Chirp, Chirp.
Rosenta barely managed to open his eyes as he heard the birds chirping.
His eyes didn't open easily, as though they had glue on them. Maybe it was because he’d cried yesterday.
‘In his arms, yesterday...… Oh!’
Enoch came to mind.
He’d slept peacefully on a warm bed, but what about Enoch?
If he’d gone outside, there would have already been a commotion. He wouldn't have slept in the basement, would he?
He tried to get up quickly.
But he couldn't get up. Something suddenly appeared before him and began to caress his eyes.
"Stay like this for a second."
It was Enoch's hand.
He pressed Rosenta’s eyes with his green mana-filled hands.
Coolness came.
While accepting his touch, he asked Enoch a question.
"Did you stay here this entire time?"
"No. I went to the Magic Tower for a while once I saw the duke fall asleep."
That meant that Enoch didn't have much time to sleep.
Rosenta removed the hand on his eyes.
Then he sat up and faced Enoch in front of him.
He wasn’t sure if he was just imagining it, but Enoch's pale green eyes seemed a little more tired than usual.
"That's enough. I think my eyes have recovered from their fatigue."
He immediately pushed Enoch away.
"You didn’t have to come if you were so busy that you needed to go straight back to the Magic Tower."
He was no longer his butler.
‘It’s natural that there are many things to do as the Tower Lord. Maybe I’ve created unnecessary work for him by reaching out.’
While Rosenta was feeling sorry, Enoch suddenly came up to him.
Then, he mentioned someone.
"Anna."
Rosenta paused.
He was confused as to why that name came out of Enoch's mouth.
Enoch, who noticed his confusion, explained with a gentle smile.
"I'm done with my business at the Magic Tower now. I was rummaging through Anna's head last night."
Enoch reached out.
He started sweeping over Rosenta’s eyes again as if he were going to finish the work he’d started earlier.
Enoch pressed carefully against his eyes, which were still swollen.
"At first, I was looking for the people who’d originally commissioned the tower, but I also found traces of Hyorin. Then I realized something."
In a languid voice, Enoch unleashed an unimaginable story without hesitation.
"There must be something you don't know. And that it would come back to haunt you one day."
Unbeknownst to Rosenta, his mouth began to open little-by-little as he stared blankly at Enoch.
Enoch, who was observing his increasingly surprised expression, burst into laughter.
However, he quickly subdued his laughter and continued to talk.
"I searched and searched and, finally, at the end of the trail, I finally managed to catch Anna."
"Even if it’s Anna….”
What Enoch was saying had many implications, and Rosenta quickly understood them.
He had already guessed it as well.
So, he didn't bother trying to ask Enoch and specific questions. He just closed his eyes with deep conviction.
"Duke?"
He heard Enoch's call.
But he didn't open his eyes. He was still busy organizing his thoughts in his head.
"Rosenta?"
‘Caligo, my father, is alive.’
Even if his death was fake, the problem lies elsewhere.
The Death of the former emperor...….
‘Is there a direct connection? If I think of the book I've read and my father...….’
There’s no way there isn’t a connection.
Yes, he had to admit it now, and he had to face it.
"Rosa."
He opened his eyes.
Then, while looking into Enoch's pale green eyes, he made a request.
"I need to see Anna."
***
Immediately, they discussed going to see Anna in the afternoon.
There was already the issue of Enoch being tired from using long-distance travel magic in quick succession, but the morning was also a difficult time for Rosenta.
He had a set appointment, none other than the meal with Yura.
In the morning, they could eat separately because they usually woke up at different times.
But it was different at lunch.
The host should pay more attention to the guests who came to the castle, and it was polite for the guests to have lunch or dinner with them.
He couldn't miss their meal again today because he’d already skipped it yesterday.
"Everything looks delicious."
Unlike her words, Yura's tone did not contain any enthusiasm.
It felt more like acting.
"If there’s any food you don't like, please let me know."
"Yes."
That was the end of the conversation.
After that, no more words were exchanged throughout the meal.
In the end, he had no choice but to speak to Yura first in a friendly tone.
