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“Actually… Old Madam seems more sensitive because a guest arrived at the Duke’s house. She told me to ensure Little Madam was doing her job properly. That’s why I kept coming here.”
Madam Quillian giving such an order? Madam Quillian must have been on edge because of Young Lady Meltain. In addition, Madam Quillian’s friendly gaze at her became sharper because of Young Lady Meltain. It was enough to order for such a thing.
“Ah, is that so?”
Alice nodded her head and paused.
“But why didn’t you tell me that you were ordered to do that? Then, you’ve been watching me the past few days without telling me anything?”
“Th-that’s impossible! I will never keep an eye on the Little Madam under Old Madam’s command. It’s just that this can be covered with a little lie, so I didn’t tell the Little Madam. I’m telling the truth.” Helkin said quickly, as if he was being wrongly accused.
His eyes were wide open on his toadlike face. His face wasn’t good to look at due to his appearance.
Alice slightly turned her head and roughly agreed with him. She was a bit uncomfortable about something, but Helkin wouldn’t be able to do any nonsense as she was holding on to his weakness.
Watching her, Helkin was less worthy compared to the Duke’s assets he had stolen, so he wouldn’t betray her even if he was afraid of dying. That’s unless a certain someone doesn’t threaten Helkin with a sword pointed at his neck.
“I’ll believe you, so do some shut-eye.”
“… I will.”
Helkin heaved an inconspicuous relieved sigh.
Alice retracted her gaze from him and opened the lid of the crystal bottle. She then looked at Kaillus. She thought she had already calmed down her troubled mind, but seeing his face made her restless again.
“… There is nothing I can do.”
Alice gave Kaillus the medicine with a downcast look in her eyes. Alice raised her leaning body after emptying the bottle. A piece of paper slipped from her dress pocket, but Alice didn’t notice it.
“Please hand me the bottle.”
Helkin took the bottle as Alice opened her mouth, looking at the motionless Kaillus. She was about to say her usual greetings, but she wondered what’s the use of that. Alice eventually closed her mouth and turned away without saying goodbye today.
“I will go first. See you tomorrow.”
“… Yes, Little Madam.”
Alice hurried out of the bedroom, hiding her dark expression.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Helkin nervously looked at the bed after Alice left. Kaillus, who had opened his eyes as if he was waiting, rose from the bed.
“I made no mistake today, Your Excellency.”
Helkin hurriedly said that, scared that Kaillus might reveal his anger about what happened earlier.
But Kaillus wasn’t interested in Kaillus – because Alice’s hollow voice echoed deep in his head.
[‘There is nothing I can do.’]
Her voice was filled with resignation and sadness when she said those words. What is it that you can do nothing about?
Kaillus knew her words were directed to him even though she wasn’t saying anything in particular. She didn’t even say goodbye to him today. The sudden change in her attitude and the words that she would be leaving this place were strangely on his mind.
“… Sir?” Helkin carefully called Kaillus, who wasn’t saying anything.
But Kaillus didn’t answer. He wasn’t even looking at Helkin in the first place. It was as if he was invisible and concentrating on something else.
Helkin wondered why, but he had no courage to disturb Kaillus’ thoughts.
I want to give you the antidote as soon as possible. Yes, today was the day Kaillus would take the antidote, so Helkin was more nervous than ever.
Click, the door opened when a heavy silence descended in the bedroom.
“Your Excellency, Young Lady Meltain has arrived.”
The ones who entered the bedroom were the butler and Young Lady Meltain. They were both living in the Duke’s house, but Helkin had yet to meet Young Lady Meltain.
First seeing Young Lady Meltain, Helkin opened his eyes widely at her beautiful appearance and was suddenly hit by a strong wind from somewhere.
“It’s not polite to stare at a person’s face.”
“… Wizard?”
Helkin realized that the strong wind blowing through the back of his head was magic. Wizard? That Young Lady didn’t even use such a complicated technique means that this Young Lady is relatively high in the circle of wizards.
On top of that, the Young Lady seemed to already know that the Duke had woken up. That only means she didn’t come here just for her social debut.
Helkin quietly looked down because he didn’t want to go against the Young Lady’s temper.
“… I’m sorry.”
“Sienna.”
Then Kaillus, who was deep in thought, called Sienna.
