Chapter Twenty-Three and a Half: Yearning for the Moon Goddess ~(The Duke’s POV)

“…Tasha must’ve resented me. I couldn’t be there to witness her suffering in her final moments…”

It was as if there was a gaping hole in my chest, from which loneliness and desolation endlessly flowed out, driving me mad.

Amidst the vivaciousness of the soiree, somewhere in a dimly-lit corner of the garden, I sat to take a breather. Then, she came. Even in the darkness of the night, she exuded the fragrance of a crimson rose that bloomed during the day. She sat next to me of her own accord.

Drunk, I poured my heart out to her. Something I wouldn’t have done had I been sober.

“I believe that’s the case, as well. No matter how much you love her, you weren’t there during her final moment. Your wife must’ve been sad and lonely.”

When I heard that, it was as if my heart was being gouged out. Unable to endure the excruciating pain, I buried my face in my hands.

“—Even so, you did love her, with all your heart. I remember that very well, Your Excellency.”

Her tender voice caused me to look up. A delicate hand fell on top of my arm, as the heady scent of her perfume caressed the tip of my tongue.

Her red lips arced gently, as her hazel eyes squinted like that of a cat.

“…Do you, remember?”

“I do. Make no mistake, you did love your wife.”

A soft, bedazzling smile. In the jet-black darkness, her terrifyingly bewitching smile was seared into my retinas.

—That was how I met Sandra.

***

When I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself on top of a bed in a familiar bedroom.

Somewhat drowsily, I sat up and rang the bell placed on my bedside. My butler, James, wasted no time to open the curtains of my canopy. He must’ve been waiting for me all this time.

“My Lord, are you awake?”

“I am. I haven’t slept deeply for so long.”

In response to my reply, James’ expression softened.

Although James himself was still in his mid-thirties, his father also served the Duke of Fuchsberger as a steward. Furthermore, James’ grandfather had served my father from the time he was still the first prince. Given that James’ father and I weren’t that far apart in age, he seemed like a youth to me.

When I asked for tea, James nodded and disappeared behind the curtain. I went off the bed and walked towards the sofa. Before I knew it, it was nightfall. Outside the window, the garden was basking under the gentle moonlight.

As I stared blankly at it, I heard the clanking of teaware and turned around.

“When the marquess’ maid told me that you’d collapsed, chill went down my spine.”

With those words, tea was served in front of me, alongside some cookies. They were still inside a wrapper, just as the fair lady had given them to me. I took it and untied the ribbon. The cookie was filled with nuts and chocolate.

“Let me taste in case there’s poison—”

“No, it’s fine.”

Rejecting James’ offer, I put the cookie into my mouth. The rich taste of butter melded well with the crunchiness of the cookie, fragrant nuts, and bittersweet chocolate. I, who was accustomed to eating first-class meals, found the taste comforting.

“It’s delicious. You should try it.”

I urged James to sit on the sofa in front of me. James did as he was told, albeit rather hesitantly. Then, he brought one of the cookies into his mouth. Crunch. When I glanced at him, the butler, who had a sweet tooth, was smiling.

“It’s delicious.”

“Indeed. What a gentle flavor.”

Only two of the cookies remained, and I proceeded to give one to James. Afterwards, I relished the last one.

Suddenly recalling something, the butler, who was also savoring the cookie, nodded.

“She’s the wife of Marquis Springfield. After my lord had fallen asleep, I realized that you still had her handkerchief, and went to the order of knights to investigate. I know my lord would like to repay her. Fortunately, she’s the wife of a famous person, so I found out immediately after asking the secretariat. By the way, here’s the handkerchief.”

Out of nowhere, James handed me a handkerchief. It was pristine, probably because he’d washed and ironed it. The silky white handkerchief was adorned with lace on the edge, and embroidered with exquisite pink roses on the upper part. Certainly, it’d be popular among young ladies.

“The Marquess of Springfield—in other words, William’s wife. If I recall correctly, wasn’t she supposed to be sickly? Even the man himself said so.”

“That’s right. For half a year after their marriage, she was bedridden, but it seems that she’s been recovering recently. After she visited a certain orphanage, rumors started spreading in town, touting her as the Moon Goddess. Originally, she was rumored to be beautiful, but when I saw her in person today, she took my breath away.”

“…The Moon Goddess. Certainly, she’s a beautiful lady. Beautiful, and gentle.”

As a smile crept into my face, I lowered my gaze and” threw the last piece into my mouth.

“I heard that for the past year, the marquis was too busy to return home. As such, there were rumors of a falling-out, but it seems that they’re on good terms. The other day, the marquis collapsed from overwork during training, didn’t he? Ever since then, their relationship seems to have improved.”

“Oh, right, I saw it on her chest. That stone just screams of his possessiveness.”

Remembering the gleaming blue sapphire reminiscent of his heroic eyes, my chuckle turned into a laughter.

“…Come to think of it, Mrs. Sandra called the tailor again.”

James said, slightly frowning.

“If that’ll keep her busy, let her do as she pleases.”

The butler lifted an eyebrow as if I’d spewed a bunch of nonsenses.

