Chapter 79
Given the considerable distance from the main building to the guest house, I took a carriage to arrive at the main building.
I didn’t bring Pablo along.
Although I had asked for his guidance, it was common sense that he wouldn’t actually do it, and I knew where Priscilla would be without any guidance anyway.
I entered the main building and quickly went up to the second floor.
Right? Left?
As I was looking around, wondering which way to go first, an elderly butler approached me.
“It’s an honor to see you, Your Imperial Highness. If you’re looking for Lady Priscilla, I can guide you.”
He led me to Priscilla’s room like a butler who had worked at the Grand Duke’s castle for a long time.
“Lady Priscilla. Her Imperial Highness has come to see you.”
“Let her in.”
After hearing a dignified voice, the elderly butler opened the door.
Sunlight streaming through the large window made only Priscilla’s silhouette visible.
There was also an acrid smell, as if she had been smoking.
As I approached, I could finally see her face.
The familiar mint-colored hair and blue eyes were the first things I noticed.
But her gaze alone was closer to that of a predator, unlike anyone else’s.
Priscilla bowed to me with proper etiquette.
“Your Imperial Highness, it’s been a long time.”
“It has been a long time, Lady Priscilla.”
“I’m sorry you had to come here in person.”
“Don’t worry about it. I came because I wanted to see you.”
After a brief greeting, we sat at the table.
While refreshments were being set on the table, we started with light small talk.
“This is your first time in the Grand Duchy, isn’t it? I hope you like the land I’ve cultivated.”
Her tone was as if she were still the Grand Duke.
Even so, aren’t you showing me the family situation too unfiltered?
From the old days, Priscilla would show this kind of personal favor as if she thought I was one of her kind.
“I was very worried. It was a trial that could have been easily overturned, yet it ended up that way.”
“I wanted to leave the Imperial Palace for a while. It turned out to be a good change of pace.”
“If that’s the case, I’m glad.”
“Come to think of it, I remember Lady Priscilla had been staying in the capital all along. Is there a specific reason you’ve come to see me, a criminal who hasn’t even been reinstated yet?”
Help me get reinstated.
I subtly hinted at her.
Priscilla willingly took the bait.
“Of course. If there’s anything you want, please command it. The Eckhart Grand Duchy will support you.”
“I’m so fortunate. I really was born with good fortune in relationships.”
As I politely flattered Priscilla, her cold lips curved up slightly.
You’re going to be in for a big shock soon, I should flatter you a bit more.
“As it happens, I was feeling uneasy because my original place was attacked, but the Grand Duke has been a great help.”
“An attack? Such a disrespectful act…”
“Fortunately, I was unharmed. The Grand Duke’s swordsmanship skills are quite excellent. On top of that, he treated all my precious people. The Grand Duke resembles you a lot, Lady Priscilla.”
Priscilla seemed skeptical, probably unable to believe that her son could have shown such a reliable side, but she didn’t look displeased.
“I will surely repay this kindness.”
“Please, don’t mention it. It was only natural as someone loyal to Your Imperial Highness.”
While not exactly warm, the tea time was peaceful in its own way.
This much conversation should be enough groundwork for the bomb I’m about to drop.
As I was preparing to leave, Priscilla stood up as well and expressed her regret.
“Oh my, are you leaving already?”
“I just came to give a light greeting today. In my excitement, I ended up visiting a tired person without realizing it.”
“Please visit again anytime. I plan to stay for a while.”
“Ah, then may I make one request?”
“Please, command anything.”
Priscilla smiled as if she had several plans ready to get rid of Mars right away.
Of course, it would be convenient for me if she made plans, but there was a more pressing issue to resolve first.
“While you’re staying at the castle, could you please refrain from smoking?”
Not just during conversations, but during her entire stay?
Priscilla’s expression showed a slight lack of comprehension.
I kindly explained the reason to her.
“There are two children in the castle. It seems you’ll be crossing paths with them often, so we need to be careful about secondhand smoke.”
“Two…?”
A visible shock passed over Priscilla’s face.
As expected, the point of focus wasn’t the existence of children, but their number.
And with perfect timing, the sound of running in the corridor was heard, and the door burst open.
It was the Grand Duke.
