OPDPS 118

Word reached the castle’s southern gate that an imperial delegation had arrived around mid-morning that day. Despite the Grand Duke having eyes and ears in every corner to monitor the imperial family’s movements, this delegation had arrived completely unannounced.

As such, time had to be taken to verify whether they were truly imperial envoys or just overconfident frauds with a death wish. While things were being stalled at the gate, key retainers gathered swiftly in the audience chamber of the Grand Duke’s castle.

A quiet murmur filled the chamber. Given the long-standing tension between the imperial family and the Grand Duke, it was only natural that the sudden arrival of imperial envoys would be met with suspicion.

“Word from the south gate says the delegation consists of two people: Baron Berel and a knight of the Emperor.”

Ordinarily, an imperial delegation would include many more prominent figures, if only to flaunt the Emperor’s prestige. But Baron Berel, while of noble blood, was the utterly useless third son of a noble house—good for little more than serving as a decorative husband to the Baroness. The Berel barony, though part of the north, hailed originally from the capital and was often involved in matters between the imperial family and the northern lords thanks to its extensive connections.

“Why would the Emperor’s knight come here? And what’s the point of bringing that consort along?”

“Well, you know how that man sticks his nose into anything and everything. The real issue is the Emperor’s knight…”

“The Grand Duke has arrived.”

At the attendant’s announcement, the door opened and Grand Duke Asirion strode into the chamber. The murmuring died instantly as all retainers turned to bow before their lord. The Grand Duke crossed the room without hesitation and took his seat at the center.

The chair, carved from a massive block of stone, was stark and unadorned, yet awe-inspiring by its sheer scale. When the Grand Duke, clad in black from head to toe with jet-black hair, seated himself there, he looked like a blade honed to perfection. Even the stone seemed to exist merely to showcase his presence.

“The imperial envoys?”

“They await in the outer quarters. What are your orders?”

“Prepare the usual guest rooms, and post strict surveillance. This is a hastily assembled delegation, led by the Emperor’s knight. Their objective lies within this castle—they won’t be leaving soon. Baron Berel is just there for appearances and will be flustered. Find someone acquainted with him and make contact.”

As always, the Grand Duke gave calm, calculated orders in a dry tone. He had received word at the same time as the rest, yet he showed no surprise—as if he had expected the delegation all along. That composure quickly settled the nerves of his retainers.

With a lord like this, what have we to fear from the Emperor?

Of course, the name imperial envoy alone was enough to keep them cautious. But realizing that the Grand Duke’s sharp gaze wasn’t aimed at them made some of them feel just a little amused.

“What could the Emperor’s knight want, I wonder?”

“I have a suspicion, but I’ll hear it from him directly.”

“Shall we admit the imperial delegation?”

A short silence followed, then an attendant announced the delegation’s arrival at the door. The Grand Duke gave a slight nod of permission, and the doors opened to admit the envoys.

One was indeed Baron Berel; the other was unfamiliar but wore the golden sun-shaped brooch over his heart that marked him as a knight of the Emperor.

The Grand Duke remained seated, silently watching their approach.

The baron’s husband couldn’t even meet his eyes, glancing about nervously as he shuffled forward. Just as the Grand Duke had expected, it seemed the man had been dragged into this delegation unexpectedly and unwillingly. By contrast, the Emperor’s knight met the Grand Duke’s gaze squarely, chest pushed forward to show off his brooch.

“I greet His Grace, Grand Duke Asirion, sovereign of the North.”

“As the Emperor’s blade, I stand before His Grace, Grand Duke Asirion.”

The two bowed in formal greeting. The knight’s salute, following imperial custom, reminded the Grand Duke of the first time he met Aeryl. He’d found it suspicious at the time, but now that he thought back, Aeryl’s soft, elegant greeting had been unexpectedly lovely.

‘I wonder if he’d do it again, if I asked?’

Of course, nothing could compare to the kind of greeting where he would throw himself into the Grand Duke’s arms out of joy. Distracted briefly by this stray thought, the Grand Duke waited until the delegation had started to grow visibly uncomfortable before speaking.

“Rise.”

The envoys stood.

“His Majesty must be in some hurry, sending a delegation so suddenly.”

“Y-yes, Your Grace. Please allow me to apologize for the discourtesy first. This is Sir Dervan, a knight of the Emperor. We were dispatched urgently due to a matter of great importance, and His Majesty granted the authority to act.”

Baron Berel spoke quickly and immediately stepped back, body language screaming that he wanted nothing to do with any of this.

“A matter of great importance. So His Majesty commands you to stir unrest in my domain and barge into my castle?”

“Of course not! His Majesty would never mean to provoke the Grand Duke!”

“Calm yourselves.”

The Grand Duke provoked, the retainers bristled, and the Grand Duke calmed them again. It happened without rehearsal, like clockwork.

“It’s not like that…! It’s a person! They’re here to find a person!”

