A Saint Lives In The Demon Duke’s Mansion - Chapter 30
Here in the Amanta Empire, the high-ranking nobility lived here for exactly half the year.
During the social season, spring and summer, was a lively time in the capital. While during the non-social season, fall and winter, was for quiet time at the territory.
The Bastions, who only socialized as much as they wanted, were no exception.
But as long as they were a Duke of the Empire and there was a connection, it was natural to stay in the townhouse during the spring and summer, even if it was a formality.
But all of a sudden…
“I can’t believe we have to go to the territory.”
What a bolt out of the blue.
And the precise reason was.
“A monster wave?”
In the middle of the summer?
I continued with a puzzled look.
“I heard that monsters make a big fuss when it’s cold.”
“That’s true. They can stampede, especially in the winter.”
Yes, that’s correct. But it’s midsummer, so why?
Benjamin answered, as he crumpled his brows as if he was troubled.
“It’s not common, but sometimes there are monster waves regardless of the season. In fact, they haven’t been able to make a statistical basis for out of season waves… So strictly speaking, the appearance of monsters is still unpredictable.”
No, what was that? In other words, it meant that it wasn’t a natural disaster.
As I was about to open my mouth again, Wolfgang, who had been quiet so far, intervened.
“So, I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone the wedding.”
“Oh, but the wedding is important…”
“I object.”
This was important, wasn’t it?
Levi, who showed a very fast and definite expression of emotions, opened his mouth again.
“Can’t we have the ceremony right away, then go up to the estate?”
“But would the bride be happy with that choice? The ceremony hall and dress will be mediocre, it’ll be a half-baked marriage completed as fast as lightning.”
Levi’s shoulder’s flinched.
Uh, but I was fine with that kind of problem. I wasn’t really looking for a fancy wedding.
As soon as I tried to say that a wedding pledge was enough, Levi answered faster.
“…We’ll put it off.”
He looked so gloomy even though he had no expression on his face.
I pulled on the sleeve of the guy that was somehow getting easier to read.
“You know Rapiden said they would make me pretty clothes. A wedding dress too.”
“….”
“Wouldn’t I look lovely in a pretty wedding dress?”
As I poked his cheek with my index finger and whispered, Levi slowly blinked his eyes once. It seemed to roughly mean a positive.
Okay, that made me feel better.
I sighed through my nose, and looked up to see Wolfgang and Benjamin with their heads bowed. Their shoulders were trembling.
‘What. Why? What. Was it their first time seeing kids playing at love?’
They’ve never seen it before, yeah… I felt dumbfounded and my breath was robbed from my lungs.
As the wise man’s time goes up and down a little, I just caught Levi’s hand and left the office.
I thought I’d heard all the news that I needed to hear anyway.
“Phew, we shouldn’t go far. We’ll stay in the garden, then come right in. I heard we would leave right away in the afternoon.”
As I trudged along the corridor, there was definitely a cluttered atmosphere.
We stepped out into a spectacularly sculpted garden, and passed by the busy employees, who were preparing for the sudden departure.
I would probably never see a view like this after I went to the Bastion estate, right? It was famous for being cold and barren.
As I gently touched the blooming summer roses, I asked.
“What’s the weather like at the Bastion estate right now?”
“About late autumn in the capital.”
Oh, the temperature was really low. It would be cool in the summer, but in the winter it would be utterly dead cold.
I shivered and wrung my hands just thinking about it.
“That’s right! I’ll finally be able to meet him!”
“Who?”
“I mean, the youngest master. Your brother. I heard his name was Franz.”
“…Yes.”
Strangely, the answer wasn’t bright.
Still, it wasn’t enough to worry about right away, so I moved on first.
Rather, it was important to find out information about the next target.
“What does Franz like? What does he dislike? I heard he has a difficult personality, but what is his temperament like? Is it like sandpaper, or thorns? An iron scrubbing brush?”
Levi slowly opened his mouth with a ‘what difference does it make?’ look written on his face.
“I don’t know.”
Why didn’t he know when this was his only little brother.
Before I could argue, he turned around and strode away at high speed.
What’s wrong with him?
My confusion didn’t last long.
That’s right, that’s what it was. I followed right behind with a big grin on my face.
“I heard he’s handsome too. He’s like a pretty boy.”
“….”
“Well, I’m looking forward to it. He’ll get along with me, won’t he?”
It was time to call it a day.
I knew that in my head, but I couldn’t stop talking.
I didn’t know if it was an optical illusion. The back of his round black head looked really cute today.
“I want to see him soon!”
Towering
Finally, Levi stopped.
Oops, it was almost the same thing.
I said I wanted to see him, so didn’t he rush out of school without saying a word.
I tried to hurry up and pick up the words when I realized I had made a mistake, but I was too late.
Because Levi used a high-level technique as if he wouldn’t let it go this time.
“Sleep…!”
Even when I reached out, there was no afterimage left in front of me.
I was left alone and muttered in a half-laughing, half-amused voice.
“I messed up.”
That’s why I always had to be careful about what I said.
***
“Benjamin, you’re noisy.”
“…I haven’t said anything yet.”
His eyes were noisy.
Since I got in the carriage, Benjamin had been staring at me and making constant noise with his eyes.
‘Did you fight? You fought, you fought. Why did you fight?’
Ignoring his curious eyes to the end, I stuck my head out of the window of the moving carriage.
Wolfgang and Levi were seen mixed with knights in the distance.
Geez, how could he manage to go that long of a distance on horseback?
