ICM Chapter 124

His heart, which had been frozen stiff, began to beat loudly, and his steps toward the door became urgent. When he finally opened the door, a small woman wearing a gray hooded cloak looked up.

 

“May I… come in?”

 

The woman’s gaze anxiously surveyed the surroundings. As always, she was cautious and careful, worried that someone might see her. Nile stepped back to allow her to enter the room.

 

After confirming that the door was closed, the woman turned to look at Nile. Her gaze quickly swept over Nile from head to toe.

 

“How is your body? Are you hurt anywhere? How are you managing your treatment?”

 

Even greetings were omitted. Questions poured out one after another from her anxious heart. She hadn’t even removed the hooded cloak that was pulled down low after entering the room.

 

A small, pale face half-hidden by the hood. The faint wrinkles around her eyes had deepened since he last saw her.

 

“Why do you wander around so recklessly? If you get worse…”

 

Unable to control her emotions, she let her words trail off. Her burning emotions showed through her voice as she tried to swallow them down.

 

“…The treatment…”

 

Nile’s voice cracked roughly. At this reaction, so different from the Viscount couple who called themselves his parents, a hollow laugh escaped his lips.

 

“…I’m receiving treatment in the capital. It’s nothing to worry about.”

 

“The capital? Have you been in the capital all this time?”

 

Clemen raised her head sharply. Fear that couldn’t be hidden showed in her warm brown eyes.

 

“I’m staying at Duke Igraine’s residence.”

 

“What does that mean? Igraine?”

 

Even though they had stepped back from power, they were still a powerful family of the capital. For Clemen, who had hoped Nile would stay as far from the capital as possible, this was shocking news.

 

“Haven’t you heard the news from the capital yet?”

 

As expected, the news hadn’t reached the provincial territory yet.

 

“The capital was turned upside down because of the Empress Dowager.”

 

At the mention of the Empress Dowager, Clemen froze completely. Her expression showed she couldn’t imagine what words would come next.

 

“Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager was apparently an illegitimate child of the Marquis Maiheller family. Did you know about this?”

 

Clemen gasped. Her eyes widened in shock and her legs, drained of strength, gave way. Nile quickly reached out to catch her as she was about to fall.

 

“Aah…”

 

A moan like an exclamation escaped. The face of the Empress Dowager who had looked down coldly from the highest seat of power. The face that had stood firm like an impregnable fortress, threatening her.

 

There are no perfect secrets in the world. The older they are, the more so. After decades pass, one becomes somewhat careless, and in that moment, secrets leak out from unexpected places.

 

That’s how Clemen came to know. The Empress Dowager’s secret that even the Emperor didn’t know.

 

“I came because I need help with that matter.”

 

Nile spoke while holding Clemen’s arm. Meeting his mother, the deposed Empress Clemen—that was the reason Nile had returned here.

 

****

 

The vast garden was as faded in color as the cloudy sky. The brilliant autumn flowers that had dominated the flower beds for a while lost their light and withered yellow. The gardeners cut away the flowers that had lost their color to frost one by one, tidying up the garden as it entered early winter.

 

The season when even the garden trees that had been lush with greenery turned yellow and shed their leaves. Carriage wheels clattered as they rolled over the fallen leaves that had piled up thickly, not yet cleared away.

 

The carriage that entered Duke Igraine’s residence stopped in front of the main building. The knights waiting there greeted Drushia with faces half-stiffened and half-reluctant.

 

The day had come when Duke Talion would visit Duke Igraine’s residence from time to time. Their expressions showed how strange it was that no one was stopping him.

 

Regardless, Drushia remained calm and focused only on his purpose.

 

“Where is Ashika?”

 

“She should be in the dressing room with people from the dress shop.”

 

“How is it that if I don’t come looking, it’s hard to see her face?”

 

At Drushia’s complaint, Pelburn frowned.

 

“This is a ducal wedding, after all. Of course she would be busy.”

 

“I’m also the person getting married.”

 

“That’s exactly the point. Our lady is incredibly busy, but why is Your Grace…”

 

Pelburn glanced at Drushia and swallowed his words.

 

“Why are you stopping mid-sentence?”

 

“I was very rude to Your Grace, who will soon become our lady’s husband.”

 

The informal relationship they had maintained was from their time in the expeditionary force when class differences didn’t matter much. Reminded anew that this was Duke Igraine’s residence, Pelburn politely maintained proper etiquette. Of course, Drushia’s face became like someone chewing rotten fish.

 

“Is that some new form of torture? Or have you changed your method of protest?”

 

“We won’t just be seeing each other for a day or two, so I’ll conduct myself according to my station.”

 

Pelburn spoke firmly with a serious face. The corner of Drushia’s mouth turned up slightly.

 

“Right, we’ll be seeing each other for a lifetime. Good that you understand your place quickly.”

 

“Maintaining proper etiquette applies both ways, Your Grace.”

 

Meaning that Drushia should also use language and behavior appropriate for addressing Duke Igraine’s knight commander. Of course, it didn’t get through.

 

Drushia chuckled derisively as he passed Pelburn and entered the mansion. What greeted him at the entrance was a flustered head maid.

