Chapter 176
“Cirilla……?”
“Yes.”
With a resolute expression, he rose from his seat. Instinctively, I tensed.
In my mind, I’d treated Cirilla well—but that was just my perspective. He might see things differently.
However—
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
His next words were as unexpected as his visit. Stepping away from the table, he bowed deeply. Stunned, I could only part my lips slightly.
“I heard you helped secure Cirilla’s protection. I should have come sooner to express my gratitude. You are our benefactor.”
“I wouldn’t say it was my doing…… It was bound to come out eventually.”
“But you hastened that moment. It might never have happened otherwise.”
Well, when he put it that way……. Still, I felt awkward. As I scrambled for a response, he continued.
“In the past, I committed an unforgivable sin against you. Yet you’ve shown me boundless grace.”
He still hadn’t raised his head. Watching him, I grew increasingly perplexed. I understood his gratitude for helping Cirilla—
‘But a sin?
Unless it was Morris Futurum, I couldn’t think of anything he had done to me.
“I have little to offer but my word, but I will never forget this debt.”
Before leaving, he handed me an antique-looking pocket watch as a token of his pledge.
A keepsake from his late father, he said.
‘I appreciate the sentiment, but this is a bit heavy…’
Giving a deceased parent’s memento as a pledge?
After examining the watch, I handed it to a maid for safekeeping, emphasizing its importance.
The mention of Cirilla reminded me of the gift she’d given me yesterday.
‘I stored it in my inventory to avoid losing it, then forgot.’
I rarely used this feature, but it was convenient for carrying items without bags. Opening my inventory, the small box Cirilla had given me materialized in midair.
Untying the ribbon, I found a bookmark and a letter inside.
The pressed-flower bookmark was lovely, but the letter caught my attention more. The handwriting was earnest yet clumsy, with an awkward birthday greeting that warmed my heart.
‘Did she choose a bookmark because I read often?’
It seemed handmade. Imagining Cirilla carefully preparing it with her small hands made me smile.
‘Adorable.’
After storing the letter and bookmark safely in my desk, I prepared to meet Killis.
* * *
“Duke Equus visited you?”
This was Killis’s first question after greeting me. Since Equus Cecil had left before Killis arrived—and I hadn’t mentioned it—I was surprised.
“How did you know?”
“I believe I saw him on my way here, so I asked.”
A mundane answer. Their paths must have crossed.
“May I ask why he came?”
“It seemed to be about Cirilla. He thanked me for helping her.”
“Given that he sought you out privately rather than at a public gathering, he’s still being cautious.”
Now that Killis mentioned it, that made sense. He could’ve thanked me at the banquet yesterday.
“Is he wary of Morris Futurum?”
“Most likely. Even though Her Majesty Evgenia sanctioned the Futurum family, they can’t be ignored. They even helped Duke Equus become State Secretary.”
“The Futurum family supported him?”
“Yes.”
So that was why Equus Cecil had been powerless against Morris? But then, what was the point of his earlier words to me?
“Then why did he give me……?”
“What did Duke Equus give you?”
“Ah, he left a pocket watch as a token of his pledge to assist me. His father’s heirloom, he said. And…… he made a cryptic remark.”
“……?”
“He mentioned having sinned against me. Do you know anything about that?”
“I have some idea…….”
He does?
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