The Missing Lady (3)

Roderick, who was worried about the Grand Duchess of Tessen’s banquet, was called by Alicia in a pampering tone.

“Roni.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“How old does that friend from earlier look to you?”

These days, Roderick had been trying to act like a dignified and trustworthy noble. He especially put effort into imitating a reliable and courteous nobleman in front of Alicia, the Grand Duchess of Tessen, and around the Prayer House.

“Why are you asking me that, Your Highness? As for a woman’s age, Your Highness, being a woman yourself, would know better.”

Hah, honestly, Roderick blamed Alicia for asking him a question he could not possibly know.

“It’s not that Roderick knows these things well, but I wanted to hear the valuable opinion of the Grand Duke’s excellent aide. Reina….”

Alicia trailed off while humoring Roderick, who was putting on airs of refinement.

Reina?

Roderick, who had decided not to be swayed even if Alicia buttered him up with skillful praise, listened closely to the Grand Duchess, who had stopped mid-sentence. Alicia only grinned and did not finish what she had been about to say.

“Your Highness, it is not a good habit to stop in the middle of speaking.”

“Are you correcting me? Hah, honestly. Your valuable opinion comes first, Count Berman.”

Alicia brightly smiled and played innocent. Roderick wondered whether the Grand Duke of Tessen, who simply barked and issued firm orders, might actually be the easier master to serve.

“Though I am truly a novice in such matters, in my opinion, twenty-two, or at most twenty-four? …That is what I think.”

After saying it aloud, Roderick regretted sounding too certain.

“Mm, that was a great help.”

Alicia, who had been sunk in thought, nodded. She wore an expression as though she had understood something, but she did not say what it was.

“Your Highness, what shall we do about the guest’s disappearance? If it becomes known that a noble lady on her way to a banquet in Tessen vanished, it will not be good for Tessen. Shall we search the border between Restoe and Tessen?”

“No.”

“Then, shall we send word to the imperial capital garrison….”

“No.”

“Then shall we quietly contact only the Combat family first?”

As a practical man, Roderick tried his best to solve the problem. He was a good aide.

Alicia merely shook her head like a misbehaving child.

“……”

In the violet eyes looking up at Roderick, there was a strong rebuke asking what the point of that would be. There was also a reproach asking whether he still did not understand the situation. He would rather have suffered Reichardt’s cold verbal abuse.

‘What is it, why are you the only one who knows? You ought to tell me too.’

Roderick strongly wanted to protest. But the soft face shaking its head with that strange expression held a power that made rebellion impossible. Also, he had a private reason for wanting to make a good impression on Tessen’s mistress.

“What have you found out, Your Highness?”

At Roderick’s polite and cautious question, Alicia nodded absentmindedly.

“There is a message that must be sent urgently to the imperial capital.”

Alicia took out an invitation to the Grand Duchess of Tessen’s banquet from a drawer. On a spare banquet invitation, Alicia wrote the family to be invited and her own signature, stamped it with her seal, and handed it to Roderick.

Combat and Swan.

Alicia had new invitations sent again to the two families involved in today’s disappearance.

“I will send it through the Grand Duke’s dispatch box.”

“That would be the fastest. Please do so.”

“Um, Your Highness. Earlier, did you not mention Reina?”

Roderick could not hold it in any longer and revealed what was on his mind. Alicia delayed for a moment with a low hum, then said quietly,

“I was saying that I miss Reina terribly.”

Emotion surged at the corners of Roderick’s eyes.

To tease a person like that, what a wicked person.

He was not a rogue who would openly criticize his mistress for her spitefulness. He merely cast Alicia a few glances filled with resentment. The pitiful little walnut at his sleek jaw briefly stood out and then disappeared.

“Yes….”

Because Roderick was a man who cared for appearances, he held back the heartfelt nonsense of saying, I miss her too.

“Don’t you miss Reina too, Roderick?”

“I too miss the musician.”

“Right? So I invited her to this banquet as a secret performer. I even sent a separate carriage for her. She will arrive tomorrow.”

“You are magnificent.”

Roderick sincerely praised Alicia.

“I thought Roderick would like that too. You asked earlier what I had figured out, didn’t you? I think I know Lady Dalia’s identity. Count Berman’s valuable opinion was a great help. Thank you.”

Roderick had first been delighted, then embarrassed at Alicia saying she had known he would like it, and then felt awkward at hearing that his opinion had been helpful.

‘What did I even say?’

More than anything, Alicia’s words were strange. She thought she knew Lady Dalia’s identity. But Lady Dalia was Lady Dalia, so what kind of identity could there be?

