RODH Chapter 71

71.

There was a step in the columbarium.

“Ah.”

“Be careful, my lord!”

Bain caught me before I could stumble.

“Thanks, Bain.”

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

Leaving Bain, whose face had flushed red again, I looked around the interior.

Fortunately, it seemed no one had overheard our exchange.

“There’s no one here but Michael.”

Inside the empty columbarium, a silence like repose had settled.

Not wanting to break that stillness, I tiptoed around as I searched for the name.

Bain, belatedly regaining his composure, followed after me.

“Young Master —no, My lord, Which name are you looking for?”

“They said the late Sir Hubert was enshrined separately, so it must have been entered under Michael’s name.”

At that, Bain reacted strangely.

“His own name… in the columbarium?”

“Yes. Or perhaps he used an alias.”

Fortunately, he hadn’t used an alias; before long, I found the name ‘Michael,’ without a family name.

Inside the urn, small enough to fit in both hands, lay a dagger and an amulet.

I caught a scent similar to fruit.

It was Michael’s pheromones.

“Here. This is the place Michael visited.”

“Pheromones are quite convenient, aren’t they?”

“Pheromones often leak out on their own, depending on emotions.”

“Then this dagger… could it have belonged to the late Sir Hubert?”

I hadn’t heard of any keepsakes being left behind…

Bain trailed off, letting his words fade.

I looked around the locked columbarium several more times, then told Bain it was time to return.

Just as someone entered, it gave us a natural reason to leave.

Back home, I wrote a letter.

At first, I thought to ask Peter directly, but soon gave up the idea. It was obvious Seor would hear of it exactly as I said, and besides, the investigation into the Hubert family was still incomplete.

The next best option was Nevan.

If it was Nevan, he might know something about the late Sir Hubert.

And just when it seemed the letter was taking too long to reach him, Nevan came in person.

* * *

“Ruby has been gravely injured.”

At Nevan’s words, Ian jumped to his feet.

“Ruby is injured? Who did such a thing?”

“It seems, my lord, that you are not the only one under His Majesty’s surveillance.”

“Then it was His Majesty’s men….”

Nevan nodded.

Ian’s heart ached. He had grown attached to Ruby over time.

For a moment, a petty desire for revenge flickered inside him, but he quickly gave it up. To rise against the Emperor would mean being accused of treason.

When Ian regained his composure, he asked,

“Was the letter leaked?”

“The magic tool is set to explode if opened by anyone other than the intended recipient.”

“That’s a relief. Is Ruby all right?”

“Yes. But what was the content of that letter?”

Ian revealed that Michael had enshrined the late Sir Hubert separately in the columbarium of the Glass Tornach Church.

“Do you know anything about the late Sir Hubert? Bain said he was… buried in a coffin without his head.”

Nevan listened quietly before dropping shocking words.

“The coffin was empty.”

“What?”

“I heard from Sir Klain that no body was ever recovered, and so the funeral was held with an empty coffin.”

Ian couldn’t understand why Sir Klain was suddenly involved, but an empty coffin with no corpse…

“What sort of mission was the late Sir Hubert entrusted with?”

“That, I do not know.”

“Then I must ask Sir Klain directly.”

“You may not get the answers you seek.”

Nevan said firmly that Klain was not the type of man to easily speak.

Which only meant it would be difficult to hear the truth.

Ian recalled the way Klain had always looked at him with disdain.

“Still, I should at least try meeting him.”

At Ian’s words, Nevan lowered his head briefly, then offered to put in a word with Klain.

Ian waved it off.

“There’s no need for that.”

Nevan looked puzzled.

Ian said,

“My father always told me—if you wish to win someone’s heart, you must not rely on another man’s help.”

“You’ve had a good father.”

“By the way, Nevan… did you come here out of concern for me?”

Nevan gave no answer, only a small nod.

Though his figure was shrouded in a pale, frosty glow, there was a soft blush on his face.

Seeing that ordinary, boyish look on him, Ian smiled.

“Nevan….”

“……”

“Sometimes, it doesn’t seem so bad when you smile.”

At that, Nevan lifted the corners of his lips and smiled brightly.

Ian felt as though he were being exorcised.

* * *

“That was really too much….”

Lying on the bed, I regretted the moment I had felt desire toward Nevan.

As an omega, I couldn’t help it—I wanted to be kissed by him again.

