Chapter 14
It was Alice Fordley.
That woman.
Her ambiguous attitude made it unclear whether she was truly aligned with Madam Quillian or not.
While it was true she hadn’t poisoned him, that alone wasn’t enough. According to the butler, she was outwardly playing the role of Madam Quillian’s dutiful daughter-in-law.
Kylus had considered revealing that he was awake, but Alice was an unpredictable woman. If she had managed to deceive even Madam Quillian, she could certainly deceive him and plot behind his back as well.
She was far more intelligent than Helkin.
Just thinking about Alice made Kylus’s head throb. At this rate, he might end up being manipulated by that woman.
Kylus pushed aside his deepening thoughts about Alice. The more he dwelled on her, the more his mind seemed to tie itself in knots.
It seemed he would need some time to decide how to deal with that woman.
“Please spare me, Your Grace! I swear I’ll do better!”
Just as Kylus let out a short sigh, Helkin, misunderstanding that the irritation was directed at him, grabbed Kylus’s trouser leg and begged.
Snapping out of his reverie, Kylus frowned.
“Take your hands off me if you don’t want to die right now.”
Kylus absolutely despised being touched by others.
At his chilling voice, Helkin immediately let go.
“My deepest apologies.”
Helkin bowed his head, his face contorted in abject humility.
Considering his earlier act, Kylus wanted to kill him, but he still needed Helkin for now.
Clicking his tongue, Kylus sat down on the sofa.
“…From now on, I’ll be extremely careful to keep everything hidden from the young madam.”
“Yes, you’d better. If you ruin my plans, I’ll throw you to the dogs as food.”
Though it lasted only for a moment, the murderous glint in Kylus’s eyes was genuine.
Helkin’s mouth clamped shut like a clam.
“So, have you finished making the antidote?”
Kylus asked, running a hand through his hair with a sigh.
“…It’s almost complete. It should be ready in about two days.”
“Two days… And when I take this medicine, it will definitely eliminate all the remaining poison in my body?”
“Yes. However… the medicine is quite potent, Your Grace.”
“Potent? Are you saying it could kill me?”
“No, absolutely not. I would never create anything that could endanger Your Grace’s life. It’s just that the medicine is so strong, it may cause severe pain…”
“That doesn’t matter. Just focus on completing the antidote quickly.”
Having already overcome the brink of death, mere pain was insignificant to Kylus.
“Yes, Your Grace. Then I’ll go work on the antidote now.”
As Helkin left the room, the butler soon entered
“Your Grace.”
Kylus addressed the butler who had come to pay his respects.
“Did Lady Meltain arrive safely?”
“Yes.”
“How did she seem?”
Though it was Kylus who had summoned Sienna, the truth was he hadn’t seen her since returning from the battlefield ten years ago.
If she had grown up maintaining the exceptional spirit she had shown as a child, there would be nothing to worry about. But ten years was not an insignificant amount of time, so he couldn’t help feeling a bit concerned.
“She appeared capable and reliable. She didn’t show any signs of being intimidated even in front of Madam Quillian.”
However, seeing the hint of satisfaction in the butler’s eyes, it seemed there was no need for concern.
“I’m glad she’s grown up well.”
As Kylus recalled the spirited young Sienna, he eventually spoke to the butler again.
“Bring Lady Meltain here just before dawn.”
* * *
As midnight passed and silence settled over the Dearrut mansion, a woman walked through the empty corridors.
Wrapped in a black robe with her face hidden, the woman stopped in front of the Duke’s bedroom.
She tapped the doorknob, and the door opened from inside.
“Welcome, Sienna.”
Greeted by the butler, Sienna Meltain entered the bedroom and removed her robe’s hood.
Tucking her flowing hair behind her ear, Sienna gazed at the man standing by the window.
Black hair and dark eyes.
The handsome face she had admired so much as a child.
Kylus Dearrut.
The master of the Dearrut Duchy that her family served, and her respected older cousin.
Seeing him alive like this, when everyone had said he would die, made overwhelming emotions well up from deep within her chest.
Holding back tears that threatened to burst forth, Sienna bowed her head.
“Sienna Meltain, at your service, Your Grace.”
“What’s with the formality? Call me as you always have, Sienna.”
Kylus’s low voice resonated. Sienna raised her head with a faint smile.
“Brother.”
“Yes, that sounds much better.”
“I’m so relieved you’ve regained consciousness.”
“They’re calling it a miracle. But regaining consciousness is just the beginning; there’s still much to be done. That’s why I’ll need your help from now on.”
“What would you have me do?”
Sienna looked at Kylus with eyes blazing with determination.
