I kept my mouth shut because I felt burdened by his honest and unvarnished feelings.
On the other hand, Perdes spoke calmly as if nothing had happened.
“And if you move yourself, they might notice and run away, so I couldn’t say anything.”
"...Yes."
For some reason, my throat was so choked up that even saying simple words was difficult.
I don't think it's because my mind is burdened.
I was wiggling my fingers with my head down in an incomprehensible emotion when suddenly Perdes came up to me and bent his knees to my eye level.
And then he gently held my hand and asked.
“Are you angry?”
"...No."
“You seem angry.”
“I’m really not angry.”
I wasn't angry, but I felt sick like I had eaten too many sweet potatoes.
It was even more frustrating because I couldn't figure out why it was like this.
“Then you were worried about me.”
...I see.
Still confused and unable to figure out what this emotion was, I looked at him in silence.
"Sorry."
Perdes gently ran his thumb down the back of my hand.
“Don’t worry too much, because if something like this happens again, I’ll definitely tell you.”
“Please do so.”
I answered quickly, saying that this was definitely what I wanted, and Perdes smiled prettily with his eyes closed.
It was the same smiling face as usual, but today I felt strangely embarrassed and my cheeks turned red for no reason.
The hand he was holding felt hot as if it was on fire, so he slowly pulled his hand away and asked.
“So, did you find what you were looking for?”
The topic of conversation that had strayed from its original course was also brought back to its original course.
Perdes stood up and answered.
“No. I didn’t find that out, but I did find some Pura debris scattered around the vent. And...”
Perdes glanced at me from the middle of speaking, then continued speaking cautiously.
“There were fragments of Pura inside the vent as well.”
“Did you even look inside the vent? What are you going to do if you fall down?”
When I screamed in surprise, Perdes groaned and scratched his cheek.
“That’s why I didn’t want to say it...”
“Lord Perdes!”
“I just stuck my head in there just in case. I didn’t do anything dangerous, so don’t worry.”
That alone is dangerous enough.
When I squinted my eyes and glared at him, Perdes coughed in vain and avoided my gaze.
“Anyway, the fact that there are fragments of Pura inside the vent means that Pura was put in there.”
“...”
“That’s why I began to suspect that the volcanic eruption wasn’t just a natural disaster, but something that the man had forcibly caused. Pura has the property of causing an explosion when placed in a hot fire.”
It was just as he said.
So, even when moving the train, high-purity Pura was used.
“That alone would have made it difficult to conclude that it was the man who did it.”
“Oh, I found out about that part for sure the next day when I followed that man.
“Did that man remain in the dukedom?”
“Fortunately, he remained. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he couldn’t escape because the gate was closed.”
When a natural disaster such as a volcanic eruption occurred, the territory was classified as a danger zone, and the gates were locked tightly to prevent outsiders from entering.
This way, the people inside couldn't leave freely, but there was nothing they could do.
It's better than having an outsider come in and cause problems without knowing anything.
It was right to close the gates, as there were frequent cases of outsiders invading during the chaos and causing trouble.
I also made the same judgment and immediately locked the gate.
Because of that, the man was unable to escape and was trapped in the territory.
Maybe he never intended to run away from the beginning.
Because it was common sense to close the gate when this kind of problem occurred.
There was no way the man didn't know.
“I was following him when I overheard him talking to someone using his magic communication ring, and he was listing all the things he had done.”
“So now we know for sure that it was that guy who did it.”
“Yeah. And...”
Perdes glanced around the room where only the two of us were, then continued speaking in a lower voice.
“He said this too. What should we do now, Your Majesty?”
“...!”
Currently, there are only two people in the empire who are called by the title of Majesty: the Emperor and the Empress.
So is the Emperor the culprit?
It was very possible, but I couldn't be sure.
What was certain was that Ian had nothing to do with this incident.
If the man had called Ian, he would have called him Your Highness or Marquis.
“And I also found out that the man was planning to sneak out of the dukedom today using a teleportation scroll.”
“So that’s why you took Sir Aldor with you.”
“That’s right. I asked Sir Aldor to capture the man because I don’t know how good his swordsmanship is and he might have guards.”
That's what happened.
Only then did I understand all the strange behaviors Perdes had been showing.
“Now all that remains is to interrogate the man and uncover the real motive behind it.”
"Yes."
“But I don’t know if that man will confess easily. Even if Lord Perdes heard what he said, he’ll just deny it.”
“It doesn’t matter, but he can’t deny it either.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
Instead of answering, Perdes took something out of his pocket and held it out.
It was a brooch with a large pura embedded in it.
“This brooch has a recording magic circle drawn on it.”
That doesn't mean...
“Did you record the entire conversation between that man and His Majesty?”
Perdes nodded.
If what he said was true, it would be a happy thing to have secured solid evidence, but strangely, Perdes' expression was not very good.
“Is there something wrong with this brooch?”
“That’s... a little unstable.”
Unstable?
Perdes scratched his cheek as he looked at the unfamiliar words.
“I had to hurriedly carve the magic circle because I was pressed for time... It’s in an unstable state, so I can only use it once.”
So it's disposable?
