Chapter 41
Edward had removed his hand, as if telling her to go on.
Lucy nodded vigorously.
“Our dukeā no, our Master may speak a littleā no, quite harshly, but he’s so kindā no… so… magn-animous.”
“…”
“Honestly, how diligent is he? Enduring purifications he doesn’t even want to receive…”
As she said this, she rolled her eyes a little.
In the past, Sepina had been the one to perform them, but now she herself had become the one giving those purifications.
One wrong word and she could dig her own grave.
Even so, the words that spilled out next were sincere.
“But just because he’s a hero, does that mean other people’s mistakes are our Master’s fault too?”
“…”
“They rush at him when it suits them and shout that they love him, and then what?”
“…”
“He’s a hero when it’s convenient for them, but the moment they suffer, it’s all His Grace’s fault? What His Grace does was never a given in the first place.”
Lucy put strength into her gaze and continued.
“That’s unfair.”
The entire time she spoke, Edward watched Lucy without so much as a twitch.
Then he gave a short, soft laugh.
Unfair.
It was a word he had never once considered before.
And that was only natural…
“Hurt? You, who were incomplete from the start?”
“Be grateful you can become a perfect hero. You should be thinking of repaying that grace.”
“Act like a hero. That means taking sacrifice for granted.”
The overbearing face of the previous duke, whip in hand, flashed swiftly through his mind.
The reason Edward never doubted his own perfection was also because of the previous duke.
It was different from simple arrogance.
‘That perfectionist sculpted me according to his own design.’
There was no way he could be anything less than perfect.
It was a thought half-laced with cynicism.
At least after the previous duke had died, things had grown far easier.
He could speak recklessly even to nobles, and it no longer mattered if he threw them. But a few teachings that had been carved into his very bones still remained within Edward.
Teachings like taking even criticism for granted while working as a hero. Like never offering pointless excuses.
‘Unpleasantly enough.’
Edward blinked slowly at that sensation.
They were teachings he had previously considered so natural that he hadn’t even thought to find them unpleasant.
And yet, merely because this tiny mouse had said so, he had become aware of it.
At the same time, another thought occurred to him.
This tiny mouse…
‘…She likes me quite a lot.’
She had seemed so timid, yet she had stepped forward before all those people and taken his side.
And beyond that, what he had taken for grantedāthis woman genuinely seemed to think it was unfair.
To think she treasured him this much.
The faint unpleasantness he had been feeling melted away completely.
‘…I had been planning to discard her once her holy power ran dry.’
But she kept doing such maddeningly adorable things.
If this continued, wouldn’t it become rather difficult to discard her coldly?
Truth be told, he had never once felt guilt over efficiently casting anyone aside, no matter who they were…
All the while, Lucy was still opening her eyes wide and pouring out her fervent speech.
“Left it to him?! You left it all to His Grace, you say!”
“…I concur!”
“Goodness!”
Startled by the voice that had suddenly chimed in, Lucy, who had been shouting with unexpected sincerity, spun around.
Tepe, who had followed them into the inn at some point, stood with his fists clenched tight, a choked-up expression on his face.
“Indeed, Your Grace. Those wretches do sometimes act as though they’ve simply left it all to you.”
Lucy eagerly joined in.
“…That’s right. Exactly!”
“What do they think is the reason they can sleep peacefully in safety!”
“I concur! They said they loved him! How does love change like that!”
Even the solemn Gorgo nodded in agreement, making no move to stop the two of them.
Soon, Tepe turned to Lucy, his eyes gleaming.
The displeasure that had once lingered in his gaze had vanished entirely.
“Hey, woman. I apologize for having thought you were a suspicious little rat of unknown originā no, a rat baby… a baby rat.”
“Pardon? That’s information I wasn’t particularly curious to know.”
“I see now that, for a rare thing, you have a properly functioning head on your shoulders.”
“That is a compliment, isn’t it?”
“Judging solely by your words, I had thought you might be a fraud.”
“C-Cough!“
“I think I might actually get along with you rather well…”
It was just as Tepe, saying this, was about to place a hand on Lucy’s shoulder.
Yank.
“Ack!”
In a single motion, Edward pulled Lucy toward himself and fixed Tepe with a cold stare.
