Side Story 1 – Chapter 16

 

* * *

 

“I’ll have a drink.”

“I’m glad you finally accepted. I’m delighted.”

The Duke mixed a large ice cube with some alcohol in a crystal glass and handed it to Evan.

Then he poured a generous amount of alcohol into another glass, leaving it neat without any ice or water.

“How was the experiment?”

“It went smoothly. As long as the Lady and Mrs. Baldwin are together, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I hope the next experiment will be the same.”

The two clinked their glasses for the sake of the experiment.

Evan carefully took a sip of the alcohol, a taste he was experiencing for the first time.

The Duke, on the other hand, gulped down the seemingly strong liquid in one go and poured more into his empty glass.

“Duke.”

“Just a moment, Magician Evan.”

The Duke looked somewhat flustered as he took another gulp of alcohol.

Evan realized that the imposing Duke was quite nervous.

It seemed he was aware that Evan hadn’t come simply to discuss the experiment results.

Evan followed the Duke’s lead and finished the alcohol in his glass.

“You don’t have to force yourself, Magician Evan.”

Despite the Duke’s concern, he shook his head and set his glass down on the nearby table.

“Duke.”

“…”

“I came here because I have something to tell you.”

“I thought you would… Never mind, I’ll just listen.”

The Duke stared down at his empty glass with a sullen look, then lifted his gaze to meet Evan’s.

“I would like to formally ask Lady Loretta for her hand in courtship.”

“…”

“Of course, my intention is marriage. Though ultimately, the decision rests with the Lady.”

“…”

“I felt it was proper to inform you as well, Duke, hence this request for your time.”

“…”

“Would you grant me your blessing?”

“…”

As Evan spoke, the Duke’s face grew increasingly stern.

It wasn’t intended to intimidate him.

It seemed that the Duke was struggling to maintain his composure, his heart pounding with emotions.

“Duke…?”

When Evan called out cautiously, the Duke cleared his throat and forced a thin smile.

But despite his efforts, it only made him appear more intimidating.

“…As you’ve observed for some time, Magician, I have always supported Loretta’s decisions.”

“Yes, I am aware of that.”

“Initially, I thought it might be best for her to distance herself from you due to her being a physis.”

Evan nodded in agreement. Until recently, he had shared those same concerns.

“But on the other hand, I thought it might be better for her to be closer to you. After all, Loretta has… for a long time…”

The Duke added, “I apologize,” and refilled his glass.

“She must have dreamed of it, so earnestly that even her constitution couldn’t deter her.”

“I believe I’ve dreamed of it even more.”

“It must have been similar for both of you. That’s good. No heart should be filled with loneliness. However, Magician Evan.”

The Duke’s voice took on a stern tone as he stepped closer.

“It seems even I am just an ordinary father who loves his daughter. You’re quite annoying right now.”

“Could you… please… try to like me… even a little? If I don’t gain your favor, the Lady will be very disappointed in me.”

“That’s a very compelling argument. My daughter disappointed in Magician Evan.”

Evan smiled faintly at the Duke’s slightly teasing remark.

“Duke.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t difficult for Evan to win over the Baldwins.

Having grown up under Jeremiah’s tutelage, he knew exactly what pleased them.

“Aside from my exceptional teacher and my magic, I possess nothing of value. I don’t even have a family name to uphold.”

Evan bowed deeply, his fist over his heart.

“Therefore, she will have me entirely. While still retaining the noble name of ‘Baldwin’, the precious gift you’ve bestowed upon her.”

“You’re proposing to become my son-in-law…”

“That is for you and the Lady to decide, Duke. All I wish to convey is…”

Evan straightened his posture and looked directly at the Duke.

“That the name ‘Loretta Baldwin’ suits her beautifully.”

“…It seems that…”

The sternness melted from the Duke’s face.

“Jeremiah’s upbringing has had a profound impact on you.”

“He is the most important person to me.”

“You must have expected me to be pleased with this proposal. No, you were certain, weren’t you?”

“I’m sorry, I was completely certain.”

Evan smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“Because you, Duke, are the one who loves Lady Loretta most in this world.”

“…Using those words again…”

The Duke sighed deeply, then offered Evan his glass.

“Would you pour me another?”

“Are you sure, Duke?”

“I’m not that weak.”

Evan took the bottle and began to pour. The Duke gazed at the beautifully colored liquid filling his glass, then muttered, almost to himself.