Well, it wasn't enough to be used as evidence, but it was okay.
At least it stopped the guy from denying everything he had done.
That's probably why Perdes said it didn't matter if the man denied it.
Perdes lowered his head and spoke in a voice that seemed to be crawling away without answering.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t draw a perfect magic circle.”
“There is nothing for Mr. Perdes to be sorry about.”
I held his hand holding the brooch with both hands.
“Rather, I am grateful.”
If it weren't for Perdes, I would never have been able to clear my name of being the Duke who incurred the Red Dragon's wrath, nor would I have been able to catch the culprit.
It was terrifying to even think about, but it made me feel so grateful.
“Thank you, Perdes.”
I'm so glad he didn't leave and stayed by my side.
Although I felt truly relieved, a corner of my heart felt very uneasy.
The volcanic ash that had remained in the air like fog was completely washed away by the pouring rain.
The distrust and suspicion toward Adele in the hearts of the people of the duchy were also washed away.
It was thanks to those who heard Perdes' story directly at the shelter that they rushed to come forward and explain the whole truth.
It wasn't long ago that they were truly rooting for her to become a Duke.
Everyone was ashamed of how they had changed their attitude and cursed at her.
When they meet Her Excellency the Duke, they must sincerely apologize.
They also sincerely apologize.
Although they each showed strong determination, Adele did not show up in front of the people the next day, or the day after that.
People thought I was upset and not showing up, but that wasn't the case.
I couldn't come out because I was busy with various tasks.
As if I had forgotten that the night was deepening, my gaze, which had been working frantically, suddenly fell on a stack of newspapers.
Instead of throwing away newspapers with important articles, I collected them.
I picked up the newspaper on the top shelf.
[Breaking News] Wedding of Prince Perdes de Vincent Athanasius and Duchess Adele Leopold
The first thing that caught my eye was the article about me and Perdes' wedding.
The couple is expected to get married in early May...
“Choose me, Adele.”
As I read the article, Perdes' voice rang in my ears like a harp.
My long eyelashes fluttered and then fell lightly.
“I won’t be greedy enough to make you look at me with the same feelings.”
“Choose me because I will just be there for you silently, like I am now, to give you strength.”
“I would rather do it myself. I don’t want the person I like to do something dangerous.”
Just thinking about it warmed my heart, knowing that all those words were true.
I was able to forget all my worries for a moment.
So I felt very sorry to keep him around.
Because if you stay by my side, dangerous things like this will continue to happen.
At that time, I was glad that Perdes was by my side, but there was a corner of my heart that was uneasy.
So...
“I should send it to you.”
The better a person is, the less likely he is to be sacrificed to my own selfishness.
So, even though it's a shame, it's right to send it.
...Is it just a pity?
"Ha."
I sighed deeply, my emotions once again confused, crumpled up the newspaper, and threw it in the trash can.
“You seem angry.”
“I’m really not angry.”
I wasn't angry, but I felt sick like I had eaten too many sweet potatoes.
It was even more frustrating because I couldn't figure out why it was like this.
“Then you were worried about me.”
...I see.
Still confused and unable to figure out what this emotion was, I looked at him in silence.
"Sorry."
Perdes gently ran his thumb down the back of my hand.
“Don’t worry too much, because if something like this happens again, I’ll definitely tell you.”
“Please do so.”
I answered quickly, saying that this was definitely what I wanted, and Perdes smiled prettily with his eyes closed.
It was the same smiling face as usual, but today I felt strangely embarrassed and my cheeks turned red for no reason.
The hand he was holding felt hot as if it was on fire, so he slowly pulled his hand away and asked.
“So, did you find what you were looking for?”
The topic of conversation that had strayed from its original course was also brought back to its original course.
Perdes stood up and answered.
“No. I didn’t find that out, but I did find some Pura debris scattered around the vent. And...”
Perdes glanced at me from the middle of speaking, then continued speaking cautiously.
“There were fragments of Pura inside the vent as well.”
“Did you even look inside the vent? What are you going to do if you fall down?”
When I screamed in surprise, Perdes groaned and scratched his cheek.
“That’s why I didn’t want to say it...”
“Lord Perdes!”
“I just stuck my head in there just in case. I didn’t do anything dangerous, so don’t worry.”
That alone is dangerous enough.
When I squinted my eyes and glared at him, Perdes coughed in vain and avoided my gaze.
“Anyway, the fact that there are fragments of Pura inside the vent means that Pura was put in there.”
“...”
“That’s why I began to suspect that the volcanic eruption wasn’t just a natural disaster, but something that the man had forcibly caused. Pura has the property of causing an explosion when placed in a hot fire.”
It was just as he said.
So, even when moving the train, high-purity Pura was used.
“That alone would have made it difficult to conclude that it was the man who did it.”
“Oh, I found out about that part for sure the next day when I followed that man.
“Did that man remain in the dukedom?”
“Fortunately, he remained. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he couldn’t escape because the gate was closed.”
When a natural disaster such as a volcanic eruption occurred, the territory was classified as a danger zone, and the gates were locked tightly to prevent outsiders from entering.
This way, the people inside couldn't leave freely, but there was nothing they could do.
