Chapter 45

Adrian, his mouth burning and his throat parched, gulped down water. The others silently shook their heads.

“It’s fine. After all, Raon is here. I’ll admit, when I heard you were injured on the battlefield, I seriously considered having another child.”

“Father!”

“Don’t let my looks fool you. I’m still in my prime. Life truly begins at sixty, and I’m barely taking my first steps toward that.”

Adolf, in his late forties, looked closer to his late thirties or early forties due to his youthful appearance.

“Father, does life truly begin in the grave? Most people are already in the afterlife by sixty.”

“Such insolence! Who taught you to speak so disrespectfully?”

“You did, Father.”

“That sounds about right. The Late Duke once had someone thoroughly beaten in the training yard for teaching the Young Duke such things.”

Adrian shrugged at Freire’s explanation, delivered with a mouth full of stir-fried squid and pork belly, while Adolf’s lips twitched slightly.

“Such a uselessly good memory.”

“If that bothers you, you can leave again.”

“Who said anything about leaving? Just stay put here. Since you have no family, I’ll have to clean up after you when you start painting those murals.”

“I don’t plan on living that long.”

“Then I’ll build you a paulownia coffin when you die. And I might even shed a single tear at your funeral. Just don’t die alone in some forgotten place.”

No one else joined the conversation between the two elderly individuals, who had lived long enough to discuss death. Instead, everyone else focused on scooping up as much food as they could.

The mountain of stir-fried squid and pork belly on the large plate vanished in an instant, leaving only the sauce behind.

Though their mouths tingled from the heat, everyone smiled in satisfaction at the spicy-sweet flavor.

“Mom, I ate well. It was really, really delicious.”

Ramona smiled warmly at Raon, who spoke with red sauce smeared around his mouth. She then wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

“Ramona, that was absolutely delicious. How can you cook so well? I’m tempted to hire you as our family chef. Hahaha.”

“Your words alone are thanks enough.”

Having scraped his plate clean, leaving not a single grain of rice, Adolf felt his heart swell with generosity.

“If there’s anything you desire, just ask. I’ll grant it all.”

“Please take good care of our Raon. And since the weather is so sharp, could I also ask for a paring knife that can slice through anything?”

“Heh, really? Nothing else? If nothing comes to mind now, tell me later. If you happen to want my son, I’d gladly give him to you.”

Seeing Adolf about to casually hand over his son in exchange for the squid and pork belly stir-fry, Adrian shook his head in exasperation.

“If you don’t like Rian, I’m here too. Hahaha.”

“Crazy! Already losing your mind at that age? Tsk, tsk. Stop talking nonsense that’ll tangle the family tree and go wash your feet and get some sleep.”

Freire wore an incredulous expression at Adolf’s words. The atmosphere could have turned heavy and somber, but their argument quickly veered off into a tangent. Adrian shook his head at the sight.

“When Father and Sir Zenon clash, it always ends up like this. You’ll just have to get used to it.”

Ramona nodded, observing how a mere knight spoke to a duke as if he were a true friend.

“It seems my Master was the Late Duke’s friend.”

“That’s right. He and my grandfather were friends since childhood. They were practically brothers, having shared the same wet nurse.”

“Wow! So that’s it. I want to meet my friends and play too, but can I? I’ll have to tell them I can’t go to school anymore.”

Adrian smiled faintly at Raon’s words, which were perfectly natural for a boy his age who would rather play than study. He remembered Branson, Baylor’s son, with whom Raon had always played when they were at Ramona’s house.

“Branson… Father will make sure you can meet him again someday. I promise.”

“Yes, I understand. I trust you, Dad.”

Adrian’s smile gradually blossomed, having gained Raon’s trust, something he’d never dared to dream of last year. At first, they had been awkward and hesitant to speak. But now that the tension had vanished, each conversation felt increasingly comfortable.

“If you run off again after telling me not to look for you, I’ll catch you and tie you up in a birdhouse to keep you as a pet.”

“You’re old enough to know better than to use such crude language. I’m worried our Raon might pick up bad habits from you.”

“I wouldn’t say this if it weren’t necessary. For now, you can stay in the guest room. I’ll build you a magnificent new nest for Sir Zenon on this property. If you don’t like the guest room, you can share my bed.”

Freire’s expression soured at Adolf’s words. He almost cursed aloud, barely restraining himself from digging his ears out for having to hear such things.

“Have you suddenly developed an interest in men? I may be unmarried, but I’m not blind.”

“What’s wrong with me? I’m a duke, I look younger than my age, and I’m handsome. I have a good physique, and I’m skilled in swordsmanship. Don’t let my appearance fool you—I’m still popular with women. People still make advances.”

