Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Although there was no reply from the Duke, still, his serene face seemed to give her an answer ‘of course.’

Iellie once again bowed her head and kissed the Duke’s forehead.

“Sleep well.”

In a small whisper, she greeted the dead and turned towards Zachary.

“I wish the Duke rest in peace. May he remain in the deepest peace forever.”

“Thank you. Your prayer will lead my father into rest.”

After a formal greeting, the two gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment. A heavy stillness made it difficult to breathe. Perhaps because he was conscious of her, Zachary had been pretending to be fine until now.

However, when his father’s coffin was placed in front of him, he could no longer pretend to be calm. He muttered like a groan.

“…Len.”

Zachary in front of her was the new Duke Hessenweitz, but at the same time, he was a young man who had lost his father.

‘Even though Zachary has passed his coming of age…’

His body trembled as if he was about to collapse, and the pale face tried to suppress his emotions. A sadness as pale as white snow sank in the deepest part of the blue eyes. The choked Iellie chewed her lips.

“Zachary.”

Zachary, who looked at her silently, impulsively reached out to Iellie. He hugged Iellie as she patted him softly. Then, he whispered low like a wounded beast.

“Wait a moment…”

“….”

“Because it’ll only take a while…”

His voice trembled thinly. Instead of answering, she dug into his arms. When she stretched out her hand and hugged Zachary as hard as she could, the beast-like moan crawled from the depths of his neck.

“…Ugh.”

But this time, he did not cry. Zachary just took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions.

“Father.”

As he whispered lowly, the chrysanthemum in his hand was badly crushed.

“Sorry…”

It was an apology that had been scraped from the depths of the floor. He didn’t know what he was so sorry about though the voice of the young man who had lost even the way to cry was just desperate. The feeling of loss that pierced his chest haunted him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, really…”

Zachary muttered in a daze. The sense of loss that haunted him was too deep and too dark.

“…I’m sorry.”

Without a single tear, his bright eyes swept over his dead father’s face. However, Iellie could recognize the deep sorrow and loneliness hidden in his gaze… how much he was suffering now.

‘Zachary…’

So, she just clasped her body to him and shared her own body temperature.

To the young man who was forced to wear ice armor in the cold, she hoped that the armor melted a little. Eventually, the long and lengthy funeral was now only the final procedure. They needed to bury the Duke’s coffin in the grave.

“The resonant and just Duke Hessenweitz has left us.”

A long eulogy followed. The Duke was objectively close to a good monarch. She could tell just by looking at the faces of the nobles gathered here. There was a difference between just pretending to be sad and actually feeling it.

“Under the Duke’s rule, the Duchy enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and its citizens…”

The rain continued pouring.

The Duke’s coffin, wrapped in silk and flowers, descended slowly down the deep pit. People watched as the coffin was buried in the ground with umbrellas on.

“…May you have a peaceful rest.”

As the eulogy was finally over, dirt was sprinkled over the Duke’s coffin.

Meanwhile, Zachary watched the process of the Duke’s tomb being made in a daze, and people squinted at the new Duke with worried looks.

“Honestly, I didn’t know that the previous Duke would leave so suddenly.”

“It is fortunate that the current Duke succeeded to the title safely.”

“I hope the new Duke should be able to stay without major clashes with the Imperial Family…”

As they said, Zachary had a history of clashes with the Imperial Family several times. The Priest concluded.

“With this, Theron Hessenweitz, the former Duke, has gone a long way. May he take the path in peace.”

The funeral was over. Zachary glanced back. The pale face glanced at the faces of those present at the funeral. It was a gaze full of emotions.

Then, he opened his mouth.

“Thank you, everyone, for sending my father on his final journey.”

Zachary politely bowed his head. His white breath broke and flew in the cold air.

“The butler will look after you on your way back.”

All those who had greeted Zachary scattered to their ways. Iellie stared at his side quietly. Strangely, he looked like a withered winter tree. He looked like he was about to break.

“Zachary…”

“I’m fine, Len.”

Zachary took a step back. Iellie looked up at Zachary silently.

“Can you leave me alone for a moment?”

Saying that, his eyes were just silent… Those cold eyes, just like the frozen sea.

“Don’t take too long, okay?”

“Yes.”

He smiled faintly. Iellie looked at Zachary’s back, which was moving away with a worried face.

At first, he thought Iellie was worried, so Zachary held the umbrella and walked calmly. However, when he came to his senses, he realized he was running. His breath pierced the inside of his neck painfully.

“Gasp, hoo, hoo…”

He let out a rough breath. It had been a long time since the umbrella had already been thrown somewhere, and cold raindrops poured down like arrows all over his body. Still, he didn’t want to show her how broken he was.

“…Ha.”

As a result of running haphazardly to get as far away from Iellie as possible, he suddenly regained his sanity in a corner of the large garden. His whole body was chilled by the pouring rain.

Zachary blinked his eyes.

“Where is this?”

