Chapter 66

#066 The Duke of the North's Estate (3)

The mystery surrounding the 'Duke of the North' remained unsolved as dinner time arrived.

But it didn't really matter whether I knew or not.

As the sun set over Evelyn, Emperor Frederick returned from hunting with a grand smile and announced, “I’ll treat everyone today.”

I wondered why he was making such a fuss when he usually did the treating, but there was a reason.

“Wow, this is really the best grass villa.”

I muttered to myself.

The vast grounds of the Duke’s summer palace were equipped with various leisure spaces, including a spacious lawn where campfires and barbecues could be held.

Under the guidance of the palace butler, we descended to the lawn and discovered an elk as big as an SUV that the Emperor had caught.

Or rather, it was a magical beast resembling an elk.

“It’s an honor to eat the meat of a magical beast caught by His Majesty... It will be a memorable moment in the history of the viscount’s family.”

Kanae’s golden eyes sparkled like LED lights. I, too, was amazed and opened my mouth wide.

The palace chef was busy with his assistants, dissecting the beast.

Servants stood by, mesmerized by the scene.

“Magical beasts can be eaten. I didn’t know that.”

“Since ancient times, the northern regions, including the Motte Viscounty, have often faced food shortages due to long winters. So, the common people started hunting and eating magical beasts, and the cooking methods eventually spread to the nobility.”

Benzam explained as he pulled out a chair at the outdoor table. It was an interesting story.

“Thank you. How do you deal with the poison or bodily fluids of magical beasts?”

“Look over there; they’re wearing gloves. But the magical beasts in the north are not as venomous as those in the central and southern regions. Usually, the poison evaporates when the meat is cooked over a fire.”

I nodded.

Hearing such vivid stories often made me forget that I was in a fictional world.

A large bonfire in the center of the garden burned brightly orange, casting a warm glow on people’s faces.

It was nice to have dinner with the palace butlers, including Benzam and Kanae.

Usually, unless I requested otherwise, I would eat in my room, and such occasions were rare.

The summer palace was definitely more relaxed in terms of hierarchy than the royal palace, and this was all by the Emperor’s design.

I had sensed this from the 'victory banquet,' and she seemed to be a very down-to-earth person.

“Really delicious. It melts in your mouth. There’s no gamey smell at all.”

“Isn’t it, Prince? It’s juicy.”

“I didn’t expect the ‘Iron Deer’ meat to be so exquisite.”

The chef had used some spices, but even so, there was almost no gamey smell.

I couldn’t help but enjoy the soft texture of the magical beast meat.

At other tables, the butlers were chatting and eating.

Two lesser pandas were curled up and sleeping under the table, and Demy was wrestling with a plum.

The atmosphere was peaceful and warm, making me feel drowsy.

Suddenly, I wondered what Cristel and Prince Cedric were doing at this moment.

I was just a supporting character, and the world of 'Retired Duke' would continue to function even without me, but it wouldn’t be the same for them.

They might be growing rapidly or performing incredible feats somewhere.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sense of anticipation arose.

“...”

To suppress this strange excitement, I took a sip of carbonated water mixed with apple jam, and my eyes met the Emperor’s across the table.

Her cherry-colored eyes, tinged with sparks, caught my attention.

Seeing her, I was reminded of Saeji and the 'suspicious letter.'

I gave a slight bow and avoided her gaze.

Did that kid hand the letter to the Emperor?

“Prince, try the remoulade. It’s spicier than what we usually have at the palace, and it goes well with the magical beast meat.”

“Sure, thanks.”

I looked at the sauce boat Kanae pushed towards me.

If he had, the Emperor would have called me in for some questioning.

I wasn’t sure how well I knew her, but I was confident she wouldn’t have let the situation go unaddressed.

So, does the letter still belong to Saeji? What is he thinking?

...Can I trust the prince?

“Hello, Prince. Does the magical beast meat suit your taste?”