“How are you feeling, Duke?”
“I am alright. I heard you went out today. Did you go to the inn I told you about?”
Sienna was about to answer but paused and looked at Helkin. She thought this was important to talk about in Helkin’s presence.
Kaillus noticed it and said, “You don’t have to worry about him. He doesn’t have that many lives to be talking recklessly.”
He was saying he would kill him if he spilled about it. Helkin bowed his head upon hearing it as if he heard nothing.
Sienna turned to Kaillus.
“I did. I visited the inn you mentioned and met James. I didn’t say anything and showed him the card you gave me. I will be meeting Sir Tessiri in the inn tomorrow.”
“You didn’t get caught while sneaking out of the temple?”
“Yes. No one noticed as I quietly warped in the prayer room with the illusion magic.”
Illusion magic and warp. Kaillus was satisfied with Sienna’s higher magical ability than he thought.
As he nodded, he told Sienna, “… Was there anything strange about the Duchess when she went with you to the temple?”
“Yes?”
Paused at his unexpected question, Sienna shook her head as she recalled what had happened during the day.
“I didn’t find anything particularly strange about the Duchess. Since I used a private prayer room… we weren’t together.”
“… I see.”
Kaillus’ face darkened slightly.
“… Should I keep an eye on the Duchess?”
“No, it’s fine. You just focus on gathering the Knights Order again.”
“I understand, Cousin.”
“You must be tired today, so go ahead and rest.”
“I will meet Sir Tessiri and report back.”
Sienna left the bedroom after saying her goodbyes.
As soon as Sienna left, Kaillus told Helkin, “Bring me the antidote.” Kaillus said to Helkin, who was bowing his head down.
Before Alice arrived, he had been told by Helkin that an antidote had been made. It was time to take the antidote since he had already heard about Sienna’s report.
Helkin carefully took out the antidote from his jacket pocket as he approached the bed. The purplish liquid in the small vial was giving off a dangerous-looking glow.
Kaillus reached for the gourd-shaped bottle, but Helkin pulled his hand back.
“What are you doing?”
Helkin swallowed his saliva as Kaillus narrowed his eyebrows.
“As I said before, Your Excellency, this antidote is strong, so there will be considerable pain. Even though I put painkillers in the nutritional supplement you took earlier; it probably won’t work. I will bring you painkillers in the morning, so you must endure them until then….”
“I understand, so hand over the antidote.”
Helkin was scared as he imagined the pain as he spoke, but Kaillus snatched the antidote with a motionless face. He looked like he didn’t care about the pain. On the contrary, the butler, standing still, was already looking at the Duke with a pained face.
Kaillus drank the contents of the bottle in one gulp. The taste was so numbing that it paralyzed his tongue. With the last drop, he handed the bottle over to Helkin.
“Your Excellency, are you alright?”
Helkin replied when the butler worriedly asked, “It takes about an hour for the medicine to start working.”
“Then I will watch over you all night.”
“It’s alright.”
Kaillus immediately said to the butler.
“Don’t you know? It irritates me more when someone is by my side.”
“But….”
“Don’t make me say it twice, Adolph.”
The butler could no longer be stubborn by Kaillus’ firmness.
“Everyone, you can go now. I’m going to rest.”
Kaillus ordered the two men who were standing with worried eyes.
Helkin and the butler looking at him, eventually left the bedroom, and Kaillus lay on the bed.
He wasn’t afraid of the pain that he would feel soon. What he feared was being trapped in the dark, like a deep mire. He could even give up one of his limbs if the poison in his body were to be completely detoxified.
Kaillus slowly closed his eyes, hoping the night wouldn’t be too long.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
At the same time.
Alice was brushing her hair after washing and changing clothes. Of course, Maris took little care of her, so she had to comb her long hair by herself with a stubby wooden comb. It wouldn’t have been this bad if she had a better comb. The solid wooden comb was enough to cause her hair loss if misused.
Brushing her long, pink hair, Alice rose from the vanity with her limp body. She then headed for the table and not the bed. The dress she wore today was hanging there that Maris didn’t take care of.
Maris, that good-for-nothing b*tch, is very useful today as her maid. Thanks to her, she didn’t see her priest application form document inside her dress pocket.
Alice put her hand inside the pocket.
“Uh…?”