Chapter 183

Duke Maximilian von Adelheit calmly sipped his tea. In front of him sat Chief Grace Kirk Coverain, the head of the Federal Intelligence Bureau, who was staring at his teacup with a sulky expression, having met more frequently in recent times.

“Chief Curbin, do you dislike black tea by any chance?”

“Excuse me? Ah… that’s not it. It’s just….”

“Well?”

“…Never mind. I’ll enjoy the tea.”

Although Chief Curbin wore a somewhat dubious expression, he couldn’t refuse the tea offered by the owner of this mansion, Duke Adelheit, and reluctantly tilted the teacup. The bitter yet richly flavored black tea swept through the Chief’s mouth delightfully.

“Isn’t it good?”

“Yes. It’s excellent black tea that isn’t overly bitter, leaving a subtle flavor lingering in the mouth.”

“Come now. You don’t have to flatter me.”

Watching the Duke Adelheit laugh heartily, Chief Curbin couldn’t help but acknowledge, albeit reluctantly, that the Duke had changed quite a bit.

And for good reason.

“By the way, take a look at this.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, what is it…?”

“It’s an invitation to the Fall Festival at the Caldera Imperial Academy. I heard Laura received it for being an outstanding student and brought it to me first.”

“…Ah, yes. How nice for you.”

“Nice? Certainly! I understood that our Laura had come to dislike me, yet suddenly she gifts this treasure of an invitation to her father…. Receiving something like this makes me feel a glimmer of hope. One day, our Laura and I will be a ‘family’ again, just like before!”

“Ahaha… I will support you, Your Grace.”

“By the way, do you know how commendable our Laura is? Normally, this invitation is only distributed to the staff, and now she received it as the representative outstanding student of the first year! I must be getting older… I’m feeling tears welling up.”

“…….”

Looking at the Duke, who was laughing joyfully, Chief Curbin was convinced.

He had become even more of a doting father, perhaps more so than before, but he was undeniably a different person compared to the past.

Of course, in a good way.

Duke Maximilian von Adelheit. How sensitive he used to be.

He cared for his family more than anyone else, yet his attitude towards others was consistently proud and unwavering.

Chief Curbin had once stepped into that realm too, but though he had changed, he could not compare to the old Duke Adelheit.

“Indeed, ever since the Cesar Li incident… Your Grace has changed a lot. It seems Professor Antorelli had a significant impact.”

While Chief Curbin was piecing together the reasons for Duke Adelheit’s transformation, the Duke slowly set down his teacup and spoke.

“Well then… can we begin discussing matters? Alfred, pour me another cup. The black tea is particularly good today.”

“Here you go.”

“…….”

Chief Curbin glanced at Alfred, the butler, who was leisurely pouring the black tea. Her eyes held a mix of distrust, discomfort, and a deliberate glance towards Duke Adelheit.

As if reading that expression, Duke Adelheit, with a smile as he accepted the tea, slightly stiffened. After looking at the teacup for a moment, he sighed lightly and addressed Alfred.

“Alfred. I’m sorry, but could you step out for a moment?”

“Of course. If you require anything, please call for me. I will come immediately.”

“This is… I know your joints have not been good lately, so don’t say such things. I’m fine.”

“I understand. Just call for me whenever you need.”

Alfred, the long-serving butler of the Adelheit Ducal House, exited the drawing room. Despite the claim of his joints not being good, there wasn’t a hint of tremor in his step, which briefly distracted Chief Curbin.

“Hmm… So, what is this serious discussion all about?”

Duke Adelheit cleared his throat as he tilted his teacup. His eyebrows twitched, giving a vibe that suggested to Chief Curbin, ‘Don’t worry about it, just respond comfortably.’

Chief Curbin promptly pulled out a bag. It was a case-like document bag, and unlocking it with a password looked quite complicated—a confidential document case. Upon seeing it, Duke Adelheit’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“…What on earth is going on? At this point, I can’t help but be curious.”

“I think it would be quicker for you to read this well-organized document than for me to explain with my insufficient eloquence.”

With a hint of humor in her words, Chief Curbin saw Duke Adelheit smirk as he accepted the bundle of documents she presented. The documents were marked as classified level two.

“…I’m no longer serving in the military.”

“This is not military intelligence. Regarding the imperial family’s confidential matters, you have enough authority to handle this, don’t you, Your Grace?”

“…Let’s see.”

– Shuff. Shuff.

The sound of papers turning echoed for quite a while, as the tea that had lost its owner gradually cooled, and Duke Adelheit’s brow began to twitch.

Eventually, the paper-turning sound came to a halt.

“…Is this really true?”

With that response from Adelheit, the silence fell. Chief Curbin nodded with a serious expression, answering in place of words.

