practically an achievement?’
I smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
On the surface, the purpose was to tour the palace as Duke Anais’ official guest.
The inner purpose was to spread rumors in the capital about me, Astel!
I seemed to be fulfilling these purposes rather well at the moment. I’ve been wandering around the palace with the Duke and my brother and have stamped my mark on many people.
As we passed through the palace, onlookers would glare at me, wondering who I was, traveling with Duke Anais and Lord Cassian Gray.
— ‘Isn’t… she… not…?
— ‘…What the heck…’
— ‘Run…’
I couldn’t hear the exact words being exchanged. But I could hear enough to realize that they were all paying attention to me.
‘Phew, if only they weren’t fighting…’
Earlier, as we walked along the walkway of the imperial palace, my brother had spoken easily about the Duke’s past that was unknown to anyone else.
— ‘Many people have seen the Duke’s accomplishments in the Great Monster War, and are eager to follow in his footsteps.’
— ‘I see.’
— ‘His Excellency is a god of war.’
Though it was obviously a compliment, my brother’s expression was too cold. It sounded strangely like he was sarcastically saying, ‘You’re a beast who knows nothing but war, and whose past remains a mystery.’
Of course, the Duke was no stranger to provocation.
‘Lord Cassian, your past behavior is also remarkable, especially when it comes to your private life. It is fitting that you live as you do now.’
At the suggestion that he should live frivolously, he smirked and nodded.
— ‘As it is, you mean as frivolously and promiscuously as possible?’
— ‘Yes.’
I didn’t expect an immediate affirmative!
Caught in the middle, I swallowed hard as I watched them argue. The Duke continued without pause.
— ‘As you know, Astel, I am quite a family man, unlike some of the others. I am close to the child, even though he is not mine.’
The words ‘child’ and ‘closeness’ from the Duke’s lips instantly relieved my brother. But those words alone were not a clue that Rune was doing well.
I opened my mouth to emphasize that Rune was fine at the Duke’s mansion.
— ‘…Well, I mean. You should be nice to other people’s babies, even the one staying at the Duke’s mansion right now.’
— ‘He’s following me like his own father.’
I suppose now my brother knows that Rune is safe and sound? A moment of half-reassurance.
— ‘I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Ah, now I think I’ll settle down somewhere stable. I hope you can give me a lesson in how to handle a baby, Your Excellency.’
The Duke could be heard grinding his teeth at my brother’s words.
…In many ways, they’ve been at each other’s throats all day long.
Still, if he’s in charge of protocol, I bet we’d be seeing him in the capital more than once, perhaps even at banquets.
As the saying goes, if you see it often enough, you might as well trust in my brother’s goodwill…
As I recalled our earlier conversation, the Duke spoke again, “Astel, do you believe him when he says he will settle down?”
“Ah… yes, well. Maybe.”
“Have you decided not to believe him anymore?”
I rattled off cautiously, “Uh… he’s not as bad as I thought he was.”
I added, rolling my eyes cautiously, “What do you dislike about the knight? Maybe if the Duke commands it, the bad deeds will be rectified…”
“I hate everything.”
“Oh…”
For Cassian Gray, the Duke’s feelings were literally an impenetrable castle.
As he walked around the palace, smoothing my disheveled hair, he whispered something under his breath.
“…I see you still have feelings for Cassian Gray.”
“It’s only respect. He has a reputation for bravery, even among the people of the capital.”
For a moment, I glanced away. The Duke looked upset. I was compelled to change course immediately.
“He is absolutely single-minded!”
“…Yes.”
The Duke’s expression softened a bit. It looked like I could push on.
“I’m never, ever interested in fame, and when a person gains fame…well, that’s how humble they should be, right? I would say it’s closer to your heart than a favorite!”
I drove a wedge in the Duke’s unraveled expression.
“That’s right, Astel. We are of one mind.”
I blinked at him, feeling very relieved, “That’s right.”
…I’m doing really well.
Surely Brother didn’t hear me?
Unaware of my restlessness, the Duke bowed his head. His face was close, and I could feel his breath on my ear.
I stood even stiffer than before, hairs on my body prickling, and listened to his words.
“Actually, I kind of expected that.”
“What?”
“That Cassian Gray would approach us.”
So I’m the only one who didn’t know he’d be in charge of protocol…?
I glanced at his expression.
Fortunately, the Duke’s expression was fairly stoic.
Although I was surprised by his sudden appearance, I felt that I should take this opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings.
No, I shouldn’t reveal my relationship with my brother, so I thought it would be better to make the Duke feel more favorable toward him than to resolve the issue.
To be honest, I don’t think I would have been able to resist the charm of being directly related to my brother.
Not because he’s my brother, but because he’s a real person.
Besides, I didn’t want to bring the Duke and my brother into direct conflict now that we were in the capital.
I cautiously spoke to the Duke, trying to convince him.
“…But since we know each other, it’s easier, right?”
The Duke smiled at my serious tone and replied, “Yes.”
The answer was quick and neat enough to make me suspicious.
“You’ve made yourself comfortable.”
Too cooperative, almost overly so…
I glanced up at the Duke warily.
“If it’s good enough for Astel, it’s fine with me. As for Cassian Gray, I hope you’ll take this opportunity to relax…”
His voice was warm, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a murderous, crooked smile.
