Side Story 2

The morning of the Harvest Festival was blue and clear. Olga was snapping at her maids in a fit of pointless irritability. It was all because of the Duchy of Tesseia.

 

The Tesseia family, who had rejected her, was currently flourishing. Because of this, Duke Valentine’s mood had plummeted to the rock bottom, and Duchess Valentine kept her distance from both of them under the pretext of getting a massage.

 

During the capital’s massive crisis, every citizen had been in despair. The experience of being shrouded in darkness and fleeing from monsters was horrific. Olga had gone through the same experience and had desperately prayed for someone to save her. Fortunately, before her hope vanished, they were released from the darkness, and she felt a sense of gratitude toward whoever had accomplished the feat. Considering her arrogant nature, this was nothing short of miraculous, but…

 

‘Why, of all people, does it have to be Leticia de Lyon?!’

 

When she learned the truth, Olga’s heart didn’t just freeze; it shattered into sharp shards. People were praising the Tesseia and Lyon duchies as heroes. Even the Emperor and Empress stepped forward to offer commendations, and the public was overjoyed. Everyone seemed to think the Tesseia family had reclaimed its past glory as the shield of the Empire.

 

People were accustomed to Duke Tesseia protecting the Empire, so they accepted Aaron de Tesseia’s activity in the incident quite naturally. It seemed his return to his former status would proceed without a hitch.

 

What galled her most was that Cesare’s popularity—not Aaron’s—had soared because of the event!

 

‘But why?!’

 

Cesare hadn’t performed any particularly notable feats at the time, as he was busy guarding the Imperial Palace. He seemed to have escaped the darkness early alongside the Crown Prince, but he had apparently spent his efforts protecting the Emperor and Empress with the Imperial mages.

 

Olga was prepared to overlook Duke Tesseia and his daughter receiving praise. She even harbored other thoughts in her heart. After all, the Duke, Aaron, was still young.

 

If he had heard her, he would have scoffed, “I’m in my fifties, what nonsense is this?” but to others, he was a stunningly handsome man who looked to be in his early thirties at most. This meant countless women desired to marry him. Since he had remained a widower without even a mistress since his wife’s passing, some were even trying to arrange matches for him. The Emperor was one of them, much to the Duke’s constant annoyance.

 

In the past, he claimed he would never marry again out of a sense of betrayal toward his wife; now, he claimed he would live in celibacy for the rest of his life because he had sinned against her. Yet, for some reason, young ladies took this to mean that Cesare, Godfrey, and Sebastian would also be like their father.

 

“A man who only looks at me for the rest of his life… I thought such things only existed in plays.”

 

“Don’t forget, milady. They exist in books, too.”

 

“Hehe. If Young Lord Tesseia whispered that to me, I might faint from joy.”

 

‘I’ll kill you with my own hands before you faint!’

 

Olga could hardly contain her rage when she saw the young ladies prattling on, unaware that she was listening from behind. Olga had never fully revealed her grievances. If everything came to light, she would inevitably take a hit as well. Thus, she only brought up things that would tarnish Cesare’s reputation, but the young ladies didn’t buy it at all.

 

Instead, they expected Cesare would be different once he opened his heart to them. They even subtly tried to dig into what Olga had done wrong!

 

‘Impudent wretches!’

 

Leticia de Lyon would surely appear at today’s Harvest Festival events. The thought of her mingling there and acting like the queen of social circles gave Olga a stomachache she could barely endure.

 

‘I will not just sit by and watch! Do you think I’ll just stay miserable like this?!’

 

Furious, Olga barked at her maids once more to prepare for battle. She needed perfection for today’s ball.

 

 

***

 

 

Nastasya was dressing up with excitement. Isello would surely be at this ball, and she planned to dance with him. She didn’t care much about the Tesseia or Lyon families receiving praise.

 

‘I’m just glad Isello is safe!’