To anyone looking, she was just a noble young lady from the imperial capital who looked as though one tap would knock her over. Her face had been so dazed from the severe early winter winds of Tessen.

That frail lady from the capital would surely come down with a cold and be bedridden tomorrow.

“……”

Seeing Roderick’s confused face, Alicia instead looked puzzled.

“Roderick, have you lost your instincts because of your unrequited love? Romance really is fun and dangerous. Want to make a bet with me? Guessing Lady Dalia’s identity. Sounds fun, right?”

Alicia teased Roderick with all her might and provoked his competitive spirit. It was not as fun as Alicia’s question made it sound, but he could not simply lose like this.

“I will join the bet.”

Roderick Rosa’s eyes lit up as he threw himself into the wager Alicia had proposed.

“Good. Then take a guess. We’ll verify later who was right.”

Alicia declared the wager established like a highly competitive gambler.

Reichardt, on his way home after returning from the military camp, listened to Roderick talking beside him about the bet with Alicia.

“She asked, ‘Sounds fun, right?’ and it truly wounded my pride. I wanted to say it was not fun at all and that I would appreciate it if she would tell me what she had figured out too, but instead I joined the bet.”

“Isn’t that a strange conclusion?”

“Your Highness should join the bet as well.”

Roderick informed him, with the expression of an addict, of the conclusion that he had thrown himself into Alicia’s suggested wager. At the same time, he urged Reichardt to join too.

“I’ll pass.”

“Have you already figured out Lady Dalia’s identity as well, Your Highness?”

Roderick grumbled in a sulky tone, expecting a scornful look that said, You still have not figured that out? But Reichardt’s face, as he dismounted and handed the horse to the stable keeper, remained calm.

“……”

Roderick silently shook his head. It meant, You do not know either, Your Highness?

“……”

Reichardt maintained a solid and solemn silence. He neatly ignored the aide trailing behind him and headed toward Tech House, where Alicia was.

“Theodor.”

As Reichardt stepped into the house, he let out a low call tinged with laughter. To his focused ears came the sound of hurried little footsteps rushing toward him from far away.

“Father!”

As the Grand Duke’s child, Theodor was learning strict forms of address, but Alicia and Reichardt had decided that when staying in Tessen with the child, they would let him speak as though they were an ordinary family.

Mama and Papa, Mother and Father, Royal Father and Royal Mother.

Theodor was learning many forms of address, and these days he had grown fond of calling them Mother and Father.

Thump!

Reichardt easily caught the child who ran and threw himself at him. To his sharpened ears, the rapid heartbeat of the tiny child, his harsh panting, and his ticklish laughter all came through vividly.

“What’s been revealed about Lady Dalia’s identity is the secret that the lady has another identity. Lady Dalia might not be Lady Dalia. Hm? …Then who is she?”

Also, from far off, he faintly heard the voice of his aide Roderick, whom he had left behind, sorting out his thoughts. Hearing Roderick’s muttering, Reichardt too felt as if he could guess the clue Alicia had uncovered.

“Have you returned? Let’s go see our Lusa, Papa!”

Theodor, who had properly offered a greeting of welcome, rubbed his cheek against Reichardt’s and cried out adorably.

“Let us at least greet Her Highness the Grand Duchess first before we go.”

At Reichardt’s polite and teasing words, Theodor nodded. The child listened for a moment, then pointed with a short finger toward where Alicia was.

“You must only listen like that when you are alone with Papa, Theodor.”

“Yes!”

“And anywhere else?”

“No.”

Theodor answered firmly with a beaming smile. Reichardt let himself be led by the little hand tugging him along as he went to meet Alicia.

Reichardt did not get to meet Alicia.

“……?”

He playfully smiled as he covered the ears of the cute face looking up at him with shining eyes using his large hand. At the lovely child’s face, which went hehe as he laughed, Reichardt ended up smiling too.

Meanwhile, Alicia’s calm voice gathered itself into Reichardt’s ears.

“The Combat family has three daughters?”

“Yes, Count Combat’s family has three daughters beneath the eldest son, who is the heir. Cara Combat, Lily Combat, and Rose Combat. The second daughter, Lady Cara, married and left the household, and the third daughter, Lady Lily, entered society late but became engaged to the second son of Marquis Relling.”

The dressing room in Tech House, the residence of the Grand Duchess of Tessen, was a secretive and private space. Only Alicia, the owner of the room, and servants who were extremely close to her could come and go there.

Today, Judith Pelmen was there.

Reichardt decided to postpone greeting Alicia. For the Grand Duchess, a meeting with the Master of the Croa Clan was an important appointment.

Press.

He kissed the cute nose and turned away.