OPDPS 82

Romance, after all, was easily ruined when too many people interfered. That was why they kept their mouths shut—if word got out and the two fell apart because of it, the Grand Duke wouldn’t let it slide. No one knew where the rage of a man scorned in his first love might land.

Moreover, the members of the purge unit carried a subtle sense of guilt toward Aeryl. In the early days of the Great Purge, they had misunderstood and ostracized him.

It was a thing of the past, but because those who volunteered for the purge were all people with strong senses of justice, they felt all the more guilty about it. They couldn’t do anything direct to help Aeryl now, so at the very least, they kept the rumors at bay in an effort to preserve the quiet life he desired.

There were other reasons too—wanting to protect a secret known only among themselves, or interpreting the Grand Duke’s apparent distance from Aeryl as a desire to keep their relationship private.

Of course, not every member kept the secret. Some told important figures of the Grand Duke’s household, like Lady Merel, and others slipped up in drunken chatter after returning to their hometowns.

However, the usual response was disbelief. Who could believe that the Ice Duke was in love? It sounded absurd. Stories of him tossing a naked girl out the window when she tried to seduce him were too well known.

“Thankfully, most people dismiss it as nonsense, but there are those trying to confirm it. If we treat the doctor differently, it’ll stand out. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Got it!”

They all agreed to be careful, and some time passed. From the outer quarters, the man in charge of the bell tower repairs and the outer quarters’s physician appeared. As greetings and pleasantries were exchanged, the Grand Duke and Aeryl arrived from the inner quarters.

“Greetings, Your Grace.”

As everyone bowed to the Grand Duke, Mason looked at Aeryl. When their eyes met, Aeryl recognized Mason and gave him a small smile.

‘Ah, I still really like him…’

Mason’s heart instantly melted. At the same time, he noticed that he wasn’t the only one watching Aeryl.

‘Why is the outer quarters physician looking at Master like that?’

The physician was staring at Aeryl with a burning gaze, as if he held a grudge. He was large, too—if he so much as bumped into Aeryl, the man could go flying.

‘This time, I’ll protect him!’

Mason resolved himself. Whether he would be able to fulfill that promise remained uncertain—but with that, the party mounted their horses and departed for the inventor’s residence.

***

Nothing happened during the journey.

Not long after they departed, the sun rose. They mostly traveled along well-maintained main roads, so the path was safe. Aeryl had been nervous at first since it had been a while since he went out, but he soon relaxed and began to enjoy the scenery.

It wasn’t until past noon that they arrived at the forest where the inventor’s house was located.

‘Another forest, huh.’

The forest brought back unpleasant memories of the one they stayed in during the Great Purge. But once they arrived, he saw it was completely different. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, and colorful autumn foliage blanketed the forest floor in a picturesque manner.

Following a narrow path, they eventually reached a large lake—so vast that the small ferry on it looked tiny in comparison. The sunlight glimmered on the water’s surface, creating a beautiful sparkle.

‘There’s an island.’

In one corner of the lake stood an island, and oddly enough, it had something that resembled a fortress wall.

‘Is the inventor’s house inside there?’

There were no buildings visible anywhere else, so naturally, what lay beyond the wall became the focus of suspicion.

“Your Grace! You’ve arrived!”

A group came running upon spotting the Grand Duke’s party. They were the ones previously dispatched to bring the inventor in, now watching over him to prevent escape.

The Grand Duke and his group dismounted. Staring at the island, the Grand Duke spoke.

“I want an immediate report.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The man in charge, face tense, began to explain the current situation.

Just as Aeryl had guessed, the inventor’s house was located inside the walled area on the island. Since refusing the Grand Duke’s summons, the inventor had holed up and refused to come out.

“He’s set up all sorts of traps on the island. The moment we tried to approach by boat, rocks were launched at us. And even when we barely managed to set foot on the island, there were so many traps laid out that it was impossible to go any farther.”

“Just as the reports said.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is the inventor the only one on the island?”

“As far as we can tell, yes—there’s only one house.”

Just then, another voice cut in.

“The inventor’s son is likely there with him.”