 

She had immediately rushed to the Tesseia estate to confirm Isello’s safety, and Isello seemed quite surprised by her actions. Perhaps because of that, he had hesitantly accepted Nastasya’s declaration to dance at the Harvest Ball. Nastasya took this as a good omen.

 

Whether Cesare’s popularity rose or Godfrey and Sebastian were flooded with love letters was none of her concern. If anything, she hoped the ladies competing for Isello would shift their focus toward them.

 

‘I have advantages other ladies don’t!’

 

He was the adopted fourth son of a Duke. Though the Duke adored him now, it was highly likely he wouldn’t inherit a title like the other children. On the other hand, what about her? She was the only daughter of the historic Marquis Renain and the future successor to the title. She was a bride any noble without a title would covet!

 

‘There’s the tiny flaw of being Sebastian’s former fiancée, but that’s fine! Sebastian was the one who wanted the breakup, and it’s not like Isello shares blood with him anyway.’

 

Although her father was currently opposing her with everything he had, she was certain she would eventually win. Because her father loved her. What could he do if his only daughter said she would die without Isello!

 

Therefore! She only needed to conquer Isello. Nastasya checked her ball gown with her maids, bubbling with excitement.

 

 

***

 

 

“…My legs hurt.”

 

When Leticia murmured this, Terdis immediately stuck close to her with a worried expression. Since he was already standing by her side, it looked almost like he was hugging her.

 

“Really? Should I carry you?”

 

“My thighs… they ache,” Leticia whispered softly so no one would overhear.

 

She meant they were throbbing because she had to keep them spread wide all night. Perhaps it was the influence of the Goddess’s power, but remarkably, Leticia’s waist didn’t hurt. It was truly surprising.

 

“Then, shall I massage them?”

 

“No. Last time, you said you’d massage me and then…”

 

The hand that had been rubbing her thighs had reached her private areas in an instant. Terdis had joyfully pounced on a trembling Leticia after teasing her sensitive spots. Back then, he had said the position with her legs spread would be difficult, so they did it from behind…

 

Recalling the embarrassment, Leticia turned bright red and pinched Terdis’s cheek. Terdis just grinned, enjoying even that.

 

“Tisha, your fingers are pretty too. I want to lick them.”

 

Carlyle turned his head, pretending not to see his son being so lovestruck. Since they were standing a bit apart, the conversation wouldn’t be overheard.

 

‘They’re getting along well today, too. Ho ho ho…’

 

He smiled and gave firm instructions to the attendant.

 

“Separate carriages.”

 

“Understood, sir.”

 

While he was pleased his son and daughter-in-law got along, it was awkward to pretend not to see such displays right in front of him.

 

“Don’t lick them. I’m wearing gloves.”

 

“Can’t I just nibble a little?”

 

Pretending not to hear Terdis whining to Leticia, Carlyle thought about the friends he would meet today. Everyone had so many questions about ‘that day.’ Duke Tesseia wasn’t a talkative person, and it was hard to ask the relatively younger Terdis or Leticia, so they turned to him.

 

‘My mouth will be busy again today,’ he thought with a satisfied smile. On the other side, Terdis was being scolded for finally managing to put Leticia’s finger in his mouth.

 

 

***

 

 

Among the many who performed deeds that day, Sebastian was the only one receiving a title as a reward. Unlike Cesare, who had previously received an County from the Imperial family, and Godfrey, who was promised a Marquisate by his father, Sebastian had been promised nothing.

 

Knowing his father loved his children, he knew he’d get at least an County eventually, but nothing had been explicitly promised. He had thought he could just earn a title through his own merit later, but as the day actually arrived, he was more excited than he expected.

 

“Are you that happy?” Godfrey smirked, and Sebastian gave a wide grin. “I won it with my own str—well, anyway! It’s not something I got from the family; I’m the one receiving it!”

