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Chapter 45
I took care of only the urgent matters and went to the knight order’s training grounds.
I had planned to watch the knights sparring, but the Grand Duke was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is the Grand Duke?”
“…In the armory.”
Sir Robard, the captain of the knights, forced a smile and pointed to a wooden building behind the training grounds.
“Why would the Grand Duke be in the knights’ armory?”
“Are you planning to meet His Grace?”
“Yes.”
“Not now… Could you perhaps meet him this evening?”
Sir Robard clasped his hands respectfully and pleaded earnestly.
“I don’t have time in the evening.”
“Your Grace, as you know, our knights keep their primary weapons in personal lockers. The armory only contains old stock or unused weapons.”
Why is he suddenly talking nonsense, and sweating like this while trying to justify it?
“Fine, just take me to the Grand Duke quickly.”
“…Right this way.”
Sir Robard bowed deeply and led me toward the armory.
The armory was crowded with knights. They were fidgeting nervously, peering inside through the windows.
Why are they acting like that?
I tiptoed and looked inside as well.
Inside, the Grand Duke was busy working alone.
He was aligning the weapon crates that had been haphazardly stacked, then taking a cloth from his back pocket to polish the spears in the stands. His movements were skillful and swift.
What is he doing alone? Sending all the other knights outside…
I walked past the knights and flung the door open. Surprised by my sudden appearance, they straightened up immediately.
“What is this, Grand Duke? Why are you cleaning the armory alone?”
Too curious to bother with pleasantries, I asked straight away.
“Oh, Your Grace. It wasn’t being maintained.”
He gave me a quick glance and answered nonchalantly, then returned entirely to polishing the weapons. The cloth was already stained with dark red rust.
Unlike my personal armory, the knights’ armory had been poorly maintained.
Ah, that explains why Sir Robard started with an excuse.
“Why are you cleaning it…?”
“It was part of my duties when I was a knight.”
“Sir, you’re not a knight anymore. I’m asking why you’re doing a job for junior knights. They’re all visibly nervous.”
I pointed at the knights outside the window.
They all had grim expressions, probably anticipating a scolding for being caught in the messy armory by the marquis and his wife.
“Were they watching me? I told them to leave because I wanted to be alone.”
He genuinely seemed unaware that the knights were peeking.
Sigh… he must be so focused.
I glanced over at the area he had organized. The crates were neatly aligned by size, and the weapons in the stands shone after being polished.
Just as the servants had described. Was he a worker ant in a previous life? If he had formally served in the military, he would have earned commendations and rapid promotions.
The Grand Duke set the weapons back on the shelves while glancing at the knights outside. Then he turned his head back to me.
“…I wanted to organize my thoughts a bit. When I organize things like this, it feels like my mind clears as well.”
He must have discovered this place while looking for somewhere to clean in the manor. His own room would already be spotless.
“What thoughts did you want to organize?”
“What I can do going forward. Things like that.”
“Oh, I’d just be in the way. I’ll go.”
Just as I was about to leave, he suddenly grabbed the end of my sleeve.
I turned back, surprised, and he immediately let go, startled as our eyes met.
He must have grabbed me instinctively without realizing it.
“It’s fine for you to stay.”
“Why? You said you wanted to be alone.”
“Even if I’m not alone… it’s fine.”
“Oh… You mean I should stay here? Watch you thinking?”
“…You may leave if you wish.”
After a pause, he spoke in a resigned tone, seemingly unable to find a reason to hold me back.
Now that I was here, I should probably ask about the pale pink ribbon Sir Julio mentioned earlier.
If he bought me a gift, I should ask for it right away rather than waiting.
“Grand Duke, don’t you have anything for me?”
“Huh?”
His face clearly showed he had never heard such a question before.
Strange. If he bought me a gift, he should have noticed immediately.
He seemed genuinely flustered, not trying to hide anything.
“Um… no.”
“Is there anything you want, Your Grace?”
He asked softly, as if I were making a request.
“Don’t worry about it. I was just saying.”
“If you want something, tell me. I’ll try to get it. I don’t know if I can give you something to your liking, though.”
Outside, the knights let out impressed sounds. To them, the Grand Duke’s words must have seemed very romantic.
To me, he looked businesslike as always, as if accommodating a client’s request.
“What are you still peeking for? Go handle your own business.”
I scolded the knights. I hadn’t realized they were still watching. They responded loudly, “Yes!” and scattered.
Apparently, the pale pink ribbon the Grand Duke bought wasn’t for me.
Ha, I was expecting something pointless.
Sebastian Julio. That mischievous old man. Why give me false hope?
…Secretly, I had hoped he had opened his heart to me even a little.
I can be childish sometimes. Approaching a younger man like him makes me cautious, so I wanted him to break down the wall first—a foolish desire.
