Chapter 58
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Chapter 58
* * *
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Lucian."
"I said no!"
Lucian sprawled across the floor, thrashing his limbs about wildly. He flailed so much that his shirt rode up, exposing his belly, but he paid it no mind.
"I don't want to be separated from Amelia either...."
Edwin too was sniffling back tears. The boy's face flushed red as he barely held them in.
"Children, it's not as though you'll never see each other again. Amelia will write letters, won't she?"
"A scrap of paper can't replace Amelia!"
"Lucian, did you just call my letters a scrap of paper?"
"Huh...?"
At Amelia's cold question, Lucian's flailing limbs froze mid-motion.
"My letters are just scraps of paper to you?"
"No, no!"
Lucian scrambled to his feet from the floor. Panic flooded the face that had moments before been twisted in tears.
"Amelia's letters are treasures! When I get them, I'll put them in my treasure box and keep them forever and ever!"
"Then. You'd better do exactly that."
"Hic."
Lucian began hiccupping. But his tears had already dried.
'Amelia really is something....'
I shook my head in admiration as I watched her.
She'd calmed Lucian down in an instant—a child who could cry for three hours straight once he started.
'Can I even manage without Amelia...?'
The moment this cheat code named Amelia disappeared, raising these children would become absolute hell.
'Lucian and even Edwin....'
These two children, oil and water by nature, had only managed to blend together this well thanks entirely to Amelia.
They ignored my words, but they listened well to Amelia's.
I worried whether the two of them could get along without Amelia, and whether they'd obey my commands as readily.
"We can stay a few more days if you'd like. The Marquessate isn't particularly busy at the moment."
Claude offered me a tempting proposal. But I couldn't accept it so readily.
"Marquis, I don't want to hear complaints from the people of your household."
"...."
"You can't leave your domain unattended without reason. I'll be fine, so please don't worry about me."
"I understand...."
Claude's voice lacked conviction as he replied.
"By the way, have you finished packing?"
"Yes. We didn't bring much to begin with, so we should be ready to depart tomorrow or the day after."
"You're heading straight to the Agris Marquessate, correct?"
"No. I'm planning to drop Amelia off at the domain and then head directly to the Capital. His Majesty asked me to show my face."
"I see."
Claude had been away from the Monster Subjugation Unit for quite some time under the pretense of searching for Amelia. Now that he was preparing to return, there would be much to discuss with the Emperor. With the new year upon us, the Unit would need to be reorganized as well.
"Miss Rilprey."
Just as I was in the midst of conversation with Claude, someone called out to me.
"Sir Gillian?"
It was Gillian. He was dressed in outdoor attire, having just returned from somewhere.
"What is it?"
I turned my head to regard Gillian. In doing so, I failed to notice that Claude was glaring at him.
"A letter has just arrived for you from the Duke, Miss Rilprey."
"For me?"
With a puzzled expression, I accepted the letter from Gillian and unfolded it.
It contained the Duke's instructions to bring Lucian to the Capital.
* * *
"Wow! Look at all those sheep over there!"
"I've never seen sheep before. They're bigger than I thought."
The children pressed their foreheads against the window, chattering away excitedly.
The carriage, which had been racing past the pasture, was now entering a low mountain path.
"Ugh, Auntie. I think I'm going to be sick...."
And Lucian was experiencing motion sickness for the first time in his life.
"Rest your head on my lap and close your eyes. You'll feel better."
"Okay...."
I gently stroked the head of Lucian, who lay resting on my lap. Luto's ears, nestled in Lucian's arms, drooped limply.
"It seems Lucian has never traveled long distances before."
I nodded at Claude's observation.
"That's right. Except for when he was very young, this will be his first trip to the Capital."
We were now heading toward the Capital. It was due to the Duke's orders to bring Lucian there.
The Duke had summoned only Lucian, but I was reluctant to send him to the Capital alone. Lucian had never been separated from me before.
And so I ended up accompanying Lucian on his journey to the Capital.
'Can't I come too? I don't want to be alone....'
Edwin couldn't be left alone at the Bellomen Mansion without Amelia or Claude, so he came along as well.
