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T/N: I never even felt that Edmund has been gone for a week and now he’s here again. Guess he will blame Daphne again in the next chapter?
E/N: I can't wait to see what mental gymnastics he'll go through to blame Daphne again.
Chapter 39
“Then why did Madam call for me? I heard she wasn’t interested in the young duke at all.”
“Young Lady.”
“Oh, will the Young Lord be joining us here?”
Daphne watched as Rachel’s
cheeks reddened and shook her head.
“No, Damian won’t be able to come.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
Rachel tightly clasped Daphne’s hands.
“Madam, I believe I'm best suited for the position as the Mistress of this estate.”
“That’s…”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
At the sudden interruption, both Daphne and Rachel turned to the source of the voice.
“Young Lord!” Rachel stood up, smiling brightly.
Daphne was flustered. She had deliberately chosen a time when Damian was in class to meet with Rachel, never expecting him to show up.
“Damian, why are you…?”
“I came because I heard I might unknowingly acquire a fiancée.” Before Daphne could say anything, Damian turned to face Rachel.
“Young Lady.”
“Yes, Young Lord. I’m listening.”
Rachel’s eyes sparkled as she met Damian’s gaze.
“There will be no engagement between us.”
“...What?”
Rachel’s smile faltered.
“Becoming the mistress of this household may be possible, however.”
No engagement, yet there was still a chance for her to be the mistress of the Winter Duke’s estate? Rachel was confused and it showed in her eyes.
“We might meet again in about a year.”
Daphne realized what Damian was insinuating.
“Damian.” She called him urgently, but Damian spoke first.
“If you're fine with a fiancée who’s thirteen years younger than you, that is.”
“Damian!” Daphne shouted, her face pale.
“Oh, come to think of it, I don’t even know the gender yet. Mother, what did the physician say my sibling’s gender is?”
“...Ah.” Rachel hesitated.
“M-Madam, Young Lord, I-I’ll take my leave now.”
She hurriedly fled the drawing room, avoiding the embarrassment. Until then, no one in the room moved, all silently staring at one another.
“Mother, I won’t be getting engaged.”
“...Even Edmund agreed to it.”
“I don’t.”
“Damian.”
“Why would I get engaged for anyone else’s sake?”
“An engagement with Lady Sovel would solidify your position as heir. It’s all for your benefit…”
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Daphne suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
“Is it because you want a quick divorce?”
“!”
“Once the heir’s position is secure, you’re going to proceed with the divorce, aren’t you?”
Daphne, already pale, went completely colorless, as if she might faint at any moment. Damian nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all. That expression should be on his face, not hers – Daphne’s.
“It seems you struck quite the amusing deal with Father.”
“...I have nothing to say.” As always, Daphne evaded the subject. Damian took a step forward, and Daphne stumbled back.
“I…”
“Young Duke!”
The door swung open, and someone entered. It was Johann, his expression dark.
“...A decree has come.”
The Emperor had summoned them.
* * *
“A hunting competition?”
“The Emperor regrets that you couldn’t attend the previous ones, and since this year marks the 300th anniversary of the founding, he’s insisting that you participate.”
Johann quickly explained what the Emperor had sent to Benjamin.
“Surely there must be another motive.”
There was no way the Emperor would suddenly involve the Ducal house without reason after ignoring it for so long.
“Even so, there’s no way to refuse the decree.”
The Emperor’s seal was stamped on the letter. Refusing would result in being branded a traitor – there was no avoiding this command. But the real problem was elsewhere.
“It’s only been a week since His Excellency locked himself away. We need more than a month, but we have no time…”
The Emperor’s target was surely Duke Winter, Edmund. Without him, the Emperor would find it suspicious. A solution had to be found.
“Young Master.” Benjamin called out to the absentminded Damian.
“...Yes.” Damian finally responded after a long pause.
“Young Master, it’s late. You should rest.”
“...Alright.” Normally, he would have stayed until the end, but this time, he quietly stood up. The others dismissed his behavior as shock from recent events.
Damian wandered the dark corridor, relying only on the faint moonlight. He found the paper purely by chance. Daphne had returned for the sake of divorce. And for the divorce to happen, Damian’s position as heir had to be secure.
Damian came to a sudden halt. He was merely a pawn, manipulated by Daphne. Only now did he fully realize it.
‘Yes, that’s how it was.’
— — —
The conversation lasted until dawn. Baron Nuvelle, who had heard the news, joined them, but no meaningful conclusion was reached.
“The priority is getting in touch with the Archmage.”
“I’ll send someone immediately.”
To arrive on time, they would need to leave for the capital within three days.
“The Emperor seems to know something. He's getting suspicious.”
“Indeed, otherwise he wouldn’t suddenly stir things up like this.”
Everything was a mystery.
“Nick is in the capital; I’ll try to reach him.”
“Ah, you brought Nick Archer back.”
Edmund had sent Nick back to the capital a few days ago.
