Chapter 6

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: The Duke's Return

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"What do you think? My friend..."

"No thanks."

Antonio, who had assumed he'd be accepted right away, was deeply shocked by Herwin's nonchalant refusal.

"W-what? You're refusing me right now? Do you even know who I am? I'm Antonio from the Travin Count House!"

"Apologize."

As Antonio huffed in excitement, Herwin cut him off.

"What?"

"I said apologize. You killed the ants."

Lucia, who had been listlessly staring at the dead ants sitting helplessly, turned her head and blankly looked at Herwin.

"You're telling me to apologize over some stupid ants?"

"Yeah, because Lucia's sad that the ants died."

Antonio let out an exasperated breath and glanced at Lucia. It was ridiculous that he was being asked to apologize over some worthless little girl.

"Hurry up and apologize already..."

As Herwin urged him again, Lucia tugged at his clothes.

"Let's just go."

The gloominess was gone, and Lucia was back to her usual self.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I was a little sad, but Herwin got mad for me, so it's fine now."

"...Alright then."

Herwin helped Lucia up and left with her.

"Heyyy!"

Seeing the two ignoring him and walking away, Antonio yelled at the top of his lungs. When they turned around, he pointed at Herwin while huffing.

"I wasn't done talking! Where do you think you're going!"

"What, you gonna apologize now?"

"Who said anything about apologizing?!"

"Then why'd you call us? I already said I don't wanna be friends."

With things not going his way at all, Antonio's anger reached its peak. His face flushed red for a moment before he suddenly sneered.

"One of the four great ducal houses, and here you are, trailing after a girl like a lapdog."

Herwin, who had been ignoring him to leave, stopped dead in his tracks.

"Am I wrong? You're following that girl around like a servant. Oh, wait—are you a girl yourself?"

Herwin's eyes narrowed sharply. Seeing the murderous red glint in them, Antonio stumbled back, and one of his companions whispered to him.

"Lord Antonio, the Peneus family only has sons."

"Ahem, r-right? I just got confused for a second 'cause your face looks so girly."

Embarrassed by his mistaken info, Antonio cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure.

Herwin's glare was still fierce.

"Ahem, if that's not it, then do you actually like her or something?"

Thump.

Herwin's heart sank heavily. It was a wild guess, but Herwin panicked and his face turned red. Having accidentally hit on his weak spot, Antonio grinned smugly.

"Bingo. No wonder it seemed so weird. So that's it."

Antonio let out a mocking laugh.

"The young lord of Peneus likes that girl!"

"They're totally going out!"

His companions jumped in, starting to tease the two in earnest.

Thump thump thump.

Herwin's heart pounded unpleasantly, just like when kids used to tease him about being a girl as a child.

Herwin hated being teased more than anything. The incident from his childhood in the north had left a trauma that lingered even now.

Herwin clenched his fists and yelled.

"Shut up! Who said I like her? Lucia and I aren't like that!"

The kids, who had been jeering in unison, clamped their mouths shut at his resounding voice.

After a brief pause, they smirked.

"Why're you getting so mad? 'Cause it's true?"

"No!"

"Come on, it totally is."

The more he reacted, the louder the teasing got, showing no signs of stopping. It kept poking at Herwin's trauma.

His breath reached his chin, and nausea started to build.

Just as Herwin mustered the courage to speak again, Lucia—who had been standing there blankly—spoke first.

"Then does that mean you guys like each other too?"

Lucia pointed at the three, including Antonio.

"You guys are always together like us. Are you eleri koleri with each other?"

The three kids floundered in confusion, unable to respond, and Lucia smirked at them.

"Knew it."

The momentum shifted to Lucia in an instant. Herwin clamped his mouth shut, seeing how the atmosphere had flipped 180 degrees from moments ago.

The pounding in his heart gradually subsided.

As curious onlookers started gathering right at that moment, Antonio and his group panicked and looked around.

Then, one of them shrieked.

"I-I'm not like that!"

"M-me neither!"

As one fled after the other, Antonio was suddenly left alone.

Having lost his wings, he fidgeted anxiously, then made a tearful face as he heard the whispers around him.

Lucia crossed her arms triumphantly.

Humiliated, he soon burst into tears and ran off.

"Ahahaha! Herwin, look at that."

Herwin gazed steadily at the giggling Lucia.

His calmed heart started beating louder again. Unlike the previous fear, this time it brought a comfortable tickle of excitement.

Herwin's ears had turned bright red before he knew it.

Of course, no one noticed his change—not even Herwin himself.

Back at the Agnes Count House, Herwin and Lucia headed to the playroom as usual.

Unlike the humming Lucia, Herwin followed her with a somewhat dark expression.

He was bothered by what happened at the park earlier. More precisely, he was curious about Lucia's reaction.

He had been too flustered then to say he didn't like her, but it wasn't true.

He didn't like her romantically like the kids said, but as a friend, he did like her.

