Chapter 7
Elliot Leflaine—supported by the House of Mergen, he had graduated top of his class from the Imperial Academy and became a loyal retainer of the family.
Among his many duties, he often assisted me directly, making him, in effect, my personal aide.
Situations where I met with him were deeply familiar to me. And yet now, the person he had come to see was Irene. That single difference made everything about this meeting feel strangely unfamiliar.
“What brings you here?”
Even as I mimicked Irene’s usual polite manner of speaking, the flat tone in my voice felt somehow off.
Even if the body had changed, one’s speech patterns and habits couldn’t change so easily.
“The Lord is requesting your presence, Lady Irene.”
“Grandfather?”
Why would he want to see me?
“You’ll need to come with me immediately.”
I had no time to follow that thought—Elliot urged me without delay.
No choice, then.
I had no clear idea why I was being called, so I’d just have to go and find out for myself.
Elliot stepped aside from the door, and I walked past him—not too fast, not too slow.
A long corridor stretched out before me.
The path to my grandfather’s study was one I knew like the back of my hand.
I had walked it hundreds—no, thousands—of times. But stepping down it now, in Irene’s body, felt oddly surreal.
Elliot led the way ahead of me.
“What was his demeanor when he sent the message?”
“He seemed calm.”
“And before that? Did he meet with anyone?”
“No, my lady. He summoned you and Master Abel at the same time.”
“Abel?”
Exchanging quick bits of information on the way to see Grandfather was a habit born of years managing an overloaded schedule.
Many of my decisions and plans had been made in transit like this.
“Is he with the other retainers?”
“He’s alone.”
Elliot answered each of my questions steadily—until he suddenly stopped walking.
So did I.
Then, with slow, deliberate movements, he turned to face me.
“What is it?”
I asked him.
Elliot, who was known for his sharp replies, seemed at a rare loss for words.
He stared at me for a long moment before finally speaking.
“There’s something… about you, Lady Irene.”
He chose his words carefully, as if stepping through a minefield.
It was a rare and unfamiliar sight to me.
“You seem… changed.”
That was the best he could come up with.
Still, I found myself oddly proud of how quickly Elliot had noticed something was off.
Though now I wondered—was that dangerous for me?
“Maybe I’ve had a change of heart after everything that’s happened.”
He had a sharp intuition. No doubt he’d sensed my shift right away.
Elliot had always been firmly on my side.
He might even be the one person I could safely tell the truth.
But not yet.
The situation had changed. I had to consider all possible variables.
“Come on, then. Grandfather must be waiting.”
The area in front of the Lord’s office was unusually quiet.
None of the aides or attendants who usually followed my grandfather were present.
So, he intended for this meeting to be private.
“Abel.”
Waiting outside the door, Abel was dressed casually.
At my call, his gaze flicked toward me—but only for a moment, like a glance brushed through the grass.
“Seeing you here too must mean this isn’t anything serious.”
Well, well.
So, I was back to being treated like a pebble on the roadside, was I?
Seems he’s decided to act petty.
“I suppose that’s what you’re hoping for.”
Abel didn’t reply.
His stiff posture, eyes fixed on the closed door, didn’t shift at all.
How petty.
“They’re ready to see you now.”
A servant opened the door.
As the door swung open, I stepped inside before anyone else.
Footsteps followed closely behind.
“Come in, both of you.”
Grandfather greeted us from his chair.
Seeing the stack of documents in his hand, it seemed like this was about work.
“I greet the Lord.”
At my greeting, Abel, who stood beside me, also bowed his head.
“Have a seat.”
At Grandfather’s gesture, Abel and I each took a seat at the round table, facing each other.
It was arranged so we could clearly see each other’s faces.
“The reason I’ve called you both is because I need your help.”
“Our help?”
Assigning tasks to Irene and Abel?
He must be in quite a hurry if he’s resorting to this.
“Yes. With Deborah’s absence, I can’t fill the vacancy right away. You two will have to assist the family.”
Grandfather handed each of us a stack of papers.
Abel glanced at the documents in front of him, and I scanned the ones laid before me.
Among them, I spotted a familiar contract.
“This is…”
“I’d like each of you to handle these personally.”
In front of me was a mining rights contract.
It was one tied to an agreement with the Imperial Court.
“You want me to take charge of Deborah’s annulment proceedings?”
In other words, this was related to my former engagement.
