“Barton was full of praise for the two researchers, saying they were both very competent and conscientious.”
"...It's good to be diligent, but if they overdo it and get sick, it's a problem, so we need to take good care of the researchers' health. I heard the climate here is very different from their hometown. It wouldn't be a bad idea to let them rest comfortably at the mansion for a few days."
Roderick tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk as he spoke. Lester, who had been staring blankly, opened his mouth, hesitating, then cautiously spoke. Even then, he couldn't finish, swallowing what he had been about to say.
“Your Excellency, by any chance... oh, no.”
“What? Why did you stop talking?”
“No, that’s... that’s not it. I think it’s better not to say anything.”
When Lester finally shut his mouth, Roderick, unable to contain his curiosity, jumped up from his seat.
"This guy is really...! Why are you so frustrating? Please tell me. I'm so curious, I can't focus on anything."
Lester felt strangely uneasy seeing him, like a boy throwing a tantrum because he couldn't get what he wanted.
Roderick had lost his parents at a young age and had to grow up quickly. He had always been calm and composed, so it had been years since he'd seen this side of him.
It was so welcome and joyful, but at the same time, it brought about an inexplicable sense of loneliness.
But he tried to shake off his negative feelings and returned to the conversation with a sly smile.
It's rare for a young master to show his childhood appearance, so shouldn't he be treated to death?
“I was going to ask if the researchers were reluctant to finish their work quickly and return to the Republic of Tamora.”
"...What does that mean? As long as it's not too much of a stretch, it'd be better if things were over quickly. But why would I dislike that?"
But unfortunately, Roderick just tilted his head as if he couldn't understand what Lester was saying.
“Hmm...”
The butler quietly stroked his chin, letting out an embarrassed groan.
In his view, the bright smile Roderick had shown at the last dinner was clearly directed at a woman he was attracted to. However, his young master, who had never experienced a proper relationship, was clearly oblivious to his own feelings.
Lester sighed deeply and decided to change the subject to a direct question. It seemed unlikely he'd get a proper answer from his insensitive master if he tried to talk him out of his way.
“So, what I meant was... I was asking if Your Excellency had any feelings for Lady Ophelia.”
“...Me, me?”
"Yes."
And as expected, Roderick blinked rapidly and stared blankly at Lester, as if he hadn't thought about it at all.
He couldn't understand why the butler was talking such nonsense.
“I don’t know why you thought that.”
"It's because Your Excellency looked at Lady Ophelia with a strange expression at our last dinner. I've served Your Excellency for twenty years, but I've only seen you smile so brightly a few times."
At Lester's words, Roderick fell into deep thought. His expression was as silent as usual, but the butler, who knew him well, clearly saw a look of bewilderment.
"Did I really smile that brightly? I was grateful that she, a foreigner, was trying to respect our culture, and I thought her awkwardness was cute..."
"That's right." Lester secretly cheered at Roderick's answer. Isn't the feeling of "cute" a barometer of affection?
“You think she's cute?”
“...Yeah, isn’t that amazing?”
"Think carefully, Your Excellency. I believe the feeling of 'cute' is evidence of affection."
At Lester's words, Roderick shrugged his shoulders in disbelief and retorted.
“That’s not it. Isn’t it that when you look at children or animals, they think they’re cute?”
"...That's a story about a child or an animal. Lady Ophelia is neither a child nor an animal. She's a full-fledged adult woman. Lady Ophelia is probably around the same age as the second daughter of the Dexen family. Do you think you would find it cute if Lady Alexia did the same thing?"
At the butler's question, Roderick rolled his eyes and thought of Alexia, who had left for the capital city of Venator as soon as she came of age, saying she would join the Imperial Guard.
Is it cute? No, it didn't seem cute.
And if he told her she was cute, Alexia would surely swing her heavy greatsword wildly at him, telling him not to be so noisy.
“...Siblings don’t talk like that.”
Roderick shuddered, his face tingling with goosebumps, and answered bluntly. Although they weren't biological siblings, they had grown up like siblings, studying under the previous Duke.
"Well then, what about Candice? Candice is quite beautiful and cheerful, isn't she? Did you find her cute?"
“...”
Why did he keep asking questions like this? Lester, the typical serious butler, was bewildered by this unusual behavior, but Roderick, following his question, pictured Candice.
