Chapter 28

Chapter 28

“Of course. Then, please follow me.”

Luckily, Sir Dylan’s answer was positive. He opened the door and stepped out, and the Duke and I followed behind him.

“The portraits of the Krentis imperial family are historical records. They’re open for any visitor to the castle to see, but they’re displayed in a rather hard-to-find spot. If you’re not familiar with the place, you might get lost.”

True to his word, the portrait hung in a room you could only reach by rounding corridor after corridor. And along that walk, countless ghosts brushed past us. None died as violently as the ones in the drawing room, but still—ghosts were ghosts, and they wound me tight with fear.

In moments like these, it was a real comfort that there was one other coward who could see them too. Someone like my duke, right beside me…

“We’re here. This is it.”

Sir Dylan stopped before a door and turned back to us. I was clinging close to the duke’s side when I peeled away, smooth as silk.

That room, the one holding the portrait, unlike any other, had a door adorned with ornate, twisting carvings in gorgeous detail. A marker, it seemed, to signal this was an important chamber.

“Through here?”

“Yes. Please, come in.”

The door swung open to reveal a space far more sprawling than I’d expected. And along the walls, row upon row of portraits were crammed together in neat lines and columns.

“These are portraits left from the early days of Krentis’s founding. My father’s painting is further in.”

Sir Dylan walked ahead as he spoke. I followed, browsing the paintings along the wall. Inside frames worn by age, Krentis’s imperial family all wore grave expressions. Most had blonde hair and blue eyes—whether the paintings were flattering or not, each one flaunted striking good looks.

‘Same color across generations. That’s some powerful genetics.’

I turned my head again to watch Sir Dylan’s back. His fine golden hair swayed with each step.

“What was the hero Adrein like?”

I could suddenly recall the man from the maid ghost’s memories, the one with the same shade of hair. But from those brief flashes, it was impossible to see everything. So I grew curious. What kind of person had she loved…?

“Are you asking about Adrein the hero?”

“As a hero, or as himself. What was he like, from a son’s perspective?”

“As a hero, he was a remarkable talent. A fine leader in turbulent times. A man worthy of respect. I’m very proud of him.”

He answered with a voice laced with amusement.

“As a father or a husband, though, he wasn’t much of a good man.”

Then he turned to look at us and continued.

I’d felt it since the banquet hall—this man’s attitude toward his father was ambiguous. The voice talking about him was clearly buoyant, but if you picked apart the words, there were subtle little thorns tucked inside.

“…….”

I didn’t answer. Well, I had nothing to say, really. The duke was the same—no reply came from him. Sir Dylan gave a soft smile, then quickened his pace and walked on.

“This,” he said, “is the portrait of the hero, Adrein.”

He stopped before a painting and gestured toward it with one hand.

Blond hair, blue eyes, a sturdy build and a trained body. The familiar sight hit me with certainty. That man was the one the maid ghost had been searching for.

I began studying the painting more closely. I recalled the portraits I’d glanced at while scanning the room earlier. The royals depicted there all sat or stood in stiff postures, their faces frozen cold. But Adrein was different. He stood in a stance like he might draw his sword from its scabbard at any moment—as if caught in that instant just before a battle.

His relaxed expression radiated confidence. A youthful spirit shone through his healthy, dynamic posture. It was only a painting, but the fierce aura of a formidable general pressed down on me.

“Wow…”

An involuntary exclamation slipped from my lips.

Then the maid ghost clinging to me slowly detached and drifted toward the painting. She stared at it blankly. But I saw no joy in her. For someone who’d finally faced her beloved, even in a portrait, her back was startlingly calm.

“What do you think, young lady?”

Sir Dylan approached and asked. I’d been watching the maid ghost and snapped back to myself.

Ah. Right. I was supposed to be pretending to be Adrein’s fan, wasn’t I?

“He’s… really impressive. He looks free… distinctive. Breathtaking. Magnificent. And, um… truly unique.”

I jumbled together every compliment I knew and answered.

“I heard my father was a born swordsmanship prodigy even as a child. He had a strong constitution too. So… he was bound to be different from the rest from the start.”

Pleasure tinged his voice. Even my clumsy praise had him eagerly boasting about Adrein—seemed he truly liked his father. Though that uneasy, alien feeling still lingered.

