Chapter 125: A Change of Pace
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 125: A Change of Pace
It had been a few days since I’d seen that cute face.
“Raphael, welcome.”
Thanks to Loik granting him permission to enter the main castle, Raphael could now come to see me without me having to visit the detached palace.
Raphael, who had been excitedly stepping into the room, caught sight of the guest already present and scrunched up his face slightly.
“I greet... His Grace the Grand Duke.”
Loik gave a ready nod as he watched Raphael offer a stiff, hesitant bow.
“Welcome, brother-in-law.”
Wow, I still can’t get used to hearing him say ‘brother-in-law.’
At Loik’s surprisingly informal address, Raphael muttered timidly, “Just Raphael is fine...”
“Why? I like ‘brother-in-law.’ It feels friendly. Don’t you agree?”
Loik turned to me, the corners of his mouth curling into a soft smile.
“Ah, um. Yes.”
I nodded, having nothing else to say. Well, it wasn’t exactly an incorrect title. Though, it felt less like he was being friendly and more like he just wanted to tease Raphael.
“You two seem to have gotten quite close?”
“He is my only brother-in-law, after all. Isn’t that right?”
Oh?
Raphael sat down beside me, grumbling something unintelligible, but the tips of his ears were strangely red.
I think Raphael actually likes it more than he lets on.
Then again, the two of them had looked like they were having quite a bit of fun bickering at the training ground last time.
“What’s this?” Raphael asked, spotting the bowl of stew on the table while I was feeling heartened by their rapport.
“Spicy tomato stew. It’s a Northern dish.”
“Is it good?”
“It’s your sister’s favorite. Do you want to try some, Raphael?”
At the mention of it being my favorite, Raphael nodded.
“I’ll dish some out for you.”
Loik skillfully ladled some stew into a small plate and set it down in front of Raphael. Both Loik and I watched intently as Raphael took a bite.
Gulp.
“How is it? Is it good?”
“Khuu. It’s spicy.”
“It’s spicy?”
I hurriedly handed him a glass of water, which Raphael gulped down. He kept sucking in air through his teeth to cool his mouth, his eyes even tearing up a little.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. Was it too spicy?”
“Haa. But it’s delicious.”
“I-is it?”
Despite his cheeks being flushed bright red, Raphael kept spooning the stew into his mouth.
He must really like it.
I watched him eat, even as he sniffled from the heat.
“Raphael, did you know the Grand Duke made this himself?”
“His Grace is a great cook. Isn’t he amazing?”
At my words, Loik looked down at Raphael with a somewhat triumphant expression.
“Well...”
Raphael clearly looked like he didn’t want to give a compliment. However, it seemed awkward to suddenly put down his spoon when he had just been eating it so heartily.
“If you’re going to... take my sister... you should at least... be this good.”
“No, it really is good.”
Muttering as he glanced at Loik, Raphael began to serve himself another portion of the stew.
*
Enolius asked, his brow furrowed with tension.
“Did you still not tell her today?”
“The Consort’s stability comes first,” Loik replied firmly from behind his desk.
Ever since the head maid’s death, the Grand Duke’s Castle had felt like a house in mourning. It had actually been better when Annette was angry at first. Loik had been relieved when she said she wanted Lady Meisel punished. Fearing that the soft-hearted Annette might change her mind, Loik had carried out the punishment within a single day. To ensure Annette wouldn’t dwell on it, he had processed Lady Meisel’s exile without delay.
However, once everything was settled, Annette had grown somber. It seemed the head maid’s death had been a significant shock to her.
I should never have let the head maid die in the dungeon in the first place.
With Annette feeling depressed, Loik couldn’t focus on anything. It wasn’t an atmosphere where he could dare suggest cheering her up with a kiss. Everyone in the castle worried for her, but Loik was the most desperate of all.
He cooked spicy tomato stew every morning and evening. He badgered the mage to somehow make the out-of-season, withered Nephras bloom. He even allowed Raphael, whom Annette adored, to enter the main castle.
— “If Your Grace becomes closer to Young Lord Raphael, wouldn’t Her Highness be very pleased?”
Following his aide’s advice, he had tried to show a friendly side to Raphael. In truth, Loik had actually grown quite fond of the boy, mostly because he contributed to improving Annette’s mood.
Fortunately, Annette was slowly regaining her usual vitality.
At least I saw her smile today.
Enolius blew a frustrated breath through his bangs. “I’m telling you, we have to track them while the trail is still fresh.”
The examination of Marzella’s body had revealed the nature of the drug in her mouth. It was a poison infused with forbidden sorcery, designed to twist a person’s energy and kill an ordinary human within seconds.
