Chapter 48
Abel recalled the man who, despite having met him only yesterday, had completely slipped from his mind. He remembered thinking the young man resembled the Duke, while at the same time being the complete opposite of Felix.
‘And he had a foul way of speaking.’
The moment Abel remembered that irritating manner of speech, a wave of displeasure welled up inside him.
It would have been better if the man had never come to see him in the first place. Then Abel could have forgotten him entirely.
Looking at the Duke with an impassive expression, Abel replied:
“I see. He certainly did have a rather abrasive way of speaking.”
Rather than offering polite reassurance, Abel openly pointed out what had displeased him.
The Duke gave a small nod.
“I tried to correct him, but things did not go as I had hoped. The fault lies entirely with me.”
“Is that so?”
He was probably expected to deny that out of courtesy, but Abel simply didn’t feel like it. After all, where else would someone pick up such a habit of speaking?
‘From the Duke, the Duchess… or the elders of the family.’
No one else would dare speak so crudely in front of the heir to the Spencer Duchy.
And even if someone had, that would still be the Duke’s responsibility for failing to keep his household in order.
Not only did Abel openly accept that the blame rested with the Duke, he went a step further.
“The Duchess was discourteous to me, and so was the young heir, in more ways than one…”
Abel deliberately let the sentence hang for a moment before adding with a faint smile,
“But for Felix’s sake, I’ll let the matter rest here.”
Had Abel’s meaning come across?
That his apology had been utterly meaningless, and that it was only because of Felix that Abel had chosen to let the matter go.
Yet the Duke’s expression remained much the same as before.
Neither excessively humble nor overbearing.
Simply composed.
He showed neither anger nor a smile.
Only the same quiet detachment.
Was he simply good at concealing his emotions?
Or, just as none of the clergy from the annex listening nearby seemed remotely surprised, had he expected Abel to respond this way?
Or perhaps, like Abel himself in the past, he was simply someone whose emotions rarely stirred.
The question that had occurred to Abel the moment he first saw the Duke returned once more.
Looking straight at him, Abel asked without hesitation:
“On whose orders did you come here to apologize to me?”
Meeting the Duke’s calm gaze, Abel continued:
“His Majesty the Emperor’s? Or His Eminence the Pope’s?”
Once again, however, the Duke showed no reaction. It wasn’t that he refused to answer.
“I came under no one’s orders.”
Once again, there wasn’t the slightest trace of emotion.
Was he like this back then as well? Abel searched his memory, but the only thing that came back to him was Felix taking hold of his hand.
Everything concerning the Duke remained a blank.
“Then why is it that I can’t feel any sincerity in your apology?”
“If that is how it came across, then I apologize.”
To an outside observer, it would have looked as though Abel was simply picking a fight over nothing.
But Abel himself had once been exactly like that, which was precisely why he understood better than anyone else.
The Duke was indifferent to those around him, just as Abel had been in the past. He did what needed to be done because it was his responsibility, but he invested none of his heart in it.
“I’m not sure what I should do to convey my sincerity.”
How could he convey something that wasn’t there to begin with?
Even so, Abel could no longer keep the Duke there. Felix was returning from the entrance to the garden.
“How about we meet one more time another day? Ah, though we won’t have another opportunity to meet during the prayer assembly.”
Even in response to Abel’s words, which some might have considered rather discourteous, the Duke showed little reaction.
Instead, as though it were only natural, he lowered his head.
“If you summon me whenever it is convenient for you, I will come.”
“Very well.”
With their business concluded, the Duke offered a simple farewell before walking away.
At the same time, Felix was making his way toward them.
Felix visibly faltered the moment he saw the Duke.
The Duke, meanwhile, failed to notice Felix at all, despite the two of them passing within only a few steps of each other.
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