A tongue-tied me murmured.
“You don’t want to ride in the same carriage as me, or what?”
“Initially, his Excellency and the Young Master preferred horseback riding.”
“But if we hadn’t fought, he would’ve sat next to me.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
By the way, we had a fight after all.
Benjamin nodded his head as if he understood what I was saying.
No, actually, it’s vague to say that we fought. I just one-sidedly made a mistake.
And Levi was…
‘He’s upset.’
Absolutely, a smirk crept out.
What do you mean he’s sulking? He looked like a child. Of course, he was a kid.
“More than that, Miss Aisha, can you see ahead?”
“…It’s hard, so please be quiet.”
Oh, this curly hair! You really were out of control!
As I struggled to get my fluttering hair under control, I suddenly met the dark red eyes that were facing me.
Then avoided, looked back, and avoided again.
Just when I thought he might get used to being self-conscious.
As he looked back, he mouthed the word ‘It’s dangerous’.
I blinked, and tucked my head back in.
“Is there anything interesting out there?”
Benjamin, who saw my face, snooped out the window.
I pulled down my skywardly raised cheekbones, and changed the topic with a cough.
“Well, there’s nothing. Anyway, it takes two weeks to get to the territory?”
“Yes, maybe.”
“…What’s that mean?”
“When Aisha wasn’t there, it took about 10 days.”
How can it take 2 weeks when it normally took 10 days… Ah.
Benjamin silently pointed to the Bastion parent and his child, and I understood most of what he was saying.
It was a problem if the superior lived alone in the world. I send my jaded consolation to the many subordinates who have so far imitated Bastion and split their loins.
Soon, a colorful landscape unfolded outside the carriage once we’d escaped the complex capital and entered a rare mountainous area.
It was a perfect summer.
It was nice to see green all around. Still, I enjoyed seeing the back of a certain someone riding on Ignite the most.
By the time we’d traveled into the middle of the mountain range, the carriage stopped and there was a knock on the window outside.
Benjamin had a few words with the knight outside, then he said.
“We’re going to rest for the day.”
“Oh, really?”
Half dozing off, I pulled myself up.
It was also a job to be carried like a package in a carriage. This was especially true when driving on bumpy dirt roads.
When I opened the carriage door with my fist, someone reached out.
“Oh, Sir Kyle. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
He’s blunt, but he has manners. And he’s handsome. That’s why he’s the most popular among the knights.
It was the moment when I tried to hold his hand with a smile.
My left cheek stung. My right cheek also stung.
Oh, my face was going to get pierced. I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t just one of them, but two people who were looking exactly alike, and that they would stare at me alone.
With a sigh, I would have to jump down with my own two feet.
“Thank you very much, but no thanks.”
For your own safety.
I whispered to Kyle, wrapped it up, and jumped down. Also, I didn’t want to be glared at.
But despite my efforts, Wolfgang approached and made a silly grumble.
“No cheating, daughter-in-law.”
“Of course.”
Who did he think I was?
I snorted and glared at the back of Duke Wolfgang. As if waiting, I made eye contact with Levi, but soon it naturally shifted away.
This should’ve been solved on its own, but it kept coming out like this.
“Pidori…”
“Who?”
“Father, the eldest son!”
Instead of making a fuss, I grumbled at Wolfgang.
“Did Father-in-law act like this towards his mother?”
“Act like what?”
“Did you smother her with jealousy?”
Wolfgang placed his finger to his chin and murmured softly.
Did he just mumble about killing something?
As I flinched away from the unknown cold, he grinned and said.
“If he’s done something wrong, then hit him.”
“…What?”
“Then he’ll do what you say.”
What was he saying for me to do to his son? No, more than that.
‘I thought you were beaten up because you were simply in love with your wife, but was that your taste?’
Then perhaps that taste was passed on to the next generation…
Leaving me alone as I froze up, Wolfgang walked to the knights, who’d built a fire and set up the tents.
It was a fairly large homecoming, but that didn’t mean everyone was going to be together. This was because we’d left the minimum number of people to protect the townhouse, with Hugo as the representative.
From Joan to Kim to Sarah, they waved their handkerchieves goodbye to Winston and Benjamin, respectively.
And we had to say goodbye to Rapiden, who’s boutique building was in the capital.
Although it was difficult because of the suffering, Taylor left me with a fresh farewell to me, who was regretful because of the accumulated affection.
‘I will sincerely make your outfits, and send them to you. As long as you have Rapiden, you don’t have to worry about the coldness of Bastion. And don’t be sad. We’ll see each other quite often in the future. You’re growing up, aren’t you?’
Then I shook her hand instead of hugging her, and I held her hand tightly.
After the first day, I’ve always put on gloves, and as tightly as possible.
“Arf! Arf!”
Then a group of blue wolves popped out of the bushes.
Oh, they’ve been following me well.
Patting the guys who still didn’t want to be separated from me. I asked Betty, who’d gotten off the maid carriage, to get them something to eat.
“You have to eat too, Miss.”
“Before we do that, we’ll solve this first.”
I swore at Levi. It was frustrating.
He just sent the Ignite to Queensbury and Darkhorse, who were traveling with only light baggage, and he disappeared somewhere.
I was right.
Finally, I thought it would be a chance for the two of us to see each other, so I followed behind him.
We didn’t have time to make up because we were in a hurry to return to the territory, so I thought it would be solved right away if I put a bit of pressure on it.
“Excuse me.”
“….”
“Handsome brother walking in front.”
I couldn’t believe he didn’t turn around.