Chapter 52

Chapter 52. Recommendation Letter (2)

It had felt as though something would happen at any moment, but time passed quietly, and three years slipped by.

She had said it would take a long time, but even as the time for my second brother to leave for his studies drew near, the invitation did not come for a very long while.

I erased the invitation from my mind and continued training on my own.

Then, one day, when I was fourteen and had grown taller and stronger—

Tap tap tap tap.

Someone was running along the road leading to the estate.

It was Flora, my personal maid.

She came running over with a tense face and, panting for breath, opened her mouth.

"Huff, huff, the Duke is looking for you, Young Master Alex. He said you are to come at once and leave everything else aside. It seems to be something important."

There was only one important matter that I knew of.

I immediately followed Flora toward the estate.

In the Duke’s study, he was sitting alone, working.

I gave my name and entered, and the moment he saw me walk in, he frowned.

It seemed I displeased him even more than usual.

Pretending not to notice, I stopped in front of his desk.

When I first came to this place, only my face had barely risen above the desk. Now it reached just below my chest.

As usual, the top of the desk was piled high with documents.

When I came to stand before him, the Duke opened a drawer, took out a sealed envelope, and placed it on the desk.

It was a letter made of expensive paper and sealed with red wax.

At a glance, it was obvious that it had come from some high-ranking noble.

The seal had already been broken, and the Duke pulled the letter out of the open envelope.

After checking it once more, he set it down before me with a furrowed brow.

"Explain to me why this invitation came."

For a moment, I was stunned by how abruptly he cut to the point, but I still understood what he meant.

I picked up the letter before me and read it.

Perhaps my education had not been wasted after all, because I was able to read the letter easily despite its grand and flowery noble phrasing.

Once I finished reading it, I understood why the Duke had frowned.

It was the invitation I had long since forgotten because so much time had passed. To think it had arrived so late.

Once the complicated flourishes were stripped away, it was an ordinary invitation.

Someone had heard of me through another, and wished to invite me to the capital so that I could study there with their support.

But the name written at the end of the letter was the problem. It was not a name I had expected at all.

The name of Katrine de Ratenhamar, who had spent that time acting like a mercenary in front of me, was nowhere on it.

Nor was it signed by the Count of Ratenhamar, her father.

Ria de Carlos.

Before her marriage, her name had been Ria de Ratenhamar.

The invitation had been sent directly by the king’s third wife, Katrine’s elder sister, the mother of the princess.

That unexpected name left my thoughts in utter disarray, and I could not answer the Duke at once.

He continued staring at me, and I had to force myself back to my senses.

"Well... I do not know why exactly this invitation came, but I have met the person named in this letter."

Fortunately, the letter did contain the name of the one who had caused this whole affair—in other words, Katrine.

She had put in a recommendation for me somewhere far higher than I had ever imagined.

"I first met Young Lady Katrine at the marquess’s house. She introduced herself to me as a mercenary...."

I had no choice but to tell him about what had happened between us.

About the events at the marquess’s house, and about how, after returning, I had gone exploring with her.

Of course, I could not go into detail about the tomb exploration.

I had sworn with her to keep that matter secret.

"So you signed a contract at the temple."

When I trailed off, the Duke saw through it immediately.

"Yes. But nothing that harmed the ducal house happened."

At my words, the Duke pointed at the letter before him.

"You may not realize it yet, but now that this invitation has arrived, I do not think it is easy to say that no harm has been done to the ducal house."

Damn it. Since the ducal house had now received an invitation from the queen, whether he accepted it or not, the Duke had likely been placed in a rather awkward position.

It would probably be better to pretend I did not know that.

"So, while helping with the matter at the marquess’s house, you met the Count of Ratenhamar’s daughter while she was moving about incognito in the guise of a mercenary, and then afterward you helped her with something, gained her favor, and so she spoke to her elder sister and had this invitation sent. That is what you are saying, is it not...?"

As expected, the Duke’s summary was exact.

"But there is no reason for such an invitation to be sent over simple goodwill alone. So what is the reason?"

At those words, I could only fall silent again. Thank goodness for the contract made at the temple, which allowed me to keep my mouth shut.

"...That, then, I will have to look into myself."

After glaring at me for a long while, the Duke took the invitation back.

"Now that I know this is not some mistaken invitation, the remaining question is whether to accept it or not."

He tapped the desk lightly as he muttered to himself.

Just as I had expected, he did not ask my opinion at all.

I had not expected him to. Objectively speaking, a noble like the Duke would never ask the opinion of an illegitimate son who had barely turned fourteen.

As I was thinking that, I heard the Duke’s voice in my ears.

"What would you like to do?"

Huh? Was that question directed at me?

Startled, I looked up at him. His expression had not changed in the slightest. His face was still cold and emotionless, like ice.

What in the world was he thinking?

Caught off guard, I barely managed an answer.

"...I want to go. I wish to learn more and help my elder brother govern the territory."

Fortunately, a tolerably useful answer had come out.

