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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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Chapter 17
Oh, did I come across as too ‌‌‌‌familiar?
I scratched my cheek in embarrassment and took a step back.
"I apologize. I was just so delighted."
"Well, that turned ‌‌‌‌out nicely."
"Doesn't it? ‌‌You're pleased too, aren't you?"
Rachel didn't answer, but I could now ‌infer ‌‌‌‌that silence meant affirmation.
The tension had drained from ‌‌‌Rachel's eyes, and they bore ‌a striking resemblance to the Duke's eyes when he said I pleased him.
"But what were you doing here? Were you waiting for me?"
I expected Rachel to deny it once more.
Instead, ‌‌‌Rachel brought up the earlier conversation in response to my question.
"You said you wanted to visit the Library."
And then extended a hand toward me.
I stared at the outstretched hand with bewildered eyes.
Before meeting the Duke, I had grasped it of my own accord—a hand I naturally expected would ‌‌be withdrawn.
Yet Rachel was the one offering it first!
"...If you'd rather not."
As Rachel began to pull the ‌‌‌hand back, I urgently seized ‌it ‌‌before it was too late.
"No, I'd love to!"
And I smiled ‌‌‌brightly.
My smile faintly transferred to Rachel's lips, then faded.
Our clasped hands felt oddly ticklish, but I didn't let go.
Not for a very, very long time.
* * *
"So then."
Late at night, Emperor Orfen, who had been silently listening to the Inspector's report upon ‌‌arriving at the Imperial Palace, finally spoke.
"Not a daughter, but a son?"
Orfen's blood-red eyes gleamed sharply through the darkness as he repeated the words.
"No wonder I thought they resembled their father so distinctly."
His cold gaze fixed upon a memory from years past.
Five years ago.
Ysella, who had vanished, reappeared with a child ‌‌‌of unknown paternity.
Upon hearing this news, Orfen, overwhelmed by suffocating dread, journeyed personally to Duke Edelwein.
And there, for the first and last time, he encountered Ysella's daughter.
No—her son.
The moment he laid eyes upon Rachel.
He felt a terror as though the brother he had framed for treason and ‌‌executed had returned to life.
'But she was merely a woman.'
The fear, swelling like foam at the ‌‌‌‌knowledge that Rachel was a ‌‌‌daughter, had subsided.
But now...
'A son, not a daughter.'
Veins bulged across the back of his hand as he gripped the armrest of his chair.
Memories from a more distant past surfaced.
My younger brother, Leopfried, who had always surpassed me.
Born from the same womb, raised eating the same food and learning the same lessons, yet how could we be so different?
Once, consumed by jealousy, I had impulsively tried to kill my young brother.
But the moment I saw Leopfried drink the poisoned beverage, I regretted it. I begged that my brother not die.
Fortunately, Leopfried survived by sheer luck.
From that day forward, I—Orfen—endeavored to love my brother, grateful that he had not perished.
Even when the late Emperor constantly compared us.
Even when he attempted to pass the position of heir to my brother.
But then...
[This position is too great ‌‌‌for me, ‌‌Your Majesty. I believe it rightfully belongs to my elder brother, who truly serves all the people.]
The moment I heard Leopfried's plea to the late Emperor.
I regretted my past.
That I had not killed Leopfried thoroughly back then.
If things continued as they were, I would sit in a position my brother had ‌‌‌graciously yielded, living my entire life cast in his shadow.
So I killed Leopfried.
Finally, when I sat upon the imperial throne—seized by my own hand, not a position charitably relinquished—my heart felt at ease.
But from the day Rachel appeared, the phantom of the dead Leopfried haunted me like a specter.
Even after confirming she was a daughter, the unease gnawed and ‌‌festered within me, growing larger.
Only today did I grasp the source of this inexplicable dread.
"The phantom has spawned."
I spoke, my mind conjuring the illusory ‌‌‌forms of Leopfried and Rachel that still danced before my eyes.
"Then it must be killed."
My lips twisted into a grotesque smile as I issued the command.
2. Grandfather Conceals His True Feelings
From ‌‌‌the day the Duke said he would sponsor me. ‌‌‌
I came to the Villa every day, attending lessons alongside Rachel.
