The Devilish Duke Can't Sleep

Proofreader: somnium

Her father must have bought those expensive sweets, too, and thinking about how the two of them often went to a teahouse like this to drink tea together, she smiled for no reason.

“Of course, of course. We used to come here often.”

“What did Mother like?”

“Ah…… She liked hot scones with a bit of bittersweet tea. I used to spread jam for her.”

“Really…… ?”

“Sure. Helena doesn’t like very sweet things.”

Lena tilted her teacup and hid her awkward expression.

‘Strange. Mother obviously liked those sweets with a lot of sugar…….’

Scones, he said, her mother had never liked scones. It was even easier to make than the oddly named cookie.

“Did you go to the New Year’s party with Mother?”

“Actually, by the time the Arzew family fell, they were quite poor, so it was difficult to enter the palace together.”

“Then…… Mother must not have seen the fireworks.”

“She probably didn’t get to see it up close.”

“She couldn’t even…… dance.”

“A poor Baron’s Lady didn’t have many occasions to go to banquets.”

There’s something strange. Her mother told her about the fireworks at the New Year’s celebration, as if she had always seen it up close. She said it felt like she was the main character of the world when she was dancing a waltz at the moment when the fireworks exploded.

She became suspicious, and the name ‘Helena’ was also bothering her. She wondered if she had remembered it wrongly because she had only heard it once as a child, but no matter how many times she looked back, her real name was Heila, which she had heard directly from her mother. That memory was strangely clear.

“Well, maybe…… Are you really sure that I’m Viscount Ruban’s daughter? It’s different from what I know…… Her name is not Helena…….”

To bring this up, Lena had to have a lot of courage. She had to break the expectations and hopes of a man who only thought of her as his lost daughter, so she was kind of sorry.

However, as he continued to look at the clock and Lena alternately, he did not panic and smiled.

“I know. It was supposed to be Heila not Helena, right?”

“Yes, that is correct! But why…… ?”

At the same time, her head suddenly went numb and her whole body began to crumble out of her will. She didn’t even have time to scream. The last thing she saw was Viscount Ruban approaching her with a broad smile.

* * *

At that time, the noble conference room where Kahel was sitting in was filled with murmurs. Voices of surprise and admiration, relief and doubt mixed together, creating a heated atmosphere in the conference room. Not long after they searched for Heila and her daughter, the Santella had found Heila’s daughter.

“Quiet, quiet! Duke Santella. Now tell me how you found the child.”

As the Queen’s roar barely quieted the conference room, Leonard cleared his throat, shoving the young lady that was crouching her shoulders next to him.

“First of all, we organized and spread information about Her Highness Heila, as well as information that can be inferred about her daughter, in Mare and the surrounding areas, including the retainers, business associates, and all temples. I asked them to contact me.”

A lot of carrier pigeons were prepared in the carrier pigeon training ground of the Santella family, and there were many places where Santella’s influence had spread within Logos, so it was a strategic enough action.

“We didn’t know we would find her so quickly, but when we saw the reply from the Temple of Datri, south of Mare, we were instantly convinced. This is the daughter of Her highness Heila.”

The lady standing next to Leonard looked similar to the description of Heila’s appearance. Softly flowing silver hair, mysterious purple eyes, white skin and dense facial features…… It was so consistent with the appearance descriptions that if she had been twice the age, it was as if they had found Heila.

“She grew up in the temple by the name of Nadia, and it was said that she was the child of a woman who had entrusted herself to the temple 18 years ago. The woman also had silver hair and purple eyes. However, the woman who suffered severe injuries while giving birth was said to die shortly after, and that the temple raised the baby, who was left alone. Here, I have brought documents and letters from the priest of the Temple of Datri. The priest swore in the name of Lana.”

The people whispered again, carefully examining the letters and documents Leonard had handed over, and Nadia. So was the Queen. She tried to find traces of Heila on Nadia’s face. At first glance, she looked like Heila, but she couldn’t be sure because it was a memory from a long time ago.

“But isn’t it hard to believe that she is the daughter of Her Highness Heila?”

Someone has carefully rebutted it. Leonard glanced at him and nodded his head.

“Miss Nadia’s power is actually very weak. But at least she’s not powerless with magic or other powers. She will probably be fine in the face of Duke Luave’s special power.”

He politely said ‘special power’, but it was clear what that meant. It was referring to Kahel’s devilish power. Everyone’s eyes turned to Kahel. Maybe it was a look that might sound rude, but Kahel himself was actually curious.

“Then, let’s check it out for a moment.”

When Kahel came out in person, all the nobles, including the Queen, looked startled. This is because it was rare for Kahel to come forward like this. But Leonard nodded his head and took Nadia and went with Kahel to the waiting room next to the conference room.

