Episode 96. There's no way he's alive
They're too similar.
With the already dead Marquis of Berka.
Gwen stared blankly at him.
Looking into his mysteriously shining golden eyes, she almost felt as if he had come back to life.
The Marquis of Berka's family and Gwen's family had no direct connection.
However, Gwen knew the Marquis of Berka well.
To be precise, the former Marquis, the Marquis's father.
He was someone Gwen respected.
If it weren't for Cedric's courtship, he would have worked for the Marquis of Berka's family.
That had been Gwen's original goal.
"You... how old are you this year?"
Gwen asked Neruan in a trembling voice.
Neruan's brow furrowed involuntarily at Gwen's sudden question.
"Why are you suddenly asking my age?"
Asking one's age was considered impolite, regardless of gender.
He had been living in the aristocracy longer than anyone else, so there was no way he could have made such a mistake.
Could it be... did he recognize me?
Neruan glanced at Gwen with a sharp expression.
'You said Gwen was the second son of a baronial family, right?'
Gwen was indeed a man of noble birth.
But a noble from the outskirts. He had no ties to Neruan's family. Moreover, he had long ago become a butler for the Count Wence family and had devoted himself to this work rather than interacting with other nobles.
'No way. He wouldn't recognize me.'
Neruan carefully scanned Gwen's expression. He caught his trembling eyes.
Gwen's blank expression as he stared at him made him feel like he shouldn't answer properly.
There was no harm in being cautious.
He answered older than his actual age.
"Twenty-three."
The answer surprised not only Gwen but even Rose.
'What? We're the same age?'
Rose always thought Neruan was younger than her.
'Strange. Was I mistaken?'
Rose tilted her head. I think I heard that Neruan was younger than me...
'Who did I hear that from?'
She racked her brain, but nothing came to mind. And then, a feeling of betrayal washed over her.
'I've been letting him off the hook because he was young...!'
Rose's eyes glared at him, burning fiercely.
Her lethargy was over now.
She knew he wasn't young.
And another person who was as surprised as Rose was: Gwen.
She lowered her eyes, her disappointment evident.
'Twenty-three... If the youngest son of the Marquis of Berka were alive, he would have turned twenty-one by now.'
He asked just in case, but, as expected, it was wrong.
The youngest son of the Marquis of Berka... He was a different age from him.
Gwen's eyes showed a bitterness.
'Yes. There's no way he's alive.'
The Marquis Berka family had been annihilated over a decade ago.
The moment she saw Neruan, she had hoped that the Marquis Berka's bloodline might still be alive.
'I was mistaken for a moment, even after seeing that red hair.'
The youngest son of the Berka family had silver hair, just like his mother... and crucially, there was no one in the Berka family with red hair.
Furthermore, Neruan was known to be a noble from a foreign land.
Gwen found himself absurdly delusional.
And even if he had encountered the bloodline of a destroyed family, he would have been a sinner to them.
A corner of Gwen's heart was always heavy.
He had always thought that he had played a part in the annihilation of the nobles who followed the former Emperors. It seemed as if everything had happened because he had revived Count Wence. It was none other than Gwen who had dedicated himself to raising Cedric. Thanks to his extraordinary intellect, the Wence family, which was on the verge of collapse, was revived.
If it weren't for his own abilities... the bloodshed wouldn't have raged around Count Wences.
Everything was Cedric's fault, the head of Count Wences' family, but he felt guilt.
Even years later, there were nights when guilt tormented him, keeping him awake at night.
He had only been loyal to his master, but returning felt like a terrible burden.
'So... How could I possibly welcome his bloodline?'
He swallowed hard, his mouth dry, and looked at Neruan.
Even as he thought about it, he couldn't help but regret that Neruan wasn't of the Marquis of Berka's bloodline.
Gwen spoke to Neruan in a low voice.
"You must have endured a lot since coming from a foreign land."
"No, I didn't. I came here of my own accord. I learned a lot by coming to the Artaeum estate. I am simply grateful to His Highness the Grand Duke for trusting me and bestowing upon me the position of steward."
Neruan looked reassuring.
He was the perfect match for his playful son, Frederick.
Gwen surreptitiously glanced at Frederick behind him.
