Chapter 64: Marking Time
After class, Sue rode with Enzhe in her carriage to the Lopetrefer mansion. She had visited the Lopetrefer mansion before, during Michaela’s birth celebration, but it was still unimaginably grand.
Most of the noble mansions in the capital weren’t as large as the castles in their respective territories, but the Lopetrefer grand duke’s residence was different. It was so large and spacious that it could be called a castle rather than a mansion.
Enzhe’s private parlor was on the third floor of the main building. The servants were quickly preparing refreshments as Sue followed Enzhe up the stairs. Enzhe suddenly stopped.
“Father.”
Sue followed Enzhe’s gaze after briefly observing her still, delicate back. She locked eyes with a pair of black, colorless eyes staring down from the top of the stairs.
“Enzhe.”
A deep, gentle voice called out his daughter’s name.
Sain Lopetrefer.
He was a handsome middle-aged man, Enzhe’s father, the current head of the Lopetrefer grand duke family, and the Minister of Magic in the Atlantis Imperial Court.
And soon, this Sain Lopetrefer would be the man who would wreak havoc on the magic world by creating unauthorized magic in the underworld.
Sue froze, her body stiffening like a stone, the moment she saw those sharp black eyes, so similar to Enzhe’s.
“…Sue of the Byron family greets Duke Sain.”
Overwhelmed by his imposing presence, Sue managed to force out a greeting. The master of the house observed Enzhe and Sue silently, then slowly descended the stairs.
“It’s been a while, Lady Sue.”
“Yes, it has been a while, Your Grace.”
Sue breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Sain’s kind smile. He looked like a respectable middle-aged gentleman. He resembled Enzhe and must have been quite the heartbreaker in his youth, judging from his handsome face and physique. His kind expression and deep voice gave no indication that he was plotting something sinister behind the scenes.
“Come to think of it, Lord Eren left for his territory yesterday, right?”
Sue nodded, slightly relaxing as he asked a simple question about her father.
“Yes, my father is currently at our southern territory. There seems to be a minor dispute there, so he went to investigate.”
“I see. I hope it gets resolved smoothly.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Sain turned to his daughter, his smile still in place.
“We’re having tea with Sue. You know, the tea from the East that you received, Father.”
Enzhe answered readily, even though Sain hadn’t asked. He looked back and forth between his daughter and her maid, then spoke slowly,
“That tea. It was a gift from Viscount Vercia. …I hope it suits your taste, Lady Sue.”
Sain chuckled at her enthusiastic response.
“Then I’ll leave Enzhe in your care, Lady Sue.”
Leaving those words, which she didn’t want to overanalyze, Duke Lopetrefer calmly descended the stairs.
“We’re going to Jennerman Island in the south with Shina and Woo during winter break.”
“Jennerman Island is… one of the Acrea family’s territories, right?”
“Yes. It’s warm there even in winter. Woo suggested that we spend the break at Jennerman. I agreed immediately, since I don’t like the cold.”
“Master Acrea is so considerate. And Master Fritz is going too… That’s wonderful!”
“Hehe, Woo always has a hard time between me and Shina. I’m always grateful to him.”
Enzhe’s face softened, as if remembering the surprise event at the September Festival.
Sue pretended to be excited and took a sip of tea. The tea from the East was quite bitter, but it was surprisingly smooth. After three sips, she understood what Enzhe meant by ‘addictive’.
Enzhe, already imagining her happy winter vacation, smiled blissfully, her fingers tracing the rim of the teacup. Looking at her flushed cheeks, Sue couldn’t help but think she looked cute. It would be nice if love was always this adorable.
They chatted about trivial matters. It had been a while since she had enjoyed such a relaxed tea time with Enzhe. And it almost felt like they were just two friends hanging out.
‘I have wounds inflicted by Enzhe on my body, and I’m happily chatting with her.’
She almost chuckled at the absurdity of it all.
But the peaceful moment didn’t last long. Enzhe soon uttered those words.
“Sue, any reports?”
She thought it was a reflexive question, so she answered reflexively, her gaze fixed on her blurry reflection in the teacup.
“No, nothing special to report this time, Lady Enzhe.”
