ELND Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Worrying About the Woman He Loves

“Your Highness Vi, we’ve seen Duke Bold off properly!”

Mina declared proudly as she entered the reception room.

The fierce expression she had shown in front of Duke Bold was gone, replaced with her usual bright and cheerful face.

Other maids standing beside her added their own words.

“She rolled down the stairs drunk, so we sent her an ointment!”

“It’s made from the dung of a demonic buffalo, so it’s going to smell for a few days.”

“We also completely erased her memory, so there’s nothing to worry about!”

Their excited chatter made their faces glow as if they had just returned from a relaxing hot spring bath.

“You all did a perfect job seeing it through. Thank you, everyone.”

At my praise, they burst into giggles.

Then, suddenly, they approached me and gracefully kneeled on one knee.

“Why are you all doing this all of a sudden…?”

Mina gently smiled, exchanging glances with the other maids.

“This incident confirmed that we are all yours, Your Highness Vi.”

Another maid nodded beside Mina and added:

“We have always been loyal, but from now on, we will serve Your Highness even more faithfully.”

“That’s right, Your Highness! We’ll help you with anything!”

Their eyes sparkled as they looked at me.

I stared at their determined faces, a little dazed, and slowly parted my lips.

“There is actually one thing…”

“Yes! What is it?”

Their eyes shone with anticipation.

After a moment of hesitation, I slowly spoke.

“I… I want to be forgiven by the half-demons I’ve harmed until now.”

The maids exchanged confused glances.

“What? Forgiven by half-demons…?”

“Yes. There are probably many half-demons who have suffered because of me.”

“That may be, but why are you suddenly thinking this…?”

“It’s not sudden. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It might be late, but I think it’s only right to apologize now.”

“….”

“I can’t just live shamelessly after giving someone memories that might cause them lifelong pain.”

…If I did that, the day I leave this castle might as well be the day I die.

Burying my head in terrifying thoughts, I was suddenly addressed.

“Your Highness Vi…”

“Hm?”

When I looked up absentmindedly, I saw the maids’ tearful faces.

“W-what… are you all?”

Mina’s eyes sparkled with tears as she looked up at me. The others did the same.

“I never imagined that Your Highness Vi could be such a thoughtful person…”

“Me too. I’m truly moved, Your Highness Vi! Huhh…”

It was hard to imagine that these gentle, almost girlish girls were the same people who had just shown such a fierce expression.

At that moment, the maids spoke again with resolute eyes.

“We will help Your Highness Vi no matter what!”

“Of course! And if it’s the half-demons who were harmed by Your Highness…”

They paused, recalling memories for a moment. Then Mina spoke, seemingly struck by an idea.

“Ah! Greyzone Village!”

The other maids widened their eyes and nodded vigorously.

“Greyzone… village?”

I asked again, and Mina smiled and nodded.

“Yes. The servants Your Highness Vi dismissed didn’t return to the demon realm but instead formed a village. It’s in the mountains near the coast!”

I had been worried about how to find the half-demons who held grudges against Rebecca one by one… but this news was encouraging.

“This isn’t just their problem, Your Highness Vi!”

“Oh?”

“If they hear that they have been forgiven, the servants of the House of Light might begin to open their hearts again.”

“The House of Light servants too? Why?”

A maid beside Mina whispered, covering her mouth.

“Most of the people in Greyzone Village were once long-time servants of the House of Light, dismissed by Your Highness Vi.”

“Oh… really?”

“Yes. Seeing their long-time comrades being dismissed hurt them deeply.”

I had been anxious about the servants of the House of Light, who were hard to trust.

If the hearts of the Greyzone people softened, I could also win over the hearts of the House of Light servants.

As someone trying to avoid a fate of being killed by a half-demon’s arrow…

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

A smile naturally spread across my face.

Just then, I resolved to prepare to head to Greyzone Village as soon as possible.

“Anything else? Is there anything more we can do?”

The maid standing next to Mina asked, her eyes sparkling again.

“Anything else? Hmm… oh!”

I had been wanting to ask them something since they returned.

“What exactly is Lilian’s Heart?”

At that moment, the maids’ faces gradually filled with awkward smiles, though they had seemed ready to answer anything.

“T-that… is something we can’t speak of carelessly…”

“Maybe you should ask His Highness the Duke…? Hahaha…”

Seeing their reaction, I felt even more suspicious.

“What exactly is Lilian’s Heart? And why did Duke Bold act so wildly?”