Claude naturally joined us since he had to see the Emperor anyway, and Amelia tagged along because she didn't want to be separated from her uncle.
"Why did the Duke of Bellomen summon Lucian?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I suspect it has something to do with the abilities Lucian possesses."
I had made it clear that I would not present Lucian to the Emperor. So why had the Duke summoned him to the Capital?
For some reason, an ominous premonition washed over me.
* * *
Upon arriving at the Capital, our group split into two.
Amelia and Claude headed to the residence of House of Agris, while Lucian, Edwin, and I made our way to the residence of House of Bellomen where the Duke was staying.
"Auntie, what kind of place is a residence?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself."
I myself was visiting the Bellomen Mansion's townhouse for the first time.
With hearts half-filled with excitement and half with apprehension, we crossed the threshold of the townhouse gate.
"Welcome."
As we stepped inside, the household servants greeted us.
"Thank you for traveling such a distance. I am Mulder, the butler of this residence."
The butler, who introduced himself as Mulder, bowed respectfully to us.
"Would you care for some tea while you unpack your belongings?"
"No. Let the children rest first—I intend to meet with the Duke before anything else."
"Then I shall guide you to His Grace's study."
I entrusted Lucian and Edwin, both groaning from motion sickness, to the maids before following the butler directly.
"Your Grace, Miss Rilprey has arrived."
"Come in."
At the permission from within, the butler opened the door. I exchanged a nod with him before stepping into the study.
"It's been a while. Have you been well?"
"Thanks to your kindness, I have been managing well."
Managing well? Hardly. If you were so curious, you could have come out to visit once yourself. And you even brought Edwin along.
Yet I could not voice such thoughts to the Duke's face.
"You've arrived earlier than I expected."
"I wished to hear why you summoned Lucian to the Capital."
"This conversation may take some time, so let us sit and discuss it properly."
The Duke rose from his desk and moved toward the sofa positioned on the left side of the study.
I took a seat across from him.
"Did you not refuse His Majesty's command before?"
"I did. But this time, the Temple wishes to examine Lucian. You're curious about it as well."
"The Temple?"
The Duke nodded at my question.
"You must be curious. The Purification ability is something even the high priests do not possess. There seem to be many things worth verifying. His Majesty said it was fine, but I could sense his own curiosity beneath the surface."
That the Temple—the highest institution in the Empire after the Imperial Capital itself—sought to examine Lucian left me with no grounds for refusal.
"I have arranged for the Temple visit to occur after lunch tomorrow. You need only meet with His Majesty after the Temple examination is complete."
"Will you be accompanying us, Your Grace?"
"No. If I were to follow you, Edwin would be left alone, would he not?"
The Duke remained consistent as always. Despite what I had said, it seemed his children still numbered only Edwin in his eyes.
"I understand. Then I shall accompany Lucian to the Temple."
Yes, I would think of it positively. Managing one child like Lucian was already demanding enough—I certainly could not bring Edwin to such a crowded place.
With such thoughts, I concluded my conversation with the Duke.
* * *
The following day, after finishing lunch, I set out for the Temple with Lucian.
"Lucian, you must be absolutely, positively quiet at the Temple. And absolutely no running around."
I reminded him repeatedly as he looked around with wide-eyed curiosity.
"The Temple is one thing, but especially when we're before His Majesty, you must conduct yourself with perfect propriety. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
My aunt really is the queen of nagging.
I pretended not to hear Lucian's quiet murmur as I climbed the Temple's lofty steps.
"Welcome. We've been expecting you."
As I stepped inside the Temple, the Archbishop in white robes with a cross pendant around his neck and young priests greeted us.
"I am Archbishop Joseph."
"I'm Lucella Rilprey, Lucian's aunt. Lucian, you should greet him."
At her hint, Lucian bowed respectfully toward Joseph.
"I am Lucian Bellomen."
"You're even more charming than I'd heard."
Joseph and the priests, who spared no praise for Lucian, guided us into a certain room.
"Ugh."
The moment I entered the room, an unsettling aura washed over me, and I instinctively furrowed my brow.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org