Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Climbing one flight of stairs, an angel statue came into view right before my eyes. It was clearly the work of a renowned sculptor — even the feathers on its wings were rendered with exquisite detail. It truly deserved to be called a masterpiece.

“From here, the room at the far right end is the one Benat uses as his workshop. After hunting, he has a hobby of taxidermy, so it’s full of animals inside.”

“Ah. So that’s…”

So that must be why Theo had spoken in riddles like ‘in front of the angel, at the far right, the room with many animals.’ The duke nodded once as if answering me, then turned left from the angel statue. Walking down the corridor, he found the drawing room and entered. I followed him.

We sat at the table placed there. Not long after, maids appeared carrying trays laden with refreshments. They began stacking all sorts of luxurious foods onto the table — macarons in various colors, cakes topped with strawberries, cookies in dainty shapes.

I gazed at the slice of cake before me in awe. Good heavens! Strawberries! In this season! The price is five times higher than in season! Come to think of it, Ren really likes strawberries. I wish I could take some to him.

Carefully, I lifted my fork and cut into the strawberry cake. But the duke, sitting across from me, set the cake aside and picked up his teacup with a soft clink.

Is something wrong? How can he drink tea first when there’s cake in front of him?

As I glanced at him, he seemed to feel my gaze and looked at me from the corner of his eye. After taking a sip of tea, he set the cup back down with a calm expression. Then he quietly spoke.

“…Not many knew that the marquis had an illegitimate child. That the child who died in the great fire at House Karsen was that bastard — that was also a well-kept secret.”

He spoke while watching the small ripples forming on the tea’s surface. I paused in the middle of eating the strawberry decoration on the cake and looked at him, suddenly opening his mouth.

“Having a second wife isn’t forbidden in this country, but it’s hardly a positive topic, is it? It was a matter of the marquis’s reputation and standing.”

“…”

“Even I only heard about the younger brother who died in the fire after associating with Benat for nearly ten years. It happened quite some time ago, but whenever Benat talked about his brother, he seemed quite attached. Probably because he was his brother — because of that bond, time couldn’t cover it up.”

The ripples on the tea were fading. And reflected on its surface were the duke’s eyes. Somehow looking sorrowful, those eyes made me feel like I had stolen a glimpse of his emotions.

“…”

“So… I don’t quite know how to bring up the story about that child with Benat.”

Listening to this kind of story felt awkward. There was nothing I could say to comfort him. I didn’t have the eloquence for that.

“Did you wait long?”

Just then, the drawing-room door burst open and the young marquis strode in. His bright voice cut between us.

“No.”

The duke answered flatly, lifting his teacup.

“So, you’re busy — what brings you here? On my day off, no less, and you show up right on cue.”

The young marquis asked with a grin, then came over and sat down beside me. Startled, I blinked up at him. He’d clearly just washed off his sweat — his bangs were still slightly damp.

“Hello there. The secretary who came with Illiaje.”

He looked back at me, his eyes narrowing into a thin smile.

“Benat.”

“What?”

The duke called his name in a low voice. But he didn’t even glance at the duke — kept his gaze fixed solely on me.

‘Huh… his skin is really good, though.’

I was flustered, but since I had nothing to say in response, I just sat there, lost in that vacant thought.

“Why are you sitting there? Come here.”

The duke let out a small sigh and gestured with his chin toward the spot beside him.

He was right. It *was* odd for the young marquis to sit next to me, a baron’s daughter. There were clearly seats of honor and low seats. If we were publicly known lovers, maybe that’d be different — but this wasn’t that kind of situation, was it?

“Your hair color’s unique. Is it dyed?”

“Ah — no, it’s not.”

“Natural, then. It’s really pretty.”

He completely ignored the duke’s words, directing his conversation only at me.

Strange. He looked exactly the same… but was this really the brother I’d seen in Theo’s memories? His vibe was completely different.

“Thank you…”

I answered with a slight nod.

“Lord Karsen. Sit here.”

The duke spoke, his voice dropping flat and heavy. The sudden formality made the drawing room’s atmosphere turn thick. The young marquis flinched for a moment, then shrugged once and stood up.

“Fine. What do you want to talk about?”

He said, moving to sit beside the duke.

“…”

The duke didn’t speak right away. No — he *couldn’t*. He was probably tangled up inside, unsure how to start, what to say first.

