The Duke's Regret
“Why would you ask such a thing? If our Tiana had been close with her, it would have come up long ago. The fact that it never did means they weren’t. Otherwise, why would Tiana never once mention inviting anyone from the monastery?”
“That’s precisely why I’m asking now.”
“Darling, stop pressuring Tiana. She hasn’t even had her debut yet, and already going in and out of the imperial palace is quite enough.”
“When have I pressured her? Can’t a father even speak to his own daughter?”
“Enough. Tiana, I’ll have some sweets and warm tea sent to your room. Go rest. You must be exhausted after your trip to the palace today. I’ll retire soon myself. We’ll speak again in the morning.”
The Duchess completely ignored her husband’s words.
“Ah… Yes. Rest well.”
Dot rose unsteadily to her feet.
On any other day she would have added something ingratiating—Oh, it’s all right, Mother, I’m fine—but today she simply couldn’t manage it. If she said anything more, the conversation might drift back to the monastery. She couldn’t let that happen. Please, let this moment end here.
Once the pale-faced young lady had fled like someone escaping, the Duchess finally let loose the words she had been holding back.
“What if that mage named Pay has been tormenting our Tiana?”
“What on earth are you saying?”
“Think about it. A mage! Living in a monastery yet turning out to be a mage—it’s hard to believe. She could have been secretly tormenting Tiana with magic all this time!”
Before the Duke could scold her for speaking carelessly, Cassel immediately clarified.
“Mother, I’ve heard that Pay was always diligent at the monastery and never shirked her duties. She only learned magic after entering the Magic Tower, which is why she’s receiving so much attention now.”
For some reason, he found it difficult to mention that he himself had personally escorted Pay to the Magic Tower. It wasn’t a secret, yet the words wouldn’t come.
He simply wanted to keep the memory of that summer day to himself, precious and untouched.
The Klein Duke nodded.
“I’ve already heard the full story from the envoy the Magic Tower sent, my dear. But do you know what’s even more surprising?”
“What is it?”
The Duchess, who had little interest in other people’s orphans, lightly stirred her teacup with a spoon.
“The truth is, the Eina candidate I originally intended to bring here was never our Tiana. It turns out the abbess had already chosen someone else. That person was the mage Pay. Isn’t that fate connecting us?”
“What?”
“The girl who was supposed to come to our family became a mage at the Magic Tower and only met us later. Isn’t that remarkable? It feels as though we were destined to meet, even if not right away.”
After Pay decided to become the imperial Drakan Rider recognized by the Crown Prince, her past was naturally investigated in detail.
Pay had expected as much and had no intention of avoiding it, especially if it could put subtle pressure on Dot. After all, wasn’t it a case of the thief’s own feet getting caught?
She had written to the abbess and Priest Cheryl, instructing them to reveal only that she had been entrusted to the monastery by someone as a child.
She left out details such as the items left with her or that she had arrived injured.
However, she had not forbidden them from mentioning that she and Dot—Dorothea—had once been friends, nor their past names.
When the Duke spoke with clear favor, the Duchess replied curtly.
“That’s enough.”
“They’re the same age. There’s no way they don’t know each other.”
The Duchess set down her spoon, her expression hardening.
“Darling! I don’t want to hear about any of that. Our Tiana went through so much hardship before finally returning to us. Why should she be dragged back into those ugly past matters?”
“Why are you so upset?”
“That mage Pay said something, didn’t she? She claims to know what our Tiana did there and what happened to her.”
The Klein Duke shook his head, a faint smile on his lips.
“She didn’t say a single word of the sort.”
“Hmph, I don’t need to know. Whether she’s a Drakan Rider or some great mage, how would I understand? I’ve only ever been the lady of this house. But from now on, no one will be allowed to torment our Tiana.”
“Your thinking is completely off. Who exactly is tormenting whom?”
“Well, it’s fortunate she never came to our family, isn’t it? We found our real daughter, and she managed to catch the Crown Prince’s eye and secure her own path to success.”
The moment the word “Crown Prince” left her lips, the Duchess’s displeasure deepened.
After reclaiming Tiana, she had asked her daughter various questions to understand her feelings. The spring debut was fine, and life at the ducal residence was pleasant, but Tiana was nearing marriageable age.
Above all else, the Duchess wanted to choose happiness for Tiana rather than the obligations of a noble daughter.
If possible, she hoped to marry her into a nearby family within the capital—wealthy, with good character. In her heart, she wanted to keep Tiana by her side forever, but the Duke had mentioned taking in a son-in-law, and she refused to consider it.
To arrange a proper marriage, the best time was right after next spring’s debut. She would introduce Tiana with splendor and immediately begin marriage talks so that no one could find fault with their daughter.
And she would play the role of a devoted mother-in-law thoroughly, for years to come.
Ah, the Crown Prince has been appearing more since the harvest festival, but our daughter’s standards are quite high… fitting for a noble lady. Well, it’s been three years since he broke off his engagement with Lady Russell, so it should be fine now.
