NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54
The game’s outcome was Rudell’s defeat.
“Damn…”
“Ahahahaha!!”
Looking at Rudell slumped over the table with a gloomy voice, Leje was laughing heartily.
She laughed so hard that tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
“To think the card you picked with such confidence is a bang!! Ahahaha!! It’s just… ah! so funny!!”
“Don’t laugh…”
If it were possible, he wanted to hide in a mouse hole.
Next to the honorably sunk Rudell, a golden card reading ‘Oh dear, better luck next time.’ lay on the ground.
Never again should he rely on luck for gambling.
Making that determination, Rudell sat up with a short sigh.
“Well then, it’s time for the penalty, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, do whatever you want.”
After laughing for a while longer, Leje composed herself and sat down.
“Bring it on.”
“I’ll hit back as much as you dish out.”
Thinking of possible questions Leje might ask, Rudell placed his hand on the crystal ball on the table.
“Hurry up and ask, I hate wasting time.”
“Wait a moment, let me think of a question.”
“Were you not thinking of that ahead of time?”
Rudell answered her gruffly as he squinted, while Leje let out a low groan and fell into thought.
How much time had passed like that…
Just when Rudell’s patience hit its limit, Leje seemed to have decided on a question and turned her gaze towards him.
“Okay, then I’ll ask?”
Rudell nodded, and in response, Leje took a deep breath and spoke.
“Does Rudellheit Weinstein have something he’s hiding from Leje El Lagrind?”
“Huh…?”
With her question, Rudell’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her.
He didn’t understand the meaning behind the question.
“What kind of question is that?”
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”
“Ugh…”
Seeing Leje’s radiant smile while asking, Rudell let out a low groan.
He thought she would have picked up on something because she was quite perceptive, but he never imagined she’d ask so outright…
However, he couldn’t dodge the question either because the crystal ball in his hand would reveal any lies.
What would be the best response in this situation?
Just then, a sudden idea flashed in Rudell’s mind.
A faint smile began to form on Rudell’s lips…
“Yes. I do.”
Then, with an incredibly bold voice, Rudell replied.
“Oh? Then what is that hidden fact?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that? You have to answer properly.”
“Leje, you said it yourself: the punishment is answering just ‘one’ question.”
“What!? That’s not fair!”
Seeing Leje’s face turn perplexed, Rudell let out a giggle.
Leje’s condition was to honestly answer one question, no matter what.
Thereafter, Rudell had no obligation to answer any subsequent questions.
“What the hell is that!? That’s ridiculous!”
“The ship has already sailed.”
With a voice tinged with injustice, Leje screamed, but Rudell stood up with an even more relaxed expression.
But…
“Hey! Get back here! You’re not going anywhere until you answer!”
“No!? Wait! What is this!? I’ve kept my end of the bargain!”
At that, Leje lunged at Rudell.
Since he couldn’t overpower her, Rudell was pushed and ended up rolling on the floor with her.
“How dare you mock the daughter of the Duke’s House!?”
“Ow!! Leje! My arm! You’re going to break it!!”
While the two struggled and rolled around…
Knock, knock!
“Weinstein Count, may I come in?”
With the sound of knocking, a familiar voice called, and as the door opened, a woman familiar to both entered.
With her neatly tied black hair and a rigid impression.
The striking crimson eyes caught one’s attention.
It was none other than Alma, Leje’s personal handmaid and the housekeeper of the Duke’s House.
“…”
“…”
Caught off guard by her sudden entrance, the two stared at her in silence…
“…Excuse me.”
Panting as they were tangled up, Alma slowly bowed her head and closed the door behind her.
And in the next moment…
“Wait a moment!”
“Stop! It’s a misunderstanding!!”
Both shouted concurrently, bursting out the door without concern for who was first.
*
In the hallway of the Duke’s Mansion.
With moonlight streaming in, three people were walking down the hallway illuminated in a blue hue.
“Do you understand? The young lady is the sole heir of the Lagrind Dukedom. You have a duty to act more properly…”
“Ugh…”
Under the barrage of words from Alma, Leje struggled to respond.
