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“May I ask for the reason?”

“Well…”

Suddenly, Dante remembered Elze.

A midsummer day when clusters of lilac hydrangeas bloomed, as if gathering the sweetest and most fragrant things in the world.

A woman, as if made from gathering only the most vivid hues, looked at him with those distinct honey-colored eyes.

Looking into those clear honey-colored eyes.

At that moment, he felt the impulse to swallow the woman whole.

[If I lose even the position of the manager like this… I might become utterly useless to the lord.]

[I’m afraid of that.]

Elze whispered with lowered eyes.

That sorrowful expression pierced Dante’s eyes.

…Such expressions were truly not something he wanted to see.

“Because she might dislike it.”

Dante muttered unintentionally.

Since his voice was already quite low, Liam couldn’t hear the muttering properly.

“What?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Dante, tilting his head, asked Liam.

“More importantly, how is today’s schedule?”

His intention to clearly change the subject was evident.

However, instead of questioning Dante about it, Liam simply opened his notebook.

“For now, you have to meet with Viscount Reed. Lately, there have been reports that his jurisdiction has been noisy.”

“Ugh.”

Dante grimaced.

“That brat can’t even properly manage his own jurisdiction? Really, how annoying…”

Even with Dante’s grumbling, Liam didn’t bat an eye.

“Just bear with it.”

“…”

Dante furrowed his brow deeply.

Whether he liked it or not, Liam continued to list the schedule.

“After that, you have a meeting with the manager of the Arthur Hotel. There have been some issues at the hotel casino lately, so it seems you need to intervene. And then…”

After laying out various schedules like this, Liam finally concluded.

“…After meeting with Marquis Alburton, the schedule for today should be completed.”

“Why Marquis Alburton?”

“Well, it’s about time to open the auction house, isn’t it?”

Liam asked Dante with widened eyes.

“If Marquis Alburton puts up his collection for auction, we can surely attract guests to our auction house.”

“Well, it makes sense, but…”

Dante looked at his loyal secretary with a troubled expression.

“Liam, sometimes it feels like I have the weight of ten bodies on me.”

“Well, the heavier the crown, the more difficult it is to bear its weight.”

“…”

Dante’s expression became oddly mischievous.

And Liam conjured up the magical words that could soothe Dante.

“As soon as this schedule is over, we’ll take you straight to the boarding school.”

“…”

Although Dante kept his mouth shut, his furrowed brow had subtly relaxed.

Liam subtly continued.

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen Lady Elze, hasn’t it?”

“…”

“I’ll arrange a day off for you to rest with Lady Elze.”

Dante, who had been annoyed, looked serious.

“What, just one day?!”

“I can’t do more than that.”

Liam responded firmly.

“Tsk.”

Dante clicked his tongue briefly and strode out.

“Alright, let’s finish quickly.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Liam followed with a satisfied expression.

Anyway, it was fortunate that Dante’s enthusiasm had ignited, indeed.

 

* * *

 

Time flew by quickly, and before they knew it, it was past midnight.

Dante, drunk, leaned against the carriage.

“Ugh, really…”

Liam inwardly sighed.

“I didn’t expect to persuade him in this way.”

After finishing all the schedules today, Dante met Marquis Alburton to discuss the last issue regarding the auction house.

For the auction house to attract guests, there needed to be valuable items, and the viscount’s collection was enough to arouse curiosity among the guests.

Moreover, the viscount’s financial situation wasn’t good.

So, instead of providing financial assistance…

 

[About those collections, can you put some up for our auction?]

 

They conducted negotiations that could be read as persuasion but were more like threats.

During the process, they drank a bit too much to serve as a lubricant.

While Dante managed to walk out on his own, Marquis Alburton was carried out unconscious.

“He’ll probably be bedridden for a few days.”

Given the amount of alcohol he consumed.

Liam, who was discreetly observing, cautiously spoke up.

“Um… We’ll take you to the townhouse.”

“Why?”

Dante, blinking slowly, suddenly shot Liam a sharp glare.

“We agreed to see Lady Elze today.”

“You’re drunk.”

“So?”

“It would be better to visit Lady Elze after you’ve sobered up…”

“Go.”

Leaving only that command behind,

Dante closed his eyes stubbornly.

“I feel like crap.”

“My lord.”

“If you enter the townhouse alone like this…”

Dante’s brow was deeply furrowed by now.

