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Chapter 11
Tenus waited until the ointment on Selachia’s hands had fully dried before leisurely making his way to Aldritch’s office.
By then, enough time had passed that the tension and anger Selachia initially felt—about going to face the man who had framed her—had evaporated. Now, she was just wondering whether it was even appropriate to show up this late after being summoned.
“You’re here! Come in, I’ve been waiting,”
Aldritch stood up with excitement, his eagerness evident in his every gesture. His deeply wrinkled and gaunt face brightened visibly.
“You summoned us,”
Tenus greeted him with a nonchalant tone and took a seat without permission. After a brief hesitation, Selachia quickly sat beside him.
“I should’ve visited you sooner, but I’ve been unwell. I apologize for the delay.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about such trivial matters.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Aldritch, sitting across from them, cleared his throat at Selachia’s bright smile. When she noticed the feeble tremble in the fist he held to his lips, she suddenly felt oddly deflated.
This was the first time she’d sat face to face with Aldritch like this.
She had assumed he was like a venomous snake, but now that she truly looked at him, he seemed more like a pathetic little worm than any kind of threat.
“……”
Selachia’s head instinctively turned.
Tenus leaned back in his chair with a calm, imposing expression. You couldn’t judge a person’s guilt based on appearances, but if she had to pick, this man looked more like the culprit.
“I’d like to know what exactly happened during that time.”
Even before the servant who had brought the tea could shut the door, Aldritch spoke impatiently. His eyes flitted between Selachia and Tenus, as if trying to gauge the situation.
“Still, as the senior in this estate, don’t you think I deserve to know at least that much?”
Tenus said nothing and simply lifted his teacup. His attitude was detached and observant.
Selachia, who hadn’t expected anything from him, calmly spoke up.
“Well, there’s not much to say. When I woke up, I was in a hut near the sea. I didn’t remember anything. And honestly, not much has changed since then.”
“You mean… you don’t remember anything at all?”
“No. If the Duke hadn’t found me, I probably would never have come back.”
Selachia leaned affectionately against Tenus, like a doting lover. Though she could feel his eyes on her, she was too busy watching Aldritch’s reaction.
There was no response to her deliberate emphasis on the word “Duke.” That cast doubt on her theory that his scheming was driven by ambition for power.
“I don’t remember anything, but I’m still sorry for the worry I caused.”
“No, no, it’s alright.”
Waving his hand weakly, Aldritch got up slowly.
“I just missed the timing to take my medicine…”
Mumbling about things no one had asked, he trudged to his mahogany desk.
On the desk, neatly stacked documents gave an illusion of order, but the space still felt chaotic. That impression came from the random trinkets and medicine bottles clustered at the edge of the desk.
Selachia squinted, trying to identify them all.
The centerpiece was a mermaid statue carved from white marble—something common in coastal regions. But the rest—coral branches for warding off misfortune, horseshoes said to chase away spirits, golden ladybugs for luck, and gold turtle figurines symbolizing longevity—felt strangely excessive.
As if it were habit, Aldritch stroked the back of a golden ladybug and swallowed several pills without water. His lips trembled as he forced them down.
“Then… you don’t remember the will either?”
She was tempted to see what he’d do if she told him she knew it had been forged. Would he faint?
But before she could satisfy her mischievous curiosity, Aldritch muttered in a low voice,
“That wretched thing was already burned. It’s hard to get the full story from you now.”
She nearly bit her tongue in surprise. Selachia glanced up at Tenus. His face, calm and unaffected, didn’t match that of someone who had secretly stolen a forged will.
Was it a mistake not to tell her he had taken the will? Or was he just so confident it didn’t matter if he got caught? Judging by his composed manner, it was clearly the latter.
Selachia barely managed to keep her expression neutral.
“A will? What will are you talking about? Like I said, I don’t remember anything.”
“Yes, yes… what’s past is past. No good can come of dwelling on it.”
Perhaps the medicine had begun to work—Aldritch seemed calmer now as he returned to his seat. He stayed quiet for a while, and Selachia remained closely nestled next to Tenus.
After watching them for some time, Aldritch cautiously spoke in a probing tone.
“Ahem. You two seem very close.”
“Are you implying we didn’t seem that way before? That can’t be right…”
Selachia smiled shyly and nudged Tenus in the ribs with her elbow. A dull ache shot up her arm like she’d hit a rock.
Meanwhile, Tenus looked completely unfazed.
“Isn’t that right, Duke?”
She tried poking him in different spots, adjusting her angle, but the stony feel didn’t change. Still, she got something out of it—Tenus, who had remained a passive observer, finally spoke.
“Well, I suppose so.”
The hand that had been lazily draped over the armrest lifted toward his mouth. Selachia noticed the faint smile in his voice—he was clearly holding back laughter.
“You’re getting along well… that’s… that’s a good thing. Yes, very good.”
Aldritch nodded with a dark, uneven complexion, seemingly oblivious to the obvious fakeness in their smiles. Selachia, watching his confused expression, glared at Tenus behind his back.
Under her sharp gaze, Tenus slowly wiped the smile off his face and spoke again.
“Since we’re on the topic, I’d like to spend some quiet time with my wife for a while.”
“What?”
“…Excuse me?”
This time even Selachia, who had been playing along, dropped her pretense of composure.
Though both pairs of eyes were now fixed on him, Tenus remained completely unfazed.
“I mean I’ll be stepping away from work for a few days.”
“That’s going to be difficult, Tenus. Your recent absences have already caused delays.”
“I’ve already handled all urgent matters.”
“Well, yes, but… you know as well as I do—there’s no end to the duties of a duchy.”
For some reason, Aldritch sounded almost desperate.
So Tenus’s influence was exactly what she suspected. If even the acting Duke was this dependent on him, then it was safe to say Tenus held the real power in the duchy.
“I won’t be gone long. I’ll check in during the morning—or afternoon, whichever is more convenient.”
“……”
“This is your territory, Tenus. You know that, right?”
Tenus, who had been listening indifferently, twisted his lips into a cold smile. His voice, sharper than winter seas, slid from between his smiling lips.
“No need to remind me. I’ve never once forgotten that obvious fact. When have I ever betrayed Seiden?”
“O-of course you haven’t. That’s not what I meant…”
Aldritch took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead. Watching him look so pitiful, Tenus relented slightly.
“I’ll try to make time in the morning.”
“Y-yes, that’s plenty. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Then, Tenus suddenly wrapped his arm around Selachia’s shoulder.
“I can’t just sit back and let flies swarm over what belongs to Seiden, can I?”
The strangely timed gesture and the weighty words accompanying it—there was no mistaking the implication.
It was a warning.
