Chapter 26: Chapter 26

* * *

“what did you just say…?”

suddenly, what? lovers? who with whom? could it be that two of the three servants have become lovers?

royer seriously speculated that it might be a party to celebrate the relationship between the servants, trying to avoid a ridiculous conclusion.

in what seemed like the expected response, the baron responded with a hearty laugh, addressing royer’s evasive remark.

“it’s about the relationship between my daughter luna and antes! it was decided today!”

thud.

they’re dating? not just mutual interest? and more than that, was that guy even capable of having such feelings for someone?

especially for a daughter of the peils family… he heard she had some relationship with fersen!

of course, from what the baron said, it turned out it wasn’t that kind of relationship…

royer was struck by lightning in his mind. he, who had always been resilient no matter what happened, couldn’t believe the news of antes having a good relationship with someone.

“i was surprised at first too. luna, who had only one male friend in her life, got a boyfriend! i wouldn’t have believed it if i hadn’t seen it myself.”

“you won’t have to worry.”

“it’s not about that. i’m just surprised. of course, if antes will follow luna’s request and don’t cause any concern, there’s nothing better.”

and antes didn’t even argue, he just acted politely. even showing a strange smile. even using respectful language, which he never used even with his parents.

no, more than that, he can use respectful language!?

he, who once hit fersen hard in anger, even used informal and cursing language with the duke…!

of course, it was a thing of the past and the atmosphere was a bit different, but the last time he saw antes, he was like that, completely devoid of manners.

overwhelmed by various shocks, royer recalled the concerns that the marquis and his wife had about antes’ future, staying up at night worrying.

it was the same. he was worried about antes’ future. and also, his own future which would have to solve that.

“the young lady is a wise and prudent person, i probably won’t be able to do that even if i wanted to.”

“haha! i’m relieved that antes evaluates our luna so objectively!”

what’s with this flattery? it felt like he had become a different person.

feeling overwhelmed by all these unexpected turns, royer wondered if he was hallucinating.

“can both of you stop? why make a big deal out of nothing?”

“it’s not nothing… luna. isn’t it too harsh to say that in front of antes, with whom you’ve decided to date from today? earlier, you shouted about dating for a thousand, ten thousand years and even getting married.”

luna, who had been nagging, stopped. if it weren’t for that, she would have shouted loudly.

it was the biggest mistake she had made in her life. a mistake she would regret forever, even after her death.

“it’s okay. after all, i was the one who liked the young lady first and followed her around. i’m grateful just for dating me.”

“i feel sorry for how cold my daughter is.”

“i like that aspect, so don’t worry about it.”

“haha, you are indeed a direct and good man.”

the two seemed to be getting along so well, they might go beyond the mountains and even to space. royer felt that he needed to pull antes aside and give him a piece of his mind.

feeling triumphant, huh? just wait and see. when luna glared at antes, he responded with a sly grin.

watching this, royer couldn’t help but smile. he wasn’t quite sure, but it felt like antes was clinging to a reluctant luna.

‘this might be… a golden opportunity.’

someone who makes that notorious guy act like a sane person.

royer quickly devised a strategy to ensure a comfortable life in the future.

“i look forward to working with you in the future, lady peils.”

“…why all of a sudden?”

luna felt a huge pressure from royer’s glowing eyes and stepped back a bit.

“yes. since i’m antes’ former lawyer, i’m also the lawyer for young lady peils, his lover. please call me whenever you need. even if it’s just to help with carrying luggage in a carriage, i’ll come happily.”

why does it have to be related to being antes’s lover or something? luna’s favorability towards royer plummeted.

“thank you for your words.”

she really didn’t need his help, just thanking for the words. royer, who had been dealing with such cues for over a decade, noticed it.

“not just words, i’m confident i can do whatever you wish.”

after all, he’s the one who has a hold on that notorious guy. what can’t he do?

when royer expressed his determination to go to great lengths, luna stared at him with eyes trying to gauge his sincerity. her gaze asked, ‘what are you up to?’

although he wanted a comfortable retirement, she had no way of knowing.

so, she continued to scrutinize royer’s face. not liking this, antes intervened.

“stop messing around. just do your lawyer job well.”

“of course, i’ll do my lawyer job. i’m just saying that i’d like to help in other ways too.”

“you, who are so selfish and greedy, helping young lady peils without any ulterior motive? it’d be more convincing if you said you’d donate all your wealth to me.”

“how much wealth do you think i have to be after it?”

“yeah. i don’t need anything like your trivial property, so stop pulling tricks on the lady.”

“haha. young master, you’re even jealous of the lawyer!”

to call it jealousy seemed far from accurate, as antes’s face was fierce, and his tone was biting, but the count who had great affection for him dismissed it with a hearty laugh.

the servants felt the same way. they were charmed by antes’s face, which seemed ready to kill the lawyer on the spot, and blushed.

in the meantime, luna, who recognized the two arguing, took a moment to think and then chose a response to give back to the lawyer.

