Page 224

Marghetta and I enjoyed some truly peaceful days after I successfully rescued her mental state. Perhaps it was because we had already weathered a crisis that was bound to happen in the future.

Even her birthday, which she had been nervously anticipating, passed by uneventfully.

"I already received something precious."

Marghetta said that while gently stroking her left hand—specifically, her ring finger—with a soft, contented smile. Seeing her like that, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

The fact that it was originally just one ring was a secret I'd take to my grave. Since she looked so happy with it, her mental state might crumble again if I told her that it was actually broken.

"I'll get you something even better next time."

All I could do was try to replace it with a proper ring.

"Fufu, there's nothing better than this one. It's my first ring, after all."

However, even that attempt failed.

What a mess. Was I really going to let her keep wearing a broken ring?

...The opportunity will come.

There would be plenty of chances—there was still the engagement ring and the wedding ring. Eventually, I'd find a way to replace it.

"Hey, Carl."

"Yes, Mar?"

"Can I have your hand for a moment?"

I chuckled softly at her familiar request and held out my left hand.

With a proud smile, Marghetta extended her own left hand.

"It's really looks like one ring."

I nodded in agreement with Marghetta, who hummed happily. When our left hands overlapped, the two halves of the ring looked like a whole again.

It was originally one ring, so...

The secret lingered on my tongue, but I couldn't say it. No matter how many times I vowed to myself, it wasn’t enough. This secret must never be revealed.

A few days ago, I generously paid the merchant who sold me the ring and encouraged them to set up shop in the capital instead of the academy. That would greatly reduce the chance of Marghetta finding out.

It was a sudden move, but the merchant was happy to expand their business to the capital, so it seemed like a win-win situation. At least, I hoped so.

"...I'll never take it off again."

Marghetta said softly, holding my hand.

She seemed determined, as if she would wear it for the rest of her life no matter what happened. I could only nod in agreement.

***Countless eyes were on us as we walked around.

"So it's true."

"A ring that becomes whole when joined? How wonderful."

I could hear the whispers of female students from afar. Each time, my fingers tingled. Since when did their gazes gain physical weight?

This feels strangely familiar.

It was like being a predator in a zoo. I had felt this way before, during the Mage Duchess incident.

Rumors had spread back then too—one side said that the Mage Duchess confessed to the Prosecutors' Office's Executive Manager, while another said that he was engaged to the daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke. It was the perfect situation for gossip to thrive.

Although it hadn't spread across the entire empire this time, I instinctively had a hunch that it was only a matter of time.

The academy is the best place for rumors to spread.

It was a social hub for all the nobility’s children and even some foreigners. In such a place, a single rumor could quickly set the entire empire and even the continent ablaze, especially if there was no reason to control it.

"Carl."

"Oh, Mar."

Besides, with Marghetta frequently roaming the academy, there was no way to control it even if I wanted to.

"What a coincidence to run into you here."

"Indeed."

I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly as Marghetta covered her mouth with her left hand and laughed softly. It didn’t feel like a coincidence at all. But since she said it was, I let it be.

Originally, Marghetta spent most of her time in the Vice President's office due to her student council duties. However, she had been roaming the academy with immense enthusiasm since she received the ring.

I knew why she did that, and that was why it was both adorable and terrifying. If I hadn't prepared the ring that day, then what kind of disaster would have unfolded...?

It would have been chaos.

I couldn’t dare to imagine the details. Let's just leave it at ‘chaos’.

"It's already lunchtime. Would you like to have lunch together?"

"Sure."

Marghetta smiled slightly and offered her left hand. It was a natural gesture for someone waiting to be escorted.

Her left hand...

Except for the fact that Marghetta was originally right-handed. She used to use her right hand to cover her mouth, hold a fan, or take someone’s hand. I clearly remembered that.

But ever since she received the ring, she had been using her left hand to cover her mouth, hold a fan, and receive escorts—to show off the sparkling ring on her left hand.

"Carl?"

"Oh, sorry. Let's go."

Trying to ignore the murmuring voices around us, I took Marghetta's hand.

So what if people stared or gossiped? As long as Marghetta was happy, then that was all that mattered.

The fact that she was so delighted and proud to show off the ring made me feel good. It meant that my gift was the right choice.

***Whether I turned the ring into a new one or matching rings didn’t change the fact that I was the advisor of the pastry club.

