Chapter 25

* * *

“Hello, Duke! Is there really a ‘Gate of Heaven’ here?”

“Yes, my lady. It’s a masterpiece by Lindel Ver. It’s quite impressive that you, at such a young age, have such a deep appreciation for art.”

The Duke of Onyx, who had come out to greet us at the main gate with his wife, son, and servants, couldn’t hide his smile.

My father, who was holding my hand, said,

“It was a sudden request, but I’m grateful for your kind invitation. My daughter has been eager to see that work.”

“No, Duke. I was delighted to receive your message. I have a modest hobby of collecting artworks, and it’s a pleasure to connect with you through this shared interest.”

The Duke’s lips curled into a smile at my father’s greeting.

‘This is a good opportunity for my father to build connections. No wonder he’s so pleased.’

A return after seven years.

The most influential figure in the noble circles, drawing the attention of all the nobility.

There must be a long line of nobles eager to secure a connection with Enoch Rubinstein, who has yet to make any significant political moves.

“This is my wife and my son, Jonathan. Please meet them.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Excellency.”

“Pleased to meet you, Duke Rubinstein. I am Jonathan Onyx.”

The Duke’s wife, who was dressed up, greeted us first, and her son, Jonathan, bowed with a polite smile.

‘So, you’re Jonathan Onyx.’

He resembled both the Duke and Cheshire.

Black hair and red eyes.

Perhaps because he shares blood with the protagonist, his appearance is quite striking.

‘But he’s a complete jerk.’

I recalled the original story where Jonathan mocked Cheshire, who later became my father’s adopted son and rose to prominence, at a social party.

I wondered why an extra character would dare to provoke the protagonist.

Later, in a flashback about Cheshire’s past, their relationship was revealed.

Half-brother.

A half-brother who used to beat him up every day.

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady. If it’s not too much trouble, may I introduce you to the artworks in the annex?”

Jonathan extended his hand with a fresh smile.

‘Ugh, this guy’s a real creep.’

“Yes, thank you!”

I carefully avoided mixing up the thoughts in my head with the words that came out of my mouth as I took Jonathan’s hand.

The Duke and his wife, along with Jonathan, burst into laughter at my shy expression.

“…It seems our daughter has taken a liking to you, Young Master.”

My father muttered in a somewhat displeased tone.

Oh no, Dad, that’s not it…

“Ha ha, it’s an honor.”

“They make a good pair, don’t they?”

Seizing the moment, the Duke’s wife chimed in with a giggle, causing my father’s face to stiffen.

“Oh, my lady, what are you saying? It’s embarrassing.”

“Why not? Treat the lady well. You’ll be seeing her often. You never know what the future holds, after all.”

“Tsk, this woman…”

They started to play both sides, even though they had no intention of giving anything, in front of my father and me.

“Let’s go inside and continue our conversation.”

The Duke led us into the house with a smile.

I tightened my grip on Jonathan’s hand and whispered,

“The Gate of Heaven. Quickly….”

“Ah, it seems the lady is eager to see it. Would you like to go to the exhibition room first?”

“Yes, Jonathan. That sounds good. I’ve trained some people to assist with the appreciation, so go ahead.”

Finally!

The four servants, who had been bowing like in a painting, caught my attention.

“I want to greet them!”

I ran up to them with a smile.

A butler and three maids.

When I grabbed the hand of the male butler on the far left, Jonathan was taken aback.

“L-Lady? There’s no need to greet the servants so formally….”

The Duke and his wife tactfully intervened to calm Jonathan down.

Since Liris had lived as a commoner all her life, her actions, which showed no sense of hierarchy, would not seem out of place.

“Please take care of me!”

“Yes, my lady.”

I shook each of their hands, and they looked surprised.

And….

The maid at the end.

With her brown hair let down to her waist, upturned eyes, and a mole on her cheek.

‘This is Ricel, a member of Rico’s guild.’

I had known this from the moment I first saw her.

I was just waiting for the right moment to approach her.

If she had received a message from Rico in advance, she would surely send me a signal at this point.

“I’m here to see the Gate of Heaven. Please take care of me, sister!”

“Yes, my lady.”

Ricel smiled and firmly shook my hand.

‘As expected.’

In that moment, something was secretly placed in my hand.

The cold touch of metal and a small piece of paper.

I had a pretty good idea what it was.

The key to the room where Cheshire was being held.

