This makes people into perverts.

“N-no it doesn’t?! I much prefer being called by my name!”

“Really? Then I’ll call you by name from now on. You call me by name too.”

Carl answered eagerly as if he had been waiting.

I, who had been fuming, flinched. I’m a proper count too, but is it okay to just call a duke by his name?

Noticing my hesitant expression, he spoke first.

“Or call me Carl like you’ve been doing. It’s like a nickname and nice.”

“……But aren’t nicknames what lovers call each other?”

At my timid objection, Carl narrowed his eyes. He crossed his arms with a displeased face and tilted his head sideways.

“What would you say if the tower master, head priest, or crown prince asked you to call them by a nickname.”

“Well…… I’d call them that?”

Since they’re male leads after all.

“Why won’t you do it for me.”

“You’re……”

To say he wasn’t a male lead…. Carl was also a male lead of the hidden route.

So it would be fine to call him by a nickname as he wanted, but……

‘It’s somehow embarrassing!’

When I hesitated and couldn’t answer properly, Carl let out a hollow laugh and ran his hand through his hair.

“Is it because I don’t have blond hair? Black hair won’t do?”

“N-no…… It’s absolutely not that!”

“Then just call me Carl.”

“What if other people say something.”

“Bring them to me. Since they dared to discourage you, I should scold them.”

At his unhesitating answer, I felt absurd but also secretly relieved.

I had a strange conviction that our relationship wouldn’t change even though he became a duke.

It felt like the sense of loss and emptiness I’d felt all this time evaporated at once.

The Truth Is Too Much

Central Temple.

Raviel stood in front of the High Priestess’s room with an expressionless face.

He had come to meet her after receiving an unwelcome summons, so his mood was not good at all, but as he knocked on the door and entered, he put on a painted-on smile.

“You called for me, High Priestess.”

“Raviel.”

Morphina slowly approached him. The next moment, her hand suddenly struck Raviel’s cheek fiercely.

Smack!

Raviel’s head snapped to one side.

“You truly have lost your mind. Have you forgotten that Celsior is our ally?”

She was reproaching him for taking Shailyn’s side during the heresy trial.

Raviel casually turned his head back to face forward and answered.

“A new duke has taken office, so we can no longer consider them our ally.”

Crack!

Morphina immediately struck his other cheek and turned cold with a stern expression.

“What did you do right to talk back like that.”

“……I’m sorry.”

When he obediently bowed his head this time, Morphina’s expression softened slightly.

She turned her body around and went to sit on the sofa, letting out a small sigh.

“Howard Dempsey. That bastard was foolish and stupid. He was an idiot full of greed who couldn’t see the big picture.”

That’s why she had deliberately attached Raviel to his side to monitor him, but in the end he fell like this, so it was of no use.

“When the great undertaking is right around the corner, why did he have to stir up Diart who had been staying quiet…… Tsk.”

Morphina clicked her tongue as if finding it pathetic and gestured toward Raviel.

Raviel approached closer and knelt down in front of her.

Morphina slowly stroked from his soft platinum hair down to his face with delicate features.

“You are my masterpiece.”

Purple eyes identical to Raviel’s flashed with a mysterious light.

“You are the fruit I obtained by pouring out my blood, effort, and devotion.”

Raviel did not deny her words and just listened silently.

In a way, it wasn’t wrong.

“Don’t forget, Raviel. The reason you were born. The reason you’re alive like this. Your purpose.”

Morphina gripped his cheek tightly and whispered as if brainwashing him.

“Before long, you will become the greatest being in this land. I will make you so.”

“……It’s an honor, Mother.”

When Raviel moved his lips with difficulty to answer, Morphina smiled with satisfaction and let him go.

The hidden son of a woman who was publicly unmarried, with no family or lover.

That was the true identity of Head Priest Raviel.

“My son, never disappoint me again from now on.”

“Yes, I understand.”

He bowed his head deeply toward his mother. Morphina looked down at her son with a strange smile as if looking at a well-trained animal.

After leaving her room and returning to his quarters, Raviel stared at himself reflected in the mirror with a dark expression.

His appearance could be said to resemble his biological mother and father half and half.

“D*mn……”

Bang!

Unable to bear the rising disgust, he struck the mirror with his fist.

Crack, the face reflected in the cracked glass fragments shattered and distorted like shards.

‘When the great undertaking approaches……’

Raviel bit his lips at the future he didn’t want to imagine and thought of Shailyn.

He hadn’t been able to meet her since the trial because he was watching Morphina’s mood.

‘I miss you. Are you longing for me like I am for you.’

Even after regaining his memories, seeing her act as if she had forgotten their past when they only had each other, he wasn’t confident whether Shailyn felt the same way.

But even so, Raviel wanted to hope.

‘Shailyn, we’ll end up together again. You must want that too.’

That he wouldn’t be the only one who wanted to keep their childhood promise.

That Shailyn would also eventually keep that promise.

Only that belief was barely sustaining Raviel now.

***

Shailyn and the ducal family of Diart formally accused the former duke and his daughter of false accusation.

Carl, who readily accepted this at the family level, formally visited the duke’s residence once again.

“I’m finally greeting you properly. I’m Kyllen Celsior.”

He, dressed neatly in formal attire today as well, bowed his head politely.

The ducal family who had gathered to greet him awkwardly received his greeting.

“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you, Duke. I never dreamed you would be the young lord of Celsior.”

“I’m sorry. Due to unavoidable circumstances, I had no choice but to hide my identity.”

“Not at all, I roughly understand your feelings too. You must have had the hardest time. And since you helped our Shailyn in various ways, I’m just grateful.”

Lord Diart affectionately patted Carl’s shoulder. Carl flinched and answered in a slightly subdued voice.

“……Thank you for saying that.”

I felt grateful for no reason and smiled slightly while standing next to Carl, when Deborah, who had been quietly watching us, suddenly asked.

“You didn’t know either, right, sister?”

“Yeah, I found out during the trial too.”

“That’s a relief. Then there’s no possibility you two were in that kind of relationship behind our backs.”

“……Huh?”

What, what, what is she saying!

When I was just blinking rapidly in confusion, Carl leisurely turned his head toward Deborah and dropped a bombshell statement.

“Of course it was like that when I was a bondservant, but now it’s unknown.”

“……?!”

At the feeling of my cheeks burning, I turned my head while fanning myself with my hand.

While Deborah glared at Carl with a sharp expression, Dain, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly stepped forward.

“Wait, I can’t just let that statement pass. Duke, what exactly is your relationship with my sister?”

“I can’t tell you yet.”

“Why not?”

“Since no one knows how the future will turn out, is there a need to hastily make definitive statements already.”

“Hmm, that’s a good point.”

Dain crossed his arms and nodded, muttering quietly.

“My goodness, I suddenly feel sorry for Linus……”

I was so focused on what Carl had said that I kept glancing at him.

What kind of relationship he wants to have with me in the future…… does that mean he’s prepared to confess?

I became newly curious about just how much he liked me.

So that’s why they said I could check favorability as a reward.

“Could you tell us how far you’ve investigated this matter within Celsior?”

Lord Diart, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, carefully asked.

“They’re playing dumb for now. They say they don’t know anything about the magical tool explosion incident.”

Carl let out a low sigh. Seeing how the former duke and his daughter were holding out quite stubbornly, he looked quite tired.

“They don’t seem like they’ll open their mouths easily, so the fight might last longer than expected.”

At those words, I exchanged glances with Deborah briefly, then smiled wickedly and raised my hand.

“Then, how about trying it my way?”