“Ha…”

Duke Adelheit scanned the scattered papers on the desk, looking incredulous and somewhat flustered.

“…There are no proper sources listed. Is it to hide the source of the information?”

“That is correct, Your Grace.”

“Then… this information is accurate?”

“…We cannot be certain of this information, so our Bureau is preparing for the worst-case scenario…. That is what I must convey.”

“…….”

Duke Adelheit bit his lip and sank back into the plush chair of the drawing room, its soft back enveloping him comfortably.

“…No way. It can’t be.”

“…I hope this information is wrong as well.”

With those words from Chief Curbin, the silence between them stretched on for a long time.

Until butler Alfred knocked, having found the drawing room too quiet.

*

Though I had done it many times before, when someone changes from their usual self, both the changed person and those around them struggle to adapt.

I was experiencing that now. I awkwardly fiddled with my neatly styled hair.

When I had asked for my hair to be styled like before, Sofia Sub-priest came rushing in with fiery determination, saying, “I will pour everything into this!” It was surprisingly a highly satisfying outcome given the time involved.

Although, for some reason, after she finished with my hair, I noticed a look of despair on her face when she heard my plans for going out…

‘I don’t know.’

Regardless of anything, I was just grateful for Sofia’s help. I quite liked this look of mine, casually styled yet somehow put together.

My expression must not have shown it, as Sofia’s disappointed expression left an impression on me. I had comforted her as much as I could, so I hoped she wouldn’t still be in my dorm room.

Standing at the meeting place and fiddling with my hair for a while, I felt that I looked rather strange.

‘…This is odd.’

It was just going out. I had no need to overdress like the previous outings with Sofia, so I only casually styled my hair.

My outfit was still the dreary black priest robes, and while wearing such clothes for an outing might be acceptable for someone like Sofia, it could certainly be a nuisance for others.

‘This is all I have.’

Sadly, my wardrobe consisted only of a few short-sleeved shirts, a couple of long-sleeved shirts, a few neckties that would occasionally come in handy, some socks, underwear, and about ten priest robes.

‘…I should have at least bought some casual clothes.’

Regrets crept in, but I tried to shake that thought from my mind.

Whether buying clothes or not, the reality was that I hardly ever went out, so such things were of little use to me. Priest attire fits well anywhere. I could only hope that Professor Esther felt the same way.

Being the first person who took an interest in me, I was hopeful that she wouldn’t mind my priest outfit.

As I pondered such trivial thoughts and waited blankly at the meeting place, I suddenly heard a lively, familiar voice.

“Ah, hello! Professor Lucio!”

That cheerful, vibrant voice that resonated in the Academy grabbed my attention. I immediately turned toward the source.

“Professor Esther. When did you arrive…?”

“Aha… I’m sorry. It took a little longer to prepare….”

While Professor Esther stumbled through her excuses, my eyes were glued to her. No, it would be more accurate to say I couldn’t pull my gaze away.

Dressed in cheerful attire that looked like a day out, her eyes sparkled like the Milky Way, and her hair flowed like a sea of night in a dark blue dress.

Perhaps because I had only seen her in shapeless robes or monotonous shirts before, this new look struck me as quite remarkable. It certainly didn’t mean I disliked it.

It was just that something…

“…Hmm.”

…was quite different from the image of Professor Esther I usually held, surprising me. Unable to find appropriate words, I simply gazed at her in silence.

Noticing my prolonged silence making her uneasy, Esther’s brows furrowed slightly as she spoke in a slightly sulky tone.

“Um… do I seem strange?”

“…No, not at all. You seem perfectly normal.”

“Well, I’m glad, but… you’ve just been staring for a while….”

“No, well…”

“If it’s not strange, then how is it? You don’t often see me in casual clothes, do you?”

If that’s the case, how did I feel about Professor Esther’s look? To answer honestly—yes.

“…You look pretty.”

The words slipped out before I could catch them. But it was true; her extensively styled appearance was beautiful.

‘It’s nothing special.’

We weren’t going out for any specific purpose; we were simply wandering about buying things needed for Professor Esther’s club. There was no particular meaning to this outing. After all, wasn’t Professor Esther the one who had said that?

Lost in those thoughts, I noticed my body had already adjusted. I turned to a somewhat flustered Professor Esther and asked,

“Did that answer your question?”

“…Huh? Yes? No, um… yes… that is….”

“First, we should get moving.”

I couldn’t just leave her standing there with an odd smile on the street, so I took her hand and began to walk in time with her pace.

“No, I, my, hand is… well, um.”

“What did you say?”

“Ah, it’s nothing….”

For some reason, a weary feeling was creeping in already.