Chapter 6

Pushing his ideas with logic that hardly seemed logical had always been Rox’s specialty, but as he grew older, he would sometimes yield even when things didn’t go his way, so no one could ever relax for a moment.

‘Enough, Rox, push a little harder. Keep pressing with arguments that barely make sense.’

“What do you think, Rene?”

Leira, frustrated that Audrenette hadn’t taken any action, called out to her. Audrenette understood the meaning in her mother’s eyes well; she’d met that gaze at least twice a week for years. But this time, she had no choice but to look away and pretend not to notice.

Survival came first.

“If His Majesty gives permission… wouldn’t it be fine?”

The expressions of the two changed drastically at Audrenette’s words. Earl Heden, who had been quietly listening, unconsciously muttered, ‘Well, if we get permission,’ and Rox, catching that tiny sound, jumped up from his seat.

Seeing that everyone had more or less agreed, Rox hurried out of the dining room to spread the news before anyone could stop him. He had struggled to keep up with three people at once, yet his plate was already clean.

“When is he ever going to grow up?”

Madam Heden frowned as she looked at the chair Rox had left askew, far from the table. She didn’t mention Zikreon, but Audrenette knew her mother’s ‘he’ included both Rox and Zikreon.

He said he’d get an answer right away. He must be exchanging letters, and given how smoothly communication was happening, he was certainly entrusting it to an experienced knight, not a servant or laborer.

If Zikreon was expected to arrive in the capital in two days’ time, he must be quite close already. Just a little longer and they’d see his face. Why waste manpower and time so eagerly? It seemed wasteful by common sense, but this time, Audrenette decided to be understanding.

Thanks to the two troublemakers, she now had a good reason to decline Hussian’s invitation.

That alone was enough.

The knight carrying their letters probably believed Rox and Zikreon were discussing something important, shuttling between them with a heavy sense of duty… Maybe it was better for him to keep that misconception.

Her mother elegantly scolded her father for helping Rox for no reason, while her father awkwardly tried to change the subject.

Audrenette suddenly wondered if her father already knew about Hussian’s engagement. They met often and worked together frequently. Though she’d done nothing wrong, she found herself watching Earl Heden’s reactions, then decided not to stir up trouble and quietly poked at her cooked vegetables.

If Leira witnessed this scene, she would have started nagging immediately, but fortunately her attention was elsewhere, giving Audrenette a rare opportunity to fuss over her food.

It wasn’t that she disliked the meal. She just didn’t have much appetite.

“…What’s wrong? Where are you off to now?”

Perhaps it was slightly undercooked—the hard pea slipped away from her fork, rolling and rolling until it stopped in the middle of the long dining table. Even that tiny pea, no bigger than a fingernail, seemed to abandon her, and without realizing, a sound of regret escaped her lips.

Feeling drained, she set her fork down and took a quiet breath.

Everything except her sunken mood was as usual, which only made her feel more down.

＊＊＊

“Marquis. A reply has arrived from the Heden family.”

“Leave it.”

Hussian, eyes fixed on his papers, didn’t even glance at the butler holding the letter.

After the butler left, Hussian continued working, finally taking a short break by crumpling a half-read sheet of paper.

He immediately picked up the letter on the tray. Staring at the familiar seal of the Heden Earldom, he slowly and carefully broke the hardened wax with his long fingers.

As soon as he opened the letter, seeing his own name—pressed firmly by her hand—brought a small sense of calm.

Even the unusually prominent Heden Earldom seal and the subtle scent from the paper seemed to soothe his nerves, knowing Audrenette had chosen and stamped them with care.

Unaware, his lips curved faintly as he touched them, only to school his expression again with conscious effort.

For her, sending him a reply, writing while thinking of him, probably wasn’t a pleasant task. Yet here he was, smiling to himself for no reason.

Hussian rotated his stiff shoulders from long hours of work and read the letter as if admiring a delicate piece of art.

“……”

Her reply was not what he expected. She wrote, in formal black ink, that she couldn’t attend due to an important engagement, expressing her apologies.

