The Mad Director of the Imperial Capital - 1
Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains and coaxed my eyes open. The thought of the rumors that must have been circulating since last night made me want to squeeze them shut again, but I forced myself upright all the same.
Sleeping on the sofa after so long left my body stiff and sore. Ever since my Academy posting, I had at least been able to sleep comfortably.
"Awake, are you?"
I turned toward the voice and found the Demon Duke perched on the edge of the bed. I had half-worried she might be the type to declare, "A duke does not sleep in such a shabby bed," but she had settled in without a fuss.
And there was the shirt she had draped over herself like a cloak.
Not a lizard, either.
The memory of last night drew a quiet snort of laughter from me.
She had clung to me while pretending to sleep. No matter how I shook her, she refused to let go, so I had shed the shirt the way a snake sheds its skin and fled. If I was going to be underhanded, I might as well answer underhandedly.
She had been awake the whole time I was peeling the shirt off, yet she still refused to grab me as I ran—probably because opening her eyes then would have been even more embarrassing than keeping up the act.
All the same, a scorching gaze had burned into the back of my head the entire way to the sofa.
"Yes, Your Grace. Good morning."
"Heh. Indeed. I haven't had a morning this refreshing in ages."
The small smile on the Demon Duke's face brought a wave of relief. The woman who had sobbed her heart out yesterday was gone; the Demon Duke I knew had returned.
"Baby?"
"Yes, Your Grace?"
While I was pulling on my coat, the Demon Duke—still seated on the bed—spoke up hesitantly.
"I still find it hard to use magic, so… would you brush my hair for me?"
I glanced her over without thinking.
Even just waking up, she looked immaculate. If anything, her body seemed cleaner than when I had wiped her down myself.
And nestled among all that neatness was one deliberately messy tangle of hair, as if she had purposely ruffled it.
"You… won't?"
An obvious lie. Anyone with eyes could see it, and the ears that always told the truth were trembling faintly—clear proof.
Still, what could I do? After everything she had gone through yesterday, brushing her hair was nothing. A small request like this I could grant a hundred times over.
"Of course not. I'll gladly do it."
When I nodded readily, the Demon Duke's smile brightened further as she held out the comb.
"Your Grace, first you'll have to take the shirt off—"
"Do it like this."
"…Yes, understood."
…Fine. Losing one shirt was nothing.
I had once lost an entire overcoat to Margeta, after all.
Because she was a guest who had come to the manor for the first time in ages—and had even spent the night—I offered her breakfast. The Demon Duke hesitated a moment, then shook her head. Magic Tower business demanded her immediate return.
The Tower must be pure chaos right now. Its supreme master had suddenly fled, wandered the capital spinning every rumor imaginable, and failed to return even after dark. It would not have been strange if the vice-master had collapsed from high blood pressure.
"Allow me to escort you."
"Wh-what?"
When I offered my hand, the Demon Duke looked startled, as if she had never expected me to go that far.
But this was the right thing to do. Going home alone at night was already bad enough; having the Demon Duke who had wandered the streets in tears the day before now trail home alone the next morning would only breed more strange rumors.
Of course, walking with me would generate rumors that overflowed the cup, but better to spread good news than bad.
"…Yes. Thank you."
After a brief hesitation she took my hand, smiling as brightly as she had in the bedroom earlier.
It was a strangely bittersweet feeling. Yesterday I had watched her break down in tears both at this very front gate and in the bedroom. Today I was watching her smile radiantly in both places.
You really never know what tomorrow holds.
A person's future truly was unknowable. Who would have imagined such a change in a single day?
Still, it was a positive change, so I could live with it. Better this than laughing yesterday and crying today.
"Then allow me to see you there."
The Demon Duke answered with the same unchanging smile.
My heart was racing. Had it ever pounded this hard before?
The reason was simple. The hand I held with Baby was so warm. Walking beside him made me so happy.
It was embarrassing to be this overjoyed over something so small, yet how could I help being happy?
"Things will be noisy for a while."
While my head was still fuzzy with delight, Baby whispered softly, and I automatically scanned our surroundings.
Gazes stabbing us from every direction, murmuring voices, people spotting us and then breaking into a run…
"So it seems."
I gave a small, bitter smile. Yes—for a while the entire social world of the Empire, not just the Imperial Capital, would be in an uproar. And I alone was responsible.
Even I thought I had looked pathetic, but there was no helping it. How could anyone stay calm when they were on the verge of losing Baby forever?
"Still, today's rumors will spread faster than yesterday's."
The laughter in Baby's voice made my heart thrash even harder.
He's looking out for me.
