Chapter 118
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118.
"...Pardon?"
The Old Gentleman blinked at my bewildered expression before seeming to regain his composure, bowing his head apologetically.
"My sincerest apologies. A young gentleman such as yourself could hardly be the person I mistook you for."
"Might I ask whom you confused me with? When you said 'young master,' were you referring to one of Prince Jamoti's sons?"
To my knowledge, there was not a single person in that household who resembled me in the slightest.
At that, the Old Gentleman shook his head firmly, his expression growing serious.
"Our young master is absolutely not a member of the House of Jamoti—nor the Jamoti Marquis House!"
He declared this with such conviction that his face seemed to brighten considerably.
"I believed I had encountered the young lord of the Liarden Duke House, who once governed these lands."
"The young lord...?"
Wasn't that the Late Empress?
At my confusion, the Old Gentleman scratched his cheek.
"Yes, she was a beautiful young lady. ...Which is precisely why I made such an error in mistaking you for such a grown gentleman. I truly apologize."
"But didn't you just call me 'young master' a moment ago?"
The Old Gentleman bobbed his head sheepishly at my observation.
"It was a preference of the young lord."
"Cross-dressing?"
"Yes. Though she ceased the practice after her debutante season, in her childhood she would frequently venture through the village dressed as a boy. On such occasions, she would scold anyone who addressed her as 'young lord' or 'young lady.'"
He gazed into the distance for a moment, as though sifting through memories, before turning his attention back to us.
"Forgive my rudeness, speaking so freely before our guests."
The Old Gentleman promptly asked for our names.
He even offered an apology for having kept us standing for so long.
Upon glancing at the aliases written in the guest register, he could not entirely conceal a flicker of disappointment.
The names inscribed there were merely "Victor and his wife"—our cover identities.
"Are you merchants, perhaps?"
Even after confirming this, he continued to inquire as he escorted us to our room.
"Yes, we began our enterprise in the Kingdom, and it has flourished considerably. We thought we would expand our business ventures, and since it is summer, we decided to explore the Liarden Territory to escape the heat."
"An excellent choice. The summers in Liarden Territory are quite pleasant."
"Indeed. And we heard rumors that the territory would soon have a new master, so we thought we might scout for promising business opportunities."
At Cassian Artez's words, which flowed as naturally as water, the Old Gentleman laughed with a note of resignation.
"I sincerely hope that your choice proves beneficial for both yourselves and our household."
After the Old Gentleman withdrew, unable to fully conceal his regret, the bellhop skillfully carried our luggage into the room and departed.
I gazed at the closed door for a moment before speaking to Cassian Artez.
"It seems Ian resembles the Late Empress quite a bit more than I expected."
"I thought I'd heard that his features resemble His Majesty the Emperor."
While that was also true, if the confusion ran this deep, then Ian must indeed bear a striking resemblance to the Late Empress in her masculine guise—that beloved, cotton-candy-sweet visage.
Even in that brief moment, having witnessed it firsthand, I found myself staring intently at his face without meaning to.
"...Roselita?"
Perhaps my gaze had been too intense, for Cassian Artez leaned back slightly.
"I'm grateful that you regard me so ardently, but it requires considerable restraint on my part."
"...What do you mean?"
"The impulse to pull you into my arms and make you stop?"
As if he needed any excuse to embrace me so readily.
Since arriving in the Capital City, we had pretended to be husband and wife so often, and with the betrothal contract between us, I had grown far too accustomed to his touch.
I withdrew my gaze as he wished and turned toward the interior of the neatly arranged room, tossing a teasing remark his way.
"Your face aside, Ian."
"Hmm?"
"You seem to resemble your history of disguises most closely."
Always resorting to deception at the slightest provocation.
I too had grown accustomed to his ways by now.
As I glanced back while speaking, Cassian Artez wore a dazed expression as if caught off guard, before his eyes softened as they met mine.
"True enough."
At the sound of his murmured words, I felt oddly flustered and turned my head away again.
Yet at the same time, I seemed to be drowning in contentment.
Cassian Artez, who had been filled with nothing but wounds, seemed to be gradually soothed by Maribel since arriving in the Liarden Territory.
*
As evening approached, we decided to have dinner at a bistro recommended by the Old Gentleman.
True to his position as manager of the Capital City's oldest and finest lodging, he had suggested several worthwhile establishments.
Apart from the newly opened places, most of them matched what Maribel had recorded in her diaries, which significantly bolstered the credibility of both sources.
