The moment I heard that Duke Alois Gravius had called for me, I couldn’t help but mutter in surprise.
“That bastard?”
“…Your language is rather harsh.”
Before I could even think about it, the curse slipped out, and it left Ares stunned.
But honestly, I couldn’t help it.
Duke Alois was one of my most troublesome adversaries.
The Duke, one of the Empire’s most powerful figures, made her full entrance near the very end of the story.
Before that, she was either briefly mentioned or showed up in passing.
Though her arrival was late, it left a lasting impression.
‘To bring this disaster to my doorstep… Alios, have you truly lost your mind?!’
During the time Ceres was being dragged by Sibellius for biological experiments, Alios had barely managed to find her location, rescue her, and take her back home.
She kept it a secret, hiding her in the family estate so no one could take him away, but the real owner of the estate—the current Duke—couldn’t possibly remain ignorant, and she reacted with extreme agitation.
It wasn’t an entirely incomprehensible reaction.
By secretly bringing him back home, she risked angering the Emperor, Baiol, who had an unhealthy obsession with Ceres.
It made sense for her to be furious, but this was a bit much.
‘Thinking about what that woman has done to the country… I just want to kill her with my own hands!’
She even said, “I’ll kill Ceres!”
‘Get that bastard out of my house immediately!’
She even went as far as to call him a whore—something Ceres had never experienced before.
While Ceres stayed at her mansion, she continued to insult her, tormenting her and becoming responsible for the destruction and despair in the final arc.
But how could I possibly say anything nice? Even with Ares in front of me, my emotions wouldn’t calm.
“Why did that uncouth bastard call for me? Is she too arrogant to even show some manners, just because she’s a Duke?”
“…Ceres, it seems I’ve spoken too much ill of her in front of you.”
Ares wasn’t on good terms with the Duke either, but seeing my overreaction, she looked worn out.
“She wants to invite you to her estate, regarding Alios.”
Ares handed me a letter sent by the Duke.
Taking out all the noble flourishes, the contents of the letter were essentially this:
[You bastard. Are you blind to the most beautiful woman in the Empire? You even seduced my daughter and used her for your own gain? Because of you, my daughter has become your servant, and the Emperor is enraged. If you have any conscience, at least show your face! Come at once. If you don’t, you’ll regret being born!]
I didn’t interpret it badly out of spite.
“That damn woman should focus on managing her own daughter! How dare she send such a letter to my son?”
Even though Ares had already read the letter, when she showed it to me, I couldn’t contain my fury.
“Ceres, it’s been given to you, so I showed it, but you don’t have to follow it.”
Ares said, clearly irritated.
“No matter how powerful the Gravius family is, they can’t just summon you like this.”
“But they are more powerful than we are, aren’t they?”
“Not anymore.”
Ares pulled out his Black Pain from her right hand and exhaled mana over it.
“But doesn’t the justification lie with them? Alios caused trouble by following me around, and she’s made things difficult.”
Ares fell silent.
It was true that Alios had fought with Baiol in front of everyone because of me, and it caused trouble for the entire family, so the justification was clearly with Duke Alois.
“So, are you planning to accept the invitation?”
“I suppose so.”
If I refused, it would cause a scandal in social circles and damage my reputation.
“And… I’ve always wanted to meet the Duke.”
The person who tormented Ceres in the original—I’d like to meet her in person and give her a piece of my mind.
Plus, I’m no longer someone who can’t face him.
“Ceres, are you sure about going? It could be dangerous.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve got my new personal knights, after all.”
“…Ah.”
Ares looked shocked, as though he hadn’t thought of that.
A moment later, “Sir Ceres, you called for us?”
All of the Death Knights, who had been given orders, arrived in unison.
They were wearing the armor supplied to the knights of our territory instead of the usual Death Knight armor.
Though they were now my subordinates, I couldn’t reveal their true identities.
Thankfully, they all looked just like they did in life, so I passed them off as newly hired knights escorting me.
“Could you come with me for a moment?”
