ESL Chapter 40

Upon returning from Count Roman’s estate, Lea felt the urge to leave her room as soon as she entered. A costume designer was visiting to make a dress for her debutante ball, and the moment she saw Lea enter, her eyes gleamed like a predator eyeing its prey. The intensity of that gaze gave her chills throughout her entire body.

‘If only Mother weren’t here, I could have escaped…’

Lea inwardly groaned at the sight of Rien sitting beside the designer, smiling at her. It seemed today would be a very long day indeed.

As expected, time passed extremely slowly, and it wasn’t until the sky was tinged red that the designer and Rien left her room in high spirits. Lea collapsed sprawled out on her bed. She was exhausted. She hadn’t been this tired even when she’d been running around restoring the ducal estate or when she’d spent all day swinging a sword.

“I have to do this several more times? Why start so early? There’s still plenty of time…”

Lea sighed and raised her hand to cover her face. That damn debutante ball… She understood intellectually that since it was a party where all the noble ladies of the Empire who’d come of age debuted simultaneously, dresses had to be fitted starting a month in advance, but her heart felt otherwise. She suddenly found herself desperately missing the days when she’d spent her time catching wanted criminals, and closed her eyes. She’d planned to just lie down for a moment before going down for dinner, having taken too much mental damage. But she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

“….Ah…Lea….”

At the low, pleasant baritone voice, Lea’s eyes flew open. Duke Kaien’s face filled her entire field of vision as he looked down at her with worried eyes.

“Are you ill somewhere… to sleep so deeply that you didn’t even notice my presence…”

Lea was somewhat shocked by the Duke’s words. It was the first time since childhood that she’d slept deeply enough not to sense anything. She found herself thinking the designer who’d made her like this was impressive in a certain sense.

“Are you alright?”

When she remained frozen without saying anything, the Duke’s already worried gaze deepened further. Only then did Lea come to her senses and shake her head as she answered.

“…Ah…I’m fine, Father… I must have dozed off for a moment…”

“Are you really alright?”

“Yes. I’m really fine.”

The Duke, watching her answer with a beaming smile, raised his hand and gently stroked her head. Lea’s lips curved slightly upward at the pleasant feeling of her father’s large, warm hand.

“Don’t overdo it. If anything’s difficult, be sure to tell me.”

“Yes… But what brings you to my room? Did you have something to discuss?”

At Lea’s question, Duke Kaien looked at her quietly for a moment before speaking softly.

“Lea, don’t you want to live as someone’s wife like other young ladies?”

“Mm… I don’t really want to live like that. I’d rather collapse from swinging a sword than collapse from having a ball gown fitted.”

Watching his daughter smile brightly, Duke Kaien made an expression that said he’d expected as much, though with a touch of bitterness.

It wasn’t that he disregarded his daughter’s abilities. Rather, his daughter had more than enough—overflowing—qualifications to inherit the ducal house. But as a father, while he felt proud, he couldn’t help feeling tenderness that she couldn’t live an ordinary life like other noble young ladies. However, since it was the path his daughter had chosen, he intended to clear away any obstacles that arose before her to the extent of his abilities. Things like what would happen at this debutante ball.

“What’s the matter, Father?”

At Lea’s question, having read the complex emotions in the Duke’s eyes, he slowly opened his mouth.

“At this debutante ball, it seems the Crown Prince candidates and Crown Princess candidates will be announced. And I’ve heard information that you’re included among the three candidates.”

“What?!”

This time she was genuinely surprised. No matter how much she’d been calculating the events that would occur ahead, the Crown Princess position itself wasn’t something to consider, so it had been excluded from her calculations.

“So I ordered them to embroider the family crest on the dress you’ll wear to the debutante ball.”

Since only the head of house and their successor could have the family crest embroidered on clothing, she realized what her father was trying to say.

“If you happen to be mentioned as a Crown Princess candidate at this debutante ball, I plan to officially announce on the spot that you are my successor and refuse the Crown Princess candidacy.”

At the Duke’s words, spoken with unwavering determination, Lea asked with worried eyes.

“Is it alright to refuse His Majesty the Emperor’s command?”

“That mere command.”

“Pardon?”

Did I just hear him say ‘mere’… Doubting her own ears, Lea listened to the Duke’s continuing words.

“More than that…”

“Yes, Father.”

Did I just hear a grinding sound? Lea tilted her head.

“Your debutante escort… I don’t think I’ll be able to do it.”

She was surprised by the unexpected words that he couldn’t escort her, but Lea was even more surprised by the Duke’s expression. The Duke’s face after finishing his words was truly fierce enough to kill someone. And with good reason—the right to escort his daughter at her once-in-a-lifetime debutante ball had been forcibly taken from him, so he couldn’t be in a good mood. Though not a regulation, it had been customary for young ladies entering society for the first time to enter the debutante ball holding their father’s hand. That’s why the Duke had naturally planned to enter holding his daughter’s hand. But then…

[Could I possibly stand by when your only daughter is debuting? Dresses and jewels and such can easily be managed with your wealth, so I’ll lend you one of my sons as an ornament. Choose one.]