As the sun gradually set, the streets grew darker, and a few villagers following at our pace were lighting the street lamps in rhythm with our walk.
"Everyone seems quite dedicated to maintaining the village."
"Yes, the Jamoti Marquis House neither oppressed them nor invested much in development, it seems."
"I wonder why—they could have generated substantial revenue with proper attention."
"Well, most people speculate it was simply due to inferiority complex toward the Liarden Territory."
Yet that alone felt insufficient to explain the actions of such a greedy household.
Of course, they had raised tax rates somewhat, but they were collecting similar amounts from their original estates as well.
"If you think about it simply, it's probably more comfortable to just collect the steady tax revenue rather than create extra work by worrying unnecessarily."
"But it feels like there must be some other reason, doesn't it?"
"Probably."
As we conversed, we arrived at the bistro entrance before we knew it.
The villagers lighting the street lamps winked at us as we entered.
"Excellent choice—it's the most delicious restaurant in our village."
The affable fellow even struck up a conversation with us.
We gave a light bow and stepped inside the bistro.
Unlike the pub we'd passed earlier, the interior wasn't excessively noisy—instead, there was an atmosphere of quiet, intimate conversation.
An employee with nimble movements approached us with a bright expression, saying we'd arrived at just the right time.
"Manager Parker contacted us in advance—we've prepared an excellent table for you."
It was a balcony seating area on the second floor.
The cool evening breeze drifted in, and I was delighted by the beautifully decorated fence adorned with plants and the charming lighting scattered throughout.
The privacy partitions were also arranged generously, which was nice.
"The Shopping District comes into view from here."
"Yes."
After receiving menu recommendations from the employee and ordering a few dishes, I leisurely took in the surroundings.
Cassian gazed at the street with eyes that held a complex mixture of emotions.
Maribel had traveled extensively throughout the Liarden Territory since childhood, but the place she mentioned most frequently in her diary was this one.
It was the heart of their domain, where the Liarden Duke's Residence was located.
When all the food we'd ordered arrived, I took a large spoonful of the clearly well-prepared soup and spoke to Cassian.
"By the way, Ian."
"Hmm?"
"Why do you think Maribel wore men's clothing?"
"I'm not sure...."
His expression suggested he hadn't found that answer either.
There were aspects that made it difficult to dismiss as merely a disguise hobby.
"Usually, the purpose of disguise is to deceive or surprise others, isn't it?"
"That's true."
"But based on what the lodging manager told us, it doesn't seem to be for that reason."
Cassian Artez nodded as if in agreement.
"Then was it out of necessity? Or did she wish to deny that she was a woman?"
There was a passage that continued to trouble me.
Though it was never stated directly, I could discern that the Duchess—Maribel's mother—had deeply grieved and felt remorse for having borne a daughter.
I wondered if it stemmed from discrimination, yet something about that explanation felt incomplete.
"But the Empire doesn't explicitly prohibit female succession, does it?"
"True enough, though the Temple does disapprove."
Because of this, the Imperial Family, unable to openly conflict with the Temple, had traditionally favored princes as heirs.
However, those outside the central nobility faced far fewer restrictions.
Even the Salice Marquis Household—I myself was initially the heir, and His Majesty the Emperor granted me the title of Marquis Clupea.
Of course, old-fashioned attitudes lingered, so male heirs remained more common.
'Even Wilhelmina—it's already decided she'll inherit the title her grandmother held.'
So around the level of countess and below, such occurrences were not uncommon.
Even among the Dukedoms, houses like the Liarden Duke House, if they had but one heir, would readily place a daughter forward.
Francis's Ashwood Ducal House also had a woman as its Duke several generations back.
Now with only sons in succession, Francis as the eldest was the leading candidate.
The Lopez Duchy too had precedent for this.
Yet....
"The Liarden Duke House had no female heirs, did they?"
It was too simple to dismiss it merely as tradition and conservatism—something still nagged at me.
The previous Duke of Liarden, concerned for his wife's frail constitution, had immediately elevated the young Maribel to the position of Junior Duke.
And if I thought the region was rigidly closed-minded about such matters, that too proved untrue.
'Everything I've felt during my travels, the very atmosphere of the Duchy itself.'
Yet the peculiarities extended beyond even that.
"Typically, a Liarden noblewoman of such standing would be considered for political marriage, yet according to records, none save Maribel have ever married outside the Territory."
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