Enzhe chuckled softly, hearing her unwavering voice.
“Liar.”
The clinking sound of teacups clashed against her ears. Sue couldn’t help but look up at Enzhe’s simple, straightforward statement.
“Giona Vercia.”
Her black, colorless eyes were fixed on her toy, her expression deceptively gentle.
She wasn’t angry.
Enzhe slowly placed her teaspoon down and spoke in her sweet, delicate voice,
“You know her, right? Giona Vercia.”
“Yes.”
It was another reflexive answer.
But Enzhe had finally uttered that girl’s name, and Sue couldn’t deny the sense of defeat that washed over her.
She slowly opened and closed her eyes, and Enzhe’s voice, thin and sharp, wrapped around her ears.
“I heard she’s coming to the capital.”
“Yes, they’ve recognized Viscount Vercia’s contributions. He provided military support to the northern stronghold…”
“Sue.”
Enzhe cut her off, as if she didn’t care about any of that.
“Yes, Lady Enzhe.”
Enzhe continued, her gaze fixed on Sue, who had nodded like an automaton.
“I hate that bitch.”
Her previously gentle eyes narrowed, a strange light glinting in their depths. Sue stared into those bottomless black eyes, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. Enzhe watched her struggle, her expression amused, like a spectator at a circus.
“Sue.”
“Yes, Lady Enzhe.”
“I won’t ask why you didn’t say anything about Giona Vercia this time.”
“……”
“I was a little out of it, so I’ll take responsibility for that. Right?”
“……”
“But not next time. Understand?”
Sue nodded quickly, her head heavy. Enzhe observed her trembling eyelids.
“It’s fine. I still trust you.”
“……”
“I doubt you would cover for someone like her.”
Sue, who had lived her entire life with broken talents, had one skill she was good at: catching rats that entered her territory.
But was she no longer capable of even that?
Enzhe felt a pang of pity for Sue, with her useless talents and intellect, and at the same time, she resented her father.
To think he gave me this child as a servant.
Her subordinate was like a useless insect, incapable of doing her job properly.
“Sue.”
Enzhe softly called her name one last time. “Yes,” came the same voice, the same answer she had heard before.
How boring.
“You’re responsible for Giona Vercia. You understand what I mean, right?”
“Of course. I’ll take care of it, Lady Enzhe. Don’t worry.”
Sue smiled brightly, puffing out her chest as if to say, “Leave it to me”.
“It’s what you always do. You’re good at it.”
Enzhe savored the torrent of flattery, like listening to beautiful violin music. She finished the remaining tea in two gulps, savoring the bitter aftertaste.
Everything was back to normal.
Everything.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to meet again. I’m sorry, Sir Leo.”
It had been two months since she had last seen Leo. The salon in the outer district, where they usually met, was even more deserted than usual today. This is the last time I’ll be visiting this salon. Sue thought as she spoke to Leo, who seemed frozen.
“Something came up. It’s going to be difficult for me to meet anyone outside.”
She had gotten straight to the point as soon as she arrived, before they even exchanged greetings. Leo, who had been expecting their usual routine, was stunned.
“What do you mean, suddenly…?”
“I mean, something came up. I don’t have the time. I might not look like it, but I’m the daughter of a viscount family.”
Sue smiled, trying to soothe him with her calm explanation. But she hadn’t expected him to be this shocked.
“…I’m sorry. This must be sudden.”
But she wouldn’t change her mind. It was the best decision for both of them.
Leo didn’t respond to her abrupt and rude declaration. He felt a cold sweat breaking out as the unexpected situation unfolded. He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. He was flustered, but he had felt a sense of unease ever since he had spotted her entering the salon with two knight escorts flanking her.
Sue was dressed in the same outfit she had worn when they first met at this salon. A bright pink dress, high-heeled white shoes, a fascinator with a veil. She was dressed to impress, a perfect picture of a noble lady, the daughter of the Byron family.
Sue waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts. This was their last meeting. She had grown fond of him, more than she ever had for anyone else as Sue Byron, so she didn’t want to end things on a bad note. But it seemed like it was already too late, judging from his reaction.