Mort (8)

I returned to the lady’s chamber in a daze and sat down.

I opened the second volume of <The Adventures of Doldopin> that I had been reading, but not a single word entered my eyes. My thoughts were far too tangled.

In truth, I was accustomed to such criticism. During the social season, nobles had insulted me with far crueler words. A mistress, a witch. Compared to those insults, the vassals’ words were almost reasonable criticism. My family was of no benefit to Mort, and I was unable to properly carry out the duties of the lady of the house, so as his retainers, they might naturally feel dissatisfied.

Even knowing that, my spirits sank because Victor had been spoken ill of because of me.

I had been happy when he said he wanted me by his side, and I had thought I did not care what anyone else said. But seeing Victor treated as a foolish lord because of me made my heart ache.

And then there was the name that had come up at the end, Morteon. Who in the world was he?

Unless I was mistaken, that was clearly the name of Mort’s ‘heir.’ It was a name given to the legitimate successor by slightly altering the family name. I, Katarina, and the eldest children of most noble houses all had such names.

And ‘Victor’ was clearly not the name of an heir.

“My Lady, dinner is ready.”

I flinched and turned my head. Mary was carefully calling to me with a worried expression. I forced a smile and headed toward the dining room.

Victor was already in the dining room. When he saw me, he smiled brightly and asked,

“Marion, did you enjoy yourself today as well?”

Avoiding his gaze, I nodded. I simply could not bring myself to face him. Food was soon served, but I had no appetite and merely picked at it.

Victor quickly noticed that something was wrong.

“……Marion.”

“Yes.”

“Will you tell me what is troubling you?”

I finally managed to raise my head. Victor was looking at me with concern. The moment I saw those amber-like eyes, the words that had already been caught in my throat became even more difficult to speak. I had no idea where to begin.

The insults I had overheard, the suggestive remarks, and the questions that had been piling up……

In the end, I asked what I was most curious about first.

“Do you know the name Morteon?”

Someone gasped.

I instinctively turned my head. The attendants holding water pitchers and napkins had gone pale and lowered their heads. Mary and the other maids had as well. Even Dideric appeared slightly tense.

Frowning in confusion, I looked toward the head of the table.

─And for the first time in a long while, I faced Victor when he had become frighteningly still.

“Where did you hear that name?”

Victor’s face was expressionless. There was none of his usual gentle smile or playful gaze. The atmosphere froze in an instant.

My instincts sent out a warning. ‘Walking Death’ was right before me.

In a chillingly low voice, he asked once more,

“Marion, where did you hear that name?”

“……Please wait a moment.”

I turned my head and dismissed all the attendants. Mary, deathly pale, tried to say something, but I gestured for all of them to leave.

Soon, only the two of us remained in the vast and splendid dining room. I looked down briefly at the untouched veal before turning back to Victor.

“So you do know it.”

He raised the gaze he had lowered.

“Will you not answer my question?”

“I asked first.”

Victor fell silent. His face remained expressionless as he sank into deep thought. Pressing my lips into a straight line, I waited for his answer.

Before long, Victor spoke dryly.

“I had an elder brother. Morteon Mort, my father’s eldest son and the previous Grand Duke.”

“…….”

“But he died during the war.”

For an instant, indescribable pain crossed his face. It lasted only a moment, but I could not have failed to notice it. The tormented expression I had seen every dawn returned to mind—the face he wore when he woke rigid, dreaming of hell, and swung his sword.

My heart sank. I placed my hand over his and apologized.

“I am sorry for making you remember something so painful.”

“No. I should have told you sooner.”

Victor smiled bitterly.

“His name is practically forbidden within the castle. I do not particularly…… want to hear it.”

“I understand.”

“Then answer me now. Where did you hear that name?”

I hesitated for a moment.

I did not know how to explain it. If I repeated the vassals’ words exactly, Victor would be hurt. He might become angry or apologize. Even imagining it made my heart heavy.

At the same time, I remembered what had happened in the capital. How the things I had endured and hidden had ultimately caused greater pain for everyone. Victor had looked truly sorrowful when he apologized to me too late. I did not want to see him like that again.

I looked up at him. Victor silently waited for me to speak. After hesitating, I made my decision.

It should be all right to tell him, should it not? I had developed a few questions recently, but the Victor I had seen was still a warm and gentle person. If I told him early, he would surely resolve it like the merciful knight he was.

For the first time in my life, I told on someone.

