The craftsmanship of the man who created the figurine of a dove with half-spread wings made of pure silver, in truth, could be called remarkably exquisite.
Among the domains of the Duke in the North, there were small islands, including rocky islets, which were not easily accessible by boat and were not very productive for fishing.
The nickname of those islands was ‘Carlyle’s Silver Cup’.
Contrary to appearances, the amount of silver deposits in the mines there was considerable.
However, compared to other mines owned by the Duke in the rugged territories of the North, the silver mine of Carlyle Island was modest.
That’s why it was given a cute name like ‘Silver Cup’.
Although everyone knew that the island had a substantial amount of silver, the Duke had never given a direct order to mine it for nearly 20 years.
Frankly speaking, this was due to the traditional ownership of these islands, owned by the mistress of the northern lands.
It was like the Duchess’ personal property, an emergency fund, and such.
But since for the past two decades, the place next to Duke Carlyle has been empty, no one has actually worked on the mines.
Juliet became aware of the existence of the silver mine when she had been staying in the Duke’s northern castle for about three years.
* * *
“Greetings, madam!”
An old man dressed in clothes that seemed to have passed out of fashion about a hundred years ago came to the castle.
As soon as the old man saw Juliet, he made a formal bow.
Elliot rushed over to explain to the bewildered Juliet.
The old man was the chief of the island, and every ten years, when he came to the Duke’s castle to report on the fiscal settlement, he insisted that he couldn’t leave until he greeted and paid his respects to the lady of the Duchy, who was the owner of the island.
“Just receive him casually. After all, His Highness won’t even ask about it.”
Elliot whispered quietly.
“During the last visit, Lady Merrill, the housekeeper, received the greeting instead, so… Hurry up! Otherwise, that nobleman won’t leave. Surely, you don’t intend to turn today’s elderly visitors into guests?”
It was the first and last time Juliet tried to stop Elliot.
Juliet nodded in agreement, and the old man smiled brightly as he firmly grabbed Juliet’s hand.
“This is our heartfelt gift to the lady.”
As he said that, carriages filled with various carved crafts began to line up behind the old man.
Startled, Juliet tried to persuade the old man and concluded the situation by accepting the smallest pair of graceful doves decorations placed at the top of the first carriage.
“I like this! So… this is enough.”
The old man had a slightly disappointed expression, but he nodded with satisfaction when he saw the pigeon Juliet chose.
“Indeed, the lady has exceptional taste! Doves are a symbol of peace. With such an excellent mistress, the household must be peaceful… Seeing you, I feel like I can retire from the world without any regrets.”
After the old man, Genofi, who shed tears continuously, finally left, Elliot grumbled mischievously.
“He’ll still be alive for their next visit.”
After the noisy reception, Juliet, who was left alone in the hall, fiddled with the doves decoration in her hand for a while.
One of the silver doves, spreading its wings harmoniously, was slightly different in shape.
They were made separately but designed to overlap as a pair.
Juliet observed them attentively and placed the two pigeons together, making a clicking sound as they fit perfectly. The two pairs of wings, slightly overlapping, looked affectionate, and Juliet chuckled to herself.
Suddenly, she felt someone’s gaze and looked up, startled, quickly hiding what she held behind her back.
“This… um…”
“I understand.”
A man who had been leaning against the entrance of the hall, appearing from who knows where, cut her off.
How much did he see?
Flustered, Juliet averted her gaze, and the man approached her with confident strides, extending his hand.
Juliet reluctantly revealed the hidden pigeon decoration, her lips trembling.
Why did she hide it in the first place?
She felt embarrassed, like a child caught stealing.
Afraid to see his expression, Juliet kept her head lowered as the man carefully examined what he held in his hand.
After carefully observing the doves’ wings, the man asked.
“Do you like this cheap trinket?”
In response to the mocking question, Juliet had to suppress a surge of cold anger.
“Answer me, Juliet Monad.”
She didn’t want to lift her head, but his hand forcefully tilted her chin upward.
Lennox’s face, which she was forced to face, had a smile, but his eyes showed no amusement.
He always smiled like that when he was in a bad mood.
At that moment, a thousand thoughts crossed Juliet’s mind.
What could possibly bother him again?
