Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"What's going on with you?"

Aedis asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just like the plan..."

Don't mind me, just thinking about making the Baron's nightmare a reality.

I smiled as I organized my schedule.

As soon as the preparations were over, it was decided that we'd tour the Lydia Estate, Carmel Estate, Hollow Estate, and Rosa Estate just as proposed by the butler.

The first place we were visiting was the Rosa Estate, near the Eire Forest.

If I went along the planned route, I'd be able to return within two weeks of completing everything on the schedule.

After the plan was settled, Count Elliott was called in to watch over Gilbert.

I asked that he stop Gilbert from doing anything else while Aedis and I were away, and the Count readily accepted.

"Now all I have to do is choose the knights..."

We were thinking of only taking seven knights. Aedis' familiar, Raven, would stay and be attached to Regen.

With Aedis around, the escort matters weren't something to worry about.

I picked up a pile of papers.

It was a bunch of applications sent by the knights who'd heard rumors that we would be going on a territory inspection sooner or later. Procyon must've been the one who started the rumor.

"It's safe to assume that almost all of them applied. But it's not easy to sort this out by just looking at a few sheets of paper, I'd rather have individual interviews.

Just roughly counting, there were over thirty sheets.

Because the knights of the Kallakis family were small in number, it was quite a competitive rate.

What is it? Is everyone bored because they're stuck in a castle?

Or maybe it's because it's an opportunity to see Aedis' face more often.

The employees faint at even hearing Aedis' footsteps, but the knights were a different story.

They were more like his passionate followers.

I was curious about the reason, so when Aedis agreed, I immediately called them in one by one.

There was no harm in getting them used to his face.

However, it felt like something began to twist in me when the first knight to knock on the door was Procyon.

"I want to defend the honorable Grand Duchess! The knight next in line, Sir Castor, never washes his hands, even after going to the bathroom! He eats with his hands!"

"You don't have to accuse your fellow workers, Sir Procyon."

While I dissuaded him dryly, I still drew a line through Castor's name.

Fix your hygiene first.

Knowing that I would skip my meeting with Castor, Agena came in and sat down naturally.

Outside the door, I heard Procyon being grabbed by someone, I just flipped the paper.

"Okay then, next is Sir Agena Elliott...huh?"

Elliot?

The Elliott?!

"How?"

His face didn't bear any resemblance at all!

Tolyman Elliott had an impression worthy of being compared to the beach and a tropical night.

His sun-tanned skin, broad shoulders, and reddish-brown hair made him easy to mistake for southern origin.

But Agena had light hair, pale skin, and a slender physique. Everything about him was the exact opposite of Tolyman.

As if he knew what I was shocked about, Agena, who was waiting awkwardly, smiled.

"I think it's both my karma and my destiny to have been born like this. Oh, for reference, yes he is my full brother, not my half-brother or my step-brother. People have often asked."

Uh, anyway, I learned how Tolyman Elliott's appearance was thought of by his younger brother.

Karma and destiny.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of hitting and punching coming from outside.

I ignored it and lightly questioned Agena.

"Do you have any internal accusations or complaints?"

"Who should I start with?"

The answer that came back without hesitation was brutal, unlike the calm smile he wore.

After a little while, I had selected seven of them by taking into account my whistleblower's information and the brief individual interviews.

Agena was accepted for having escorted Monica twice.

Monica, who hated favors from others, didn't have any complaints about him, so I can trust him.

When Aedis and I were left alone, I stretched my body.

It turns out that Vega didn't apply. Was he trying to save face because he was the leader? Or maybe he wasn't interested because there was nothing to sell.

I think it was probably the latter.

Vega wasn't a person who valued discipline. He wasn't even proud of himself as the leader.

If he was, he wouldn't have settled with just going over when Procyon compared him to Shaula.

Does Aedis remember Shaula?

Since he was an unusual person, Aedis might have committed his name to memory.

I looked at Aedis quietly.

He had left everything to me, not saying a thing to any of the knights that came and went.

It was like he was invisible, someone who was only visible to my eyes.

That actually wasn't such a wrong way to put it, the knights didn't seem conscious of Aedis' presence today.

Aedis just sat there, lazy and bored.

Whenever our eyes met, he would show me an eye-catching smile.

When Castor tried to get sympathy by saying it was unfair to give up on him like that, Aedis closed the door without moving a single finger, causing him to bump his head.

Anyway, he's really a great husband.

I asked Aedis a question while organizing my application.

"Aedis, do you remember the former head of the knights, Shaula? Procyon said he was a great man."

Aedis answered affirmatively, thinking about whether blood-thirsty eyes and team kills were his specialties.

"I remember. "

"Do you know what he's doing now?"

"Maybe Eve, I bought the place near the stone masonry. There's no one to stop him from running over there."

....Huh?

Swish

The applications fell.

As I looked down at my empty hands, Aedis called my name.

"Eve?"

I wasn't surprised to learn that Aedis had become the owner of the quarry. Aedis would have done the same before getting married.

The problem was that the quarry wasn't just bought to show off.

There was an old beast who I had signed to sleep.

-I will die soon. That's why I want a grave that can't be dug up by anyone.

If anyone finds and destroys the grave, it would be a breach of the contract. And the grave could not be moved either.

-It can't be on ordinary land. My body will rot and spread poison, contaminating everything.

What are the odds that Shaula will find the grave?

What's the probability of him being interested in an old beast's corpse?

"Eve."

I cleared my voice and tried to sound the situation out.

"Well, does Shaula know that the quarry now has an owner? It's a difficult place to invade at will."

"Is there anything there that he shouldn't touch?"

As I looked at Aedis, I pressed my lips together tightly.

An anxious look must have appeared on my face.

It wasn't like I hadn't put on a safety device, but it was useless if its opponent was a skilled person like Gilbert.

Aedis, who was somewhat aware of the contract, narrowed his eyes.

"....You built a tomb there. "

To be clear, even before his death at that time, the beast continued to worry.

-I'm sorry. I will try my best, but eventually, I will end up hurting you.

He spoke as if the contract couldn't be completed successfully, even with his excessive planning and consideration.

Knock-Knock-Knock

The sudden knocks startled me.

Without realizing it, I had clung onto Aedis, but when I heard a voice full of hesitation from behind the door, I relaxed.

"He-hello, Your Grace the Grand Duchess."

I opened the door quickly to the young boy smiling at me.

"My Lord?"

His eyes, like the plump cherry-flavored pudding, sparkled as they reacted to my voice

Regen, who was dressed in a sunny yellow suit, looked like a little chick.

Regen stood by the door, unable to come in yet, and asked.

"Are you very busy?"

Regen was a little nervous and waited for my answer.

He seemed to be looking forward to it but was holding himself back for fear of rejection.

I smiled and moved aside so Regen could come inside.

"When my Lord comes, I'm always free. Come on in."

"Yes! Thank you!"

Aack!

Regen, who was coming in excitedly, suddenly fell.

"Oh, Father?! You're here?"

Huh?

His reaction implied that he'd thought that I was alone in the office.

Come to think of it, there were a few knights that didn't even take a look in Aedis' direction.

As if there was nothing there, so there was no need to look.

"Aedis, were you using invisibility magic? No wonder the knights were less stiff."

"I was practicing erasing my presence. It's impossible to erase it completely, and the duration varies depending on the opponent, but it seems to be effective."

As Aedis snapped his finger, the maid who followed Regen, flinched.

But nothing had changed for me.

I'm not sure what the difference is yet...you should know that.