Theodore left.
All that remained were thoughts that omitted any discernable subjects or objects.
As a result, Rosenta couldn't move from the spot he was standing for a while.
Because he was having all sorts of thoughts.
"No way...….”
He wasn’t an idiot.
No matter how difficult Theodore’s words were to understand, he could roughly grasp their meaning based on his actions before and after speaking, along with his facial expressions.
"No way."
So, at the moment, when a certain conclusion came to mind, he quickly denied it.
It didn't make much sense.
Theodore was a very regimented man, consistent and non-impulsive.
‘So, there is no way he would like me.’
Although I actually am a woman, to him, I’m a friend of the same sex.
"I guess I mis-read the situation."
‘I've never been in a proper relationship in this life. It’s clear that I’ve lost my feel for these situations.’
‘Yeah. This is just a passionate friendship.
It’s not like he’d confessed his love to him, so was there really a reason to worry so much about this?
‘I mean, it’s not like I’m someone who needs to believe everyone likes them.’
He pushed back his hair that kept falling to one side.
Then he turned around.
"I should stop thinking silly things and move on."
He started walking, but he didn’t know exactly where he was.
He only ever went where he needed to go within the Duchy’s castle. He didn’t know its entire layout.
In need of help, he caught a passing servant.
"Take me to the butler's building."
Fortunately, the servant knew the way.
He passed safely through many different paths and walked along the road without any obstruction.
When Rosenta arrived in front of the lodging, he saw someone who’d apparently come out to greet him.
"Enoch?"
Enoch was standing in front of the entrance, as if he’d known Rosenta was coming.
His shirt was disheveled.
"Why are you here? What are you wearing?"
It was obvious that it would be cold with only a shirt because it was evening.
Rosenta quickly removed his coat when he saw his outrageous attire. He then placed it on Enoch's shoulders.
"The crows told me."
Enoch fiddled with the sleeve of the coat and looked at Rosenta with a hazy look.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have a fever.
"First, let’s go inside."
Rosenta guided Enoch.
Of course, after that, Enoch guided him to his room.
Enoch stopped at the door.
Then, holding the doorknob, he turned his head and looked at Rosenta.
"I've been practicing lately."
After saying that, Enoch opened and entered the door.
Rosenta followed suit.
He heard the door closing behind him.
Click.
Enoch snapped his fingers.
"I am experimenting with magic that would allow me to better communicate with my familiars."
The room brightened in an instant.
Because of that, Rosenta could see the clear, light-green gaze on him.
"I didn't spy on the duke."
Without even sitting down properly, Enoch gave him an excuse.
Rosenta nodded.
‘If Enoch had really spied on me, he'd have asked me about Theodore as soon as I came in.’
"Okay, but I wish the crows would stop telling you my whereabouts."
Rosenta put the cake box down on the chest of drawers roughly as he said that.
Enoch remained unphased, as though he wasn't particularly interested in the box.
"The crows are trying to please me, but...….”
The light-green eyes became moist.
A light smile formed around his mouth and disappeared. Then he told him,
"I’ll be careful."
Actually, it was annoying, but Rosenta didn't really care much whether the crows followed him or not.
He only said something because Enoch brought it up first.
So, he nodded roughly.
"Okay. Then try to eat the cake I bought for you as a snack."
‘I should get back to my bedroom and get ready for tomorrow.’
Rosenta took a step back.
But when he showed signs of leaving, Enoch grabbed his wrist.
"Are you going to leave me?"
It was a mournful question.
But, contrary to the way he spoke, Enoch's eyes weren’t mournful at all.
"Enoch."
Rosenta stole a glance at what was behind Enoch.
It was a bed.
Then, in a surprise move, he pushed Enoch's shoulder hard.
"You rest."
***
"Why is the young lord...….”
Rosenta never imagined he'd have breakfast face to face with Lysander.
Unlike Rosenta, who was flustered, Lysander seemed fine. His eyes were fixed only on Enoch.
Rosenta sighed as he swept his hand over his face.
He gave up on asking questions.
He didn't think they would answer him properly anyway.
Instead, he called Enoch.
"Enoch."
"Yes."
Since early this morning, Enoch had been by his side as usual.
Yet, yesterday, he had been told by Enoch that he’d been practicing magic lately.
‘I was concerned for his health for nothing.’
"Is it okay to overdo it?"
"What?"
"Practicing your magic. You might get sick again."
"It's fine. I'm adjusting it in moderation so that it doesn't strain me."
Bam.
The sound of the table being slammed.
It was neither Rosenta nor Enoch. The sudden slam came from Lysander.
Lysander raised himself up.
"When did you get hurt?"
‘Is he worried about Enoch?’
That's what Rosenta thought at first.
He realized right away that wasn't the case.
Lysander shook his head in great sorrow.
"If you had come to me when you were sick, I would have collected a sweat sample."
As soon as Rosenta heard that, he moved as far away from Lysander as he could.
At this gesture, Enoch furiously asked,
"Shall I just kill him?"
"Don't ever do that."
Rosenta thought to himself that, if it was Enoch, he would really do it.
Enoch seemed to perceive Lysander as a nuisance.
But no matter how much Rosenta tried to prevent his death, Lysander, the person concerned, poured gasoline on the fire.
“……Is that the restraining power of love?"
Rosenta barely managed to stop himself from spewing out the water he’d just drank.
‘He’s insane.’
He quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin and shook his head.
‘I'll have to send him back quickly. I think I'll go crazy if I stay near him.’
It made sense why Vivian treated Lysander the way she did.
