NOVEL NEXT Ch. 26
The encounter with the 7th Princess Elina didn’t last long.
This was because Deltain answered her questions with absent-minded responses like
For Duke Levadine, who was caught in between, the awkwardness was even more apparent. Fortunately, he had a good excuse to escape the situation.
“I think I should be going now. I need to stop by my mansion for a moment. Will you be staying longer, Count?”
“… no, I need to leave as well.”
After all, he had come here in search of a hidden piece that might not even exist.
With nothing else holding him back, Deltain also felt no reason to stay.
Duke Levadine brightened up.
“Ah, then shall we leave the palace together?”
“Sounds good.”
Elina blinked and then gave a small smile, bowing slightly.
“It was a meaningful meeting. I hope we can meet again.”
‘Not likely.’
Deltain thought as he received her farewell. He had no desire to meet Elina a second time.
He was in the middle of painfully realizing what kinds of secrets were better left unknown.
“Shall we go then?”
Duke Levadine led Deltain out of the imperial palace, his expression glowing with happiness.
The recent extension of Agnes’s life was the reason for his joy.
After all, his daughter, who had been given only three months to live, had her life expectancy doubled—how could he not be happy? And wouldn’t he view Deltain favorably for achieving that?
With a tone full of kindness, he asked Deltain.
“Did my daughter cause any offense? She has been frail since childhood, so I might have spoiled her a bit. If she was impolite, I apologize on her behalf…”
“It’s fine. I’m used to it by now.”
Deltain said this and did not continue the conversation further.
It wasn’t for any other reason. The fact that he had spent the previous night with the duke’s cherished daughter stirred a very human sense of guilt within him.
There was no point in digging deeper; it would only make him feel sorrier.
As he tried to think of a new topic, he brought up something he’d heard in his recent conversation with Ishmark.
“Come to think of it, I’ve heard that you’ve been receiving overtures from the aristocratic faction lately.”
“Ah…”
Duke Levadine gave an awkward laugh.
“It’s a difficult matter.”
“Will you not engage with them?”
“No.”
“Their terms must be good. There may be many things, but they take good care of their own.”
The aristocratic faction in the Empire could be likened to a group of racial supremacists, at least by Earth standards, Deltain thought.
They were full of pride in their noble status, looking down and outright despising those of low birth—a collective driven by an elitist mindset.
However, Deltain did not see them as entirely bad.
The body Deltain now inhabited, that of Deltain Hebron, was of noble birth, even if it had fallen from grace. He had never been wronged by them and, thanks to his reputation, had received many privileges, so there was no reason for him to hate them.
‘They’re convenient to have around.’
They were like a group of golden goblins who would shower him with gifts without him even asking.
Compared to Ishmark, who would cut down his own kin if they lacked ability, the aristocratic faction seemed like a pretty good group.
Though he had no intention of joining their faction, Deltain was favorable enough toward them that he would write a letter of recommendation if someone close to him wanted to join.
As he mused on this, Duke Levadine responded with a bitter smile.
“Their culture is too closed off. They’re so consumed by their pride in ruling that they don’t recognize the value of labor. I believe that if they gain too much power, it will have a negative impact on the Empire.”
“Why worry about the future? Even if they gain power and ruin the country, it’ll be after you’re dead. Why bother worrying about it?”
“As the chancellor of this country, it’s a matter of conscience that I must uphold.”
Deltain looked at Duke Levadine with admiration.
“That’s quite noble of you.”
It wasn’t just a casual compliment. Deltain understood how difficult it was for someone as powerful as the chancellor to act on conviction rather than self-interest.
After all, when wealth and power were right in front of you, it took a lot of self-restraints to resist temptation.
‘So, this is why Ishmark keeps the duke close.’
It made sense. The idealistic emperor needed people like this in his government.
Duke Levadine waved off the praise with a smile, then cautiously asked.
“… by the way, are you planning to join the aristocratic faction, Count?”
He was prompted by the friendliness Deltain had just shown.
Deltain chuckled.
“I’m not in a position to play faction games. Besides, I have no reason to. I’m just taking what they give me.”
“Hmm, that’s a relief. Their recent behavior has been suspicious, so I was just wondering.”
“Hm?”
“The aristocratic faction has been showing unusually aggressive behavior lately. They’ve been buying up land in commercial districts and frequently changing their imports. His Majesty is also paying attention to this, but there’s no clear reason to intervene, so he’s just watching for now.”
As Duke Levadine said this, worry was evident on his face.
Deltain nodded and thought to himself.
‘That sounds like a headache.’
The aristocratic faction harbored much resentment towards Ishmark due to his policy of appointing commoners to government positions.
Of course, the virtue of nobility dictated respect for the emperor, so they would comply publicly, but who knew what they were plotting in secret?
Lost in thought, Deltain suddenly said to Duke Levadine,
“… if things get really bad, I’ll protect you.”
“Pardon?”
“Competent people with conviction—I tend to like them.”
Duke Levadine blinked, then broke into a laugh.
“If such a time comes, could you protect my daughter instead of me?”
“She’ll be fine. Just give her a sword, like a Kaltara, and she’ll manage.”
“Ah, the leader of the hounds.”
“She’s reliable, so don’t worry.”
Duke Levadine’s smile deepened.
“I’m grateful. Your fondness for her is well-known. I’m sure it extends to my daughter as well.”
Something about the tone felt off.
When Deltain looked at him, Duke Levadine was watching him with a satisfied expression.
‘… why is he looking at me like that?’
It might have been a leap, but it seemed like he was looking at him the way a father looked at his future son-in-law.
“My daughter is quite beautiful, isn’t she?”
“… well, yes. She is.”
