Chapter 87

Chapter 87:  Home Visit (7)

Father.

At that single word, both the Western Grand Duke’s daughter and the Saint, who were listening nearby, froze at the same time.

With that one emotionless line from Echina, the kitchen was thrown into complete chaos.

“F-Father, you said…?”

Even a knight who had once been through every kind of storm and glory paused as if struck in the chest.

But the one most dumbfounded in that moment was me.

Because this was something I hadn’t expected at all.

“Why’s everyone acting so strange...?”

Echina looked around with a face that said she didn’t understand what was so odd about what she’d said.

“In our family, we call all the elders ‘Father.’”

The Grand Duke’s daughter gently took a seat.

Then, glancing my way with her sharp gaze, she spoke indifferently.

“Or... does it mean something else?”

Because of Echina’s usual cold and composed image, I had truly thought it was just a slip of the tongue.

However, the two women beside me seemed to think differently.

They looked at Echina with displeased expressions, as if asking, ‘Did you really have to go that far to feel satisfied?’

But she held her head high, as if to say, ‘You were the ones who started being obvious first.’

“No… Let’s eat...”

I shook my head, saying I was fine.

And with difficulty, I continued the lunch.

“……”

The meal, prepared by the exclusive maid of the Western Grand Duke’s house, was indeed exquisite.

Normally, cooking would be the chef’s role, but fitting for a family of noble standing, the maids of the Yekaterina family were also trained in culinary skills as part of their basic education.

As I was just beginning to reflect on her family, Helena casually brought up the topic.

Although the first commission had been taken, there was still the second turn left.

“By the way, Roger, after you complete the royal commission, where are you planning to go next?”

“It hasn’t been decided yet.”

When I replied that I hadn’t made any plans, Istina chimed in this time.

From the moment Echina had been chosen for the first round, she must have already adjusted her plans, because she continued naturally.

“For the second turn, I believe it would make the most sense for you to take our commission.”

The Saint gently set down the fork she had been holding.

Her plate was mostly filled with vegetables.

But nestled between the lettuce leaves, I could see thick slices of meat.

I hadn’t known the Saint enjoyed meat as well.

“The Silver Truth Church’s main headquarters is also located in the capital. So naturally, once the first commission ends, you can begin the next right away.”

“Let’s do that. It would be troublesome to go back and forth to the capital multiple times.”

I calmly accepted the proposal.

Sure, it wouldn’t hurt to establish some rapport with the Archbishop while I was at it.

Since they were all short-term commissions anyway, there was no real issue.

“Then, the last turn would be mine.”

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter mainly favored desserts over meat.

Her plate was filled with sweet cake and fruit slices.

“For the final turn, you seem surprisingly relaxed, Helena.”

Istina lightly probed at the unexpectedly calm demeanor of the Western Grand Duke’s daughter.

In response, Helena nonchalantly wiped her lips as she answered.

A few bread crumbs had fallen delicately onto her dress.

“It’s always when the last commission is done that one can finally relax.”

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter brushed off the crumbs with elegance.

At the same time, her remark carried an implicit meaning that made me tilt my head.

‘What’s she playing at?’

She was certain to inherit the head position of her house without issue in the future.

So there shouldn’t be any pressing commissions, either.

As someone who had thoroughly studied each of these women, I absentmindedly tapped the lobster’s head with my fork as I drifted into thought.

But my thoughts were soon interrupted.

A thick slice of meat was subtly placed onto my plate.

“I’m too full,” she said.

Echina handled her fork and knife with the same skill as a knight.

After placing two fan-shaped slices onto my plate, she briskly turned her head away.

I stared at her plate like a fox with wide, curious eyes.

Sure enough, our Grand Duke’s daughter’s plate was stacked with meat.

Unlike Helena, who favored sweets, and Istina, who discreetly hid her love for meat, Echina was unabashed.

‘For someone who says she’s full, she’s still eating just fine.’

The corners of my lips twitched, but I held it in.

And as I chewed on the meat she had given me, I passed the time enjoying the meal.

---

Time passed, and dusk soon settled over the sky.

The high-ranking guests who had visited me each boarded their carriages to return to their territories.

Their steps were light, having secured my agreement.

Especially Echina, who would be working with me again in the near future.

She stood before me at the entrance of my father’s estate.

“I caused you a lot of trouble today, Roger.”

“Not at all. It was my mistake for not greeting you properly before you left.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter stared at my calmly apologetic face as if trying to see through me.

Then she murmured quietly to herself.

“For someone who knows that well...”

“Is there something more you’d like to say?”

When I tilted my head and asked casually, Echina let out a deep sigh.

Then, as if regretting what she’d just said, she shook her head.

“No. I shouldn’t disrespect your father any further. I’ll be on my way now.”

“Yes. The night is deep—please have a safe journey back.”

In front of the neatly maintained old mansion,

Echina covered her lips with her fist.

“I’ll come to your house next week.”

“I can come to you, if you prefer.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter composed her voice.

“It’d be uncomfortable for you.”

She assumed that, having left the Grand Duke’s house, returning to her estate might be unpleasant for me.

It was... quite a surprising gesture.

She had always been focused solely on her swordsmanship, so I never imagined there would come a day when she’d consider someone else’s situation.

‘This life really is full of strange things.’

“I understand. Thank you for your consideration, Grand Duke’s daughter.”

Echina ignored my thanks and walked toward her black horse.

Then, just as she placed her foot on the stirrup, she added a remark.

“You don’t have to call me ‘Grand Duke’s daughter’ anymore.”

“…?”

‘Then what am I supposed to call her…?’

I had always referred to Echina as ‘Grand Duke’s daughter.’