 

“Duke Talion, you’ve arrived? Please wait a moment and I’ll inform the lady.”

 

“Where am I supposed to wait? The reception room? Or the entrance hall?”

 

Drushia’s tone was unpleasant at being told to wait. The servants were in considerable difficulty as he barged in without any prior notice.

 

The other party was one of the only four dukes in the entire empire. Even receiving him properly couldn’t be done by just anyone. However, Weive was often away from the mansion and Ashika was too busy to think straight.

 

The more this happened, the more Drushia wandered around the mansion as if it were his own home. There were even rumors that Weive avoided coming home because he hated seeing this behavior.

 

Drushia left the flustered head maid behind and headed to the third floor where Ashika’s room was located. Entering without hesitation, Drushia gaped at the scene spread out in the dressing room.

 

“Duke Talion? Oh, hello?”

 

“Baroness Isna?”

 

The person struggling with dress shop staff in the dressing room was not Ashika but Baroness Isna.

 

Dozens of fabrics and embroidery samples, twice as many dress decorations and jewelry design books, and things that were hard to identify filled the space.

 

“What is all this…?”

 

“What do you mean? These are materials for making the bride’s dress.”

 

Her surprise was brief; Baroness Isna replied in a cheerful voice. She was thoroughly intoxicated by the pleasure of laying out and choosing expensive materials without worrying about money for the first time in a long while.

 

“Do you have to personally choose every single one of these? Couldn’t you just place an order?”

 

“This isn’t just any ordinary dress. It’s a wedding dress, after all. Of course it needs to be carefully ordered and crafted.”

 

Not only the fabric for making the dress, but also the types and positions of embroidery in the basic design, as well as jeweled decorations and floral decorations all had to be chosen. It was dizzying just to look at.

 

“But why is the Baroness doing this?”

 

“Ah, well, you see…”

 

The Baroness put down the embroidery sample in her hand and sighed.

 

“Lady Igraine is busy.”

 

Originally, when preparing for a wedding, the bride’s mother directs everything. If there’s no mother, the godmother or a close female relative helps—that was the custom.

 

However, Ashika had no such person. The collateral relatives who had strongly opposed Ashika becoming heir had barely maintained contact with her since she came of age.

 

Baroness Isna was in a difficult situation too. She had rushed over happily when asked to help with wedding preparations, only to have the preparations dumped on her while Ashika was busy with other matters.

 

Understanding the situation, Drushia also looked incredulous. What could possibly be so busy that she’d abandon even her own wedding?

 

“So where is Ashika?”

 

“Ah, that’s… Wait a moment. Marilyn, where is Lady Igraine?”

 

She didn’t even know where the bride was.

 

“Ah, she’s on the second floor. She said not to let anyone disturb her…”

 

“Where on the second floor?”

 

“In His Grace’s study. Should I go and inform her?”

 

Drushia waved his hand dismissively as he headed for the door.

 

“You said not to disturb her. Everyone continue with your work. I’ll go since I’m the least busy here.”

 

“But still…”

 

Without giving time for a response, Drushia had already disappeared outside. The dress shop staff who had been tense looked at each other in bewilderment. Had Duke Talion always been such an informal person? That’s what their faces seemed to ask.

 

Drushia quickly went down to the second floor and found Weive’s study. Since there was no one guarding it, no one stopped him this time. Unlike the chaotic third floor, the study with drawn curtains was dim and quiet inside.

 

“Where is she supposed to be?”

 

It shouldn’t be this hard to meet her.

 

The two had barely been able to spend time together since setting their wedding date. In fact, it would be more accurate to say they had no time for it. Only when Drushia came looking like this could they barely see each other’s faces.

 

“No matter how busy you are, really. How can you leave your own wedding entirely to others?”

 

With the ceremony approaching, he felt hurt by Ashika’s complete lack of interest in the wedding.

 

There was another door inside the study. The person he desperately wanted to see was probably inside there. Calming his impatient heart, Drushia quietly grasped the door handle. The surroundings were so quiet that he unconsciously became careful.

 

When the door opened and he discovered the woman sitting there like a painting, Drushia unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

 

It was a room with no windows. The shelves on the walls were full of documents, and on the small table in the center sat not candles but a lamp.

 

Ashika didn’t even notice the door opening and was buried face-first in documents. Drushia, who had been about to call her, kept his mouth shut.

 

Even her working appearance was quietly picturesque. His hurt feelings melted away like snow before Ashika’s absorbed figure.

 

Her brow furrowed slightly on her deeply concentrated face, and her long eyelashes blinked. Her lips pressed together in thought and her lively face were so refreshing to examine piece by piece that he found himself staring in fascination.

 

The wish that this peaceful moment would continue forever. Because this moment was so happy in proportion to his earnestness, a gentle smile formed on Drushia’s lips.

 

Rustle. A document slipped and fell from Ashika’s hand. Drushia grabbed the fallen document before Ashika could.

 

“Ah, Drushia?”

 

“Can you finally see my face now?”

 

Ashika put down her documents and stood up from her seat.