Frederick was busy exploring the Grand Duke's mansion, oblivious to Gwen's reaction.
Gwen clicked his tongue and praised Neruan.
"You're truly mature for your age."
Rose's expression hardened, as if she absolutely could not accept Gwen's compliment.
'Neruan is such a childish guy.'
However, Neruan displayed a remarkably refined demeanor, unlike the one he had shown to Rose.
Gwen praised Neruan and continued speaking.
“You really are different from anyone else.”
Frederick flinched at Gwen’s words.
However, he quickly pretended not to hear him.
“I will invite you inside.”
Neruan spoke politely to Gwen’s party.
Rose and Gwen followed Neruan to the dining room.
The atmosphere of the mansion was a little different than usual.
The hallway, which had exuded a modern feel, was now decorated with various flowers, creating a bright atmosphere.
'The Grand Duke has put some effort into it.'
She had thought he wouldn’t place much importance on hospitality, but she sensed his sincerity.
They arrived at the dining room.
“Your Highness, may I come in?”
The servant opened the large doors on both sides.
The massive doors swung open without hesitation. The long table was adorned with gorgeous flowers, and unlike usual, the candles were adorned with gold.
And not only that. Every single piece of tableware on the table was gold.
"My goodness, is that really all gold?"
It had been a while since she stayed at the Grand Duke's mansion, but this was the first time she seen such a lavish table.
The Grand Duke was a man of modest means, even if he possessed no wealth.
However, today, he seemed to have put a lot of effort into welcoming his guests.
"You're here."
The Grand Duke, seated at the head of the table, rose from his seat.
His attire was also unusually formal.
He wore the kind of attire one might expect for a banquet, and his expression seemed somewhat combative.
"Young Lady, come here."
Julius was also seated next to him, waving cheerfully at Rose.
Normally, he would have punished Julius for flirting with his woman, but in the Grand Duke's eyes, her partner was the greater enemy.
The Grand Duke, fully dressed, strode briskly toward Rose and her party.
He walked briskly, his gaze fixed on a single person. He glared at the man who was Rose's business partner.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum stopped in front of the man with an air of arrogance.
"Is this him? He really looks dapper."
His first impression wasn't very good.
No matter how he looked at him, he looked like he would be a threat to Rose.
The Grand Duke was the first to extend a hand to him.
"I heard you've been helping our Rose a lot."
He emphasized the phrase "our Rose" and smiled coldly.
"It's the Grand Duke of Artaeum."
Perhaps overwhelmed by the Grand Duke's gaze?
Frederick, standing before him, trembled with his eyelashes, seemingly at a loss.
After all, it wasn't Gwen before the Grand Duke, but his son, Frederick.
The Grand Duke was reaching out to the stern man, engaging in a show of force.
Frederick groaned under the Grand Duke's fierce aura.
"Your hands are heavy,"
He muttered, seemingly urging him, as Gwen blocked his son's path.
He then took the Grand Duke's hand and greeted him.
"Thank you for inviting me. I'm Gwen, Your Highness, the Grand Duke."
The Grand Duke's gaze wavered for a moment as he met Gwen's.
He had been staring at Frederick the entire time, so he hadn't noticed Gwen standing next to him.
'The butler of the Count of Wence...!'
Only then did the Grand Duke recognize Rose's partner.
Contrary to his worries, it was Gwen possessing a supreme ability.
'Rose's partner was Gwen.'
Even as he shook hands with Gwen, he glared at Neruan, who stood behind him.
Neruan turned his head, ignoring the Grand Duke's fierce gaze.
'So you're deliberately hiding the fact that Rose's business partner is Gwen?'
Even though he'd known Neruan for ten years, it was difficult to understand why he'd kept this fact a secret. He wasn't the type to pull off such pointless pranks.
Rather, he was remarkably mature for his age.
Neruan's sudden, unconventional prank was incomprehensible.
The Grand Duke gaped at Neruan.
"See you later, Neruan."
He glared at Neruan with a final, stern glare before turning to Gwen.
He couldn't be rude in front of his guests.
"Then I'll bring out the food. If you have any allergies or intolerances, please let me know."
Neruan made an excuse to bring food and quickly left.
The dining room door, which had been wide open, closed.