But all Nevan had done was hold me so tightly it felt as if my ribs would break.

Of course, that wasn’t all.

‘I like you.’

Words so weighty they couldn’t be blown away by the wind struck my heart.

I scolded my pounding heart not to race so wildly, then answered him.

‘I think… I might like you too.’

At that, Nevan smiled once more, that dazzling smile that seemed to banish all shadows.

‘Damn it, he’s too beautiful!’

I traced the image of Nevan’s smile in my mind for a long while, until the sound of knocking stirred me from bed.

Tok-tok—

Bain happened to be away.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Klain.”

What—!

Did Nevan tell him to come?

I hurriedly straightened my clothes and welcomed the guest.

Klain, with a long scar across one side of his face, stepped inside without waiting for permission.

Naturally, I sat across from him on the sofa and asked,

“What brings you here?”

“His Grace the Grand Duke mentioned it. You wished to know about the late Sir Hubert.”

“Ah, yes….”

Klain looked somewhat displeased.

Bain came in belatedly, saw the frozen air in the room, and quickly said he would bring tea.

I was grateful for Bain’s quick wits and asked Klain,

“I heard the funeral was held with an empty coffin. Could you tell me what happened?”

“He was a dear friend.”

“Oh, I apologize. That was careless of me.”

No wonder something had felt off.

Feeling my cheeks heat, I was relieved when tea and refreshments arrived.

“Bain, would you leave us to talk?”

“Yes, young master.”

When Bain left, I offered Klain tea.

He looked at it, and the refreshments, as if they were offensive.

Could I really get the information I wanted from such a man?

For a moment I doubted it, but who was I?

I was Ian Pearl Ruben, youngest son of the Duke of Ruben, famed for his resourcefulness.

Without losing composure, I first offered an apology.

“I should have prepared a tea more suited to your taste.”

“It makes no difference.”

“Then, back to the matter at hand….”

Considering Klain might not speak easily, I shared what I had prepared in advance.

“I’m tracking the one who caused the explosion in the North. According to what I’ve learned, the Hubert family’s second son seems to be involved.”

Klain reacted with outrage.

“Impossible! On what grounds do you dare say such a thing?”

“Please, calm yourself, Sir Klain. Look at this. Evidence Leslie recovered from the culprits that day.”

I showed him the golden shield and paired swords, bearing the Hubert family’s crest.

Klain’s face revealed clear dismay.

“And if you look at this ring….”

I pressed forward, showing him the certification of quality from Mana Master Alvis.

“What are you implying?”

“Yesterday I read Alex’s memories. You were at the scene of the explosion. By chance, you had taken leave that very day.”

“……”

“For the honor of the late Sir Hubert, please tell me the truth. That house is steeped in suspicion.”

As a last resort, I had prepared to bring up Michael.

But I didn’t need to—Klain surrendered.

“Allen and I were classmates at the knight academy. I was a rustic boy from the North; he was a proud son of a noble house.”

Klain spoke of his studies in the central lands, and how he and Allen had grown close.

“He was a man without prejudice.”

Brief words, but enough to reveal the late Sir Hubert’s character.

I nodded solemnly and asked again about the empty coffin.

Klain ran both hands over his face, as if to wash away the dryness of memory, and spoke with raw emotion.

“He said His Imperial Majesty had entrusted him with a secret mission.”

And with that, the late Sir Hubert never returned.

“I don’t know how he died. I only heard the body could not be recovered.”

So that was why they held a funeral with an empty coffin.

“Then there were no keepsakes?”

“All that remained was the dagger he gave me. I saw no point in keeping it, so I passed it on to Peter.”

“Ah….”

The very dagger in the columbarium.

Peter must have thought of the youngest, Michael, and given it to him.

So was Michael simply paying respects to his father’s soul?

Having told everything, Klain asked,

“What will you do about Alex?”

“When I have undeniable proof, I’ll hand it over. For now, I still don’t know why he did it.”

“I see.”

Klain rose, his half-aged face heavy.

“That day I learned something. That a man from the central lands could die sooner than one from the North.”

It was the kind of line that might make others laugh, but to me, it wasn’t funny at all.

Klain was mourning his dearest friend.

A man who said he would return, yet never did.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Yes, thank you for your time.”

The moment Klain left, Bain returned and asked,

“As expected, Northerners are fierce. Are you all right, my lord?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine. But Bain, you know….”