 

As he thumped his chest, Godfrey nodded in acknowledgment. Although it was closer to him happening to be in the right place at the right time while hanging out with Leticia’s group, it was true that his strength had been a help.

 

Duke Tesseia, who had played a major role, declined any reward, and the Tower Master also stepped back. Thus, the rewards were concentrated on the three who played decisive roles in defeating the culprit, Nina, and breaking the ritual. Terdis was also receiving a title, but as the Young Lord of Lyon who would inherit various titles subordinate to the Lyon family, it didn’t mean much to him.

 

Leticia decided to accept only material goods. In fact, the Emperor seemingly wanted to grant the Saintess, Leticia, a title to bind her with the duties of a subject, but she had subtly declined, much to his regret.

 

‘Personally, I’m more envious that Sebastian got close to Leticia…’

 

Seeing Leticia sometimes look at Sebastian as if he were a bug, Godfrey decided not to be too envious since she didn’t seem to particularly like him.

 

“If you’re ready, let’s head out.” At Aaron’s call, Sebastian and Godfrey gathered. Cesare was already at the Imperial Palace, so they would meet him there.

 

 

***

 

 

“U-Um… Young Lord! At today’s ball, w-with me… d-dan…”

 

The event hadn’t even started yet, but the Imperial Palace, where the ball was to be held, was bustling. The young lady who had gathered the courage to approach Cesare turned bright red at his steady gaze and stammered.

 

“A dance…. Kyaak! I’m sorry!” Without explaining what she was sorry for, the lady who had only managed to say “dance” turned and fled. Cesare watched her blankly.

 

‘…Is this a trend?’

 

Recently, the number of ladies who fled before finishing their sentences in front of him had skyrocketed. At first, he thought they were playing a prank and felt annoyed, but since three of them had actually fainted mid-sentence, he realized it wasn’t a joke.

 

‘Why?’

 

He asked Leticia if he had a scary face to women, but she only shook her head with a mysterious smile.

 

“It’s because you’ve become even more handsome, Brother.”

 

Leticia told him, but Cesare told her not to tease him. A few maids had made mistakes while staring at him in a daze, leading the Head Maid to issue warnings.

 

 

***

 

 

“Oh my goodness, milady, you were amazing!”

 

“It was basically half-successful!”

 

The lady who had fled joined other ladies hiding behind a pillar, squealing with excitement. Unlike in the past, they were a group desperate to approach the now-kinder Cesare. They had the will, but whenever they got close, their hearts pounded so hard at his beauty that words wouldn’t come out.

 

“Haah… the Young Lord was so beautiful today, too…”

 

“I thought my heart would burst from his charm!”

 

“I wonder who will get the first dance with him today?”

 

They had agreed not to forgive anyone who accepted a dance request from him. The only exception was his sister, Leticia.

 

“I wish the Young Lord would never marry.”

 

“But he has the duty of his house…”

 

They groaned at the mere thought. They discussed which noble houses were fitting for the Tesseia family’s status but speculated that things might be different now, seeing as there were no rumors of political marriages yet. Cesare had already had a broken engagement with Olga de Valentine. There was no reason to repeat the same mistake.

 

The ladies didn’t know the truth, but Aaron was no longer in a position to rush Cesare into marriage. In the past, he had pushed for an engagement because Cesare seemed to dislike women, but now that his attitude had changed, Aaron wasn’t worried.

 

“If we become friends with Young Lady Lyon, maybe we could have a conversation with him once.”

 

At someone’s suggestion, the ladies fell into thought with complex expressions. Come to think of it, all three brothers used to linger around Leticia. Even though they had become much closer, their behavior in this ballroom likely wouldn’t be much different…

 

‘What if we get Young Lady Lyon to introduce us?’

 

With a glint in their eyes, they realized they were all thinking the same thing. However, they pretended otherwise and began chatting about who would wear what dress to today’s ball, discussing the latest trendy boutiques.

 

 

***

 

 

‘…Why do I feel a chill?’

