Chapter 113

"?"

Iberin looked up at Caliman with a puzzled expression.

What's his problem, staring at me like that?

Apparently he hadn't expected that kind of reaction at all — visibly flustered, Caliman hurried to take her wrist.

Then his eyes met hers again.

His red eyes glittered with something unsettling.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Ah, I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable. It's a habit of mine."

Caliman dropped his gaze in a hurry, but Iberin's mood had already soured.

"So? Can you tell me what kind of state I'm in?"

"Ah. Your energy is low, but it's nothing serious. I don't see any other illness either…"

"You heard him, Viscount?"

"Hm? Ah, yes."

"Then it seems your business is finished, so I'll be the first to take my leave. Have a safe trip back."

"Wait!"

The moment Iberin shot up from her seat, the viscountess called out sharply.

"Hh. What now."

"You don't know when you'll see us again — aren't you the least bit sorry to see us go?"

"Are you?"

"Of course!"

She didn't look the slightest bit sorry, and yet she claimed she was.

If she was going through such a clumsy act just to stay here, the reason had to be that doctor.

Whatever they'd tried hadn't worked.

What should I do with this…

Iberin narrowed her eyes and looked at the Sherburn family and the man who'd introduced himself as Caliman.

"Would you like to stay for a meal? Of course, Lyssel would have to agree."

"You'd really let us?! We'll ask our son-in-law ourselves!"

The viscountess's face lit up.

"No need. I'll ask him."

A glance at the viscount showed him frowning at his wife's transparency, shooting her warning looks.

With Lyssel here too, I'll feel a bit safer.

And today made it certain.

The Sherburn family were the emperor's people.

They'd come here today to pull something — that much was clear.

"Wait here a moment."

"All right."

She opened the door and stepped out, and Lyssel was already there, clearly anxious, waiting for her.

She hadn't expected him to be standing right outside the door, and after a startled blink, she melted into a soft smile.

"Did the conversation go well?"

"Yes. But my parents say they'd like to stay for a meal."

"A meal?"

"…Yes."

And through the slightly open door, somehow, her eyes met Yunet's for a moment — her face filled with jealousy.

---

They found a quiet spot to talk for a moment.

She had to explain why she'd suddenly invited them to stay.

"It seems pretty clear the viscount and his wife are working with the emperor to pull something."

"Then we should send them away right now."

"…He looked thrown."

"What?"

"He tried something on me, and it apparently didn't work. The three of them are probably talking it over among themselves right now."

"Iberin."

Lyssel's voice carried worry.

Failed attempt or not, they were still people who couldn't be trusted.

"So that's why you want to have a meal with them?"

"They want it that badly, we should at least let them have it."

"…What do you mean?"

The way she'd said it sounded off.

"They pushed this Caliman doctor on me alone and demanded I let him examine me. That means they want to do something to me. I think it's hypnotism."

"…You're right. That makes sense."

In the emperor's current situation, that was the best move he could make to use Iberin.

In some ways it was the worst, but he'd clearly had no other options.

"Your hypnosis is already broken, Lyssel — they wouldn't be able to put you under again."

"…Wait, you're not saying —"

"There's no rule that says I have to be there. They came in the first place because I'd collapsed — so we just say my condition suddenly took a turn."

"I'll do it."

The moment Iberin said she wouldn't be there, Lyssel agreed without hesitation.

"So you'll have to handle it. Keep a close eye on them."

"Leave it to me."

They needed to catch them in the act.

The act of trying to put Iberin under hypnosis.

For that, they needed to keep them in the manor a little longer.

---

After they'd worked out the plan, Lyssel was the only one who returned to the parlor.

"Iberin, where is —"

The viscount immediately asked about her.

"She's not feeling well, so she can't join us for the meal."

"What? She was fine just a moment ago!"

The viscountess's voice rose, sharp.

"You don't know when you'll see us again, and now we can't even share a meal?"

"Yes. It'll be difficult. I'll join you in her place."

"…Ngh."

The viscount let out a strained sound, visibly stuck. But the meal hadn't been called off, and they'd come knowing Iberin was unwell — there was no real ground to complain.

