The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 61

Evelyn rose from her seat, having concluded her business here.

“I think I should be heading back now,” she said, striding quickly toward the door.

Unconsciously, Ilya also got up and followed her. Just before the door opened, he extended an arm to close it.

Evelyn froze in her tracks, just moments before exiting. Ilya’s dark, inky hair brushed against her neck and cheek as he lowered his head. She could hear a slightly husky voice near her ear.

“Lady, stay the night here,” he suggested, his words leaving her with her back turned to him.

“Is that… a request, or an order?” she inquired, still facing away from the man.

He let out a deep sigh and murmured, “A request.”

With determination, she tightened her grip on the doorknob. “I’ll decline that request.”

A moment later, Ilya removed his hand from the door and stepped aside. Evelyn walked out without looking back, leaving him to watch as the door swung open and she disappeared.

****

The following morning, René was taken aback when he entered his study. A large man was sitting upright on the cold floor.

“Your Highness, why are you here instead of your comfortable chamber? Did you spend the night here?” he asked.

Since last night, Ilya has been plagued by an intense ringing in his ears and a pounding headache after Evelyn left the study. His condition, which had briefly improved upon returning to the grand citadel after the war, had worsened day by day.

“Your Highness, where does it hurt?”

René inquired as he placed his hand on Ilya’s shoulder. He was taken aback by the stiffness he encountered.

“I believe I should eat something first,” Ily replied, sounding distant, and René couldn’t help but be alarmed by the rock-like tension in his shoulders.

Ilya weakly smiled at René, a display of powerlessness that had been rarely seen since he had become an adult. René sighed at the sight of this listless version of Ilya that he hadn’t witnessed in a long time.

René took hold of his arm and guided him out to the sitting room. He gently seated Ilya in a chair, his piercing eyes filled with concern, and then headed to the kitchen.

After a short while, René returned to the sitting room, carrying a large tray. He handed Ilya a cup of herbal tea first. Ilya took a sip and made a face at the bitterness. Seeing this, René chuckled.

“I see you don’t like the taste. Feeling a bit more composed now?” he asked.

The ringing in Iliya’s ears had slightly lessened, and he nodded slowly.

“Your Highness, try this as well,” René said, placing a flat plate in front of Ilya. On the plate, there was a thick chicken sandwich, which he liked, and freshly boiled potatoes.

As Ilya hurriedly devoured the sandwich, René grumbled while peeling the skin off a boiled potato.

“I’m not supposed to be raising a child at my age, let alone peeling potato skins.”

After swallowing the last bite of his sandwich, Ilya finally laughed. Carefully peeling the potato skin and puffing it into the air, René screamed as he dropped the hot potato.

“Oops, hot!”

“René, be careful!”

Ilya caught the potato just before it hit the floor and placed it back on the plate. He said to René, who was sitting across from him, “I can manage on my own, so just sit.”

René remained silent until Ilya had finished his meal.Then, he asked, “Your Highness, what’s the matter with Lady Evelyn?”

Iliya, who had been looking satisfied with a full stomach, suddenly turned serious.

“There’s nothing wrong. It’s just… the same. We’re in a relationship where things won’t particularly get better or worse,” he said with a hint of ambiguity. René pointed out the truth when Ilya offered a vague explanation.

“Why hasn’t anything improved? You and Lady Evelyn were getting along just fine. She slept well in the guest house, and we felt relieved about it,” René asked. Ilya had no immediate answer. While he was at it, René wanted to address something he’d been wanting to say.

“And… things have gotten worse too, haven’t they? Did you have to do that right in front of Lady Evelyn?” René mumbled vaguely, but Ilya understood him immediately. He was talking about the discussion of Marquis Maduse’s birthday gift.

“Evelyn is the only Marquis here, so it makes sense,” René called out to Ilya with a troubled expression.

“Your Highness, I’ve been through one failed marriage, and that’s why I’m saying this…” René paused and then continued, “When you part ways later, even if you do part ways, it’s better not to have regrets about the emotions in that moment. I hope Your Highness understands that.”

Ilya couldn’t quite grasp what René meant.

“Emotions, the emotions of that moment. I’m not saying this because I have something to say to you regarding a divorce. Just saying…” René fell silent, unsure of how to continue.

“Guests are here,” he said, abruptly changing the topic.

A middle-aged woman with a large bag in her hand entered the sitting room. René noticed her and quickly stood up.

“You’re a bit late,” he commented.

As the woman approached, René introduced her to Ilya, “Your Highness, this is Debbie. She’s the maid Lord Lauren recommended to take care of you.”

A few days ago, Nikolas stormed into his study. The memory came back to him. Lauren Marquis had said something about sending his own person to the fortress, noting that Lauren’s maid was the best when it came to poisons and medications. This woman, standing there, appeared to be the person Nikolas had sent.