She was a fun person. Understandably, adjusting to a new place can be difficult, but from day one, she was cheerful, laughing and joking, somehow reminding him of his friend, who was second to none in her pranksterism, and it made him feel good. But...
‘...I definitely don’t think she's cute.’
Perhaps, as the butler said, he had special feelings for Ophelia, different from those he had for other women.
However, it was not easy to accept the butler's words that he had feelings for her at face value.
"It's only been four days since I met her. Isn't it a little early to say I like her?"
"Yes, that's true. But I don't think it necessarily takes a long time for someone to fall in love with someone. Look at the Second Prince."
Lester shrugged and whispered his thoughts, mentioning the playful friend Roderick had associated with Candice.
His close friend, the Second Prince Hiram, had already started a family at the young age of nineteen and was expected to become the father of a child this winter.
He had fallen in love at first sight with a woman three years his senior, and after a flirtatious affair, he ended up having a child. This happened just three months after they started dating.
“I didn’t know the Second Prince would do something like that. And neither did the First Prince.”
“...Who would have expected that? I was surprised too.”
It was when Roderick shook his head and laughed as if he were tired.
“Your Excellency, a messenger has arrived from the imperial palace.”
As if he knew that he and the butler were telling the Princes' backstory, a messenger from the imperial court arrived at that very moment.
“...What’s going on?”
“His Majesty the Emperor has sent a letter.”
Roderick opened the Emperor's letter with a surprised expression.
He had only recently returned to the estate from his stay at the Venator mansion in the capital for Hiram's wedding, and he had no idea why he had contacted him so urgently.
“What is it, Your Excellency?”
“...I heard the First Prince caused another accident.”
In response to the butler's question, he wiped his face wearily and closed the letter. It said that Byron, Hiram's older brother by three years, had gotten into a drunken fight with one of the foreign ambassadors.
It was a fight, but in reality, it was an incident where the Prince unilaterally started a fight and committed violence.
“Are you saying this again?”
"Yes. This time, it seems like a diplomatic issue is at stake, making it quite serious. So, they're asking if they can exile him to our territory."
"I feel like my head is starting to hurt," Roderick replied, pressing his thumb against his temple.
Byron's accidents weren't a new occurrence. He was rude and arrogant, and he indulged in alcohol and women, so it was surprising he didn't get into trouble.
And each time, the Emperor would entrust him and his younger brother, Hiram, to the Weishaffen estate, hoping that they would learn from the previous Duke, who had been such a strict teacher and such a good father.
But even Roderick's father couldn't change Byron's rascally nature. Even his admonitions were fleeting, and once he returned to the capital, he'd run wild, seemingly oblivious to the events of his Weishaffen estate.
Even though there was no one left to admonish him after his father passed away, the Emperor was determined to send Byron here.
Roderick rubbed his eyes, seemingly uneasy, and was lost in thought. Lester cautiously spoke to him, his voice a hint of concern.
“...Is there something on your mind?”
“Yes. Isn’t there a distinguished guest here?”
Byron was a very self-indulgent man. There was a 99.9% chance he would mistreat Ophelia and Candice and cause them discomfort.
Of course, since it was a request and not an imperial order, the Emperor would not give him any disadvantage if he refused.
Still, it was something he couldn't easily refuse.
When he suddenly lost his parents and became alone, the one who truly comforted him and helped him stand on his own two feet was the current Emperor.
And no matter how much he hates Byron, aren't they childhood friends?
"Please tell His Majesty that I understand. I must prepare to welcome His Highness the Crown Prince."
Roderick sighed softly and answered.
“Oh my, my throat hurts.”
Candice stretched and yawned.
About three weeks had already passed since she arrived at the Weishaffen estate and began participating in the excavation.
It didn't take long to get inside, but once inside, things took a while. The ruins were full of traps, and in some areas, the ceiling had collapsed, leaving snow piled up.
Moreover, the interior of the ruins was so vast and deep that they still cannot grasp its scale.
But now, they were resting comfortably in the lord's mansion, not in the ruins. Duke Roderick had forced them to rest three days a week, saying, "You shouldn't overwork yourself."
Thanks to that, she was currently rolling around in Ophelia's room, looking through grimoires to see if there was anything that could help her excavate the ruins.