“I won’t argue with that. Why don’t you try having some conscience?”

“If I had any conscience, I wouldn’t be a duke.”

When Adolf and Freire, whose childhood arguments Adrian had witnessed, reignited their old quarrel in their later years, Adrian quickly whisked Ramona and Raon out of the dining room.

“I didn’t want the children to be exposed to such behavior for too long. If I may, I’d like to apologize on their behalf.”

“No, it’s fine. In fact, they seemed so like ordinary old men bickering, it was rather heartwarming. Neighborhood uncles often get drunk, start arguing, then end up arm-in-arm, singing together.”

“Ah, I see. I thought only my father and Master behaved that way, but it seems all old men are like that.”

Ramona chuckled as she picked up the yawning Raon and patted his back. It seemed that status and age mattered little when it came to arguments.

“Haaawn… Mom…”

Raon buried his face in Ramona’s neck, squirming and clinging tightly. But soon, his strength faded, and he went limp.

“I think Raon fell asleep earlier than usual because his mother is here.”

The child, who had fallen into a deep sleep and didn’t stir even when laid in bed, let go of Ramona’s hand. After covering Raon with a blanket, Ramona left the room with Adrian.

“I would have liked to escort you to your room myself, but I’m busy. I’ll have to pass that honor to someone else.”

“Your words are so kind, they almost bring tears to my eyes.”

“Not at all. If you need anything or want to do something in this house, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll support you in every way.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

Even after dinner, the busy Adrian followed his restless aide. Ramona, catching a glimpse of the scene, was guided by a knight standing by to her room.

Alone in the large chamber, Ramona suddenly felt as if something was about to come to her. This grand room didn’t feel unfamiliar.

“Did I live in a rather wealthy home when I was young? Ah! Toto, you’re still awake?”

Toto, who had been watching Ramona lie idly on a cushion on the table, sprang up and nestled in her arms. Perhaps because Adrian often grabbed Toto out of spite, the rabbit was unusually clean.

“The people from my past… they wouldn’t be looking for me, would they? It seems I had no affection for my family. Judging by the fact that I threw myself into the rapids.”

She didn’t know why she had fallen into the water. When she woke up, she was at Grace Manor. When asked why she had thrown herself in, she couldn’t speak as if she had been struck mute. When she tried to recall the event, she felt nothing, as if even the emotions of her past had been thrown into the water and swept away.

“Ah! Look at me. I should go to sleep quickly.”

When Toto stirred, Ramona finally came to her senses. She noticed the pajamas laid out on the bed and slowly began to change.

“What should I do tomorrow?”

Ramona, who always planned her tasks the day before, thought for a moment before falling asleep.

***

“Y-Young Duke! Something terrible has happened!”

Adrian, who had rushed over in a panic at the employee’s frantic call, wore an expression of utter bewilderment.

Thwack! Thwack!

Ramona was mercilessly chopping firewood with an axe.

“I told her not to, but she insisted on doing it herself…”

The employee, who had been staying at the family’s home as a guest of the family who raised Raon, fidgeted nervously, worried about being scolded for having assigned the firewood chopping to Ramona.

“Whew, excuse me, Ms. Ramona? Raon’s mother!”

“Hmm? Ah! Young Duke. Good morning.”

Ramona, wiping her forehead with a towel, turned around at the call and greeted him casually.

“What are you doing? That’s a job for the employees. You shouldn’t be taking their work away, Ms. Ramona. If workers are idle, we’ll have to fire them.”

Ramona had always handled everything from start to finish herself. That’s why, when she woke up early one morning and was taking a stroll through the mansion, she saw someone chopping wood and reached out to help. But when Adrian saw this, he threatened to fire the employee if she kept taking their work away, and a vein popped on Ramona’s forehead.

“So you’re saying I should just sit around doing nothing and twiddle my thumbs?”

“That’s not what I meant. You shouldn’t have to do such strenuous work. So, you should give the axe back to the person who was originally working…”

Ugh!

“Young Duke!”

The knights who had followed to guard Adrian stared with their mouths agape in shock.

Adrian sighed deeply under the tree, his face still scowling as he continued to grumble. Just as Ramona raised her axe for a mighty swing, the blade detached from its handle.

The flying blade whizzed past Adrian’s face and embedded itself in the tree. A few strands of his hair fluttered down. Cold sweat trickled down his back. In the instant that had passed, everyone was frozen, their faces etched with raw shock.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry.”

Ramona, standing before Adrian, easily pulled the axe blade from the tree and spoke softly.

“If it hadn’t been for this little mishap, our Raon might have inherited the Dukedom a bit earlier.”

As Ramona turned away with a bright smile, Adrian suddenly remembered the advice Anna had given him: Never pick a fight.