He didn’t know where it was, but at least he liked the fact that it was sparsely populated. Zachary sat casually under the bare tree… No, to be more precise, it was more accurate to say that he collapsed.

“Father.”

Zachary muttered blankly. The last hours he spent with his father were pouring out.

“Father…”

His father was always cold… Rather, he pushed him to the end, those were the deeds shown by his father’s affection at the end. Zachary was confused as people’s words echoed in his ears.

“The Duke has passed away, but he doesn’t shed a single tear.”

“Even though the father-and-son didn’t get along well, that was a bit harsh.”

He bit his lip.

…Yes. It would have been better to just draw a line to the end as a father-and-son with a bad relationship.

“Why wouldn’t they leave me alone so that I can hate my father until the very end.”

He didn’t want to think about anything. Over and over again, thoughts rushed to his father. He tried to pretend he was okay when he met Iellie again though it was the limit now. All kinds of emotions rush in like a tidal wave.

“…If that were the case, I wouldn’t have to suffer so much.”

He scoffed. The ridicule was directed at himself.

Zachary, who had burst out laughing out loud, leaned his head against the tree. He was terribly tired. A lingering guilt corroded him like poison.

Iellie peered out of the window with an anxious face. Two hours had already passed, but Zachary did not intend to return to the Duke’s castle. The rain was getting weaker, but he must’ve been cold for that whole time.

‘…Why won’t Zachary come back?’

She didn’t mind him having alone time. Nonetheless, staying outside in this cold weather for so long…

‘What if he hurt himself…’

She furrowed her eyebrows.

Zachary looked tired, as he hadn’t had enough food and sleep. Besides, no one in the Duke’s Castle knew where he was.

‘I can’t, I have to go look for him.’

Carrying her umbrella, she soon left the room. The raindrops, which flew like mist, colored her vision white.

How much time has passed? His vision was all blurry. Zachary took a deep breath. His eyes were hot.

‘I’m sure Len is worried.’

But contrary to his thoughts, it was difficult to lift even a single finger. He laughed bitterly. He can feel the exhaustion that crushes his whole body. He was happy to see his thoughts about his father clouded over with exhaustion.

‘I should go back…’

He thought blankly, but soon, he heard the sound of footsteps.

Zachary blinked his eyes.

“…Len.”

An umbrella came out suddenly into his view. It was a green umbrella resembling a tender bud. The umbrella immediately fell over Zachary’s head. The cold raindrops that had been pounding on his body were gone.

“Oh my God, Zachary. What are you doing here?”

A white, slender hand caressed his forehead. A voice full of concern rebuked him.

“The weather is cold, but when it rains like this, your whole body gets cold!”

“….”

“Where do you leave your umbrella, and what are you doing alone in a corner like this?”

Zachary blinked slowly. Iellie tilted the umbrella to its fullest and placed it on his head.

“I was worried, you said you would come back early, but you didn’t come back for two hours…”

“Len.”

As Zachary called her, his voice was terribly low.

Iellie gazed at him silently.

“I’m okay.”

“Yes?”

Iellie looked surprised, but he only showed a smirk. With a puzzled look, she picked up her handkerchief. She was angry as he wiped his wet face.

“I’m okay, what? You’re drenched! You dare smile in this situation?!”

“It’s just nice to see your face.”

His head was dizzy. Seeing himself talking haphazardly, it seems like he will make a slip of the tongue sooner or later. Instead of saying more, Zachary decided to return to the Duke’s Castle, and he got up.

“Let’s go back.”

“…Zachary?”

Iellie looked suspicious. Even though he said himself that he was fine, he shouldn’t be left in the rain like this. Even if not, her body was weak, so if he caught a cold, it would be a big deal for her.

“The weather is cold. What if you catch a cold?”

“You’re all wet. Are you worried about my cold now?”

“Because I am healthy.”

Zachary answered that way, and for a moment, he felt his eyes go round and round. He bit his lips. No. His body completely betrayed his will. It was because of the extremely little sleep and the body cooled by the rain.

“Zachary!”

Surprised, Iellie supported his body, but Zachary waved his hand and pushed her away.

“It’s okay. I just stumbled on my foot.”

“You really…”

As she clung to him and held the umbrella, Zachary thought he should never show himself collapsing in front of her. He straightened his back and smiled at her.

“…Yes, so let’s go back soon. You’re very pale, you know?”

With that said, Iellie took his hand though she looked startled.

“Hey, your hands are hot.”

“Really?”

Like a joking child, he waved his clasped hands, and Iellie narrowed her forehead. When she first saw him, she thought he was a bit odd, but now, he looked very unstable.

‘Besides, I don’t like the complexion.’

His body temperature was strangely high, and his face, which had been in the rain for a long time, was as white as a blank sheet of paper. She pulled his hand.

“You seem to be in very bad shape. Let’s get in quickly.”

“….”

“You have a fever. You might be really sick.”

Iellie’s face was full of concern.

Zachary lowered his gaze slightly, then reached out and stroked her cheek. The rain fell, and his hot palms brushed over her cold cheeks.

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