From the moment Rose entered, she was busy observing the Grand Duke's expression.
She, too, deliberately avoided telling the Grand Duke that Gwen was his partner.
He might not have tolerated bringing Gwen, who had worked for Count Wences, with her.
The Grand Duke's expression was visibly uneasy.
'Do you dislike Gwen because he's from the Count Wence?'
She looked at them both anxiously.
"You were Rose's partner?"
"Yes. I'm nearing retirement, but Rose took a liking to me, so we started working together."
Contrary to Rose's worries, a faint smile crept onto the Grand Duke's face.
'He wasn't that swindler.'
He was relieved to discover that Rose's partner was Gwen, not Frederick.
Frederick was obviously unpleasant.
He loved to laze around, and he gave off the air of someone about to stab him in the back.
By comparison, Gwen was a remarkably solid person.
If he were to look at his face, he had absolutely no reason to object to Gwen being Rose's partner.
However, there was one thing that bothered me.
'Gwen used to work for the Count of Wence.'
They're too similar.
With the already dead Marquis of Berka.
Gwen stared blankly at him.
Looking into his mysteriously shining golden eyes, she almost felt as if he had come back to life.
The Marquis of Berka's family and Gwen's family had no direct connection.
However, Gwen knew the Marquis of Berka well.
To be precise, the former Marquis, the Marquis's father.
He was someone Gwen respected.
If it weren't for Cedric's courtship, he would have worked for the Marquis of Berka's family.
That had been Gwen's original goal.
"You... how old are you this year?"
Gwen asked Neruan in a trembling voice.
Neruan's brow furrowed involuntarily at Gwen's sudden question.
"Why are you suddenly asking my age?"
Asking one's age was considered impolite, regardless of gender.
He had been living in the aristocracy longer than anyone else, so there was no way he could have made such a mistake.
Could it be... did he recognize me?
Neruan glanced at Gwen with a sharp expression.
'You said Gwen was the second son of a baronial family, right?'
Gwen was indeed a man of noble birth.
But a noble from the outskirts. He had no ties to Neruan's family. Moreover, he had long ago become a butler for the Count Wence family and had devoted himself to this work rather than interacting with other nobles.
'No way. He wouldn't recognize me.'
Neruan carefully scanned Gwen's expression. He caught his trembling eyes.
Gwen's blank expression as he stared at him made him feel like he shouldn't answer properly.
There was no harm in being cautious.
He answered older than his actual age.
"Twenty-three."
The answer surprised not only Gwen but even Rose.
'What? We're the same age?'
Rose always thought Neruan was younger than her.
'Strange. Was I mistaken?'
Rose tilted her head. I think I heard that Neruan was younger than me...
'Who did I hear that from?'
She racked her brain, but nothing came to mind. And then, a feeling of betrayal washed over her.
'I've been letting him off the hook because he was young...!'
Rose's eyes glared at him, burning fiercely.
Her lethargy was over now.
She knew he wasn't young.
And another person who was as surprised as Rose was: Gwen.
She lowered her eyes, her disappointment evident.
'Twenty-three... If the youngest son of the Marquis of Berka were alive, he would have turned twenty-one by now.'
He asked just in case, but, as expected, it was wrong.
The youngest son of the Marquis of Berka... He was a different age from him.
Gwen's eyes showed a bitterness.
'Yes. There's no way he's alive.'
The Marquis Berka family had been annihilated over a decade ago.
The moment she saw Neruan, she had hoped that the Marquis Berka's bloodline might still be alive.
'I was mistaken for a moment, even after seeing that red hair.'
The youngest son of the Berka family had silver hair, just like his mother... and crucially, there was no one in the Berka family with red hair.
Furthermore, Neruan was known to be a noble from a foreign land.
Gwen found himself absurdly delusional.
And even if he had encountered the bloodline of a destroyed family, he would have been a sinner to them.
A corner of Gwen's heart was always heavy.
He had always thought that he had played a part in the annihilation of the nobles who followed the former Emperors. It seemed as if everything had happened because he had revived Count Wence. It was none other than Gwen who had dedicated himself to raising Cedric. Thanks to his extraordinary intellect, the Wence family, which was on the verge of collapse, was revived.