As if he were recalling a dreadful memory repeatedly.

“You might have a crappy dream.”

And every time Liam’s master insisted like this, Liam had never once managed to break that stubbornness.

So, he could only nod quietly this time as well.

“Yes.”

The carriage slowly picked up speed.

Liam looked worriedly at Dante sitting across from him.

“…Even though it’s for work, it’s rare for my lord to drink so much.”

Dante enjoyed alcohol, but he didn’t overindulge unless absolutely necessary.

Liam vaguely speculated, “Perhaps it’s to ensure that work isn’t affected,” but in reality, it was for much more instinctual reasons.

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake.’

And Dante was currently paying a harsh price for his overindulgence.

When his brain was soaked in alcohol, unwanted remnants surfaced even in his dreams.

The elaborate marble bathtub.

Long, silvery hair floating in the cold, crimson water.

A waxen pale face.

A large scar remaining on a slender, white wrist.

Even the bloodied silver knife lying haphazardly on the floor.

‘…Damn it.’

Unable to bear it any longer, Dante muttered curses under his breath.

“I feel like I’m going to vomit.”

At that, Liam protested.

“No, you mustn’t. We’re almost at the boarding school, so please endure a little longer. Or should I stop the carriage now?!”

“Shut up, you’re making my head spin…”

Dante muttered the obscenities quietly.

He missed Elze.

If he could just hold her in his arms, breathe in her unique rose-scented fragrance deeply into his chest…

…Maybe this intense uneasiness would subside.

Throughout the carriage ride to the boarding school, Dante never once opened his eyes.

Afraid that if he even lifted his eyelids,

something terrible, something dreadful, might grasp his ankles.

* * *

Finally, the carriage came to a halt.

“…Phew.”

Dante let out a long sigh and lifted his eyelids.

Liam couldn’t hide his worried expression as he looked at his master.

“My lord, you’re too intoxicated. Shall I assist you?”

“Forget it.”

Dante waved his hand dismissively and stepped out of the carriage.

Simultaneously, he furrowed his brows.

“…Annoying.”

It was because the lush rose vines had come into view.

Normally, he wouldn’t have paid much attention and would have passed by.

But today, oddly enough…

‘The lady’s hair color and the color of the roses are completely indistinguishable.’

That whisper, affectionately directed at Elze, by that damn brat Kaled, and even Elze, who looked at Lucien with adoring eyes…

Perfect like a scene from a masterpiece, that image he wanted to trample on somehow kept flashing before his eyes.

“…Damn it.”

Dante, muttering curses, staggered forward.

His retreating figure looked somewhat precarious.

* * *

As darkness descended, the Rose Cross Boarding School seemed eerie.

One by one, the lights in the dormitories went out, and most of the students and staff went to bed.

But the lights in my office still hadn’t gone out.

Because the deadline for the report I needed to send to Liam was looming.

“…I didn’t expect to be this busy.”

The aftermath of Brigitte’s departure had subtly affected everything.

Actually, it was inevitable.

Until now, the departure of a student had been so rare in the history of the boarding school.

It was only natural for the students to be unsettled.

After calming them down, checking on Lucien’s condition, and overseeing the staff, time had flown by…

‘I wonder if Brigitte returned safely?’

I suddenly thought of my kind friend.

In the original work, Brigitte safely became the mistress of Lord Martin.

And thanks to the female protagonist of the original work, my shattered heart had been healed.

And now, I had become strong enough to stand on my own without the help of the female protagonist.

‘Well, nothing serious should have happened.’

I comforted myself.

But perhaps because she was the first friend I made…

I felt a little uneasy.

“Forget it, it’s better to focus on work at a time like this.”

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I started fiddling with the pen again.

Since it was already too late to go to bed early, I planned to finish everything today and take it easy tomorrow.

Only the sound of pens scratching and papers shuffling echoed.

The surroundings were quiet.

After a while, as time passed…

Thunk.

As I put down the pen, I leaned back in my chair and let out a long sigh.

“…Sigh.”

Perhaps because I had been looking at documents for too long, my eyes felt heavy.

‘I should rest for a bit.’

After concentrating for hours, the report was almost complete.

Now I just needed to finish it and send it to Liam.

As I blinked my dry eyes and gazed into space…

The door suddenly opened without even a knock.

And the person who revealed themselves through the crack of the door was…

“My lord?”

It was Dante.