Chapter 129

I had been curious for a while.

About Dante’s past, so tightly veiled and hidden away.

As far as I knew, Dante hadn’t been born a noble.

The surname “Veratis” was one he’d chosen for himself.

So how had he ended up becoming Lycian’s friend?

And how had he studied under the same master as the Second Prince?

This was the perfect chance to finally satisfy that curiosity, but—

‘No matter how I look at it, this plan does not seem okay…!’

This seat felt like a bed of nails.

The air was so thick with hostility it made my skin prickle….

Still, I set down the dish I had carefully prepared for this dinner in the center of the table.

Luminous’s eyes lit up with interest.

“Ohh, what sort of fish is this? It has quite the unusual shape!”

I took the seat beside Lycian and answered.

“There’s a lake in my subspace… I caught it there. It looks odd, but it’s perfectly edible.”

As for how it tasted… well….

“To think I would be granted the chance to taste a dish personally prepared by the Purifier! What extraordinary fortune! To live long enough to see a day like this…. Truly, longevity has its rewards! Hahaha!”

Luminous was truly like the sun.

Sparkling sunshine—no, more like blazing midday rays.

Even the most depressed soul would probably take one look at him and go, ‘Aaaagh!’ and be exorcised on the spot….

But Dante, seated diagonally across from him… was giving off a dark aura that no amount of radiance could dispel.

‘I-I think I’m going to get indigestion already….’

With trembling hands, I lifted my cup and took a sip of water.

My stomach churned even though it was empty.

“Well then, shall we eat? Our guests.”

Lycian spoke as if he were the master of the house.

He even went so far as to personally serve portions onto their plates.

At the excessive courtesy, one of Dante’s brows arched.

Naturally. Anyone could see Lycian was up to something.

“Lady Muriel.”

“H-hup, yes….”

At the sudden call, I stiffened and looked at Dante.

“I do not mean to cast doubt upon you, Lady Muriel, but this fish dish is safe, correct?”

“O-of course. It’s not like I would’ve put poison in it.”

Depending on how you interpreted it, this dish was more dangerous than poison….

But no one would die from eating it….

‘I’m sorry, Mr. Dante!’

I really had no choice.

All of this was part of Lycian’s design.

And the reason I agreed to go along with it… was because I lost a bet!

‘Muriel, you like how I looked at thirteen, don’t you.’

‘…!’

‘I knew it. You were definitely fonder of me when I was a kid.’

Well, of course I was….

The boy I met in the past had been prickly, sure—but ridiculously cute.

‘How on earth did he grow up into this shameless pervert lunatic instead?!’

If only he had grown up staying cute… ah, what a tragedy….

‘If you win the bet, Muriel, I’ll stay in my kid form for a whole day.’

‘Gasp, really?’

‘But if I win….’

Lycian shot a sideways glance at the fish in the bucket and smiled.

‘You follow my plan.’

And so, we made a bet.

The game… a board game!

With my luck stat increased, I had been brimming with confidence. I thought I’d obviously win.

But I lost.

‘Why…? Why…?!’

‘Muriel, you’re really bad at games.’

‘…!’

Come to think of it, Lycian’s luck stat was much higher than mine…!

How could I forget that?! Am I an idiot?!

‘Shall we play another round? If I win again this time, Muriel, you can turn into a hamster.’

‘…!’

Humans are foolish and repeat the same mistakes….

…Yes. I lost the second round too.

And so, through gritted teeth, I ended up participating in Lycian’s plan.

‘Sob… my only crime was losing at a board game.’

I speared a piece of trout butter-grilled with lemon sauce and brought it to my mouth.

The flesh melted on my tongue, the rich savor of butter blending perfectly with the bright tang of lemon sauce… it was exquisite….

‘Hngaaah.’

It’s started…!

That’s right. This was it. The effect of this grilled trout!

Lycian intended to make Dante and Luminous eat this—and get them to spill what was in their hearts!

‘They’ve been distant with each other for years.’

‘Why…? Did they have some huge fight?’

‘Something like that. All we have to do is set the stage for them to reconcile.’

