“We have been expecting you, members of the organization.”
The steward greeted them at the entrance.
His blond hair and beard were touched with white, and gentle, refined eyes showed behind his spectacles. His bearing had not changed in three years. Even at the height of Lelia’s foolish behavior, he had watched over her with greater patience than the duke himself.
(How nostalgic. I am glad to see that he is well…)
The thought came to her before she could stop it.
Because the kingdom had sent members of a specialized organization serving the king directly, their names had not been disclosed beforehand. The steward remained gentle only because he did not know that Lelia had once played the fool in order to ruin this household.
Could he perhaps remain ignorant forever?
No, that was obviously impossible.
As her gaze drifted into the distance, they were led toward the study.
Lelia walked along the familiar corridor with her head lowered, following behind Ghislain, Yves, and Marianne as the fourth member of the group.
(I may have changed my appearance, but I cannot use a false name. My true name is necessary when I cast magic. There would be no point in serving as a guard if I could not use magic in front of the person I am protecting.)
If only her former husband had somehow forgotten her name.
While Lelia entertained that convenient fantasy, they reached the study all too quickly.
“Your Grace, Duke William Erlanger. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Ghislain.”
As the eldest, Ghislain greeted the duke on the team’s behalf when they entered.
Beyond his back, Lelia saw her former husband for the first time in three years.
His hair gleamed like spun gold, while his clear eyes were blue. A straight, refined nose and astonishingly perfect features rested in flawless balance upon his face. The melancholy in his expression seemed only to emphasize his beauty.
(He has not changed at all in three years.)
William stood nearly eye to eye with the tall Ghislain, who had led the group thus far. He regarded them without altering his expression, then nodded.
“I am William. I will be relying on you from today onward.”
“I’m Yves.”
“My name is Marianne.”
“I-I’m Lelia.”
Everyone introduced themselves in a smooth sequence, and Lelia hurried to follow their lead. She believed she had succeeded until William’s gaze stopped upon her.
His blue eyes reflected Lelia clearly as he froze, visibly suspicious.
“You—”
(Ugh…!)
Most people were probably stared at as though they were rare beasts only a handful of times in their lives. Lelia was unquestionably experiencing one of those moments.
Had she appeared before him without a disguise, she would have had no objection to being regarded as a rare beast. Instead, she delivered her greeting as rapidly as possible.
“I shall serve as the chief responsible for this team. I pledge to fulfill my duties with complete sincerity.”
(At the very least, I will not lie during this assignment.)
She made the vow silently. William narrowed his eyes further.
“…Have we met somewhere before?”
“Surely Your Grace would know that better than I.”
“You’re right. My apologies.”
Unable to lie outright to his face, Lelia responded with a question born of desperation. William apparently decided that he had been mistaken, though he continued staring at her as if unconvinced.
Of course his memory was correct. They had not merely met somewhere before—Lelia was his former wife.
(Could William be even more perceptive than I anticipated…?)
Lelia had always thought highly of him. That was precisely why she worried about what might happen if he discovered her identity, and his present reaction was even stronger than she had expected.
Fortunately, he seemed to abandon the idea of connecting this completely different-looking Lelia with his former wife. He pressed his fingers to his temple and shook his head lightly.
“…Forgive me. I must have mistaken you for someone else. In any case, I understand that the Crown Prince Selection will be dangerous. I intend to avoid relying entirely upon you, but when a crisis comes, I ask for your aid.”
“Understood.”
Lelia bent her knees in a formal curtsy. Outwardly, she looked every bit the officer pledging loyalty to the person under her protection.
But only one thought filled her heart.
(Thank goodness I managed to get through that…!)
She assumed the meeting was over, but William continued.
“I’m sorry, but you should avoid using that name within this mansion. Unless you are casting magic, live here under the name Lea.”
“Pardon…?”
Lelia raised her head and stared at him, caught entirely off guard. William offered an explanation with genuine remorse.
“Your name is considered ill-omened in this house. ‘Lelia’ is something of a curse word here.”
“‘Lelia’… is a curse word.”
She repeated it blankly. Behind her, Yves made a strangled snorting noise.
It was certainly understandable. Still, Lelia had never imagined that her own name would become a curse. She finally comprehended just how catastrophic her presence had been for the household three years ago.
(William, I am truly sorry… I swear I will be useful to you during this assignment!)
Her face flushed red with embarrassment. Lelia’s eyes darted about as she withdrew quietly from the study.