If it weren't for his own abilities... the bloodshed wouldn't have raged around Count Wences.
Everything was Cedric's fault, the head of Count Wences' family, but he felt guilt.
Even years later, there were nights when guilt tormented him, keeping him awake at night.
He had only been loyal to his master, but returning felt like a terrible burden.
'So... How could I possibly welcome his bloodline?'
He swallowed hard, his mouth dry, and looked at Neruan.
Even as he thought about it, he couldn't help but regret that Neruan wasn't of the Marquis of Berka's bloodline.
Gwen spoke to Neruan in a low voice.
"You must have endured a lot since coming from a foreign land."
"No, I didn't. I came here of my own accord. I learned a lot by coming to the Artaeum estate. I am simply grateful to His Highness the Grand Duke for trusting me and bestowing upon me the position of steward."
Neruan looked reassuring.
He was the perfect match for his playful son, Frederick.
Gwen surreptitiously glanced at Frederick behind him.
Frederick was busy exploring the Grand Duke's mansion, oblivious to Gwen's reaction.
Gwen clicked his tongue and praised Neruan.
"You're truly mature for your age."
Rose's expression hardened, as if she absolutely could not accept Gwen's compliment.
'Neruan is such a childish guy.'
However, Neruan displayed a remarkably refined demeanor, unlike the one he had shown to Rose.
Gwen praised Neruan and continued speaking.
“You really are different from anyone else.”
Frederick flinched at Gwen’s words.
However, he quickly pretended not to hear him.
“I will invite you inside.”
Neruan spoke politely to Gwen’s party.
Rose and Gwen followed Neruan to the dining room.
The atmosphere of the mansion was a little different than usual.
The hallway, which had exuded a modern feel, was now decorated with various flowers, creating a bright atmosphere.
'The Grand Duke has put some effort into it.'
She had thought he wouldn’t place much importance on hospitality, but she sensed his sincerity.
They arrived at the dining room.
“Your Highness, may I come in?”
The servant opened the large doors on both sides.
The massive doors swung open without hesitation. The long table was adorned with gorgeous flowers, and unlike usual, the candles were adorned with gold.
And not only that. Every single piece of tableware on the table was gold.
"My goodness, is that really all gold?"
It had been a while since she stayed at the Grand Duke's mansion, but this was the first time she seen such a lavish table.
The Grand Duke was a man of modest means, even if he possessed no wealth.
However, today, he seemed to have put a lot of effort into welcoming his guests.
"You're here."
The Grand Duke, seated at the head of the table, rose from his seat.
His attire was also unusually formal.
He wore the kind of attire one might expect for a banquet, and his expression seemed somewhat combative.
"Young Lady, come here."
Julius was also seated next to him, waving cheerfully at Rose.
Normally, he would have punished Julius for flirting with his woman, but in the Grand Duke's eyes, her partner was the greater enemy.
The Grand Duke, fully dressed, strode briskly toward Rose and her party.
He walked briskly, his gaze fixed on a single person. He glared at the man who was Rose's business partner.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum stopped in front of the man with an air of arrogance.
"Is this him? He really looks dapper."
His first impression wasn't very good.
No matter how he looked at him, he looked like he would be a threat to Rose.
The Grand Duke was the first to extend a hand to him.
"I heard you've been helping our Rose a lot."
He emphasized the phrase "our Rose" and smiled coldly.
"It's the Grand Duke of Artaeum."
Perhaps overwhelmed by the Grand Duke's gaze?
Frederick, standing before him, trembled with his eyelashes, seemingly at a loss.
After all, it wasn't Gwen before the Grand Duke, but his son, Frederick.
The Grand Duke was reaching out to the stern man, engaging in a show of force.
Frederick groaned under the Grand Duke's fierce aura.
"Your hands are heavy,"
He muttered, seemingly urging him, as Gwen blocked his son's path.
He then took the Grand Duke's hand and greeted him.
"Thank you for inviting me. I'm Gwen, Your Highness, the Grand Duke."
The Grand Duke's gaze wavered for a moment as he met Gwen's.
He had been staring at Frederick the entire time, so he hadn't noticed Gwen standing next to him.
'The butler of the Count of Wence...!'