The first possibility that came to mind was that incident.
Did he feel offended that she greeted the government representatives as if she were the Duchess herself?
Did he think she overstepped her bounds?
Or did it seem like she coveted the Duke’s fortune?
Should she make an excuse, even if she didn’t intend to steal?
“…It’s not cheap.”
Of course, compared to the Duke’s vast wealth, it was hardly worth a feather…
“Give it back. It’s mine.”
Juliet looked directly into his eyes and spoke.
For a brief moment, she thought he might throw away what he held and tell her to leave his estate.
“…Fine.”
However, Lennox quietly returned the decoration to her hand.
After that afternoon, he left the Duke’s residence without saying anything, using the excuse of inspecting his territory. They didn’t meet again until a month later.
And a few months after that, one of the pairs of doves she had carefully placed in a jewelry box mysteriously disappeared.
However, Juliet didn’t regret what she had said that day.
* * *
As Juliet quietly observed the loosely hanging handle of her luggage, she removed the doce decoration and placed it separately inside a pocket inside the bag.
It was an accessory she had obtained through deceit. It wasn’t particularly valuable.
But she remembered being greatly upset when she lost half of the item she had guarded so fiercely, like a child throwing a tantrum.
She thought she should place the remaining one in a visible spot, so she attached it to the handle of her luggage.
She didn’t want to lose the last remaining dove.
Juliet stared blankly out the window.
Lennox, who had chased after her the previous night, seemed angry, but it was only temporary.
Lennox Carlyle was not accustomed to being rejected, which momentarily caught him off guard. He was a man who had never really lost anything before.
The previous night, Lennox Carlyle had changed his plans and ordered her to accompany him straight back to the North.
But she had escaped from him, even resorting to harsh and bitter lies.
So, perhaps Lennox was now angry at Juliet’s actions and had led the Duke’s entourage to the North.
But if he was still in the capital…
“…By now, they probably have met.”
They must have met.
Dahlia Fran.
His true lover.
* * *
Contrary to the image known to the public, Lennox Carlyle was a rather exemplary nobleman.
People would spread malicious rumors, calling him the debauched child of a demon or a licentious tyrant in the temple, but Lennox Carlyle, the ruler of the North, led a surprisingly mundane and simple life.
Apart from the time he spent working, Lennox Carlyle’s leisure activities were primarily divided into two categories.
Either he would go hunting in the forests teeming with monsters, or he would spend days locked in his bedroom with his beloved.
Although he could be somewhat demanding, he was a fairly decent superior.
He never lost control of his senses, never touched drugs, and had no gambling addiction.
Even the occasional hunting he enjoyed could be seen as a legitimate exercise of his ruling authority.
After all, the North was a land teeming with monsters. The people of the northern territories loved their lord, who put so much effort into subjugating the monsters.
As for the latter case, well…
Apart from the fact that marriage was out of the question and there was no talk of engagement, it was a fairly pleasant arrangement.
But Elliot thought it would be better if his master were a drug addict or an alcoholic.
Then, he probably wouldn’t be tormenting so many people in the middle of the night like this.
“Krrr~!”
“Ugh!”
Once again, the screams of monsters echoed from the dark forest.
Elliot instinctively let out a scream in response. Only one person would know what was happening inside.
“…At this rate, the monsters near the capital will dry up.”
Jude muttered with a grave expression.
“Aren’t we supposed to receive a payment from the imperial family?”
Elliot was taken aback and clicked his tongue.
Jude, the youngest knight, was usually cheerful and adorable, but sometimes he threw confusing jokes or serious remarks that were hard to distinguish.
Elliot felt a little bitter.
“No wonder I felt uneasy.”
The previous night, Lennox, who had gone to the train station to pick up Juliet, returned alone. And since then, he had been in that state.
He had been trapped in the forest near the capital, where monsters appeared, and he was slashing them down wherever they came.
“Tsk. It’s so obvious, yet they pretend not to know, again.”
Perhaps even Juliet herself wasn’t aware, but Carlyle’s daily life had gradually become addicted to her presence.
And when Juliet left, Duke Carlyle didn’t know what to do and ended up trapped in the forest.
“…I wish he had at least been drinking.”
“Or he could go inside and get some sleep.”