When they arrived at the northern fortress, the four of them first went to meet the Duke.
Maximilian, who first saw Eugenie’s face, succeeded in winning her absolute favor by saying, “You don’t look as much like Valentine as I thought.”
They explained everything that had happened while bringing Eugenie to him.
“I’ll go and get Madam Curno quickly. My mother is still on her way to the capital.”
Maximilian shook his head at Valentine’s cautious suggestion.
“Even if we hurry, we won’t be able to catch up.”
Above all, even Valentine was at risk of being falsely accused. Amelda would show no mercy to the son who ultimately betrayed her.
“Then what are you going to do? My brother, you really…”
“Madam Curno didn’t go to the capital.”
“Yes? But everyone saw the Madam heading to the capital a while ago.”
She had set off on a journey to the capital with other nobles who had come to Sheridan for the banquet, and Valentine had even seen her off.
“The Grand Lady Curno, who visited Sheridan, had already consulted me regarding the loss of several letters containing sensitive information.”
“…Ah.”
“So, I contacted the Marquis of Curno and requested that he ensure the Grand Lady’s safety. She should have arrived at the Marquisate by now. My knight is accompanying the Grand Lady, so you need not worry any further.”
“But, Duke.”
Clarisse took a step forward, her face still full of concern.
“If the letters the Grand Lady lost have fallen into Her Majesty the Queen’s hands, she could officially request the extradition of the Grand Lady.”
And if the Marquis Curno didn’t accept that request, he would also be considered a supporter of the treason.
“She won’t be able to do that. The new Marquis of Curno is highly loyal to the royal family.”
“Which is why it’s even more…!”
“She cannot destroy a wealthy and influential family that supports Lysander with her own hands. Considering the popularity of the new Marquis of Kernow, the impact on other nobles cannot be ignored either.”
“….”
“Her most important priority is Lysander’s throne. She can’t afford to make any decisions that might destabilize it, even slightly.”
Maximilian patted Clarisse on the shoulder as if telling her not to worry.
“More than anything, her lies will come to an end soon.”
“Duke…”
“I’ve always thought that the truth wasn’t important.”
Maximilian leaned his hand on the window and looked outside for a moment.
Long ago, when he had been pushed out to Sheridan on the pitch-black northern wall.
He had felt a small sense of relief.
Now that no one sees the throne in Maximilian, Lysander will be safe.
No, in fact, he felt a little proud.
He had protected his beloved brother.
However, every time he looked at Lysander, who was becoming increasingly eccentric, he began to gradually question his past decision.
Was he really protecting Lysander?
「You didn’t hesitate much when you left me here alone!」
As he said, he had simply abandoned Lysander and run away alone because he was tired of the boring royal life.
Maximilian couldn’t shake his head and say that it was absolutely not true.
It was also true that he thought that life in Sheridan was comfortable just because he didn’t meet the annoying Amelda.
「You said you would do anything to save that child, right? Okay, fine! I’ll tell you one possible way.」
「Kill me.」
That’s…
Lysander’s cry for the truth to be revealed.
Even though he was crushed by the lies Amelda had created, he could never betray his beloved mother first.
Just as Maximilian realized the meaning of the world through Brielle,
Lysander realized the meaning of the world through his mother.
The poor man who knew he was on the wrong path but had no choice but to keep going might have chosen to go crazy.
“It’s true that I thought if I could just keep my life… everything else would somehow work out.”
But it seemed that people couldn’t survive on just breathing.
Common words that sometimes fail to resonate properly—values and truths.
A life that lost these ended up ruining Lysander.
“I decided not to ignore it any longer.”
“…You’re fighting.”
“Yes. In fact, it was something I should have faced before.”
Maximilian answered with a steady voice.
“Wouldn’t it be helpful if I woke up the collapsed golem?”
“Is that possible? Of course I don’t doubt you. But that’s the golem of the previous wizard commander, Clarisse.”
Although the Duke had little knowledge of magic, he was well aware that the color of the robes they wore signified the limits of their power.
