As Long As Kindness Remains
The Duke held out several gold coins, and the servants reluctantly ushered the vagrant inside the ducal residence.
“Ughhh…”
“…It seems he doesn’t even know his own name. Tsk. If you learn anything about him while he’s here, pass it along to the treatment center staff. We ought to find his family somehow.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The rumor that a vagrant had been taken into the ducal house spread within half a day. It even reached Dot, who was huddled in fear.
‘C-could it be?’
The Saintess’s venomous threat from the previous night still echoed in her mind. Trembling, Dot left the main building to observe the “new vagrant.”
The sun hung high, and spring displayed its flowers and greenery even more brilliantly than at dawn. The leaves, tinged golden with hints of the green that matched Pay’s eyes, the plants curling their tiny petals to bear fruit, the small puddles formed by the gardener’s water droplets—none of it could halt Dot’s steps.
For Dotricia Karis, small pleasures had long been limited to wealth and the splendor others created.
The false noble daughter trudged toward the Ligret House.
And then she saw.
‘Lu…minte. It’s Luminte. Aah! Luminte! Capia… Ugh, what grudge does she hold against me to do this?’
The horrific scene she had witnessed yesterday had not been a dream. Confirming once more that every terrible thing she had seen with her own eyes was real, Dot felt her chest collapse inward.
That afternoon.
Cassel stopped by the ducal residence without prior notice, just as he often did. He had something to personally confirm and take with him.
It was a bottle of wine with an extremely low alcohol content, meant for Pay.
‘It’s hardly wine at all, but it’s perfect for our Tiana’s first taste.’
He smiled faintly before dismounting.
There were so many things he wanted to do for his adorable, spirited younger sister. Since she likely knew nothing of drinking, he intended to teach her little by little. Even coming here didn’t sour his mood.
“Moooorgh!”
“What was that sound?”
As he was about to hand his horse over to the stablehand, a loud shout rang out from nearby.
“My apologies. It’s just…”
After hearing the explanation from the stablehand, Cassel set aside the wine for a moment and headed toward the Ligret House.
The beggar discovered at dawn had apparently injured his head. Regardless of people passing by, he kept making gurgling sounds from his throat.
‘How unfortunate.’
Of all places, he had to hurt his head.
Unlike at dawn, the vagrant had changed clothes, eaten, and washed himself clean. Even so, Cassel couldn’t help but think of Pay.
Our Tiana had also injured her head and lost her memories for a time, wandering without finding her family. This man too…
Since he couldn’t speak, he must have lost even his thoughts. He must be lonely.
“You said he’s being taken to the treatment center?”
“Yes.”
Cassel looked up at the sky.
The treatment center wouldn’t close for a while yet, so he could take the man with him when he returned to the imperial palace. It would be better to get him proper treatment quickly rather than have him endure here.
After a quick glance around the Ligret House, Cassel had the two bottles of wine he needed wrapped securely and ordered a carriage prepared.
He had no desire to greet the peculiar false noble daughter or his mother, who remained thoroughly bewitched by her.
‘I’m not a very good nobleman. I should be able to smile even when facing my lifelong enemy, yet here I am avoiding her because it’s uncomfortable.’
Yesterday, Dotricia had come uninvited to Count Esolt’s tea party, seen him, and left in a fluster.
Cassel wasn’t the type to gloat over others’ misfortunes, but that incident had genuinely pleased him.
The result of constantly watching others’ reactions while chasing only her own gain was the false noble daughter standing before him now.
At a time when no one knew the Grand Duke’s son had arrived at the mansion, Dot was grinding her teeth, nearly losing her mind.
Her hands trembled violently. She wanted to tear the curtains apart with her nails, but as a noble daughter, she couldn’t indulge in any of her usual outbursts. The status she once coveted now felt like a curse.
“False noble daughter.”
“Ghh…”
Just recalling Capia’s mocking tone made her feel faint. And yet Luminte was here. Luminte… What if that damned man started spouting her old name?
‘Should I put out another request to have Luminte killed? No… No, that cunning Saintess wouldn’t have kept only Luminte alive. What if she’s hidden the others somewhere and is using him as the first bait?’
An even bigger problem was that she could no longer trust the Righteous Workers Guild.
What good would it do to go back and argue? If the Saintess still had agents there, it would only stir up trouble.
Dot’s parched lips muttered dangerous words beneath the sheets.
“They’re the real problem. Morgana still doesn’t know she’s a noble daughter… If they leave me and claim I’m Dotricia Karis, everything will be over. It’ll all be finished…!”
Smack.
Dot raised both hands and lightly slapped her cheeks. No matter how difficult things became, she had to stay focused.
She couldn’t lose everything here!
* * *
The journey to the treatment center with the vagrant loaded into the carriage wasn’t far.
Matching the carriage’s pace, Cassel rode his horse at a leisurely trot for the first time in a while, which allowed him to take in the city streets.
“It’s spring…”
Even from his usually blunt lips came a murmur of admiration.