When the Duke heard it, the corners of his eyes folded slightly.

It seemed it had not been an answer he liked.

It was exactly the sort of thing an obedient illegitimate son with no ambition for the territory ought to say....

Had it been too much to refer to Simon as my elder brother?

Even so, fortunately, it did not seem to be enough to cause a real problem.

Without another word, the Duke dismissed me from the study.

The next day,

I learned of the Duke’s decision.

I learned it because my second brother burst into my room early in the morning and shouted everything at me.

"What do you mean, you’re going to the capital with me too? That’s absurd! What in the world did you do?!"

His voice rang through the room.

Flora, who had been pouring tea beside us, recoiled backward like a startled bird, and he dropped heavily into a seat before me and glared.

He looked thoroughly enraged.

He could be playful at times, but Manuel had always observed noble etiquette properly. Now, however, he seemed thoroughly overbearing.

"So Father has already made his decision?"

"What? Don’t tell me you really knew something about this?"

Of course I had known. My expression did not change, and Manuel’s face only turned redder.

Pointing at me, he shouted over his shoulder.

"Then you say something too, Brother! Doesn’t this seem strange to you too?!"

My eldest brother was standing in the doorway through which he had entered. Simon stood just outside the door with an awkward expression.

Because my second brother had started making a scene the very instant he entered my sitting room, I had not even noticed Simon.

Tch. Had I grown too careless just because this was my home? I really needed to stay more alert.

"Father must have his reasons. Mother has gone to see him, so we’ll hear the reason soon enough. You should act like a noble and stop losing your temper. Go back and wait."

Huh? That was not at all what I had expected Simon to say. Had he not come here to take his younger brother’s side?

"You’ve changed too ever since coming back from the marquess’s house! You’re all stiff and dignified now just because you got engaged."

At Manuel’s words, I looked at Simon again, and it was true that most of the frivolous air he once had was gone.

Still, it did not feel as though he was merely trying to strike a pose the way he used to.

Looking at Simon, I smiled inwardly in satisfaction.

The hardship at the marquess’s house had not been wasted.

It seemed our First Young Master had finally grown up.

When his elder brother did not support him, Manuel shouted in exasperation.

"Ugh! No matter what anyone says, I can’t accept this! How am I supposed to hold my head up in the capital if a half-breed without any proper ability goes there with me?!"

Oh, for a sixteen-year-old, that was a rather vicious and thoroughly unpleasant thing to say.

Perhaps it was only because his temper had exploded, but it was still an ugly thing to hear.

Then again, if word spread that he had come to the capital to study with an illegitimate son, the whispers around him would certainly be relentless.

All kinds of gossip about the ducal house would spill out, and there would be constant comparisons between him and me, and all sorts of troublesome things might arise.

Now that I thought about it, his anger was understandable enough.

Even so, unpleasant was unpleasant.

So I cast out a little bait.

"Then how about having my ability tested?"

"What?"

"If someone else tests it, it would probably be hard for you to accept the result. So... perhaps it would be better if you confirmed my skill for yourself in a light spar, Brother."

It was a rather obvious provocation, but the one facing me was still a boy in his mid-teens.

"Hah? Spar in person? Fine! That’s exactly what I was thinking!"

Manuel stared at me with a baffled face, but soon nodded eagerly.

"Fine! Just wait! I’ll go get permission right now. Once Father sees your true skill, he’ll cancel this nonsense at once. Don’t you dare run off—make sure you prepare yourself properly!"

Apparently thinking my suggestion truly was an excellent idea, he rushed out of the room with a bright, almost excited expression.

Watching his younger brother storm away, Simon let out a sigh and then looked at me.

"I don’t understand why you’re being sent to the capital either, but since it’s Father’s decision, I won’t say anything against it. With your skill, you won’t be outclassed wherever you go."

During the trip to the marquess’s house, he had seen my training and sparring on several occasions.

He might not know exactly how far my ability went, but he surely knew that I possessed talent far beyond my years.

"But neither Manuel nor Mother will remain idle. Even if you have the skill and ability, your birth won’t change. So once you go to the capital, you’d best not expect any help from my younger brother or from the ducal house."

After saying far more than was typical for him, he turned and went after his younger brother.

His tone had been very cold, and yet, strangely enough, it had not sounded unpleasant to me.

'Huh? Could it be... was he giving me advice?'

After that chaotic visit from my brothers, the sparring match was arranged almost immediately.

To be honest, I had not expected it to be arranged at all. Had the matter never gone all the way up to the Duke?

In any case, the place chosen for the spar was the family’s training ground in the forest behind the estate.

Manuel had wanted to use the central training ground and crush me before everyone’s eyes, but someone above him had apparently objected.

That was unfortunate for him, and a little disappointing for me as well.

And then—

"What in the world is all this about?!"

Before the spar, Mother heard about my study in the capital and came rushing into my room in alarm.

I had no choice but to repeat to her what I had already told the Duke.