“You caught on quickly.”
I hadn’t expected I’d be the one to finalize this matter.
But in a way, it was fitting—to settle it with my own hands.
“What about Abel’s assignment?”
I was curious.
What kind of task had Grandfather handed to Abel?
“He is to reorganize Mergen’s private military force.”
“……”
Mergen’s soldiers were stationed to fend off the barbarian tribes from the desert who often crossed the borders.
It was also part of a contractual agreement with the Imperial Court.
Mergen defended the north, while Belluzha guarded the east.
Reorganizing such a standardized force sounded like a hollow excuse—nothing but wordplay.
What Grandfather truly wanted was clear.
He intends to swallow up Abel’s troops whole.
On the surface, it might appear as if he was giving Abel a chance, but the moment Abel showed any weakness, everything would be absorbed into Mergen’s domain.
For Abel, it posed more risk than reward.
What will you do, I wonder.
If he wanted to be the heir, he’d have to accept the task to win Grandfather’s favor. But if he wanted to play it safe and secure something tangible, he should refuse.
Abel simply stared at the documents in front of him without flinching.
He was probably feeling quite conflicted inside.
Then, it happened.
His gaze, previously fixed on the paperwork, suddenly met mine head-on.
Those violet eyes revealed no emotion. I couldn’t guess what he was thinking.
So… what answer will you give?
Either way, it was an interesting show for me.
“I’ll do it.”
…That was unexpected.
Abel agreeing to dance in Grandfather’s palm?
He always seemed so disinterested in Mergen affairs. Was that all just an act?
A corner of my lips curled up at his response.
Ah, was that too blatant of a smirk?
“Then all that’s left is your decision, Irene.”
“I’ll do it as well.”
Watching Abel make his decision helped me come to mine.
Truthfully, I had no desire to help with Mergen’s matters.
But this wasn’t just anything—it was about my former engagement. It made sense for me to be the one to close that chapter.
Besides, I no longer needed to struggle for Mergen’s gain. This would be easy.
“It’s not a difficult task.”
A few stamps exchanged, and then we could go our separate ways.
Maybe I’ll get to see a familiar face.
“I hope you handle your part just as well, Abel.”
His side of things looked far more entertaining anyway.
I turned to Abel and smiled.
“That was an unexpected choice.”
“You’re talking about me?”
As we walked through the corridor after leaving Grandfather’s office, I spoke to Abel.
I wasn’t trying to provoke him—truthfully, I was just curious about his surprising decision.
“Looks like the Lord is preparing for a pheasant hunt.”
Pheasant hunting was a common pastime among nobles.
Sometimes they released hawks to do the hunting, or used hounds to drive prey while shooting with bows.
Mergen bloodlines in particular seemed to have a fondness for pheasant hunts.
“Whether we’re the hawks or the hounds remains to be seen.”
At my words, Abel, who had been walking ahead, stopped.
He slowly turned to look at me.
Still that indifferent stare.
Looking into those eyes always made me want to provoke him.
“Do you really think what you were handed is an opportunity?”
Abel had spent most of his time on battlefields—maybe he wasn’t used to this kind of game. At the very least, I could offer him that much of a warning.
“Not all battles happen on the battlefield. Mergen is even more so. If you let your guard down, you’ll lose everything.”
“You’re giving me advice now?”
“Well, it depends how you take it.”
Whether he took it as advice or mockery—it didn’t really matter to me.
“I didn’t accept this job to win Mergen’s favor.”
“Hmm.”
Then why take on something so unpleasant?
“It’s a matter where Lady Deborah’s intentions remain. If others were going to ruin it, I’d rather handle it myself.”
“……”
That answer caught me off guard.
A place where her intentions remain…
“So, keep your trivial meddling to yourself. It’s not something someone like you could possibly understand.”
Abel turned and walked away.
I stood there in silence as he grew smaller in the distance.
“…For a moment, I thought winter had returned in place of spring.”
The wind was biting cold.
“Shall I go ahead and arrange a meeting with the Imperial Court, Lady Irene?”
Elliot, who had followed me, asked softly.
I nodded and began walking again.
I traced the path Abel had just taken.
What was he thinking, coming back here?
He didn’t seem the type to dance to someone else’s tune.
Did he really return to claim the heir’s position?
Where is Abel headed?
Does the path he walks even have a destination?