“if that’s what you want, i’ll think slowly about what i need.”

“yes! i will be on standby so i can run whenever you call.”

“…”

antes frowned in annoyance.

for some reason, it seemed like being affectionate towards the lawyer could shut antes up. her head, filled with annoyance, felt refreshed at this response.

‘why didn’t i think of that? someone who has done something worse than me is right in front of me.’

luna asked the lawyer, who seemed likely to take her side, with a soft smile:

“speaking of which, i would like to hear some stories about young lord’s childhood. since you’ve been his lawyer since he was a child, you must know various anecdotes, right?”

“…young lady.”

antes responded immediately.

who dared to touch the whisker of a sleeping lion first?

“oh. could there be any troublesome anecdotes? more than breaking fersen’s arms and legs or hitting with a slingshot?”

“…”

“probably not, right? you didn’t seem like a violent person at all during our short time together.”

sending a nuance like ‘stop it. if you annoy me more, i’ll expose all your past,’ antes shut his mouth.

“please tell me later. you understand, right?”

luna, who quickly shut him up, lifted her wine glass for a toast. though she had been pushed back at first, now she looked like the perfect winner.

the lawyer, watching her with impressed eyes, raised his glass strongly.

* * *

antes’s nonsense was stopped, but the baron and the servants’ nonsense remained.

they seemed so pleased that luna was dating a great-looking man that they continued the party until dawn.

luna, unable to shake her gloomy mood due to guilt from deceiving her family, went alone to the garden.

‘is it really something to be so happy about? i should have been interested in men and dated someone earlier.’

knowing that she couldn’t do that due to her nature, she thought so while gulping down tasteless wine, when antes, who had followed her as before, draped his coat over luna’s shoulders and sat beside her.

“why are you out here alone in the cold?”

“my mind is complicated.”

and part of the reason is you. antes gazed at luna’s nagging reaction for a moment.

“shall we pretend to fight and break up in front of everyone?”

“forget it. the family is so happy about it…”

breaking up like that would certainly knock down several people. it would be okay if they dated for a few months and then broke up.

there was no option that their relationship with antes would improve in the meantime.

satisfied with the declaration that there would be no going back on a decision made in haste, antes changed the subject.

“the lawsuit will proceed, and as for the gold mine issue, use me as a shield.”

“what are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“he asked for distribution rights or something, that guy.”

“ah.”

the reason for dating antes was too shocking to think about.

but what does it mean by a shield?

“a shield?”

“yes. i told him i wouldn’t get involved with him even if i died, so i can do at least that.”

“he will even pay the penalty, so what if he tells me to cancel the contract?”

“you can say that the penalty is a gold mine. i’ll gladly take it. if necessary, i’ll even make a fake contract. if he still doesn’t agree, tell him to talk to me directly.”

if fersen tried to talk, antes’s eyes sparkled as if he would show who the real mad dog of this continent was.

‘really now. seriously.’

at the same time, unexpected emotion welled up, knowing that antes would indeed be a mad dog shield and stop this matter. but along with that came a question.

“why are you doing all this?”

knowing that he’ll hear something unpleasant. if fersen was so frenzied after not doing much, it was more likely to be a target rather than a shield this time. luna asked again, curiously.

“no, why did you want to date me like this? you don’t even like me. you said you would tell me why once we started dating, so tell me.”

why on earth does he never hesitate to do even the bothersome things?

expecting an answer this time, as she assertively pressed, antes, who had been silently contemplating, replied with a smile as if recalling a pleasant memory.

“because of that face earlier.”

“what?”

“you saw it too, didn’t you? when you said you were dating me, the look on his face, as if he was about to faint.”

“are you talking about fersen?”

“yes.”

a snickering laughter emerged from antes’ lips. he seemed to be genuinely enjoying the moment.

“so, you’re doing all this just to see fersen’s flustered face?”

it was so absurd, words failed her. but his smile, different from the one he usually wore, seemed genuinely joyful as he sipped his wine:

“yes, indeed.”

“if it were anyone else, i might believe it.”

“if i’m lying, you can slap me hard.”

“i’m not the type to feel better by slapping someone, unlike you.”

“really? you seemed to slap quite effectively earlier. so much so, i thought fersen’s cheek was bleeding.”

the thought of fersen’s blushing face made antes chuckle again.

it seemed he genuinely enjoyed it to such an extent that it made luna wonder if that was the real reason he was pretending to date her.

there’s no way to verify it right now, but time will tell. if he’s lying, she will slap both his cheeks like fersen’s one. luna made a firm resolution in her heart.