Chapter 90
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Chapter 90
"Wash yourself thoroughly and come out spotless. Scrub away all that grime. Understood?"
"Yes! Germs, be gone!"
I headed to my room only after watching the Maids approach Lucian with bathing supplies in hand.
Thanks to my advance notice, my room's Bathroom was already prepared for bathing.
I dismissed all the Maids attending me and reclined leisurely in the bathtub.
"How long has it been since I've had a proper bath?"
Clean water, warm steam, and fragrant soap—things I had once taken for granted now felt impossibly precious in this moment.
"Ah, now I can truly live again."
I finally understood why elderly women humming songs while soaking in the hottest baths at public bathhouses did so.
I applied a sweet-scented face mask and contemplated my future plans.
'At least I've achieved my goal of having Edwin find his father.'
That prideful Duke had thanked me first, and Edwin likewise regarded me as his benefactor for locating his father.
My relationship with Lucian was also favorable, so there were no apparent problems with my plan at this point.
However, my plan was not a short-term one—it was long-term.
Given the considerable time required to reach my goal, there was no telling what variables might emerge along the way.
'Indeed, I've already experienced something as monumental as monster subjugation.'
While monster subjugation had been an extraordinarily perilous experience, it was not without its rewards.
I would receive substantial compensation from the Emperor, and through this, Lucian would establish his position within House of Bellomen.
Living communally had also greatly refined Lucian's temperament. It seemed that being treated as the youngest among those seasoned knights had proven invaluable.
'Now I simply need to nurture Lucian as he is.'
Into a child who could harmonize with others without conflict. A child who could read others' feelings and show consideration.
Observing Lucian now, there seemed to be nothing he couldn't accomplish.
'The problem is the Duke.'
I intended to make Lucian the head of House of Bellomen.
This ambition had not been present from the beginning.
It was the poignancy of seeing him denied what he rightfully deserved, and the infinite potential shining within Lucian, that gradually swayed my heart.
'The Duke will never stand idly by while Lucian becomes the head of the house.'
He would certainly obstruct and attempt to bring him down by any means.
It was the same in the original story.
Edwin's position as the Duke's heir was not solely due to his brilliance.
The Duke, having marked Edwin as his successor, spared no support for him. Thanks to that backing, Edwin was able to grow into the perfect heir everyone desired.
'I must make Lucian a child no less capable than Edwin.'
As intelligent and upright as Edwin.
To secure the support of the Duke's retainers, if not the Duke himself, this was necessary.
Yet at this point, one concern weighed on me.
'If that happens... won't a competitive dynamic emerge between the two children?'
My ambition and the Duke's ambition.
Could it be that the desires of adults to make a child the head of the house would tarnish the close relationship between these children?
'My original goal was simply for Lucian and Edwin to get along well together...'
Now that the child has achieved what I wanted, I find myself constantly hoping for more. It felt exactly like I'd become an overly invested parent.
"Sigh, this is difficult...."
I submerged my mouth and nose into the water. As I exhaled, bubbles rose up with a gentle fizzing sound.
If I think about Lucian's future, I should naturally step in, but when I think of Edwin, my heart finds no peace.
Yet if I withdraw my hand, not only did I neglect my Sister, but I'd be abandoning Lucian as well—I resent the Duke for all of it.
"Ugh, I don't know anymore."
With my arms raised high to the sky, I leaned my head against the edge of the bathtub.
I wish I were a brilliantly clever and enterprising person who could make quick decisions about anything.
But in reality, I'm an ordinary person, and making choices isn't easy for me.
It would have been easier if this were about my own affairs, but because it concerns my beloved nephew, it's all the more difficult.
'What choice would my Sister have made in a situation like this?'
If she had known the future as I do.
But a person who had already left this world could never answer me.
"Lucella, you've been in there too long. You might collapse."
At the Maid's voice from outside, I lifted myself from the bathtub.
"Right. I'll rinse off and come out soon."
I rinsed the mask from my face, wrapped myself in a shower robe, and stepped outside.
The Maids holding towels were waiting outside the Bathroom.
"Let me dry your hair for you."
"Mm."
I sat casually at the edge of the bed and entrusted my hair to the Maids' hands.
Perhaps from all the strain I'd endured, as I felt their gentle touch on my head, sleep began to pour over me.
"Don't do that—lie down and rest, Lucella!"
"Mmm...."
I closed my eyes as the Maids' voices grew increasingly distant.
I was unaware that Edwin had been waiting for both Lucian and me for quite some time.
* * *
"Uncle!"
"Yes."
Claude dismounted from his horse and opened his arms toward Amelia. She ran over eagerly and nestled into Claude's embrace.
"You kept your promise?"
"I always keep my promises once I make them."
"Well, that's certainly true."
Amelia laughed slyly at Claude's words.
"You're wearing a pretty dress."
"Summer's coming soon anyway. I thought I'd try it on to welcome you, Uncle. How is it?"
"Beautiful."
Claude smiled as he watched Amelia spin in place.
Soon the two of them walked into the Bellomen Mansion.
"But Uncle."
"Huh?"
"Isn't your letter too short?"
Amelia pouted her lips.
"Lucian sent me a letter this thick, but Uncle only wrote three lines."
"What else would I have to say? Most of it would just be about subjugating monsters, and that's too cruel for you to hear."
"No, that's not it."
Amelia, who had been walking while holding Claude's hand, came to a stop.
"Who's curious about that?"
"Then what?"
"How things are going with Sister Lucella. That's what I'm curious about."
"...."
Claude's face, which had been wearing a smile all along, darkened. At the same time, his hand holding Amelia's slipped away limply.
"Sigh, I can tell without even looking."
Amelia let out a deep sigh.
"You even went out to play lacrosse to impress Sister, and you couldn't make a single appeal the whole time you were together?"
"That's not what matters right now."
"Then what does matter? Uncle, aside from Sister, there's nothing else you should be concerned about...."
"The Young Lady is returning to the Duke's Territory."
"Why?"
"You... already knew, didn't you?"
Claude spoke with a deeply disheartened expression.
"The Duke's Territory is Sister's home, so of course she has to go back. Did you think she'd stay in the Capital forever?"
"...."
"Then obviously you haven't thought about any future plans?"
"...."
"Ugh, you fool!"
Amelia's fist tapped Claude's thigh several times. But Claude couldn't even think to stop her.
His niece was right—he truly was a fool.
"Did you confess to Sister?"
"I think I did something close to it...."
"What do you mean 'close to it'?"
"Well...."
Claude glanced around before leaning toward Amelia's ear and whispering. There were too many ears listening to say it outright.
"What? You called that a confession?"
"Then, isn't it?"
"You didn't even say you liked her—how is that a confession!"
"In this world, surely people understand without words...."
"That only works for people with sharp intuition. Sister Lucella is completely oblivious to these things!"
Amelia buried her face in her palms.
She had known her uncle had no romantic experience, but....
I knew he didn't even have a woman he liked.
I knew he was the type who couldn't manage even a single empty pleasantry.
I knew he was stiff as a log!
'But this is too much.'
I never expected him to be this oblivious.
"This won't do, Uncle. We need to have a serious discussion."
"About what?"
"We need to figure out how to truly capture Sister's heart."
Amelia grabbed Claude's hand and dragged him toward the Bathroom.
"Go wash up first. Hurry, we're pressed for time. And if you dare fall asleep saying you're tired, I won't let you off easy!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
His melancholy vanished in an instant—thinking a savior had arrived, Claude rushed into the Bathroom with surprising speed.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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