"As expected, I...….”
Then he saw it.
The green mana wrapped around Enoch's hands, as if he was going to attack at any moment.
***
It was a breakfast that left his stomach in knots.
Still, Rosenta held out with the thought that Lysander would leave after the meal.
That was his delusion.
Lysander was by his side until dusk, though it would be more accurate to say that he was really by Enoch's side.
Rosenta couldn't stand it, so he asked,
"Young lord, aren't you going home?"
"No."
If it wasn't for Lysander, Rosenta had planned to go see Aphra. He wanted to further flush out the plans they talked about yesterday.
However, the problem was how to get rid of Lysander.
Even now, he didn't want to fall off like a good leech.
"Everyone will be worried."
"My family is happy if I stay out overnight."
“……I heard that you will be leaving for the Magic Tower soon. Shouldn't you spend it with your family?"
Rosenta had heard from Vivian.
Because he had been away for a long time, they’d called him home.
This time, Rosenta tried this new strategy, bringing up his family, on Lysander.
But he was a strong enemy.
"Everyone went out today because they all had appointments, there's no one in the mansion."
‘Is this the only way?’
Lysander had a strong mental fortitude. That's why the puppet curse he’d cast last time had so little effect.
Simple words, then.
That might work better for someone like Lysander.
"Enoch."
Before that, he called Enoch.
"Cover your ears."
Rosenta quickly spit out the words before Lysander noticed something was strange.
"Look at me."
Lysander's focus was blurred.
Rosenta reached out to him and put his hand on Lysander's eyelids.
Then he spat out more words.
"You're going to sleep well tonight."
Lysander's body began to crumble like a sandcastle.
Before he fell to the marble floor, Rosenta hurriedly grabbed Lysander by the forearm.
Then Enoch quickly removed his hand.
Eventually, Lysander flopped to the floor with a huge thud.
"Ugh."
Rosenta’s whole body flinched at the sound.
Lysander had fallen so hard that Rosenta was worried that he might end up with a lot of bruises.
But Enoch was cold.
"I'll order the servants to clean this up and, of course, send him to Marquis Marigold's estate."
After that, it was a quick success.
After loading Lysander into the carriage, they also loaded themselves into a different carriage.
Of course, it was obvious where they were going.
To an office building that now prominently displayed a sign with the word 'Courier'. And down a corridor to its cellar.
Gradually, as Rosenta was walking down the hall, he saw orange hair.
Aphra had been waiting for them for a long time and was stamping his feet.
Then he saw Rosenta and rushed over.
"Duke! I've been waiting for you!"
Aphra had rushed into the basement to see what was so exciting.
Rosenta and Enoch also headed to the basement.
As they arrived in the basement and caught sight of its contents, it seemed more obvious to Rosenta why Aphra was excited.
Skeletons filled the underground.
Among them, there were more wearing armor than before.
"You got more armor."
"Yes! It's a tough schedule, but the blacksmith is keeping pace well."
"I see."
Rosenta clapped his hands.
Then he approached the skeletons that had been ordered to sleep.
He spoke words that only targeted the skeletons wearing armor.
"Get up."
Then he heard the sound of the hidden bones in the armor shifting.
Clang, clang, clang.
Perhaps it was the sound of the boney joints hitting the armor.
Aphra shuddered as if he was appalled, but he relaxed and laughed.
He said, counting them,
"First of all, I think leaving this many asleep will be fine."
The first preparation was complete.
But before moving on to the next step, there was something else left to do.
Rosenta reached out to Aphra.
"Take my hand."
Even though he hadn’t specified whom he was speaking to, the position of his hand clearly indicated that it was aimed at Aphra.
But Enoch grabbed that hand while wearing a face that said he knew nothing.
Rosenta gazed at the grabbed hand and asked Enoch a question.
"What are you doing right now?"
"You told me to take it."
"I didn't mean you."
"Is that so?"
Light-green eyes, with darkness behind them, blinked.
There was a lot of jealousy in his eyes. Like a dog that had lost its owner.
Rosenta didn't know if he should find it cute or annoying.
But he did know one thing; it was not the time to be holding Enoch's hand.
He spoke sternly.
"Remove your hand."
“……of course."
The action was as slow as the answer.
Enoch began to relax his hand very slowly, as if to slow his sorrows.
When his grasp felt moderately relaxed, Rosenta shook off Enoch's hand.
This time, he held out his hand and specified Aphra.
"Aphra, grab it."
"What? Yes...….”
While holding his hand, Aphra kept glancing at Rosenta’s back.
It looked like he was looking at something.
The area behind him, where Aphra was glancing, was in the direction of Enoch.
He didn’t know why he was paying attention to Enoch, but he skipped that part for now.
It wasn't the time to pay attention to Enoch.
"Focus on me, Aphra."
Suddenly, he pulled Aphra's hand.
Maybe he was being careless, but Aphra's body was quickly before him.
Rosenta didn't miss the opportunity.
He quickly grabbed Aphra’s cheek. His hands were full of Aphra’s fluffy cheeks.
He called his name using his cursed influence.
"Aphra Cardia."
"What?"
Aphra's pupils were greatly dilated, perhaps because he was very surprised.
Rosenta didn't intend to let him go though.
Once he started casting cursed words, he had to keep reciting.
"I'll pass to you some of my authority over the skeletons."
"Your authority?"
Skeletons without an ego needed a manager to give orders.
However, Rosenta couldn’t come every time.
He grinned and clarified the authority with precise words.
"The authority to give them orders."