Now she was telling me to call her something else, and I began racking my brain like I used to back in my chief secretary days.

While I was deep in thought, Echina, now mounted on the black horse, held the reins and spoke quietly.

“When it’s just the two of us, just call me by my name.”

I was about to open my mouth to say, ‘How could I possibly do that?’

But in that moment—

As if rejecting any protest, Echina rode off into the dark road, her black hair fluttering behind her.

---

After that, only the two remaining women and their attendants were left in front of my father’s house.

Among them, Helena, who had finished preparing to depart first, quietly walked up to stand beside me.

“Looks like Echina was in quite a rush. She came all the way here alone.”

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter rested one elbow on her other hand and touched her chin with a finger.

She glanced up at me and spoke.

“See you in the West, Roger.”

“Understood. But may I ask what kind of request you plan to make?”

At my question, Helena lowered her eyelids halfway for a moment.

Then, after quietly scanning the area around our house, she spoke softly.

“Well, if I had to give you a hint—... it’s because of my father’s hysteria.”

Hendricks Yekaterina…?

I had already investigated all the major events of the past ten years.

And the Western Grand Duke hadn’t been involved in any significant incidents.

Of course, five years from now, he would suffer serious injuries in a carriage collision and retire early…

But that was a matter for the distant future. Until then, he should be living a fairly uneventful life.

“I’ll explain the details once you arrive, Mr. Former Secretary Roger.”

With her hands behind her back, Helena leisurely walked ahead.

Then, accompanied by the maids and gardeners who had helped prepare our home, she made her way to the carriage.

‘Truly a woman I can’t figure out.’

She had been overestimating me from the very beginning, but what reason did she have for investing this much?

I’d probably understand once I reached the West.

With that conclusion, I watched the departing platinum-colored carriage with a serious gaze.

Before long—

The last to come out after saying a proper goodbye to my father was the Saint, Istina.

With her hood drawn up over her shoulders, she once again gave off that mysterious aura.

“Seems like you want me gone in a hurry?”

“Of course not. It’s just… it feels surreal to see the Saint stepping out of my house.”

Istina stared off toward the horizon, where the Grand Duke’s daughters had already disappeared.

The sound of carriages had completely faded, leaving the village in silence.

In that quiet and familiar atmosphere, Istina lifted her head.

“Just… I like villages like this.”

A woman who would no doubt be living in a grand, beautiful cathedral.

And yet, she seemed to genuinely like this rustic place.

“It’s quiet, peaceful… and you get to live among people who match your temperament.”

“Well, true. I came down here because I missed that kind of atmosphere, too.”

The Saint glanced at me, who, like her, was looking out over the tranquil village.

And she seemed to catch the weariness in my eyes.

“We have more in common than I thought.”

That remark—that we shared similarities.

At first, I didn’t understand what she meant.

I thought it was just because we both liked quiet countryside villages.

But—

When I looked into her blue eyes, faintly lit by the moonlight,

I suddenly realized what she had meant about the things we had in common.

She stretched out both arms to feel the night air.

As she tilted her head back further, her hood slipped off slowly, revealing her beautiful silver hair.

“My dream is to one day wrap myself in more gold than I can handle and live a quiet, ordinary life.”

I watched Istina spin lightly in front of the mansion entrance.

Then, suddenly, something familiar echoed in her wish.

“I want to earn a lot of money and live quietly.”

A single line I had once said to the Grand Duke of the North.

Her words were strikingly similar.

“I see.”

For the first time in a while, a smile touched my lips.

And walking side by side with the Saint, I accompanied her to her carriage.

“Once you become Archbishop and step down from your position as Saint, I suppose you’ll be able to achieve that dream.”

Perhaps because I had so quickly grasped her true goal,

Istina looked up at me with soft eyes and narrowed them gently.

“You’re right. There’s a lot I want to do.”

Her silver eyelashes fluttered.

In that moment, bathed in moonlight, she didn’t seem like a benevolent saint.

No—she looked far more like a sweet little devil eager to enjoy the secular world.

“Then, I’ll be waiting for that day, Julius.”

The Saint gracefully lifted the hem of her pure white dress, which fell to her calves.

Then, maintaining proper decorum, she stepped back into the carriage.

And the moment she boarded—

It was as if she had returned, once again, from a young woman to the bearer of a sacred title.

“Please have a safe journey back.”

---

At last, with even Istina gone,

I was left completely alone in the garden.

“Haa…”

I had come back to my hometown to rest, and yet—

I felt like I had experienced even more bizarre events than when I was staying at the mansion.

I let out a weary sigh and finally brushed a hand over my chest.

Then, I turned, intending to head back into the house.

But the moment I looked toward my father’s estate,

I froze.

Between the curtains of the window… my father’s eyes were watching me.

It seemed Father had been watching everything that happened outside this whole time.

“As expected of a former knight—your covert surveillance skills are practically an art form.”

I silently made my way back into the house.

And when I returned to the living room, Father was sitting on the sofa as if nothing had happened.

Then, after clearing his throat, he spoke in a grave tone.

“Sit for a moment, Roger.”

“Yes, Father.”

It was understandable if he was shocked.

Three of the most prominent women in the Empire had suddenly descended upon our home.

He’s probably about to interrogate me over what kind of trouble I’ve gotten myself into this time.

I braced myself with a sigh and waited for my father’s stern words, already thinking about what kind of excuse I should prepare.

But—

For some reason, no harsh scolding came.

Instead...

“Don’t tell me... you’re involved with all three of them...?”

Father got up from his seat and asked me in a very serious tone.

As if he had begun to see me in an entirely new light.

“No matter how much you take after me, dating multiple women at once…”

It was clear.

He had come to a very big misunderstanding.

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