Moreover, that golem belonged to someone who was called the most powerful commander in history.
“…If you push yourself too hard and end up like last time again…”
The Duke seemed to recall the state of Clarisse, who had returned from the north a while ago.
She quickly shook her head.
“No way. It won’t happen. Even if I can’t lift it, at least I can try to talk.”
“Then should I step aside?”
Clarisse hesitated for a moment at Valentine’s story.
If he stepped aside, it would mean that he would take the knights and soldiers currently stationed in Sheridan and go to the royal capital.
“What? Why can’t you tell me to go?”
“That’s!”
Clarisse was worried about Valentine.
A little while ago, he hadn’t even bothered to hide his hostility toward his mother.
And now he’s going back to her territory on his own…
“If you think about it, you’re the one who treats everyone around you like they’re weak. Yet, you’re the one always getting hurt.”
“The prince says I’m strong.”
“Well, you’re the tough one. But that doesn’t mean you have a duty to protect everyone. More than anything… Ah.”
He stopped talking to Clarisse and turned to Maximilian as if he had just remembered something.
“You already know, but I will tell you formally.”
Valentine bowed his head slightly to him.
“I proposed to Clarisse. Please use this information whenever you need it.”
“Prince, are you really crazy?!”
Clarisse screamed with a bright red face, and Eugenie shouted at the same time.
“Are you crazy?”
“What do you mean by are you crazy? You speak badly to your brother?”
“Let me repeat, I’m the older sister. What kind of situation is it to propose without even building a relationship first?”
Ignoring Eugenie who was screaming, Valentine stared at Clarisse again.
With eyes filled with deep emotion.
He didn’t say anything else, but Clarisse somehow felt like she could hear him talking.
No matter what happens in the future, I will definitely save Clarisse.
Feeling embarrassed for some reason, Clarisse turned her head slightly without realizing it.
And this time, her eyes met Noah’s briefly again.
He simply adjusted his mask.
* * *
Clarisse asked the Duke for a private meeting.
She approached Maximilian a little closer than when they were all together.
He stroked her hair out of habit.
It wasn’t to comfort Clarisse, but it seemed like he was trying to find stability for himself.
“If I had known you would meet that person, I would have gone with you.”
“No, there are royal knights here, and it would be difficult for the Duke to leave this place.”
“That person is really dangerous, Clarisse.”
There was a hint of fear in Maximilian’s voice.
It seemed that he was still concerned that Clarisse might have been deeply hurt during their meeting.
“She always finds a person’s weakness and relentlessly forces them to surrender.”
“That’s what it felt like… And more than anything, it seemed like she was determined to eliminate anything that could become her weakness without hesitation.”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have left Lysander with that kind of person.”
He was tormented again, reproaching himself.
“Lysander… was truly a kind child. He valued even the life of an insect, to the point where, on summer days in the garden, he would walk with only his toes barely touching the ground.”
“….”
“You may not believe it.”
Clarisse shook her head gently.
“I believe everything the Duke says.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Oh, and the Duke.”
Clarisse put a small jewel decoration she had been holding in her hand into his hand.
“Do you remember this jewel?”
Maximilian looked at the flower-shaped jewel decoration and shook his head quietly.
“However, it’s clear that this belongs to the royal family… I can tell. It’s the craftsmanship of the artisan my father cherished.”
Clarisse whispered quietly to him as he looked closely at the decoration.
“This is Queen Eleanor’s jewel.”
He was so startled that he almost dropped the jewel for a moment.
Eleanor Saphers was his biological mother, who had died in the royal capital when the previous king and Maximilian were fighting the monsters in Sheridan.
She was very weak.
Maximilian still remembered how worryingly warm his mother’s hand had been when he held it for the last time before leaving for the battlefield.
That jewel of his mother?
Maximilian soon began to have doubts, apart from the longing that was welling up in him.
How did this end up in Clarisse’s hands?