“Johann, I heard His Excellency broke Nick Archer out of prison just to find Madam.”
“...That’s correct.”
Baron Nuvelle’s expression turned subtle.
“Baron, may I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“You’re Madam’s personal physician. So... is…it true that Madam is pregnant?”
“Johann.” Benjamin unconsciously called out, trying to stop him. But Baron Nuvelle had already heard everything.
“What are you talking about?”
“I still find it hard to believe that Madam is pregnant. You know as well as I do. His Excellency and Madam…”
“What are you talking about?”
A cold voice echoed. Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to the door.
Edmund was standing there. Unfazed, he walked calmly past the speechless group. He gulped down the water on the table. As soon as Edmund sat down.
“...Your Excellency!”
Johann was the first to speak, bombarding him with questions everyone else wanted to ask.
“When did you wake up? How are you already up? Is something wrong with your body?”
Before responding, Edmund pressed his throbbing temples.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you have no memory again this time?”
“That’s right.”
No clues were to be found.
As always, Edmund’s memories during his sleep were completely blank. But as Edmund regained his bearings, he realized something was different this time. And he had come to this room, drawn by the familiar presence.
“How long has it been?”
“A week.”
A week.
It was faster than Edmund had anticipated. Usually, it took over a month, but this time it had only been a week. With a sigh, Edmund rubbed his temples in frustration.
“In any case, why were you all gathered here?”
Everyone exchanged quick glances before Johann stepped forward.
“Well…”
After hearing the whole story, Edmund’s face remained expressionless, offering only one remark.
“Prepare.”
“Your Excellency.”
“Is there any other way?”
There wasn’t. Everyone knew that.
“There’s surely some scheme behind this. Until we uncover it, we should buy as much time as possible…”
“Johann, we’re dealing with the Emperor. If you don’t want to be branded a traitor, it’s best to comply."
The current Emperor had no natural talent as a ruler. Aware of this, he clung obsessively to the throne, reacting violently to any hint of rebellion. It had been thirty years since he ascended the throne, and in that short time, over ten families had been wiped from history under the charge of treason.
“I’ll send my reply to the Emperor. The rest of you are dismissed.”
Edmund took the letter and left the room.
Though it was late, he headed for his office rather than his bedroom. Upon opening the door, he immediately sensed that someone had been there in his absence. He quickly remembered that he had asked Damian to handle some paperwork a few days ago and resumed walking.
When the lights came on, the office was revealed to be in complete disarray. Edmund sat down and reached for the pile of documents. But halfway through, his hand paused and changed direction.
‘This…’
What he picked up was none other than the addendum Daphne had scrawled in her hurried handwriting. It was now conspicuously placed on the table, implying that someone had handled it, and there was only one person who had access to his office.
“...Damian.”
Damian had found out. This was a difficult situation.
Should I explain everything to Damian? Or...
“Your Excellency.”
A knock and Benjamin’s voice interrupted Edmund’s thoughts.
“Come in.”
Benjamin entered, carrying a bottle of liquor.
“I’ve come to tend to your wound.”
As Benjamin unbuttoned Edmund’s shirt, he retrieved bandages from deep within his coat.
“Did Your Excellency dress this wound yourself?”
As Edmund lowered his head, a roughly, but thoroughly, bandaged wound was revealed. Edmund examined it for the first time. Benjamin began unwrapping the bandages. But then, startled, he stepped back.
“What is it?”
“It’s… fully healed.”
At those words, Edmund immediately ran his hand over the spot where the wound had been. There was no trace of injury – just smooth skin.
“Incredible.”
Benjamin muttered as he examined the area. Although he was well aware of Edmund’s extraordinary healing speed, it never ceased to amaze him.
“Your Grace?”
Benjamin called, noticing Edmund’s stiff expression.
“Oh, you must be tired. Let me guide you to your bedroom…” Benjamin recalled the mess that would surely await in the bedroom.
“I’ll tidy it up right away.”
“...No need. I can’t sleep anyway, so I’ll just go through the paperwork in my office.”
“Understood. But please don’t overexert yourself just because your wound is healed.”
Instead of responding, Edmund picked up a document, and Benjamin, familiar with his mannerisms, quietly left the office.
As the door closed, Edmund immediately let the papers fall from his hand. He ran his fingers over his now fully healed wound, trying to recall his memory.
‘That’s right...’
He had definitely been attacked by a mutated beast. The beast, with its heightened sense of smell, had detected Edmund’s yet-to-be-healed injury very quickly and relentlessly targeted his right shoulder. With several enemies and others to protect, he had no choice but to sacrifice his shoulder.
Edmund was well aware of his own rapid healing abilities, but this was not the kind of wound that should have healed in just a week. And then there was the bandage. Who had applied it?
With no memory of what happened, he was left feeling frustrated and confused. At that moment, a fragment of his memory surfaced.
“Hold me.”
Edmund shot up from his seat, his expression frozen.
……