It was truly beautiful. The leaves sprouting from winter’s bare branches, the white petals blooming in profusion.
Having called the spring scenery beautiful, Cassel found himself smiling at an entirely different thought.
All of that combined still couldn’t compare to our Tiana. If our Tiana ran across the fields with her lush hair flowing freely, those petals would feel such shame they’d fall right off. Of course they would.
His affection for his younger sister was as boundless as his swordsmanship.
While smiling contentedly, his red eyes caught sight of someone approaching from the opposite direction.
“Hm?”
“Oh…! Lord Cassel?”
To meet in a place like this!
Yesterday’s visit by the Crown Prince to Count Esolt’s estate had been kept secret until arrival, since it was outside the imperial palace. Even the late count had been unaware.
But Pay had arranged to meet him there beforehand. He had been looking forward to that day for several days now.
Publicly, they were in a situation where being too close would cause problems. Unless it was at the Mizuang Hotel or through other people, such chance encounters were almost nonexistent.
Pay, equally surprised by the unexpected meeting, nearly called him “brother” out of joy before correcting herself.
He dismounted at once.
Wine and vagrant alike were momentarily forgotten.
“Lady Pay, where are you headed?”
“Ah… Yes. I was just going to do some shopping and head back slowly.”
She wasn’t traveling with that man, was she?
Cassel automatically thought of the arrogant mage, Lucius, but quickly brushed the thought aside. It would be easier to talk without him around.
His red eyes softened with affection.
“You don’t need anything else?”
It would have been better if they had met even sooner.
Tiana… Whether it’s delicious sweets, dresses, or a magic staff, I could buy you anything you want. I’d love to see a boutique attendant braid your hair and tie it with a splendid ribbon.
Pay smiled as she replied.
“I’ve bought everything! What about you, my lord? Where are you headed? Seeing the carriage, I worry I’ve blocked your way for nothing.”
Only then did he remember the groaning vagrant inside the carriage.
“I’m on my way to the treatment center with someone. He was found at the ducal residence gates this morning. If you don’t mind, would you accompany me? I’ll escort you to the Magic Tower afterward.”
Someone injured had been at the Klein ducal residence gates?
After the Saintess arrived in the capital, Pay had recalled Pine Echo from the Klein residence for a while. She planned to maximize the water energy within him before sending him back to the monastery. If Dot was cornered, there was no telling what she might do, so gathering their strength made sense.
She didn’t regret the decision, but at times like this, not being able to ask what had happened was inconvenient.
“Um… All right.”
Pay had instinctively tried to refuse out of embarrassment at being escorted, but changed her mind.
Her brother Cassel was someone who wanted to do everything he could for her.
She knew he always suppressed that desire because of others’ eyes. If she refused his escort out of false modesty, he would feel hurt.
Cassel had wanted to seat Pay on his own horse, but she declined and climbed into the carriage instead. He hesitated for a moment before quickly whispering near her ear.
“Sit at the back of the carriage. If the beggar approaches you without speaking, shout. They say he’s not in his right mind because of the head injury.”
But the situation Cassel feared never occurred.
The man remained huddled in the darkest corner of the carriage, where no sunlight reached, staring blankly.
‘Hmm, he really must be in pain.’
Even with a stranger suddenly boarding, he didn’t so much as glance her way.
Pay didn’t know the man’s story, but she hoped he would receive good care at the treatment center.
“Ughhh!”
The man, who had been quiet the entire ride, suddenly cried out when the healers carefully tried to help him down, as if startled.
It was unfortunate, but he would have to adapt. Just as Pay’s green eyes were about to turn away from him—
The man muttered strange words through his sobs.
“Forgive me… before the Lord… Ugh… Then… the Saintess…”
‘What?’
A chill ran down Pay’s arm as she listened.
Cassel, standing beside her, narrowed his eyes and stared at the man instead of sighing.
“Will he be all right?”
One of the healers holding the man answered.
“If he’s seeking God’s blessing, he should be easier to calm.”
“If it’s all right, I’d like to go with him to his room. He seems to be crying—I want to comfort him somehow.”
Cassel didn’t object.
As they followed the healers, he asked in a low voice.
“…Do you think it’s a coincidence?”
Pay neither confirmed nor denied the loaded question.
“I don’t know. But hearing he injured his head… it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.”
Brother and sister both pretended not to have heard the word “Saintess,” as if by silent agreement.
The treatment center’s room was better than expected, and more importantly, it was a private room. Such was the power of the gold coins the generous Duke had provided for the poor.
Thanks to that, Pay could speak to the man curled up on the clean bed without hesitation.
“We’ll be going now.”
“……”
The man had fallen completely silent, as if the fact that he had spoken earlier—even unclearly—had been a dream.
“You can rest easy. Um… Hey, Walter. Bring the documents for a moment. I need to write something.”
“Yes.”
The healer in charge of the man left the room briefly to record “unknown identity” on the documents. In that gap, Pay offered the snacks she had bought today.
“Here. Sugar cookies and biscuits. If you’re still hungry after your meal, have some.”