Chapter 3.1 – Confirmation

Edmund dressed in formal wear that had been fashionable ten years ago and headed for the Imperial Palace. The palace greeted him, unchanged from his memory.

Even the gazes directed at Edmund, who had become a Duke at just nineteen, were the same—envy, jealousy, suspicion…

But to a man who was both thirty-two and twenty-two, those gazes were nothing more than dust rolling on the ground.

“Hey, Sir Belzen, did something happen at the mansion today? The Duke seems to be in a very good mood.”

“To me, he looks no different than usual.”

“No, really, he looks happier than usual.”

Behind them, Edmund’s aide Hans kept insisting the Duke seemed happier, despite Sir Belzen’s reluctant reaction.

In truth, Edmund was in a good mood, just as Hans said. Of course he was.

To see those who had died—or killed each other—alive and moving again was like watching a play.

He even wondered if all this was a grand performance prepared for himself, who had lost Elia and died.

‘Would it be any different at the Earldom?’

Would the Roang Earldom also have a play prepared for him? The thought made him even more pleased.

But there was no need to rush. It couldn’t be a dream, and even if it was, he could always return again.

If, when he opened his eyes, reality was a world after Elia’s death, Edmund would not hesitate to draw his sword and stab himself.

He would return, as many times as needed.

“You’re here, Duke.”

The attendants lined up in the corridor bowed deeply. Edmund remembered that one of them was a spy sent by the Marquis’ house.

How should he deal with that?

Of course, if he simply repeated what he had done before, his cousin would take the throne, and all his enemies would die.

But Edmund hesitated.

‘There’s no need for things to be the same as before.’

Now Elia’s life would be different, and so would Edmund’s. Shouldn’t the lives of those doomed to die also change?

Bringing tomorrow’s death to today, seizing next month’s power a week early—that would be enough.

Everything would change, and all would happen as he wished.

Arriving at the office on the second floor, the guard knight Belzen opened the door and checked inside first.

The waiting was unbearably dull. It was a rule he had always kept until his enemies were dealt with.

‘How pathetic.’

Even the office seemed old and shabby to his thirty-two-year-old eyes. Only a handful in the palace had private offices like this, but Edmund knew how much more he could have, so it was only natural it didn’t satisfy him.

“Hans.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Bring me all the documents from the past month.”

“…All of them? Even the ones you’ve already signed…?”

“All of them, including the rejected ones.”

“Ah, then I’ll start with the past week’s worth.”

Even just a week’s worth would fill the desk, so a month’s worth…

‘Let’s see. If a week is about thirty cases, two weeks should look plenty…’

Hans, as usual, thought about cutting corners. But Edmund added an order not to be lazy.

“A month’s worth. Right now. And tell Earl Roang I want to have lunch together.”

“Y-yes, My Lord?”

Hans, who had been Edmund’s aide for four years, couldn’t help but question this unprecedented order.

Regardless, Edmund leisurely surveyed the office as if it belonged to someone else.

Hans was so distracted by the strange sight that he was left speechless.

“Hans.”

“I-I’m going.”

Hans hurried out of the office at what was essentially an order to get lost. He had to quickly arrange the lunch with Earl Roang while Edmund reviewed today’s documents.

Even in his rush, Hans caught Sir Belzen at the door to complain.

“Really, nothing happened?”

Hans couldn’t shake the thought all day.

‘It’s my fourth year. I’ve served him for four years. But today the Duke is really strange!’

❖ ❖ ❖

Edmund reviewed the old documents almost as quickly as Hans carried them in. He didn’t even read them—just skimmed the covers.

He only picked out the ones he remembered being dissatisfied with and made corrections, so of course he was fast.

But to Hans, Edmund looked like a workaholic monster.

‘He was always quick, but this is ridiculous. He finished it all before lunch!’

Was the Duke trying to ruin the Empire? How could he handle everything just by glancing at the paperwork?

Even as he hauled documents, Hans couldn’t resist peeking at the ones Edmund had signed off.

They looked so clean he wondered if Edmund had even read them—until he saw the last page and changed his mind.

The new instructions Edmund added were specific and flawless, with nothing to criticize.

‘How odd. He was never interested in trade negotiations with the Principality of Kärnten. I’ve never even heard of Kärnten—it’s some far-off place. Is this the Blackstone mining region?’