“Queen Eleanor gave it to Her Highness Amelda on her birthday. And it just happened to end up in my hands during our meeting earlier.”
“….”
“This jewel still thinks of itself as Queen Eleanor’s. It loves her very much.”
“I…see.”
He slowly swept the small decoration with his slow hands.
Clarisse’s ability to talk to jewels was amazing, but it was also cute that such a small jewel treated its mother as its master and showered her with affection.
“So?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t think you politely requested a private meeting just to give me this jewel.”
Clarisse smiled awkwardly.
He was right. She had something to say.
To be exact, it was the jewel she handed over that conveyed the message she had wanted to tell Maximilian.
However, with the situation being so complicated, she worried whether speaking carelessly might further trouble his heart.
“It’s okay.”
Soon, he offered words of encouragement.
“Didn’t I tell you a little while ago that I’ve decided to value the truth?”
“I know, but…”
She was afraid that it would be too painful for him.
“Duke, this jewel. It has been suffering for a very long time.”
She took Maximilian’s hand without asking permission. She felt like she had to do it now.
Fortunately, he didn’t push Clarisse away.
“…Because it had to become an ornament for the person who killed its beloved master.”
* * *
Noah sat on the highest point of the northern wall.
Around the collapsed golem, Valentine’s knights and soldiers could be seen hurrying to prepare.
Soon, the flagpole indicating that it was Valentine’s unit was raised high.
It was a large flag embroidered with the symbol of the Saphers royal family, accompanied by two smaller flags hanging in succession below it.
Only the direct brothers of the king could use this, so Valentine was currently the only one who could use this flagpole.
Noah sighed softly, realizing his status.
“Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”
Just then, Valentine arrived behind him.
“If I push it lightly, it’ll fall off.”
“Go ahead and push. After all, I won’t die.”
He answered without looking back.
“Magic?”
Valentine plopped down right next to Noah.
“Yes, it’s not mine, but…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but it’s nice to hear that you won’t die supernaturally.”
Valentine, who had his chin up, looked at Noah blankly and smiled.
“Of course, I’ll keep the girl safe no matter what…”
“Oh, did you feel that way? That I think of you as a shield protecting Clarisse, or something?”
Noah frowned.
Though it may not be visible to Valentine because of the mask.
“Are you trying to say that protecting the girl is your job?”
“No, you really talk about him all the time. Although I guess I’m not in a position to say anything about it…”
The strong sunlight made Valentine run his slightly sweaty hair back.
“I came here to worry about you, though?”
“….”
“Why on earth do you keep avoiding Clarisse?”
“It doesn’t matter. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“No, I can say for certain it’s not good. Clarisse is so focused on watching you that she’s not considering my proposal at all. What are you going to do about this serious situation?”
Clarisse is concerned about Noah’s feelings?
That couldn’t be true. Rather, it was Noah who was watching.
Valentine must have misunderstood something.
“You don’t have to worry about that kind of thing. Anyway…”
Noah sighed deeply.
“The girl will soon lose interest in me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Noah looked around for a moment and sat down next to Valentine as if he had no other choice.
Even though they were friends, it was a bit uncomfortable to sit so close to a man that their thighs were pressed together. Still, Valentine held back, thinking that he might find out some great secret.
“This is absolutely a secret. If you go and blurt it out, I will cut off all ties with you forever.”
“Okay, what is it?”
“Actually, my face carries the magic of a stone left by my mother. And the girl, as a golem master, found it very intriguing. The affection she showed me… was all because of that.”
“B, but?”
“It’ll be faster if you see it for yourself. Now all that’s left for me is…”
Noah lowered his head slightly and slowly took off his mask.
“It’s just a face without a single stone, a shameful appearance.”
Finally, he lifted his head after taking off his mask.
Valentine felt as if he had been hit hard in the back of his head and couldn’t say anything.
Noah Sinnet was a real monster.
He had such a menacing appearance.
For some reason, he thought he could hear the cries of a monster beyond the northern wall.
It must have been an auditory hallucination.
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