ERTHMB Chapter 129

The Dress Buried in the Closet

It had been less than a month since he had laid down his title as commander and returned. It was too short a time for the scars of battle to heal.

“Then let’s go with that.”

Though not entirely satisfied, Eugene made his decision. His eyes hurt terribly and he could no longer look. The sound of artillery shells that couldn’t possibly be heard in the heart of the capital occasionally flickered in his ears along with white flashes.

“Now leave.”

“Pardon?”

“Leave.”

Eugene shouted breathlessly, his face buried in his hands.

“I said leave.”

The designer fled the room without even gathering the clothes. Eugene remained motionless in his seat until sunset.

The tinnitus continued until night. It was the last night of his stay in the capital. Eugene downed sleeping pills along with alcohol and fell into an unconscious sleep.

Due to the effects of the medication, he spent the journey back to Evergale in a dazed state in the carriage. Christine, who had accompanied him on the trip, chattered about something from across the seat, but he couldn’t hear her properly.

Eugene closed his eyes and occasionally thought only of Helena’s face. When he did so, the pain and commotion that had been tearing through his brain would gradually subside.

Eugene habitually repeated this act until arrival. Throughout it all, Christine’s voice never ceased, and Eugene nodded perfunctorily to his troublesome mother’s demands.

By the time they arrived at the mansion, his headache had almost disappeared. Having someone waiting for him was one of the great joys Eugene had discovered after marriage. As soon as he set foot in front of the main gate, Helena came running into his arms as if she had been waiting.

I missed you.

Me too.

Eugene savored the moment of reunion with a long embrace before presenting the gift he had prepared. Fortunately, Helena was tremendously pleased. In return for the kiss that touched and left his cheek, Eugene gave her a deep kiss back.

A few days later, Helena attended a social gathering of marchionesses with Christine. That evening, after returning from a busy day of prior engagements, Eugene watched her remove that dress.

After that day, Eugene never again saw the dress he had given her come out of Helena’s closet.

Not until she finally declared their separation to him.

****

“Move aside.”

“Goodness, why are you acting like this?”

“Let go. What difference does it make if you’re here?”

“You’re talking nonsense. It would make a huge difference, so that’s why I’m doing this!”

Dion desperately held onto Ian, who kept pushing and trying to move forward.

Still outmatched, Dion grabbed Ian’s trouser leg and plopped down on the ground. Of course, Ian’s single step lifted Dion’s body entirely.

Dragging his aide who was busy catching his breath and panting, Ian paced in front of his quarters.

“If I had known this would happen, I should have brought the entire knight order. This is my oversight.”

“Could you please pay attention to the knights you already have before saying such things?”

“No, there must be an assassination guild or something here too. Dion, money is no object, so find me a place with skilled hands. No, I’ll just—”

“Please calm down, Your Majesty.”

Dion raised his voice louder to get Ian’s attention. Ian stopped abruptly in place, then took a deep breath in and out. Looking up at his heaving broad shoulders, Dion reminded him of the facts once again.

“It’s only been two days since the young lady left.”

“Only? It’s already been two days. Why is she so late? She hasn’t grown to dislike me in the meantime, has she?”

“Oh dear, Your Majesty. Please just go inside and sit quietly. It takes at least two more days to get from here to the Evergale estate.”

“Why is it so far? That man really has not a single likeable aspect.”

As Ian grumbled and moved to walk again despite Dion’s scolding, Elai appeared from around a distant corner.

He had just returned after joining the reconnaissance troops for ten days to assess the general situation.

Though his appearance was somewhat disheveled, his face looked refreshed. Realizing that the mission had gone well, Dion showed rare great joy as soon as he spotted him.

“Perfect timing, Elai! Who would have thought I’d be so happy to see you. Quick, grab the other leg. If we each take one and drag, we should be able to get His Majesty inside.”

“…….”

However, Elai turned away from Dion with an expression that said he’d seen all sorts of strange things. Though Dion muttered curses under his breath, Elai presented something to Ian as if he had more important matters.

At first glance, it was an ordinary brown letter envelope. If only one ignored the recipient’s name scrawled on the surface.

“……Dear Cat.”

The letter that looked like a love letter between lovers was actually a coded message between Beelzebuth and Cheshire. Ian’s body finally lost strength as he had been pushing forward recklessly. As he unconsciously recited the written name, Elai reported to him.

“After narrowing down four suspected secret routes and lying in wait, we discovered a wolf pack in the Keshtain Mountains and launched a surprise attack.”

“……So he was being so cautious, yet he was quite desperate.”

“It seems Beelzebuth was shaken by pressure from the Duke of Ravendeim. Since a clash will likely occur soon, he seems to have hastily made contact even at the risk of exposing supply routes.”

Ian let out a faint smile of understanding. That smile deepened as he skimmed through the letter’s contents.

