After all that, those two arrived. They sent the girl back to the dorm, then brought me to the marquess’s capital residence. They took me to a windowless room, one far from the entrance. This didn’t strike me as a place normally used for guests. It was a stark room with nothing more than a table and a few chairs. There was no decor to speak of, no cushions, no amenities, not so much as a painting adorning the walls.
They put me in one seat and the woman sat across from me. The lord stood behind her.
“Now, let’s have a nice chat.”
What could we possibly have to chat about? I had always hated this woman. She was stronger than the men and excelled at magic. This led to my parents always scolding me, telling me I was pathetic for losing to a girl. Ever since, strong women have made me uncomfortable. A woman should be protected by a man, just like my dearest Maesoya was.
“I sent you a letter meant to put an end to this. Did that slip your mind?” Viltheoshila brazenly crossed her legs right in front of me. “It seems your memory hasn’t gotten any better.”
“Ugh...”
I wanted to say something back, but I didn’t think she’d let me finish a sentence. That’s the sort of person she was.
“Allow me to repeat myself. You cannot interfere with Lera’s life. You don’t have to act like her father; just keep to yourself. Do you understand me?”
Why did I have to hear that from someone from a different house?!
“Th-That girl is from House Duval!”
“Excuse me?”
“Eek!”
Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.
This woman once killed a large bear herself! She was no woman!
“Let me make this clear,” she said, glaring at me. “The last time you acted like Lera’s father, she was three years old. His Majesty has been made aware of this.”
“Wh-What?!”
Wait. Why was the king being brought up here? Even the royal family had little authority over the affairs of noble houses, especially a house as old as the kingdom like Duval. I’ll admit our reputation was on the decline, but that didn’t change the fact that we had a long history. Yet this woman before me wasn’t showing the slightest shred of respect.
“Where do you get this arrogance when you’re the one who cast her aside? Perhaps I should make it public that you threw her away?”
“W-Wait! If you do that, what will happen to my daughter?!”
My precious, precious daughter. Compared to the girl from that woman I had to marry, she means so much more...
“Just for clarity’s sake: By your daughter, you’re referring to Darnir, right? The daughter of your mistress.”
“Of course! She’s the only daughter I have!”
I didn’t care about the girl from that political marriage! I forgot myself for a moment there, until I noticed Viltheoshila’s vicious glare.
Wh-What? Are you going to kill me? Even someone from your house wouldn’t be able to get away with that.
Yet all she did was sigh.
“Honestly. Are you aware of your contradictions? Also, you ought to do a better job keeping an eye on your mistress. Letting her do as she pleases is how we ended up here.”
What? What are you talking about?
I watched in confusion as she placed a bundle of documents and a thin glass slab on the table.
“What’s this?”
“Read carefully. This should inform you of the real nature of your lover and where her money is flowing.”
What? I grabbed a few documents from the top of the pile and looked over them. What? What is that? Then, my daughter...
“Th-These must be fake!”
“They’re the truth. The mistress you feel you must cherish and protect has another man she’s dedicated to. Now, we caught the face of this man, as well as a scene of him enjoying time with your lover. Take a look.”
With trembling hands, I lifted the glass slab. As instructed, I pressed the circular part on the bottom. It showed a man a bit younger than myself.
“Slide your finger over the slab and look closely. Indeed. That will show you the next view.”
Image after image, the slab showed Maesoya cozying up to the man as they entered the house I had bought for her. It showed them embracing. It showed them exchanging a kiss.
The slab was trembling. No, my hands were trembling.
“Look carefully at the man’s face. Wouldn’t you say it resembles someone?”
“Someone. That someone...”
I couldn’t tell. No. I could, but I didn’t want to. This couldn’t be real.
“Look around his eyes. Does he not resemble Darnir in that aspect?”
She’s lying. This can’t be happening. It shouldn’t be happening.
“The eye color in particular. It’s an exact match, don’t you think?”
His eyes were the same aquamarine as Darnir’s. I never knew where the color came from. Apparently it came from this man. That reminded me of how Maesoya would often say what pretty eyes Darnir had. What a nice shade of blue they were.
“Did you know there are ways to use mana quality to confirm a person’s lineage?”
“Are you going to...”
“I have little concern for what happens to you, your mistress, or that daughter of yours, but I cannot sit back and let the funds of House Duval be siphoned off to this man via your lover.”
“This man...”
The eyes on the slab looked so much like Darnir’s. The documents said he was the son of a knight, and his older brother would be inheriting the title. His name was Philos Talt. He was unemployed.
“Wake up to reality. This woman you want to protect cares only for your cash.”
Giving your money to that man is pretty ruthless, said a voice inside my head. So I really had been betrayed by Maesoya?
“Why? What for?”
“Didn’t I already say it? For money.”
“For money...”
“You could’ve been a bit more objective in your judgment once money got involved. You were too infatuated with her. I thought I should make you face reality.”
Reality. How could that be something so terrible?
“We’ll take care of your lover. I can all too easily see her stringing you along if we left that task to you. In addition, we’ve arranged to take care of you until this autumn. By tomorrow, you’ll be living a quiet life in our domain. Is that fine with you?”
Honestly, I was barely processing her words at this point. Maesoya, my beloved Maesoya, had betrayed me. No, that wasn’t right. From the very beginning, I was nothing but an open purse to her. I had simply seen what I wanted to. Her love lay elsewhere.
“Ha. Ha ha ha ha...”
I couldn’t stop laughing. I felt faint. This— This was truly something. What was my life for?
“Is he all right?”
“All that matters is that he keeps living. We’ll ready a portal immediately. If he remains in the royal capital, he might run off to that woman.”
“That’s true.”
I heard more talking, their voices getting more distant by the moment, but it had nothing to do with me...disgrace that I was.
After that, Viltheoshila sent me to the outskirts of the Aspozat domain. My life here was a comfortable one, but I didn’t feel like doing anything. The lover I’d given everything to had never loved me back. What an unfortunate man I was.
Perhaps I should just continue to live like this, doing nothing.
That’s fine. I’m tired.
I don’t care what happens anymore.