“I must insist that I return home. It is getting late and I’m sure my family is getting worried.” Elric spoke. It pained him to even think about going home to where Flania was, but staying here was even more dangerous.

Crestfallen, Hughesin looked away from Fantasia. How was he to respond to this? Luckily, his mother decided to answer for him.

“Now, how could we allow that? I shudder to think if Master Kebrilio were to misunderstand the situation if you return in your current state. My my, the trouble that would befall the both of us. Given our positions in the court, a misunderstanding would be simply troublesome. Might I suggest you recuperate tonight at this manor rather than needing to worry about that? Allow us this much as a sign of our sincerity.” 

The duchess was already ordering several servants to tidy up the place. She had plenty of experience dealing with people, but she had yet to fully grasp Fantasia’s personality. She, at the very least, knew that the girl was very naive considering how easily she was tricked into coming home with Hughesin. A weakness that duchess Saludy was more than ready to capitalize on by not giving Fantasia any time to consider the situation and confuse her.

“Quickly now,” she snapped a finger at a nearby servant. “Prepare our best room upstairs. The left-most room in the east wing. And hurry up and tidy up all the irrelevant things.” Saludy ordered.

Hughesin was quite confused, what was his mother getting at by having Fantasia situated in his own personal bedroom? Did she want him to smooth things over with Fantasia so soon? But wasn’t that hasty? What if he failed? Fantasia didn’t seem like she was in a state to be smoothing things over. That didn’t mean to say he was doubting his mother’s people skills, but he was still left with a few questions he couldn’t ask. Not in front of Fantasia.

Saludy was the one to personally guide Fantasia to her bedroom and returned to the hall with a smile on her face. In the hall, multiple servants were scrambling about trying to push all the furnishings back to their original places, leaving a suspicious Hughesin to approach her.

“Mother…what exactly are you planning…?” He pressed.

“Oho, so you haven’t figured it out yet? Your sweetheart will sleep nice and sound in your bedroom tonight and tomorrow morning while you will go to Kebrilio’s residence. Inform him that his niece is safe and sound and wish him well. Meanwhile, I will invite the ladies of the court and just so coincidentally let them see your sweetheart sleeping in your bed. I wonder what they would think?” The duchess smiled, tapping a finger to her chin.

Hughesin stood there, dumbfounded by his mother’s plan. He had never 

seen

 her act so knowledgeable before—what a blessing it was to have her as his mother. Truly his appreciation for his mother now was as great as his disdain for her before.

“I will be retiring for the night, my child. Let us continue this tomorrow when I am more well-rested. Good night, my son.” She stood up to leave for her own room.

“Ah,” she paused and turned back one last time. “In the meanwhile, you should find a spare bedroom to sleep in. And keep in mind she is not the same lady you brought into your home. If you don’t mind yourself you will find that the taste will be more than you can handle.”

And with that last warning, the duchess left for her room without at all showing her fatigue from the entire ordeal.

　　※※※

Stuck in a completely unfamiliar environment, Elric anxiously paced around the room. Something wasn’t right with his current situation, but he had no idea what exactly was making him so nervous.

He looked around the room, studying the walls for anything that might interest him. One wall had a display cabinet with all sorts of rare and strange antiques inside, most of which being multiple flutes made from all sorts of different materials. The most eye-catching object was a bugle made from the hollowed out fang of a giant dragon.

Multiple paintings were stacked up on top of one another in the left of the cabinet. Curious, Elric took one out to see what was drawn on it. The painting, at a glance, seemed like quite the admirable work. There was emotion put into this painting, though Elric wasn’t quite sure what the painting was trying to express. Thumbing through the other paintings, Elric began to see a noticeable increase in the quality. Each painting was becoming more and more refined than the last. 

But at the same time, each painting was becoming less and less unique, especially the more recent ones. They were all human portraits. Some of them had depth to them, but eventually the portraits became more superficial and eventually uninspired. The last few portraits were essentially erotic artworks depicting women. 

Disappointed, Elric put the stack back into the cabinet. He fell back onto the bed, tired and bored, but quite comfortable. Soft and comfortable—the bed was exactly what Elric needed for his tired bones. Draping his robes around him like a blanket, he laid there in the middle of the bed, trying his best not to fall asleep. It was far too dangerous to fall asleep in a potentially-hostile environment, but Elric couldn’t help it. The allure of sleep was just far too strong for him to ignore. Eventually, Elric drifted away to dreamland.

　　※※※

Elric flew awake to the crowing of the morning rooster. His first instinct was to sit himself upright, but the holy magic had yet to wear off and so he was still lacking the strength.

The very first thing he 

did

 manage to do was check his face and see if anyone went through his person. He found nothing out of place other than the blood-dyed fabric of his dress, much to his exasperation. What would he do if Hughesin or his mother sent for some maids and a replacement dress for him? Now that was a huge issue. He couldn’t let anyone dress him, and neither could he even dress himself! What was he going to do if such a problem like that came up?

He wasn’t the only one stuck in such a quandary so early in the morning. The other was currently anxiously pacing back and forth in front of a large gate; duke Hughesin. 

Sleep didn’t come for him at all last night. Left alone to his own devices, Hughesin did nothing but sit with his heated blanket around him. When day broke, he flipped the blanket off him and immediately sent for the coachman to prepare a coach for Kebrilio’s residence. The poor driver was barely able to prevent the coach from driving into the gutters several times on the way.

The gates to his manor was closed when Hughesin’s coach arrived. There wasn’t even a single light lit up anywhere.

Just pacing back and forth in front of the gates made Hughesin’s anxiety even worse.

A sleepy-eyed gatekeeper eventually showed up at the entrance and allowed Hughesin to hastily make his way in. The duke originally planned on having the gatekeeper report and announce his arrival, that way would be more proper and calm of him, but the man was hardly even awake. 

He grabbed hold of the gatekeeper. If the man wasn’t awake just yet, then he’d make him. Shaking the man furiously, he waited until the man was wide-eyed and awake.

“Send word to master Kebrilio that duke Hughesin is here to see him.”

Flustered, the gatekeeper went inside to call for the head butler. The latter had also been asleep and was nonplussed to be awoken so suddenly by the gatekeeper, but he didn’t question the man when he saw the confused look on his co-worker’s face. What he did question, however, was the reason why Hughesin, their master’s political opponent, was here so early in the morning for a visit.

The butler strode for his window. Opening it, he was greeted by the dull skyline and a layer of morning fog that obscured parts of the streets from view. The fog, however, was not so thick that the butler couldn’t see the gold-haired duke pacing beyond the gates.

Quickly, the butler dressed himself and headed out to receive the duke into the lounge while he went to personally wake up his master.