The conversation with Duke Espelt ended more peacefully than expected.
At the end, after hearing my answer, he stared blankly for a while before bursting into hearty laughter, which left me feeling uneasy, but at least his reaction wasn’t bad.
After finishing our greetings and leaving the room, I was heading toward the carriage where Sylvia was waiting when I ran into someone.
It was none other than Vermilion Drake.
“I never expected you to come to see me off.”
“Don’t say things that are unpleasant to hear. I only came to deliver something.”
“Deliver something?”
That night, when we had a secret conversation, he had been growling at me the whole time and speaking informally, but now, at some point, he had returned to using polite speech.
Tilting my head at his words, he pulled something out from his coat and floated it toward me using magic.
It was an object that looked like a crystal orb, and the moment I saw it, I instinctively knew what it was used for.
“A communication device, I see.”
“Yes. It seems that witch is uncomfortable with you associating with me, so I thought of a solution.”
So, it was indeed a crystal orb for communication.
I had to give him credit for obtaining one on his own, but an irksome word mixed into his speech made me instinctively growl and release my magical energy.
“Watch your mouth before I tear that tongue of yours out.”
“…I apologize.”
Leaving behind the quickly cowering figure, I crossed the hallway and continued walking.
Just then, Vermilion Drake’s voice called out from behind me.
“How should we decide when to meet?”
“I’ll contact you later. You’d better not try anything foolish.”
“I had no intention of doing so anyway. You and I are in the same boat now.”
Right, that was true.
It wasn’t as if he had submitted to me purely out of fear of my power or because I had caught him in a weak spot.
It was simply that, due to our contract, my existence benefited him as well.
He was the kind of man who would do anything for his ambition.
In other words, if it served his ambition, he would even abandon his own family and the organization he belonged to.
As long as he judged that I was more beneficial to him, he would pledge his unwavering loyalty.
That was the reason I chose Vermilion Drake as my chess piece.
“Good, then once you return to the estate, proceed with what I asked you to do.”
“Understood.”
After delivering my instructions and passing by the bowing Vermilion Drake, I exited the castle.
Passing by the splendidly blooming flowers and the fountain, I eventually saw the entrance of the castle in the distance.
“Lord Lyard! Over here!”
“……”
At the same time, Sylvia came into view, waving her hand vigorously at me.
She could have just waited comfortably inside the carriage, but she really did live in a way that made things exhausting for herself.
Yet, even such small considerations warmed my heart, and before I knew it, I was smiling as I slowly approached her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Eleanor. The conversation with Duke Espelt took longer than expected.”
“Don’t worry about it. More importantly, did the discussion go well? I was worried that something might have happened.”
“Yes, nothing major. He just asked me to pass on his regards to my father, and we had a light conversation.”
“…Is that so?”
Though I lied smoothly without hesitation, Sylvia continued to gaze at me with a suspicious expression.
Her sharp gaze made me feel oddly pressured, so I ushered her into the carriage first and then followed, sitting across from her.
Even after that, Sylvia kept watching me with a peculiar expression.
Just as I tried to maintain my composure and shift my gaze to the scenery outside the window—
Thud.
“…Lady?”
Suddenly, I felt the carriage tilt slightly, and before I knew it, my vision was filled with her face.
Sylvia, who had been sitting across from me, had moved to sit beside me.
There was plenty of space, so why did she have to sit here?
“Hmph, this is your punishment. Because Lord Lyard lied to me.”
“Lied? About what?”
“About your conversation with Duke Espelt. Of course, you don’t have to tell me everything, but it was obvious that you were deliberately hiding something.”
…She figured that out? How impressive.
I started wondering if those mysterious eyes of hers had a special ability to distinguish between truth and lies.
I had confidence in my acting, but it seemed useless in front of her.
“It was just a trivial matter, not worth mentioning.”
“If it’s that trivial, then you could just tell me, couldn’t you? Honestly.”
“…….”
No matter how I responded, she always had a counterargument.
Of all the people I had met, she was by far the most skilled at verbal sparring.
The problem was that she only used that sharp wit when arguing with me.
“Anyway, I’ll be sitting like this for the rest of the trip. You have no objections, right, Lord Lyard?”
“…Alright. If this can atone for my ‘crime.'”
The fragrant scent of freesia drifting from beside me was making my head dizzy, but I nodded, doing my best not to show it.
