Chapter 65

He would only be able to see Palladium Lake from there, but whether he wiped his sword or

drank his tea, the time he spent monitoring the scene outside his window only became longer day after day.

“Your Majesty appears to be in quite a deep concern. If it is that your body is not feeling okay…”

“What about me?”

“After all, one may imagine you may have caught a cold that day or the like.”

Though he was the one to bring this up first, Peyton looked embarrassed.

Elder brother, catching a cold? If that really had been the case, he wouldn’t even be this worried. The god of death who reigns over the living. He didn’t have that kind of nickname for nothing. He was the man who had spent many months in a bitter cold much worse than what they had now without the glint of his eyes ever faltering, much less a cough.

Peyton the Commander of Knights included, when all the rest of his brothers had each lay

down sick at least once, only his elder brother had been completely flawless, never wavering even once both physically and mentally.

“Anyways, it’s true that you have been overdoing things for a while now. As soon as you

returned from the battle with Solium, you headed to the North to find Haniel, so I would fathom that it is a given for your body to not be in its usual condition. And you do appear more flushed than usual…”

“….this witch, again.”

What have you done to me.

Placing a hand on his heated up forehead, he mumbled those words looking like he knew

this would happen. But since Haniel had been mentioned, he didn’t dismiss the topic.

“How’s the pearlstone?”

“I checked it just a moment ago, but there have been no changes.”

As he had never let the pearlstone leave his body for a single moment, Peyton nodded.

It wasn’t just that no changes had occurred—in fact, every time he looked at it again, it

became more and more sparkling and shiny. If it had been a normal magical

artifact, he would’ve suspected other people pulling the strings, but since the

Grand Sorcerer himself had personally made it, it was impossible other magic could be at work.

“As of now, she seems to be doing fine, but we cannot let our guard down. Since she is still only a three-year-old child, we should find her as soon as possible, before she gains a bad memory.”

“Brother Peyton’s right. Ahem, so about that, I have been thinking that it must be related to the Duchess after all. We can’t believe in all of the rumors, but they do say that they haven’t had so many missing persons before the woman appeared.”

“No, she’s not one who’d do that.”

“….Your Majesty, what do you mean?”

“It’s not her.”

A seemingly indifferent, yet firm declaration.

“It would be better if she did have such talent.”

“…..what? Are you saying that she really isn’t a witch?”

“No. She is.”

“…. Elder brother.”

So what is your point.

Tenon’s face fell more and more in confusion the more he listened. There was Rashid’s reddening neck and his heavy gaze for one, but even more so, he found those temperamental words of his beyond random.

‘Does he mean that she really is a witch, but not to the level of being able to do anything to anyone?’

He managed to understand that much, but even that didn’t make sense. It wasn’t like witches cursed people while accommodating their circumstances. Anyways, if one thing was clear, it was that either Rashid or the Duchess had something going on.

Or perhaps that applied to both of them at the same time.

“Then I will be more attentive in my examinations as I watch over her.”

“Why should you?”

“……”

“I’m asking you under what intentions you’re going to be watching over her, Tenon.”

Rashid’s eyes, which had been pointed entirely to the window and his sword, sharpened anew.

Pupils so cold-blooded, they could produce frost.

But this was the Emperor’s side that his younger brothers were most familiar with. So much so that Tenon even smiled, seeming to welcome the sight.