I briefly considered asking Cedric, but then decided against it.

If the maids, who promised to help with anything, were hesitant even to mention it, there must be a good reason.

“It’s not even mentioned in the original story. That must mean Cedric kept it a secret from Robelia too… which shows how important it is to him.”

Even though we had grown closer than before, Cedric wouldn’t share such an important matter with me.

“He wouldn’t reveal a secret he even kept from the woman he loved, just to someone who’s only his friend.”

Thinking this made me feel foolish for even recalling Cedric’s face when Adrian confessed to me.

That night, Cedric was in his private study when the last report of the day was handed to him.

“This is a report on unusual occurrences inside the castle today.”

Hidden eyes and ears were scattered throughout the Twins family estate.

His aide reported this gathered information to Cedric every night.

Usually, there was nothing noteworthy.

As Cedric casually flipped through the documents, his eyes widened.

“Duke Bold came to threaten Rebecca?”

The aide nodded slightly.

“Yes. He was heavily intoxicated and caused a scene, demanding something promised to him.”

Lowering his voice, the aide added, “Might that ‘something’ be… Lilian’s Heart?”

Cedric had suspected Duke Bold and Rebecca were after Lilian’s Heart.

His eyes hardened further.

Seeing Cedric’s intensity, the aide felt his assumptions had been correct.

“And Rebecca?”

“…Yes?”

“Is Rebecca alright?”

This unexpected question left the aide momentarily speechless.

Cedric struck the table with impatience.

“Tell me if it’s true that Duke Bold pushed Rebecca against the wall and tried to strangle her.”

A faint trace of lethal intent crossed Cedric’s eyes.

He rarely showed anger like this—or if he did, rarely so openly.

The aide’s words faltered.

“Yes… it’s all true…”

Cedric’s expression changed.

“No matter what that insane man wants, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“…Excuse me?”

“If he truly wanted Lilian’s Heart, perhaps that’s why Rebecca has been threatened by my father all this time. Isn’t that possible?”

“Yes… that reasoning seems plausible given the current circumstances between Your Highness Vi and Duke Bold…”

The aide, who had been flustered all along, tilted his head, doubting:

‘Could it be that Vi’s true objective isn’t Lilian’s Heart?’

He had previously been scolded for suggesting such doubts.

Cedric’s icy gaze flashed in his mind.

‘Why is he acting so differently now?’

If it was about the Duchess Vi, Cedric’s suspicion had completely changed.

Even if Rebecca herself claimed she sought Lilian’s Heart, Cedric probably wouldn’t take it at face value now.

‘People… can change this much?’

Regaining his composure, the aide spoke again.

“Are there… other issues?”

“What else?”

“The maids of the House of Darkness acted violently while trying to protect Your Highness Vi. Even though their memories were erased, it could become a problem in noble society if something goes wrong…”

Cedric suddenly stood.

“We need to reward those maids immediately.”

“…?”

“If they had been buried secretly in the demon forest, I would have given an even greater reward. That’s a pity.”

The aide struggled to understand Cedric’s words.

A logical suspicion formed in his mind:

‘Could Vincent be impersonating His Highness again?’

Vincent often played pranks by disguising himself as Cedric.

Cautiously, the aide approached Cedric.

“Your Highness, may I… check something?”

He held Cedric’s hand over the Duke’s seal.

Even Vincent couldn’t move it due to its protective magic.

‘Vincent must be playing a trick again.’

But the seal moved effortlessly.

Cedric frowned at the aide, who was holding his hand like a claw.

“…What are you doing? Have you finally lost your mind?”

The aide blinked, confused.

Cedric spoke again, exasperated:

“Stop fooling around. Prepare rewards for all the maids immediately.”

“R-right now?”

“Yes, I’m going straight to the Duchess Vi, so hurry.”

Cedric glanced at the documents again, grinding his teeth.

He looked like a man truly worried about the woman he loved.

‘Cedric is genuinely concerned about Vi, whom he disliked so much?’

No way…

The aide ridiculed his own foolish thought just then.

“I need to see with my own eyes that Rebecca is alright before I can sleep peacefully.”

Muttering this, Cedric quickly left his private study.

The aide could only watch his retreating figure in a daze.

“Your… Your Highness, did he just say what I think he said?”

For a moment, the aide even doubted his own sanity.

‘Am I the one who’s lost my mind, as His Highness said?’

Blinking slowly, he hurried to follow Cedric to the House of Darkness.