Buckling under pressure, he blurted out the delegation’s true objective. Sir Dervan immediately turned a glare on him. The plan had been to coax out bits of information under vague pretense, eventually securing permission to remain in the castle under the guise of necessity—but that plan had already failed.

He had already lost to the Grand Duke. Not that he had ever trusted Baron Berel, but the Grand Duke had been more adept than he expected.

‘They call him Ice Monster, so I thought he’d be more uptight.’

Sir Dervan gave up the pretense and laid down his cards.

“There is someone we’ve been ordered to find by His Majesty. It seems they are staying here in the Grand Duke’s castle, so we’ve come to verify.”

“And who exactly are you looking for?”

“They go by the name of Aeryl. Apparently, they’ve been serving as a physician within the Grand Duke’s castle.”

Before Sir Dervan could even finish speaking, the audience chamber fell as silent as if ice water had been poured over it. A few bold retainers cautiously rolled their eyes around, exchanging furtive glances.

‘Of all people, he dares mention His Grace’s lover? Has this man come here to die?’

‘Who knows? Maybe it’s just a mistake—Aeryl’s a common enough name, after all…’

The Grand Duke quietly studied Sir Dervan before speaking.

“His Majesty must still be in good health. I had some fine medicinal herbs set aside as a birthday gift for next year, but I suppose they won’t be necessary.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I thought it was a baseless rumor—that His Majesty was sending out knights to search for a beauty. But seeing you here, it seems it wasn’t so baseless after all.”

To reach out to Aeryl, of all people. That decrepit old emperor—how dare he.

The Grand Duke was using every ounce of self-control to contain his fury.

He had suspected something was amiss from the moment Sir Dervan arrived. Not only had he already received intelligence that the emperor’s men were searching for a pretty blond, but the attempted abduction just the day before had been too suspicious.

It had been a chaotic chase, but the key fact remained: an unidentified person, powerful enough to interfere with his knights, had tried to capture Aeryl and failed. And now, the next day, one of the emperor’s knights showed up. How many such coincidences could the world hold?

Of course, Aeryl didn’t have blond hair—he had brown—but his beauty and charm more than made up for that small difference. Just like a sharp needle will always poke through even the deepest pocket, Aeryl stood out even when deliberately hidden inside the inner quarters.

“That’s an absurd rumor. That’s not why I’m here. I’m simply searching for a criminal who defied His Majesty’s orders.”

Sir Dervan denied it at once, but the retainers’ expressions had already turned from wary to openly hostile.

The emperor was already a meddlesome thorn in their side—now he coveted the Grand Duke’s current lover and future consort? That was as good as a declaration of war against the duchy.

“His Majesty truly amazes me! If I recall, twenty-eight years ago, didn’t he claim a forested region in the northwest under the pretense of hunting rebels? And now he warms himself every winter with the firewood from that very land!”

Rynello raised his voice, his white beard bristling with indignation, and the other retainers murmured their agreement.

There had been too many offenses over the years—from major incidents like tampering with the manastones produced in the duchy to cause accidents and then blaming them, to petty interference like obstructing recent grain purchases.

The Grand Duke was finally settling the scores, but not every previous duke had been capable enough to do the same.

“That’s all in the past. I’ve seen the criminal myself, and I’m simply here to confirm their identity. This is a matter of legitimate cause, and His Majesty has personally ordered it—so even Your Grace cannot simply ignore it.”

Sir Dervan stood his ground, as one would expect of an imperial knight. But the Grand Duke responded with finality.

“Aeryl is mine. Even if His Majesty comes in person, I won’t hand him over. So leave.”

“Are you protecting someone who has committed a grievous crime against His Majesty?”

“And what crime would that be?”

“I am not at liberty to say.”

“Then we have no way of knowing whether this so-called cause is legitimate. Bring someone who is at liberty to say so. Then we’ll speak again.”

With that, the Grand Duke flicked his fingers, ending the conversation. The retainers fell silent. Sir Dervan opened his mouth to protest again, but Baron Berel tugged at his sleeve, pleading with him until he was finally dragged out.

“Your Grace, please don’t worry. There’s no way we’re letting anyone take Doctor Aeryl.”

“We’ll all protect him. What could the emperor do from so far away, anyway?”

The retainers all spoke up in support. The castle had been in total chaos just from Aeryl going missing for a short time the day before. If the emperor were to steal him away? The Grand Duke might personally march on the imperial palace.

More than anything, there was one serious issue.

‘If we lose Doctor Aeryl, His Grace might never get married.’

This was a matter that concerned the future of both the Asirion House and the entire Grand Duchy.

Even when everyone else had married and was enjoying the joys of raising children, the Grand Duke had never once even been in love. The chance of meeting someone new if he lost Aeryl? As good as zero.

So this was it—Aeryl was his first and last chance.

And for the sake of peace, the retainers resolved to protect Aeryl as if it were their own duty.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of any of this, Aeryl was cowering in a bathroom.