"...It's good to be diligent, but if they overdo it and get sick, it's a problem, so we need to take good care of the researchers' health. I heard the climate here is very different from their hometown. It wouldn't be a bad idea to let them rest comfortably at the mansion for a few days."
Roderick tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk as he spoke. Lester, who had been staring blankly, opened his mouth, hesitating, then cautiously spoke. Even then, he couldn't finish, swallowing what he had been about to say.
“Your Excellency, by any chance... oh, no.”
“What? Why did you stop talking?”
“No, that’s... that’s not it. I think it’s better not to say anything.”
When Lester finally shut his mouth, Roderick, unable to contain his curiosity, jumped up from his seat.
"This guy is really...! Why are you so frustrating? Please tell me. I'm so curious, I can't focus on anything."
Lester felt strangely uneasy seeing him, like a boy throwing a tantrum because he couldn't get what he wanted.
Roderick had lost his parents at a young age and had to grow up quickly. He had always been calm and composed, so it had been years since he'd seen this side of him.
It was so welcome and joyful, but at the same time, it brought about an inexplicable sense of loneliness.
But he tried to shake off his negative feelings and returned to the conversation with a sly smile.
It's rare for a young master to show his childhood appearance, so shouldn't he be treated to death?
“I was going to ask if the researchers were reluctant to finish their work quickly and return to the Republic of Tamora.”
"...What does that mean? As long as it's not too much of a stretch, it'd be better if things were over quickly. But why would I dislike that?"
But unfortunately, Roderick just tilted his head as if he couldn't understand what Lester was saying.
“Hmm...”
The butler quietly stroked his chin, letting out an embarrassed groan.
In his view, the bright smile Roderick had shown at the last dinner was clearly directed at a woman he was attracted to. However, his young master, who had never experienced a proper relationship, was clearly oblivious to his own feelings.
Lester sighed deeply and decided to change the subject to a direct question. It seemed unlikely he'd get a proper answer from his insensitive master if he tried to talk him out of his way.
“So, what I meant was... I was asking if Your Excellency had any feelings for Lady Ophelia.”
“...Me, me?”
"Yes."
And as expected, Roderick blinked rapidly and stared blankly at Lester, as if he hadn't thought about it at all.
He couldn't understand why the butler was talking such nonsense.
“I don’t know why you thought that.”
"It's because Your Excellency looked at Lady Ophelia with a strange expression at our last dinner. I've served Your Excellency for twenty years, but I've only seen you smile so brightly a few times."
At Lester's words, Roderick fell into deep thought. His expression was as silent as usual, but the butler, who knew him well, clearly saw a look of bewilderment.
"Did I really smile that brightly? I was grateful that she, a foreigner, was trying to respect our culture, and I thought her awkwardness was cute..."
"That's right." Lester secretly cheered at Roderick's answer. Isn't the feeling of "cute" a barometer of affection?
“You think she's cute?”
“...Yeah, isn’t that amazing?”
"Think carefully, Your Excellency. I believe the feeling of 'cute' is evidence of affection."
At Lester's words, Roderick shrugged his shoulders in disbelief and retorted.
“That’s not it. Isn’t it that when you look at children or animals, they think they’re cute?”
"...That's a story about a child or an animal. Lady Ophelia is neither a child nor an animal. She's a full-fledged adult woman. Lady Ophelia is probably around the same age as the second daughter of the Dexen family. Do you think you would find it cute if Lady Alexia did the same thing?"
At the butler's question, Roderick rolled his eyes and thought of Alexia, who had left for the capital city of Venator as soon as she came of age, saying she would join the Imperial Guard.
Is it cute? No, it didn't seem cute.
And if he told her she was cute, Alexia would surely swing her heavy greatsword wildly at him, telling him not to be so noisy.
“...Siblings don’t talk like that.”
Roderick shuddered, his face tingling with goosebumps, and answered bluntly. Although they weren't biological siblings, they had grown up like siblings, studying under the previous Duke.
"Well then, what about Candice? Candice is quite beautiful and cheerful, isn't she? Did you find her cute?"
“...”
Why did he keep asking questions like this? Lester, the typical serious butler, was bewildered by this unusual behavior, but Roderick, following his question, pictured Candice.
