Chapter 2

"Hey, Lord Felix. It's been a while since we met here."

"Yeah, I've been busy with various tasks..."

"Congratulations on becoming the head of the ducal family."

"Thank you. How about you?"

"Still the same, just swinging a sword every day. Well, that's only until today..."

Saying this with a wry smile, the man was dressed in a white knight's uniform.

The white knight's uniform was only allowed to be worn by the elite of the elite in the Royal Guard.

"Are you really quitting? You worked so hard to get in..."

"It's fine. I can't stand the thought of protecting His Highness and Robiana..."

His name was Julian Heinberg.

Robiana's ex-fiancé and my greatest confidant.

"Did they try to stop you?"

"They certainly did. Especially His Highness, who even said he wanted me to support Robiana."

"How thick-skinned can they be..."

Immediately after succeeding the ducal family, I sent my parents to the manor in the territory.

My mother, in particular, resisted until the end, but when I mentioned the poisoning of Remia, she reluctantly backed down.

I had thought that perhaps my mother didn't know, but it turned out she did.

Knowing and not stopping it, my mother was as guilty as my father.

As soon as I sent my parents to the territory, I was summoned by Prince Lemuel.

He scolded me for making Robiana anxious by suddenly sending my parents away.

But my response was set: "There's nothing I can do," I repeated.

To further drive the point home, I informed them that my parents and I would not attend the wedding because we were in mourning for Remia.

The prince was speechless, but this was their own doing.

He shouted that Robiana was pitiful, but the most pitiful one was definitely Remia.

No matter how many times I was summoned, my opinion never changed.

But because I stubbornly refused, it seemed the blame had shifted to Julian.

"What do they expect from a man who has been cuckolded? To comfort a lonely Robiana whose parents are gone? That's not something to say to an ex-fiancé."

"Probably they think their love is recognized by everyone around them?"

"After killing Miss Remia?"

Julian clenched his fist, a cruel smile on his face.

His eyes reflected the same flames of resentment as mine.

"Even without sending a letter, their scandal is known by all the nobles in the country. They don't realize how much they were seen at the academy."

The secret tombstone built for Remia.

In front of the gravestone, lilies that Julian had brought were placed.

But the flowers were not just for today.

Since Remia's death, he, and only he, had never missed a day of bringing flowers.

The flowers placed there were not just lilies.

The flowers that Remia loved in life were gifts from her friends.

Her friends, who couldn't attend the funeral due to the royal family's involvement, still sent flowers to mourn her death.

"Julian, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to take a break from the world and relax for a while. Maybe go on a trip."

"A trip? That sounds good."

"I remember, Lord Felix's territory has a beautiful lake resort, right?"

"Yes, it's a very quiet and nice place."

Near that resort, my parents are now living.

They brought a few servants, but they don't seem to like the rural life, and apology letters have been frequently sent since the day after their arrival.

If I ignore them, they might forcefully return to the capital.

"Lord Felix, could I have one of your villas?"

"Of course, that's no problem..."

"I plan to spend the rest of my life there, guarding your letter..."

"Julian..."

I entrusted the letter detailing my parents' misdeeds to Julian.

I told my father it was to the second prince, but his family, the Heinbergs, were the leading supporters of the crown prince.

So there was no risk of being suspected.

"What about your parents?"

"Apparently, the crown prince's faction is stepping down after this incident."

"Understandable, after ruining their son's engagement..."

Still, his family was calm enough not to openly rebel.

They are at least making it look like Julian is stepping aside to follow the prince's wishes.

"My brother will succeed the marquisate, and I'm free to do as I please."

"......I'm sorry about Robiana."

"It's not your fault, Lord Felix. The one to blame is the prince who seduced his fiancée's sister and Robiana who flirted with her sister's fiancé."

"Julian..."

"Besides, I'm relieved that I don't have to marry Robiana."

His engagement to Robiana started because she fell in love with him at first sight.

The handsome Julian with his golden hair and blue eyes.

My parents wanted to marry her to a better family, but because Robiana threw a tantrum, he became her fiancé.

An engagement from the ducal family to the lower-ranking marquisate.

As a second son, Julian had no choice but to accept.

"I was happy to become brothers with you and Miss Remia, but I was reaching my limit with the selfish Robiana."

Saying this, Julian slowly looked up at the sky and rubbed his eyes, his throat trembling.

"But, I didn't wish for such an ending... If Miss Remia were still alive, that would have been enough..."

The first time I met him at the cemetery, he was crouching in front of Remia's grave in a heavy rain.

His white knight's uniform was dirty, and he was crying while staring at the grave, a scene that is still burned into my memory.

Did he love Remia...?

I still haven't been able to ask him that question.

"......Lord Felix, I'm leaving the capital next week."

"Understood. I'll send a servant to the villa tomorrow."

"Thank you."

And so he left the following week.

The servant who saw him off said it was a surprisingly modest departure for a former elite of the Royal Guard.

About ten days after he left, I received the news that my parents, who were in the territory, had been killed by robbers.

The servant who found them saw them lying in a pool of blood in their room.

There were signs of a struggle, so it was thought to be the work of a burglar.

"Recently, there have been burglars breaking into houses in that area. Julian, be careful."

I sent a letter to Julian, who was living in a nearby villa, and he quickly replied with a simple note.

"The burglars won't appear again."

Ah, I see...

So it was a burglar targeting only my parents...

I felt a great relief and proceeded with the funeral arrangements.