It Must Be Nice Having Two Mothers - 3
I had prepared for the possibility that the Demon Duke might stay the night at the castle, but thankfully, as evening fell she simply went home like anyone else.
Of course. The Demon Duke must be busy with Magic Tower affairs. A few hours was one thing; devouring an entire day would be too much even for her.
"This has been the most delightful time I have spent of late. Thank you for such generous hospitality, my lady."
Just before she left, the Demon Duke offered a polite bow of the head, and I nearly bent at the waist on pure instinct.
It was far too much deference. People are adaptable creatures—I had grown used to being addressed with respect—but respect shown through action rather than mere words still sat awkwardly on me.
"The feeling is mutual. Above all else, it has been a truly precious time, Your Grace."
I caught my waist before it could fold and contented myself with a slight dip of the head.
Would it have been easier if I were a mage myself? Time spent with the greatest mage on the continent would be worth more than gold to another of her kind. Facing such a towering senior might still be nerve-wracking, yet cold-blooded mages would surely focus on the profit.
Useless thoughts.
Of course, as long as I remained an ordinary person, such speculation meant nothing.
"I am grateful you would say so."
A gentle smile touched the Demon Duke's lips at my reply. Then she drew something from her robes.
"My lady. A small token of my regard. Please accept it."
"Thank you."
My hands took the object before my mind could even process it. A little embarrassing, yet inevitable. When a duke herself offers something, you cannot refuse out of false modesty. Needless ceremony would only leave her arm aching for nothing.
The Demon Duke herself looked even more pleased that I had accepted so readily, her smile deepening. Had I refused, she might actually have been hurt.
A token?
Only afterward did I examine the thing. Cool metal under the fingers, a pure white plaque that somehow brought the Demon Duke herself to mind.
Its appearance was plain rather than ornate, yet it was anything but ordinary.
Mana.
A dense aura rolled off the plaque in complete inverse proportion to its unassuming look. Even I, whose knowledge of mana barely rose above the level of polite education, could feel how potent it was. From the moment she produced it, the mana had been glowing faintly enough for the naked eye to catch.
...So what exactly was this?
"Your Grace, if I may be so bold... what is this?"
Extraordinary, certainly. Unless one was sensing a knight's sword aura or a mage's spell, seeing mana with the naked eye was nearly impossible.
A fascinating phenomenon. And that only made me more confused. Something like this belonged in the Magic Tower, did it not? Why give it to me?
I could not begin to guess its nature or purpose, so I risked the impertinence of asking.
"A token of sincerity for a guest without peer."
Far from offended, the Demon Duke seemed pleased by the question and answered in a serene voice.
"It is a plaque signifying that you are my benefactor. Show it at House Katoban or at the Magic Tower, and they will place your convenience above all else."
The problem was that the content of her calm words was crushing in its weight.
My hand holding the plaque began to tremble again. The Demon Duke's benefactor? Absolute priority from a ducal house and the Magic Tower?
Good heavens.
Dizziness struck for what felt like the hundredth time. This was a treasure. Simply possessing it without ever using it would already outrank most valuables.
If a ducal house gave you first consideration, listing the things you could accomplish would take longer than listing the things you could not. One's standing in both political and social circles would expand overnight.
And the Magic Tower was the crystallization of continental magic, not merely imperial. Preferential treatment there meant first access to every magical tool and every mage one could want—more than enough to become a blessing for the entire county.
"Your Grace, this is far too much. A benefactor? Me?"
Shock lasted only a moment; judgment came swiftly.
The instant I grasped the power contained in that small plaque, I tried to return it. This would not do. It was a treasure I could not bring myself to keep.
Of course the House of Crassius was not so weak that it could not safeguard a treasure received in person. But this plaque was meant for a benefactor. We had never rendered the Demon Duke a kindness of that magnitude.
She means to receive that kindness in the future, then.
My grip on the plaque tightened. What is received must be repaid. Accepting such a treasure from the Demon Duke would obligate us to return a sincerity of equal weight.
And that sincerity would almost certainly be Karl.
No.
The anxious heat in my chest flared into something hotter still. My tangled thoughts settled into cold clarity.
Even if I was a mother who could barely claim the title, this was unthinkable. I could not wish for that child's happiness and then turn around and sell him off myself. Never.
If the Demon Duke simply liked Karl of her own pure will, I could not stop her. If Karl accepted her, I would feel a little burdened, yet I would still offer my congratulations.
But this—this I could not allow. I would not sell my son for the sake of the house and the territory—
"Do not worry, my lady."
The Demon Duke's hand settled over my trembling one. Her touch was warm, as though cradling something precious, and the worst of my fear eased.
"I know full well what concerns you."
She smiled with a warmth meant to soothe me—a smile like a mother who could embrace everything.
"I am not trying to buy the child."
My body flinched at the words. She had read my thoughts completely.
