* * *
The bedroom had grown quiet before I knew it. It was after Neslan and Yuliana, both with reddened eyes, had gathered up Riwes, whose skin around the eyes was raw from crying, and taken him away. In the midst of the lingering chaos, only Duke Kalinos and I remained. Without even thinking of his torn button, he simply stared at me.
“…Are you alright?” Then, without another word, he bundled me up tightly in the blankets.
What is this? Just because I had a nosebleed, an excessive amount of overprotection and attention was being poured onto me. The people in this family were always a bit odd, but today they seemed especially strange.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly healthy.”
But the moment I said I was ‘healthy,’ his eyes suddenly reddened. What the…? I thought about prodding him for answers… But somehow, it didn’t feel like the right moment to ask. Maybe I’ll get some information from Ivanka tomorrow. That little hamster who knows everything is bound to share the news! With that thought, I pulled myself together.
“…By the way, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“Anything. Just say the word.”
He seemed unusually gentle. What on earth had gotten into him…?
“I heard from Count Florette that there was an official imperial council meeting today.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Was the atmosphere fairly alright?” I was planning to use this as a lead-in to ask if Duke Reshaniel had brought up the treasure ship during the meeting.
As Duke Kalinos stared at me, he muttered, “Even now, you’re worried about me and the meeting?”
“…Huh?”
What is he saying? And why now, of all times?
His gaze, oddly unfocused, was fixed on me. “Everything… will be all right.”
Our bodies lie side by side. There was a subtle warmth in his eyes. His hand came to rest, half-overlapping mine. Before I knew it, he started murmuring like a well-trained robot.
“Starting tomorrow.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll stay by your side as much as possible.”
“… You’re not planning to do that in just your shirt, are you?”
“Do you like me being this gentle?”
No… It’s way too violent, actually.
“Please get some sleep. Your health comes first.” Then, he started reciting the ‘Periodic Table Lullaby’ again. It was a brutally sleepless night.
* * *
I was supposed to ask about the treasure ship! Last night, that damned periodic table chant got stuck in my head like a mantra, and I missed my chance to ask about the treasure ship. The problem was that the weird atmosphere lingered even the next day. Normally, when I woke up, Ivanka would be by my side, and Duke Kalinos would have already left for work…!
“Today, you must take care of your health by going for a walk. The phytoncide concentration in the Kalinos estate forest is known to be 1,000 to 1,500 ng/S㎥, far exceeding the 200 to 500 ng/S㎥ of an ordinary forest. It’ll be good for you.”
“Yes, walking!”
He firmly pulled off the blankets he’d wrapped me in and declared, “With Giselle.”
“… Aren’t you going to work? It seems like it’s time for you to go do research.”
“I’ve postponed my research by six hours and thirty-three minutes.”
While looking at his pocket watch, I replied reluctantly. “Oh, okay.”
…He really is a strange one. I should just take a moderate stroll and casually bring up the treasure ship. So there I was, strolling through the mansion under his bizarrely overprotective watch.
I awkwardly broached the subject. “I was reading the morning paper, and it said that a treasure ship that sank long ago has been discovered. Was there any talk about the treasure ship at the council meeting?”
“The treasure ship… Ah, yes, there was. Ordinary jewels are usually considered second-grade, while more valuable and rare ones are considered first-grade treasures. They said this treasure ship contained both first and second-grade items. Normally, they are presented to the emperor… but since the ship’s owner cannot be identified, there was an opinion to open it and put it up for auction. That…” He spoke, his brow furrowing slightly. “Damned duke, you know.”
“Yes, the one who somehow never gets what’s coming to him. Thanks for letting me know.”
It wasn’t exactly groundbreaking information, but at least I’d gotten a small clue. So, among the first-grade treasures, there’s something that b*stard is aiming for. Well then, why don’t I just take all the first-grade treasures for myself? Feeling quite pleased, I flashed him a bright smile.
That’s when Duke Kalinos spoke up. “You seem very interested in the treasure. Understood.”
“…?”
“I’ll make the necessary preparations.” He seemed to have gotten the wrong idea, but honestly, that worked out just fine for me.
Am I finally getting some kind of incentive for all this nothing I’ve been doing lately? Feeling quite satisfied, I was strolling through the garden when I spotted Former Duke Garno and his relatives in the distance. They were having a little tea time in the very garden we were walking through, and a few of the relatives were pursing their lips, their mouths jutting out like bird beaks.