Louise frequently glanced at my left hand. Meanwhile, Irina naturally joined our club activities at some point, and the other members seemed to have given up on doing pastry club activities and were now playing blackjack.

Being an advisor among them was more challenging than I had thought.

Still, the harder the work, the greater the joy was in finishing it.

— Nepheeew~! Nephew, my dear nepheeeeew!

"My ears work fine. Just say it once."

But when that joy crumbled, the despair was equally great.

The moment I lay down on my bed, my communication crystal lit up. I answered it, thinking it might be Mother or the Minister who heard some rumor. But to my surprise, it was the Wise Duchess.

This is driving me crazy.

The duke, as usual, was drunk and giggling. Although I wanted to hang up immediately, I couldn't ignore a duke's call.

"What can I do for you?"

— What do you meaannn? Do I need a reason to call my nepheww?

Of course she did. After all, a duke contacting the Prosecutors' Office's Executive Manager directly wasn't something that happened without reason.

Naturally, I didn't say this out loud. No matter how drunk she was, a duke was still a duke. It would just cause more trouble if I spoke rudely and she got offended.

Besides, while most drunk people don't remember what they did, the Wise Duchess, who was always drunk, remembered everything. She was probably from a different race.

"Wise Duche—"

— Aunt.

Why was her pronunciation perfect at times like this?

"...If Aunt is contacting me, then it must be something serious..."

— Pfft, you're right about thaaaat~

I massaged the back of my neck as I watched her giggle and take another swig.

— Hm? Carl, is your neck sore?

Yes, because of you.

"It's nothing. I just slept badly, so my neck feels a bit stiff."

— Haha! My honeyy~ also has that problem! It must run in the family!

At her words, I briefly remembered the few times I had met my uncle.

Yeah, if even a brief conversation with her already made me grab the back of my neck, then how much harder must it be for him, who lived with her? Suddenly, I felt a growing respect for him.

"...Yes, it seems so."

— Riiiiiight~?

The Wise Duchess continued to laugh and drink, finally bringing up the real reason for her call after finishing her bottle.

— Hehe, actually, nephew~ There's something I want to ask youuuu~.

"Yes, please go ahead."

The Wise Duchess took a deep breath, exhaling a faint red smoke.

That made me anxious. What could she possibly be saying that required her to sober up?

— Nephew. You haven't forgotten what I told you, right?

"Pardon?"

Her words triggered my civil servant instincts, making me freeze. It sounded no different from ‘Did you do what I told you to?’

I quickly ran through my memories. What had the Wise Duchess told me? If I excluded her drunken ramblings, complaints, tantrums, and bouts of madness, there wasn’t much left—

— Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She’ll be caught off guard.

Ah.

That was it. That was the only thing it could be.

— You haven't forgotten, right~?

"Of course not."

— Then why did you do that?

Her grin quickly turned somber, like she was watching a child floundering in a well.

Pulling out a handkerchief, she dabbed at her eyes as if pretending to cry.

— I've heard everything. This aunt is very sad. Our nephew's future looks so bleak.

"Uh..."

— Don’t worry. If you end up in pieces, I'll make sure one part goes to Krasius!

Damn it. I wasn’t some mythical figure, so why would I end up in pieces?

The Wise Duchess burst into laughter after seeing my expression harden before continuing.

— Nephew, I can celebrate your marriage. It’s the Iron-blooded Duke’s youngest daughter, right? She seemed so cute and smart when I saw her!

But would someone else celebrate that?

Her words made me swallow hard.

— The Mage Duchess was probably all flustered with embarrassment, eagerly waiting for the New Year’s Ball, only to find out her beloved fiancé gave a ring to another woman.

Cold sweat began to trickle down my back.

— Oh, what a heartless person! There she was, fretting, while someone else was leisurely enjoying sweet romance!

That stung a bit. Leisurely? Giving Marghetta the ring was the most serious and intense moment of my life.

But I couldn't say anything. To excuse myself by saying that the rumor had only spread within the academy? Unlike the Mage Duchess incident, where there were no messenger pigeons, there was magic this time.

There are wizards at the academy, too.

I had been too complacent. With someone capable of acting as the Mage Duchess’s eyes around, how could I not have seen this coming? Was I really losing my touch? How did I not think of that?

As I ran my palm against my face with trembling hands, the Wise Duchess grinned, delivering the final blow.