A familiar voice echoed in my ear, and I snapped out of my thoughts.

Turning my head, I saw Cardinal Boutier standing in front of the table, holding a plate and a champagne glass, without even bringing the butler Natalie.

Benzam and Kanae quickly stood up.

“No, it’s fine. I just wanted to sit with you for a while.”

She gently shook her head, and the two butlers awkwardly sat back down.

I greeted her with a smile.

“It’s delicious. Did Your Highness have a lot too?”

“Yeah, Frederick made me eat so much I’m full.”

The cardinal sat next to me with a troubled expression.

Her plate contained only a simple dessert and some fruit.

I took a bite-sized piece of magical beast meat and dipped it in the remoulade.

“So, have you figured out who the Duke of Evelyn is?”

She asked in a playful tone, and I felt a tension in my brow.

The heavy feelings from the letter and Saeji seemed to evaporate instantly.

No, I’m not a fool.

“I’m not sure, but I have a top candidate in mind.”

“Oh.”

Her hazel eyes widened dramatically.

She had seemed embarrassed by the Emperor’s childishness at lunch, but now, after the hunt, she looked like she was teasing me.

I chewed the magical beast meat and swallowed before calmly speaking.

“Well, I thought it might be Prince Alexandre.”

“Huh.”

“Oh my.”

“Oh, Prince.”

Kanae, Benzam, and the cardinal all gasped in turn.

Even a butler passing by with a champagne glass stopped and looked at me.

Everyone’s eyes were wide with shock. Damn, the atmosphere suggests I’m wrong.

“...It seems I’m mistaken.”

“Goodness.”

The cardinal furrowed her brows.

Benzam and Kanae looked like they expected as much. I cautiously continued.

“If it’s not too much trouble... Could I ask what kind of person Prince Alexandre was?”

“Hmm.”

She gave a wry smile.

It didn’t seem like she was trying to avoid the question; her eyes just looked distant as she recalled a point in the past.

I was about to say that she didn’t have to answer if it was difficult, but the cardinal spoke first.

“He was kind to everyone.”

“...I see.”

“He was upright, wise, and always smiled at whatever Frederick did. And he did the same for me when I caused trouble.”

“Did Prince Alexandre cause trouble?”

“He stuck with Frederick. Any small incident would escalate into a big deal. Alexandre seemed to have been cleaning up after us since his youth.”

She laughed out loud.

Indeed, the Emperor’s husband seemed quite different from the 'Rovan Duke of the North' concept that Jeon Eun-seo had passionately advocated.

He didn’t seem to be a cold, icy prince but rather a warm and affectionate man.

I had thought the Duke was likely the Emperor’s husband, but now it seemed more like a cousin or an uncle.

“He was a great mage.”

“I’ve heard that.”

I mused.

The late Prince, known as the 'Great Mage of Thrills,' was said to have been the strongest mage in the empire during his lifetime.

He had won the 'Great Magical Beast Hunt' and even the Swordmaster Emperor Frederick couldn’t always defeat him.

Unlike ordinary mages, he had two known specialties.

“He loved Cedric very much.”

The cardinal said it as if singing a song. I recalled the prince who had gone berserk during the last Great Magical Beast Hunt.

Seeing his father’s hallucination, he couldn’t contain his anger and burned an entire mountain range.

It seemed their relationship was very close.

The conversation paused for a moment.

The cardinal hummed a tune and sipped her champagne, while Benzam, Kanae, and I focused on the meat again.

I wondered if I had asked an unnecessary question, but the cardinal looked at me affectionately and advised, “If you slice it vertically, the meat will be even more tender.”

“By the way, we’ll find out the Duke’s name tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“We’re going to the bell tower.”

That was true.

Since it was the first day of our summer retreat, we had planned to rest well and visit the relic with the lesser pandas the next day.

The northern relic, the 'Ark of Byleam,' unlike the 'Holy Sword' planted in the wilderness or the 'Blessing' stored in the Sarnez Manor, was enshrined in a bell tower in Evelyn.

