# 105
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“Ah...”
After pausing for a moment, I composed my expression and spoke.
“Nothing else, but the young Archduke has a guest to come to visit him, and...the Marquis Diabelle has come as well.”
“The Marquis already?”
At that time, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
When I turned my head, I saw Duke Elad and Lucio coming.
“He came earlier than expected, I thought he would come a few days later.”
The Duke spoke as he took Diana in his arms and sat in his chair.
I was puzzled for a moment when I saw the joy on the Duke's usually indifferent face, but then I nodded.
This is because it occurred to me that Duke Elade was a childhood friend of Archduchess Bellos, the daughter of the former Marquis of Diabelle.
He must have known the Marquis since he was young, so even though he was now a Duke, he seemed to call him 'Marquis' politely.
‘Thinking about it, I heard that Archduke Bellus and Marquis Diabelle helped Duke Elade when he obtained the title.’
It was already a long time ago when I was working as a detective, so I didn't know the details.
However, it is known that Duke Elad participated in the war to overthrow his father, the previous duke.
At that time, Lucio suddenly sat down next to me and made a growling sound.
I almost turned my head without realizing it, but I managed to pull myf back.
I wondered why a person who usually moved without making a sound or presence suddenly did this.
'As if it was attracting attention...'
For a moment, it occurred to me that he was doing it on purpose, but I thought it was such a ridiculous idea that I inwardly shook my head.
"So, did anything happen? You weren't scared?"
"Yes?"
I tilted my head for a moment at the Duke's unexpected question, but then I immediately understood the meaning.
Marquis Diabelle was a man who guarded the borders and fought daily battles with the border nations seeking empire.
There was a unique feeling of intimidation and coercion flowing through his entire body, and more than anything else, he had a large scar on his face, giving him a gloomy look that children couldn't resist without crying in fear.
'. …After all, a normal child should have reacted this way.'
I had a miserable expression on my face, remembering the time I met the Marquis during the day.
〈Grandpa, are you okay?〉
I was so shocked for a moment that I unwittingly acted as if I had treated the Marquis before.
I even mistakenly thought that the harsh expression on my face was due to pain in my legs.
I was about to quickly call the doctor, but when I saw the white-faced expressions of the workers, I realized that I had made a mistake.
Then the Marquis suddenly looked different.
He wasn't using the wand as I remembered from the past.
Furthermore, what I noticed now was that there was a strangely huge war horse standing behind the Marquis.
I felt like I was riding a horse and had just put my feet on the ground.
I looked blankly at the Marquis's face and legs, and only then did I realize my mistake.
〈Legs...〉
〈Marquis?〉
Fortunately, the situation was resolved thanks to Askart, who suddenly appeared, and probably followed me late.
But the misunderstandings and silly mistakes I made continued to bother me.
At that time, Duke Elad looked at me crying and saying nothing.
"decent."
"Yes?"
“I'm sure he's used to it too, but he's a good guy.”
“Oh yeah...”
It seemed I had misunderstood something, but I nodded to myf without correcting myf.
“Isn't your leg hurting right now?”
In fact, there was a good reason why I was temporarily wrong.
This is because the Marquis told me directly that during this period he injured his leg and did not treat it properly, so he ended up walking around with a cane.
'I guess I'll have to go to the Marquis's palace tomorrow and find out.'
That was when I decided.
“Now that I think about it, isn’t it time for you to come from the Principality of Pylos as well?”
“Hmm, it looks like it will arrive the day after tomorrow at the earliest, or within this week at the latest.”
At these words I forgot my worries and my ears pricked.
My heart trembled helplessly at the thought of meeting Bianca again soon.
“By the way, a messenger has come from the duchy, and it seems there is more snow than last year and they need support.”
“How much?”
“A bit too much.”
The Duchess' face darkened at the Duke's simple answer.
The Duchy of Elad is naturally a cold and snowy region, so I tend to prepare well.
However, they thought that if they sent a messenger like this, there might be an accident due to heavy snowfall.
“Shouldn't I go see him?”
“I can’t evacuate the Imperial Palace now, the Prime Minister suddenly went on vacation, so work is in chaos.”
Duke Elad frowned, saying that he had to open his eyes and check, otherwise the report he published would only be approved next year.
“So I decided that Lucio would come instead soon.”
“Lucio?”
“Huh, well, now is a good time to go down to the area and look around and meet the followers.”
