Chapter 43

Dian Ket's hometown is known to be the Northern Continent Union Church State. Considering various pieces of evidence, it's possible that Lu also comes from the same place.

While I was pondering this, we had already left the villa and mingled with the other evacuees. Volkwin, who was looking around, asked Lu cautiously.

"Madam, where is Gray? I can't see him outside."

"Gray? My husband is very ill. But don't worry, he's in a safe place."

"Is he ill? What's wrong with him?"

"Well, he broke our precious wedding ring, which hurt my heart."

Seeing the beauty's mood darken, I felt like I had become the greatest sinner in the world.

As I glared at Lu, who clung to my arm like a leech, Jager, who had been surveying the surroundings with Volkwin, spoke with a slightly suspicious tone.

"Are you really... okay?"

Has he realized that Lu is a dangerous individual with just a pretty face? Indeed, he is quick-witted.

'And subtly touching.'

To the extent that he sought confirmation from Lu, who is nominally his wife, it means he genuinely worries about me. What a good guy.

I reassured him on behalf of Lu, who narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Master is bedridden from the duel with Jin."

Jager and Volkwin looked at me as if I were a strange creature. But it was only for a moment, as Volkwin asked me.

"A duel? But Miss, I heard that Gray... even gave Jin two moves."

What? Spreading rumors already? Nobles are all loose-lipped.

"But he was injured."

"If he's injured, we should take care of him even more..."

"Master is strong."

"Still, Gray is of the Weatherwitz family..."

Stop being so concerned!

I wanted to shout but couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Weatherwitz?"

A soft question was forcefully planted in my ear.

It was also an unexpected presence. Even after the war, I still had the habit of sensing the surroundings.

There were few who could escape my senses, which were always on edge like a porcupine's quills.

Lu and the Sword Saint. And.

"Your Excellency Jenail."

Raphael.

I turned my head reflexively.

I saw his features, deeply shaded by the sun, and his hair, more brilliant and deep than the Viscount Weatherwitz's, shimmering white in the sunlight.

A solid and striking presence. The powerful charisma of a strong leader, capable of drawing the attention of the room with a single word. The Raphael I knew was standing right in front of me.

And I met his cold, crimson eyes.

The first emotion I felt was admiration.

'Unbelievable. He's reached such a level in just four years?'

His martial arts had developed astonishingly in the time we hadn't seen each other. He had become so powerful that it was now difficult to gauge his strength. Perhaps he had even reached the level of a Sword Master.

The second emotion I felt was...

A subtle sense of unfamiliarity, slightly preceding the joy of reunion.

The Raphael I met after a long time, yes, he was indeed the Raphael I knew. But in some ways, he was different from my memory.

'Is Raphael... this...'

This... a bit... does he look more temperamental?

How much must he have suffered?

'Well, he did say the war wasn't over and that being a respected Duke wasn't easy to achieve.'

Putting aside the complex feelings, I bowed my head and took a step back.

As a mere employee, I shouldn't meet the eyes of a high-ranking noble like Raphael. But this situation is somewhat amusing.

How does it feel, Raphael, to have your friend disguised as a maid and not even able to look up?

"..."

But the area was eerily quiet.

This awkward silence. Sensing something strange, I secretly lifted my head from behind Lu to peek at Raphael.

Raphael was still looking at me.

The moment I realized this, a chill ran down my spine. His gaze was too firm to be questioned. Those eyes must surely recognize me.

'Does he know me?'

How?

Gait? Since boarding the Black Raga, I haven't walked in my original posture even once.

Left-handed swordsman habits? I didn't even bring my sword, prepared for unexpected situations.

Face? Even if Andert and I were siblings, we didn't resemble each other much except for our eyes.

Luck? I never had it.

Yet, he knows me...

"Looking at another man's woman for too long."

A small fan, used to block the spring sunlight, unfolded in front of my eyes. It was Lu's fan.

"Are you falling for my woman? Sorry, but I can't give her to you. Look elsewhere."

She's out of her mind.

But since Lu being out of her mind is a common occurrence, I decided not to intervene and to stand quietly.

Thanks to her fan, I was free from Raphael's gaze.

"... There's a slight northern accent. Is the Viscountess Weatherwitz from the Union Church State? Astrosa? Harrent?"

Raphael's voice.

With my face hidden, hearing only his voice, I felt a nostalgic sentiment. I remembered the dawn, when we crossed the swamp, relying on each other's voices...

"To the point of flirting with my woman and now asking about my hometown? I am a proper Viscountess, so I will pretend I didn't hear that question."

The nostalgic feeling quickly faded, you madman.

Jager, who was visibly more flustered than I was, stood in front of Lu. He must have been worried about his friend's wife acting like a mad dog.

"Ha. Ha. It's an honor to meet you, Your Excellency Jenail. I am Jager Parulla, a close friend of Viscount Weatherwitz. Currently, since Viscount Weatherwitz is unwell, the Viscountess is... managing various matters..."

"Who are you blocking now?"

Poor Jager. A mad dog doesn't distinguish between friend and foe.

"Hmm. Ahem. The, Viscountess is..."

"Being short has its disadvantages. People like you try to protect me."

Why are you like this? At this point, I also began to feel uneasy.

'What has upset you? Why are you acting so suspiciously after being fine? Are you mad? Of course, Lu is mad, but...'

I subtly pulled his sleeve, holding the fan. I even nodded slightly when he turned to look at me. Lu's eyebrow twitched.

Raphael said,

"It seems I've unintentionally caused a misunderstanding. The reason I was examining the Viscountess's maid was out of duty, not personal interest."

"I..."

Lu, drawing out the word, smiled and put away her fan.

"I never said my woman was a maid."

Lu's short statement planted a certainty in my mind.

'You already know me.'

I recalled the people who secretly followed me from Queen Island to Midwinter.

'Now the mystery is solved. They were stalkers sent by Raphael.'

They had been chasing me for nearly a month. So, my composite image must have been sent to Raphael as well.

"Viscount Dsherro."

Instead of answering Lu's question, Raphael called out to Dsherro, his advisor.

Should I now call him Viscount?

Dsherro, a rare handsome man with gray hair, hadn't changed much in appearance from four years ago. He still looked tired, both then and now.

"Viscountess Weatherwitz. Over the past four years, His Excellency Jenail has been responsible for the security of the southern islands of the empire. Recently, there have been rare survivors appearing from the islands, and it is His Excellency's duty to protect and monitor them."

This means that he recognized me not as 'Andert' but as a 'survivor from Queen Island.'

From my perspective, this was a more reassuring situation, but...

'I feel uneasy.'

Is that really the case?

"So, are you saying that you will continue to observe my maid, who is a survivor from the southern islands, without any concern? Or are you planning to take her and torture her?"

Dsherro looked at Raphael with a slightly strange expression.

Dsherro, who usually showed minimal emotion and was known as the most taciturn person in the empire, had a subtle emotional change that I could detect after years of working together.

He was a bit flustered.

As if he didn't know how to respond.

After receiving Dsherro's gaze, Raphael opened his mouth a beat later.

"Viscountess Weatherwitz, there's no need to react so sensitively. The request I'm making is for a simple additional investigation. There will be no harsh questioning during the investigation, and certainly no torture."

"Why are you making this request now?"

"Originally, this procedure should have been carried out immediately upon discovery in the southern islands, but the lady ignored the procedure and moved to Midwinter. Therefore, an additional procedure is necessary. Will you cooperate?"