Lady Meisel had protested her innocence, claiming the drug she bought was definitely ‘not lethal.’ Following her testimony, the knights had raided Gold Lane, but the shaman’s shop had already vanished without a trace.
— “The shaman who appeared before Her Highness and the Lady is likely the same person. And if my guess is correct, he is probably a black mage who worships dragons as gods.”
That was the conclusion Enolius had reached after considering all the circumstances. A black mage was the only clue to finding the dragon. Enolius insisted that to properly track the black mage, they needed to know exactly what had happened at the lake.
— “It would be best to ask Her Highness properly.”
But Loik kept postponing that question. The mage ruffled his long hair as if he couldn’t understand Loik’s hesitation.
“I’m just saying you should ask her.”
“Not right now.”
Not until Annette was completely fine...
Loik recalled the sensation of catching Annette’s body as she collapsed by the lake. Her fragile frame had been trembling so violently. Even on the nights he held her in his arms, Annette would mutter unintelligible words and break into cold sweats. She had clearly been terrified.
She couldn't even breathe properly when the priest called her a Saintess.
Though she appeared bright on the outside, there was a deep wound in Annette’s heart that he didn’t fully understand. No, he felt like he knew even without seeing it. Everyone had praised the young girl as a Saintess on a whim, only to point fingers and call her a fake the next moment. How much must she have suffered to grow into such an upright and lovely woman despite that pain?
And now, to be told she was the real Saintess after all—it would be difficult for anyone to accept easily.
— “It is certain that Her Highness is the Saintess! We must help her regain her power as soon as possible so she can become the guide of the Empire!”
Priest Miel, whom Loik had temporarily banned from approaching Annette for her sake, had been visiting every day, making pleas that bordered on begging.
Enolius also seemed to remember the priest, as he frowned and said, “And you can’t keep the priest hidden from Her Highness forever.”
“If you’re going to start talking about ‘the guide of the Empire’ too, then forget it.”
Enolius’s lips curled downward. “I’m not trying to say something so embarrassing. But regardless, there’s the matter of the seal, and Her Highness’s health, and many other things at stake.”
“That... is true.”
“It would be better to let her see the priest eventually.”
As if he had said his piece, Enolius turned toward the door, his flamboyant robes fluttering. He paused suddenly.
“Oh, didn’t Her Highness say she was going to see an opera today?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good. Her mood should improve after she goes.”
With that, the door clicked shut. Loik leaned back in his chair, letting his head fall back.
“I hope so.”
An opera. Annette had said she’d never seen one.
Actually, I’ve never seen one either.
While he was glad something enjoyable was happening for Annette, he felt a pang of regret that he couldn't share her first experience. Her eyes would surely sparkle as she watched the performance.
To think I have to miss that lovely sight.
At times like this, he couldn't help but resent his cursed body.
I hope Annette comes back soon.
Loik swallowed a sigh, feeling the emptiness of the castle without her.
*
Wow, it’s stunning!
As I stepped out of the carriage with Sir Norton’s assistance, my jaw dropped at the sight before me. The Carmania Opera House was far more massive and magnificent than I had imagined.
The theater, featuring a massive dome centered over an arched entrance, was decorated with intricately carved pillars and statues, making it both grand and stylish. People dressed in elegant attire were filing into the theater, where bright light spilled out from within.
“My goodness! This is an opera house?”
Seeing the Marchioness’s eyes widen behind me, it seemed even in the capital, buildings of this caliber were rare. Because our group was quite large—including Cecilia, the Marchioness, Raphael, and Reta—several knights had been assigned as escorts.
“Your Highness, you’ve arrived!”
Alcent, the owner of the opera house, spotted the tall knights and came running from a distance.
“I was just admiring how wonderful the theater is.”
“You flatter me. It was neglected for a long time, so it still lacks in many ways. Please, let me show you in.”
The interior of the theater was equally lavish. The marble floor gleaming under the chandeliers was covered with soft carpets. The high, wide windows along the walls were adorned with luxurious curtains.
The theater was packed with people, and staff members moved among them carrying champagne.
Perhaps it was because the knights made us stand out, but as soon as we entered the lobby hall, all eyes turned toward us.
“Oh my, could that be...!”
“Isn’t that Her Highness the Consort?”
The small whispers around us began to spread, and soon a stir rippled through the entire theater. Even people who had been deep in conversation far ahead turned their gaze toward me.
And in the brief moment I paused my steps...
The lobby hall of the theater fell into a sudden, heavy silence.