“Of course. Wherever Sir Ceres goes, even if it’s hell itself, I will accompany you.”
Niobe, speaking for the group, replied.
Since there were people watching, I had them call me by my name rather than my title of “Sovereign King,” and they adjusted well.
“But if it’s hell, knowing where it is beforehand will help us prepare better. If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask where we’re going?”
“The Gravius Duke’s estate.”
“The Gravius Duke’s estate?”
Niobe shot me a questioning look, as if asking why we were going there. I briefly explained:
His daughter liked me too much, and it caused some trouble, so the Duke invited me.
“Oh, I see. Well, Sir Ceres, you are indeed very beautiful.”
“Among royalty, there were many beautiful ones, but you stand out even among them.”
“It’s certainly a beautiful appearance, but if it causes such problems, then that’s troublesome.”
The Death Knights nodded in agreement, as though they understood why it would cause issues.
“Given my status, it would be fine to bring a dozen or so attendants. Prepare them; we’ll take them with us.”
“Understood.”
The Death Knights gathered their things, and I began preparing to leave, when :
“Mother, what are you doing?”
Ares had joined us, seemingly preparing to leave as well, which I found a bit surprising.
“I’m worried about you…”
“Are you really worried? I’ll be going with a Sword Master and a dozen Experts. What’s there to worry about?”
I reassured Ares, telling him to get in touch with the Duke’s estate.
Duke Alois Gravius was a woman who had everything.
A wealthy Duke of the Empire with exceptional personal abilities.
Even as she aged, her beauty, once praised in social circles, remained.
She lacked nothing—wealth, honor, and power were all in her grasp. Her only concern had been her heir, but that had been solved.
Alios Gravius.
Her only daughter had far surpassed her expectations.
A beautiful appearance, a brilliant mind.
Always polite, but with a sharp wit beneath the surface.
And beyond all that, by her mid-twenties, she had already reached the level of a Sword Master—a true prodigy.
A genius of such caliber was a source of immense pride for the Duke.
“Ceres, do you truly want to see what it’s like when a mother goes mad?!”
Had Alios not been infatuated with Ceres, she would have still been immensely proud.
‘Is this really my daughter?’
Alois, visiting Alios’s room, was struck dumb with disbelief.
The room was filled with Ceres’s belongings.
Dozens of outfits made to resemble Ceres’s own, hung neatly on racks.
There were dolls, obviously modeled after Ceres, piled up in heaps.
And to top it all off, a portrait of Ceres had been painted.
“No, this isn’t right! I can’t capture Ceres’s beauty with just this!”
Frustrated, she tore the painting apart and started another, repeating this process countless times.
‘How could she change so much?’
Alios had once been a modest woman, the true heir to the Duke’s family.
She had spent most of her time training herself, owning only the barest of necessities.
But after falling for Ceres, she had completely transformed.
‘She’s taking the family’s precious items and giving them away, and now look at her room!’
I still remember it clearly. When I told her not to come for a while because he had to rest,
Alios, like a shell of herself, suddenly began making dolls and drawing.
That was when I first realized she was talented in those areas.
She hadn’t even made the clothes herself, having them specially ordered.
She had gone to great lengths to make them as similar to Ceres’s as possible, spending a fortune.
Even though I told her to stop, she ignored me, and today she was doing it again.
“Alios, don’t you think you’ve drawn enough? He already looks beautiful to me.”
“No, it’s not enough! You don’t understand because you’ve never seen Ceres in person!”
Had Alios transitioned from being a Sword Master to an artist?
The Duke, shocked by her daughter’s fierce tone, gave up on stopping her today as well.
Just then, a servant entered.
“Lady Duke, we’ve received word from the Count’s family. They accepted the invitation and will be coming soon.”
“…Call for the guests.”
Alois whispered quietly, making sure her daughter wouldn’t hear, and then slipped away.
“Now, let’s begin the strategy meeting about that damn Ceres Hyperion.”
Secretly gathering the guests in a quiet place, Alois made his solemn declaration.