Chapter 56

I guess I just have terrible timing. Guards handcuffed the unconscious Pamela and carried her off. Randolph watched out of the corner of his eyes as they left, an inscrutable expression on his face. He wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong. He didn’t think he’d been away from the Grand Merillian for all that long. Or maybe the problem was that he’d allowed himself to be distracted from his sweetheart by a stray dog in the first place? He did feel bad about that. He never had found the dog, and at this point, he suspected that what Viscount Hamsworth’s guest had seen wasn’t a dog at all, but rather Pamela Francis wandering around like a ghost. The point was, he never would have forgiven himself if something had happened to Constance. Fortunately, she hadn’t been injured. Until a moment ago, she had been sobbing without any concern for the people watching, but now she seemed to be calming down. “…Are you all right?” he asked solicitously. Constance slowly raised her head. An enormous tear sprang from one of her green eyes. Randolph reached out almost unconsciously and gently wiped it away. Then he soothingly combed his fingers through her hair. Her shoulders convulsed, and finally she began talking in a tearful voice. According to her, Scarlett Castiel, who should have been in the realm of the goddesses by now, had abruptly returned, and Constance had once again been pulled into helping her exact revenge. For the next eighty-four years. “…Isn’t that a bit long?” “What?” “Nothing.” It was long, by any standard. He wondered if the goddesses had chased her back to earth because they couldn’t stand her excessively arrogant personality. “By the way, I’ve been wondering about something,” Randolph said, taking the opportunity to ask her a question that had been on his mind. “How much time does Scarlett normally spend with you?” Constance looked at him like the question didn’t make sense. “How much time? Well, she’s an early riser, so she’s usually there when I wake up.” “When you wake up…?” “Yes. And then she stays with me until I go to sleep.” “Until you go to sleep…?” He frowned reflexively. All else aside, the two of them were a couple. “…It’s just that, in the future, when we live together…” Well, in other words, it seemed as if… “That might be an obstacle to—to various things—” he blurted out without really thinking, then suddenly stopped. He felt like he’d said something terribly improper. For better or worse, Constance didn’t seem to notice. Or rather, she seemed focused on something else. She looked extremely serious, deep in thought. After a moment, she looked up, apparently having made up her mind. “Um, it’s not just Scarlett I want to spend all my time with.” “…Hmm?” “Um, well, I’d also like you to be there…” “Me?” He tilted his head in surprise. She looked back at him with unexpected directness. “Would you always stay by my side, as well?” He’d been prepared for something a little more substantial. He nodded, feeling slightly let down. “All right.” Constance looked vaguely dissatisfied. She took a step closer to him. “Are you sure? I mean always and forever.” “Um, yes,” he said, slightly overwhelmed. She frowned suspiciously. “Are you sure you understand? When I say forever, I mean forever. Even when I’m a wrinkled old lady hobbling around.” Randolph burst out laughing at her intensity. “Yes, I understand.” This time his response was clear enough to draw a happy smile from her. “I’m serious about this, and I’ve been up front with you. You can’t go back on your word later. Scarlett heard you promise, too…!” He suddenly grew sullen at the thought that Scarlett was there with them even now. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there until the end… Well, at least for the next eighty-five years.” Damn it, he’d slipped again. He groaned at himself. Why did he have to be so competitive? This time Constance seemed to have noticed. Her eyes grew round, and she blinked several times. Then she smiled softly. That smile, escaping her as if she couldn’t contain her happiness, was too much for him. He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek, drawing her toward him. Her green eyes wavered with surprise, then narrowed bashfully. As long as she could still smile like that, he supposed it was all right if Scarlett was there with them. Of course, he knew he’d already lost the battle if he was thinking that way. He smiled wryly. He could almost hear the cackling of the notorious vixen herself. In his office at the palace, Adolphus Castiel scanned the letter that had just arrived and smiled. “What’s the creepy smile for?” The rude comment came from none other than King Ernst, who was working in the same room. No doubt this self-important man was the only person in the kingdom who could get away with saying such a thing about the duke’s face, which was rumored to only grow handsomer with age. Of course, Ernst wasn’t just self-important—he genuinely was important. He paused in pressing his seal onto some documents to give the duke a curious look. Apparently wanting to know the cause of the duke’s uncharacteristically amused expression, he slowly stood, walked over to Adolphus, and looked over his shoulder. “A letter?” He glanced at the bundle of envelopes on the desk and quickly realized that their frilly, lacy bows and ribbons were not type of correspondence the duke normally received. “…Don’t tell me they’re from a woman?” “Not a woman, two women,” Adolphus announced cheerfully. The king, who had always been a