It's better than having an outsider come in and cause problems without knowing anything.
It was right to close the gates, as there were frequent cases of outsiders invading during the chaos and causing trouble.
I also made the same judgment and immediately locked the gate.
Because of that, the man was unable to escape and was trapped in the territory.
Maybe he never intended to run away from the beginning.
Because it was common sense to close the gate when this kind of problem occurred.
There was no way the man didn't know.
“I was following him when I overheard him talking to someone using his magic communication ring, and he was listing all the things he had done.”
“So now we know for sure that it was that guy who did it.”
“Yeah. And...”
Perdes glanced around the room where only the two of us were, then continued speaking in a lower voice.
“He said this too. What should we do now, Your Majesty?”
“...!”
Currently, there are only two people in the empire who are called by the title of Majesty: the Emperor and the Empress.
So is the Emperor the culprit?
It was very possible, but I couldn't be sure.
What was certain was that Ian had nothing to do with this incident.
If the man had called Ian, he would have called him Your Highness or Marquis.
“And I also found out that the man was planning to sneak out of the dukedom today using a teleportation scroll.”
“So that’s why you took Sir Aldor with you.”
“That’s right. I asked Sir Aldor to capture the man because I don’t know how good his swordsmanship is and he might have guards.”
That's what happened.
Only then did I understand all the strange behaviors Perdes had been showing.
“Now all that remains is to interrogate the man and uncover the real motive behind it.”
"Yes."
“But I don’t know if that man will confess easily. Even if Lord Perdes heard what he said, he’ll just deny it.”
“It doesn’t matter, but he can’t deny it either.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
Instead of answering, Perdes took something out of his pocket and held it out.
It was a brooch with a large pura embedded in it.
“This brooch has a recording magic circle drawn on it.”
That doesn't mean...
“Did you record the entire conversation between that man and His Majesty?”
Perdes nodded.
If what he said was true, it would be a happy thing to have secured solid evidence, but strangely, Perdes' expression was not very good.
“Is there something wrong with this brooch?”
“That’s... a little unstable.”
Unstable?
Perdes scratched his cheek as he looked at the unfamiliar words.
“I had to hurriedly carve the magic circle because I was pressed for time... It’s in an unstable state, so I can only use it once.”
So it's disposable?
Well, it wasn't enough to be used as evidence, but it was okay.
At least it stopped the guy from denying everything he had done.
That's probably why Perdes said it didn't matter if the man denied it.
Perdes lowered his head and spoke in a voice that seemed to be crawling away without answering.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t draw a perfect magic circle.”
“There is nothing for Mr. Perdes to be sorry about.”
I held his hand holding the brooch with both hands.
“Rather, I am grateful.”
If it weren't for Perdes, I would never have been able to clear my name of being the Duke who incurred the Red Dragon's wrath, nor would I have been able to catch the culprit.
It was terrifying to even think about, but it made me feel so grateful.
“Thank you, Perdes.”
I'm so glad he didn't leave and stayed by my side.
Although I felt truly relieved, a corner of my heart felt very uneasy.
***
The volcanic ash that had remained in the air like fog was completely washed away by the pouring rain.
The distrust and suspicion toward Adele in the hearts of the people of the duchy were also washed away.
It was thanks to those who heard Perdes' story directly at the shelter that they rushed to come forward and explain the whole truth.
It wasn't long ago that they were truly rooting for her to become a Duke.
Everyone was ashamed of how they had changed their attitude and cursed at her.
When they meet Her Excellency the Duke, they must sincerely apologize.
They also sincerely apologize.
Although they each showed strong determination, Adele did not show up in front of the people the next day, or the day after that.
***
People thought I was upset and not showing up, but that wasn't the case.
I couldn't come out because I was busy with various tasks.
As if I had forgotten that the night was deepening, my gaze, which had been working frantically, suddenly fell on a stack of newspapers.
Instead of throwing away newspapers with important articles, I collected them.
I picked up the newspaper on the top shelf.
[Breaking News] Wedding of Prince Perdes de Vincent Athanasius and Duchess Adele Leopold
The first thing that caught my eye was the article about me and Perdes' wedding.
The couple is expected to get married in early May...
“Choose me, Adele.”
As I read the article, Perdes' voice rang in my ears like a harp.
My long eyelashes fluttered and then fell lightly.
“I won’t be greedy enough to make you look at me with the same feelings.”
“Choose me because I will just be there for you silently, like I am now, to give you strength.”
“I would rather do it myself. I don’t want the person I like to do something dangerous.”
Just thinking about it warmed my heart, knowing that all those words were true.
I was able to forget all my worries for a moment.
So I felt very sorry to keep him around.
Because if you stay by my side, dangerous things like this will continue to happen.
At that time, I was glad that Perdes was by my side, but there was a corner of my heart that was uneasy.
So...
“I should send it to you.”
The better a person is, the less likely he is to be sacrificed to my own selfishness.
So, even though it's a shame, it's right to send it.
...Is it just a pity?
"Ha."
I sighed deeply, my emotions once again confused, crumpled up the newspaper, and threw it in the trash can.
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