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“Yes, come in. The door isn’t locked.”

Jafflin opened the door with a click of the handle and stepped in. He glanced around the room and spoke playfully.

“Sorry, were you two fighting?”

“Haha, no.”

I exchanged a look with Jude, who didn’t deny it either.

“Good, that’s a relief. I have urgent news.”

“What is it?”

“A victory has been declared. The allied forces have been completely defeated. The imperial army is returning.”

What? So Roan is coming back now?

“So Roan is…?”

If Roan arrives first…

I knew things wouldn’t go well if he found out I left with Jafflin without informing him.

“Yes. It seems they’re returning earlier than expected. We should prepare to leave quickly as well. Are you feeling tired?”

“Not really… Jude, how about you?”

“…I’m fine.”

“In that case, we should bathe the child and get him changed before we go.”

“That sounds good. Jude, do you want me to help you with the bath?”

Jude’s face suddenly turned bright red as if a switch had been flipped.

“No, thanks! I can bathe myself.”

“If water gets into your wounds, it could get worse. So…”

“I’ll bathe him.”

Jafflin interrupted the conversation. He shook his head at me.

“My Lady, I also think it would be best if you didn’t bathe him.”

“…Alright, that seems better.”

Jude looked a bit resigned. It hurt a little to see him so adamantly refuse my help.

They say spoiling children doesn’t do any good…

Feeling a sudden wave of resignation, I spoke with a gloomy expression.

“Alright then…”

***

After getting ready, we headed straight to the Duke’s mansion. I kept stealing glances at Jude, who sat across from me. He had been staring out the window at the changing scenery the entire time.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous myself. How would Roan react to finding out about his brother? I felt a mix of worry and anticipation.

Jafflin seemed troubled by his own thoughts as well. He was gazing out the opposite window in silence.

To break the tension, I clapped my hands once and smiled.

“Let’s not worry too much, everyone.”

Both Jafflin and Jude turned their gazes towards me.

“……?”

Why are they looking at me like I’m some sort of pitiful creature? Especially Jafflin, not Jude. Lately, Jafflin often looked at me as if I were a war orphan.

I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. With a sense of discomfort, the carriage continued towards the mansion.

Finally, we arrived.

“…….”

Even Jude, who usually seemed indifferent, looked stunned by the size of the Duke’s mansion. It was the wealthiest family in the country, after all.

Although I didn’t feel like the wealth was mine, having fully adapted to this world, I thought it was rather modest. The incident at the Belcosta Bank was still fresh in my memory. It had been quite a shock.

For some reason, the servants were outside, waiting to greet us. Ah, Jude. Time to explain Jude again. Jafflin and I stepped out of the carriage.

Jude was still inside. His hands were tightly clenched as he stood by the door. Strong as he seemed, he was still a child. I extended my hand to the hesitant Jude.

“Jude, take my hand.”

Jude’s fist slowly uncurled. His cold, slender fingers lightly touched mine. I gripped his hand firmly.

Jude finally stepped out. The servants’ reactions were strange. They were clearly surprised by his appearance but didn’t say anything. It was then that the maid who had seen Jude at the inn approached and whispered to me.

‘It seemed best to let everyone know in advance… Her Ladyship instructed us to inform the mansion immediately.’

I quietly gave her a thumbs up. Just then, the butler, Victor, approached us. He glanced at our joined hands before greeting us.

“Ma… My Lady. Ahem. Welcome back.”

I was slightly taken aback. Victor’s eyes were a bit red.

“…Butler, have you been crying?”

“Oh, no… Just getting sentimental in my old age… Thinking about you, My Lady…”

His voice choked up, and he couldn’t continue.

“You… cried thinking about me…?”

I heard the sniffles of a few maids behind Victor. There were murmurs of “Poor Duchess…” and something about “How could the Duke…”

Even the usually composed Ellen was looking at me with a similar expression. Beside me, Jafflin had the same look on his face.

Is it really something to be so pitiful about…? I wanted to ask, but the servants’ expressions were so genuinely sorrowful that I found it difficult to say anything.

“Everyone… what’s wrong? I’m fine. There’s nothing to be upset about, is there?”

What is it that could be so upsetting? I wondered if I still didn’t understand the intricacies of noble society.

Once the servants had calmed down a bit, I spoke up.

“First, everyone calm down… So, you all know who this child is, right?”

I whispered to Jude.

“Jude, can you introduce yourself?”

Jude gave a barely perceptible nod and faced the servants.

He spoke briefly.

“I’m Jude.”

I wanted to applaud him for just standing there and introducing himself. The servants seemed uncertain and hesitant.

Ellen asked cautiously.

“My Lady, where should we take him…?”

“Give him an empty room for now. I need to wash up. I didn’t get a chance before coming, and I feel a bit grimy.”

“Yes. Also… the Duke is expected to arrive soon.”

Ellen’s voice wavered slightly, but I was too pleased about seeing Roan soon to notice.

“Oh, really? He’ll be here today?”

“…Yes, it seems so.”

“Then I’d better hurry and freshen up. Master.”

I turned to Jafflin.

“Are you heading back to the palace now?”

“No, I’ll wait here for a while. I have something to discuss with Duke Roan.”

His serious tone suggested it was something important. I nodded in understanding.

“Ah, I see. Then, could you stay with Jude for a bit?”

“…Yes, I was planning to.”

Jude and Jafflin followed a maid who would show them to a room.

***

‘I hope we reach the mansion soon.’

That Roan’s my constant thought after defeating the allied forces. However, one thing weighed on his mind—the internal movements within the empire. David had mentioned signs of connections with the allied forces within the empire.

They tried to catch them, but they cut their tails off and disappeared like ghosts.

They knew who they were and had strong suspicions, but no concrete evidence. It was always a stumbling block. They couldn’t move recklessly without solid proof.

“Long live the Imperial Army! Long live Bannister!”

The cheers of the people echoed through the castle. Flower petals scattered, and flags fluttered vigorously in the wind. Standing amidst the cheers, DukeBannister had only one thought.

Since seeing the image in the stone, he couldn’t stop thinking about his wife. He missed her radiant face. He wanted to embrace her fragile body and kiss her.

But Delis often felt awkward with even the slightest touch. It was a concern for him, too. He didn’t know how to treat her properly yet.

He felt like she might break if he held her too tightly or fall apart if he handled her wrong. From a young age, he had been more skilled at destroying things than protecting them. He had never wanted anything for himself before.

However, contrary to his expectations, the first person to greet him wasn’t Delis.

“…Why are you here?”

Jafflin stood silently, a look of disapproval evident on Roan’s face.

Roan sensed something unusual in Jafflin’s demeanor. The atmosphere in the mansion felt strangely subdued.

Could it be that they had already made their move? Roan’s gaze sharpened.

“Has something happened to Delis?”

Though he thought it unlikely, the butler’s earlier subdued tone added to his anxiety.

“Something has happened. Something significant.”

Jafflin’s laugh was short and cryptic, making it hard to tell if he was mocking or simply stating a fact.

“…Are you joking with me right now?”

Roan’s brow furrowed. Jafflin, observing him, murmured with a hint of surprise.

“…You really do look alike.”

“I asked what the matter was.”

Roan’s tone indicated his growing impatience.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

As Jafflin finished speaking, the sound of light footsteps echoed down the stairs. Roan turned his head instinctively, and his expression froze. His cold, steely eyes wavered.

“Do you recognize him?”

The only one not moving was Jude, who stood on the stairs, staring back at someone who looked shockingly like him with wide, astonished golden eyes.

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