Chapter 47

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 47

Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Wife of the Monster Duke

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The atmosphere in a mansion with a lady of the house and one without was definitely different.

The servants from each house certainly felt it.

Especially this Duchess—she amplified it even more.

While the previous Duchess had mostly longed for the sun and contributed to the mansion's depressive mood, this one seemed even more fascinated by winter itself.

"Greetings, Madam."

With Aden departing for Luminous Ello's domain, a visitor arrived at the Crimson Delroz knight quarters, where outsiders were practically barred from entering.

Anyone from another house would have been turned away immediately, but this was someone from within whom they absolutely could not refuse.

"We await your command."

Knight Emil of Crimson Delroz didn't ask what brought her here or if she needed anything.

The fact that Madam, a sun-dweller, had braved this chill to come all the way to the Crimson Delroz knight quarters meant she had business—and important business at that.

This was the first order she had issued directly to the knight quarters.

He tensed his body.

"Sorry to drop by so suddenly."

Ilrin smiled lightly as she lifted the edge of her Azure Noz veil.

The knights bowed deeply to her.

"Not at all. Dawn or morning, you may summon us at any time you wish."

A short silence followed their courteous words.

"Thank you."

A gentle smile flowed across her face.

But what came from her lips next made the knights' hearts sink.

"It seems there's a problem with the mansion's defenses."

"......Pardon?"

If Ilrin's words were true, it was an emergency for the Crimson Delroz knights.

The sin of failing to properly guard Madam would be answered to their lord directly.

Emil, and even the other Crimson Delroz knights lined up behind him, went pale.

They were the ones Aden had left behind specifically to secure the mansion's defenses, even as he headed to Luminous Ello.

"It seems I have failed to fully grasp Madam's intentions."

Emil responded calmly.

"Might I ask which part of the mansion..."

The Crimson Delroz knights performed their daily duties without the slightest negligence.

The fact that their lord trusted them with this was proof enough.

There surely couldn't be any gaps.

Emil didn't underestimate Crimson Delroz's capabilities.

But neither did he dismiss Ilrin's words.

Ilrin answered his cautious question.

"Luminous Ello's domain."

"......Ah."

A complex mix of emotions flickered across Emil's face for a moment before vanishing.

Ilrin picked up on it sensitively.

It was a blend of relief and slight bewilderment.

"Does it feel uncomfortable to be told to defend even up to Luminous Ello's domain?"

Since she didn't yet know all of winter's circumstances, Ilrin asked carefully.

Emil shook his head.

"No. That too is a knight's duty."

"But it's not Crimson Delroz's duty, is it."

"......"

Emil couldn't refute it.

Ilrin understood his position.

Even Aden, who bore the duty to protect all of Biplten, had shown displeasure at Luminous Ello's request for aid.

'If Luminous Ello lacked the power to fend off the Yester Tribe, they never could have established a base there.'

No, thinking back, he hadn't worried about Luminous Ello even before departing for the sun-lands.

Even during a time when the Yester Tribe was rampaging.

He had raised winter's temperature with his authority, but the Yester Tribe was still active.

'The temperature is high for April now. No matter how fierce the northwest winds, if they can't even hold off minor intrusions with their base to the northwest...'

He had even said as much before leaving for the sun-lands.

Rather than trust in Luminous Ello, it felt like an oddly chilling statement.

From that, it seemed winter had its unwritten rules.

Of course, Den probably also viewed the other houses unfavorably for always trying to conserve their swords whenever possible.

But above all, there appeared to be an unwritten rule in this winter not to meddle deeply in other houses' affairs.

One could tell just from how Biplten, where everyone gathered, was divided into each house's domains.

"I know. That it's hard to see the other houses as Crimson Delroz's allies."

This was deep within Crimson Delroz's own domain, the knight quarters, so she could say it.

Having stated it plainly, Ilrin offered Emil a gentle smile.

"But I think the Crimson Delroz knights know this is also a good opportunity."

The knights exchanged glances.

Ilrin tilted her head slightly.

Her soft silver hair swayed over her shoulders along with the Azure Noz veil.

"Crimson Delroz bears the unspoken duty of protecting Biplten because of a house head with authority."

Unfairly so.

Ilrin patted Emil's shoulder as if consoling him for hiding his discomfort.

It was a slender, fragile hand that stirred protective instincts, utterly out of place in winter.

"—Thanks to that, Crimson Delroz has become the only house that can naturally set foot in Luminous Ello's now-empty domain without its knights."

Isn't that right? Ilrin smiled.

Emil's eyes widened.

Vitality returned to the Biplten mansion once more.

It was Ilrin who had ordered Luminous Ello's knights withdrawn and the mansion's potentially vulnerable defenses filled.

The Crimson Delroz knights were never forceful.

Ilrin reminded them that Luminous Ello's maids might feel threatened and strictly ordered them not to act roughly.

At the same time, she didn't forget to issue a secret command shared only among Crimson Delroz.

'Investigate Luminous Ello's domain within the mansion.'

It wasn't an order to push too hard.

If circumstances didn't allow, standing guard purely as escorts would suffice.

That alone was a gain for Crimson Delroz.