The young lady who had blushed and shown subtle interest was, surprisingly, the Crown Prince Silas.
Tiana has barely seen the Crown Prince since the harvest festival. Why would she suddenly take an interest?
Even the Klein ducal house, one of the empire’s great powers, found the Crown Prince a burdensome figure to approach.
Especially since he had not appeared in society for three years, drawing him into conversation would be difficult. Still, this concerned her own daughter, so she had no intention of giving up.
That mage Pay had stood right before the Crown Prince, while the daughter who actually wished to marry him remained far away on the city walls. The Duchess found it infuriating and unjust.
That was why her usual petty spite had grown even sharper.
“Enough. Since Tiana has gone to rest, I’ll retire as well. Your Grace should also stop overworking and come to the bedroom early.”
“The bedroom? Tonight? Are you saying you need our youngest now that we’ve found our daughter?”
The Duchess, who had spoken without thinking, flushed red.
“How shameless! Really, why must you say such things? Enough!”
Bang. The Duchess stormed out, slamming the door in a manner quite unlike her usual self. The Duke chuckled heartily as he watched her retreating back.
“Haha, she’s usually so composed, yet after visiting the palace she shows this side of herself from time to time. How surprising.”
“……”
Cassel remained silent. He could answer any other topic, but not this one. The Duke, well aware of his eldest son’s upright nature, changed the subject.
“Cassel, try to become closer with that mage from now on. As I said earlier, her character seems quite decent. I thought someone who handles ice would be cold, but she knows how to read people well.”
“Is that so?”
“Mm. She’s remarkably mature for her age.”
The Klein Duke recalled the brief conversation he had shared with Pay earlier that day.
Because she was a young talent the Crown Prince wished to protect, their meeting hadn’t lasted long. Still, it had been enough for a seasoned noble like the Duke to grasp her overall character.
His wife had been deeply concerned that Pay might have been bullied at the monastery because of Tiana’s past, and had complained to him about it several times.
Though he didn’t entirely believe his wife’s words, it concerned his daughter, so he had asked Pay while keeping his true thoughts hidden.
“Ahem, Lady Pay. I heard you’re from Grace Monastery.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think of Abbess Beryl? Feel free to speak honestly from your own experience.”
Pay, her hair neatly tucked beneath her hood, answered calmly without much thought.
“She is usually strict with the children at the monastery. She loves them, but she never says it’s all right to break the rules because of that love. She also doesn’t treat everyone exactly the same.”
“Oh? Does she show favoritism?”
Pay shook her head lightly, without even a smile.
“That’s not it. Because each child has different desires, thoughts, and behaviors.”
“Different?”
“Yes. For lively children, she teaches them that gentleness is a virtue so they won’t get hurt. For children who stay quietly in corners, she hands them a broom and tells them to go sweep the courtyard.”
“She gives them tasks opposite to their nature…”
“In the end… she simply had different ways of dealing with each child, but she loved every child who lived at the monastery. Including me.”
“I see.”
The Klein Duke felt a quiet admiration.
Whether the mage Pay had lived well or poorly at the monastery didn’t matter.
If she had spoken ill of Abbess Beryl or given some clichéd answer like “She was wonderful, the best,” he would have been disappointed.
But she had been honest, gently defending the abbess’s strict nature so no one could criticize her for it.
More importantly, she hadn’t rashly offered any judgment about the young lady who had surely lived with her—his own Tiana.
She had shown tact, and even in the presence of a duke, there was no trace of servility.
She isn’t the type to push herself forward, yet she’s capable, doesn’t criticize others, and doesn’t allow misunderstandings to form. Her character is truly sound!
A Drakan Rider.
Though called a Drakan Rider, the ability to tame and command the ancient race whose bloodline had been cut off since antiquity was no small thing. Moreover, she was a rare wielder of water and ice magic among humans, which made her all the more intriguing.
The Klein Duke had taken quite a liking to Pay, yet he understood his wife’s reluctance toward someone from the monastery.
Having finally found their daughter, the Duchess naturally wanted to protect the young lady who had suffered so much in her early years. Furthermore, Tiana herself had never claimed to have been loved at the monastery.
Still, one must not lose the essence of right thinking and behavior.
Even if life at the monastery had been harsh, one must not forget the kindness of those who fed and clothed you, however meagerly, without letting you go hungry for even a single day.
Even the family of an enemy you had crossed swords with—if only widows and children remained—sending grain and cloth was the proper way of human conduct.
To the Duke, his daughter’s trembling, petulant attitude was disappointing.
When she had regained her rightful status, even if there were grievances, how difficult could it have been to ask for some delicious fruit and meat to be sent to the abbess and her friends? Setting aside an invitation, such a gesture was more than enough to offer.
Our family has steadily given alms every year. Was it not because of that you were able to eat and live until now, Tiana? People don’t always give expecting something in return, but I still consider it a special kind of love. Do you not think so?