Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Part 10: Black Smoke

Inside the carriage heading back to Cuvershaiden, I sat across from the duke, facing him. Come to think of it, he’d come to find me without any explanation at all. I wondered what had driven him to make that trip. Of course, just seeing him had made my heart race—that’s why I’d followed him out without a second thought.

But aside from that, I couldn’t help being curious about his intentions. Had his heart been racing too? Maybe that’s why, after some hesitation, he’d come to see me—belatedly.

“Your Grace.”

I called him quietly, and his blue eyes turned toward me.

“Is it really alright for me to go back to Cuvershaiden now?… I mean, you sent me away because it was dangerous, didn’t you. Is it safe now?”

“…I have something to say about that.”

Then the duke finally parted his lips, his speech slow. I held my breath and listened for his voice. I hadn’t expected sweet words like ‘I missed you,’ but what came back from him was something utterly unexpected.

“I can offer you a position somewhere the ghost doesn’t appear.”

Huh? What is this guy saying?

My expression hardened. The thought that he was really going to send me away made me bristle with irritation. Then what about earlier, when he said we should make our relationship clear—didn’t that mean he wanted a romance? Maybe he’d only meant an employer-to-exiled-employee relationship. My heart churned with confusion. Just entertaining that absurd speculation drained the energy from me; my shoulders slumped without me even noticing. But the duke, oblivious or uncaring, just kept talking.

“…I won’t run it myself, but it’s a place where I still have some influence. A planned project will run for a few years.”

Huh? Wait, this… sounds kind of familiar, doesn’t it?

In an instant, I caught several hints buried in those meandering sentences. As each credible piece of circumstantial evidence piled up, my suspicion hardened into near certainty.

“Your Grace. That job… is it at my family’s place? No, I mean—the Highen Mansion?”

“…”

A flicker of surprise crossed the Duke’s face. I’d thrown it out on a hunch, hoping it might stick, and it seemed I was right. That was it. He was the one who’d bought the Highen Mansion. I gave a small nod, as if to show I understood.

“I didn’t know from the start, honestly… but I went to the Highen Mansion yesterday. I wanted to see the old house again, the neighborhood too. And that’s how I found out.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it.”

He must have worried I’d feel burdened. And his concern was reasonable. I did feel like I owed him a huge debt. Our family had bounced back so quickly only because he’d bought the house right when we needed it, at just the right price.

“Thank you, Your Grace. I visited home and saw my siblings doing well, for the most part. That was thanks to you. I don’t even know how to repay you.”

“No. There’s no need.”

He let out a light laugh at my words. An itching warmth stirred up from somewhere near my heart. It was strange. Just a moment before, he’d had me feeling downcast. Now, in the blink of an eye, he had my heart fluttering again. He was truly such a captivating man it was hard to think straight.

“So, about what I mentioned…”

The Duke tried to continue. I quickly waved both hands, cutting him off.

“No, Your Grace. I’m not going. I want to stay in Cuvershaiden. Right here at your side!”

I hadn’t followed him all the way here just to back down now. Of course, working at the Highen Mansion wouldn’t mean I’d never see him again, but I didn’t want to be apart from him any longer.

“Your Grace, I know you thought about this carefully—that’s why you offered me the new position. But I don’t want that. I’m staying in Cuvershaiden, no matter what.”

I met his gaze with a resolute look as I finished speaking. He watched me quietly. For a moment, appraising me, or perhaps thinking something over carefully, then he finally spoke, his voice calm.

“It makes me uneasy. You’re prone to possession, and there are still souls lingering in Cuvershaiden.”

“…”

“Then again, I can’t exactly move Cuvershaiden. It’d complicate things.”

“Hmm… There aren’t many ghosts left now… I won’t let myself be possessed… and we have the Eye of the Sun. So wouldn’t it be fine?”

Maybe he’d just send me back like this, I thought. So I watched him carefully, testing the waters as I spoke. But he wasn’t giving me any answer at all. My heart was racing so fast it made me dizzy. That must be why. Without even the composure to think things through, I rushed to grab tight onto the hem of his coat.

“You said we were going back. Didn’t you come to pick me up?”

