Chapter 21
As I turned back and tried to leave, covering my mouth with a handkerchief, I caught hold of her wrist.
Adonis widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden touch, looking at me with a startled gaze, to which I responded with a soft smile.
“Could you please guide me to where Barach is in the alchemy department?”
Adonis didn’t seem to mind the request.
“Why did you ask me to guide you?”
She asked as we walked together down the imperial corridor, our footsteps in sync.
I glanced at her bewildered expression.
It wasn’t an unreasonable request, was it? But then again, I couldn’t exactly admit that I didn’t quite remember the way to the alchemy department.
Adonis, who usually walked faster than most noblewomen, had deliberately slowed her pace to match mine.
“Did my request put you in an awkward position?”
“No, not at all.”
Adonis scratched the back of her neck with an embarrassed expression. The talented knight seemed somewhat uncomfortable being alone with me.
I wondered why she looked that way when, unlike with Barach, there wasn’t any bad blood between us.
“I didn’t expect you to help me in that situation.”
“Anyone who saw what happened would have helped.”
“What I meant was…”
She took a short breath.
“Do you not find me uncomfortable?”
Me? Or April, rather?
…Why? I swallowed the question, ‘Do you mean me?’ that almost slipped out.
I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth had happened during the three years I wasn’t here.
The worry gnawed at me—had April destroyed the reputation I had worked so hard to build over the years?
It wasn’t an irrational concern, considering that even after the duchess’s daughter had returned home after a tragic accident, she hadn’t received a single letter of concern.
If she tarnished her reputation herself, it wasn’t my place to intervene.
“Have you spoken much with His Highness?”
I bit the inside of my cheek at the sudden change of subject.
Did Adonis know that Persephone was asking for a dissolution of the engagement from the duchess?
After brief consideration, I decided the answer was ‘no.’
Even though Adonis was a knight of the imperial guard, we weren’t close enough to discuss such matters.
It was safe to assume that only Lerbain was aware of it.
There was no point in talking to the mad emperor, and I had already severed ties with Rosian, so there was even less reason to mention it.
“I have something I’d like to ask you, Sir Adonis.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Is there a lady His Highness is particularly fond of?”
“……”
Adonis paused for a moment and looked at me with those fresh, clear green eyes.
Had I asked something I shouldn’t have? But Adonis was probably the person closest to Persephone after Lerbain.
“There isn’t.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And even if there were, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”
“That makes sense.”
She says there isn’t, so I suppose she’s subtly confirming that Persephone is the betrothed.
If there were another, Adonis would have surely kept it a secret. Her denial could be a polite way of appeasing a future duchess.
“Here we are.”
“Thank you, Sir Adonis.”
“…Yes.”
Still looking perplexed, Adonis bowed slightly and quietly turned to leave.
I watched her retreating figure before turning toward the alchemy department.
I noticed people nudging each other to enter first.
“If you’re not going in, could you please step aside?”
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry… Lady April!”
“Lady April, it’s true that you’ve returned!”
Their faces, pale with fear, brightened the moment they saw me.
They had looked as though they were on the verge of tears just moments ago, but now they gazed at me as if I were their savior.
What on earth is going on?
“The goddess of the alchemy department!”
“Our savior! You truly appeared at the perfect time, you are indeed our savior!”
Goddess? Savior?
The members of the alchemy department, who were spouting such embarrassing titles, wiped their tears with the back of their hands.
They were even shedding tears, albeit exaggerated, making me feel rather uncomfortable.
I had come to see Barach, but these strange members were blocking my way, preventing me from entering.
“I came to see my brother. If we’re done here, may I go in?”
“Lady April! Please, please! Come in with us!”
“What…”
“Our deputy head is in an extremely bad mood today. If we go in now, we’ll be…!”
The two people, who had turned pale again, reached out and grabbed my hand.
It was quite rude for mere research staff of the alchemy department to grab the hand of the duchess’s daughter, but I couldn’t bring myself to harshly reprimand them as they looked at me as if I were their last hope.
“We’re going to get scolded badly.”
“And today is my wedding anniversary. I promised I’d leave work on time.”
Please, please!
Their desperate pleas made me chuckle.
They’re acting this way because of Barach.
Indeed, it was likely that Barach, a model of arrogance and a wild horse, wouldn’t have left his subordinates alone.
They clung to me because he had shown a gentler side when he was with Lady April.
Unfortunately for them, they had picked the wrong person.
If I were the real April, Barach might have been kinder, but walking in with me now was like walking into the lion’s den.
“Are you sure you won’t regret coming in with me?”
“We won’t! Not with you here, Lady April!”
You’ll regret it…
Seeing their confident faces, I nodded in agreement.
Since they assured me they wouldn’t regret it, I assumed they would handle the consequences themselves.
After the two stepped aside, I lightly knocked on the door and pushed it open.
“What is it?”
A sharp voice, like that of someone ready to kill, snapped at me, probably because of what happened last night.
“It’s me, brother.”
As soon as the door opened, I saw Barach, buried in work at his desk.
The moment he saw me, he scowled, and I stepped inside with a mischievous smile.
“Since I’m here in the palace, I thought I’d drop by to see your face.”
I walked in briskly and positioned myself in front of him, blocking the others from seeing his face.
“Wouldn’t it be better to smile before people start to wonder?”
“You.”
“What if someone suspects that I’m not the real April?”
His eyes narrowed into a triangle as I straightened up with a playful grin.
“May I stay for a while?”
His grip on the quill tightened as if it might snap in his hand, and he glanced at the people behind me before answering.
“…Do as you please.”
It was clear he wanted to say no, but he restrained himself.
“Deputy head, here are the documents you requested.”
His direct subordinate approached with the paperwork for approval.
Barach, with an unusually serious expression, flipped through the pages.
It was fascinating to see his sunset-colored eyes, so different from April’s or Lian’s, staring intently at the documents.
The Barach I knew was someone far removed from anything like diligence, work, or study.
“So this is all you found?”
“Since bio-implantation is related to black magic, it requires the temple’s permission to access, so the relevant materials are classified…”
“No excuses.”
In other words, he didn’t find it.
Barach had a knack not only for alchemy and magic but also for driving people to the brink of despair.
I watched with a sympathetic expression as the subordinate cast pleading glances at me, but I chose not to intervene.
“This is all?”
“…Yes.”
Barach chuckled darkly, flipping the few sheets of paper dismissively.
“Find all the documents I requested and bring them to me.”
“But to access the temple…”
“Figure out how to get the necessary permissions from the temple.”
“I, I made a prior arrangement with my wife… I promised I’d leave on time…”
Even though he mustered the courage to speak up, that wasn’t going to work with Barach.
Barach was the type of person who only thought of himself. Even if you told him you had an appointment with your wife, he’d simply say, “So what?”
With no trace of human decency, I finally stepped in.
“Since it seems he has other plans today, how about letting him go, brother?”
Savior…!
The subordinate’s eyes sparkled as if I were a ray of light.
Barach glared at me, displeased with my interference, but I smiled back sweetly.
No matter how much he disliked it, he couldn’t very well lash out at me.
Barach closed his eyes for a moment and then turned to his subordinate.
“You may go.”
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