Chapter 22
Chapter 022.
Eventually, without encountering ‘a single person,’ I arrived near the Training Grounds, and knights gathered in the distance came into view.
I glanced over, but thankfully, the owner of the prominent blonde hair was nowhere to be seen.
However, if I approached the knights and greeted them, someone would surely report it to Orion.
‘That would be troublesome.’
After a moment of contemplation, I looked around for someone passing by.
The mansion's servants, who were usually so abundant they were burdensome, were nowhere to be seen today, which was frustrating.
As I was struggling, someone suddenly made their presence known behind me.
“Ahem, ahem. Is there something you need?”
The servant, who had a leaf in his hair, spoke to me, appearing strangely from the garden thick with ornamental trees rather than the path.
“Um, is it possible to see a knight for a moment without Vice Duke Orion knowing?”
“Pardon?”
“I would like to see Lord Beihan Rune, without the Vice Duke knowing.”
At my request, the servant's eyes became very bright.
Then, nodding his head so vigorously it seemed it would snap, he said with a pleased expression.
“If it’s Lord Rune, of course, I can call him for you. He is truly Vice Duke’s! Closest confidant! So he will actively! Cooperate.”
What is he going to actively cooperate with?
I examined the servant before me closely.
He looked fine on the surface, but his lips were twitching, and his eyelids were fluttering, so he was definitely suffering from accumulated fatigue.
So that’s why.
The servants were nowhere to be seen today.
Did they all collapse from accumulated fatigue?
“Just tell him. That I want to talk to him quietly.”
“Of course!”
And he added seriously.
“Get some rest when you’re done with work.”
“Yes, yes.”
The servant replied, telling me to trust him, and then disappeared with a pleased expression.
Not long after, a maid came tiptoeing over and whispered discreetly.
“This way, please.”
She led me to a detached annex connected to the back of the mansion.
While the main residence was grand and had a classic feel, this place had a lighter and more comfortable atmosphere.
No sooner had I carefully sat down than I heard someone behind me.
“Did you call for me?”
Lord Rune, striding in, sat across from me with a faint smile as always.
It was our first meeting since our awkward parting last time.
I stared at his sweat-drenched bangs and offered him the handkerchief that was next to me.
He smiled faintly.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He put down the handkerchief and opened his mouth.
“It’s the first time the Lady has visited The Duke's Residence first. Even when invited, you wouldn’t come and always made excuses to decline.”
“I guess so.”
Come to think of it, that was true.
This time, too, I ended up coming here out of my own needs, so my conscience pricked.
Lord Rune asked gently, his eyes shining with kindness.
“What brings you to me, our Lady?”
He is not a subordinate who has to grant my requests.
If I had to say, it didn’t seem like he liked me that much.
But at least, he was the only person I could think of who could be helpful in any situation or who was good at improvisation.
My friends were too conspicuous, and even if I tried to hire an actor now, it would be difficult to find one in such a short time.
So, it was an act of desperation in its own way.
I took a slight breath and mustered the courage to make my request.
“I would like you to be my brother.”
The very moment I said those words.
There was a loud crash from behind.
Surprised, I turned around and saw a flash of brilliant blonde hair darting out from a hidden space in the wall.
It was the owner of that blonde hair I had been worried about finding at the Training Grounds.
I glanced at the direction he had disappeared without a trace and asked cautiously.
“Where did Orion just come from?”
Lord Rune, who was covering his face with his hand for some reason, did not answer.
At the same time, the door burst open, and several servants popped out with bright and cheerful musical instrument sounds and confetti.
Those surrounding Rune and me froze in place with bewildered faces.
The musical instruments that had been playing excitedly stopped, and a servant who came in late quietly reported.
“The Vice Duke has left on horseback. The destination is undecided.”
Why are they suddenly telling me about Orion’s destination, and why is everyone so flustered?
I cautiously spoke to Lord Rune, who was still covering his face and saying nothing.
“Can you explain what’s going on?”
So why did Orion run out?
No, in the first place, where did that person even come from?
Lord Rune, who had been silent, finally raised his head after a long time.
He, who always maintained a faint smile, looked very tired for some reason.
I glanced at the direction Orion had run out from.
At first glance, it just looked like a wall.
‘Well, The Duke's Residence probably has secret passages.’
I guess I found one of them.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
“That’s not the problem, Lady……”
Lord Rune’s voice was very dark.
Silence fell between us.
I couldn’t easily speak because I didn’t understand the situation.
Lord Rune sighed as if he were troubled.
The flower petals that the boisterous band and servants had dropped as they hurriedly retreated remained on the floor.