I think this is what the two of them talked about in the office before dinner.
“It's my graduation soon, but what if I get stuck in the snow?”
“I'll use teleportation, so why worry?”
“Still...”
“There's still time until graduation, so I'll finish all my work before then and come back.”
The Duchess's worried expression was met with calm answers from the angry Duke and Lucio.
The Duchess probably didn't like that and complained that the rich were all the same.
I laughed softly as I watched the Duke urgently comfort the Duchess.
Knowing that what the Duchess is worried about will not happen.
Of course, there is unprecedented heavy snowfall this year.
“It's just that the area is not the Duchy of Elad.”
The duchy, which seemed to be snowing earlier than usual, soon returns to its usual level, but instead, a lot of snow falls in the capital.
When I was nine years old, I was living on the streets as a ar around this time in the past, so I almost died due to heavy snow several times.
It was very cold in Tezar Orphanage because it was located in the mountains, but those were the days when I realized how grateful I was to have an old roof, outer walls and even a thin blanket.
‘It was also a time when the orphanage children and I hated Duke Elad every night.’
But now, thanks to Duke Elad, the children were all living in a safe and warm place, and I couldn't believe I was even sitting in one place to eat.
When I glanced at the Duke, who was sweating to alleviate the Duchess's frowning feelings, I thought everything was still like a dream.
* * *
At that time, he was the Marquis de Diabelle.
Marquis Diabelle, Ascarte and Clara.
Countess Amber and her husband, who had visited late, were having dinner.
Unlike Elad Palace, where many stories flourish, there was only desolate silence here.
There was only the occasional clatter of dishes.
The quiet meal was coming to an end.
"I . … ".
As soon as Ascart cautiously opened his mouth, the Countess, who seemed filled with heartache, sharply put down her cup of water.
“From what I heard, you fought until dawn two days ago, right?”
The gaze of the Marquis, who had briefly touched Askart, then turned his gaze to his youngest daughter.
The countess sneered at the weariness between the deep wrinkles around her eyes.
“But you came to the capital without stopping, I think you missed your sister very much?”
Since Marquis Diabel is adjacent to the border, no teleport directly connected to the capital has been installed in case it is occupied by the enemy.
In order to reach the nearest teleportation area, he had to ride a horse for an entire day, but the Marquis chose to ride his horse and head to the capital directly after finishing the early morning battle two days ago.
To be honest, it was an unreasonable schedule.
However, it was because the family wanted to see not only their eldest daughter, who had recovered from the illness for the first time in a long time, but also their youngest daughter, as well as his grandson who was graduating.
It was a time when the Marquis was undecided whether he should right the wrong.
“Well, how happy he was when he heard that his daughter, whom he cherished so much, was coming to her parents’ house after living like a corpse.”
"You . … !"
“Ma’am, please stop.”
When the impression of the Marquis became gloomy, the Count, having noticed this, hurriedly stopped his wife.
But the Countess shook off her husband's arm and held her head up, as if she did not know what she had done wrong.
Seeing this sight, the Marquis felt as if all the accumulated fatigue had suddenly vanished.
I thought the day would go smoothly, but apparently I was wrong.
The Marquis sighed and spoke quickly.
“Regina, keep talking as much as you want today, and it’s really noisy. If you don’t want to see my ears bleeding, please shut your mouth.”
“Dad, what are you saying...!”
“Askart, speak.”
"Yes?"
“Wasn't there something you wanted to say?”
The Marquis wanted to quickly return to his bedroom and rest after listening to Ascart's words.
Askart, who looked uncomfortable on the table that instantly turned into a layer of thin ice, would normally keep his mouth closed, but he swallowed his saliva and slowly opened his lips.
“The little girl I saw when I arrived today.”
“Hmm…? Oh, that little girl.”
The Marquis nodded at Ascarte's words.
“Yes, I was actually curious, who the hell is this child?”
“She is Princess Elad’s maid, and she is my guest. What happened during the day was rudeness to my child because she was still young, so please forgive me.”
Because Askart arrived late, he belatedly heard that Leia called Marquis Jedi and touched him without permission.
In fact, my grandfather, the Marquis, rarely got angry even when his words were harsh.
However, Askart was worried that Leah might be reprimanded, so he asked for forgiveness in advance.
At this time, the Marquis, who had been silent for a moment, muttered in a low voice.
"forgiveness?"