Chapter 80

Mikaelis visited Albertina.

"Welcome, Count Dmitrius. I'm sure the young lady will be delighted."

The maid bowed respectfully. Her blonde hair was loosely braided on either side and tied into a chignon at the back. Her face, when she looked up, sparkled with pink eyes filled with anticipation and envy.

She was a young and cute maid, but her reaction was inappropriate for the situation.

Mikaelis sighed inwardly, thinking, "Here we go again," but without showing any irritation, he asked, "Where is Miss Latitche?"

She was supposed to be the daughter of some baron or viscount. It was not uncommon for children of lower nobility to serve in the royal palace or upper nobility households.

At least, the servants of the Latitche family, known for their strict upbringing, would not have such flighty eyes. This alone made her highly untrustworthy.

Anna had always wanted to take care of Albertina alone, but at this point, Albertina was a direct descendant of the Latitche duchy and a prominent candidate for the next princess. It was impossible for only one maid to serve in the palace where Albertina resided. With the physical barrier of the magical barrier now gone, it was inevitable.

"Her awakening is still... According to the assessments of Count Croitz and Sir Vania this morning, her magical power has recovered significantly."

As she spoke, her eyes darted back and forth between the flowers in Mikaelis's hand and his face.

She was probably around fifteen or sixteen. Normally, a maid should focus on her duties, but her excited demeanor was exasperating.

It wasn't that Mikaelis was unused to receiving flirtatious glances from women. He was aware of his charm, but he wished they would consider the time and place.

These morning-picked marguerites were for visiting Albertina, not as a gift to this maid. If he were to hand them over, he would prefer Anna, who would undoubtedly place them in Albertina's room.

This excited maid seemed likely to pilfer the flowers. Just one or two, she might think. Kistaria had already been a victim of this, as he had heard recently. But when several maids did the same, the flowers ended up looking sparse and unbalanced. When Anna noticed and consulted the head maid, the culprits were immediately disciplined and the flowers recovered.

Of course, they were immediately fired. A thorough check was conducted to ensure nothing else had been stolen. But they pleaded for forgiveness, saying they only wanted the flowers Kistaria had sent, influenced by the romantic novels popular in the capital.

The head maid, who had once been Christina's wet nurse, was a tall, stern woman with a straight back, reminiscent of a schoolteacher. Though her face was somewhat severe, Anna said she was strict but caring.

(When she saw Albertina, she reportedly broke down in tears... She must have been reminded of Albertina, who resembled her mother, Lady Christina.)

Her name was Bella, a maid sent from the Fortuna duchy. Though she was of an age to retire, she had rushed over upon hearing that Christina's daughter was here.

However, Bella silently appeared behind the excited maid who was oblivious to Mikaelis's visit.

"Philrea Noll. Young lady, the garden cleaning is not finished. Go immediately."

"Ah! But I did it properly, and besides, the gardener—"

"Is hiding fallen leaves under the bushes considered cleaning? The gardener has other duties. Do your job properly.

Your role in greeting guests is limited. You are not supposed to do that, are you, Philrea Noll?"

"But... but..."

"Philrea Noll. You are not a young lady or a guest here. You are just a servant."

After a few glances between Bella and Mikaelis, and realizing no help would come from him, the maid reluctantly left.

She glanced back a few times but eventually walked away under the icy gaze of Bella.

Bella turned and looked sharply at Mikaelis and the bouquet in his hand.

Mikaelis, though busy, was well-groomed. His red hair was neatly combed, and his blue noble attire had delicate embroidery at the collar and chest. His black leather shoes, polished by the housemaid, were spotless. The bouquet of pale yellow, pink, and orange marguerites was simple but charming. While lilies or roses would have been fine, Albertina preferred simple bouquets. He had chosen flowers with a soft scent.

Feeling as if he was being evaluated, Mikaelis endured Bella's gaze. Eventually, her eyes softened, as if to say, "It's fine."

"I'm sure the young lady will be delighted."

It seemed she approved.

Mikaelis felt a slight chill down his spine.

He thought, "This person is definitely of the same type as Anna."

The room he was led to was a cute, feminine space.

It wasn't originally like this. When Anna conveyed that it didn't suit the young lady, Clift quickly called in craftsmen to renovate the palace. Though the work was rushed, the palace had been minimally maintained due to the lack of a high-ranking noblewoman for a long time.

While the craftsmanship was of the highest quality, the palace had deteriorated. Without regular use, the budget for maintenance was limited.

With Albertina's arrival, the palace was to be used, and renovations were planned, but the strong magical barrier prevented it. Since only Anna could pass through, the focus was on ensuring Albertina's basic needs. Now that the barrier was gone, repairs were being made where possible.

King Lauses had instructed, "Consider Albertina's comfort," and the craftsmen and servants from the Latitche duchy were consulted to tailor the space to her preferences.

The royal palace, a place steeped in tradition, showed King Lauses's deep concern for Albertina. The attention he paid had even irritated some of the queens. But considering the recent tragedies in her life, it was only natural to want to comfort her.

The Duke of Fortuna had selected elite knights as her guards, and the duke himself watched over her with a fierce gaze, ready to attack any threat.

However, the rushed preparations left some gaps.

Some maids from the royal palace, upon learning that the handsome and wealthy Kistaria and Mikaelis frequently visited, pushed aside the original maids. While Anna and Bella were ruthless in dismissing them, some replacements were still flighty. Mikaelis thought the quality of the staff was poor, but it was hard to blame young women for being swayed by the charming Duke Kistaria and the Rose Count Mikaelis.

Albertina's beauty standards were strict and sophisticated, but her resistance to good looks and pheromones was even stronger. Her natural defenses, nurtured under the protection of the Demon King, were unmatched.

