OPDPS 124

Aeryl instinctively caught Sorel as he rushed over. The red-headed boy followed, looking at Aeryl. Both of them were covered in dirt, and their palms were scraped and bleeding.

“Let’s go inside,” Aeryl quickly opened the door to the infirmary and seated the children. One by one, he cleaned their blood and examined their wounds before treating them with healing magic.

“How did you get hurt like this? Did you find a hole to crawl through?”

“No, I fell while climbing a tree.”

“It’s fine to play, but you need to be careful! What if you fall after climbing something like a tree?”

“I’ll be careful…”

“I’m sorry…”

Aeryl scolded them firmly before handing out candies. The children, who had been downcast from the scolding, quickly cheered up at the sight of the treats. It seemed they were still young. Though they came from noble families, Aeryl wondered if it was really okay for a mere physician like him to scold them. But Sorel, and even the red-headed boy, seemed to accept it with ease.

“By the way, is there somewhere you’re trying to endure the pain?” Aeryl asked, especially focusing on Sorel. When he looked closely, Sorel raised his chin and smirked.

“I’m not in pain anymore. The Grand Duke came by before and checked my swordsmanship. Since I learned directly from His Grace, there’s no way it would hurt!”

“Is that so?” Aeryl replied with a smile, agreeing. Previously, he had told the Grand Duke that showing interest in Sorel by teaching him swordsmanship might be a good way to connect with him, so it seemed his suggestion had been taken seriously.

“Yes! His Grace even demonstrated! You don’t know how amazing it was!”

“Me? I’ve seen His Grace fight firsthand.”

“What? When?”

“At the Great Purge. It was incredible.”

“I didn’t get to see it!”

Seeing Sorel pout was so adorable that Aeryl teased him lightly. Then the red-headed boy chimed in.

“You participated in the Great Purge! They say it’s an honor just to be a porter. Could you tell us more about it?”

The boy’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Aeryl. Sorel, too, jumped off his seat and declared:

“Alright. Aeryl, you’re invited to lunch!”

“Huh?”

“Lunch! We were going to eat together, but we’ll let you join us. After all, you’re my friend!”

Did he think of me as a friend and not just a physician? That’s fine, but the invitation was tricky.

“I’m an outsider, so wouldn’t I need permission from Lady Merel?”

“Yep! She says you can come anytime!”

Somehow, that felt more ominous.

“I appreciate the invite, but I have a lot to do right now.”

Aeryl tried to politely decline, but when he saw Sorel’s disappointed expression, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. The boy looked so sad, and it made Aeryl’s heart ache, especially since he resembled the Grand Duke.

“…But I suppose time is always flexible. Thank you for the invitation, Young Master.”

“Really? You’ll come?”

“Yes.”

Sorel quickly grabbed Aeryl’s hand and led him out of the infirmary, proudly holding his other friend’s hand as he walked. His round cheeks, already plump, puffed up even more with his smile.

Although he didn’t know how Lady Merel would react, Aeryl felt strangely happy, watching the joyful children. He felt like he could handle anything.

‘What if I end up becoming a doting father like this?’

Suddenly, Aeryl imagined himself holding a child, then quickly pushed the thought aside. Why did he imagine the baby with black hair of all things…?

***

Lady Merel stood before a full-length mirror, adjusting her attire.

“It seems like the meal is almost finished.”

“Yes.”

She had heard that Sorel brought Aeryl to the dining hall and that the two of them, along with Sorel’s companion, were having lunch together. Lady Merel didn’t interfere, letting Sorel do as he pleased.

“Young Master seemed to be enjoying himself, with laughter echoing from the dining room.”

A maid discreetly reported the news. Lady Merel smiled gently.

In the past, she had admired how composed and mature Sorel was. But now that she knew it was because he had been suppressing himself out of caution, her thoughts had changed. She liked his vibrant and honest nature much more.

‘I hope I can continue making him happy like this.’

Lady Merel frowned slightly, feeling a headache coming on. Lately, she had been overthinking a lot, and even the smallest thing was making her head ache.

The cause was the Grand Duke. On the day of Aeryl’s kidnapping, the Grand Duke had said just one thing to her:

“As Sorel’s mother, there’s a limit to what I can overlook.”

When she first heard it, she was simply stunned.

When had anyone overlooked anything? No one could treat her carelessly, not after she had built her own power and strength through her position as the former Grand Duchess.

After the previous Grand Duke passed away, she had protected herself and Sorel using her own strength. It wasn’t because the Grand Duke had spared her!

Though she had almost forgotten about it, as time passed, she started to see things from a different perspective.

‘What exactly does he want from us?’

Until now, she had always believed that he wanted to kill her and Sorel, but she had never questioned it. Now, however, she was starting to consider other possibilities.

‘My goal is always to protect Sorel.’

And so, she racked her brain, trying to understand the Grand Duke’s true intentions. But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer.

