The Villainess' Son is Innocent - Chapter 29
Chapter 15.1
Before the short seasonal break came to an end, I returned to Croscentine. Despite being on vacation, I was assisting the professor, so I had quite a lot of work to do.
The hallways, now devoid of students, contained only three or four people. When I arrived at the dormitory, Elena welcomed me.
“Welcome back, my lady. Shall I prepare some refreshments?”
“Yes, please.”
“Also, a letter has also arrived for you. Perhaps you’d like to read it while enjoying your tea.”
Elena pulled out the tea leaves from the cupboard, and with swift and graceful movements, she set up a teacup.
I was expecting the letter to be from either my mom, Dad, Hildred, or perhaps Marquis Raymon. Now that I thought about it, there was one from Rastain Lucretius before, but it wasn’t particularly noteworthy, so I just discarded it.
I opened the envelope with little enthusiasm, and as soon as I did, a pleasant herbal scent tickled my senses. It was from Mom.
“My lady, today’s tea is first flush Darjeeling.”
“Thank you. The scent of it reminds me of my mom’s letter.”
However, what I expected to be an ordinary conversation turned out to bring unexpected news.
“Emil visited the mansion…”
Elena was taken aback by my muttering.
“The young lord?”
So, on that day, it really was Emil in the carriage I saw and not the duke. It left me feeling somewhat confused.
Hildred had said Emil wouldn’t be able to come again this season,
…but I couldn’t be completely sure. Hildred didn’t possess the ability to know every rumor, and sometimes, unpredictable things can happen.
As Elena poured the tea, I kept my attention fixated on a single sentence in the letter.
[ I was worried, but he didn’t seem to be hurt or injured. ]
Why had he suddenly come?
Was it merely to reminisce during his visit to the capital? If so, all the better.
‘The more Emil grows attached to me and my family, and as the memories of his childhood become glorified, the more he will likely develop an aversion to actions that harm our family.’
I bit my lip. As much as that boy harbored affection towards me and my family, my sense of guilt continued to build within me.
At times, I found myself rationalizing everything. In a way, it was my revenge for what had harmed my family.
‘Still, the frequency of his visits to the capital was increasing. Maybe the duke intends to send Emil into the capital’s high society.’
Even if he was rejected by the duke, Emil was ultimately a child who carried the bloodline of both the imperial family and the duke’s family.
At that time, Emil said that the emperor favored him. Therefore, even the duke might consider it a waste to confine Emil to a mere domain.
‘Of course, I can only confirm everything after I graduate.’
Raising the still-warm tea, its scent of green grapes brought a soothing calmness to my impatient mind.
Emil.
How had he grown during our time apart?
“Are you going to write a reply?”
“Yes, bring me the usual stationery.”
With a strange sense of dread, I picked up a pen.
* * *
Compared to his brief visit a year ago, the number of servants had dwindled.
Emil entered the mansion with an emotionless gaze. In just one year, much had changed. He saw unfamiliar servants and even a grown-up version of himself. Only the mansion, with its somber color, remained the same.
His faded silver-gray hair swayed, and tension filled the once-silent mansion upon his arrival. Emil loosened the cravat that had been tightly constricting his neck, confronted with sights that would’ve been unimaginable to him in the past.
“…Have you arrived?”
Entering the interior of the dark and imposing architecture felt suffocating.
The servants’ attitudes had significantly shifted. However, this change only intensified the pressure on Emil, making it feel like his limbs were submerged in deep water.
Without giving the stiff maid a glance, he extended his coat and cravat, causing her to quickly move. The hand gripping the coat jerked slightly.
“Is Father in his office?”
“Today, he is in the library, and there seems to be no sign of Sir Grandel.”
“He’s outside. He can find his way in.”
The butler gently moved the maid aside and guided him towards the duke. Coming to the end of their brisk walk, they stopped in front of a door made of dark wood.
No knock was necessary. The master of the room had likely already been briefed on his return.
And his expectations proved to be correct. Perhaps because he’d visited the Lancaster mansion with permission in advance, there was no need to ask further.
“You’re late. It’s been so long since your last visit that I barely noticed the time has flown by.”
“I… apologize.”
“Forget it. I granted you one of your requests, now show it through your actions.”
“…”
The duke remained unfazed by Emil’s silence. Despite the silence, Emil Calixt had no choice but to follow his lead.
“You are right to follow orders, but you’ve grown too attached to them, especially to that girl.”
The duke warned with a tone of admonition.
“Restrain yourself for now. If you can properly meet the emperor’s expectations, His Majesty will easily grant her to you.”
Emil didn’t bother looking up at the duke as he clicked his tongue, seeing him as pathetic.
“But surely, it must have been quite a surprise for you, to suddenly find someone treating you kindly after being treated unequally by everyone else.”
The duke turned the page of the book he was reading.
At the meaning behind those words, Emil mumbled,
“It seems that… this whole time, letting others ignore me was intentional.”
“Of course it was.”
Adjusting his glasses, Duke Calixt made it clear that the ostracism, neglect, scorn, and abuse within the mansion were all under his orders.
Yet, there was a master who was pulling all of the strings, so perhaps people’s true feelings weren’t entirely reflected in their behaviors.
Emil desperately wanted to believe that.
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