Chapter 29

“How do you feel, Father, Mother.”

And each time, he would go to the family grave and let out a hollow laugh.

He had deliberately placed the two of them in the same coffin.

Since living together had been hell, he wanted them to be together in hell even after death. Locked in that cramped coffin, unable to escape from each other.

“The filthy one you both despised is the one cleaning up after you.”

Saying that, pouring liquor over the neglected grave was the only pleasure in his life.

“You really lived disgustingly, didn’t you.”

Finishing with a spit on the grave was enough for him.

He had become more familiar with shadow than light, and found it more comfortable to swim through the darkness running an information guild in the dirty back alleys than to control the social circles beneath the dazzling chandeliers…

In that ongoing life, a peculiar piece of information landed in his lap.

“Contraceptive?”

“Yes. She’s looking for a patron.”

“…….”

“Since you sponsor every artist, scholar, and technician possible, Your Grace, I thought you might be interested.”

After changing out his staff, only those loyal to him remained.

One of them brought the new information.

“There have been people researching contraceptives before.”

“Yes, but their results are poor or fail too often, so there’s little progress.”

“I’m curious to see how far this one goes.”

Aston decided to sponsor her on a whim.

But when he stamped the sponsorship papers, a voice he thought he’d forgotten echoed in his mind.

‘You shouldn’t have been born.’

‘Why are you alive, suffering like this?’

At least with that medicine, there’d be fewer children growing up hearing those words.

That was about the extent of his interest.

* * *

“There’s progress?”

His curiosity grew a little more a while later.

Surprisingly, there was progress in the research.

“What was her name again?”

“Erin Leshamur. She was top of her class at the Academy’s alchemy department.”

Erin Leshamur.

Ash became more interested in her reports than anyone else. Sometimes he’d hear about her chaotic laboratory.

Beakers covered in mold, a crumbling room stuffed with them, and the floor littered with materials bought with his sponsorship funds.

“She’s making progress even in such conditions.”

“Most of the funds you provide go to buying materials and researching the new medicine.”

“Hmm.”

That was when he started tightening deadlines and pressuring her for results.

He wondered just how far she could go.

How far she could push a project others had abandoned.

He sometimes demanded a report by the next day, or cut her funding when results were lacking.

Yet Erin never gave up. She seemed to have real confidence in her research.

But as her workload increased, she said she’d hire an assistant.

Around then, Aston volunteered at Erin’s lab.

“Will you be alright?”

“Well. It’ll be a decent diversion.”

“…….”

“I’ll keep up my duties as Duke, and as head of the information guild, and businessman.”

“I expected nothing less.”

“I need at least one pleasure in life, after all.”

Even as he said it, he knew it was just empty words. He’d simply been struck by a rare whim.

“You’re… Mr. Ash Hamilton?”

And not long after meeting Erin as Ash, Aston regretted his decision.

‘Let my guard down.’

The hood he always wore, even to his interview with Erin, was old and the lab was damp and poorly ventilated, making it t*rture.

So he took it off for a moment…

“Oh? Mr. Ash? You came in early… huh.”

Erin entered without knocking.

Ash instantly became tense.

She might react to his eyes and hair, just like people from the Dukedom always did. His loyal attendants never showed anything, but…

But Erin’s expression blew away all his tension like dandelion seeds.

“Wow.”

She gasped in awe before quickly closing her mouth.

Her face was so honest. He could see the admiration and words she couldn’t say written in her eyes.

‘That’s the look of someone who thinks I’m beautiful.’

He’d never seen that expression before—it was refreshing.

Since becoming an adult, most people who saw his red eyes gasped and trembled, or, even if they admired his beauty, did so with reluctance.

Usually, when his face was revealed, it meant trouble for the other person, so it was even more so.

But this woman, not knowing who he really was, just smiled at his face.

She even said…

“Why do you always hide your face?”

“…Excuse me?”

“You’re so pretty.”

“…….”

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to judge, it’s just… you’re really beautiful!”

Her words were so clumsy, she seemed hopelessly naïve.

‘I thought she’d be tough since she kept at her experiments, but…’

She didn’t seem like a difficult person. Her round, soft appearance said as much.

‘A silly woman who’s easily charmed by pretty things.’

Ash smiled kindly.

“…Should I say thank you?”

“No, I didn’t mean it as a compliment…”

“And please, just call me Ash.”

“Ah, o-okay!”

“You can speak comfortably, too.”

“…Alright, Ash!”

And when she called his name, his throat tightened.

* * *

It was unintentional, but taking care of Erin turned out to be more enjoyable than expected.

“Doctor, you shouldn’t sleep here.”

“Mm…”

Erin really needed a lot of looking after.

She was definitely well past adulthood, but sometimes came to work with her buttons done wrong, ate at odd times, and never slept properly at home, just flopped down in the lab.

When Ash woke her, she would nuzzle his hand like a puppy, or hug his arm in her sleep…

At first, he just thought it was cute.

“Don’t be picky, eat this.”

“Mm…”

“Eat this too.”

“You’re the only one who takes care of me, Ash.”

He found himself making her meals every day, watching her nibble, and gazing at her as she worked with sparkling eyes.

“Ash! Ash! Look! The color of the potion just…”

“Looks like it’s about to explode?”

“What?! Ah!”

She was often clumsy, and if a bug appeared in the old lab, she’d cling to him, scared.

‘Annoying but fun woman.’

But Ash knew—at some point, caring for her stopped being annoying.

In fact, when Erin managed her meals or remembered her tasks herself, he almost felt disappointed he hadn’t helped.

Time passed in a blur.

One day, Erin gave him a present.

A small cupcake with cream and a candle.

It was from her favorite bakery, a rare, expensive limited edition.

“Thank you so much, Ash.”

“…What’s this?”

“I realized today marks exactly one year since you came.”

She was usually so scatterbrained, yet…

“It would’ve been much harder without you. I always worked alone before.”

“……”

“I’m so glad you’re here, Ash.”

“…Doctor.”

“Thank you for coming to me.”

She said things like that so easily.

It was the first time he’d received something as Ash, not Aston Clebania. The first time he got something in return for all the care he’d given.

It made a gentle ripple in Ash’s heart.

Maybe it started then.

Caring for Erin became his most important daily routine.

Sometimes, it mattered more than his duties as Duke, or running the information guild.

By then, even Erin’s research results weren’t the most important thing.

To him, Erin had become a precious person. No longer someone to observe out of curiosity or interest.

Whether she succeeded or failed in her research, Ash had no intention of letting her go.

‘I have to keep her.’

Researchers move on after finishing their work, sometimes even leaving the country.

Ash, knowing that, wanted to give her a lifetime position so she’d never leave.

She could quit her contraceptive research and spend her life doing whatever she wanted, as long as she stayed by his side.

“I know how hard you’ve worked. The Duke even promised to pay you well for all your effort…”

“You never know. It’s not just anyone, but Duke Aston Clebania who’s paying you. He might give you enough to live a life of leisure forever.”

“Or maybe he’ll offer you a permanent research position at the Clebania Duchy’s lab, or even hire you personally.”