Only then did the Grand Duke recognize Rose's partner.
Contrary to his worries, it was Gwen possessing a supreme ability.
'Rose's partner was Gwen.'
Even as he shook hands with Gwen, he glared at Neruan, who stood behind him.
Neruan turned his head, ignoring the Grand Duke's fierce gaze.
'So you're deliberately hiding the fact that Rose's business partner is Gwen?'
Even though he'd known Neruan for ten years, it was difficult to understand why he'd kept this fact a secret. He wasn't the type to pull off such pointless pranks.
Rather, he was remarkably mature for his age.
Neruan's sudden, unconventional prank was incomprehensible.
The Grand Duke gaped at Neruan.
"See you later, Neruan."
He glared at Neruan with a final, stern glare before turning to Gwen.
He couldn't be rude in front of his guests.
"Then I'll bring out the food. If you have any allergies or intolerances, please let me know."
Neruan made an excuse to bring food and quickly left.
The dining room door, which had been wide open, closed.
From the moment Rose entered, she was busy observing the Grand Duke's expression.
She, too, deliberately avoided telling the Grand Duke that Gwen was his partner.
He might not have tolerated bringing Gwen, who had worked for Count Wences, with her.
The Grand Duke's expression was visibly uneasy.
'Do you dislike Gwen because he's from the Count Wence?'
She looked at them both anxiously.
"You were Rose's partner?"
"Yes. I'm nearing retirement, but Rose took a liking to me, so we started working together."
Contrary to Rose's worries, a faint smile crept onto the Grand Duke's face.
'He wasn't that swindler.'
He was relieved to discover that Rose's partner was Gwen, not Frederick.
Frederick was obviously unpleasant.
He loved to laze around, and he gave off the air of someone about to stab him in the back.
By comparison, Gwen was a remarkably solid person.
If he were to look at his face, he had absolutely no reason to object to Gwen being Rose's partner.
However, there was one thing that bothered me.
'Gwen used to work for the Count of Wence.'
Furthermore, he had long been Cedric's right-hand man.
Despite numerous offers from other families, he hadn't even flinched.
He had shown such loyalty to Cedric that he even turned down an offer from the imperial palace.
The thought of Gwen joining Rose?
A corner of his heart felt uneasy.
In fact, he heard rumors of Gwen's dismissal by Eric.
But he didn't believe Gwen would harbor any lingering attachment to the Count of Wence. Gwen had been with the Count of Wence for thirty years.
Just as Serun had become Rose's double agent, Gwen could very well have become Cedric's double agent.
Gwen understood the Grand Duke's distrustful gaze.
"Lucas! Aren't you keeping your guests here too long?"
At that moment, Julius, who was sitting at the table, spoke with a smile.
“Hello. I am Princess Julia of Mederion.”
She greeted them elegantly, holding onto the hem of her skirt.
“Our Lucas is a bit socially awkward. How dare he keep guests standing here for so long?”
She approached Gwen and the others, breaking the awkward tension.
As Julius approached, the Grand Duke furrowed his eyebrows.
“...Let’s start with eating first.”
The Grand Duke didn’t dismiss them.
Despite numerous offers from other families, he hadn't even flinched.
He had shown such loyalty to Cedric that he even turned down an offer from the imperial palace.
The thought of Gwen joining Rose?
A corner of his heart felt uneasy.
In fact, he heard rumors of Gwen's dismissal by Eric.
But he didn't believe Gwen would harbor any lingering attachment to the Count of Wence. Gwen had been with the Count of Wence for thirty years.
Just as Serun had become Rose's double agent, Gwen could very well have become Cedric's double agent.
Gwen understood the Grand Duke's distrustful gaze.
"Lucas! Aren't you keeping your guests here too long?"
At that moment, Julius, who was sitting at the table, spoke with a smile.
“Hello. I am Princess Julia of Mederion.”
She greeted them elegantly, holding onto the hem of her skirt.
“Our Lucas is a bit socially awkward. How dare he keep guests standing here for so long?”
She approached Gwen and the others, breaking the awkward tension.
As Julius approached, the Grand Duke furrowed his eyebrows.
He didn't feel like eating together right away, but...
The Grand Duke didn’t dismiss them.
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