“No, I don’t want anything.”
“Understood. Ah, I just remembered something I wanted to ask you.”
He ran to the corner of the armory as if recalling it.
He rummaged through the lowest shelf and brought a wooden box the size of an apple crate.
It didn’t seem to contain weapons.
“What is this, Grand Duke?”
“I want to ask you about it.”
He opened the lid and showed me. Inside were piles of copper-colored bullets.
“They look like bullets for rifles, but they’re too soft. Pressing with a finger leaves a mark. What are they for?”
“…Ah, these.”
They had been kept all this time. I had ordered them confiscated and stored in the armory.
“I asked the knights, but none of them knew. I thought maybe Your Grace would know, since you handle guns well.”
“These are firework bullets I confiscated from the knights five years ago. The order was overhauled two years ago when I got stabbed, so the current knights wouldn’t know.”
“Firework bullets?”
“They look like regular ammunition, but they’re not lethal. When fired into the night sky, they explode beautifully. The softness is because they’re not for attack.”
“Firework bullets… I’ve never heard of them.”
“Yes. They were developed by my family toward the end of the war, meant to sell non-lethal items using gunpowder technology.”
Actually, I had planned the firework bullets myself. Nothing explodes as violently and beautifully as Lasantium bombs… I thought, what if I removed all the cruelty but kept the beauty?
I confidently instructed the engineers to create gunpowder that decorated the night sky without harming anyone.
“…Ah.”
The Grand Duke’s violet eyes gleamed with interest as he held one up to inspect.
“Your curiosity should be satisfied now, right?”
“Yes. Can I try firing it at night?”
“No. You may not.”
I immediately cut off his question.
“…Understood.”
He stared at me silently for a moment and closed the box.
“….”
The memory of confiscating them flashed in my mind. My chest tightened, and I took a slow, deep breath.
It was all in the past. Nobody uses them anymore. Why does it feel so vivid?
“May I ask why you confiscated these?”
“…They weren’t allowed. At least not in this land of D’vorca.”
Five years ago. The day Levantea and D’vorca signed the armistice.
A victory day in our country, a day of defeat in D’vorca.
The firework bullets had just been developed and tested, then released to the market.
The streets of Blansk were more crowded than usual. Residents, garrison soldiers, and knights from the manor mingled and drank in groups.
The residents drank in relief that the war was over. The garrison cheered, celebrating returning to their families.
The manor knights… were excited to test the firework bullets distributed by my family.
As night fell, the knights loaded the bullets into rifles and fired them wildly into the sky.
Crackle! Crackle! Boom! Boom!
Colorful fireworks filled the night sky.
Darkness vanished, and the sky lit up like daytime.
Boom! Boom!
Small explosions continued everywhere.
…That’s when things went wrong.
The city of Blansk turned into chaos.
The residents, not knowing what firework bullets were, covered their ears and dropped to the ground. Screaming, some foamed at the mouth and collapsed. Others fell on top of them. The streets were filled with screams and groans. Many were injured.
Even the garrison soldiers panicked, hiding under tables and vomiting.
The festival scene quickly became a scene of hell.
In the flashing fireworks and explosions, people fell into mass panic.
It was pure chaos.
I, foolishly, had not anticipated this.
To the people of D’vorca… firework bullets were merely signal flares recreating a nightmare.
Flames of a demon that brought back the horrifying moment that stole their families and homes.
Even with reduced noise, it sounded like thunder to them.
Even the garrison soldiers didn’t enjoy the spectacle.
I had dug up their deepest wounds and sprinkled salt on them.
I had created something worse than trash.
I confiscated all the firework bullets on the spot and disciplined the knights who fired them.
I banned the sale of all firework bullets and retrieved any that had already been sold.
Ah… why does my left side still ache? Rain must be coming soon.
“Your Grace.”
“….”
“Your Grace?”
I had been so lost in the memory that I only now noticed him in front of me. His clear, serene face brought me fully back to reality.
“…Yes, Grand Duke.”
“You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”
Knock knock knock.
Someone knocked on the armory door.
Who could it be? Had Sir Robard come to apologize?
“It’s the steward. May I ask if His Grace the Grand Duke is here?”
“Come in.”
I answered for him.
The door opened, and the steward entered—an unexpected visitor.
“So the Marquis is also here.”
“…What is it you seek from me?”
The Grand Duke asked the steward.
“Guests for His Grace the Grand Duke have arrived.”
“Not for the Duchess… but for me?”
The Grand Duke repeated the steward’s words, seemingly incredulous that anyone would come for him.
“Yes, Your Grace. A couple from Fardon Island. Their names are Kirill and Polina. If they are indeed your guests, we’ll take them to the reception room.”