Regardless of who the other person was, the onus fell upon the host during such meetings.
"May I ask why you want to stay in my castle?"
He wasn't even really curious.
He just assumed that she’d want to change Theodore's cold gaze, or that she wanted to evoke jealousy.
But unlike Rosenta, who’d thought it was a minor question, Yura looked quite embarrassed.
Clank.
She even dropped the knife she was holding onto the floor.
He quickly gestured to someone behind him.
"Bring new tableware for the Saint."
"Yes, sir."
Even as the maid took the tableware away, Yura said nothing.
She just looked down with a serious look. Her hands were wearing white lace gloves.
It was only after a long time that she looked up.
Then Yura smiled softly and uttered words that seemed, almost playful, in a way.
"Rouge wanted me to stay here."
‘Does that mean you received a message?’
But he didn't believe this because he’d seen the book.
All gods, including Harmonia, were asleep, so they could not give a message.
The same was true of Rouge.
"There are no gods anymore.”
It was the power and purpose of the gods that people believed and followed.
However, as people did not believe and did not comply, the reason for their existence was gone.
The gods slowly began to fall into deep sleep one by one...….
Only two gods were left.
At first, I waited and waited without losing faith.
But Rouge's believers grew stronger, and Estella's believers were increasingly persecuted.
Eventually, Estella turned her back on humans in anger.
The same was true of Rouge.
Although they were siblings of opposite dispositions, they were gods born under the god of harmony.
That’s right.
Unbeknownst to humans, the gods left them of their own accord.
Because they were disappointed in human beings who kill each other out of greed.
He even clearly remembered the title of this section, "There are no gods anymore."
That's how shocking it was.
As the smile on his face gradually began to fade, Yura raised her hand.
Then she exclaimed playfully,
"Just kidding!"
He felt like he was watching a movie with a disappointing ending. He’d been so nervous and suspicious that he couldn’t believe she’d said something like that.
‘Were Yura and I close enough to make such a joke in the first place?’
An unpleasant feeling arose.
That said, he couldn't get angry with the person who held the position of saint.
He laughed cheerfully.
"That's a funny joke. I almost believed it."
"My acting worked."
Although they’d said it was funny, they didn’t speak much after that.
Until the main course was over.
It was around the time dessert came out that the conversation started flowing again.
It was Yura who opened the conversation first.
"At the party...….”
He put down his teacup at the sound of her voice.
Looking ahead, he saw Yura's black eyes, her smiling brightly.
"If you don't mind, may I ask you to escort me?"
It was an unexpected request.
‘No, it’s only natural. She’s staying at the Ducal Castle; it’s only natural that she’d ask me to escort her.’
But he declined cautiously.
“……I'm sorry."
There was a reason why he couldn't, and it definitely wasn’t to escort Vivian or anyone else.
It was because he was not going to attend this banquet.
Not as Rosenta Estella...….
"I'm busy with work so, I don't plan to attend the upcoming banquet. If you don't mind, I'll arrange another person...….”
"It's all right."
Yura politely declined.
She didn't seem to have any lingering feelings or disappointment. She didn't even mention anything else.
Even though she was rejected by him, she looked like a person who didn't care.
Silence fell again.
He quietly looked at Yura, and Yura's hand holding a teacup came into his view.
He became puzzled.
"Isn't it uncomfortable wearing gloves?"
He didn’t seem to remember having seen Yura's bare hands these days.
She never took off her gloves, even at meals like now.
"That's...….”
Yura looked down and fiddled with the tips of her glove.
Then she mumbled without looking at him. It seemed like she was making excuses.
"I haven't taken care of my hands properly recently, and they’ve been chapped a lot. I'm too embarrassed to show them...….”
"I see."
It became quiet again.
There hadn't been much progress in the conversation since then, and he hadn't tried to bring up anything else either.
Regardless, Yura seemed to be uncomfortable, if not apathetic, towards him.
The feeling was mutual.
Yura felt awkward and uncomfortable, and her negative feelings outweighed her positive ones.
Maybe that was why.
Since Rosenta didn’t feel the need to find something else to talk about, they finished the meal in silence.