He worried if his words had hurt her.

"Herwin! Let's play with this today!"

Lucia held out a toy to Herwin. He didn't take it and stayed still before speaking.

"Lucia."

"Yeah?"

"Were you... upset with me earlier?"

"Earlier? Why would I be upset with you?"

"I said I didn't... like you."

Lucia's mouth fell open as she spaced out for a moment. A wrinkle formed between her brows as she thought.

"Oh! When that Antonio guy teased us about eleri koleri?"

"Yeah. Were you upset?"

"Nope."

Lucia shook her head firmly. He was relieved she wasn't hurt, but her reaction still nagged at him.

"Why not?"

"Well... you like me, right?"

"W-what?"

"I like Herwin, and Herwin likes me. Right?"

After a moment of fluster, Herwin realized what she meant.

Her "like" was the friendly kind, not the romantic one he was thinking of.

"Plus, you hate it when people tease you."

"How'd you..."

"You always get super mad when someone talks about you. And it's okay if you don't like me. I like you anyway!"

Lucia grinned brightly, teeth flashing. She was already absorbed in her toy again.

Herwin stood frozen, staring at her receding brown hair.

The tickle from the park returned. Along with an inexplicable discomfort.

"That's weird..."

"Herwin! Come play!"

"Yeah! Coming!"

Herwin ignored his pounding heart and ran to Lucia.

Lucia hummed as she peered into her music box. The gentle melody came from the gift she'd received at a New Year's party when she was five.

Herwin, sitting on the sofa watching her, spoke up.

"Lucia, what's in there anyway?"

"It's a secret, even from you, Herwin!"

"Tch, what, you scared it'll kill you to tell me?"

Lucia clutched the music box tightly, refusing to show it, and Herwin grumbled.

"What's so fascinating about it? It's her treasure box. Probably full of stuff she cherishes."

Lucas, reading a book nearby, spoke curtly without looking up.

"She's been into bugs lately, so maybe bug corpses. When she was collecting leaves, it was nothing but leaves in there."

Shiver—

Imagining bugs in the music box made goosebumps rise all over.

"No bugs. It's my treasure."

"See? That reaction screams bugs."

Lucia puffed her cheeks in protest.

Knock knock—

"Come in."

The door opened at Lucas's words, and a maid bowed her head.

"The Count is calling for the young masters and young lady."

"Dad? All of us?"

The maid nodded. Calling everyone at once? Wondering what was up, the three kids exchanged glances.

They followed the maid to a room, and before the door fully opened, they heard Henry's crying from inside.

"Henry!"

Worried something had happened to him, Herwin rushed in.

"Huh?"

"Huh! That's..."

The kids soon saw someone flustered while holding the bawling Henry.

"This is tricky... Henry, you really don't remember me?"

The one holding Henry was none other than Hail. Seeing the familiar face after a year and a half, Herwin approached in a daze, mouth agape.

"...Dad?"

Hail, who had been fussing to soothe Henry, spotted Herwin late and beamed.

"My goodness, my son. You've grown so much."

"...You're really Dad, right?"

"Of course I'm your real dad. Who else? Let's see how big my boy has gotten."

Unchanged from before, Hail smiled softly with his handsome features and scooped Herwin up effortlessly.

"Whoa, you've gotten heavy! Looks like you've grown taller too."

"It's Dad... real Dad!"

Herwin's eyes widened in surprise before he let out a joyful cheer and hugged Hail's neck tightly.

"Hahaha, good thing you remember me, Herwin. I was worried when Henry didn't recognize me that you might not either."

"You left when he was barely two. Can't be helped. He'll get used to your face from now on."

Scarlett wore a genuine smile, not her usual weary one. After so long, the whole family was finally together.

Lucas clapped as a hazy memory resurfaced.

"Ah, so it was the Peneus Duke after all."

"Peneus Duke... means he's Herwin's dad?"

"Yeah. Don't you remember?"

"Hmm, kinda familiar... He looks just like Herwin."

"Of course. He's Herwin's dad."

Lucia had no memory of Hail from their brief time together.

"Dad! Are we all together now? Did you beat all the monsters?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way back after wiping them all out."

"Wooow! Awesome!"

"Hehe, now the whole family will go up north and live like before."

"Huh?"

Herwin's beaming smile froze as if he'd heard something unbelievable. Scarlett tilted her head.

"Not happy? You were singing about missing Dad just a bit ago."

"Being with Dad is great, but..."

Herwin trailed off, staring at the floor. At the door, the Agnes siblings were talking.

"So... we're leaving here?"

"That's right. Going home, so of course."

"........."

His feelings were mixed. He was over the moon to meet his real dad and have the whole family together, but he couldn't just smile.

"Huh? Something on my face?"

Lucia touched her face as her eyes met Herwin's.

Going north meant he'd never see Lucia again. That fact brought Herwin a deep sense of loss.