"Young lady, Mikaelis has come to visit. He brought you flowers. Look, aren't they lovely?"

Her voice brought him back to the present.

Anna went to the bed with the canopy lowered and gently spoke to the still unconscious Albertina, in a tone much softer than her usual cold demeanor.

"I'll place them in the chest over there so the Chapies don't play with them.

You can see them from the bed, and they're high enough that they won't reach."

Mikaelis, of course, could not peek at the sleeping face of an unmarried woman.

But as one of the few people who were very close to her, he was allowed to enter her bedroom.

Following advice from Count Croitz, he was permitted to speak to her, even if she was asleep, in case she could hear.

Approaching the bed, he could see the faint outline of Albertina lying under the lace and Anna's shadow.

Something was moving near the bed, likely the Chapies, Albertina's peculiar pets. They resembled moving stuffed animals, and he remembered being poked a few times as they circled him. He had also seen Anna throw them off the balcony when they tried to steal from the tea set while he was talking to Albertina.

Each time, they would cling to the balcony glass, making pitiful sounds.

It was truly pitiful.

Fairies and spirits were rare and revered in some places, but here they were treated like silly children.

Mikaelis had let them in a few times, but after the first two times, he was told, "Don't spoil them. It's not good for their discipline."

Anna was incredibly strict when it came to Albertina.

She was ruthless, whether dealing with a count or a pet.

"Mikaelis, please, this way."

Anna, returning with the flowers, gestured to a chair outside the canopy. From there, he was allowed to speak to Albertina.

Through the canopy, he could faintly see the outline of Albertina's face.

"... Albertina."

"---Mikaelis."

There was no response, no delicate voice or smile that could make even a blooming rose blush and return to a bud.

Just that, and it was so painful.

He loved her innocent, slightly childish expression, the imbalance between her elegant and refined manners.

Swallowing his frustration and bitterness, Mikaelis began to speak.

He talked about recent events, the news from Kistaria and Julius, his own territories, and Jibril.

Mikaelis had not expected 'that' Grail to die.

True, the creature was powerful, but he never thought it would still be alive after being reduced to ashes. Cain, the original host, was drained of magic and emaciated like a scarecrow. In a final act of desperation, it bit a nearby soldier and used the minimal power to strike back.

The target was—Albertina.

If the target had been Grail himself, it wouldn't have happened.

If Albertina hadn't been there, he would have mercilessly created a hell of fire, a storm of thunder, or a land of eternal ice to destroy everything.

The circumstances were just too unfortunate.

But this was something he could never tell Albertina.

Saying he died protecting her would only burden her more. Losing her beloved father was already too much. They were very close.

Albertina, who had always been doted on and called "my angel," was shocked when the Grail, now a monster, still protected her. Losing its head would be fatal for most creatures, and parasitic possession often reduced intelligence or consumed the host's will.

He had seen animals controlled by undead or parasitic creatures, but they were mere puppets.

Cain, having lost his vast magic and body, retained some consciousness, perhaps just a remnant.

Despite this, he was the first to notice the approaching attacker.

Everyone agreed it was "persistence."

While it was typical of Grail to be driven by obsession rather than love, he had such deep feelings.

Willing to sacrifice his life without hesitation.

Kistaria, though he didn't show it, was undoubtedly feeling a great loss and had made a decision.

He would not allow the collateral branch to take the title using bloodline as a weapon.

Zephir von Croitz, Grail's younger brother and Albertina's uncle, was the most likely candidate. He had offered condolences but was busy with his duties. In a letter to the Latitche duchy, he stated that Kistaria was the rightful heir and was reportedly lobbying other nobles.

With his extensive network, most influential families were observing the conflict between Kistaria and the collateral branch. While they wouldn't openly support, they were being lobbied to not side with the branch.

Zephir, despite his busy schedule, was impressive.

Julius, benefiting from this, was working behind the scenes to support Kistaria fully.

However, it was curious why Grail never introduced Zephir to Albertina. If he could do so much for a distant nephew, wouldn't he be more supportive of Albertina? In fact, Zephir was visiting and examining her health despite his busy schedule.

Trusting her care to Zephir or Sebastian in the audience chamber.

Grail's true intentions were now unclear.

"... When we were children,"

he said softly.

"I asked the Duke of Latitche to be your fiancé."

The cold glance he received then still lingered in his memory.

"I was bluntly refused. He said I had no value to consider.

If I could win Albertina's heart and take a point from the duke, he would consider it."

The mithril sword was a family treasure of Gaiaus, Mikaelis's biological father.

Unbeknownst to Mikaelis at the time, Gaiaus, after the crisis passed, continued to polish the sword and encouraged Mikaelis to focus on his studies, social life, and swordsmanship. Despite being underage, he was given the sword and title as an exception, to help him become proficient.

Even knowing the person he desired was out of reach, he couldn't be stopped, though he smiled wryly.

"... It ended without ever being reciprocated."

His voice was filled with deep loneliness.

When his father fell ill, the Duke of Latitche protected Mikaelis like a guardian.

The letter his mother sent in a desperate attempt was the only one that moved the great noble.

He was taught everything necessary as a noble, soldier, knight, and lord. Without him, Mikaelis would not be who he is today. He wouldn't have developed his territory or gained a name as a noble.

He was a mentor and a second father, a distant and intimidating presence, but Mikaelis was indeed under his protection.

Grail might not have cared. It might have been insignificant to him. But Mikaelis, unable to repay the debt, lost him.

Always chasing after his back.

Is it unattainable, or am I just not good enough?—Only Mikaelis knew the answer.

Thank you for reading.

Since the story is often serious, I'm trying to pick up the pace...

I appreciate the feedback, especially from those who miss the father. I hope you will continue to follow the story.