The Mansion Awaits Spring
Chapter 85
Recognizing the remains of the former Lord and Lady Lunos by their clothing, the monks of Noster Monastery had secretly recovered the bodies to avoid the Grand Duke's notice.
It appeared they had cremated them and kept the ashes ever since.
Lian, who had handled the grim task on behalf of Fezin—since Fezin could not investigate his own brother's disgrace—offered his version of comfort.
「I understand. Trying to kill me is one thing. But he tried to kill the woman I love.」
「Yeah. I understand too.」
Fezin replied, looking back at Lian with a cynical expression.
「But you also understand the rage someone would feel toward the person who threw away their parents' bodies.」
「……Well. Honestly,」
Lian muttered reluctantly.
「I'd want to tear him apart.」
「Hey, that's my brother you're talking about.」
「Which tune do you want me to dance to, you bastard!?」
「You're terrible at comforting people. You grew up too sheltered.」
「Look who's talking.」
While Lian grumbled, a servant of the residence entered with coffee for the guest.
Lian, who had been bickering with his friend a moment ago, immediately switched to a polite tone.
「Thank you, I'll enjoy it.」
「Yes, young master.」
The servant smiled, set down the coffee, and left the bedroom. Only then did Fezin stand up and speak.
「Drink up and get out.」
「Who leaves a guest behind and just walks out?」
「What guest? You practically live here whenever I'm away.」
「That's why I went to all that trouble to find that for you.」
「Don't try to fish for compliments. I do everything you ask of me, too.」
「A blood oath, then.」
「Sure, whatever.」
Regardless of any rivalry, the two men took it for granted that they would do whatever the other needed. They didn't say thank you, and they never refused a request, no matter how difficult.
They believed that this intense bond would make the entire Police force stronger.
*
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*
Heidi sat up in bed as soon as she woke, checking the banquet invitations that had begun to arrive even before the end of the cold season.
When Miller woke and rested his face on Heidi's lap, she smiled and brushed back his hair.
Miller let out a soft chuckle and murmured.
「Once spring comes, I'll be a widower again.」
「Don't be so dramatic. You can just follow me around, can't you?」
「Will you only go to places I'd find interesting?」
「Hmm, like a Green Ball stadium or a hunting ground?」
「Exactly. Not places like those suburban cafes.」
「Absolutely not.」
「Still, I suppose I'll just have to endure it since I want to be with you.」
Heidi burst into laughter at Miller's playful tone. As she returned to sorting the invitations into piles of acceptance and regret, her hand suddenly stopped.
[April Runos]
「I've received another letter from Miss April.」
Miller clicked his tongue and pushed himself up.
The arrest had been brief. Since the debt had been paid, Miller had no grounds to complain about why she had been released so quickly.
If it had been her parents, they would never have spent such an unreasonable sum. But the daughter seemed to be different.
As he took April's letter and looked at it, a cold sneer formed on his face—one Heidi rarely saw.
The Dieus brothers were so dissimilar one might doubt they were related. But when he made an expression like that, he immediately reminded her of Fezin, making her nod in realization that they were indeed brothers.
[I am writing to you again as I did not receive a reply to my previous letter.]
This was the second letter Miller had received from April. Just like the last time, the moment he pulled the letter out, he was reminded of the former Head of the Lunos family.
Letters from the Lunos family always carried this specific scent of spices.
Scent leaves more powerful memories than anything else, forcing him to recall faces he thought he had finally cleared away for the sake of his current peace.
[I request the return of the remains of the former Head of the Lunos family.]
He recalled the warning he had heard from Fezin earlier.
At the time, he had wondered why Fezin was so angry when he could simply ignore it. But thinking more rationally now, Fezin had been right.
Heidi soon asked with a worried expression.
「What are you going to do?」
His first thought was to secure any set of remains and have them ready.
However, he didn't think April would simply overlook it if she saw remains that didn't even have a scrap of clothing left as evidence.
He considered whether he should just ignore her, since April had no power anyway, but that was also out of the question.
Refusing to return a parent's remains would turn everyone, from nobles to commoners, to April's side.
The problem was that April Runos was alive.
Back then, his desires had been simple. There was only one: to marry the person he loved.
Only Heidi existed in his future. Any future remaining after marriage to another woman was nothing but hell. And the only escape from that hell was death.
If he had any regrets now, it was only the fact that he hadn't killed her then. He should have made it so she could never make a sound again, by any means necessary.
The most immediate answer visible to Miller now was one: killing April Runos.
But before that answer, he felt as if someone was constantly standing in his way.
Of all people, it was the one he loved so dearly. The one who loved him so dearly.
He had heard that Fezin seemed to have settled April's debt.
That damn bank wouldn't give accurate information even to the Grand Duke, so he couldn't be certain, but he had information that Fezin's people had been in and out of the bank around the time the debt was cleared.
The order to arrest April had come from the Empire. Would Fezin really have acted against that?
He was gradually finding it harder to trust Fezin.
While Miller was lost in thought, the Chamberlain's voice was heard from outside.
「Your Grace, Miss April Runos has arrived.」
「……Tell her to wait. I'll be out shortly.」
「Yes, Your Grace.」
「Ah, this is driving me crazy.」
Miller grumbled and flopped back onto the bed.
*
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*
When no reply came, April had immediately sent a second letter. Not stopping there, the reason she had actually visited today was due to a sense of anxiety.
It was a perfectly natural request, and it was only right for Miller to resolve it immediately.
It wouldn't have been strange to receive an apology for not having taken care of this sooner. Yet, there was no answer from him. Even though there was absolutely no reason for that.
Having arrived at the Grand Ducal Residence, a place she never wanted to visit again, April was pacing the drawing room.
A moment later, Miller entered the room.
The image she had loved as a young girl still remained in him.
His black hair, always neatly groomed, was the same, but the things most prominent in her memory came from his expressions. The soft gaze and the mouth where a natural smile always lingered. April Runos had loved Miller's eyes, and his smile.
And now, seven years later, all that remained in her was a rage so great it felt strange that she had ever loved him at all.
April spoke first.
「For something this important, you should have replied sooner.」
「I was going to. It's just that, some problems arose.」
「What kind of problems?」
April asked, her brow furrowing.
She knew that Miller disliked her angry expressions. Just as he was himself, and as his wife was, he hated revealing emotions. He was a man who always wanted to be surrounded by thorough kindness.
April had once loved that kindness, but she had now learned that kindness cannot be used to distinguish good from evil.
To her, at least, he was a villain. In contrast to the current Fezin—a man who was far from kind, yet often became a force for good in her life.
「I asked what kind of problem.」
When April asked back sharply, Miller answered.
「I'm looking for them now.」
「……Looking?」
「The records of where they were buried have been damaged.」
「…….」
At Miller's words, April was struck speechless and simply stared at him.
