Chapter 1: Part 4
Thinking about it carefully, a Duke walking around on streets without servants was really strange. But the moment she stepped into the mansion, Lukana understood the reason for it.
It was a s.p.a.cious mansion, belonging to another world that Lukana had never seen before.
The inside was full of extravagant furniture, crafted with designs that Lukana had never known.
Yet, there was not a single soul inside.
She suddenly felt the breath of someone near her and thus turned around to see. Of course, it was Sateriasis who was with her, yet the distance between the two of them was so small, causing Lukana who was slightly shocked to let out a small gasp.
“Ah! I’m sorry, I must’ve scared you.”
Lukana thought she saw a terrifying expression on Sateriasis’s face, but when she turned to look again, it has already returned to his usual calm expression.
‘I must’ve seen wrongly due to the dim lighting within the mansion.’ Lukana decided and brushed it off simply.
“N-no… Are you staying alone in here? Not even a single servant was hired…”
“Yeah. That’s right. Ever since the ma.s.sacre, I have been staying here alone.”
The reason why his clothes were so messy and why he was starving…
Plainly speaking, it was all because of this.
The son of an aristocrat cannot possibly maintain this mansion all by himself.
“Even so, I still did all the things I could alone. I’m able to survive through this because I have money but it’s quite impossible to sustain the “aristocrat’s image”. This can’t continue on for much longer…”
Sateriasis sat down on the extra big main seat in the dining room.
After urging her, Lukana finally sat down at the smaller seat beside him.
“Why…do you want to live alone?”
“I lost my memories.”
“Yes…My uncle has mentioned it before to me.”
The information which Lukana’s uncle got from the soldier woman seemed to be true.
“I should’ve seen the murderer’s true face because I was there but I just can’t seem to remember the face. I don’t know who that insane murderer is.”
“…”
“I’m a coward.”
Does this mean that he doesn’t want people he doesn’t trust by his side?
“Do you think that I’m strange?”
Lukana was unable to answer.
Sateriasis’s loneliness is something probably only he himself can understand.
“I didn’t ask clearly just now… but why were you strolling on the city’s street?”
“One reason was because the food storage became empty… the second was because I wanted to find people.”
“Find people?”
“Find women. I’m looking for two women, thinking that I might meet them if I were to stroll along the streets.”
“… Are they your lovers?”
Lukana covered her mouth with her hands the moment she finished the sentence, feeling that she gabbed too much.
… Why did this kind of question come from her mouth?
Didn’t she just promise herself not to cross the boundaries?
Lukana chided herself.
Sateriasis smiled lightly when he saw Lukana’s panicked face before continuing.
“I only remember what they look like. One of them is a woman with plaited white hair, the other has green hair and probably… likes wearing white western dresses. Do you remember seeing any of them? ”
“No… I’m sorry, but with just this information I have no clue either, and besides, I’m not from here.”
“That’s right…excuse me for asking such superfluous questions.”
“But since they have white and green hair as their characteristics, they should be from the Netsuma clan and an Elphe respectively.”
Talking about the Evillious region, for people to be born naturally with white and green hair, they should be from these two races, both of them mostly belonging to the neighboring country, Elphegort. Even so, there were numerous people from both races that actually traveled between Asmodean and Elphegort for trade and other purposes so she thought that it would be quite difficult to find people with these characteristics.
“Speaking of Elphes… I remember that Lord Duke’s deceased mother was also an Elphe? ”
“That’s right. That’s why I think that they might be people who had known my mother.”
“I’ve heard that your mother’s elder brother…Marquis Gla.s.sred is currently handling the affairs of Asmodean.”
“You know a lot.”
Sateriasis look at her with admiration. This was still Lukana’s homeland, of course she should at least know these things. She was slightly unhappy but did not allow that to show on her face. After all, it was also the truth that she was from provincial areas that was not familiar with political situations.
“Because I’m still inexperienced, and furthermore have lost my memories, I am really appreciative of the Marquis’s help.”
“Why don’t you try finding Marquis Gla.s.sred… and ask him if he have any information about the Elphe woman whom you are searching for.”
“Yeah…”
Sateriasis’s face darkened.
“After the ma.s.sacre, we had an argument about me staying alone in the mansion. This made it very difficult for me to visit him…and the Marquis has also stopped coming to the mansion to visit me recently.”
“No matter what, I think that living this kind of life is a good thing. Just like what Uncle said, Lord Duke’s health doesn’t just belong to Lord Duke.”
“… Yes.”
“Sorry… I was too nosy.”
“No, you weren’t. Thank you. What you say is true… It suddenly feels colder in here.”
Sateriasis stood up and walked towards the fireplace behind him, lighting it up.
The light from the fire made his body look blood red.
“Anyhow, since I managed to purchase a set of good clothing, I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“No, that’s only for temporary use…not something that Lord Duke should be wearing regularly. It’s better if you hired a tailor to properly tailor some clothes for you.”
“Is it? … Then, is it okay if I ask you to help me tailor some clothes, Lukana?
Sateriasis held her hands.
“Eh?! But, just me——”
“I really like the clothes you design. I hope that you can accept this job offer.”
Lukana looked down as she flushed red. The reason for her red face, was it because she was feeling hot from the fireplace; was it because of the embarra.s.sment caused by the praise; or was it because Sateriasis was holding on to her hand?… Even Lukana herself doesn’t know.
But no matter what, this was just too hasty.
“Of course, I will be paying the amount you want.”
“… I stay at Mystica so if I were to remain here for too long, I would cause trouble for my uncle…”
“You can also leave your lodging’s payments to me. If you want to stay in the guest room of the mansion while making the clothes, that’s fine too. ”
“Eh?! No, but…”
“I know this is hard for you, but even so, I would like to ask you for it.”
At last, Lukana gave in to Sateriasis’s adamant request, promising to sew new clothing for him.