He’d tried to say that his daughter didn’t need any ornament. But he had to close his mouth at the Emperor’s immediately following words.

[Ah, by the way… this is an imperial command.]

That smirking face was so insufferable that for the first time he’d even thought about throwing away his ducal position and everything. It was the first irreverent thought he’d had since becoming a duke. But what could he do? The Duke conveyed the Emperor’s words to his daughter as gently as possible.

“His Majesty said that since the young lady who returned after 17 years is debuting for the first time, we can’t neglect it, so he’ll attach one of the princes as a partner and told me to choose.”

“……I don’t need one…”

“…That’s what I said…”

Father and daughter were silent for a moment. For any other noble family, it would have been a tremendous honor. However, for Duke Kaien it was merely an unpleasant matter that prevented him from escorting his daughter, and for Lea it was just bothersome. As she sighed invisibly, a memory suddenly came to her. On the day of Count Roman’s succession ceremony, on the balcony, he had certainly said this:

[You will take my hand. Just wait and see.]

Only then did Lea realize what Kaid’s last words meant and unconsciously let out a chuckle.

She would take his hand…? This cunning man…

But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Rather, her favorability toward him, who knew how to properly use the cards he held, rose slightly. Lost in thought, she realized her father was looking at her with puzzlement at her sudden laughter and quickly spoke.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Something just came to mind… Um… anyway, the Crown Prince candidates would be the First Prince and the Second Prince.”

“Right. The Third Prince is someone who has no desire for the Crown Prince position. In terms of ability, he’s not inferior to the First or Second Prince at all.”

“Then the best choice in the current situation would be Kaid. Fortunately, he also requested to escort me, so… just going with Kaid would be… Father?”

Lea called to him when the Duke’s face hardened the more she spoke, wondering what was wrong. Then the Duke coughed lowly and began to grumble quietly.

“Since when did you start calling the Prince by his name… And when exactly did he request to escort you…”

“Pardon?”

When Lea asked again because she couldn’t hear well since he’d grumbled so quietly, the Duke closed his mouth as if it were nothing. He didn’t yet know his daughter’s feelings, but Kaid was clearly showing emotions beyond mere favorable interest. He didn’t like that. If Lea fell for that guy… no, the Prince, and said she wanted to marry him, he would lose his precious daughter whom he’d found after 17 years after living together only a few years. But when he thought that if Lea became the successor, Kaid would have to come as a son-in-law, which would be difficult with his prince status, he felt a bit better.

“It’s nothing. Shall we have dinner?”

“Yes… Ah, and if you’re not busy after dinner, could you spar with me once?”

Looking at his daughter whose eyes sparkled as she looked at him—truly the blood of the Kaien ducal house—the Duke smiled faintly but warmly.

“Alright. I understand. Anyway, if you’re to become the successor, you’ll need to receive the transmission of the Kaien sword technique secrets, so let’s spar every evening after dinner unless there’s something urgent.”

“Really?”

Finding Lea’s brightly smiling face adorable, the Duke reached out to stroke her head several times before standing up.

“Let’s go down.”

“Yes.”

Lea got down from the bed and left the room with the Duke.

***

“…….”

Michelle stared blankly at the iron door blocking her way. After being locked in the Kaien ducal house’s underground prison, she had lost her sense of time. The cell she was in was built of something that blocked all outside sounds, so she couldn’t even know what had happened to the others who’d been dragged in with her. At first, she’d thought she could somehow endure since there was no torture and meals came on time. She’d believed there would be an opportunity to escape someday. But as time passed, she was painfully realizing that was impossible. Unable to wash or change clothes, her body was emitting a terrible smell she’d never had before, making it even more agonizing. Only then did she realize that enduring like this wasn’t a solution. Though she didn’t know much about the organization, she thought she should try to negotiate with whatever information she did know. If she escaped from here, she’d be killed by those sent by the organization, but she wanted to breathe fresh air even for just one day. Having made up her mind, Michelle could realize a great truth.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never once lived the way I wanted.’

Being sold to the organization, doing all sorts of things to rise to this position, entering the ducal house—it had all been a struggle to survive. She suddenly recalled her childhood dream. Meeting a man who loved her, having a baby, building a happy family… She hadn’t known then how difficult that would be.

“………”

A single tear rolled down her cheek. Biting her lower lip hard, she got up and approached the iron door. And she pounded it so hard her fists hurt, shouting.

“Call the Duke! Tell him it’s about the organization! Tell him he’ll regret it if he doesn’t listen!!”