Epilogue (Part 10)

Anthus’s dissatisfaction grew with Cloud’s words. He already had a lot to do, so coming to the palace was a big complaint.

In his mind, he pictured his lovely and beautiful Noelis and his beloved Yuliana beckoning him. Of course, he also wanted to see Michael and Javelos.

He only wanted to return to the residence quickly.

“Now, the next agenda will be presented by Duke Rockbellion.”

When Cloud pointed at him, Anthus stood up with a disgruntled face.

“I have no agenda.”

“No agenda?”

“None at all. It’s very peaceful.”

“Didn’t you say last time that the crazy fanatics from the Holy Kingdom were attacking like bandits?”

“I already told you last time that it was resolved, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, right. I must have forgotten.”

Anthus felt a burning anger at Cloud’s shameless words.

But he had to endure it. Yuliana said that no matter how much he disliked it, he should respect the fact that Cloud was the emperor.

However…

“Let’s adjourn the meeting.”

As the meeting ended, Anthus’s face visibly brightened. But his expression soon faded.

“Everyone may leave, but please stay for a moment, Duke Rockbellion.”

“What? What do you mean? Lia is waiting for me at the residence.”

Noelis too.

“I don’t know what it’s about, but it would be great if you could convey it in a letter, Your Majesty Emperor Cloud. And it would be even better if you could exclude me from the meetings.”

“That’s a difficult thing for me, so I can’t do that, Yan.”

As the nobles quickly left the meeting room, Cloud called Anthus by his nickname.

“What is the reason for keeping me?”

“Do you really not know?”

“No, I don’t.”

Cloud crossed his arms and closed his eyes with a serious expression. Anthus started shaking his leg out of rising irritation.

“Today, Moca asked Ian to run an errand.”

“Her Majesty the Empress?”

“That errand involves meeting Duchess Rockbellion…”

Anthus stopped shaking his leg.

“Could you explain in a way that makes sense?”

“Ian went on an errand.”

If there were the darkest people in the world, the first would be Cloud, and the second would be Ian, who resembled Cloud.

Ian called Noelis his fiancée when he saw her as a newborn. People also assumed Noelis was Ian’s fiancée. No matter how much the Rockbellion family corrected it, saying it wasn’t an engagement, it was no use.

That’s why Ian visited the residence too often. And at this moment, Anthus was sure Ian was at the Rockbellion residence.

Ian, who is as dark as he is, might coax Noelis in unknown ways.

“My daughter will become the head of the Rockbellion family. I will never send her to marry into the imperial family.”

“Huh? Lady Noelis will become the head of the Rockbellion family? Well, it’s fine even if she becomes the head.”

Seeing Cloud’s face filled with ulterior motives, Anthus stood up.

“There’s no need to marry her into the imperial family.”

“Really?”

Cloud isn’t the type to give up quickly.

Anthus felt uneasy.

“Of course. Yan… After raising my daughter Daisy, I understand how you feel. That feeling of not wanting to be apart from your daughter.”

After Noelis was born, a beautiful imperial princess, ‘Daisy,’ was born between Monica and Cloud. If Anthus was fool, Cloud became a recognized daughter fool.

Such daughter fools and daughter idiots often disrupted noble meetings with excessive praise about their daughters.

<I’ll give our Noel something bigger.>

<That’s too petty.>

The ones who suffered from the fights of these fathers fools about their daughters were the people below them. Fortunately, thanks to Empress Monica and Yuliana, the fight was settled for the time being, but for a while, the two men continued to buy toys, making it difficult to handle.

“Anyway, Moca said Ian left something for an errand.”

“If you give it to me, I’ll deliver it instead.”

Cloud smiled and handed Anthus an envelope.

“Yan.”

“Yes.”

“I truly swear on my family name that it’s okay if Lady Noelis doesn’t marry into the imperial family.”

Anthus frowned. Cloud wasn’t acting like himself today. But since a royal was swearing on his family name, it couldn’t be a lie.

“Understood.”

“So as adults, let’s ensure Crown Prince Ian and Lady Noelis maintain a beautiful friendship.”

“Understood.”

