Chapter 40
The Exarch seemed slightly flustered.
But soon, true to his nature, he continued calmly.
“Mine. I’m delighted to have you stay at the mansion. There’s no need to worry at all.”
“But I do worry. No matter how you look at it, letting a complete stranger live here is an imposition.”
“It’s not an imposition, nor is it simple kindness. You getting involved in this is partly Bathilda’s responsibility. As her cousin, I have a duty to resolve this.”
Hmm. Can’t deny Bathilda bears some responsibility.
‘That Princess, she must have had intentions.’
Slightly annoying but not entirely dislikable. Especially knowing her character isn’t bad at its core.
Baeksan shrugged.
“While I’m grateful, are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Me?”
“If it gets out that I’m a sage, your position would become really delicate.”
Weren’t you deliberately keeping your distance from politics?
The Exarch seemed to guess the intent behind the question but only smiled faintly.
“Protecting citizens is a noble’s honor and responsibility.”
…Can such a complex matter be stated so simply?
‘I don’t get it. What gives him the confidence to be so straightforwardly kind?’
Standing side by side before the portico where they had sent off the carriage, Baeksan absently adjusted her shawl.
The carriage was no longer visible. Though it was time to go inside, the Exarch wasn’t moving.
‘Does he want to stay outside? If he wanted to go in, he would have offered to escort me.’
Glancing at his profile, he seemed somewhat dazed.
After standing in silence for a while, Baeksan finally spoke first.
“Don’t you find me strange?”
“How so?”
Despite the sudden question, the Exarch responded gently. Perhaps because it was night, his voice sounded more ticklish.
“I could live comfortably if I revealed I was a sage, but I’m refusing to.”
“That comes with its own dangers. By that logic, do you find me strange?”
“Huh?”
“Everyone says His Majesty the Emperor is my father’s enemy, yet I have no thoughts of revenge. Do you find that strange?”
“…”
Wow. That came out of nowhere.
A response finally emerged.
“…No, not at all…”
It was surprising, but finding the answer wasn’t difficult.
You could tell just by looking.
The Exarch, well, it’s not that he didn’t resent the Emperor.
But he seemed unwilling to spend his one life in anxiety and sorrow because of such a painful past.
‘…Just like I used to be.’
As if reading her thoughts, the Exarch murmured.
“Yes. I simply don’t want to be consumed by things I don’t value.”
To the silent Baeksan, the Exarch spoke kindly.
“Just like you.”
Though surely meant for ‘Minervina Rethor’ who had lost all family, his words pierced straight through to Baeksan as well.
Just as Baeksan struggled to respond, the Exarch suddenly stepped forward as if diving into darkness.
“Go inside. I need to go somewhere.”
“Oh? Um… Be careful. The streets are dangerous at night.”
Somehow feeling defenseless, Baeksan waved awkwardly.
The Exarch smiled.
“It’s been so long since someone said that to me. I’ll be careful.”
* * *
“You say Marquis Lille visited the Grand Duke’s residence?”
Bathilda, still awake near midnight, asked.
“Yes. They held a secret meeting, according to reports.”
Dominic stood rigidly before the desk in her office, repeating the report that had just come in.
Bathilda sank deep into her chair’s backrest and muttered.
“I see. So it was the Marquis…”
The Emperor had a chronic illness, but it had never been this severe before. She’d thought it strange, and apparently it was the Marquis’s doing.
“What a formidable woman. She nearly killed the Emperor. I should be grateful for scoring some points thanks to that, but…”
Bathilda drained the wine glass on her desk. Her red eyes grew sharp as she stared into space.
“In the end, it only benefited the Grand Duke. I thought she would flee to my side under pressure.”
“She seems more principled than expected.”
“Yes. Just as you told me.”
Bathilda had anticipated everything from the moment she first sent the gold coins to Minervina.
That amount of gold.
A thin, beautiful maiden seemingly without the power to protect herself.
It wouldn’t have been strange if she ended up in some dangerous situation.
Bathilda had believed Minervina would handle it well, and she did.
‘She’d need to be at least that capable to be useful as my advisor.’
Furthermore, Bathilda had predicted the possibility that someone else might find Minervina while searching for the physician who treated the Emperor.
And that was exactly what Bathilda had wanted.
For Minervina to request her protection, and for her to accept it, creating a debt.
Or for Minervina’s identity as a sage to be exposed.
Then Minervina would naturally belong to her, who had brought her in.
“Nothing ever goes quite as planned.”
Minervina had helped her but sought refuge with the Exarch instead.
She seemed to understand that once she crossed to Bathilda’s side, it wouldn’t be easy to leave.
“It’s difficult… difficult but tempting. I want to make her my person before Marquis Lille tries to claim her…”
Just then, there was a knock at the quiet office door.
Dominic went to the door in Bathilda’s stead. The knight listened to the servant’s quiet report and relayed it to Bathilda.
“Your Highness. The Grand Duke has come to visit.”
Even Dominic, who rarely showed emotion, had tension in his voice.
Bathilda’s brow furrowed.
‘At this hour?’
The Exarch was a man who knew chivalry. He would never do something like this.
“…Something dangerous must be happening. Tell him to come in immediately.”
“Yes.”
Dominic relayed the message to the servant, and soon Grand Duke Zahig entered the office.
Silver hair that appeared pure white, black eyes. Elegant but simple black clothes.
And a calm, clear expression.
Despite the inherent goodness evident in his demeanor, he gave the impression of darkness itself walking in, packed with density.
Bathilda unconsciously hesitated.
But feeling defiant at her own intimidation, she spoke with deliberate casualness.
“What brings you here, Grand Duke?”
Grand Duke Zahig, Duke Giroti, Ridim-Perato blessed by the Goddess, Exarch Schröder bowed politely as usual.
“I apologize for the late hour. I came knowing it was rude, as it would be difficult to speak of this any other day.”
“I understand, given you came at this hour. Let’s get to the point.”
“Why did you do it?”
“…?”
She’d asked for the main point, but this was too direct?
Bathilda momentarily failed to understand the question.
“Do what?”
“About Miss Minervina Rethor.”
…Why was that name coming up?
Bathilda was puzzled.
Hadn’t some crucial information come from the meeting with Marquis Lille?
“What about her?”
“I heard you deliberately made a show of delivering gold coins all the way to Sophs Appraisal House. Miss Rethor was put in danger because of that. Didn’t you anticipate this?”
Huh.
Bathilda unconsciously let out a sigh.
“Grand Duke. So you’re saying… you came here to question me about that?”
“Yes.”
The Exarch answered without blinking his pitch-black eyes.
“Though you disguised it as the Emperor’s benefactor suddenly disappearing, someone perceptive might consider an appraiser who unexpectedly received 10,000 gold coins. You knew this, didn’t you?”
“And that displeases you? Enough to visit at this hour?”
“It does. Because Miss Rethor only wishes to live quietly.”
“Even if Minervina wants that, do you think her abilities would allow it? If that’s the case, isn’t it better to use them properly?”
“By serving under Your Highness?”
“Of course.”
Their gazes clashed intensely.
No, only Bathilda’s was intense.