Then, Sorel arrived with Aeryl at the dining hall.

‘Aeryl has… always been a great help.’

He was someone who liked Sorel and couldn’t turn away from people in need. If she asked for his help, what would he do? After all, he had the Grand Duke’s trust, and he might be able to uncover the Grand Duke’s true feelings.

After much thought, Lady Merel realized there was no one more suitable than Aeryl. She had been waiting for the chance to speak with him for some time.

“Now, I think it’s time to leave.”

She could no longer reach out to Aeryl through a maid due to the Grand Duke’s orders, so she had to do it herself.

The Count Iskel, who had led the abduction incident, saw his family completely fall from grace, and the bandits that had cooperated with him was caught and subjected to severe interrogation.

Lady Merel, who had been close to the Count and was aware of his malicious intent, had tried to stop him but didn’t report him immediately, instead pretending not to know. After the incident occurred, she brought in the Count’s butler and managed to get him to confess, but it wasn’t enough.

‘I thought at least he would destroy my influence and cut off my limbs, but that didn’t happen.’

The Grand Duke downplayed the incident and dealt with it quietly and swiftly. It had been an excellent opportunity to frame it as a rebellion and eliminate his political enemies, yet he hadn’t even touched Lady Merel.

‘What is he thinking? Is he really letting me go?’

She couldn’t understand. She was the only one who knew the late Grand Duke’s will, and Sorel was the rightful heir to the Grand Duchy. The Grand Duke should want to kill her and Sorel more than anyone else, so why had he let them go?

‘Is it because I’m Sorel’s mother…? So he’s doing this for Sorel, isn’t he?’

Why would the Grand Duke be doing this for Sorel? Sorel was still young and a political rival.

The more she thought about it, the more confusing the Grand Duke’s words became. She couldn’t read his intentions at all. As she pondered, a new question arose.

‘What does he want to do with us…?’

Until now, she had believed the Grand Duke wanted to kill her and Sorel, so she had never wondered about it. But now, a different possibility seemed to come to mind.

***

‘This reception room is starting to feel familiar.’

This was already the umpteenth time Aeryl had been to Lady Merel’s reception room. He sat on the same sofa as always.

Meanwhile, the maids quickly set up the tea table. Lady Merel sat opposite him, looking a bit haggard, as if she had been going through some emotional turmoil.

‘Why did she call me?’

Though Lady Merel had casually bumped into him in the hallway, Aeryl felt she had been waiting for him on purpose. Since Aeryl had been feeling guilty lately, he couldn’t help but follow her.

“I’m really sorry about the Count Iskel incident. I never thought he’d be capable of such cruel deeds. I had been warning him to be careful, but I never imagined he would go this far. If I had known, I would have reported him immediately.”

“It’s alright. There’s no fault on your part, My Lady.”

Aeryl had already heard from the Grand Duke that the abduction was considered the Count’s solo action. What was more surprising to him was that Lady Merel had rejected any involvement in kidnappings or murders.

‘My mother and siblings never turned down such things.’

Compared to the people he had known in his life, Lady Merel seemed more humane. Watching how she treated Sorel, Aeryl found himself unknowingly developing a liking for her. She didn’t seem like such a bad person after all.

“Thank you for saying that. I know it’s not much, but I prepared a small token for you.”

At Lady Merel’s gesture, a maid handed Aeryl a small box. He took it and placed it beside him.

“Thank you. I didn’t bring anything with me, so I feel embarrassed to accept it.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve heard you’ve been very busy lately. I heard that the Emperor’s envoys has arrived.”

“Haha, I heard His Majesty the Emperor is collecting beauties. It has nothing to do with me, though. I think they must have seen someone else.”

Aeryl chuckled lightly. “They didn’t come looking for me, I’m sure.”

“So, are you planning to leave?”

“No!”

Why would I go to the Imperial Palace! Aeryl was horrified.

“So you still want to leave the Grand Duke’s estate, but you don’t want to go to the Imperial Palace?”

“…”

He made a slip of the tongue! His true feelings had been exposed by his own disgust. Aeryl avoided the subject by pretending to sip his tea.

Lady Merel tilted her teacup and smiled. She could clearly see that he was troubled by the Emperor’s envoy.

“That must be difficult. You’re planning to leave, but people are looking for you.”

“It’s not like that.”

“There’s a way to disappear like rising to the heavens. Would you like me to show you?”

Her words were sweet, yet ominous.

“Or, there’s a path out of the Grand Duke’s estate that no one knows about. There are many hidden paths here.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“I’m offering to help you escape, before ‘that’ you’re hiding is discovered.”

“Haha. I’m not sure what you mean.”

Aeryl laughed and took another sip of his tea. He hoped his smile didn’t tremble. His heart skipped a beat.

This felt ominous!

‘Did she figure something out about me?’