In the end, a quiet meal began among five people.

"You must be overwhelmed. With the matter in the west, and now Iberin so unwell."

He was still a grand duke, after all.

The viscount kept the tone gentle, trying to carry the conversation.

The viscountess, too, was completely different from how she'd been with Iberin.

"How are the monsters? I heard if you live in the south, you run into them all the time!"

Yunet didn't bother hiding her interest in Lyssel and pressed for any conversation she could get.

Lyssel just gave the minimum back.

Caliman was pretending to be at ease, but unease was bleeding through in his movements.

"It must weigh on you, that the Grand Duchess has fallen ill again."

"…Yes."

"Could I examine her once more?"

"You?"

He was angling, openly, for another meeting with Iberin.

It was obvious now — they meant to pull something on Iberin, not on him.

"Yes. I said earlier she was fine, and then she suddenly took a turn — it's bothering me."

The viscount jumped in to back him up.

"He has a point. I'd feel the same way."

"Thank you for understanding. Could it be arranged?"

"I appreciate the concern, but she has her own physician — it's fine."

He had no reason to put her in front of someone they already knew was dangerous.

So he refused, but the viscount and Caliman kept circling back to it all through the meal.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm doing my best for Iberin — so let's leave it there."

When he finally cut it off flatly, they tucked their tails.

"…If I overstepped, my apologies. Your feelings for her come through in your words. I had no idea you cared for our daughter this much. I'm glad she found such a good match."

"I'm lacking in many ways, so the least I can do is this."

But Yunet's face was full of resentment.

"You're a grand duke — what could you possibly be lacking? Compared to my sister, isn't it more than enough?"

She wasn't even trying to hide how grating she found Lyssel being good to Iberin.

Lyssel's expression hardened for an instant, then he smiled.

"No. Iberin is the only person who's ever understood every part of me. Do you think you could have done that, Lady Yunet?"

"…What?"

"Wouldn't you, like everyone else, have believed the rumors and run?"

"…I would never have done that!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes! If I'd become the Grand Duchess, I would've done exactly what my sister did!"

"Then why didn't you come instead?"

"That — that was because our parents were against it!"

"And they weren't against Iberin?"

"That's not what I…"

"Speaking of which, this has been bothering me for a while — stop putting Iberin down."

"…Ah."

"It puts me in a foul mood."

Lyssel turned a knife-edge of a look directly on Yunet.

It was the polar opposite of the soft warmth that lived in his eyes when he looked at Iberin.

Yunet bit her lip without realizing she was doing it.

Even the viscount, who could usually hold a poker face through anything, looked oddly tense in that moment.

In the end, the meal seemed about to wrap up with nothing gained.

That was, until Caliman excused himself to the bathroom — and slipped past the servants to go see Iberin.

---

"Your Highness!!"

Iberin had collapsed.

And it had happened the moment after she'd met with Caliman.

In the middle of the chaos, the viscount and viscountess thanked them for the meal and made a clear move to slip out, fleeing.

"Where do you think you're going."

Lyssel ground his teeth.

"Hm? We've finished our meal, so…"

"You're not leaving. Not one step."

"What?"

"From this moment, if any of you takes a single step out of this room — !"

Lyssel's voice tore through the air like a roar.

"I'll take your heads."

"Now look here, Grand Duke!"

Shing— Lyssel drew his sword, making clear he wasn't bluffing.

"Kyaaah…!"

Yunet let out a strangled cry of terror.

"Move them to a separate room nearby and keep watch. Don't let them try anything."

"Grand Duke! You'll regret this!"

The viscount shouted to the very end, but Lyssel ignored him.

The servants dragged the protesting viscount and his wife, along with Caliman, out of the room.

What in god's name had that man done to make Iberin collapse like that?

The servant who'd followed Caliman had also been found unconscious.

"No poison was detected."

"Then why?"

Watching Iberin twist on the bed in pain, Lyssel was breaking down too.

It was hard every time it happened.

And this time, with no clue what was wrong, it was worse.

Then a thought struck him.

"Hypnosis…."