While Elai continued reporting on other future developments, Ian decoded the secret message, and Dion quietly released his trouser hem and stood up.

Before long, Ian crumpled the letter and provided the answer.

“Cheshire’s settlement is Evergale.”

Passing the secret message to Dion with instructions to burn it, Ian immediately commanded:

“Though Evergale’s territory is not to be underestimated, if it’s Cheshire, the person would have anchored in the wealthy districts. Investigate if there are any businesses or trading companies that have rapidly grown in the past two years around those areas. Tell the reconnaissance troops to continue searching for supply routes.”

The emperor, who had just been stubbornly arguing with his aide moments before, briskly left the space with a dignified bearing. As Dion held the secret message over the matchfire Elai had lit for him, he felt nostalgic for the cigarette scent he had quit last year.

Even being trapped on the fickle-weathered Serakan Island would be more comfortable than working with his sovereign.

Soon, as the letter turned to ash and piled at his feet, Dion dusted off his hands. Elai also seemed to dust off his stained trouser hems, then suddenly forcibly removed Dion’s jacket.

“Wh-what? Why are you robbing someone else’s clothes?”

“What harsh words for such close friends who’d die for each other. It’s not robbery, it’s borrowing.”

“You shouldn’t speak so carelessly either. I don’t want to get entangled with you even by a hair’s breadth. Close friends, my foot. Damn it.”

“Anyway, I’ll take it as permission to borrow the jacket.”

Elai quickly slipped his arms into the clean sleeves before Dion’s permission could even fall. Dion let out a small simmering sigh and asked sarcastically:

“Where are you going?”

“On a date.”

“What? There’s a woman who would suggest a date after seeing you in that state?”

Dion widened his eyes and exclaimed in shock. He spread both arms and looked Elai up and down. No matter how many times he looked—once, twice, three times—he couldn’t understand.

What could they possibly see in this scoundrel who wore dust like a second skin? They must surely be either blind or have the peculiar taste of liking dirty men.

To Dion, who was making such internal judgments, Elai cheerfully replied:

“Remember the young lady who’s been baking gugelhopf and coming to the guild every day for the past few days? I met her in the central district today, and when she shyly asked if I had time, I said yes. As you can see, my face is perfectly fine.”

What an unfairly unjust world this is. Dion pointed his finger at Elai’s brazen smiling face.

“You block everyone else’s marriage prospects! How can you nod your head so easily about going on a date?”

Elai, who had swept his hair back to create a somewhat neat appearance, tilted his head this way and that.

“Well, as you can see, things work out well for me.”

“You, you! This conscienceless thief! The lemon frog embarrassment incident in front of last year’s matchmaking lady! I haven’t forgotten! If it weren’t for you then, I’d have two children by now……!”

“How many times do I have to say it? That wasn’t my will, Sir Cedrick.”

“Then was it your hands and feet’s will? I suppose those hands and feet aren’t yours? They’d be fine if detached then!”

Dion rushed at Elai in a fury. Elai placed one hand on his forehead as he desperately stretched his arms and pushed him back.

Due to the increased distance, Dion kept missing his mark. It was even more frustrating than his imagination of beating him down and making him kneel.

Looking down at his struggling form, Elai had no choice but to reveal the truth of that day.

“—It was Duke Ravendeim’s order.”

“Oh please, if you’re going to make excuses, at least show some sincerity! How is that even plausible? What grudge could Lady Heidi possibly have against me to do such a thing!”

“Believe it or don’t, I just lost three horses, Sir. I have to cough up everything Her Grace gave me as hush money.”

Elai was more serious about gambling than anyone. If he said this much, it carried considerable credibility.

Dion slowly released Elai’s arm, which he had been gripping without being able to scratch too hard since it was his own jacket.

“……What…… Wait, are you saying it’s really true?”

Instead of answering, Elai straightened his attire. Then he discovered a shining object in his breast pocket and pulled it out. It was a communication device with an incoming signal.

“Her Highness really has a mischievous side. How did she know to contact you right now?”

Elai handed the communication device to Dion while still wearing his natural smile.

“I cannot commit the discourtesy of keeping a lady waiting, so I’ll be going now. Please have a good heart-to-heart with Her Highness, Sir.”

Dion absent-mindedly accepted the communication device. Then he froze like a statue in bewilderment. He only managed to accept the call about a minute after Elai’s figure had completely disappeared from view.

“What took you so long to answer…… Dion? Why are you…… Ah, Elai must have returned by now.”

Heidi, who appeared on screen, hesitated briefly then relaxed her shoulders again comfortably. Dion barely managed to move his legs and entered the quarters. The quarters, with most guild members out, felt desolate.

Dion crossed the empty corridor with dragging steps. As soon as he entered his room, he leaned his back against the door frame and slid down. Worry and concern immediately appeared on Heidi’s expression.

“Why do you look like that? Did something happen?”