“……I came because I missed you. Because you were on my mind. But this is a problem in its own way. If you’re not going to Highen Mansion, part of me wants to indulge myself and take you straight to Cuvershaiden—but this complacency might lead to regret someday.”

‘I missed you.’ It sounded almost like a confession. Embarrassment flooded through me in an instant. Without thinking, I dropped my head low, chewing on my lip with hesitation. I kept my mouth shut just long enough for the conversation not to break, then suddenly lifted my eyes to look at him. If he’d missed me, surely he also wanted to be with me. I decided to hold onto that thread.

“It’s not you, Duke. It’s because I attempted possession. I won’t do that anymore. Or maybe we could set rules to prevent any accidents? Like safety protocols.”

“……For example?”

“Not wandering around the mansion at night. Staying away from ghosts when I see them—stuff like that. As long as I don’t bump into spirits, possession won’t happen, so the odds would drop to zero.”

“We’ll need to be more specific.”

He murmured it like he was talking to himself. But these were rules I’d made up in a hurry. I hadn’t even thought about the specific conditions, so I couldn’t give him an answer right away. Instead, the answer came from the Duke himself.

“First, I’ll move the office. The current one has a headless man appearing at the door. Better to avoid him as much as possible. And I’ll adjust your work hours so you’re off before dark—once you’re done, go straight to your room and stay there. Don’t run into any souls unnecessarily. If you have to come out at night, call me. Stay with me.”

“So then……”

He meant going back to Cuvershaiden!

Honestly, the thought of being locked up in my room right after work wasn’t exactly pleasant, but this was a negotiation with the Duke, so I decided to accept it well enough. Besides, I’d made up my mind to stay by his side no matter what, so giving in on a demand like that was just me meeting him halfway. I cheerfully answered, ‘Got it!’ to his proposal.

“And I have something to give you.”

This time, the Duke pulled something from his coat. It was a ring box made of red velvet. I jumped, my eyes going wide with surprise. Then, with both hands trembling slightly, I took it from him.

My mind raced through every possibility. Was this it? The thing that would redefine our relationship?! I was thrilled, but I wasn’t mentally prepared yet… Still, I didn’t care. I could just start preparing now!

With a nervous heart, I opened the ring box. A ring with a large, uncut gemstone came into view. But it wasn’t the kind of jewel I had hoped for.

“Ah… It’s the Eye of the Sun, isn’t it?”

“It’s a safety net. The gems on your bracelet are too small to hold much divine power. I couldn’t find anything else for now, but if I can get more in the future, I’ll pass them on to you. Consider keeping this on your person at all times a new rule.”

“Ah… Yes. Well. I see.”

My heart, which had been nothing but fluttery anticipation, went stone cold. I kept my expression fixed as I tucked the ring box quietly into my bosom.

“Thank. You. So. Much.”

“…Why are you angry?”

The Duke glanced at me, checking my mood, and asked. I must have let my feelings show too plainly on my face. It felt a bit childish, but I couldn’t manage my expression properly.

“No. What makes you think that?”

That must have been it. A tone that anyone could see was clearly sulky slipped out. The Duke stared at me with considerable bewilderment.

Just then, the carriage lurched to a stop. A massive mansion came into view outside the window. ‘Finally back,’ I said, deflecting the conversation smoothly. The Duke didn’t add any further questions and stepped out of the carriage first. Then he extended a hand toward me. I slowly placed my hand over his. With his escort, I once again set foot on the grounds of the Cuvershaiden estate.

“Laura, go in and rest for today.”

“Yes.”

After that, I headed to my room with a short reply. As I walked along the long corridor, the sound of my footsteps echoed in my ears. Suddenly, the situation itself felt overwhelmingly embarrassing.

‘Ugh. What was I getting so excited about? You’re seriously sick! Sick! Honestly, that was such an overreaction!’

I yanked at my hair with one hand, then pulled the ring box from my bosom with the other.

‘Tch. I guess since I already have the bracelet, he gave me a ring instead… Should I just try it on my left ring finger?’

On impulse, I slid the ring onto the finger with special meaning. But it was a bit too big, feeling loose and slipping around.

‘It’ll fit my index or middle finger. Certainly not meant for the ring finger…’

I held my fingers out straight and stared at the ring.

‘Ah… Should I just buy a pair of rings and give one to His Grace?’