Dante and Luminous each took a bite of the trout and swallowed.

Naturally, the same effect would have taken hold for them as well.

At this point, there was no salvaging the situation no matter what I did.

All I could do was offer them strong wine…!

‘Maybe then they’ll think it’s just the alcohol talking….’

Now… they would start voicing the things they’d kept buried in their hearts.

Lycian would guide the conversation that way.

“Please… have some wine as well…. Lycian says he stole it from His Majesty the Emperor’s wine cellar….”

At my words, Luminous raised his voice in surprise.

“What? Such a precious vintage? If His Majesty scolds you, I take no responsibility!”

Luminous happily savored the expensive wine.

Dante, too, seemed to crave the drink; he didn’t even bother appreciating the flavor and gulped it down.

After watching them quietly, Lycian opened his mouth, a sly smile curving his lips.

“Master, why not share some drunken truths with Dante?”

“What nonsense—”

“Hm, that’s an excellent idea!”

Dante tried to snap back irritably, but Luminous’s booming voice drowned him out.

Dante’s face drained of color. He looked like he wanted to flee at once.

“Master, I—”

“Let me ask you this, then. Dante, why did you refuse to become my successor?”

‘Successor?!’

My mouth fell open before I hurriedly shut it.

Successor? Then did that mean Dante had been Luminous’s heir?

‘Now that I think about it, Marian mentioned… that Luminous had an adopted son… who had run away from home….’

And that runaway adopted son was Dante?!

“I do not wish to live as a noble.”

“Tsk, tsk, foolish boy! The moment you were entered into my household as my adopted son, you became a noble already!”

At those words from Luminous, Dante suddenly shouted, his emotions surging.

“I want to carve out my own life! Without relying on your shadow, Master!”

“When did I ever tell you to rely on my shadow? I chose you as my successor because you possess the qualities worthy of it!”

“What qualifications could I possibly have? I’m a man who can’t even move on from his dead sister, who makes magic dolls that look exactly like her! You know that, don’t you? You know how pathetic I am…!”

“I have never—not once—thought of you as pathetic!”

Old, long-buried words came spilling out of them in a torrent.

Such was the terrifying effect of the rainbow trout I had cooked….

‘W-whoa…. What do I do…?’

…This has nothing to do with me.

Lycian, you take responsibility for this.

I diligently stuffed my portion of trout into my mouth.

“Even if you’ve never thought I was pathetic… you never truly saw me as your real son, did you? Deep down, you must have been comparing me to your late son….”

“That is utter nonsense! That child was that child, and you are you! I have never compared the two!”

“But compared to the real Luminous heir, I fall far short, don’t I? I know it too! I know I can never be your real son!”

“Who says you’re not real? You are my son as well!”

…I feel genuinely guilty right now.

Is it really okay for me to be listening to something this personal and sensitive?

In the end, I couldn’t bear it anymore and shot to my feet.

Bang!

“I’m sorry, everyone. I’ll be taking my leave. Please continue your conversation.”

The three men stared at me with wide, startled eyes. I pointed straight at Lycian.

“Lycian, you’re coming with me. I have something to say to you.”

I’d already had things I wanted to say to him piled up at the back of my throat.

Perhaps overwhelmed by my force, Lycian nodded blankly and stood.

The two of us stepped out of the kitchen—

“…!!”

I grabbed Lycian by the collar and yanked him down into a kiss.

“Ha. That feels better.”

Flustered, Lycian blinked rapidly, stiff as carved wood.

For someone who tried to steal kisses every chance he got, it was ridiculous how he short-circuited when I made the first move.

“Idiot.”

Keeping a firm grip on the idiot’s collar, I dragged him toward the bedroom.

Then I pushed him down onto the bed and said,

“I have to say this right now. If I don’t, I feel like I’ll suffocate.”

“W-what is it?”

“Haa….”

“Lycian, I like you.”

“…Huh?”

“I really, really like you. I love you.”

“…….”

I wrapped my arms tightly around Lycian, who had gone rigid as stone, and closed my eyes.

Maybe it was the wine, but drowsiness began to wash over me….