A man with a strange voice approached the Grand Duke. He was an old man with well-groomed white hair, and though his face was lined with deep wrinkles, his eyes still gleamed with a powerful intensity.

“Rynello.”

When the Grand Duke called his name, Rynello knelt in greeting. The Grand Duke gazed down at him silently, but Aeryl somehow got the feeling that he wanted to sigh. There was a tinge of irritation in his pheromones too.

“And what are you doing here?”

The Grand Duke questioned him in a reproachful tone.

Rynello responded with a friendly smile. The fact that he could smile under the weight of the Grand Duke’s cold voice and sharp pheromones proved he wasn’t an ordinary man.

Aeryl observed Rynello.

Who is this man, exactly?

Judging by his clothes and demeanor, Rynello was clearly a noble.

A northern noble…

There were many small noble houses in the North besides the Grand Duke’s family, all sworn to his service. Aeryl guessed Rynello was one of them.

“I came because I wanted to be of help. How could I sit still when Your Grace personally took the field? Besides, I have some connection to the inventor.”

Rynello explained. The Grand Duke’s pheromones rippled again—he was clearly displeased. And yet, he didn’t order him to leave.

“Fine. Watch and stay out of the way.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I won’t disappoint you.”

Rynello kept smiling, as if he welcomed the Grand Duke’s frosty demeanor.

‘Agh… I should avoid standing out. I’ll just be quiet—like I’m not even here.’

With that thought, Aeryl tried to quietly slip behind Mason, but his eyes met Rynello’s.

Rynello quickly turned his head, so it was only a brief moment, but Aeryl didn’t miss the flicker of dislike that crossed the man’s face.

‘He doesn’t like me?’

Aeryl instinctively knew it.

‘But why? He doesn’t even know me.’

He was confused, but he had learned something during the Great Purge:

There were people who liked you for no reason—so it was only natural there’d be people who disliked you without one too. There was no way to control others’ preferences. The only thing that mattered was how he chose to respond.

Unless he interferes with the Grand Duke’s treatment, there’s no need to care.

Whoever Rynello was, they likely wouldn’t cross paths again once this was over.

There was no reason to waste energy on it. Let him dislike him if he wanted to.

After speaking briefly with Rynello and the man in charge, the Grand Duke crossed the lake. He wanted to personally let the inventor know he had come and try to speak with him.

While that was happening, Aeryl remained on land, watching the party from a distance. As the boat approached the island, a boulder flew from the wall. It didn’t hit the boat, fortunately, but it splashed into the water, sending ripples across the lake and nearly capsizing the vessel. One knight was even flung overboard.

‘Is that rock-launcher automatic?’

It didn’t seem like someone was aiming and throwing manually. Either way, the Grand Duke’s group managed to set foot on the island safely. Around that time, a man appeared atop the wall.

“That must be the inventor.”

“Looks like it.”

“Seems so.”

“Huh?”

At Mason’s voice, someone else echoed the sound. Surprised, Aeryl turned to the side and saw the outer quarters physician standing there.

Aeryl found him unsettling. Ever since their first meeting, the man kept staring at him—and his gaze was far too intense.

‘What is it? He can’t possibly know who I am… right?’

Because he was hiding his identity, he felt a creeping sense of unease. Aeryl pulled his hood lower and quietly edged closer to Mason.

Meanwhile, on the island, the Grand Duke and the inventor had begun talking. Though he couldn’t hear every word, he could see the Grand Duke saying something like, “If you come out now, I’ll forgive you,” and the inventor bowing repeatedly and apologizing.

“Doesn’t look like things are going well.”

“Right? It’s strange. His Grace himself came, and the man dares to be so rude.”

Aeryl spoke, and Mason replied. Then the outer quarters physician naturally joined the conversation.

“Maybe there’s more going on. Lord Rynello mentioned the inventor might be ill.”

“I’ve heard that too. But if he’s sick, wouldn’t he be more likely to come out for help?”

“Some people prefer to hide their illness. But, um…”

The physician hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke up. Aeryl tensed. He had a feeling the man was about to say why he kept glancing at him.