“What’s wrong? Is something actually going on?”

The young marquis asked, puzzled.

“Benat. The younger brother you told me about before. His name was Theo, wasn’t it?”

“…Yeah. What about him?”

“He’s in my mansion right now.”

“…”

“He said he wants to see you.”

“…”

A long silence settled. I watched them and swallowed dryly. Soon, the young marquis’s brow furrowed slightly, his face twisting.

“…What are you talking about.”

“Ben.”

“You mean that thing you used to talk about as a child? The one only you could see? I went along with it back then because you were little. But you haven’t mentioned them once since you became an adult. What’s this all of a sudden?”

“……I know it sounds ridiculous, but……”

“Illiaje.”

The young marquis rose to his feet. His expression had gone cold.

“You’ve crossed the line. You.”

“……”

“Bringing up that dead child to me.”

He turned his back and started for the door. The Duke didn’t stop him—just stared down at the dark tea in his cup with a twisted expression.

“The lion carving!” I blurted, springing to my feet before I even knew what I was doing, afraid the young marquis would simply walk away.

He paused mid-step.

“My lord…… that…… toy lion carved from wood.”

I hesitated, forcing the words out. He didn’t turn his head, but he seemed to be listening.

“Theo—that boy once received a lion carving from you, didn’t he……? Am I right……?”

The young marquis walked silently to the door and grasped the handle. The stiffness in his movement made my heart lurch. I’d mentioned his brother’s name and soured his mood.

He pushed the drawing-room door open slowly. But he didn’t step out right away.

“Illiaje. Stay the night. Your mother and father are so glad you came.”

With that, he finally stepped through. The door clicked shut, leaving only the Duke and me alone in the drawing room.

“……I made a mistake, didn’t I?”

“No……”

The Duke rubbed his forehead as he answered.

“I’m sorry, but would you mind if we stayed here tonight?”

“Yes. No problem at all.”

I nodded quickly.

* * *

“Miss Laura, how did you come to work for House Cuvershaiden?”

The marchioness asked me in a gentle voice over dinner.

“I heard the ducal manor was hiring and applied.”

“I see. It’s a relief that he’s finally hiring help.”

The marchioness smiled as she replied.

“He has a terrible habit of trying to do everything himself. The Crown Prince once sent someone to lighten his load, and he sent them back, saying he was fine. It’s not good for him to push himself alone.”

“I’ve been causing worry, then.”

The Duke gave a light laugh as she gestured toward him with a nod.

“Of course you have. Don’t make us worry anymore. It seems you actually have a secretary now.”

The marquis chimed in as well.

The atmosphere at the table was quite pleasant, with small talk flowing back and forth. Anyone who hadn’t witnessed the Duke and young marquis’s earlier standoff would never have noticed the subtle tension between them.

I cast a cautious glance at the young marquis seated diagonally across from me. He was eating in silence, slicing his meat with agonizing slowness. Then, without warning, he lifted his head—and fixed his gaze directly on mine. I flinched and looked away before I could stop myself.

“How long have you been working with Illiaje?”

He asked me point-blank. I looked back at him; his stare had not wavered.

“It hasn’t even been two weeks yet.”

“Oh my. Really?”

The marchioness raised her voice in feigned surprise. I confirmed it to her, then stole another sidelong glance at the young marquis.

He wasn’t paying a bit of attention to the conversation he himself had started. He simply continued eating, slow and deliberate. As if that one question had fulfilled his entire duty for the meal.

“Our family has known Your Excellency for quite some time now. I first saw that boy when he was about fifteen.”

The marchioness continued.

“Is that so.”

“Actually, his mother and I were old friends. But I didn’t see her for a long while after she married. When that boy was little, she had to devote herself to caring for him—he was so frail that she couldn’t manage much socializing.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed. He looks perfectly healthy now.”

I nodded and kept the conversation flowing. The duke did have a somewhat weary look about him, but overall he was a sturdy man. Tall, with a solid build. It was hard to imagine he had ever been so weak as to need constant care.

“My mother suffered greatly on my account.”

The duke’s voice was flat, matter-of-fact.

“What a relief that he’s grown so well now. I’m sure Helena would be overjoyed.”

The marchioness said with a smile. She seemed warm—maybe a little chatty.