And on the note….

‘The location of the room, perhaps.’

We exchanged a knowing smile, making sure no one else noticed.

* * *

Enoch Rubinstein.

The news of his return, after disappearing with his daughter, sent ripples through the noble circles.

Even during his absence, the Rubinstein family’s influence remained strong, and now that he has returned, he will likely monopolize the Emperor’s favor.

The nobility, naturally, began to seek connections with Enoch.

In the midst of this.

Enoch Rubinstein himself reached out first.

‘As Father said, this is an opportunity given by heaven. I must make a good impression on the Duke this time.’

Jonathan resolved.

Unlike his father, a 2nd-class Quartus, Jonathan was only a 4th-class Octava.

In a world where rank often determines treatment more than status, he knew he needed to build connections and establish his position.

Even if he inherited the title, he was well aware of his future in the noble circles, where he would be ignored.

“Hahaha!! Is this a mouse?”

And then, there was Enoch Rubinstein’s beloved daughter.

“Where are we? Is there a mouse here? The house is really big! Wow!”

If he could get to know her well and eventually secure an engagement, it would be perfect….

“Amazing!!”

…Damn it.

His ears were ringing.

Jonathan secretly wiped his ear and laughed.

“Lady? This work, for example, is by Verdan, who created many masterpieces alongside Lindel….”

“Hahaha!!”

Snap, a vein popped on Jonathan’s forehead.

He had thought that, at seven, she would be more reasonable, but she was just a child.

As soon as they entered the annex, she started shouting and running around the lobby and stairs, touching the artworks carelessly.

When he showed her the ‘Gate of Heaven,’ which she had been so eager to see, she showed no particular interest.

‘Damn. I should have kept the servants around to help with the tour.’

His father had assigned servants to explain the artworks, thinking Jonathan wasn’t reliable enough….

But Jonathan had confidently dismissed them, wanting to make a good impression on Enoch and his daughter.

‘I didn’t know I’d be babysitting instead of giving a tour!’

Jonathan clenched his eyes shut, screaming inwardly.

‘No, I must endure. This child could change my life.’

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Jonathan opened his eyes and smiled.

“Lady, shall we go to the next exhibition room….”

…Wait, where is she?

In the blink of an eye, the small child who had been running around the second-floor exhibition room had disappeared.

The open door suggested she had gone somewhere else.

“Damn it. This brat is really disobedient.”

Gritting his teeth, Jonathan trembled as he set out to find Liris.

* * *

At the end of the corridor on the third floor of the annex, there is a side door.

This door leads to a secret passage to the basement.

Having shaken off Jonathan Onyx, I quickly followed the note Ricel had given me.

The child is on the second basement floor, in the last room.

“Phew. This is tough….”

I moved my short legs quickly down the stairs.

Only four servants know about the child’s existence, and entry to the exhibition rooms is strictly forbidden.

There are no guards inside, so the escape should be smooth.

The annex was completely empty, as the servants were thoroughly keeping Cheshire’s existence a secret.

This was fortunate for me.

“Phew, phew. Out of breath….”

I had arrived at the second basement floor.

Red lamps hung along the damp corridors.

‘No wonder no one can find this place. Dad would have had a hard time if he came alone.’

While thinking this, I made a small, deliberate noise.

“Wow! So many rooms!”

Opening this door will lead to Cheshire.

Was it because I had run so much, or because of the anticipation of finally meeting Cheshire?

I gripped the key and quickly inserted it into the lock.

Click,

The door opened.

“……”

The room was pitch black.

In the darkness, someone was buried.

I opened the door wide.

In the dimly lit room, the child, who had been lying motionless, slowly rose.

“……”

“……”

And the moment our eyes met.

My mind went blank, and I couldn’t speak.

“Ah….”

The face was covered in bruises.

The right eye, swollen with a black eye, couldn’t open properly, and the upper lip was caked with dried blood.

A sight so gruesome that it was visible even in the darkness….

‘This can’t be.’

“Ah… I, I….”

“……”

“I….”

“……”

“I, I should have….”

…come sooner.

I was wrong.

I was foolish.

I should have just told Dad to come here the day we first met.

For you, every minute, every second was hell.

While I spent a blissful week in the capital, Cheshire must have endured days of hell.

“Ah….”

Tears fell reflexively.

I bit my lip and roughly wiped the tears away with my sleeve.