If this would lighten Sylvia’s mood, I had no choice but to accept it.
Rumble.
As the sound of hooves echoed, the carriage began moving slowly, and by the time we passed the mountain ridge on our way back to the king’s nest—
“Lord Lyard, are you alright? You look very tired.”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
For some reason, sleepiness was washing over me, and my eyes kept closing.
Well, yesterday, I stayed up all night in my room planning for the future, and I only managed to fall asleep when dawn was breaking.
So, of course, I’m exhausted.
If I were alone, I would have just collapsed sideways and tried to sleep.
But I couldn’t just fall asleep comfortably while leaving Sylvia by herself, so I tried my best to stay awake.
Besides, since Sylvia was sitting next to me, I couldn’t lie down on the seat, making it even harder to sleep.
“Ugh…”
But trying to endure it isn’t working.
My eyes keep closing, and my body keeps tilting forward.
Is there no magic that can overcome drowsiness?
Maybe I should try developing one when I return home.
As I was seriously contemplating this, I suddenly heard Sylvia’s voice.
“Lord Lyard, if you’re really tired, would you like to lie down and get some rest?”
“…Would that be alright?”
Normally, I would have forced myself to refuse and say I was fine.
But my drowsiness was so overwhelming that her suggestion was tempting.
She must mean that she’ll move aside so I can lie down and sleep properly.
Of course, since the carriage was shaking, lying down wouldn’t make for a comfortable sleep either.
But it would be better than sitting and dozing off.
Honestly, I had expected Sylvia to stubbornly keep her seat next to me out of spite.
But instead, she seemed more concerned about how exhausted I was.
I felt a quiet warmth at her consideration.
“Of course. Hurry and lie down. Sleep.”
“…Excuse me?”
I snapped out of my drowsiness when I saw Sylvia patting her thigh, offering it as a pillow.
What did she just say?
Did I misinterpret her actions?
So, instead of moving aside so I could lie down, she meant for me to rest my head on her lap?
She wants me to put my head there?
“Lady, if you just move aside, I can…”
“No. I told you earlier, didn’t I? I’m going to sit here until we arrive.”
She shook her head firmly, leaving me at a loss for words.
I had assumed she was canceling her earlier words out of consideration for me.
But instead, she stuck to her decision while also taking care of me, trying to achieve both.
The problem is, I don’t think I could sleep at all with my head resting there.
“Besides, resting your head on a shaky carriage seat would be uncomfortable. No need to decline, just lie down.”
“Ah, no. I just woke up, actually. So, thank you, but I don’t think I need…”
“Ugh, seriously!”
Grab.
Just as I was trying to step back from her persistent offer—
I suddenly felt something firmly grab my head, pulling me sideways.
Before I knew it, a soft and warm sensation settled beneath my head.
…I never expected her to just grab my head and force me down like this.
“See? This is much more comfortable for both of us.”
Sylvia muttered as she gently stroked my hair, as if complaining.
Even when I was a child, I had never indulged like this with my mother.
This was beyond embarrassing.
I could feel my face heating up.
“…Lady, isn’t this uncomfortable for you?”
“It’s fine. Watching you doze off with an anxious expression is far worse.”
So, she means her body is uncomfortable, but her heart is at ease.
I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud.
If I did, she’d scold me immediately.
I don’t think I even chose my words this carefully in front of Duke Espelt.
“…Ugh.”
Just a moment ago, I was sure that resting on her lap would make me too tense to sleep.
But now that I was lying here, it was too comfortable.
The thin fabric let her body warmth pass through, and the stronger scent of freesia tickled my nose.
The dizziness only made it harder to resist sleep.
Perhaps noticing my struggle, Sylvia reached out and gently pushed my hair aside before speaking in a kind voice.
“If you’re tired, just sleep. That’s why I offered.”
Then, a soft melody followed.
I had already closed my eyes, so I couldn’t see where it was coming from.
But the clear, songbird-like voice was unmistakably Sylvia’s.
A thought flashed through my mind.
Back on the terrace, she had jokingly mentioned singing a lullaby.
I never imagined that I would actually fall asleep listening to Sylvia’s lullaby.
“Goodnight, Kyle.”
Her quiet voice came after the song ended, but I couldn’t quite make out the words.