Kahel entered the waiting room and took off Calia. The suppressed devilish power spread out at once, but Nadia looked at Kahel and Leonard alternately, as if confused.

“It is true.”

“Why would I tell a lie when I will be found out soon?”

“But…… You tell lies that won’t be found out soon.”

Leonard just smiled at Kahel’s thorny answer.

Kahel looked at Nadia again. In fact, he barely felt her power, but the power she possessed was not magic. The priests also said that her power wasn’t magic, so it seemed true.

Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. How could the Santella family, who harbored hate, change their mind so easily? Or were they aiming for something more?

But he wasn’t sure about everything right now. And to be honest, he was glad that someone other than Lena was the Queen’s successor. He no longer had to worry about his relationship with her. When Kahel was finished with the throne’s succession, he thought that he should marry Lena straight away.

When Kahel returned to the conference room and confirmed that Leonard’s words were true, people’s excitement grew stronger.

“But the lack of power is a bit…… That’s too bad.”

Someone else made a disappointing remark as if they wished Liddell would sit in the Queen’s seat. Then, Leonard shook his head as if that was unreasonable.

“The reason we thought of Liddell and His Highness Erdin’s wedding was because of our loyalty to the Royal Family. But we have the closest bloodline to Her Majesty the Queen, so what should we worry about? And the power has historically been strengthened and weakened repeatedly. So, Miss Nadia’s daughter may be born with strong powers again.”

Surprisingly, when Leonard said so, everyone was surprised, but they agreed with him. The Santella would not have taken Nadia out if they had not been convinced that Nadia was the Queen’s successor, and there would be no need to question her qualities.

“Thank you for finding Heila and Nadia, Duke Santella. I owe Duke a great debt.”

Fabian did not dispel any doubts, but first thanked Leonard. And from that day on, she decided to educate Nadia as her successor at the Palace.

It was about when the sun set when Kahel returned from the nobility council, accompanied by excitement, suspicion and relief.

‘Lena is not the Queen’s heir. She just has a peculiar constitution. The seal is…… Dashar may have misunderstood.’

It felt like he was ignoring the truth, but Kahel felt a pleasurable languor and let his worries go away. His steps were light as the most troublesome problem with Lena was solved. He entered the hall of the mansion, trying to hide the smile that came out, thinking of having a secret meeting with Lena before he went to bed.

However, contrary to his pleasant mood, Arder’s expression as he jumped out and said his greeting was quite disorganized. Kahel instinctively noticed that something bad had happened.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, Your Excellency. Miss Lena…… disappeared.”

“What…… ?”

Kahel wondered if he had just heard wrong.

“Disappeared?”

“Last thing we know, she got into someone’s carriage at the tea house on Artur Street, and there was no news yet. She must have been kidnapped.”

Kahel couldn’t figure out where to be more surprised.

“Kidnapped?”

“Sir Vincent, who had followed her as an escort, followed after, but was one step behind.”

“Call Sir Vincent. I have to listen properly.”

“Sir Vincent is currently seriously injured and undergoing treatment.”

“Seriously injured? Sir Vincent is not a skill that can be easily beaten, isn’t he?”

“He was trying to chase after the carriage, but all of a sudden, a group of people rushed out at once.”

“Of course…… If he didn’t do that and came back fine, I’ll have his neck cut off.”

Uncaptured magical energy began to flow from Kahel’s body again. Arder tried not to tremble in front of Kahel, who was about to explode.

“Forgive me.”

“Have you contacted Miss Peregrine?”

“Of course. Miss Peregrine never promised to meet today.”

“I think Lena lied to me.”

“Certainly…… She meant nothing bad.”

But there was no further answer from Kahel.

“Even if Lena left voluntarily, we must find her. Search around Artur Street.”

“Already searching.”

Arder bowed his head to Kahel, but the back of the mansion was somewhat noisy. Kahel, whose nerves were sharpened, looked at him fiercely and muttered.

“What’s going on!”

“Ah, that, that…… One of the stable keepers made a riot…… Sorry. I will get it sorted soon.”

“Wait. Is it Sid?”

“Yes? Ah, yes, yes.”

“Bring her.”

Kahel went to the parlor. He had to head to a place where there were no other employees because if he lost his mind a little, the devilish power would spread in all directions. Ever since Kahel was born, he had never been so agitated.

After a while, Sid came in, who drank two bottles of a potion of purification. Her dressing and hair were a mess because she was pushed by the employees while insisting on seeing the butler. But Kahel couldn’t afford to look at every situation one by one. He asked Sid bluntly, without telling her to sit down,

“Do you know where Lena is?”

“I don’t know where she is, but I know whom she’s going to see today.”

“To me, she said she was going to see a girl she met at a banquet to see dresses, but she doesn’t seem to have told you the same thing. Right?”