Early in the morning on the fourth day after a terrible volcanic eruption.
Aldor, who had returned from his early morning training before dawn as usual, stopped when he saw the person standing in front of his room.
“Are you coming from training?”
That person was none other than Perdes.
“I heard that all training schedules were canceled for the time being due to relief work, but you still came. As expected, you’re sincere.”
“...”
Although Perdes greeted him warmly, Aldor's expression hardened and he asked in a voice as cold as frost.
“What are you doing here so early in the morning?”
Perdes answered somewhat sarcastically.
“What’s going on? I came to see you.”
So why?
As Perdes said, all training was canceled for about a week due to relief efforts.
The morning training that Perdes consistently received to improve his physical strength even after finishing his swordsmanship lessons was no exception.
But why did he come all the way to the Knights' quarters so early in the morning?
If it was a public matter, it would have been conveyed through Adele.
Personal matters... are unlikely to arise.
Because Perdes and Aldor weren't close enough to have a private conversation.
'Then why on earth did you come?'
Countless question marks floated over Aldor's head as he could not fathom what Perdes was thinking.
Perdes smiled as if he had seen the question mark with his own eyes. He said.
“Are you busy today?”
“Yes. I’m busy.”
It wasn't an empty remark, it was true.
It would have been better to just leave it to the management and volunteers and just direct them, but he was so busy that he didn't even have time to open his eyes because of Adele who insisted on taking charge herself.
Of course, he didn't resent Adele or anything like that.
Rather, he respected and was proud of it.
“Oh, like that.”
Perdes clicked his tongue as if he felt very sorry.
“I wanted to ask you something, but you’re busy. This is a big deal.”
“If you need an escort knight, I can assign one separately.”
“That won’t do. It’s not just escorting, it’s something a little more dangerous.”
You say it's not escort, but a tough job?
Aldor stared at Perdes at those meaningful words.
Perdes continued speaking.
“Besides, since this is something that needs to be done very secretly and carefully, we need someone who is tight-lipped and trustworthy.”
“...Does that mean you trust me?”
"No."
You said you had a favor to ask of me, and now you don't believe me.
Aldor's eyebrows twitched at the completely incoherent words.
Perdes added, smoothly raising the corners of his lips.
“I don’t trust you, but I do trust you in relation to Adele.”
“...”
“You are the kind of person who would never harm Adele.”
Adele. Adele. Adele.
Aldor was envious and jealous of Perdes, who could speak without hesitation the noble name that he could not dare to speak.
...I didn’t want to hear it either.
He wanted to cover his ears and turn away, but the words he spoke along with her name were so meaningful that he couldn't do that.
Aldor clenched his jaw and asked again.
“What you mean is.. what you want to ask me has to do with you, young lady?”
“Yes. There is a very deep connection.”
“What on earth is going on that has something to do with the young lady?”
Perdes placed his index finger on his thin lips.
“That's a secret.”
“...”
Aldor almost got angry for a moment and asked if he was joking, but he barely suppressed it and clenched his fists.
“As I said before, this is something that needs to be done very secretly and carefully, so I can’t tell you yet.”
“...”
“If you do me a favor, I’ll tell you then.”
Aldor laughed in vain at the conditions that were almost like a robbery, except that he didn't have a knife.
But what he couldn't ignore was the name 'Adele'.
“Is this really something to do with the young lady?”
When Aldor asked doubtfully, this time Perdes crossed his arms and sneered softly.
“You ask an interesting question.”
The smiling head tilted slightly.
“Do I look like I would lie in Adele’s name, let alone someone else’s?”
It was not that he had made a strong claim or shown any clear evidence, but what made him more trustworthy was that he knew very well that Perdes also looked at Adele with the same feelings as he did.
“...”
So, Aldor readily agreed with his words, but he kept his lips tightly shut like a clam because he didn't like this situation.
Perdes asked again as if he had heard Aldor's answer.
“Will you help me?”
It was a question filled with confidence.
Aldor wanted to refuse, thinking that Perdes was unlucky.
“...Of course.”
He nodded, unable to do so because of the name.
Early morning.
“Sir Aldor went out with Lord Perdes?”
