Chapter 27

"――What, did you get found out? I was planning to surprise you by telling you myself."

"It's a lie. If that were the case, you should have come to the ceremony. If you had, I would have fainted on the spot."

Upon hearing Claude's insincere words, Opal raised her fist again.

However, this time it was easily caught in his palm.

"You're as troublesome as ever."

"I'm angry."

"I didn't want to worry you."

"That's why I'm saying I was worried!"

Opal, still holding her right hand, tried to hit Claude with her left.

But that hand was also quickly caught.

Feeling frustrated, Opal glared at Claude, who smiled in a troubled manner, released her hand, and touched her flushed cheeks.

"I didn't want to make you cry either."

While saying this, Claude wiped away the tears streaming down Opal's cheeks.

Despite this, Opal continued to glare at him.

"I will worry and cry! If someone important to me does something as foolish as going to a country in civil war, anyone would!"

"I hadn't gone there when the fighting had started yet."

"Don't make excuses! But... I'm really glad you're safe..."

Opal wiped her tears roughly, took a deep breath, and took a step back to distance herself from Claude.

Then, she looked at Claude carefully from head to toe.

"Hey, you didn't get hurt, right?"

"---Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't on the battlefield."

"---That's good... I mean, war isn't good, but..."

After confirming with her eyes and hearing Claude's response, Opal felt relieved.

However, she immediately frowned, and her words were typical of Opal, making Claude grin.

Of course, it wasn't something to laugh about.

Although he denied it to Opal, he had indeed been involved in a few skirmishes.

Still, since he had returned safely, there was no need to worry her by telling her.

After Opal got married, Claude, who had always liked her but knew there was no hope, had become despondent for a while.

He then took the money he had earned and went to the unstable Taisei Kingdom.

It wasn't without purpose.

"Opal, you know that my mother was from the Taisei Kingdom, right?"

"Yes. She fell in love with your father, a baron, during his studies abroad, and came to this country against her family's opposition, right?"

"Actually, she was disowned. No matter how many letters I sent, I never received a response. After graduating from university, I had nothing to do, so I decided to go and see what was going on."

"But to go without saying anything..."

"I intended to come back quickly. I didn't plan to reveal myself; I just wanted to hear rumors about my mother's family and return. So, I went to the Rouselle family's mansion in the capital."

"Your aunt was from the Rouselle family?"

"Yes, she was the youngest daughter of a stubborn old man."

Finally, Opal understood the connection between Claude and the Rouselle family, now a marquess family.

However, she still had many questions.

But they couldn't stand there forever.

"Hey, Claude. How about some tea at the manor? Marcia would surely cry with joy."

"---Thank you for the offer, but before that, would you go there with me?"

"There? You mean that big rock?"

"Yeah."

"But..."

Claude was suggesting a place at the foot of the mountain where several large rocks were scattered, requiring a bit of walking.

It was a place they used to play as children, their secret base.

"But, what? Are you worried about being alone together?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that I don't have the confidence to climb that big rock anymore."

To Opal's hesitation, Claude asked mischievously.

Indeed, even though Opal was married, being alone with a man was a problem.

But it was too late for that, and there was no one in the area who would spread such rumors.

The real issue was her physical strength, and when Opal admitted this, Claude chuckled.

"Are you scared, Opal? That's not like you."

"But climbing this tree was hard enough, and you saw how I struggled to get down. I'm disappointed in myself!"

"Then, shall we skip it?"

"I'll go."

Opal, feeling happy with their familiar banter, started walking in response to Claude's challenging words.

Claude walked beside her, laughing.

Then, Opal remembered that they had strayed from the topic.

"So, how was your aunt's family?"

"Unfortunately, most of them, except for the old man, had died from the plague that also sparked the succession dispute."

"Oh... That's so sad..."

"Yeah, it is. But, I guess because I had never met them, I only felt sorry for them."

"Claude..."

Despite this, Opal felt that Claude was suffering enough and instinctively took his hand.

Claude squeezed back tightly.

For nearly eight years, Opal wasn't the only one who had struggled.

"I didn't plan to meet anyone, but when I heard that only the old man was at the mansion, I couldn't help but go. Honestly, I thought I'd be turned away, but apparently, my face had a lot of Rouselle family features. The butler was surprised and let me in, and he even arranged for me to speak with the old man."

"Was he a nasty old man?"

"He was a nasty old man. As soon as I met him, he ordered me to go to the castle and swear loyalty to the Duke, the younger brother of the king."

"---That's forceful."

"He's arrogant."

"But, you accepted, right? Claude always listens to my whims, even though he complains. You're such a good person, aren't you?"

"That's not true."

Claude smiled wryly at Opal's words.

The whims Opal mentioned were very cute, and Claude loved fulfilling them.

When his whims were fulfilled, Opal always said "thank you" with a happy smile, which was incredibly endearing.

Claude, still holding Opal's hand, took a deep breath.

He had followed the old man's orders not because he cared, but because it was a matter of survival.

The kingdom was in turmoil due to the succession dispute, and Claude had faced many dangers since arriving in the kingdom.

However, he was fortunate enough to meet the Duke, now the king, and pledge his loyalty.

Through a series of coincidences, Claude was able to speak directly with the Duke, who later became the king, and was drawn to his character.

Without regard for his grandfather's wishes, Claude worked to support the Duke, using his own funds and the Rouselle family's assets, and leveraging his university connections and the support of Opal's father, the Holloway baron.

"Claude, are you okay?"

Opal, worried about Claude's silence, asked him.

Claude quickly put on his usual smile.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about the old man. In the end, he died soon after seeing the Duke, now the king, ascend the throne, but he left a strange will."

"---That's why you inherited the Rouselle family?"

"Yeah. But, it doesn't make sense, does it? There are other grandchildren. If anyone should have inherited, it should have been my brother. Yet, even the king recognized it, leaving me no choice."

In fact, the other members of the Rouselle family strongly opposed this.

During the civil war, they had complained about the funding for the Duke, claiming that the head of the family, the Rouselle baron, was senile.

The new king, however, silenced them.

He once confiscated all the Rouselle family's titles and assets, citing the lack of direct male heirs.

Later, he announced that Claude would be granted a marquess title, the confiscated assets, and new lands—lands taken from the defeated nobles in the civil war—thus silencing the Rouselle family.

The Rouselle family members, realizing they could be seen as rebels, reluctantly agreed that Claude should inherit, as it would bring them honor.

The Rouselle family had contributed to the new king's ascension.

Claude, dealing with these relatives casually, focused on the kingdom's recovery, which was in a state of exhaustion.

Of course, everything didn't go smoothly.

He faced assassination attempts from the remaining anti-king factions and had to deal with starving and rioting civilians in the provinces.

Claude, to avoid worrying Opal and his family, cut off communication, claiming it was for their safety, but in reality, it was to maintain his strength.

Even in such a dire situation, the Holloway baron continued to provide support and introduced many investors.

The baron's letters never mentioned Opal, but Claude, of course, noticed that the Marclaud Duke, Opal's husband, was among the investors.

He didn't consciously think about it, but he felt a mix of loneliness and happiness, thinking that the Duke must be close to Opal if his father-in-law introduced him.

Claude continued to work tirelessly for the kingdom's recovery and to repay the investors.

Eventually, when the kingdom stabilized and everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the Marclaud Duke, with a letter of introduction from the Holloway baron, visited Claude.

Reading the content of the letter, Claude had to struggle not to punch the man in front of him—the Marclaud Duke.