I half expected her to take offense at the insult, yet the Demon Duke merely kept smiling.
"What I desire is something whole. Anything obtained by force cannot be called whole."
She wanted no coercion. She wanted something complete.
In other words, she would not force a marriage upon Karl. I found myself nodding before I could stop. If those words were sincere, I had nothing to fear. It meant she would only marry him if he accepted her one-sided affection.
I could not know whether she spoke truth or falsehood, yet would the Demon Duke of all people tell so flimsy a lie?
"And this plaque is more than fitting for you to receive. So please, do not refuse it."
Have you not already created a treasure more precious than anything else in this world?
The words she added left me blinking blankly.
In an empty bedchamber I sat alone on the edge of the bed, turning the white plaque over and over in my fingers.
"I do have one hope, in truth. It would be a rather large gift to offer for no reason at all."
At the very end the Demon Duke had spoken those words lightly. The tension that had begun to loosen snapped tight again.
Yes. Better this way. Hearing exactly what she wanted, spoken plainly, put my heart at ease.
"I desire friendship with you, my lady."
I had not expected the matter to grow more complicated instead.
"Does not everyone wish to be well thought of by someone?"
The Demon Duke chuckled softly, and all I could do was keep nodding. She had been so blatant that I could not even manage a reaction.
The wish to be well thought of.
Her parting words circled endlessly in my ears.
The wish to look good in my eyes, and in Karl's. That was why she showed such unconditional goodwill.
She is sincere.
The conversations I had shared with the Demon Duke rose unbidden. Surprisingly, she had never once mentioned Karl directly—save for the memorial tree in the garden.
Yet affection had filled every word, and Karl had been alluded to through quiet metaphors.
She is sincere.
I understood now that her feelings for Karl were neither a pastime nor a fleeting blaze. I understood that she meant to advance toward marriage only with his consent, never by force.
Why she had fallen for Karl remained a mystery.
Not my concern.
I let out a small sigh. Yes. It was none of my business. Whatever reason the Demon Duke had for falling for Karl, so long as she respected him I had no grounds to stand in her way.
If I moved under the pretense of protecting Karl, I might only become an obstacle. Should Karl ever try to open his heart to the Demon Duke, my interference would simply block the path.
I'm sorry.
I offered a silent apology to the adorable daughter-in-law still at the Academy, one she would never hear. The Demon Duke's appearance would be a serious threat to that child.
I had already marked her as a future daughter-in-law and longed to help her actively. Yet I had no right to interfere in Karl's romantic affairs.
...She will manage.
She was such a clever, warm-hearted girl that she would overcome this even without my help.
I believed that.
—Knock knock.
Just as I was about to close my eyes, a knock sounded at the door.
"My lady."
Billy's voice from beyond the door made my eyes snap open. I had almost forgotten about this traitor.
He's only coming now?
How irritating. Had he returned a few days later I might have believed he was truly busy. But the same day? And not long after the Demon Duke herself had left?
This could not be overlooked. Separate rooms, effective immediately. I was fully prepared not to look upon his face for some time.
"Come in."
I spoke while suppressing my anger, and the door opened with careful caution.
"My lady. You are still awake, I see."
Billy wore a smile that did not suit him in the least. In both hands he carried a large bouquet and a small box.
"And what is that?"
"They caught my eye on the way back, so I brought them. The flower shop we used to visit during our engagement—it is still there."
Billy lifted the bouquet and dredged up old memories.
"And the box?"
"Desserts you are fond of. From the café Count Horfelt recommended."
He showed me the elegant patterned box and mentioned my tastes.
At the sight, the hard line of my mouth softened into a faint upward curve.
"Billy."
"Speak, my lady."
Sensing the change in me, Billy answered with a somewhat gentler expression.
"Stop your schemes and get out this instant."
Faced with my firm declaration of separate rooms, Billy left the chamber looking thoroughly crestfallen.
The effort is nice, though.
Still, this much sincerity deserved a little mercy. Reducing a week's exile from one week of separate rooms to three days should be more than enough.
A message arrived from Mother.
"Karl. Do not overthink it. Just do as you wish."
"Ah—yes. Thank you."
The day after I heard that the Demon Duke had gone to Tailglehen County, Mother contacted me looking far calmer than expected.
Strange. This was the same mother who had been so frantic she ordered Erich to find out what was going on. I had been certain that seeing the Demon Duke in person would leave her in utter chaos.
"Whatever choice you make, I will support you. There is no need to hurry."
"Yes..."
A peculiar remark. The promise to support any choice I made at a time like this. Mother had already set her sights on Margeta, had she not?
Magic?
The thought crossed my mind for a second. Had the Demon Duke enchanted Mother?
No—surely the Demon Duke would never stoop to such a cheap method...
Then how?
She had pulled Mother into friendly neutrality by some means other than magic?
That was even more terrifying. I almost preferred the magic theory.