When I asked about the unexpected news while preparing to go out, May nodded.
“Yes. So, Lord Perdes told me that another knight will be escorting the young lady today, and asked for your understanding.”
"Yes?"
Although it was comfortable to be escorted by Lord Aldor all the time, it didn't really matter if another escort was attached.
What was a bit puzzling was why Perdes took Sir Aldor with him.
It doesn't seem like he's just asking for an escort.
Is this a personal request?
Perdes to Sir Aldor?
“No way.”
It was common knowledge that the two were on bad terms.
But there was no way that Perdes would ask Aldor for a personal favor.
“Then what?”
Could it be related to the fact that I've been away for so long?
For the past three days since the eruption, Perdes has been confined to his bedroom, complaining of poor health.
At first, I was worried because I thought he was really sick, but it turned out he wasn't.
He had pretended to be sick to sneak out of the mansion.
Come to think of it, when I asked him about disappearing for a few hours on the day the volcano erupted, he vaguely said something had happened.
So it was clear that the reason he took Sir Aldor away without giving me any explanation was related to that.
“I’ll have to ask when he gets back.”
Until now, I had been busy with other things and trusted him, so I didn't ask him anything, but now I couldn't.
That doesn't mean I didn't trust Perdes.
I still trusted him, but aside from that, I was curious so I had to ask.
“Harnes, let me know when Perdes returns.”
“Yes, Miss. Have a nice day.”
“Have a nice day, Miss.”
I left the mansion, escorted by the servants, and looked back at the Duke's residence before boarding the carriage.
Although it was old overall, recording hundreds of years of history, there were no broken parts or cracks in the walls.
Yeah, not a single thing was broken.
The land of the duchy people was turned into a mess by an earthquake caused by a volcanic eruption.
Leopold's residence, the closest to the volcano, aside from the mine, is still intact.
“...Am I the only one who refuses?”
“Yes? What did you just say, Your Excellency?”
The escort knight, who had been waiting with the carriage door open, heard me muttering and asked.
I shook my head in response and climbed into the carriage.
It's been four days since the volcanic eruption.
The situation in the territory was better than before, but it was still desolate.
“How long will it take to rebuild everything?”
“It will probably take at least a year to repair. In places where the frame has collapsed, it might take even longer.”
“Hurry up as much as you can. And in the meantime, we’ll need to find separate houses for the people of the duchy to live in.”
They are currently staying in a temporary shelter, but it is literally a temporary measure and they cannot stay there for a full year.
“For that part, I think it would be a good idea to use an empty house outside.”
“That’s difficult.”
Not only is the outer castle less safe than the inner castle but if the people living in the inner castle are asked to live in the outer castle even for a short time, there will definitely be a backlash.
“Is there no place in the inner castle where the people of Duchy can stay?”
He answered my question as if it were very difficult to manage.
“I’m looking into it now, but it seems like it’ll be hard to find a place to house all those people.”
“Really? Then what should I do?”
“Your Excellency, I have thought of another plan...”
As I was walking around the site talking to the managers, I suddenly felt people's gazes on me.
As I, a Duke, went around the site every single day without fail, people looked at me with curious eyes.
There were also a lot of people who looked at me with respect or emotion.
So, I was used to being the center of attention, but today I felt uneasy because their gaze was different from usual.
A sharp gaze filled with resentment and distrust was fixed on my back.
I looked in the direction where I felt the gaze, wondering if I had felt something wrong.
“...!”
“Shh.”
Then people looked away in surprise as if they had been caught stealing something.
Just yesterday, they would smile brightly and bow when our eyes met, but now they were all busy avoiding eye contact.
There were quite a few who quietly turned around and ran away.
What?
I was shocked by how people's attitudes changed dramatically in just one day.
“What happened last night?”
When I asked why people were acting this way, the managers said nothing and just exchanged glances as if they were embarrassed.
There's something after all.
“What's going on?”
“...”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you all deaf?”
When I urged him to speak quickly, the officer carrying the gun looked at me and spoke cautiously.
“That is... There is a rumor going around among the people of the territory that the reason the volcano erupted is because the red dragon was angry that Your Excellency, who was not the official successor of the previous Duke, inherited the ducal throne.”