She was a fun person. Understandably, adjusting to a new place can be difficult, but from day one, she was cheerful, laughing and joking, somehow reminding him of his friend, who was second to none in her pranksterism, and it made him feel good. But...
‘...I definitely don’t think she's cute.’
Perhaps, as the butler said, he had special feelings for Ophelia, different from those he had for other women.
However, it was not easy to accept the butler's words that he had feelings for her at face value.
"It's only been four days since I met her. Isn't it a little early to say I like her?"
"Yes, that's true. But I don't think it necessarily takes a long time for someone to fall in love with someone. Look at the Second Prince."
Lester shrugged and whispered his thoughts, mentioning the playful friend Roderick had associated with Candice.
His close friend, the Second Prince Hiram, had already started a family at the young age of nineteen and was expected to become the father of a child this winter.
He had fallen in love at first sight with a woman three years his senior, and after a flirtatious affair, he ended up having a child. This happened just three months after they started dating.
“I didn’t know the Second Prince would do something like that. And neither did the First Prince.”
“...Who would have expected that? I was surprised too.”
It was when Roderick shook his head and laughed as if he were tired.
“Your Excellency, a messenger has arrived from the imperial palace.”
As if he knew that he and the butler were telling the Princes' backstory, a messenger from the imperial court arrived at that very moment.
“...What’s going on?”
“His Majesty the Emperor has sent a letter.”
Roderick opened the Emperor's letter with a surprised expression.
He had only recently returned to the estate from his stay at the Venator mansion in the capital for Hiram's wedding, and he had no idea why he had contacted him so urgently.
“What is it, Your Excellency?”
“...I heard the First Prince caused another accident.”
In response to the butler's question, he wiped his face wearily and closed the letter. It said that Byron, Hiram's older brother by three years, had gotten into a drunken fight with one of the foreign ambassadors.
It was a fight, but in reality, it was an incident where the Prince unilaterally started a fight and committed violence.
“Are you saying this again?”
"Yes. This time, it seems like a diplomatic issue is at stake, making it quite serious. So, they're asking if they can exile him to our territory."
"I feel like my head is starting to hurt," Roderick replied, pressing his thumb against his temple.
Byron's accidents weren't a new occurrence. He was rude and arrogant, and he indulged in alcohol and women, so it was surprising he didn't get into trouble.
And each time, the Emperor would entrust him and his younger brother, Hiram, to the Weishaffen estate, hoping that they would learn from the previous Duke, who had been such a strict teacher and such a good father.
But even Roderick's father couldn't change Byron's rascally nature. Even his admonitions were fleeting, and once he returned to the capital, he'd run wild, seemingly oblivious to the events of his Weishaffen estate.
Even though there was no one left to admonish him after his father passed away, the Emperor was determined to send Byron here.
Roderick rubbed his eyes, seemingly uneasy, and was lost in thought. Lester cautiously spoke to him, his voice a hint of concern.
“...Is there something on your mind?”
“Yes. Isn’t there a distinguished guest here?”
Byron was a very self-indulgent man. There was a 99.9% chance he would mistreat Ophelia and Candice and cause them discomfort.
Of course, since it was a request and not an imperial order, the Emperor would not give him any disadvantage if he refused.
Still, it was something he couldn't easily refuse.
When he suddenly lost his parents and became alone, the one who truly comforted him and helped him stand on his own two feet was the current Emperor.
And no matter how much he hates Byron, aren't they childhood friends?
"Please tell His Majesty that I understand. I must prepare to welcome His Highness the Crown Prince."
Roderick sighed softly and answered.
***
“Oh my, my throat hurts.”
Candice stretched and yawned.
About three weeks had already passed since she arrived at the Weishaffen estate and began participating in the excavation.
It didn't take long to get inside, but once inside, things took a while. The ruins were full of traps, and in some areas, the ceiling had collapsed, leaving snow piled up.
Moreover, the interior of the ruins was so vast and deep that they still cannot grasp its scale.
But now, they were resting comfortably in the lord's mansion, not in the ruins. Duke Roderick had forced them to rest three days a week, saying, "You shouldn't overwork yourself."
Thanks to that, she was currently rolling around in Ophelia's room, looking through grimoires to see if there was anything that could help her excavate the ruins.
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