The location was unique.

The cardinal continued.

“In that bell tower, the Duke is resting.”

*

“Your Highness, it seems we can return to the palace by tomorrow morning.”

The captain of the guard reported.

The Duke of Evelyn, who had been looking at a map, silently nodded.

The campsite, like its master, maintained a calm and solemn atmosphere.

Amber fires crackled in various spots in the forest, and the knights sitting around them were taking a break, drinking coffee or cocoa.

The Duke’s eyes slowly moved, reviewing the areas he had patrolled today.

His gloved finger lightly touched the Motte Viscounty, right next to Evelyn.

Caroline Motte, the Margravine, was one of the few 9th-grade swordsmen, or Swordmasters, in the empire.

Once a fierce rival to Emperor Frederick, the two had grown much closer as they aged.

The Motte family had been loyal to the royal family for a long time, so there was no reason for their relationship to sour.

Her territory bordered the empire’s eastern border and the northern sea, where pirates often came ashore.

Most pirates were repelled by the Margravine’s knights.

In the past 25 years, pirate ships had only managed to reach Evelyn twice.

However, every year, some stragglers would hide in the pine forests of the viscounty, cross the border, and sneak into Evelyn.

Their goal was simple.

Evelyn was a mysterious estate, and they harbored the illusion that valuable treasures were hidden everywhere.

Long-time pirates never dared to set foot in Evelyn, but there were always inexperienced and reckless ones.

Some had even been spotted secretly building huts in Evelyn and settling down with their plundered goods.

The young Duke of Evelyn spent little time in his estate, but whenever he did, he would immediately ride out and swiftly eliminate such stragglers.

If this land were ever opened to the common people.

On such a day, the Duke wished for Evelyn to be the most peaceful estate in the empire.

“This year’s purge seems to have ended faster than usual.”

“The Margravine’s efforts must have been significant.”

The captain’s words were met with a low response from the Duke.

It was rare for the cleanup to be completed in just one day, but this year, the number of pirates was unusually low.

It was a positive sign.

Soon, the efforts of the young Viscountess Elizabeth, who was on a summer inspection, would also contribute.

The Duke rose from his seat with a dignified movement.

“Shall we head to the bell tower when the sun rises?”

“We will see the Emperor and the Prince first.”

As he moved, his cloak, lined with magical beast fur, rippled like the night sky.

The captain bowed deeply.

“Prince Penethian of the New Kingdom is going to the bell tower tomorrow. Therefore, the Emperor and the Prince Cardinal will also accompany him.”

“...”

The Duke closed and then opened her beautiful eyes.

On that cliff were the temple, the bell tower, the relic of the 'Air' attribute, and her father’s grave.

She couldn’t send the prince alone.

She thought for a moment and then spoke softly.

“Then,”

“Pirate ship! Pirate ship!”

A knight on watch shouted loudly. The campsite instantly became chaotic.

The knights quickly extinguished the fires and formed ranks.

The Duke, without a moment’s hesitation or doubt, took the lead.

-Swish!

An ancient and mysterious sword appeared in the man’s hand with a clear ringing sound.

He began walking, focusing only on the front.

The forest’s boundary peeled away like a veil, and soon the cliff, shrouded in darkness, revealed itself.

The Duke’s boots stood on the salty earth.

-Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Dozens of spears aimed at the sea rose swiftly above the neatly aligned knights.

But no one was surprised by this phenomenon.

The Duke narrowed her eyes and gazed at the horizon.

On the dark sea, the lights of the pirate ship were rising like a sunrise.

Though the distance was great, she was certain.

It was neither an ordinary merchant ship nor a noble’s pleasure boat.

“His Majesty doesn’t need to know about this.”

The Duke declared.

“I will end it here.”

Her gloves had vanished.

At that moment, the deputy captain waved a magic stone telescope.

“Your Highness, it’s a white flag! They’re flying a white flag!”