Support Novellate!Aldor, who had returned from his early morning training before dawn as usual, stopped when he saw the person standing in front of his room.
“Are you coming from training?”
That person was none other than Perdes.
“I heard that all training schedules were canceled for the time being due to relief work, but you still came. As expected, you’re sincere.”
“...”
Although Perdes greeted him warmly, Aldor's expression hardened and he asked in a voice as cold as frost.
“What are you doing here so early in the morning?”
Perdes answered somewhat sarcastically.
“What’s going on? I came to see you.”
So why?
As Perdes said, all training was canceled for about a week due to relief efforts.
The morning training that Perdes consistently received to improve his physical strength even after finishing his swordsmanship lessons was no exception.
But why did he come all the way to the Knights' quarters so early in the morning?
If it was a public matter, it would have been conveyed through Adele.
Personal matters... are unlikely to arise.
Because Perdes and Aldor weren't close enough to have a private conversation.
'Then why on earth did you come?'
Countless question marks floated over Aldor's head as he could not fathom what Perdes was thinking.
Perdes smiled as if he had seen the question mark with his own eyes. He said.
“Are you busy today?”
“Yes. I’m busy.”
It wasn't an empty remark, it was true.
It would have been better to just leave it to the management and volunteers and just direct them, but he was so busy that he didn't even have time to open his eyes because of Adele who insisted on taking charge herself.
Of course, he didn't resent Adele or anything like that.
Rather, he respected and was proud of it.
“Oh, like that.”
Perdes clicked his tongue as if he felt very sorry.
“I wanted to ask you something, but you’re busy. This is a big deal.”
“If you need an escort knight, I can assign one separately.”
“That won’t do. It’s not just escorting, it’s something a little more dangerous.”
You say it's not escort, but a tough job?
Aldor stared at Perdes at those meaningful words.
Perdes continued speaking.
“Besides, since this is something that needs to be done very secretly and carefully, we need someone who is tight-lipped and trustworthy.”
“...Does that mean you trust me?”
"No."
You said you had a favor to ask of me, and now you don't believe me.
Aldor's eyebrows twitched at the completely incoherent words.
Perdes added, smoothly raising the corners of his lips.
“I don’t trust you, but I do trust you in relation to Adele.”
“...”
“You are the kind of person who would never harm Adele.”
Adele. Adele. Adele.
Aldor was envious and jealous of Perdes, who could speak without hesitation the noble name that he could not dare to speak.
...I didn’t want to hear it either.
He wanted to cover his ears and turn away, but the words he spoke along with her name were so meaningful that he couldn't do that.
Aldor clenched his jaw and asked again.
“What you mean is.. what you want to ask me has to do with you, young lady?”
“Yes. There is a very deep connection.”
“What on earth is going on that has something to do with the young lady?”
Perdes placed his index finger on his thin lips.
“That's a secret.”
“...”
Aldor almost got angry for a moment and asked if he was joking, but he barely suppressed it and clenched his fists.
“As I said before, this is something that needs to be done very secretly and carefully, so I can’t tell you yet.”
“...”
“If you do me a favor, I’ll tell you then.”
Aldor laughed in vain at the conditions that were almost like a robbery, except that he didn't have a knife.
But what he couldn't ignore was the name 'Adele'.
“Is this really something to do with the young lady?”
When Aldor asked doubtfully, this time Perdes crossed his arms and sneered softly.
“You ask an interesting question.”
The smiling head tilted slightly.
“Do I look like I would lie in Adele’s name, let alone someone else’s?”
It was not that he had made a strong claim or shown any clear evidence, but what made him more trustworthy was that he knew very well that Perdes also looked at Adele with the same feelings as he did.
“...”
So, Aldor readily agreed with his words, but he kept his lips tightly shut like a clam because he didn't like this situation.
Perdes asked again as if he had heard Aldor's answer.
“Will you help me?”
It was a question filled with confidence.
Aldor wanted to refuse, thinking that Perdes was unlucky.
“...Of course.”
He nodded, unable to do so because of the name.
***
Early morning.
“Sir Aldor went out with Lord Perdes?”
When I asked about the unexpected news while preparing to go out, May nodded.