This could easily become a trespass into another house's domain.

But Ilrin seized on how Ijis had manipulated mansion rumors before, quickly spreading word of the "merciful lady of the house who even minds other houses' defenses amid the Yester Tribe's rampage in April."

It wasn't baseless rumor either.

The Crimson Delroz knights assigned to Luminous Ello's domain never acted roughly.

Far from it—they never even entered areas where Luminous Ello's maids seemed uncomfortable.

As if they had come solely for escort duty.

Of course, whatever they did under the surface was shared only within the Crimson Delroz knight quarters.

This way, they might at least glean some small intelligence on another house's unknown domain.

It would be great if they found something big.

Like where Luminous Ello's second base was, or its scale.

Even if they gained no information at all, it was fine.

Crimson Delroz would still set a precedent of naturally entering another house's domain.

That alone was a huge gain.

But Ilrin's orders didn't end there.

The even more secretive command was this:

'Keep a close watch on those captured on the way back from the sun-lands.'

The ones thought to have frozen to death under Aden's authority were surprisingly alive.

They were in Crimson Delroz's underground prison, awaiting Aden's interrogation.

Nothing proving their identities had turned up on them, but Aden had declared them winter folk based on their skin tone and mannerisms.

Ilrin agreed.

Pale skin from never seeing the sun, enduring April's chill as if they couldn't breathe without the Azure Noz veil—they were unmistakably winter people.

The question was which house they belonged to.

Aden would look into it slowly upon his return.

"Madam, Sir Emil wishes to compile and report the intelligence he's gathered separately."

Ilrin received the discreet message that night from the mansion's seventh floor.

Wearing a light robe, she gave a troubled smile.

In her hand was a map of the Winter Lands she sometimes looked at before bed.

"It's late... is that all right?"

Etra had already figured out the sun-dweller Ilrin's active hours.

True to her origins from a land of abundant sunlight, Madam often stayed up late.

Of course, that didn't mean more work for the maids.

Madam usually spent her nights with the house head.

This time, with the house head away, she was alone, but her daily rhythm wouldn't change.

"It's something that must be reported. I'll prepare—"

Etra popped out from the small room next to Ilrin's.

She gasped at Ilrin's attire.

"Good heavens, Madam. You're turning in early tonight."

She hadn't expected her to already be in her robe.

Ilrin smiled.

"I'm a bit tired."

"Ah, then I'll tell him to come tomorrow."

Ilrin blinked, about to say it was fine since he'd come so late at night.

Etra had vanished in a flash.

Soon, Crimson Delroz maids entered and prepared her bedding.

She had clearly ordered them to ready the bed immediately due to Madam's fatigue.

The reason for her quick exit was obvious.

She'd bolted before Ilrin could protest and insist on working more.

Can't stop her.

Ilrin decided to yield to her loyal maid's stubbornness.

By the time Etra fetched the documents from Emil, Ilrin was already asleep.

A mobile from the sun-lands sat by her bedside.

"......"

Etra carefully tucked in Madam's blankets before quietly leaving the room.

Ilrin stood in the heart of winter.

A dream, as expected.

Ilrin looked down at her own hands.

This dream's mobile was clutched in her grasp.

She stared at it for a long while before looking ahead again.

Luminous Ello's domain came into view once more.

The barrier of light still stood firm.

"Your Grace, it's impossible to catch up to the Yester riding the north winds."

It was Ijis's voice.

Ilrin turned her head gladly.

Ijis was welcome, but truthfully, the one she most wanted to see was, naturally, him receiving the report.

A fierce blizzard whited out the world in bursts, but his deep black hair stood out even through it.

His icy cobalt eyes were clearer and purer than ever.

"We won't pursue."

After briefly hearing Ijis's report, he inspected near Luminous Ello's barrier.

As if examining nearby traces.

"......No wonder they urgently called for aid."

Even to Ilrin's eyes, there were quite a few marks left behind.

Traces as if something had clawed the ground with sharp talons.

Some spots even had bloodstains where it had scratched harshly at Luminous Ello's barrier.

Aden turned his gaze from the marks to the rear of Luminous Ello's domain.

Beyond the translucent light barrier stretched an endlessly vast snowfield, dizzyingly deep.

He moved swiftly toward it.

Ilrin realized he was heading to check the spot where she had seen that strange purple-eyed figure.

"Your Grace?"

Ijis was startled by his sudden movement.

"Prepare to draw your sword."

Aden spoke softly.

Ijis seemed to judge he'd sensed something and bowed silently.

"I'll summon the other knights."

"No, just the two of us to check."

He brushed off Ijis's concern lightly.

Ijis started to say more, but stopped when Aden pressed a finger to his lips.

"Quietly."

Could one move over snow without a trace?

Ilrin felt she'd heard the answer to that question.

Aden quickly headed behind the light barrier.

Ijis followed without a sound.

Being in a dream, Ilrin could move a bit faster than them.

Ilrin watched the two worriedly before taking a step forward.

True to a precognitive dream, she arrived swiftly at her desired spot.

A distant hill overlooking Luminous Ello's domain.

"!"

And there, atop it, she came face-to-face with the purple-eyed being, with no time to flee.