It might be selfish, but Hussian had thought Audrenette would definitely say she would attend.

His emotions tangled, unresolved. After staring at her reply for a while, he carefully folded the letter along the creases. It would likely be stored in the very bottom compartment of his desk, alongside all the colorful letters from her.

The unsweetened dessert and non-alcoholic apple wine he’d prepared for her could stay put. If she wasn’t coming, they weren’t needed.

Finishing his short break, Hussian picked up his fountain pen again.

He’d paused his work, but somehow his mind felt even more unsettled.

＊＊＊

The reply to Rox’s hastily scribbled note to Zikreon—‘Come if you want, but get His Majesty’s permission first’—arrived late that same evening.

And the next morning.

On the very day Zikreon was to enter the capital, Rox caught Earl Heden just as he was leaving his bedroom.

“He said it’s a bother to get permission, and His Majesty isn’t the type to be upset over such things, so he’ll just come straight here. Oh, and he’s planning to stay for a while.”

“……”

Any sleep Earl Heden had vanished. Before he could fully grasp Rox’s words, Rox smiled brightly and nodded.

“He said it’s fine, so that’s good, Father.”

Earl Heden stared at his son in disbelief. It was not fine at all. He immediately abandoned breakfast and rushed to the Imperial Palace. No matter what Zikreon said, or how Rox agreed, it only solved things for the two of them—nothing was actually settled.

It was still early, before official duties began, but thankfully the Emperor welcomed him warmly.

Even worried about his meal, the Emperor invited Earl Heden to breakfast. With a tired face, Earl Heden explained the situation. The Emperor’s expression darkened every time Zikreon’s name was mentioned.

“Let it be.”

The Emperor readily gave his permission. Knowing Rox and Zikreon’s usual behavior, the Emperor didn’t say a word about how Rox knew the date of Zikreon’s return. He’d already given up on his nephew in many ways.

He just sighed softly, saying he’d tried to keep it secret for safety’s sake, but now that it was out, there was nothing more to say.

“Earl.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With a complicated face, the Emperor gazed into the air as if drawing something.

“I don’t know how this will sound to you, but thanks to you, I can finally catch my breath… At least compared to when they were younger, it’s much better now. At least now…”

He fell silent after that. Watching his troubled lord, Earl Heden felt guilty and averted his gaze.

With that bitter silence, breakfast ended. The Emperor, knowing Earl Heden must be troubled too, granted him a whole week’s leave.

For better or worse, Zikreon’s influence was considerable.

With the Emperor’s permission, the staff at Heden Mansion and Audrenette became busy.

“Yes, please make sure the meat is fully cooked. You know, right? He won’t eat it if there’s even a hint of blood.”

“Of course, don’t worry, My Lady.”

“I can always count on you, Paul. I’ll trust you.”

At Audrenette’s words, Paul, the Head Chef of Heden Mansion, nodded with a reliable smile. He’d been in charge of the mansion’s cuisine for years. Even with a three-year gap, Zikreon’s tastes were still firmly etched in his memory, since Zikreon had visited and stayed as if it were his own home.

While everyone was busy, Rox only talked grandly about going horseback riding and doing this and that with Zikreon, but didn’t show up at all.

He’d just left saying, ‘It’s not an unfamiliar place. He’ll get along fine,’ and disappeared.

He wasn’t wrong. Audrenette also knew Zikreon would get by just fine without any special preparations, but for now, she needed to stay busy for any reason. She couldn’t afford to think.

Honestly, there wasn’t much to worry about.

Just prepare clothes one size larger than Rox’s for Zikreon’s stay, and sort out the foods he disliked, didn’t care for, and liked. In fact, as long as the meat was properly cooked, there would be no issues. Otherwise, he ate almost anything.

He’d even eaten shriveled black beans, thinking they were raisins.

As for sleeping arrangements, he could sleep anywhere as long as there was somewhere to lie down. Just prepare clean blankets and that was enough. For Zikreon, the sofa in the drawing room was actually more important than a big, soft bed. It was practically his designated spot. At least two thick cushions were a must.