“Yes. So, Lord Perdes told me that another knight will be escorting the young lady today, and asked for your understanding.”
"Yes?"
Although it was comfortable to be escorted by Lord Aldor all the time, it didn't really matter if another escort was attached.
What was a bit puzzling was why Perdes took Sir Aldor with him.
It doesn't seem like he's just asking for an escort.
Is this a personal request?
Perdes to Sir Aldor?
“No way.”
It was common knowledge that the two were on bad terms.
But there was no way that Perdes would ask Aldor for a personal favor.
“Then what?”
Could it be related to the fact that I've been away for so long?
For the past three days since the eruption, Perdes has been confined to his bedroom, complaining of poor health.
At first, I was worried because I thought he was really sick, but it turned out he wasn't.
He had pretended to be sick to sneak out of the mansion.
Come to think of it, when I asked him about disappearing for a few hours on the day the volcano erupted, he vaguely said something had happened.
So it was clear that the reason he took Sir Aldor away without giving me any explanation was related to that.
“I’ll have to ask when he gets back.”
Until now, I had been busy with other things and trusted him, so I didn't ask him anything, but now I couldn't.
That doesn't mean I didn't trust Perdes.
I still trusted him, but aside from that, I was curious so I had to ask.
“Harnes, let me know when Perdes returns.”
“Yes, Miss. Have a nice day.”
“Have a nice day, Miss.”
I left the mansion, escorted by the servants, and looked back at the Duke's residence before boarding the carriage.
Although it was old overall, recording hundreds of years of history, there were no broken parts or cracks in the walls.
Yeah, not a single thing was broken.
The land of the duchy people was turned into a mess by an earthquake caused by a volcanic eruption.
Leopold's residence, the closest to the volcano, aside from the mine, is still intact.
“...Am I the only one who refuses?”
“Yes? What did you just say, Your Excellency?”
The escort knight, who had been waiting with the carriage door open, heard me muttering and asked.
I shook my head in response and climbed into the carriage.
***
It's been four days since the volcanic eruption.
The situation in the territory was better than before, but it was still desolate.
“How long will it take to rebuild everything?”
“It will probably take at least a year to repair. In places where the frame has collapsed, it might take even longer.”
“Hurry up as much as you can. And in the meantime, we’ll need to find separate houses for the people of the duchy to live in.”
They are currently staying in a temporary shelter, but it is literally a temporary measure and they cannot stay there for a full year.
“For that part, I think it would be a good idea to use an empty house outside.”
“That’s difficult.”
Not only is the outer castle less safe than the inner castle but if the people living in the inner castle are asked to live in the outer castle even for a short time, there will definitely be a backlash.
“Is there no place in the inner castle where the people of Duchy can stay?”
He answered my question as if it were very difficult to manage.
“I’m looking into it now, but it seems like it’ll be hard to find a place to house all those people.”
“Really? Then what should I do?”
“Your Excellency, I have thought of another plan...”
As I was walking around the site talking to the managers, I suddenly felt people's gazes on me.
As I, a Duke, went around the site every single day without fail, people looked at me with curious eyes.
There were also a lot of people who looked at me with respect or emotion.
So, I was used to being the center of attention, but today I felt uneasy because their gaze was different from usual.
A sharp gaze filled with resentment and distrust was fixed on my back.
I looked in the direction where I felt the gaze, wondering if I had felt something wrong.
“...!”
“Shh.”
Then people looked away in surprise as if they had been caught stealing something.
Just yesterday, they would smile brightly and bow when our eyes met, but now they were all busy avoiding eye contact.
There were quite a few who quietly turned around and ran away.
What?
I was shocked by how people's attitudes changed dramatically in just one day.
“What happened last night?”
When I asked why people were acting this way, the managers said nothing and just exchanged glances as if they were embarrassed.
There's something after all.
“What's going on?”
“...”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you all deaf?”
When I urged him to speak quickly, the officer carrying the gun looked at me and spoke cautiously.
“That is... There is a rumor going around among the people of the territory that the reason the volcano erupted is because the red dragon was angry that Your Excellency, who was not the official successor of the previous Duke, inherited the ducal throne.”
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