Why did they bring all those musical instruments here?
And why did they leave here in such a hurry with pale, frozen faces?
After a long time of awkward silence, Lord Rune broke the silence and opened his mouth.
“Lady, are you very angry with me about what happened back then?”
“Pardon?”
“Did you become so resentful that you want to kill me?”
“Not at all.”
I was embarrassed and a little uncomfortable, but I wasn’t petty enough to hold a grudge over that kind of joke.
He stared at the distant mountains and burst into a hollow laugh.
“So, you pushed someone into hell without any resentment……”
I tilted my head at his incomprehensible words.
He muttered as if he were in despair.
“It seems that a serious crack has formed in my friendship with Orion, which I had been building up for several years.”
“Did you have a prior engagement?”
Did I unknowingly break that appointment?
I couldn’t understand how that could crack their friendship, but he was a Duke.
Our positions might be different.
Orion was a busy person, so he might value his time like gold.
“I think I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
‘Oh well. I’ll have to ask Lenny to find an actor.’
When I heard the description of someone who was good at improvisation, looked reasonably wealthy, and was a gentle and kind brother but had a distant relationship as siblings, the face that came to mind was Lord Rune.
Judging from his prank last time, he seemed to be good at acting.
It was a shame, but I had to give up.
I had no intention of making unreasonable demands.
Just as I was about to give up neatly and get up, he sighed and opened his mouth.
“First, I need to hear the background of your statement that you want me to be your brother.”
“Wasn’t it difficult?”
“If I end the situation like this without hearing the explanation, it will become more difficult.”
Ah, since Orion had run away, he had to explain the situation.
Well, as for me, I didn’t want Orion to know about today’s visit in the first place, but it had already been revealed.
And now that things had turned out this way, I had to explain whether Lord Rune granted my request or not.
“I enrolled in the Academy, hiding my identity.”
I explained to him that there was a troublesome incident at the Academy and that there would be a home visit, and that I needed someone to play the role of a family member with a forged identity.
Of course, I left out the part about me being involved with the victim of the incident, and that he was both the victim and the perpetrator.
After listening to my explanation, Lord Rune stared at me with a strange expression.
“Considering the situation, I understand why I came to mind.”
“Right? I thought you would be really good at it too.”
“Putting aside that belief that I would be good at playing the role of an older brother who secretly loves his non-blood-related younger sister and becomes a fool for her.”
Is that how the story goes?
Come to think of it, saying that he would be good at this role could be rude.
“I thought you were someone who didn’t like being indebted to anyone. Besides, you know that I don’t have as much affection for you as you think.”
To the words that there was no reason to choose him over Orion, who would try to grant her request no matter what, I replied simply.
“It’s easier to ask Lord Rune because you don’t have any affection for me.”
It was better to cleanly end it by giving and receiving what each other wanted.
A transaction is cleaner when there are no good or bad feelings between the parties.
He hmm’d and rested his chin on his hand as he replied.
“Helping you doesn’t seem that difficult.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I’ve never acted before, but I should be able to meet your expectations.”
I was relieved by his relatively willing answer.
It was obvious that it wouldn’t be easy to find someone who met the conditions, whether I went somewhere to find an actor right away.
I’m not confident in acting in sync with an actor either, so it’s more comfortable to be with someone I’m familiar with.
“Since I’m from a foreign country, I’ve rarely received attention from the public, and my face isn’t well known either. I can do that much.”
“Ah.”
“If I grant your request, will you also grant my request?”
“If it’s within my acceptable limits.”
A transaction is only possible when the exchange values of each party match.
He straightened his upper body, which had been leaning towards me, and slowly began to speak.
“Don’t think of Orion as too burdensome. That’s my request.”
“Yes......?”
His lightly spoken words completely deviated from my expectations, which bewildered me.
“I don’t think you would accept it if I asked you to take a walk with Orion right away, or have a meal together, or pay attention to him.”
‘That’s true, but……’
As I looked at him with a sullen expression, he put on a faint smile again.
“I admit that Orion’s attitude can be burdensome, but I just hope you feel a little less burdened.”
“If it’s too difficult, just think that he was born that way and acts like that, and that’s it.”
I stared at Lord Rune, who was asking me not to treat his lord and friend’s antics as ‘just that kind of guy and avoid him,’ and said one word.
“Lord Rune’s friendship is admirable, but
Don’t you think your treatment of your one and only lord is wrong?”
He laughed.
“I’m going to be tormented by Orion for the time being anyway, so it’s okay to treat him a little harshly in advance.”
I couldn’t understand his enigmatic words at all.