Ah, did those people go and tattle again about what I did at the imperial palace? If that’s the case, I guess I’ll have to tease them a bit!
I put a finger to my lips and signaled to Duke Kalinos to keep quiet, then approached Garno and his relatives with a mischievous grin. But before I could say anything, Garno barked out first!
“You insolent brats…! Get out of here, right now.”
“L-L-Lord Garno…?”
“Why are you slandering the duchess? If she has that much backbone, isn’t that also an ability? I heard she even drove off a troll with a single remark, ‘It’s ugly.’ You should have done the same, then!”
Wait, why is this old man suddenly taking my side so openly? It was truly suspicious.
Just then, the relatives near Garno turned to look at me, frozen awkwardly. “That… G-Greetings, Duchess.”
“Mmm, hello?”
Flustered, Garno shot to his feet. “W-Well. Why aren’t you lying down instead of com-coming out…” After glancing around, he awkwardly handed me a pie with a stiff gesture and spoke. “Here, e-eat it or don’t.”
“Huh?”
Seriously, what on earth is going on in this mansion? I accepted the pie from him, wearing a bewildered expression, but no one bothered to answer the question written all over my face.
Where on earth did my source of information, Ivanka, disappear to? My sweet baby hamster! She seemed to be running around here and there in the bushes gathering healthy foods, but beyond that, she was nowhere to be seen…
But honestly, today I didn’t have the time to worry about their strange behavior, either. Because that afternoon, Giyet paid a visit to Kalinos Mansion and gave me a subtle hint. It was the news that the reward the emperor and empress would give me, the treasure ship, was ready.
I’ll leave a note saying I’m going to the Florette Mansion and quickly escape!
* * *
“You’re here, Doctor Wot.”
Thanks to Giyet’s escort, I arrived at the harbor, which was sealed off by a barrier only the imperial family could pass through. The emperor himself had gone so far as to use a complicated magical formula to grant me access to the treasure ship.
Determined to show my loyalty at least for today, I politely bowed my head. “Greetings to Your Majesty Emperor and Your Majesty Empress.”
The harbor, closed off to the public, had a rather desolate atmosphere, but the treasure ship before me looked every bit as grand as it must have on the day it sank. A treasure ship exploration, wasn’t this like straight out of a fairy tale? I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. And then, Count Florette’s voice echoed in my mind.
“Giselle, my child. If there is something among your father’s belongings, it will likely make it easier to find his other keepsakes too. So don’t worry too much.”
“I wasn’t worried, but yes. Understood.”
Though I still had no idea how finding one keepsake would make the rest easier to find…
I slowly stepped onto the treasure ship. The emperor and empress, who had been standing beside me like bodyguards, entered the treasure ship with me and whispered softly.
“Take your time and look around carefully.”
“I hope Doctor Wot finds the very best among them.:
A dazzling array of gold and jewels filled my vision. If you brought a crow in here, it’d probably go blind from all the glittering things everywhere. But…
“Ah, if you wish, you may take all those splendid things.”
Within the emperor’s chuckling gaze, I could see a subtle reaction. That’s exactly the look my boss gives when he subtly hides information about weekly holiday allowance or unemployment benefits and tries not to pay.
Turning my eyes away from the gold and silver treasures, I looked straight at the emperor and said, “I’d like to see the other things as well, Your Majesty.”
“As expected of Doctor Wot. In truth, those here are second-grade treasures. Come inside. The truly precious treasures are said to be in the captain’s cabin of the treasure ship.” With that, the emperor and empress moved ahead toward the captain’s cabin.
I was about to open the door and follow them in when a shabby little stone hanging from the captain’s cabin doorknob fell to the floor with a thud.
“…Huh?”
I picked up the stone, eyes wide. Suddenly, I was reminded of when I had gone to the Sirentium Mansion to rescue Riwes. The stone doorknob attached to the door I had opened to rescue Riwes. The very same lucky stone that had fallen to the floor with a thud when I was leaving, which I had found strange and taken with me.
But why is the lucky stone here as well? Slowly lowering my head, I clenched the stone tightly in my hand.
At that moment, a sinister shadow fell before my eyes.
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