Chapter 14

The place where the lights stayed on the longest at the Conver Ducal House was the Duke’s study.  

Close to midnight, Bryce was listening to the aide’s report.  

“Most of Geiser’s leaders have been captured, and they are currently being investigated by the Capital Patrol. However, Nikolai has already disappeared.”  

“He’ll either hide for a while and then go to Grand Duke Fuchs, or he’ll come here. Let’s wait and see.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

The aide turned to the next page of the prepared report.  

It was only the second page of the thick report.  

“This time, it’s a report on Miss Astrid.”  

“Go on.”  

“As a result of the investigation, it was found that three members of Geiser were dispatched that day but never returned. It is speculated on Geiser’s side that they were taken down by Miss Astrid.”  

“A woman who can take down three of Geiser’s men alone?”  

Bryce’s blue eyes widened in surprise.  

It was hard to believe.  

The members of the dark guild were those who resorted to violence as easily as eating.  

She didn’t even have a strong build; rather, she appeared delicate.  

‘I completely misjudged her.’  

He had heard that she carried multiple weapons and personally helped Ray with sword training, but he didn’t expect this level of skill.  

To be able to subdue three armed members of the dark guild!  

‘If I were to face her, I’d be helpless too.’  

That must never happen. 

Bryce thought with a smirk, raising one corner of his mouth.  

The aide continued the report.  

“And the surprising fact is that the man who was at Miss Astrid’s cabin was Neil, the head of the information guild ‘Basler’.”  

“The head of Basler? Why would someone like that be with Miss Astrid?”  

Bryce’s thick eyebrows furrowed.  

Basler was an information guild he knew well.  

He had commissioned information from them several times.  

What was she?  

“That man Neil… he seemed quite close to Ray too. Why is Astrid close to someone like that? They didn’t seem like lovers.”  

“When Miss Astrid was working at the pharmacy, Neil’s parents took care of Ray.”  

“Oh, really?”  

Bryce nodded slowly.  

It made sense.  

It was nearly impossible for a working woman to raise a child alone.  

Surely, she needed help from those around her.  

“And Neil is said to be a regular customer at the pharmacy. He suffers from arthritis in his wrist and fingers, so he visits the pharmacy at least once a week.”  

“Arthritis…”  

Bryce recalled Neil’s face, marked by deep scars, and downed his whiskey.  

‘The head of an information guild and a pharmacist… If they are in a close relationship without being family or lovers…’  

What could be the tie that binds them so tightly?  

Bryce pondered deeply.  

Considering her excellent swordsmanship despite being a pharmacist… perhaps…  

“Is she a secret agent?”  

“Pardon?”  

The aide tilted his head at Bryce’s sudden words.  

But it didn’t take long for his small eyes to double in size.  

He spoke with an excited voice.  

“Oh, that’s quite possible! Should we investigate further?”  

“No, there’s no need. Even if we investigate, we won’t uncover it easily. She must be a secret agent of the capital’s top information guild. Her identity is likely wrapped up tightly in multiple layers. It’s a waste of time.”  

Bryce shook his head in response to the aide’s question.  

The report continued for a long time, and by the time it was over, it was past midnight.  

After the aide left, Bryce, alone in the study, filled his glass with whiskey and drank it all at once.  

Why suddenly?  

He suddenly wanted to see Ray’s face.  

He only saw him during breakfast, and there was hardly any chance to meet him at other times.  

He was so busy with various schedules that even two bodies wouldn’t be enough.  

Ray was also busy with his own schedules.  

‘It’s late, so he must be asleep.’  

He gave up on going to see his son and drank his whiskey.  

It was after Ray came that he often recalled memories of his family.  

Since that day seven years ago, Bryce had devoted every minute and second solely to restoring his family’s honor.  

He poured blood and sweat, ground flesh and bone.  

Ironically, the more he focused on the goal for his family, the less time he spent reminiscing about them.  

He lived forgetting everything.  

He forgot his father, who was falsely accused and unjustly executed; his mother, who sought refuge with Grand Duke Fuchs and was killed; and his wife, who went missing.  

He forgot his eldest brother and sister-in-law, who were pursued by a chase team and died from sword wounds; and his second brother, who hid with him, started a business under an alias, gathered people, did many things together, and eventually died from worsening illness.  

He lost everyone and survived alone.  

Recalling the separated family was distressing.  

Even reminiscing or mourning them seemed like a luxury to him.  

He thought he had to bear the burden of being the sole survivor.  

So he ran and ran until his body was broken.  

Thanks to that, he restored the family’s honor.  

But nothing changed much.  

He regained the name, but he was still alone.  

In fact, he didn’t even realize he was alone; he had always been alone like that.  

It was only after meeting Ray that he realized it.  

That he had always been alone.  

That he lived so buried in loneliness he couldn’t even feel lonely.  

Bryce didn’t know much about paternal love.  

It was still too much to feel infinite love or intense affection for a son who suddenly dropped from the sky one day.  

But the fact that he finally had family, that he was no longer alone, spread joy in one corner of Bryce’s heart.  

‘He must be asleep, but should I at least see him sleeping?’  

Bryce stood up abruptly and walked out of the study.  

He chuckled to himself at how unfamiliar this behavior was.  

A child who resembled him so closely that people clicked their tongues.  

Like a small replica of himself.  

It was endearing, but also awkward.  

Wouldn’t anyone feel awkward finding a face that resembles theirs somewhere other than a mirror?  

While thinking about this and that, Bryce reached near Ray’s room.  

Creak, Ray’s door opened, and a small figure cautiously walked out.  

Bryce watched the child’s actions, hiding in the shadows.  

Ray, who walked out quietly, opened the door directly opposite and slipped inside!  

It was Astrid’s room.  

He had received reports from the Head Maid that Ray seemed unaccustomed to sleeping alone.  

‘It seems he’s failed to sleep alone again tonight.’  

Pfft, a small laugh escaped.  

The child, who seemed so clever when he spoke.  

‘But still, a child is a child.’  

He felt somewhat relieved.  

It felt pitiful for a child to mature too early.  

A child should have a childlike charm.  

‘Astrid Vaughn.’  

For the past seven years, she had been Ray’s mother and father figure, Ray’s only family.  

They were the only two in the world, so their reliance on each other must have been deep.  

He had confirmed this with his own eyes from the first day he met them.  

‘I should be content with seeing a small shadow tonight.’  

Bryce brushed off the budding regret and turned towards his bedroom.  

* * *  

It was when she was tossing and turning, unable to sleep.  

Creak, the door opened, and someone came in.  

Footsteps that walked quietly, suppressing sound.  

A faint scent of soap.  

It was Ray.  

‘This rascal! I told him he needs to get used to sleeping alone!’  

She scolded the child inwardly, but she had no intention of sending him back out.  

In her sleep, she pretended to toss and turn, rolling her body to one side of the bed to make space for Ray.  

The small body slipped under the blanket.  

The child didn’t speak or snuggle up to her; he just lay still, falling asleep in a straight posture.  

The warm body heat touching one arm felt pleasant.  

Thanks to Ray’s body heat, she started to feel sleepy too.  

‘Thank you, little one.’  

She held Ray in her arms and drifted into a dream.