When she offered help, the usual Lucas might have smiled and said, “I’m fine, thank you,” thinking she felt sorry for him.

But given the situation, this wasn’t the case.

On the surface, he seemed to oppose it dryly, but Lucas, who had known this man for a long time, could see that it wasn’t just dry opposition. It was a barely concealed, desperate anxiety.

So, even a single word made him think deeply.

‘He said it’s different? So, what if it’s not? If he puts in the effort, what could happen?’

What could possibly happen….

She was a unique woman in many ways.

The owner of a Guardian Spirit that succeeded in a new covenant after 500 years, and no one knew exactly what its attributes were.

It was natural to assume she had some special abilities.

‘The Recovery Wolf… right?’

Recovery… recovery! Isn’t that significant!

Recovery must be something good, no matter what.

“I need it! Help me!”

Anything would do. If the Duchess had any method to help, he was willing to try it.

He had resigned himself to living without any hope, but if there was a way to improve his situation, he should definitely take it.

There was no time to be picky.

“Ha….”

Seeing Constantine’s annoyed sigh and glare, Lucas was even more convinced.

Whatever it was, there was definitely a method, and it was with the Duchess!

“Madam! Please help me!”

He was willing to kneel if necessary.

“That strange rumor! You know it’s not because of me, right?”

He didn’t want to say he was called a ‘pervert.’ Why should he bear this shame because of that d*mn Guardian Spirit?

“Um….”

The Duchess seemed taken aback, probably having heard the rumors. What kind of strange rumors had she heard to react like that!?

“Whatever you’ve heard, it’s all distorted! It’s all because of Erenhorn!”

“Um….”

The more he defended himself, the more pitiful he sounded, but if she felt sorry for him and decided to help, he could be even more pitiful.

He was thoroughly tired of this situation.

It was bearable when he thought he wasn’t the only one struggling with this wretched duty, but now that he felt he was the only one, it was unbearable.

It was pointless to criticize his character. He couldn’t help feeling this way!

“Are you happy, Madam? I want to meet a good wife and live a happy life…. Please help me.”

The Duchess’s eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes filled with empathy.

Got it…! She’s almost convinced!

“The Duke has been struggling too….”

The Duke has been struggling too! She definitely understands our situation!

“Yes…. Just like Kramer, I….”

It’s hard… sniff. Lucas bowed his head.

If only he could cry, but he couldn’t even manage a single tear, no matter how hard he tried.

“Ha, what are you trying to do?”

Comparing their miseries was the most foolish thing, but even so, they shouldn’t be compared, Constantine thought.

At least this guy had no obstacles in his family life. He hadn’t thought it was impossible to live with someone for life.

‘It’s just that there’s an obstacle when living together….’

Constantine couldn’t understand why he couldn’t control his Guardian Spirit, even though it wasn’t as bad as Caligo.

Why couldn’t he just deactivate the manifestation and have a relationship?

That would be a disaster, as he would have to share every scene with his Guardian Spirit and even hear its commentary in his head.

But Constantine thought it was none of his business.

It had taken five years of research. Only recently had it started to bear fruit—allowing them more private time…!

The thought of Saena having to return to the lab because of this d*mn Guardian Spirit made him incredibly frustrated.

“Um… I can’t guarantee success.”

“Try anything. I’ll do anything to compensate you, within my means!”

It was the Duchess after all! Lucas’s eyes sparkled, almost popping out of his head.

“Ha, Saena….”

Despite Duke Kramer’s exasperated look, Lucas, with his grateful eyes, looked at the Duchess and then became curious.

“But what will you do?”

Anything that could improve his situation was fine, but he was curious.

“Before I tell you, there’s something you need to know.”

“What is it?”

“To help you, I need to know everything about the Aberdeen family’s succession process. Are you okay with that?”

“The succession process?”

“Not just that, but how you control Erenhorn… and how you use your power. If it’s impossible, then….”

It might not help, she seemed to imply.

What had the Duke done to require such detailed information?

With a slight doubt, he looked at the Duchess, who added,

“It involves controlling the Guardian Spirit from the outside, so I need to know about the nature and method of your power.”

“The Guardian Spirit… from the outside?!”

How?

Lucas looked at the Duchess with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Did she realize how astonishing her statement was?

“The Guardian Spirit’s power is deeply connected to the ancient language, Arlesian. You know I can speak Arlesian, right?”

“Ah, yes. That’s common knowledge. You even turned the academic world upside down….”

Saena, embarrassed, paused briefly before continuing.

“This… it seems that the external control method was deliberately not used to pass on the power through bloodlines. In the early days of the empire, everyone used Arlesian, so they must have known about this method but chose not to use it.”

“Ah….”

