Chapter 160

“Tomorrow morning, I will announce your marriage to the princess. The wedding will be set for the earliest possible date.”

“…Do you think she will obey Your Majesty’s command even if she knows the truth? You are far too confident.”

“Even if the truth is revealed, they won’t find the connection to me. The culprit is Igrid’s head chamberlain, not me.”

“…”

“No matter how exceptional she may be, the princess is a noble. And a noble cannot refuse a marriage to the royal family. A fire incident with no proof will pose no problem.”

Dante’s broad chest rose and fell rapidly. He was standing still, yet he was breathless with excitement.

Marriage to Astell. He had demanded it of the emperor as a last resort, but he never knew if it would actually happen.

*If I can marry Astell like this…*

He was confident he could endure this life to its fullest.

Even if his wretched spirit was chipped away and worn down, even if he coughed up blood, he would endure.

*If only I can have her.*

Dante pressed a hand to his chest. His heart, which he barely knew he had, was pounding relentlessly.

This was the first time he had strayed so far from his role.

He felt anxious, yet a part of him thrilled. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way, but he couldn’t abandon his greed.

He wanted to be happy. Just once.

*Why not? I’m a monster.*

He wasn’t human. So why must he abide by human morals? Why couldn’t he be selfish?

Why must he always hold back when what he desired was right in front of him?

*This might be the last time.*

As if sensing Dante’s feelings, the emperor’s chin lifted arrogantly.

“Return to the palace. You are to remain locked in your chambers until the Duke of Ruthius’s funeral in three days. Do you understand?”

It was an order not to meet with Astell. A ploy to prevent them from scheming together.

In just a few days, she would be his. Dante found this blissful temptation utterly irresistible.

* * *

Alex slowly opened his eyes.

*Is it dawn?* Everything was dark. He didn’t know how long he had slept. His body felt languid, so it must have been more than half a day.

“Ugh!”

Drowsily, he sat up and clutched his head. It was a side effect of the dark magic that had forced him into unconsciousness.

He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain to subside. A moment later, as the headache faded, his memories gradually returned.

The charred main building, the acrid smell of smoke, and Frank’s tearful voice.

“It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault! I should have served the Duke better… Young Duke, please kill me!”

“…Father…”

A tear fell from Alex’s large eyes.

He once thought of Duke Ruthius as a machine. His cold expression and gaze made it seem as if he had no emotions at all.

When he was six, after hearing the truth about his mother’s death, he’d wondered if the duke was truly his father.

What kind of father would so calmly foretell his own son’s death?

Alex resented Duke Ruthius for it. He hated the father who had never once held him in a warm embrace.

But as he grew older, he began to catch glimpses of the duke’s pain. Even when he acted just as cold, there were times Alex could feel the affection hidden deep beneath the surface.

That was why, no matter how much he resented him, he had never wished for Duke Ruthius to die.

Duke Ruthius was a steadfast pillar. A sky that would never fall. He had never imagined, even in his dreams, a world without him.

“Kuh!”

His chest ached as if it were about to burst. He wished he could just tear out his heart.

As he impulsively clutched his chest, a low voice spoke.

“A person’s heart isn’t so easily torn out.”

“…!”

Alex snapped his head up. He could see the figure of a person sitting in the dark shadows.

“Astell?”

“Yes.”

“Father? What happened to Father? He’s alive, right? He’s not dead, is he?”

“They found a body. It was wearing this on its left middle finger.”

Astell tossed something shiny. Alex stared blankly at the object that landed on the bed.

“It’s just… a ring. What’s this? Is there any proof it’s Father’s?”

“It’s the Duke’s. There are initials engraved on the inside.”

Alex picked up the ring with a trembling hand.

Axion & Marcella

“N-no… No! It’s a lie! Father can’t be dead! You’re trying to trick me!”

“Alex.”

“Is it because I was wrong to you, because I only said cruel things? Is this your revenge?”

“Calm down, Alex. The Duke is gone.”

*Plop—*

Fat tears fell from Alex’s eyes. He quickly covered his face, pulled his legs to his chest, and buried his face in his knees. A moment later, his broad shoulders began to shake violently.

“*Hic, sob, waah, sob!*”

“Haaah…”

The sight of his nearly two-meter frame curled into a ball, sniffling, was truly pathetic.

Astell sighed and stood up. She quietly climbed onto the bed, patting Alex’s shoulder as she explained the situation.

“They found an explosive artifact at the scene of the fire. Igrid had his head chamberlain plant it in the Duke’s bedroom on the third floor. The emperor ordered it, of course.”

“…That son of a bitch emperor!”

“I’m not finished. Fortunately, the Duke managed to get a confession from the emperor. It was the day before he died.”

“What good does that do…? He’s gone…”

Alex let out a mournful cry and clung to her neck.