“By that, I was also referring to Ms. Margaret. Those two are no longer part of the count family. For some reason, Baron Disley family also refused to accept them. It disheartened me to say this, but at this point, they’re no different from commoners…”

“Hush, James. She’s a benevolent woman who granted me respite after I lost Tasha.”

“Even so, the favor should’ve been repaid from the moment you protected them from the marquis. …Recently, Ms. Margaret wouldn’t shut up about being the next Marquess of Springfield, and whenever she’s in a foul mood, she’d get violent and lash out at the servants.”

“—Get violent? That’s unacceptable. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Startled, James averted his eyes in shame. Perhaps his father, the steward, told him to keep it a secret.

“Were any of the servants injured? Are they severe?”

“…No, she’d slap and yank their hair, but not to the point of inflicting serious injury. My father has given them a special leave to recuperate.”

“Arrange to buy each of them something they like as an apology. Also, the maid or servant won’t be serving Margaret for the time being. Let her take care of herself.”

At my words, James lit up and agreed.

“I’ll be sure to tell my father later.”

“Good grief… Even though her kind-hearted younger sister is better-suited for William. Also, shouldn’t she be happy that her frail sister is happily married? She used to express concern for her sister…”

“My lord, as always, you’re dense about this kind of thing, aren’t you?”

James spoke in astonishment, and his expression bore a striking resemblance to his father, which annoyed me somewhat.

“Ms. Margaret always criticized Lady Liliana, and even blamed her. She seems like the type who cares about her public appearance, so she probably just pretended to worry about Lady Liliana’s poor health. For fifteen years, Lady Liliana was so ill that she couldn’t even step outside her mansion. I think she only recovered because she got a proper doctor and an environment where she can spend her time at peace.”

“…Sandra did say that she regretted spoiling Margaret so much. I think she was referring to this. Well, let Margaret stay in her room until she finds a suitor.”

“Understood.”

James stood up, and briefly left. When he returned, he had a fountain pen and a piece of paper, which he presented on top of the table.

“Please write down your previous statement, and sign it.”

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but that girl didn’t hesitate to raise her hand against the servants of other people’s houses. Without my signature, she probably wouldn’t be convinced.

I wrote in softer words that she shouldn’t leave the room, and that she should take care of herself, before signing the paper. James nodded in approval, let the ink dry, then folded it and put it in his breast pocket.

As I watched, I sipped my tea. It was still delicious even when it was cold. He was still immature as a butler, but he probably inherited his grandfather’s skill in brewing tea rather than his father’s. Truly, how superb it was.

“…I mistook her for Tasha.”

James, who was clearing the cookie wrappers and ribbon on the table, froze. To escape his gaze, I gazed out of the window.

“Is it because they have the same hair color, or am I simply being wistful…?”

Pale golden hair wasn’t uncommon in this country, but her demeanor somehow resembled Tasha.

“…I want to meet the marquess and hank her in person. Find out what she likes and prepare some gifts.”

“Finding the suitable gifts for her aside, won’t it be difficult to meet her? …After all, you aren’t on good terms with her husband, the marquis. He’ll probably be wary and forbid the meeting. Furthermore, we’re also sheltering Ms. Margaret.”

“…Narrow-minded fellow sure is loathsome, don’t you think?”

“Should you be saying that? When it comes to your wife, you’re even more narrow-minded than him.”

…When he pointed it out, I couldn’t say anything. I was also aware of it.

In fact, the reason I referred to the sapphire on her chest as a symbol of possessiveness was probably because I’d been in that position.

“…I wonder how would the Hero react if I snatch the resplendent goddess.”

“I think you’ll incite the wrath of the crown prince.”

“Haha, that sounds fun. That young cousin of mine has been hanging around me lately. Does he want me to pay attention to him?”

James shrugged his shoulders in amazement.

“Although His Highness is still young, he’s very capable, so please don’t pester him too much.”

“If he’s going to sink his teeth into me, I’ll have to teach him a lesson or two? I’ve lived a bit longer than that youth.”

I downed the tea and put the cup back on the table.

“James, arrange to meet the marquess. I don’t care what you do.”

“Understood. But you need to go to sleep, as you promised the marquess.” Said James, collecting the empty cup and saucer.

“Certainly, I must keep my promise to the lady… Ah, yes, tell the maids who helped me to come as well.”

“Very well. What else can I do for you?”

“That should be it. It’s late, you should go get some rest.”

“Thank you. The steward told me to came later tomorrow morning, so please take a good rest.”

With that, James bowed his head and pushed the tea cart out of the room.

The spacious room suddenly became quiet.

I slowly stood up and went to the balcony. A chilly breeze, heralding the autumn, caused the trees in the garden to sway.

“…The moon is beautiful.”

A half moon floated in the night sky.

I stared at the handkerchief, which was still in my grasp. Did she embroider it herself? What a delicate motif. Embroidery was quite common among the ladies, but her skill was something else.

“…Truly, I wonder what kind of expression would our Hero makes if I did steal the beautiful goddess.”

Would his once handsome face turn demonic in the throes of hatred?

It would be a sight.

---

***T/N: Ew someoen cancel this guy

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