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

Hans met Edmund’s eyes three times today. Three times!

He had never even glanced at Hans before, whether greeting or joking. Younger by five years, yet always acting like an old man who’d seen everything—wasn’t that his usual demeanor?

‘Something must have happened!’

Hans couldn’t shake off his unease even on the way to the annex dining room for lunch with Earl Roang. None of his questions had been answered.

The lunch invitation was strange too. Usually, it was the Earl who requested a meeting, and even then, Edmund only agreed one out of three times, citing his busy schedule.

To be the one to suggest lunch…

“Really, something’s up.”

The kind people of Roang Earldom agreed with Hans’s opinion that ‘the Duke is different today.’

“But isn’t it a good thing? You must have been lonely, Sir Hans, since the Duke always dined alone.”

But the laid-back Roang people only responded kindly, failing to meet Hans’s expectations.

They just thought it was good news.

‘But I feel this isn’t something to just let go…!’

Elia’s brother, Eugene Roang, was more pleased than puzzled by the unprecedented invitation.

‘Come to think of it, it’s the first time Duke Raspe has invited me to a meal.’

Many who admired the Duke hovered around him, only to give up, but Eugene had stubbornly stayed by his side.

Of course, he’d been hurt by the Duke’s constant indifference. But Eugene never thought of giving up.

Duke Raspe was the only benefactor who helped Eugene keep his title.

Even if the Duchy wanted to keep Roang as an ally, Roang owed a great debt to Edmund.

‘Besides, since we’ve known each other since childhood, I can’t help but care.’

Both had lost their parents, and while Eugene at least had Elia, Duke Raspe had no one. So Eugene wanted to treat him like family.

<Edmund is a lone wolf, and we’re a family of rabbits huddled underground. Who’s pitying whom?>

Elia would click her tongue, saying it was pointless. But still… even the Duke must feel lonely sometimes.

After all, he was human too.

‘I hoped he’d open up someday, but to be invited to lunch like this…’

Eugene was already excited to go home and boast to Elia. She would probably ask if he was dreaming.

Caught up in his excitement, Eugene even imagined Elia and Edmund growing closer.

‘There’s nowhere else for either of them to marry, so the Duke will end up marrying Elly, and once they’re a family, even the Duke will grow fond. Good, I’ll bring Elia to the Duchy again next week.’

Eugene smiled as he faced Edmund. The Duke’s face showed no emotion, but today it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

“I visited the mansion yesterday and even had dinner, so thank you for inviting me to lunch, Duke.”

“How formal. We’ll soon be family, after all.”

“Oh… yes, of course.”

Even Eugene couldn’t help but be surprised. It was the first time Edmund had brought up the engagement himself.

‘Did bringing Elly to the Duchy yesterday have an effect? But it was just a normal visit, and they didn’t even talk. What was different about yesterday?’

Eugene chewed his shrimp appetizer, wondering if his sister had changed lately.

‘The servants did say she looked especially beautiful today. She looked decent, I suppose… was she unusually pretty?’

Sorry, but as her brother, he didn’t think so at all.

‘What brother thinks his sister is pretty?’

Even if Elia looked like Poitiers’ youngest daughter, Eugene would just think, ‘She looks human enough.’

‘The only time Elly looks cute is when she’s eating. She doesn’t fuss about eating, but if you serve her, she’ll chew it all. I left food yesterday, but she finished even dessert. Maybe someone who eats well is my type…’

Their meal was quiet as usual. Only the sound of Eugene’s cutlery lightly touching the plate broke the silence.

With no conversation, Eugene tried to deduce what had made the Duke different between yesterday and today, right up until dessert was served.

‘No matter how I thought about it, all Elly did well yesterday was finish the duck dish.’

“Earl Roang.”

“Yes… I’m sorry. Please go ahead.”

Lost in trivial thoughts, Earl Roang was startled by Edmund’s sudden voice.

“After today’s schedule, I’m thinking of stopping by Roang.”

“Ro… do you mean our Roang? Of course, it would be an honor to welcome you, Duke, but unfortunately, I…”

“You handle your business. I have something to discuss with my fiancée.”

As soon as Edmund finished speaking, there was a ‘clang’ as the dessert spoon fell. Yet none of the people in the dining room were surprised by the noise.