 

“Are you cold? Should I have them bring a thicker shawl?”

 

It was when the carriage was passing through the Imperial Palace gardens. When Terdis noticed Leticia’s odd expression, he asked, but she shook her head. “No. I’ll have to take it off once we arrive anyway.”

 

The dress she chose wasn’t a bold design. She didn’t like clothes that required constant attention while moving. Since she planned to dance a lot with Terdis, she chose a dress she liked that wouldn’t hinder her movement.

 

“I like the sound of that.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The part about having to take it off. I wish the place we were arriving at was our bedroom.”

 

Grateful she hadn’t brought Molly in the carriage, Leticia pinched Terdis’s side. He feigned pain and laughed at her touch. “I’m going to play all day today, so I’m not doing it tonight.”

 

“Okay. Instead, let me hold you all day tomorrow.”

 

Terdis, who had pulled her into a hug skillfully enough not to wrinkle her dress, said. Leticia gave him a look before receiving a kiss. Over the past few days, Terdis seemed to have become even more clingy. Leticia, who could guess how much despair and pain he had felt that day, scolded his clinginess but indulged it all, and Terdis was quick to notice.

 

‘I think that’s why he’s sticking even closer.’

 

She knew she should set boundaries, but her heart weakened whenever she saw Terdis’s face. Thinking of the agony he must have felt in that brief moment made her feel sorry for him. So, she thought this much was fine and kept indulging him. Terdis’s “indulgence” mostly involved touching her, which made their activities deeper. Even now, a moan almost escaped from the deep kiss. Leticia tried hard not to clutch his clothes.

 

“Haah…”

 

Finally, the kiss ended, and an attendant outside announced they had arrived, but Terdis instructed them not to open the door yet. “Only I should see this cute face right now. Right, Tisha?”

 

Holding her tight and kissing her cheeks everywhere, Leticia gave him a shy look. He even kissed the corners of her eyes. “I want to eat you up, Tisha…. Are you sure we can’t do it tonight? I’ll take care of everything.”

 

“No.”

 

Leticia turned her head coyly, and Terdis coaxed her with one more kiss.

 

 

***

 

 

Carlyle, as if this were a common occurrence, went inside without waiting. He could just leave an attendant with the invitation at the entrance. Even without an invitation, there wasn’t an Imperial attendant who didn’t recognize the face of Duke Lyon or Young Lady Lyon, Leticia. Sure enough, as soon as the attendant at the ballroom entrance saw Carlyle, they bowed and ushered him inside. He left the attendant with the invitation and entered with his other staff.

 

“Welcome, Duke Lyon.”

 

“Duke!”

 

Carlyle quickened his pace toward the welcoming group of nobles. It was only minutes before the formal start of the Harvest Ball. The ballroom was filled with people wearing the colors of autumn, befitting the festival’s theme. Gold and red were the primary colors, with occasional variations like dark green or reddish-brown.

 

“It seems more nobles were invited than last year.”

 

“Isn’t it because of that incident? The Imperial family must have felt the need to celebrate this Harvest Festival more grandly.”

 

The monsters they faced in the darkness were hallucinations. What they encountered after escaping the darkness were the real monsters. Because they were hallucinations, those swallowed by the darkness were all safe. A few with weak spirits had fainted and needed the help of priests, but that was all. Everyone in the capital was sincerely rejoicing that they had safely escaped a major event that could have ended the world.

 

“By the way, Duke. Have you heard anything from Duke Tesseia?”

 

One of the nearby nobles asked subtly, and Carlyle feigned ignorance despite having a good guess.

 

“About what?”

 

“Well… the Young Lord Cesare has reached the age, yet there’s absolutely no talk of marriage like before, so I was curious.”

 

The man had children, but they were two sons who were already married. When Carlyle glanced around at the other nobles, they all avoided his eyes as if they were guilty. They had likely used this noble to fish for information.