“Your Highness, it’s an honor to meet you,” Debbie said politely and curtsied. As the maid extended a greeting, Ilya scrutinized her with narrowed eyes.

“Is she affiliated with Marquis Lauren?” Ilya inquired.

“Not anymore. I retired from the position of maid three years ago because my parents fell ill, and I returned to my hometown,” Debbie explained.

After exchanging a few more words with the maid, Ilya got got to the point.

“René, have you found out anything about that red cloth fragment?”

“Other than the fact that it appears to be stained with human blood, nothing,” René replied.

It wasn’t substantial evidence. Ilya felt another headache coming on, so he pressed his fingers against his temples.

The maid took the cloth fragment from her medical bag and placed it on the table. She then spoke.

“Your Highness, may I say something?”

Ilya nodded as if encouraging her to speak.

“Do you happen to have any personal items from the late Grand Duke?” she asked.

Ilya shook his head. “When I returned after the war, my brother was no longer of this world. I had already burned most of the things he used.”

The maid let out a long sigh and continued.

“Examining hair, nails, or toenails for traces of poison is the fastest and most accurate method. If you happen to have any belongings left behind by the late Grand Duke, those items might still contain such traces.”

Ilya fell into deep thought. In a barely audible voice, he murmured, “It’s not entirely impossible. Even if the body inside the coffin has decayed, those things you mentioned might still be intact.”

René quickly interjected, “Your Highness, that’s not an option! Disturbing the rest of the deceased is…”

“True, we could be accused of heresy for that. Besides, such an approach might face strong opposition from none other than the High Inquisitor himself,” Ilya grumbled.

“Your Highness, please consider searching the Grand Duke’s bedroom or study. He might have left something behind,” René suggested.

“Fine, I’ll look into it.”

Many of the employees in the Grand Citadel, including the chambermaids, were originally from Selice. Since no one could be trusted, Ilya decided to personally investigate the traces left by Nasir.

The medical maid, who had been silently observing the two, spoke up again.

“Your Highness, I have one more request.”

“Speak.”

“May I examine the medical records of the late Grand Duke before his passing?”

Ilya hesitated briefly. The health of the former Grand Duke, the leader of the Ajauntice Grand Duchy, had been classified as confidential. However, Nasir was already deceased, and such matters were rendered meaningless in the ongoing investigation into his death.

Ilya made his decision. “Permission granted.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Ilya turned to the two people before him and said, “Let’s expedite our efforts until the Chief Commander returns.”

Upon hearing the term “Chief Commander,” René’s expression momentarily changed, and Ilya couldn’t help but smile.

****

As time passed swiftly, the diplomatic envoy for Marquis Maduse’s birthday celebration finally departed for the Eastern lands in the morning. After seeing them off, Arthas came to the annex, not the guesthouse, for a specific reason. He was here to meet Sophie.

“Are you really the father of the Chief Commander, sir?” Sophie inquired.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Nikolas confirmed.

Nikolas had been taking a walk through the gardens in the annex. He paused momentarily.

Over there, a knight who resembled a bear and a brown-haired maid were chattering away. In normal circumstances, he might have let them be, pretending not to notice if they were on a secret date. However, the knight’s voice sounded quite familiar.

“That’s the guy I saw at the Citadel. Evelyn’s bodyguard, named Arthas, if I remember correctly.”

“Will everyone return safely? I’m so scared of Marquis Maduse…”

“Sophie, did you often see Marquis Maduse?”

“Yes, quite frequently. He’s a truly dreadful person.”

The maid seemed to be one of the attendants brought by Evelyn from her parents’ estate.

“What are they doing together here?” Nikolas decided to observe the two a bit longer.

“The young lady should brighten up when she sees these flowers,” the maid said while holding a pair of scissors and adding a bunch of freshly cut flowers to the knight’s basket.

Nikolas quickly understood the situation. They probably came all the way here to pick flowers for Evelyn, who was feeling down because of the diplomatic envoy.

“Have you prepared a birthday gift for the young lady?” the maid asked.

“On my day off, I’ll go fishing in the valley with Louis and Marcello. Hehe, we had it last time, and it was good,” the knight replied.

Nikolas had to stifle a laugh by covering his mouth with his hand. It seemed the knight, who resembled a bear, was the one who had presented Evelyn with that delicious roasted bear meat back in the Black Forest.

Nikolas felt a liking for the knight, who resembled a bear. They were likely planning a surprise party for Evelyn, who was approaching her birthday.

He continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“But is it true that Lady never had a birthday party, just because her birthday coincides with the family’s anniversary?”

“Yes, it may be hard to believe, but it’s true.”

Nikolas let out a long sigh. He recalled the chubby face he had seen at the Grand Mage Academy’s contest. The thought of that chubby-cheeked girl made him feel nauseated.

“What a backward village it must be. I just don’t fit in well with the Central Lands.”

With a bitter expression, he turned away.