“I heard it from some vassals passing through the castle corridor during the day.”

“…….”

“They were complaining that they could no longer manage the budget themselves, and they said that because I was incapable of managing the ledgers, they had been able to erase certain traces. And…… they also said they could not understand why you would keep a talentless woman like me as Grand Duchess.”

Victor remained silent. Only his bright yellow eyes stared at me like torches.

“Then they lamented that none of this would have happened if Lord Morteon were still here. That was all.”

I quietly finished speaking.

Silence lingered in the dining room for a long while. I looked at Victor anxiously.

Had I upset him? Of course I had.

I added dejectedly,

“I am sorry.”

“For what?”

“You heard things you never needed to hear because of me.”

The instant the words left my mouth, Victor lifted my hand. Hot kisses touched every callused joint of my fingers.

He whispered desperately,

“Please do not apologize, Marion. I am the one who should be sorry.”

“Victor……”

“I swore I would never let something like this happen again, yet once more……”

I could not see his expression clearly. His lowered eyelashes concealed his eyes.

I barely managed to raise the corners of my mouth.

“It is all right. It was nothing serious.”

“…….”

“Shall we eat now? The soup looks delicious!”

I busily picked up my spoon for no reason. As I diligently ate the lukewarm soup, I felt Victor’s gaze on me.

When I turned my head, he relaxed his stiff expression and gave me an intensely captivating smile. He pushed a bowl of warm pot-au-feu soup toward me.

“Eat plenty, Marion. The chef said he took special care with it.”

“Are you not eating, Victor?”

“Do you still not know that I do not eat very much?”

Victor smiled. Then he shook his head and pretended to sigh.

“Eighty percent of the snacks you send to my office end up in Kaltz’s mouth.”

“He is a bad knight, touching his lord’s plate.”

Victor laughed. Feeling relieved, I pulled the bowl closer.

I was glad I had spoken honestly after all. He did not seem as angry as I had expected.

We finished our private dinner together with smiles.

I returned to my room with the maids who had been waiting outside. They still looked frightened, but they asked no further questions and attended to me.

After changing into a shirt and trousers, I headed toward the bedroom.

Victor had not arrived yet. I opened <The Adventures of Doldopin, the Wandering Knight>, which I had left unfinished.

In the book, Doldopin had finally obtained the gorgon’s venom and was returning to the tower where Flamberge waited.

[In the end, Flamberge obtained the dreadful and vicious poison.
“What are you going to use that for, My Lady?”
Doldopin asked blankly from beneath the tower.
Flamberge poured the poison into a teapot and smiled as beautifully as a daffodil.
“I am going to share it with all the kind knights.”]

Beside the passage was an illustration of Flamberge and Doldopin. In the picture, Flamberge was laughing with her mouth wide open, making her look terrifying rather than beautiful. In one corner, the guards assigned to watch her trembled while holding poisoned teacups. But as always, Doldopin merely stared at Flamberge with a vacant expression.

I turned the page suspiciously.

No matter how I looked at it, this was suspicious. Why did Doldopin not notice? Was it because he was an idiot?

As I pondered seriously, someone wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“Is the book truly that interesting?”

“Victor!”

I closed the book and looked up at him. He wore a robe, and the clean scent of soap drifted from him. The instant I saw the droplets of water on his chest, I hurriedly looked away. My cheeks reddened on their own.

‘I told him to…… wear his clothes properly…….’

His upper body was plainly visible between the folds of fabric he had carelessly tied together. Victor followed my gaze and smiled broadly.

“What is wrong? Do you dislike looking at me?”

“Please do not tease me……”

Mumbling, I placed the book on the bedside table and faced Victor.

His fingers stroked my hair as though touching something precious. Thick emotion clung to the slow movement of his hand. Entranced, I looked up at Victor.

Victor spoke without a trace of laughter in his voice.

“Marion, you saved me.”

“…….”

“Not even an immeasurable fortune could make me exchange you for anything.”

He kissed the tip of my nose. Holding back my trembling breath, I raised my gaze.

Once again, Victor’s eyes had become dark and unreadable. He whispered,

“I do not care what anyone else says. As long as I have you, that is enough.”

A chill ran down my spine. Victor’s strong arms pulled me into an embrace. My ears grew hot on their own. Breathing in the dizzying scent of musk, I closed my eyes.

“Thank you, Victor.”

Soon, his lips met mine.