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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“…Why are you sleeping here?”
Her flustered expression was so rare that I couldn’t help but chuckle as soon as I opened my eyes.
Was it really that surprising?
I thought about it for a moment, then recalled how drunk Adele had been last night.
Had she lost her memories?
She had said all those things to me, and now she couldn’t remember? I felt a bit cheated.
I didn’t know how to react.
I looked at Adele and pondered.
Should I explain it to her? Or should I let her continue to be flustered?
But I couldn’t stay silent. Her expression would only darken if I did.
I decided it was fine to tease her a little. I pulled the blanket up to my chest and looked at her.
Her lips moved silently several times before she answered cautiously.
“You don’t remember?”
“My head hurts… I think I remember some things, but it’s hazy. I remember kissing you. But I don’t know why I’m sleeping here.”
So she remembered the kiss. She had drunk a couple more bottles after that, so it was understandable that her memory was fragmented.
She had become more honest because the alcohol had hit her all at once.
It was only natural, considering she had been drinking that strong liquor like water.
Adele ran her hand over her forehead and sighed softly.
Her attempts to grasp the situation were amusing.
Did she really not remember? Well, it was possible.
Anyway, I had to leave this room. The sun had risen.
Adele had clung to me so tightly that I had fallen asleep beside her.
But it would be better to leave before anyone saw us and got the wrong idea.
I chuckled softly at her gaze and straightened my clothes, slowly getting out of bed.
I assumed she would remember eventually, but it wouldn’t hurt to tease her while she still couldn’t remember.
“Didn’t you do all sorts of things to me last night? You were quite strong, so I couldn’t resist.”
“Me, to you?”
“Yes, it was my first time. You don’t seem to remember.”
It was her first time. It was the first time Adele had told me she missed me, and technically, she was the first to kiss me on the forehead.
I chuckled softly at her flustered reaction and walked towards the door.
It was still early in the morning, so it should be fine if I left now.
As I opened the door to leave, I saw someone standing there.
Startled by my appearance, Lothos’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the nameplate on the door.
His usually dark skin turned pale, and his finger, trembling, pointed at me.
The first thing that came to mind was that Lothos would misunderstand. And then I realized…
This was going to be troublesome.
“This is the Grand Duchess’s room. At this hour… did you sleep together?”
He asked, flustered, but there was a faint smile on his lips.
He probably thought he had hit the jackpot.
I didn’t answer. The scene behind me was answer enough.
Adele’s usually neat pajamas were disheveled, empty bottles and plates scattered around the room. And me, emerging from that room at this hour…
It could only mean one thing.
I smiled wryly.
I couldn’t deny it. We had definitely slept together.
“I didn’t expect your relationship to progress so quickly.”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. I’m not going to bother making excuses.”
“Who would believe that a man and a woman drank together and just slept? Well, I suppose it’s possible for the Grand Duchess.”
Lothos chuckled to himself and shrugged.
I had asked him to tidy up the room and was dealing with Lothos alone instead of showing him Adele’s disheveled state.
Misunderstandings? I didn’t really care if they arose.
Judging from Ilona’s attitude, no one seemed interested in pushing the issue.
Besides, if we had slept together, people could think whatever they wanted.
That was why I was regretting it. Perhaps I should have kept a bit more distance. We weren’t lovers yet, but our relationship was practically the same, wasn’t it?
…I had a lot on my mind.
I was confident Adele would maintain the invisible line between us, but…
Lothos seemed amused by the situation. He grinned for a while before clearing his throat and looking at me.
“Anyway, I was quite surprised. I knew you were meeting with her privately, but I thought you would leave after drinking.”
“Things happened. Do you have any more questions?”
“May I ask just one thing?”
I told him to ask, and Lothos hesitated for a moment before answering.
“I don’t understand what you see in the Grand Duchess.”
“…Sigh.”
Anyone listening would think we were already lovers.
Even if that were true, our relationship wasn’t as developed as it had been in the past. I hadn’t come here to have this conversation with Lothos.
I had other objectives in mind. I was hoping for a more productive discussion.
I frowned and sighed, staring at Lothos before shaking my head.
I didn’t need to answer every single question.
I was more concerned about Adele, who was alone in her room, so I decided to change the subject.
“I’m here because of the Grand Duchess’s letter, but I also need your help with something I’m investigating.”
“You need my help?”
“If I want to obtain information from the North, you’re the best person to ask, aren’t you?”
Perhaps he realized I wasn’t interested in idle chatter. The smile on his face faded as he adopted his usual serious expression for “work.”
He offered me a chair and spoke.
“I already know what you’re looking for. I’ve been investigating the capital as well. Are you looking for the masked figures?”
“You’re well-informed.”
“I’ve been trying to find information about them, but I haven’t been able to get anything concrete. I only know that they’ve been sighted near the Northwest and the uncharted territory.”
The uncharted territory.
That made me even more suspicious.
The uncharted territory was an area completely sealed off by ancient magic. It was a place where no one could reach, and even the Four Dragons couldn’t detect it, meaning it was protected by a powerful seal.
I would have to investigate why Kaitel was interested in such a place.
Even after countless regressions, Kaitel remained an enigma.
I didn’t know why he killed me, why he didn’t eradicate the Taylor House even after framing me for treason.
“Are you going to continue investigating them?”
I nodded at Lothos’s question. It was just as important as meeting with Adele.
I didn’t have much time here, so I hoped to find some clues. But I didn’t expect it to be easy.
Lothos seemed to share my thoughts.
He frowned and answered.
“I know you’re not staying long, but it won’t be easy to find anything.”
“I know. It would be a stroke of luck if we found even a single clue.”
“The Grand Duchess will be disappointed. She seemed quite excited to spend time with you.”
His words piqued my interest. What had Adele been doing while I was gone that made everyone in the North curious about our relationship?
I hadn’t given much thought to Adele’s actions while I was away. I had only assumed she hadn’t been sleeping well.
I wondered if it was okay to ask. But it was better to know than to be completely oblivious.
Lothos answered readily when I asked, as if he had been waiting for it.
He had more to say than I had expected.
Things that would make anyone blush.
“She was actually going to order an expedition. I had a hard time convincing her that things would escalate if she went to the capital.”
“I heard she wasn’t sleeping well.”
“That’s right. When we gathered in the morning, we always talked about when the Duke would finally change.”
Lothos wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed.
He looked as haggard as Adele.
Had she really been that worried about me?
I also laughed when he told me she had deliberately changed the bed in my room.
I thought she had become much more honest.
She hadn’t been very expressive in the past, even when she had feelings for me. I couldn’t understand why she would get angry sometimes.
Now, she acted like a cat.
I had once compared her to a wolf. She had been Adele Igrit, the cold and calculating woman who stood alone in solitude.
But her softened personality and behavior were new to me in this life.
I smiled as I pondered Adele’s actions, and Lothos, who had been staring at me, cleared his throat and spoke cautiously.
“Since I’ve told you all this, I would appreciate it if you answered my question. The one I asked earlier.”
“Well, if you’re asking what I find appealing about her…”
I felt like answering for a split second.
I sensed someone outside the door, and it was easy to answer.
I chuckled softly and spoke loudly enough for the person outside to hear.
“Let’s just say she’s beautiful.”
Thump.
The sound from outside the door was so loud that I could only smile.
Why were they eavesdropping?
It was their own fault.
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