Her confident expression was identical to when she had boldly looked up at him as a child.
Seeing that Sienna hadn’t changed at all except for growing taller, Kylus let out a faint laugh.
But the moment of nostalgia was brief. His face hardened into an almost frightening expression as he began to speak.
“As you know, quite some time has passed since I collapsed. And during that time, Madam Quillian has completely taken over the duchy.”
The atmosphere instantly turned serious, and Sienna’s expression became equally grave.
“Not only has my advisor been dismissed, but even the knightly order has been disbanded. I can’t reveal that I’ve awakened in this situation. With my arms and legs cut off, so to speak, there’s no way I can deal with Madam Quillian even if I were to get up.”
“…I understand.”
“That’s why I need you to move in my stead, avoiding Madam Quillian’s attention.”
“In your place… You want me to find your arms and legs again, don’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It certainly makes sense for me to move. I’ve come to the capital under the pretext of making my social debut, so I have a legitimate reason to visit the mansion. Plus, I can move safely and discreetly using magic. That’s why you called for me, isn’t it?”
Sienna calmly and quickly grasped Kylus’s intentions.
Kylus looked slightly surprised at this.
He had expected her to be clever, as she had been an exceptionally bright child when he last saw her. But to assess the situation so accurately at a glance…
It made him quite hopeful for her future potential.
Kylus set down his teacup and continued speaking.
“Use me as an excuse to leave the mansion. Say you’re going to the temple to pray for my health recovery out of concern for your cousin. Madam Quillian won’t be able to stop you then.”
“I see. Once I leave the mansion, who should I look for first?”
“Go to Royste Street in the commoners’ district. There’s an inn there called the Dawn Star. Give this to the owner, James, and tell him you’re looking for a man named Tessiri. James will then tell you where to find Tessiri.”
Kylus handed Sienna his knight’s badge.
Finding his advisor Tessiri first would make it easier to gather the other knights.
Sienna nodded and accepted the badge.
“Understood.”
“And be careful not to be discovered by Madam Quillian. The same goes for the Duchess…”
“The Duchess? …I don’t think you need to worry much about her. She seemed quite naive and gullible.”
“…The Duchess?”
Kylus’s smooth eyebrows rose.
Naive and gullible…
He wondered if this assessment matched the Alice Fordley he knew.
“I had a brief conversation with her… She seemed to be a simpleminded woman who was very conscious of Madam Quillian’s mood. Like an oblivious puppy, I’d say?”
Sienna recalled her short interaction with Alice in the garden.
Pink hair and golden eyes.
Despite her striking appearance, she hadn’t seemed particularly remarkable.
Yet for some reason, Kylus’s brow furrowed.
Now that the Duke had regained consciousness, he must have heard something about Alice.
“Do you think differently, Brother? Is there something I’m unaware of?”
Sienna asked Kylus, who remained silent.
“No, there isn’t.”
Kylus reflexively answered Lady Meltain’s suspicion.
With a lie, not the truth.
Contrary to what Sienna had seen, Alice was definitely not a naive woman.
Rather, she was exceptionally intelligent.
She had boldly deceived Madam Quillian’s eyes and even managed to lure away Helkin, who was Madam Quillian’s man.
And it seemed she had thoroughly hidden her true self from Sienna as well.
Kylus recalled what Alice had said earlier that day.
‘Lady Meltain… she was like a racehorse with blinders on…’
‘Ah, Sienna Meltain. I wish she’d leave me alone…’
Had she deliberately appeared simpleminded to prevent Lady Meltain from taking an interest in her?
Kylus thought he would need to reassess his evaluation of Alice.
Perhaps she was an even more meticulous woman than he had anticipated.
So it would have been right to warn Sienna to be careful.
Yet, without realizing it, he had lied.
Why?
Was he worried that Alice might get into trouble?
It was a ridiculous thought, but he couldn’t even bring himself to laugh at it.
He didn’t understand his own actions either.
But even now, the words still wouldn’t come out.
A strange woman whose true intentions he couldn’t fathom.
Whenever Kylus thought about Alice, he found it difficult to make rational judgments.
As if he had been somehow enchanted by her strangeness.
Suppressing a sigh at his muddled thoughts about Alice, Kylus slowly moved his lips.
“…Even if she seems naive, be careful just in case.”
“I won’t make any mistakes.”
“I trust you. It’s late now, so you should head back.”
Sienna bowed and left the bedroom.
After the butler had also withdrawn, Kylus turned his gaze to the window.
“…Alice Fordley.”
Just who are you?
As you hide your true self from everyone, what are you thinking?
Kylus’s eyes darkened as he softly murmured her name.