“She’s the spitting image of my late wife. If her health improves, she’ll be stunningly beautiful. When she was young, I used to worry every night about who I could marry her off to without feeling uneasy. But now…”
There was an unspoken pressure.
Deltain sensed it in the duke’s demeanor.
Cold sweat ran down his back as a thought crossed his mind.
‘Does he know?’
Did Duke Levadine know about what had happened the previous night?
Was he saying this now as a way of pressuring him to take responsibility after spending the night with her?
It wasn’t an entirely baseless suspicion.
After all, the marks left on Agnes’s body would definitely be noticed by the maids if they tried to help her change, and since she rarely left her room, the only one who could have left those marks was him. It was highly likely that the duke, the master of the house, would have heard about it.
Feeling guilty, Deltain pulled his sleeves down lower.
“… I’ll do my best to ensure the princess’ health.”
“Good answer.”
Deltain was starting to feel uncomfortable around Duke Levadine.
*
Later that same afternoon, in the room with the best view in the duke’s residence, Agnes was sitting up in bed, receiving a visitor.
“I saw Count Hebron today.”
Beside her, in the seat where Hebron always sat, there was a woman who smiled shyly.
The woman with snow-white hair, deep blue eyes, and a petite frame that radiated charm was Elina von Lebroch.
She was the 7th Princess of the Empire and Agnes’ only friend.
Their relationship began when they exchanged greetings during one of the seven banquets Agnes attended.
Elina, who had first approached Agnes at the time, continued to visit the ducal residence, deepening their friendship.
Agnes found it amusing that Elina, despite her small animal-like appearance, had rather mischievous hobbies, which was why they remained close.
‘Addicted to lewd books.’
That was how Agnes diagnosed Elina’s condition.
Elina von Lebroch had a severe case of bibliomania. Not just any bibliomania, but an obsessive fixation on erotic texts.
What more was there to say? The source of the vulgar words Agnes often spat at Deltain was all Elina.
“Hmm, he was really cool. He seemed like someone with a burning flame inside.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but he was also a bit scary. Even when I tried to be friendly, he would only answer with
Agnes smiled in satisfaction.
It was because of Deltain’s attitude of not giving other young women any opportunity.
“He’s just shy. Isn’t that cute?”
“Cute…?”
Elina tilted her head in confusion.
The word
After all, wasn’t it true?
His height well over 180 cm, his long limbs, his fiery red hair, and his sharp golden eyes all gave off a strong impression. With his sharp features and constant frown, he seemed more fierce than cute.
Elina thought that her friend’s standards of cuteness might be a bit skewed.
Of course, she didn’t say this out loud. Instead, Elina agreed.
“Hmm, he is handsome. Among the people I’ve seen in my life, he might be one of the best.”
Agnes’ fingers twitched slightly.
“… really?”
“Yeah, he’s a handsome man. I remember there were many noble ladies who wanted to talk to him whenever he attended a banquet.”
“I thought he didn’t attend banquets.”
“He comes out about once a year. But he usually just drinks alone and then disappears.”
Agnes’ eyebrows subtly raised.
Elina, not noticing this, continued to praise Deltain.
This was not a good sign for Agnes.
She was uncomfortable with the idea of her only friend showing interest in Deltain.
It reminded her of a recent event when she sent her personal maid Anya back to the estate.
Of course, Elina, being a princess, couldn’t be treated the same way, but Agnes was determined to take special measures if Elina continued to show interest in Deltain.
‘… shall I test her?’
She needed to know whether this was just admiration for his appearance or if deeper feelings were beginning to take root.
She could decide after that.
Agnes smiled sweetly and asked.
“Do you like Deltain?”
“Huh? I have no reason to dislike him… right?”
“I think you two would make a good match. You’re cute and pale, so I think Deltain would like you too.”
Elina flinched. A look of panic spread across her face.
Agnes closely observed every reaction.
“Th-that’s…”
“Besides, you’re a princess. If you wanted Deltain, you could easily make it happen, couldn’t you?”
Cold sweat trickled down Elina’s forehead.
Her pupils trembled as if there was an earthquake.
Agnes thought that this might be the reaction of someone trying to hide their feelings because of her presence.
Perhaps special measures might be necessary.
Between the bond they had built over the years and Deltain, she would choose Deltain without hesitation.
What should she do? How should she deal with Elina?
As Agnes pondered, her smile gradually faded.
“No!”
Elina suddenly stood up and shouted.
Her expression was tinged with anger, and she seemed to feel wronged.
This was an emotion that Agnes found hard to understand.
As Agnes furrowed her brow, Elina glared at her with a look of resentment, her shoulders trembling.
“Agnes, you’re an idiot! It’s not Count Hebron I like, it’s someone else!”
Her outcry was filled with frustration, a natural response from Elina’s perspective. She genuinely felt that Agnes was being unreasonable.
Despite all her hints, Agnes still hadn’t realized her feelings, which made Elina think she was being obtuse.
“Why do you think I come all the way here every time? Why do you think I stay until the sun sets? How could you not know my feelings by now?!”
Could it be…?
Such a thought surfaced in Agnes’ mind.
No, looking at Elina’s tear-filled eyes staring back at her, it was clear that her guess was correct.
‘… same-sex love?’
As such a conclusion dawned on Agnes.
“I like the duke! I like a gentlemanly older man!”
Elina dropped a bombshell.
“…?”
Agnes’ expression froze.
Her thoughts froze as well.
Even at that moment, Elina blushed with embarrassment.
Her shoulders heaved up and down.
And the words she uttered next carried a sense of relief, as if she had finally confessed.
“I… I like the duke.”
Elina, trembling, took Agnes’ hand.
She looked into Agnes’ eyes with a desperate gaze.
There was no rationality in them.
“I want to be your mother.”
That day, Agnes witnessed unrefined madness.