“…I truly hope you’ll be happy, Magician Evan.”

“Pardon?”

Evan looked up in surprise, but the Duke simply pretended not to notice and forced an awkward smile.

 

* * *

 

A few days later, on the day of her meeting with the Emperor, Loretta went to the Imperial Palace gardens.

“Your Majesty.”

As she called out, the Emperor’s stern expression crumbled, and he lowered his head dejectedly.

“Oh my.”

Feeling sorry for him, Loretta approached.

“Didn’t it work out again?”

“…It seems Earl Hatfield sees me as a child.”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

“Yesterday, she gave me candy and patted my head.”

“Oh dear.”

Miss Hatfield, who was well-versed in all the gossip of society, inherited her father’s title and became a respected Earl.

Her exceptional abilities in information gathering and reputation management were highly regarded, and she was currently serving as the Emperor’s closest advisor.

The young Emperor had quickly fallen for the beautiful Earl, who could solve any problem with her remarkable skills.

However, due to the age gap between them, Hatfield naturally treated him as a ‘child’ in need of protection.

“I understand that a young man in his twenties might seem immature to the Earl. But still, candy is a bit much, isn’t it? We’re only eight years apart.”

It seemed the Emperor had been nursing his wounded pride until Loretta’s arrival.

“…I wish I had been born a little earlier. I’m so envious of Magician Evan.”

“Evan is much younger than you, Your Majesty.”

“But he’s only four years younger than you. At least you wouldn’t have thought of giving him candy, right?”

“I actually did make candy and give it to him. While telling him it was his favorite in the world.”

“I’m going to die of envy,” he mumbled, fiddling with a harmless piece of candy he pulled from his pocket.

“If Earl Hatfield did that to me, my heart would stop on the spot.”

“Please don’t say that. If that happened, both my father and brother would be very busy.”

“Then isn’t it time you told me? How Magician Evan captured your heart. Without being treated like a child, that is.”

He repeated the same question he had been asking for months, persistently following Loretta around.

Loretta had been pondering the answer for a long time, genuinely wanting to help her dear Emperor. But…

“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

She shrugged, chuckling.

“By the time I matured, I couldn’t even imagine anyone else but Evan.”

“…It seems the Lady has no intention of helping me. I even went as far as saying things I didn’t mean, just to help him realize his feelings.”

“What? What did you say?!”

When Loretta asked in surprise, the Emperor quickly waved his hands.

“Nothing, nothing at all. I was just remembering a promise I made to my father.”

“With the previous Emperor?”

“It’s not a big deal. My father always said I should lend you a helping hand at least once.”

“Why?”

“I suppose he was happy that I was able to reconnect with my uncle. Because he truly loved him.”

“Ah…”

Loretta slowly nodded, recalling the conversation she had with the previous Emperor in a corner of the temple.

It had just been a childish, dreamlike story she shared, but he always called it an ‘opportunity’ and expressed his gratitude.

“So, is Your Majesty planning to give me a big favor on behalf of the late Emperor?”

“What are you talking about?”

The Emperor crossed his arms, his face slightly wrinkled.

“I already did you a favor, Lady.”

“When?”

“I definitely did.”

“B-but I never received any…”

“You must have. Think carefully.”

Loretta racked her brain, trying to recall any instance where the Emperor had done her a favor, but she mostly remembered her own efforts to help him.

She had gone out of her way to create opportunities for him and Earl Hatfield to be together.

“I don’t know. It seems like I’ve been the one putting in more effort.”

“Magician Evan must be in for a tough time. Tell him I said congratulations on the birth of his new love. Are you meeting him tonight?”

“Yes, we decided to watch the meteor shower together. You invited Earl Hatfield as well, right?”

“…I did. Thanks to that, I’ll be waiting for the meteor shower with several nobles from the capital, including Mrs. Baldwin.”

“…”

The Emperor slumped his shoulders dejectedly once more, and Loretta stood on her tiptoes to pat his head.

“Cheer up, Your Majesty.”

“Thanks for the encouragement… Well, I’m probably just going to get candy again tonight… huh.”

The dejected Emperor suddenly noticed something in the distance and let out a startled sound.

“L-Lady. Stop patting my head, this isn’t good.”

As he stammered, Loretta turned her head to follow his gaze.

Evan was standing at the corner of the hallway.

…His face was pale as a sheet, as if he had already witnessed something terrible.