man of impeccable morals in that respect, grimaced in disgust. “You’ll get yourself in trouble one of these days, stringing along multiple women…” “I regret to inform you I’ve already been slapped,” Adolphus answered with a shrug. Ernst stared at him, dumbfounded. “But I think she’ll forgive me.” As he smiled happily, the king took several steps backward, still in shock. After safely distancing himself from Adolphus, this rude, self-important man coughed uncomfortably. “…Well, I can’t say I approve of the reason, but I’m relieved to see you looking so happy.” “Relieved?” “Indeed. You look as if you might even live for another decade or two.” Adolphus blinked slowly in surprise, then turned his gaze on Ernst. “At least as long as my letters continue to be answered,” he muttered. This seemed to reassure Ernst. How strange, Adolphus thought, that this man and I were born on the same day. People used to call us twins when we were young because our eyes are the same color. For some reason, he found himself thinking about those memories. “…As for the two women…,” he continued, as if he hadn’t heard a word of Ernst’s advice. “It seems that one of them has finally gotten engaged to the man she loves.” “…Engaged? Wait a minute now, Adolphus, how old are they?” “Curious, are you? In that case, I’ll introduce you one of these days.” “Oh no, I’m already quite afraid of them. I think I’d rather not.” “You’ll be fine. Although I suspect you’ll get a good slap yourself.” “Eh…?” Ernst said, at a loss for words. The blood drained from his face, and he shook his head. “No, I think I’ll pass.” For some reason, this amused Adolphus greatly. He smiled again. Oh no. I can’t keep a straight face. Standing before the altar in the room of the church where oaths were taken, Hamsworth counted silently to ten in an effort to remain solemn. However debauched in body and spirit he might be, he didn’t have the guts to laugh in a situation like this. His life was too precious to him. Hamsworth was performing the second engagement ceremony for a certain bothersome couple. Not just a couple, strictly speaking—a threesome that included a notorious vixen. “Are you certain this man is the one? If you’re going to change your mind, now’s the time. You know as well as me how unpredictable and antisocial he is, and on top of that, he hasn’t the faintest notion of how a woman’s heart works. Just you wait and see, nothing good will come of this!” Constance Grail had been listening to a constant stream of this since she entered the room, and even she was beginning to get a distant look in her eyes. “Don’t listen to her, Constance,” said Randolph Ulster, crossing his arms over his chest. He was dressed in his military uniform and looked cranky. “Am I right that Scarlett is haranguing you with nonsense again?” “Um, well…” “Leave her alone. You’re just sulking.” “What did you say?” Scarlett said, a scowl twisting her beautiful face. She pointed at Hamsworth. “Hamsworth! Tear up that contract immediately!” “Scarlett, what are you saying?” Connie yelled. “And Viscount, please don’t look so happy!” “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. It’s been so long since she addressed me.” After all, he was Scarlett’s eternal servant. Nevertheless, the document set in front of the altar was important proof of their engagement. Of course, he could have shredded it as his mistress demanded, but having another one drawn up would take time, and he did hate paperwork. As he was deciding what to do, Randolph made a move. Although he couldn’t have heard Scarlett, he must have guessed what was happening all the same. “Listen to me, Scarlett Castiel,” he said, looking serious. “I am going to spend the rest of my life making Constance Grail happy.” His cerulean eyes were filled with determination, which made him look a little less severe. “I’d appreciate a bit more trust from you,” he continued with a wry smile. Constance’s face flushed pink at the sudden declaration of devotion. Scarlett appeared taken aback for a moment, but quickly turned her face away and clenched her shaking fists. “……Ergh,” she finally said in a very low voice, clearly trying to hold something inside. “What?” Constance asked. Hamsworth tilted his head. “Can’t you figure it out?!” she snapped back. As if in response to her anger, the room began to shake. The windows clattered in their frames, and benches toppled over. A crack splintered the stained-glass panel of the Moirai, the three Fates. Constance was white as a sheet. Her companion was rubbing his temples and sighing. Meanwhile, Hamsworth’s supreme goddess stood imposingly with one hand on her hip as if to say, And what of it? It’s impossible. I’m definitely going to laugh. Unable to hold it in any longer, Hamsworth shook so hard with mirth, he almost fell over. Why is this happening to me? Surveying the wrecked room after the storm had passed, Constance Grail grimaced. She just couldn’t see how she was going to survive this. Her stomach and her head both hurt. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. She looked up. A pair of amethyst eyes were gazing down at her. The puzzled look on Scarlett’s face suggested that never in a million years would it occur to her that she might be the reason Connie felt ready to die of frustration. To the contrary, her magnificently confident smile all but said, If you’ve got a problem, just leave it to me! Scarlett’s smile made Connie suddenly feel silly for being so upset. And before she knew it, she, too, was smiling from ear to ear.