Anthus was suspicious of Cloud, who was speaking so innocently. But he had nothing to say in response. His smile was too suspicious.

“Don’t hate our Ian too much.”

“I don’t hate him.”

Anthus raised his chin arrogantly and stood up, taking the letter Cloud handed him.

As Anthus left the palace at full speed, leaving Cloud’s suspicious smile behind, it happened.

“Duke Rockbellion.”

Anthus stopped walking.

He turned his gaze to the unfamiliar voice calling him. It was Matthias.

“Father-in-law.”

If it were someone else, he would have ignored them and run to the ducal residence, but Matthias was the biological father of the woman he loved. He was someone he absolutely couldn’t ignore.

“When we’re alone, please feel free to call me son-in-law.”

“Hmm, son-in-law.”

“Yes, Father-in-law.”

“I have a concern, and I was wondering if you have time?”

“I’m a bit busy… So it might be a bit difficult.”

Thinking of Yuliana and Noelis waiting for him at the residence, Anthus declined Matthias’s invitation.

“Is that so? Oh… I didn’t expect to be refused by my son-in-law after coming all the way to the palace. Haha.”

Matthias spoke with a very complex face and a dispirited voice, then let out a long sigh. Anthus swallowed his saliva.

“I know you’re busy, son-in-law. I’m sorry for holding you up. Next time, I’ll send a letter like others, set up an appointment, and request a conversation. Then, goodbye.”

Matthias turned away weakly.

“Today, I miss Lia. Oh.”

His sigh-laden words hit Anthus’s ears precisely.

“Father-in-law, now that I think about it, I can postpone my busy work.”

Anthus forced a smile and began to appease Matthias, who had turned his back.

“Is it really okay, Son-in-law?”

“Nothing is more important than you, Father-in-law. Haha.”

Matthias laughed heartily. And he recalled the conversation with Cloud.

<Don’t you want to get back at Duke Anthus for the times he tormented you?>

<What’s the point of revenge? All fathers with daughters go through it, Your Majesty.>

<Exactly. Don’t you want to return it as it is?>

<I’ve decided on Noelis as Ian’s match… But Duke Anthus’s interference is severe.>

He knew well that Ian liked his granddaughter Noelis from a young age.

Matthias thought of Ian. Unlike Anthus, Ian was pure.

He genuinely and purely expressed his feelings, saying Noelis was so lovely and wonderful.

Matthias strongly sympathized with Cloud’s concerns. Anthus was capable of such things.

Anthus was someone who lived with a sense of self-importance.

Honestly, since he was living well with his lovely daughter Yuliana, he turned a blind eye, but he never forgot the wounds Anthus inflicted on him before marrying Yuliana.

In Matthias’s mind, memories of Anthus blocking all marriage proposals while taking Yuliana around, staying out brazenly, and shocking Louis and himself with a premarital pregnancy surfaced.

<He’s my son-in-law, but he’s really disrespectful. I’ll apologize on his behalf, Your Majesty.>

Matthias’s lips curled into a wide smile. The thought of Anthus being twice as tormented as he was made the 20-year-old congestion disappear.

Thanks to that, Anthus returned to the ducal residence late in the evening, sighed deeply after hearing Michael’s story.

And Anthus vowed. To somehow make Noelis the head of the Rockbellion family.

“I will definitely raise our Noel to be the head of the Rockbellion family.”

As Anthus wished, Noelis became the next young master of the Rockbellion family. But something Anthus didn’t anticipate happened.

Ian gave up the position of Crown Prince.

Ian transferred the right of succession to his younger sister Daisy. As soon as he heard the news, Anthus felt goosebumps all over and couldn’t shake off the unease.

‘No way? Did he give up the position of Crown Prince because he wants to marry Noelis?’

As time passed, Ian marrying Noelis, who became the head of the Rockbellion family, was a near-future event.

Moreover, when Noelis proposed to Ian first, Anthus was bedridden for several days.

Matthias, who visited the sick Anthus, said,

“I’ve said this before, son-in-law. A father with a daughter is the strongest in the world, but also the one who sheds the most tears.”

『The Elegant Seduction of Duke Rockbellion』 The End