“The crest engraved on the armor’s chest is our House’s crest. Do you see the half-sun pattern? The Emperor granted it after a victory in war. And that sword he’s holding—it’s a one-of-a-kind blade made to my father’s exact specifications. He said he’d pass it down to me… though it seems he’ll never hand it over himself.”

Hmm… the boasting is getting lengthy…

I gave a modest nod, listening as Sir Dylan continued listing his stories. All the while, the maid ghost still couldn’t tear her eyes from Adrein’s portrait.

“…So once the banquet ends, on our way back to Luision, how about stopping by my estate?”

But amid the long-winded boasting, a sudden, different remark cut in. Startled out of my half-listening daze by Sir Dylan’s out-of-the-blue invitation to his own home, I lifted my eyes.

“To… the Marquis’s manor?”

“My father is unwell at the moment, so he can’t go out. But he dearly enjoys meeting people, so I make a point of inviting guests even if I have to force it. If you, Young Lady, who supposedly loves tales of Adrein’s heroics, would keep him company, I’d be most grateful.”

Gratitude ought to be coming from our side, actually. I’d been worrying about how to get an invitation to the Marquis’s manor…

Was it really falling into place this easily? Could I meet Adrein right away?

I spun around and shot a look at the Duke, who’d been standing silently behind me all along.

“It’ll be on the way anyway, so there’s no difficulty. We’ll accept the visit with thanks.”

The Duke answered, addressing Sir Dylan.

Perfect! Things were working out more smoothly than I’d expected. The moment I set foot in Krentis’s banquet, I’d met Adrein’s son—and now I’d even been invited to his home. At this rate, I could send that maid ghost on her ascension.

With a light heart, I gazed at the maid ghost’s back. Beyond her hazy silhouette, Adrein’s portrait glimmered. I dared not pry into her heart, but I knew she must still be carrying the pain of her lifetime.

So I hoped that this chance would let her shed all the regrets anchoring her to the land of the living, and ascend. That, at last, she might earn a next life and find happiness there…

* * *

The Emperor of Krentis didn’t like dragging banquets on and draining the treasury. I’d heard that because of such a ruler, even his birthday feast lasted barely three days.

On the third day—the last day at the Imperial Castle—I was spending my time rolling around in my room. I’d learned who the maid ghost was searching for and how to meet him, so there was no more need to attend the banquet. I was also scared, having faced those terrifying ghosts on the first day. But after a day or two had passed, I was starting to feel stiff and restless.

Ah! The last day of the banquet—they said they’d set off a huge firework, didn’t they?!

The Duke’s mention of fireworks from the other day suddenly came to mind.

‘I heard the best view is from the banquet hall’s window. Should I head there?’

I quickly changed out of my pajamas and opened the door to step out. But right in front of my eyes, a skeleton in a maid’s uniform was rolling a tray past.

Roll, roll, roll, roll, roll—

…What the hell is that?

I slammed the door shut in a hurry, then forced myself to walk calmly back to the bed.

“It’s a shame, but fireworks… I can see those back home too. Nothing special about them, right…”

Fireworks weren’t worth being scared over. Better to just get to sleep early.

‘Knock knock—’

But just as I was about to pull the blanket over my head, a knock came at the door.

Was it that skull from before? Skull, right? Definitely skull? Who is it?

‘Knock knock knock—’

The knock came again when I didn’t answer.

“Ugh… Whatever it is, I’ll just stay quiet. It’ll stop eventually.”

‘Knock knock knock—’

“Laura?”

Then this time, the Duke’s voice followed. The momentary fear I’d felt settled straight down. I pushed myself up and hurried to the door.

“Your Grace!”

I yanked the door open to find the Duke standing there, impeccably dressed.

“Were you asleep?”

“Ah, no, it’s just… I thought it was the dead children knocking…”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But, what brings you here…?”

“…”

“…”

He didn’t speak for a moment. No, it looked like he was turning over what to say in his head. I looked up at his face as I waited for his answer. Behind that impassive expression, I caught a subtle glint of tension.

“…The fireworks will be starting soon. Would you like to come watch with me?”

For having considered it so long, it was a remarkably simple sentence.