Chapter 7 – Progress (Part 11)

Aaron was lingering around the harbor, not far from the building of the Orga Trading Company.

In his childhood, he had visited the harbor office following his father or brother from the Haas Trading Company. At that time, the harbor was bustling and lively during the day, as goods were constantly coming and going. However, the harbor at night was entirely different.

At night, far fewer ships arrived compared to the day. Since there were no other merchants visiting for business or transactions, most offices were closed.

The area where Marquis Orga’s building was located was a street where small and medium-sized trading companies gathered. At this late evening hour, the surroundings were quiet, with hardly any guards, making it even more desolate. It was a place where it would be difficult to seek help if anything happened.

Having only childhood memories of the bustling harbor, Aaron realized his mistake in assuming it would be fine. Had he known, he would have brought some guards from the Haas Trading Company. But it was too far to go back now.

‘I must stick close to the building without being noticed by the guards at the entrance.’

Aaron began to survey the surrounding buildings cautiously. He wondered if he could look into or sneak into Marquis Orga’s building from another building. However, no suitable place was in sight. Worry creased Aaron’s face.

***

Nearly four hours had passed since Cassius entered the building, and he had not come out. Aaron was increasingly worried. Although it was an evening gathering, given the scale of Marquis Orga’s building, it was unlikely to have a proper kitchen or chef, so a formal meal was improbable. At best, it would be a simple meal with pre-prepared dishes and drinks.

Even with a meal followed by a meeting, four hours seemed excessively long. Unable to find a way in other than the heavily guarded entrance, Aaron resolved to enter, even if it meant forcing his way through the front door.

Aaron approached the building, ready to draw his sword at any moment. The guards, sensing a threat from Aaron’s approach, straightened their posture. Just as Aaron was about to draw his sword, the front door opened, and Earl Kumaran came out.

Following him, the Duke also emerged, mingling with other nobles.

Seeing the Duke walking out, looking slightly pale but otherwise fine, Aaron relaxed and released his grip on the sword.

“Safe travels, everyone.”

With a simple nod in response to Earl Kumaran’s farewell, the Duke joined Aaron, and they walked towards the carriage.

***

The carriage driven by Aaron, without a coachman, arrived at the Ducal residence late at night. Having instructed not to wait for their return, all the servants at the Ducal residence were asleep, except for the patrolling knight. Aaron entered the mansion with the Duke.

The gathering had been a taxing time for Cassius. Throughout the meeting, it felt as if not only the aristocratic supremacists but also their predecessors and even the ghost of his deceased father tormented him.

The aristocratic supremacists openly expressed their desire to turn back the clock to a time when the nobility held overwhelming power. Although Cassius had somewhat expected this, it was not shocking. What surprised him more were the stories about the late Duke Aisar that they kept mentioning.

Since the late Duke was no longer alive, it was impossible to verify the truth, but some of the facts shared at the meeting were things only someone close to the late Duke would know. According to them, the late Duke seemed to have supported their views more deeply than Cassius had realized. This was completely different from the known history of his loyalty to the royal family and lack of ties with the supremacists.

Discovering an unknown side of his father was confusing, and the nobles at the meeting openly criticized Cassius to his face, accusing him of acting like a puppet of the current King. Such an attitude was expected, but some of the criticisms were eerily similar to things Cassius had heard from his father during his lifetime. It felt as if Aisar had come back to life to scold him.

Cassius felt he was still overshadowed by his father’s large presence. As he walked through the Ducal residence, lost in thought, the hallway appeared more gloomy and dark than usual due to the dim lighting set for the night.

Cassius felt a suffocating sense of being enveloped by the darkness of the Ducal residence, which had never let him go. It felt like a noose tightening around his neck. There were times when he felt like a prisoner bound to this place rather than the heir of the Duke’s family, and with each step, that thought became more intense.

With each step down the hallway, it felt like he was sinking into a black swamp. The pitch-black pressure creeping up from the mansion’s floor seemed ready to engulf him completely.

Cassius wanted to escape from that swamp and walked aimlessly, not knowing where he was heading.

“Duke?”

Startled by Aaron’s call, Cassius realized where he was. He had come to Elysia’s bedroom.

“I must have taken the wrong turn while lost in thought.”

Just as Cassius turned to head back to his room, a clatter and a scream came from inside Elysia’s room.

“Elysia!”

“Madam!”

Startled by the sounds from Elysia’s room, Cassius and Aaron shouted simultaneously and hurriedly opened the door. A worrying scene unfolded before their eyes.

The small tea table in the middle of the room was overturned, and Elysia was lying on the floor beside it. The window was slightly open, and the curtains fluttered in the breeze. Only a small lamp by the bed was lit, casting a very soft light in the room.

Cassius quickly supported the fallen Elysia and ordered Aaron.

“It seems there was an attack. Check outside and call the patrolling knight. Whoever it was, they couldn’t have gone far. Wake the butler.”

Aaron went out onto the balcony to check the surroundings, confirmed there was no movement, then came back inside and locked the window. He brightened the lights and surveyed the room before going to call the butler but hesitated.

‘A bottle of alcohol?’

Aaron noticed not only a bottle of alcohol he had just spotted beyond the overturned table but also a couple of other bottles and glasses scattered around. A basket next to the sofa still contained unopened bottles and leftover snacks. Sniffing the air, Aaron detected a strong smell of alcohol in the room.

Cassius, supporting Elysia’s upper body, gently shook her head. After confirming that she wasn’t seriously injured, Elysia’s eyes fluttered open, revealing her amethyst-like pupils.

“Duke…?”

“Are you conscious? Did you see who attacked you?”

Instead of answering, Elysia flailed and tried to stand. Cassius helped her up, steadying her swaying body.

“Duke, Madam is…”

Cassius, supporting Elysia, wondered why Aaron hadn’t quickly gone to call the knight, then took a good look around the now brighter room. Only then did the Duke realize the strong smell of alcohol coming from Elysia’s breath as she leaned against him.

Cassius suspected that Elysia had been drinking and overturned the table. Supporting this theory, her comfortable and thin nightgown was stained with alcohol. With a stern expression, Cassius guided the unsteady Elysia to her bed.

“It seems you overindulged. Since it’s late, I’ll have a maid clean up briefly. Let me help you to bed.”

As Cassius said this and moved, Elysia suddenly grabbed his head, pulling it close, and blew a breath into his ear. Cassius shivered involuntarily at the sensation.

Elysia murmured something into his ear, but her breath made it hard to understand. Cassius gently moved her head back and asked.

“I can’t hear you well. Could you say it again?”

As if on cue, Elysia suddenly pulled back, raised her hand, and pointed at the Duke, shouting loudly.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m going to drink more!”

Elysia’s rude and harsh tone made both Aaron and Cassius freeze in place. Drunkenly, Elysia started wagging her finger at the stunned Duke.

“You think just because you have a handsome face and you’re a Duke, that’s enough? You lack humanity, you know, humanity. Have you ever spoken a kind word, spent a cozy moment together? Just eating together doesn’t make everything happen automatically. I ate well at the Serenze household too!”

Both Cassius and Aaron reached out to the staggering Elysia simultaneously, but Elysia firmly pushed their hands away and continued her drunken rant.

“Do you need a wife, an aide for your affairs, or a butler to run the household? Your excessive courtesy is hard to digest! You have to call each other by name sweetly, share your thoughts comfortably to build affection. What’s the point of marriage if it’s like this? Just marry the butler. They’re already taking care of the house, so they’ll keep doing a good job.”