Anyone could see that the situation was one that could be misunderstood.
All she could do was mutter with a grimace, it’s not what it looks like…
“Please refrain from acts that might lead to misunderstandings with Count Weinstein as well.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Rudell, feeling equally wronged as Leje, knew that anything he said would have little effect on the current situation.
So, after a long episode of Alma’s nagging, they arrived at a large door…
“Rudell. Just in case, don’t say anything unnecessary. Father hates long-winded stories.”
“Ah, got it…”
Nodding to Leje’s words, Rudell prepared for what was coming.
The reason they were there was simple.
[The Duke wishes to meet Count Weinstein.]
It was because the Lagrind Duke had returned earlier than expected and wanted to meet him.
Hoo…
After a short sigh, Rudell took a breath…
Alma, deeming them ready, slowly raised her hand and knocked on the door before them.
“Duke, this is Alma. I’ve brought Count Weinstein.”
“Come in.”
As Alma lightly knocked, a deep voice came from beyond the door.
“Please enter.”
Alma opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Rudell to slowly walk into the room.
There, he found a man.
In a blue uniform with gradually fading blonde hair and deep blue eyes that resembled Leje’s.
With a strong demeanor, his jawline was covered with a sharply grown beard, and his gaze was so piercing it felt like a blade.
Dasus El Lagrind.
The head of the Lagrind Ducal House.
The Duke Lagrind.
And, Leje’s father.
“Count of the Weinstein House, Rudellheit Weinstein greets you, Duke.”
As he looked at the man before him, Rudell bowed his head with a tense expression.
Truly, the Duke of the Duke’s House.
His gaze made Rudell feel as if he was being pierced right through.
“I’ve heard much about you. First, please take a seat.”
“Yes.”
Responding, Rudell settled into his seat.
At that moment, a heavy silence descended upon them…
“First of all, I must express my gratitude; thank you, Count Weinstein.”
“Uh? W-What do you mean all of a sudden…”
Rudell was taken aback by the Duke’s sudden words of gratitude.
After all, he had done nothing to merit any thanks from the Duke.
“For becoming friends with my daughter.”
“That is…”
“Even though she appears this way, Leje didn’t have proper friends before meeting you. None were to her liking, they seemed unpleasant, she would say.”
“I see.”
Rudell nodded slowly at that.
Since he had known a bit about her background, he had no questions about it.
“Apparently, your evaluation from Alma and others in the Duke’s house is quite favorable.”
“That’s too generous of you.”
Though others might not know, the fact that even the strict Alma praised him was surprising for Rudell, who replied to Dasus.
“However, I am not one to trust people easily. A person can become either a saint or a sinner for their own purposes.”
“And only now do I understand why you wanted to see me.”
When judging people, he preferred his own judgment over opinions from others.
Dasus was indeed that kind of person.
“You speak wisely.”
In a story where betrayals run rampant, there were inevitably unexpected traitors among them.
“Then let me ask directly. Can I trust you? Can you guarantee that you approached Leje without any ulterior motives?”
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that question.”
To Dasus’s follow-up question, Rudell replied.
At that moment, Dasus’s eyes twitched slightly…
“May I ask why?”
“You mentioned that people shouldn’t be trusted easily. Then regardless of my answer, would you not doubt it, Duke? Isn’t that so?”
“An interesting perspective.”
In some cases, the Duke might apply charges against Rudell for contempt with that answer.
Yet, he appeared intrigued, stroking his chin.
“However, if the Duke wishes for me to answer, I would advise you to not trust me.”
“Why so?”
“It would be the wisest decision for you, Duke.”
“…”
At that, the Duke stared blankly at Rudell.
And Rudell could feel cold sweat bead at the back of his neck.
After all, in the original story, the Duke possessed considerable insight.
Rather than clumsily proving his innocence, it was wise for Rudell to leave that judgment to the Duke.
Then, in the next moment…
“Hahhahahaha!!!”
At Rudell’s reply, the Duke burst into loud laughter.