“*Sob! Hic, hic!* A-Astell… Our poor father, what are we going to do! *Waaah!*”

“What’s there to be sad about? We’ll just get revenge for him.”

“Hey! H-how can you, *hic*, say something so, so heartless? *Sob!* F-Father is dead and you’re not, *hic*, even sad?”

“Either cry or talk. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

“*Waaah!*”

“Haaah, alright, alright. Cry all you want today. But starting tomorrow, you need to get a grip. You’re the head of the family now. There’s a lot to do.”

Astell soothed him, rubbing his back.

After a long while of wailing, Alex’s sobs began to subside.

It seemed he no longer had the energy to cry. His swollen eyes were devoid of strength.

Staring blankly at the dawn moon, Alex roughly wiped his eyes with his forearm.

“I’m sorry…”

“For what, all of a sudden?”

“For everything I did to you when we were kids.”

“Why apologize now? It’s a bit sudden.”

“You know I’m an idiot who doesn’t know anything. Back then, my own pain was so great… I couldn’t think about the pain you must have felt.”

“…What’s with you? Don’t act so out of character.”

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

“…”

“I really must be an idiot. Only apologizing now.”

The air around Alex felt strange. Seeing the look on his face, as if he’d lost the will to live, she worried he might follow Duke Ruthius to his death.

After a moment’s hesitation, Astell irritably ran a hand through her hair.

“Daddy’s boys are so annoying.”

“…What?”

“I smelled it on you ever since you were whining, ‘Dad chose you instead of me!’… Then again, I guess that’s why you guarded the secret of the Duke being a Hunter with your life.”

Alex’s swollen eyes widened.

“Y-you knew Father was a Hunter? H-how…”

“Did you think I’d never find out? The million points you gave me last time were from the Duke, weren’t they?”

“Uh…”

“I knew it. Did it feel good taking credit for someone else’s points?”

“I don’t think I took credit for it…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You made such a fuss, demanding a reaction.”

“…Sorry…”

Normally, Alex would have argued stubbornly about what he’d done wrong, but now he just apologized dejectedly.

Astell frowned. Seeing Alex so listless wasn’t satisfying; it just made her more irritated.

“Haaah, I really wasn’t going to tell you…”

Muttering to herself, she pulled Alex into a hug.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Consoling you.”

“…”

Normally, he would have recoiled in horror, but today, he wanted to lean on someone.

Held gently in his sister’s arms, Alex suddenly stopped crying. He felt Astell repeatedly tracing something on his back.

*What is it?*

*A drawing? No, letters.* As he focused, he could roughly make out the words.

*’D… U… K… Ah, the first word is Duke. What’s the second? A… L… I… V… ah, alive…!’*

Alex’s expression went blank. His drying eyes quickly welled up with tears again.

The Duke.

Is alive.

“Feeling a little better now?”

“H-huh?”

“Still haven’t snapped out of it? Need more consoling?”

“N-no, I’m fine, but…”

Alex’s eyes darted around wildly. He couldn’t believe it, wondering if he had understood correctly or if he was just imagining things.

“Alex, look at me.”

Alex met Astell’s gaze. Looking into her forest-green eyes, his muddled thoughts seemed to calm.

“You understand why I chose this particular way to console you, right?”

*To keep it a secret from the Constellations.*

Realizing Astell’s intention, Alex nodded.

“Besides me… have you consoled anyone else?”

“The butler. He seemed to be in deep shock.”

*So it’s just me and Frank who know.*

Only then did it feel real.

*Father is alive!*

Alex opened his eyes as wide as he could. If he didn’t, he felt the tears would start flowing again.

“You’re not the only one who lost the Duke. Don’t be so obvious about it.”

*She means I shouldn’t show how happy I am.* Alex quickly schooled his expression.

Astell, who had been watching him sternly, gave a slight nod. She seemed satisfied.

“The butler told me. From consenting to the funeral to the date, location, and number of mourners, you have to decide everything. Starting tomorrow, you need to have your wits about you.”

His nose tingled. From Astell’s perspective, the more people who knew the secret, the more disadvantaged she would be.

And yet, she had told him. He wouldn’t have known if she’d stayed quiet. She could have kept it a secret until the very end. Just because she didn’t like seeing him sad.

“Astell, thank you. Really.”

“…For what now?”

“F-for consoling me.”

“Then you’d better act like it.”

“Yeah! I’ll be really good to you from now on.”

“How are you going to be good to me? Carry me on your back?”

“Should I?”

Astell, who had been scoffing, hardened her expression.

“That’s disgusting.”

“If you don’t like it, I won’t.”

“Just act like you normally do. This is giving me the creeps.”

*She makes a fuss even when I say I’ll be nice to her. Who did she get such a terrible personality from? She was so sweet when we were little…*

Alex grumbled inwardly before asking.

“What are you going to do now?”

“First, let’s set a date for the funeral. And then…”

Astell calmly explained her plan.