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Jafflin rubbed his eyes with the hand not holding the bundle of books. The scene remained the same. Blinking to refocus his vision did nothing to change what he saw.

“Just how…?”

Could a complete stranger resemble someone so closely? If it weren’t for the golden eyes, one could believe this was a young version of the Duke.

On closer inspection, the boy had a mole under his left eye. If it weren’t for that mole and the eye color, the boy would be an almost exact replica of Duke Roan. Though the child looked scrawny and shabby, there was definitely…

His bloodline… Could it be? Jafflin quickly dismissed the hypothesis that had flashed through his mind. He knew Duke Bannister’s background well. He was confident that the Duke would never have created a child in a situation similar to his own.

And… he had her now. What would she think if she saw this child?

“Nonsense.”

It must be a coincidence. With so many people in the world, there could surely be a few lookalikes.

‘But…’

It wouldn’t hurt to confirm. Otherwise, the nagging feeling might persist.

‘Let’s just confirm.’

Perhaps he was making too much of nothing.

Stopping his imagination from digging any deeper, Jafflin decided to abandon his plans to rest in the territory and returned to the palace. He selected his most trusted subordinate and ordered him to investigate the boy.

“Find out the origins of the golden-eyed boy selling flowers in the red-light district in front of the Clock Tower of Meetings. Especially focus on the father’s side.”

“Understood.”

Jafflin instructed him to relay any findings through his familiar.

Weeks passed, and there was no word from the subordinate, indicating he had yet to find anything. Jafflin, enjoying teaching Delis magic and making a conscious effort not to dwell on the boy, gradually forgot about the matter. Foolishly so.

During a lesson, a small bird tapped at the window of the Bannister estate, carrying news about the boy’s origins.

The familiar’s message was this:

［The mother was from the red-light district. Presumed deceased several years ago.］

This was expected. The boy seemed to have been working there from a young age, so it was likely his mother had been one of the women in the red-light district. The important part came next.

［The father is a high-ranking noble of the Empire. At least a marquis or higher.］

Jafflin was stunned. His head buzzed.

A noble of the Empire, and a high-ranking one at that. As much as he didn’t want to believe it, the chances of his familiar bringing false information were nearly zero.

In Astrid, high-ranking nobles with titles above marquis were few. There were only marquises and dukes since the grand ducal couple had passed away six years ago, leaving the grand ducal position vacant.

Counting all the marquises and dukes in the Empire barely exceeded ten.

And the boy resembled Duke Roan? Jafflin had to steady his mind, which threatened to unravel.

First, he needed to inform his student standing before him.

***

“…….”

“…….”

After Jafflin finished speaking, a heavy silence fell between us. What had I just heard?

The words he had shared swirled chaotically in my mind, refusing to settle.

“So…”

Trying to organize my thoughts, I began to speak, but my mind was still a jumble.

“So…”

Yes, the possibility that Roan’s bloodline existed in this world. The moment I grasped that fact, a voice from a distant memory resurfaced.

“Not your relatives. Your husband and his brother.”

“My husband is an only child.”

“That can’t be.”

The enigmatic words of the fortune-teller came back to me. I had dismissed it as nonsense, but could it be?

If everything Jafflin said was true…

“Who knows? There might be children I don’t even know about.”

The fleeting remark from Alexandra. Roan’s half-sibling. There was no guarantee it wasn’t true…

“There’s no guarantee.”

“Pardon?”

“We need to go to the Clock Tower of Meetings. Immediately.”

Nothing was certain yet. Only a strong possibility. We needed to go there to confirm it.

“…But how are we supposed to get there? Will the palace grant permission? I’m a married woman, and you’re not. Who would allow us to go alone…?”

I felt like I’d hit another wall, my shoulders slumping. Just then, Jafflin’s reassuring voice reached my ears.

“I have a solution.”

I quickly raised my head at his words.

“What? What is it?”

“The Magic Tower. If I use the excuse that I’m taking you there for necessary lessons, who would object? Conveniently, the Magic Tower is right near the Clock Tower of Meetings.”

Jafflin added that the Magic Tower could be useful sometimes.

“Oh!”

That made sense. Such an excuse might actually work. There was hope.

“Call me the great problem-solver from now on.”

For once, I didn’t feel the urge to hit Jafflin as he proudly puffed out his chest.

“I’ll handle the permissions.”

“Thank you, master.”

My gratitude was sincere. If it weren’t for Jafflin, I might never have imagined that Roan could have a half-sibling.

“…It’s nothing. But, are you alright with this?”

For once, Jafflin spoke to me in a cautious voice.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Jafflin’s eyes widened in apparent shock. He looked genuinely surprised by my response.

“…Duchess. Do you… Roan…?”

Jafflin seemed unable to finish his sentence.

“Don’t worry too much right now. There’s a chance that the outcome might be different from your worries. Even if it’s as you fear, Roan still cares for you…. Ah, even so, I know it will be confusing and hard….”

Worries? I felt a bit confused by Jafflin’s choice of words. Was he suggesting that Roan’s love for me might be challenged by the appearance of his blood relative? But Roan wouldn’t withdraw his affection just because a sibling showed up.

“I don’t know how to comfort you.”

Comfort me? Was it because of the potential existence of Roan’s sibling that I didn’t know about? If that was the case, it was Roan who deserved the comfort.

“I’m alright.”

Neither of us realized at that moment that we were deeply misunderstanding each other.

***

The next day, Jafflin obtained the necessary permissions from the palace. Along with this, news arrived that Roan had preemptively struck and repelled the combined forces of the Misban tribe and the Kingdom of Carlin in the first major battle. The citizens of the Astrid Empire rejoiced at the victory.

“So… he did it.”

He had sacrificed the hostages to protect his soldiers and the Empire.

No matter how many times it repeated, the horrors of war never seemed to lessen. I stared out the window.

The season had come when the leaves on the trees were fully green, yet there was a coldness around me. I whispered quietly.

“Roan.”

If I were there, I’d tell you that your choice was right, that it’s okay. But there’s no one beside Roan to say those words now.

‘Even David, who is usually close, can’t do more than follow orders in such tense times.’

In the constant tension of wartime, a loyal subordinate like him couldn’t afford to consider his superior’s feelings.

“I can’t let this continue.”

‘Before heading to the clock tower, I need to send a message.’

I decided to ask Jafflin for help with this. Since he was going to the clock tower with me, it shouldn’t be a problem.

***

“…….”

Why is he like this?

“You want to send a message to the Duke. As expected, you really….”

Since yesterday, Jafflin had been giving me such a sentimental look that I wanted to tell him to stop. Why does he keep doing this? Ignoring his pitiful gaze, I asked,

“So, how do I record the message?”

“Well, it’s quite simple.”

Jafflin cleared his throat as if regaining his composure and raised a stone he held to eye level.

“I’ve enchanted this stone to store image messages. You just need to say ‘Terassasha’ to start and end the recording. The limit is ten minutes, so keep that in mind.”

“Oh, that’s convenient.”

I was impressed by the simplicity and the long recording time. Jafflin handed me the stone and asked,

“Are you going to do it now?”

“Yes, right now.”

“Then I’ll come by tomorrow. We’ll be heading to the clock tower, so be prepared.”

“Understood.”

Holding the enchanted stone tightly, I thanked Jafflin and began to prepare my message.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories