“IS THE MIRAGE ALWAYS ONLY IN THE DESERT? What do you think?”
“Pardon?”
The Duchess continued, looking coldly at me. As if she didn’t want my answer from the very beginning.
“I hope you don’t put your head in the sand, under the illusion of an oasis.”
I spoke in a very small voice without hesitation, but I could understand what she meant.
So, she’s warning me huh.
What I enjoy now is a mirage, and don’t forget your place because this fantasy will disappear someday.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
I had no choice but to nod at the words that the Duchess pressured me with.
I will be careful even if you don’t warn me. So please focus on getting better and healing from the disease of your mind and quickly take care of your son.
“Of course. Don’t worry, Duchess.”
I smiled as harmless as I could. I didn’t want her to doubt me. I wanted her to take care of Lucian as soon as possible.
Gradually…in order for my favorite to live like a normal person, I am supposed to leave this house.
I shouted profusely that I would change the original work, but no one knows what will happen, so it would be good for everyone, that could be a hindrance, to disappear from Lucian’s sight when the right time comes.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───
SINCE THE DAY I MET THE DUCHESS, I began to write down my plans in my notebook.
First of all…
Help the Duke and Lucian get closer.
For example, eating together, having tea time, or going to a salon together.
Salons would depend on the type though.
There are salons where only ladies gather, salons where only young children gather, salons where only young people gather, or salons where only young people gather or male aristocrats gather.
There are various kinds and classes.
The Duke frequently participates in the Black Rose Salon.
The name was given because the original creator who made the salon is the ancestor of Duke Leon.
The salon was named the Black Rose because the Leon Family has been born with only black hair for generations and the family’s symbol is roses. The salons hosted by Duke Leon were pretty exclusive because most people aristocrats could not come in.
I wish the Duke would take Lucian to the salon. In the original, he went there only after the Duke had already died.
And I had to think about the Duchess.
Aside from the mental illness, I had to do well to mend our relationship because her feelings towards my father were not good.
Thinking about it, the Duke wasn’t the only one whose life was ruined by that horrible night in his youth.
The Duchess was also damaged.
In the original work, no definite narrative was drawn between the two, but later the Duchess shouted at the Duke and cried out.
This marriage had already gone wrong since the very beginning! We missed the first step! Then why are you doing this to your kid? He didn’t do anything wrong! You’re the weird one! If only you were normal!
The reason why I remember this line is because of the fact that I memorized it due to me reading it too much, but the Duchess, who shouted this line as if she was throwing up blood, fell down.
And then she would cross the river that one can’t return from after crossing.
“Oh, I’m at a loss.”
So, resolving the tangled threads of this house will be a challenge.
The most fundamental person who created this problematic situation is already deceased, and it has been a long time since the three family members stopped caring about each other.
“Come on, who else is there?”
The story doesn’t end once we stop seeing Lucian’s family appear in the story.
There should have been some helpers and competitors to help move the story along. Here, the helper and the competitor are combined into one person.
The competitor of the duchy and the assistant of the duke, the sub-male lead!
To explain a bit more, there are many strange and astonishing individuals in this webtoon besides the sub male lead, who aren’t normal humans.
“Except for the trash-like little brat, hmm, everyone else appears later?”
The sub male lead appeared in the original story earlier than I thought. Maybe we’ll see each other soon.
“Oh, my handwriting is terrible.”
I was scribbling the words incorrectly with a pen and noticed the box waiting next to the note.
“I have to deliver this to you…”
The letter opener I am going to deliver to Lucian is in a packed box. After I met the Duchess, I felt uncomfortable going to meet my favorite.
The reason why the Duchess couldn’t take her eyes off the window that day was because she knew right before he came out of lessons.
“You shouldn’t just look at him like that, you should go and hug him in person.”
In the Duchess’s room, a dusty field was clearly visible.
“A lot of people aren’t really honest and are scared.”
Of course, I don’t mean that it’s wrong to be scared. But that’s why the threads are so tangled like this, and I’m so frustrated!
“Okay! I’m going to get out of this house alive and you’re going to be happy, Lucian.”
I mumbled as I covered my organized notes. I put the present in my pocket, inside of my trouser, and rushed out of my room energetically.
“He must be in his private study room by now, right?”
Transcribing the history books of the Leoness Empire that had a thousand years of history. That’s too much.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───
LUCIAN IS WRITING EACH LETTER from a thick book on the bookshelf.
He has to copy a history book of the Empire during a short period of time, not during a class, personal training, mealtime, or training time.
His father said it is an important procedure for a successor to the Duke of Leon, the founding family.
He used to be very efficient in his transcription, but he hasn’t been able to concentrate lately.
He couldn’t write a few words without making some mistakes, but his writing skills grew again.
If he writes like this, his father will definitely scold him. Lucian blinked slowly and took out a new paper.
He picked up the pen again and put it on the paper, but he couldn’t concentrate. It is his first time struggling to do this, so he is quite confused.
“What’s wrong…”
He just stared blankly at the ink scribbles on the paper and murmured.
“Why aren’t you coming?”
His brother always knew where he was and came to see him like a loyal puppy with a good nose.
In particular, it is most amazing that he has always appeared right after he had been disciplined by his father.
It is hard to breathe after being disciplined by his father. The reason is unknown though.
It became better when he(Raphael) just went into a deserted place and curled up.
The place has changed every time.
If he goes into any place where there are no people, sits down, and crouches, Raphael comes to him shortly after.
And he has always talked to him with a bright smile. It was awkward at first, but his friendly smile made it easier for him to breathe.
So he was quick to get used to the child.
However, his younger brother, who visited him every day, has not shown his face since one random day.
Even after training, he glanced at the entrance of the mansion to see when his brother would come, and when he passed the hallway after class, he looked around for no reason.
Even so, his younger brother didn’t even show him a single strand of his hair.
“Is he busy…?”
Of course, if he’s busy, he’s obviously allowed to be too, so he understood it in his head, but somehow he couldn’t accept it.
While he was being absorbed with unfamiliar emotions, the paper that touched the quill’s tip turned black.
Knock! Knock!
Then he heard a knock.
Lucian turned his head and looked toward the door just in case. Slowly the door opened and a small face came in.
Raphael, who was looking around, smiled broadly at him.
At that moment, Lucian’s heart started pounding. His heart, which had been so calm that he was beginning to doubt whether he was alive or not, began to beat in a pleasant way.
His heartbeats became faster as Raphael approached him.
“Brother, have you been here since earlier?”
He couldn’t take his eyes off Raphaell, who was standing with a big basket in his arms.
Lucian bit his lips because he thought he was going to cry. His eyes were burning, but he tried to answer calmly.
“Yes, I was here.”
I’ve always been here. You’re the only one who should know about that.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───
OH, MY LUCIAN. YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR ME, haven’t you?
I moved my feet lightly as I watched him turn his head away as if he wasn’t interested.
Then I ran and sat next to him.
“Brother, try this. It’s very sweet.”
Grapes are very sweet in this season. Yeah, it’s as sweet as my adorable face. So trust me and try it!
“……Okay.”
Oh? Why did you take it so easily? How many scuffles did you experience today to make you eat this so straightforwardly?
“Oh, go ahead. My brother.”
Lucian’s cheeks turned to a slightly red hue due to my request.
That is also very interesting.
Usually, he is a man who doesn’t show any change in his expression no matter what I do. So I am very pleased with this kind of change.
“……I’ll eat it then.”
“You have to transcribe. I’ll just put it in your mouth.
There was no response. Though I’m used to it now. I tapped him on the lips with the tasty oval grape.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!
The grapes are here.
“Please open the door.”
After five lip knocks, Lucian finally opened his mouth.
The grape went into the small gap.
Yes, it’s a goal.
I scored a goal.
“Is it good?”
“……..”
He stared at me as he chewed slowly. Seeing his slowly blinking eyes, he seemed to like it.
How can he express it so cutely? You’re always doing that when it’s good, why don’t you say it?
“Don’t worry about me and continue studying.”
Tapping on the back of his hand while pondering something, suddenly he stopped moving and said.
“Ah…”
Only then did Lucian move his eyes from me to paper.
Lucian, who was making a small groan-like noise, quickly hid the paper.
But I already saw it.
The paper was filled with only unreadable ink marks.
H-how can he study at such a pace everyday? I’m sure it’s the same lessons as usual. But only today did he look like an average human being.
People sometimes play hooky, right? See?
Perhaps he was embarrassed, so he took out a new piece of paper and made a fake cough. And then he began to write each letter carefully.
Oh, my favorite. I was a little resentful of the Duke for giving him such a difficult schedule that helped create Lucian’s handwriting style, but honestly I really wanted to see the Imperial History Book, which was written in Lucian’s neat and elegant handwriting.
I kept feeding him grapes so that his mouth wouldn’t rest.
I only picked out red grapes, green grapes, and raspberries that were easy to eat in one bite and put them in his mouth.
After finishing writing one page, he checked the time and put his pen in the case and stared at me.
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