Judging by his heavy breathing, he must have been in quite a hurry.
He seemed to have a lot to say, but due to that acquired mental illness of his, he appeared unable to speak.
Priscilla frowned at his rude behavior, but I, who had been waiting for him to arrive, welcomed him with a bright smile.
“Welcome, Grand Duke. I was just about to tell Lady Priscilla about us.”
“…Pardon?”
The Grand Duke was so flustered that he ended up speaking through his mask.
I approached him closely and whispered softly in his ear.
“I finally get to hear that precious voice of yours, Grand Duke? But it’s a voice I’ve heard somewhere before.”
“…!”
“I’ll accept your apology based on how you react to what I’m about to do.”
“W-wait.”
The Grand Duke’s flustered attempt to stop me was interrupted by Priscilla.
“Your Imperial Highness, what do you mean by two children… Surely there’s only one…”
Even Priscilla couldn’t help but let words slip in her confusion in this situation.
‘The Grand Duke’ doesn’t have any children. Only ‘Ide’ does.
Got you, you rascal.
I glanced at the Grand Duke, and he looked like he wanted to faint right then and there.
Where do you think you’re fainting?
I pulled the Grand Duke’s arm and leaned on him affectionately.
“There’s a child between the Grand Duke and me. She’s like a sister to Ayla. Since they’re here, please be careful not to let the children inhale any smoke.”
* * *
Shocked by the news of her son having an illegitimate child, Priscilla grabbed the back of her neck and eventually took to her bed.
‘She wasn’t this weak before.’
She had sent off more than a few political opponents with scandals, but it seems the news of her obedient son having an illegitimate child hit differently.
Having given Priscilla a warning in advance, she probably won’t be able to lay a hand on my children now.
It was time to have a serious talk with the Grand Duke.
After bringing him to the garden, looking like he was about to collapse, I sat him down in a shaded chair.
“Sit down, Grand Duke.”
“…Since when did you know?”
Ide, who was also the Grand Duke, or rather Lloyd, asked in a voice that sounded like the world had ended, and I calmly replied.
“Since I came here.”
“Was it… Aslan?”
So Aslan found out too.
How did Aslan find out, anyway?
“No. But it was thanks to her. You left so many clues that even Aslan could figure it out. Your aliases aren’t very creative, are they? Lloyd, Ide.”
Now that I knew, it felt like he had been begging to be found out.
Lloyd seemed to agree.
“You can take off your mask and wig now.”
“I’m more comfortable like this.”
“You just don’t want to show your expression, right?”
“…”
Lloyd avoided answering.
Just looking at his sitting posture, you could tell how complicated he felt.
What little skin was visible on his neck had turned deathly pale.
I sat down next to him and kindly recapped his mistakes.
“The first strange thing I noticed was your hand. Aslan had mentioned that the Grand Duke’s hand was bleeding from saving her. But the stand-in was clenching both fists without any problem? Pablo must have been quite nervous, huh?”
“…”
“Another strange thing was that even considering you were the Grand Duke’s subordinate, the things you used were too luxurious. You should have been more modest in the countryside.”
“…I had no plans to approach Your Imperial Highness at all.”
“It all went awry because of Aslan, right? Decisively, you look too much like Lady Priscilla. That hair color isn’t common, is it? If you were going to hide your hair color, you should have done it as Ide, not as the Grand Duke.”
“I disliked being constantly compared to my mother…”
“And even as Lord Mente, you mentioned how strict your mother was, right? Putting all the clues together, it made perfect sense if Lord Mente was the Grand Duke.”
After hearing my deductions to the end, Lloyd, seemingly no longer intending to make excuses, admitted his mistakes in a mumbling voice.
“I was… very careless.”
“Yes. But I only noticed most of it after coming here.”
If I hadn’t come here, Lloyd would have remained Ide to me forever.
Even if there might have been some distrust.
Resigned to having everything exposed, Lloyd took off his mask and wig.
Ruffling his flattened hair, Lloyd asked.
“Will it be alright? Introducing Aslan to my mother as my child.”
“What do you mean, will it be alright?”
“You have someone you love, don’t you?”
I blinked in surprise at this unexpected statement.
I had something like that?