“There are risks involved, such as losing or diminishing the power, and there might be some drawbacks.”

I understand what you mean. But any drawbacks compared to now…

To Lucas, who felt the burden of his duties far outweighed the benefits of his power, anything that could balance this would be welcome.

“Will you spread this information or tell others?”

“Of course not….”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll tell you everything. Just help me get married.”

His side felt so cold.

Seeing the Duke living a happy life made it even colder.

Even that cold-blooded man can live a happy life with his wife and children…! Until when will I have to hold my cold, lonely side in my own arms?

How did the previous Dukes of Aberdeen manage to get married, live with their wives, and have children? I can’t understand at all! Erenhorn would have seen everything!

If he deactivated the manifestation….

‘D*mn…. ’

Just thinking about it made him curse.

Lucas’s nerves were so sensitive that he couldn’t share his vision or senses with Erenhorn while being intimate with someone.

He had never told anyone this, but he envied the Marquises the most.

In the central political scene, where Dukes were absent (or too busy to be there), Marquises had the most influence. They had no subjugation duties and a high status! What good was being a Duke if this was the case!

Unlike Duke Kramer, Duke Aberdeen loved life in the Imperial Capital.

Social gatherings, tea parties, balls, evening events, exhibitions, and hobbies. Living a refined life of leisure was his dream, but it was impossible with no time to spare.

“Um, um… I understand.”

His dream of a refined life was still far away, but if the Duchess could help him find love, that would be enough.

“Thank you, Madam! I’ll do anything to repay this favor!”

Lucas, about to grasp the Duchess’s hands in gratitude, was immediately repelled by Constantine’s defense.

Still, it was good. Hope is a wonderful thing…! It could withstand even the cold-blooded Duke’s impenetrable wall.

“Then, we’ll finalize the details and schedule later.”

“Yes! I’ll come running whenever you call, Madam!”

“Ha….”

With that, Lucas, having completely disrupted Constantine’s attire, left gracefully.

Naturally, Constantine gritted his teeth as he watched Lucas’s departing back.

* * *

“Saena, it wasn’t necessary….”

When Saena entered the bedroom after washing up, Constantine spoke. His tone was slightly pouting, indicating his displeasure.

“It took five years to create this, and you have no idea how long it will take for him.”

Constantine looked at the longsword leaning against the bedside table.

It was his beloved sword, the Black Sword, but unlike before, it now had slots for gems embedded in the hilt.

A large black diamond was set in one of these slots, its surface densely inscribed with Arlesian, the ancient language, in such fine detail that it was almost illegible.

This was the culmination of Saena and Yuri’s research. The core of Caligo’s external control.

The research on separating the Guardian Spirit was different from the poison-detecting gem she had gifted to Kirsten.

For the poison detection, she only needed to contain Saena’s attribute within the gem for it to function.

Of course, making it detect poisons in the vicinity required additional enchantments, but it was still within the realm of manageable effort.

However, containing and controlling Caligo’s power within a gem was entirely dependent on the interpretation and application of Arlesian.

Arlesian was a sophisticated language with inherent commands, making it difficult to use.

The ancient Kramer family didn’t know the meaning or the reason behind the inscriptions they made during the succession process.

They simply followed the method passed down through generations without understanding the content.

Moving Caligo’s control to the outside meant transferring everything outside.

This required a preliminary step of thoroughly understanding the meaning, function, and effects of the inscriptions on Constantine’s body.

The more they understood, the more complex it became.

The ingenuity of the ancient people who used this language in daily life was astounding, given the intricate nature of the inscriptions.

The inscriptions included bloodline-based succession restrictions, physical control of Caligo, and control based on the Covenant, each with its own unique characteristics.

Additionally, the inscriptions were interconnected based on the location on the body, adding to the complexity.

Years were spent just to understand the functions of the inscriptions.

When they deciphered the symmetrical and mirror grammars of the inscriptions, they only understood the superficial meanings of the characters.

This time, they had to delve into the detailed functions, uses, and benefits, leaving no room for error.

“Well, we have a lot of research results built up, so it won’t take that long. This is the first time, so it took longer….”

“Still, the nature of the power is different, so you’ll need to start the research from scratch on that part.”

Surprisingly, Constantine, who had been closely involved in the research, hit the core of the issue.

“True, but… it’s not worth dying over.”

Controlling Caligo was a matter close to Saena’s heart, so she had put a lot of effort into it.

“Also, a few methods came to mind while listening to him, so I decided to try.”

“Ha, still….”

“Most importantly….”

Saena smiled softly and approached Constantine.

“I thought of you.”

“…Thought of me?”

At that point, his eyes asked why she would think of him.

“The time when you kept me at a distance because of Caligo and struggled….”