Duke's wife

Chapter 70

“I’m sorry, Leon. You were surprised, right? I’m sorry.”

“…….The-, then did that curse come to you? I-, I, my brother, took off our masks…….”

“No! It’s not like that at all!”

Grace clasped the crying Leon’s shoulder with both hands and looked into the child’s eyes and said firmly. Leon then pouted his lips and soon raised his little arm and hugged Grace’s neck and said,

“……Really? And you’re not going to fall again like that day, right?”

“Yes! A little while ago it was, so… … . Well. I thought I figured out something important! So, that is why okay?”

“……… Something important?”

“Yes. It is very important.”

About the very powerful and mysterious magic and those who used it, which may have been the starting point of all these events.

Grace swallowed those words and patted tearful Leon on the back. At the same time, Grace said to Arthur, who was looking at her with a fear that the power of the curse might have been exerted on her again, as Leon said.

“..……I’m so sorry. I’ve ruined this dining place that you prepared for having a family dinner.”

“No, are you sure you’re all right? As Leon said, if there is another curse… … .”

“No. That’s not true. So, don’t worry. Arthur. And…….”

“……And?”

Grace answered Arthur’s question by standing up while holding Leon.

“After sending Leon to an annex to soothe him, would you mind giving me some time if it’s okay with you? And please call Sally.”

“All right. Then we should wrap the meal for now.”

Arthur nodded at her words with a stiff face.

After that, Grace watched the servants and maids who started moving quickly and cleaned up the dining table at Arthur’s words, and she kindly swept sobbing Leon’s back.

In the meantime, she was constantly organising her thoughts about what she has found and what she was going to do next. And some thoughts kept running through her mind. It was about “secrets” and “conspiracies” that still need to be discovered and uncovered for a long time.

───※ ·❆· ※───

A little past noon, after completing the inquiry and having an early lunch, the Emperor returned to the Room of the Sun and received a letter from the Chief Servant, Count Roche.

The correspondent was Duke Alberton. The letter, bearing the seal of an owl symbolizing the Duke of Alberton, had a courteous statement expressing his urgency to meet the Emperor today.

The Emperor, who was reading the letter with an inscrutable face, as soon as he finished reading it, held it out to Count Roche and said.

“What is this audience request? It must be a threat disguised as a request.”

Count Roche, who was listening to the emperor speaking to himself as if he was self-help, lowered his eyes as if getting awkward. The Emperor glanced at Count Roche and asked again in a sullen tone.

“So, our Grand Duke, where is Duke Alberton now?”

[T/N: I don’t know for sure who is he calling as the grand duke. A Grand Duke is a way higher position than that of a Count or a Duke. Whom is he planning on promoting, I guess it’s Duke Alberton or is it for Count Roche? What do you think? (⊙_⊙)？]