 

“The Young Lord’s attitude toward women has changed significantly, hasn’t it? Perhaps that’s why Duke Tesseia isn’t rushing his marriage.”

 

“Aha…”

 

“Does that mean he doesn’t intend to arrange a political marriage?”

 

When someone asked out of curiosity, Carlyle nodded. Since the Tesseia family already possessed dangerously immense power, they might feel the need to bring in a lady from a lower-status family as Cesare’s partner to disperse some of that authority.

 

‘Of course, I can’t say that out loud…’

 

Unless the Empress had a daughter or a relative who was an unmarried lady, there were currently no ladies of fitting status.

 

“No, such an important matter as marriage…”

 

“Ahem. Indeed. Since Duke Tesseia’s own marriage was for love, he might think that way.”

 

Duke Tesseia hadn’t planned it, but the lady he happened to love was from a family that fit the Dukedom’s status. Carlyle smiled inwardly, seeing them brighten up as if this were good news—except for a few houses. He thought to himself that, regardless, his son was the one who had married most successfully.

 

 

***

 

 

The Emperor wasn’t particularly brilliant, but he wasn’t slow-witted. He had already learned that giving a long-winded speech while rewarding those who performed deeds was painful for the listeners and tedious for him to prepare. There were other ways to establish Imperial authority—like having Duke Tesseia under him and having a woman as stunning and intelligent as his Empress as his wife.

 

‘It really is a waste. If it had been revealed she was Duke Tesseia’s biological daughter when she was young, she would have been perfect for our Edward… Oh, my heart aches.’

 

Though it would only be a small addition to the vast wealth of the Lyon family, the Emperor felt Leticia was a waste as he bestowed gold, jewels, and several magical artifacts as rewards. But it was too late to undo that marriage. Duke Tesseia seemed to have finally acknowledged his son-in-law, and he also feared retaliation from Duke Lyon.

 

‘If Leticia is out, I’ll have to aim for the next generation.’

 

Since they were so lovey-dovey, they would surely have a daughter among their children. A son would be fine, too. It would be wonderful to pair one with Edward’s child.

 

The two who were to receive titles were rewarded first, and Leticia was the last to receive hers. Given her contributions, her merit might have been greater, but since her reward was relatively “lighter” (material goods), this order was necessary. However, the Duke of Tesseia seemed dissatisfied, harboring a look of discontent.

 

‘What do you want me to do!’

 

The Emperor, who was friends with Aaron just as Edward was with Cesare, ignored Aaron’s glare. They had briefly drifted apart after Theresa’s death but had recently grown close again due to the circumstances.

 

The Harvest Festival ceremony ended with Terdis receiving an County and Sebastian a Viscountcy, and the start of the ball was declared. Cesare intended to withdraw, not wanting to dance, but he was soon surrounded by young ladies.

 

Leticia had no time to notice his look for help. She was already heading to the floor, hand in hand with Terdis, for a dance.

 

“Young Lord…”

 

Amidst the swarm of ladies sending him twinkling gazes without even finishing their sentences, Cesare wondered what on earth was happening. Sebastian was smirking behind him, and Godfrey, after a moment’s thought, walked over to ask someone for a dance. It was a noble lady from the Lyon Duchy who was an acquaintance of Leticia’s. She was so surprised she started hiccuping, but when Godfrey took her hand, the surprise stopped the hiccups, allowing her to accept his request.

 

At the same time, Nastasya approached Isello as if charging and led him to the center of the ballroom, and they began to dance.

 

The lively music continued to play, and it wasn’t even night yet. At the sound of Leticia’s joyful laughter in Terdis’s arms, a smile appeared on Aaron’s lips as he received a congratulatory toast.

 

“…Say, aren’t you more popular than me?” At Edward’s teasing—having saved Cesare in Leticia’s stead—a frown formed on Cesare’s brow.

 

It was a joyous day.