Mathematics, theology, philosophy, history, art, and various other disciplines—not to mention etiquette and refinement classes.
Now I was ‌finishing the final lesson of the day.
"Then we shall conclude today's lesson here. Remember, review is more important than preview. Please go over the material once more."
"Yes, Teacher! Thank you!"
I answered ‌‌with enthusiasm, and the History Teacher smiled ‌‌‌warmly ‌‌at my response.
Rachel let out a hollow laugh at the sight of me.
After the teacher left first, ‌‌we tidied ‌‌our books.
As I picked up my books, Rachel, ‌‌‌who had already finished organizing, extended his hand to me.
"Let's go."
I stared at ‌that hand intently.
Since that day, Rachel had been offering ‌‌his hand to hold more and more often.
'Now we're truly friends.'
I found myself delighted by this shift and took Rachel's hand, whereupon his firm grip enveloped mine.
'Is it from learning swordsmanship?'
In any case, there was something wonderful about holding someone's hand, feeling their warmth, and growing closer in that way.
Rachel glanced at ‌‌‌me sidelong as I followed beside him with a giddy smile, and spoke in a teasing tone.
"You certainly ‌greet people with enthusiasm."
"Pardon?"
"Honestly, classes are boring, but you pretend to listen intently, don't you?"
"Oh, ‌‌no. They're interesting!"
"Liar."
"I'm not lying."
"Then what was that doodle you drew ‌‌in the book earlier?"
Gasp. When did he see that?
"That was... a review of art class. You always say review is more important than preparation!"
Art class had been right before History class, after all.
'Phew, that ‍was smooth!'
But Rachel merely laughed at my shameless excuse before leveling another accusation.
"What about when you were dozing off during philosophy class with your ‌‌‌‌‌eyes wide open?"
I felt caught.
'Wait, was ‌‌‌he not listening to class and just ‌‌‌staring at me the whole time?!'
In any case, falling asleep during class was my fault, so I pleaded in a humble tone.
"...Please don't tell the Duke."
"Well, depends on what you do."
"That's not fair...! You're terrible!" ‌‌‌
When I protested, Rachel laughed.
It was a smile I'd seen often from Rachel since we became friends.
Rachel had always had a pretty ‌face, but he looked even better when he smiled.
I found myself wishing he'd smiled like this all along.
As I stood there admiring Rachel's smile with such thoughts, his expression suddenly hardened as he looked past my shoulder.
'Huh?'
When I turned around, a large shadow fell over me.
It was the Duke and the Butler.
Judging from the Duke's attire, he appeared to be ‌‌preparing for an outing.
I greeted them with evident delight.
"Hello! Duke, Butler."
The Duke merely nodded with his characteristic impassive expression, while the ‌‌‌Butler accepted my greeting with his customary gentle smile.
"It seems class has ended. How was today's lesson?"
"It was interesting! Today I had ‌‌‌‌philosophy class, art class, and history class, ‌‌‌and..."
I answered enthusiastically, then ‌‌remembered that Rachel had caught me dozing and glanced at him nervously.
'Surely he won't tattle on me for falling asleep?'
But...
Rachel didn't seem inclined to tell on anyone.
Rather, he didn't seem to have any intention of speaking at all.
His eyes were downcast, his lips pressed into a thin line.
And I could feel a subtle tension in the hand he was holding.
He simply wanted to escape this moment.
'It's because of the Duke.'
Only then did I notice the cold current flowing between Rachel and the Duke.
Even while I was speaking with the Butler, the two of them hadn't exchanged a single word.
They merely gazed at each other indifferently before looking away.
The ticking of the grandfather clock shattered that desolate atmosphere.
"Let's go, Owen."
The Duke said this and turned to leave first.
"Have ‌‌‌fun while you're here."
The Butler, who had greeted me, followed in his wake.
I bowed respectfully toward the Duke's retreating figure.
"Safe travels, Duke!"
After seeing the two of them off and turning back, I saw Rachel's expression—far more subdued than when we had been playing moments before.
I ‌deliberately spoke with greater cheer.
"Shall ‌‌‌we go get some snacks, my ‌‌‌lady?"

---------------
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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