This time my eyes stung with joy rather than sorrow. I understood why he was walking me all the way to the Magic Tower, why he strode so boldly for everyone to see.
To erase the disgrace I had shown yesterday. To wipe away the shameful sight that would otherwise live on people's tongues.
Of course the rumors already out there would never vanish completely. But once today's events began to circulate, yesterday's would fade by comparison.
And the new rumor that would cover my disgrace was the two of us openly displaying affection. That was a rumor I would happily spread myself.
"…Thank you."
"For what? I'm only walking with you."
The way he answered as if it were nothing made me smile again.
I was happy. Being with Baby, receiving his consideration—right now I was so very happy.
"By the way, Your Grace."
"What is it?"
I answered in a gentle voice when Baby spoke as though something had just occurred to him.
"How long do you intend to keep calling me 'Baby'?"
"…Hm?"
A question I had never even considered.
"You have done me the great honor of holding me in your heart. If this relationship continues, we will eventually marry… and being called 'Baby' even then would be a little…"
The words left me flustered and delighted at once. Delight that Baby was seriously considering a future with me.
And fluster that I had no idea what else to call him if not Baby.
He's right, though.
His point was valid. Calling one's precious partner "Baby" forever was a touch strange.
Baby was every bit as precious as the nickname suggested, a child I wanted to hold for the rest of my life. Even so, the title was not quite appropriate.
"What will you do when a real baby is born?"
Hnnk…!
That was the finishing blow. A real baby born between Baby and me.
For a fleeting instant I wondered if I could simply call them Big Baby and Little Baby, but that would mean we could only create one fruit of our union. That was unacceptable.
"M-my husband… how does that sound?"
After long deliberation I spoke carefully. My husband—a splendid title. Mother used to call Father that long ago, after all.
Baby bit his lip and looked away. It lasted only a split second, but he was clearly fighting a smile.
That stung a little.
"We have plenty of time. Let's think about it at our leisure."
"…All right."
He even tried to pretend he had never heard the words "my husband" at all.
That stung a lot.
"Then what about you, Baby?"
Feeling peevish, I sulked at him. While we're at it, why do you keep calling me "Your Grace"?
"I'll think about it at my leisure as well."
But the sulk did not last. I had not settled on a title myself; I could hardly press him for one.
Chatting of this and that, we drew near the Magic Tower before I knew it.
It was a sanctuary I spent more time in than the castle on my own lands, yet today I found myself strangely reluctant to enter.
"I should head back now. If I walk into the Tower with you, I suspect I'll be the one catching all the blame."
Baby gently released my hand as he spoke. Regretful as I was, I could only nod; the reasoning made sense.
Yes, we had already come this far. Receiving this much of an escort was happiness enough.
Just as I was forcing down the disappointment, Baby stepped so close our faces nearly touched. Then a single whisper brushed my ear.
"See you next time, Beatrix."
At those words, my mind went blank.
Right before parting from the Demon Duke, the Wise Duke's advice suddenly resurfaced in my mind.
Nephew. If it ever feels like the Demon Duke is dragging you around, strike first. She'll be so thrilled she'll melt on the spot.
Advice that, for the sake of my own future, I needed to seize the initiative in my relationship with the Demon Duke. In fact, I had gone to the Magic Tower precisely to put that advice into practice—only for everything to explode.
Until I learned the truth about the potions, the Wise Duke's counsel had been genuinely useful. Whenever I struck first, the Demon Duke simply floundered and let herself be led. The only way to hold the reins against a duke.
Of course, after the sobbing, apologetic Demon Duke of yesterday, talking about seizing initiative felt too harsh. From now on the point would not be winning control, but doing things she liked.
If she had set aside her dignity to apologize, then I ought to set aside my own embarrassment and express myself in return.
"See you next time, Beatrix."
So I did it. The conversation about titles had come up, so I simply went for it.
I judged she would like it. Only moments earlier she had been asking how long I planned to call her "Your Grace," after all.
Dropping formal speech and calling a duke by name with zero preparation was the act of a complete lunatic. I was not yet that far gone.
"Beatrix?"
Something felt off. The Demon Duke, who should have taken a critical hit, showed no reaction at all.
I had expected fluster, embarrassment, a sly counterattack, or at the very least anger. There was none of that.
She simply stood there, motionless and silent.
"Your Grace?"
"Ah… th-that… uhh…"
Worried, I gave her shoulder a light tap, and only then did she respond.
Her face, however, was flushed scarlet, and she could not form proper words.
…Maybe I shouldn't have done that?
For a moment there, I think she reached the stage of dying while still on her feet.