Chapter 45 - The Witch of the Ducal House
"Volfred, it has been three weeks, hasn’t it?"
A sweet, soft voice flowed from behind a black fan.
Altea Gastoni.
She was the mother of the current head of the Gastoni family, said to be the most powerful among the four ducal houses of this kingdom.
In her forties, she had lost her husband to illness, and the ducal estate had been passed to her son. However, given his youth as the head of the house, Altea, alongside the previous head's brother, managed much of the administration and presided over numerous social gatherings.
Her beauty had hardly faded, her age impossible to guess.
Whether it was due to her power or her beauty, Altea was often whispered about as the "Witch of Gastoni."
It was a well-known rumor among the nobility that Altea and Volf shared a close relationship.
In fact, Volf frequently visited her.
Today, as always, he stood before her, dressed entirely in black silk.
"Anything exciting happened recently?"
Her low, measured voice resonated.
Her dazzlingly long golden hair fell in soft waves, spilling over the white porcelain skin that her black dress clung to.
Deep emerald eyes, framed by long, thick lashes, carried a slightly drowsy allure.
"I went on a brief trip with a wyvern."
"Yes, I heard. It sounded quite thrilling, but do take care not to overdo it."
A vivid smile graced her lips painted a shade of reddish-orange as her fan dipped slightly.
"And how have you been, Altea-sama?"
"Nothing much has changed. Though... I may ask for your escort to a ball soon."
"Have the little birds begun fluttering about?"
"Something like that."
Escorting Altea to a ball entailed little more than waiting by her carriage after the event and accompanying her back to her estate. Sometimes it involved sharing wine, or simply retiring to their respective rooms.
By morning, he would be escorted to the royal castle in her carriage, fostering rumors of convenience for them both.
"What about you? Are you still attracting flowers to your side?"
"...No. Much has happened, but I can now walk the streets alone."
"Oh, my. I won’t ask how, but that is delightful news worth celebrating."
With just a glance from Altea, the attendant at her side prepared a wine glass and a bottle of white wine on the table.
"I’ve always wanted to stroll leisurely through the capital alone, too."
That wish was one that could never be fulfilled. Knowing this, the lady nonetheless lifted her glass with a cheerful demeanor.
"A toast to your return from your little trip."
"To my good fortune."
The sound of their glasses meeting echoed briefly before they drank.
After a silent moment spent savoring the wine, Volf resumed the conversation.
"On my return, I met a most delightful woman."
"Oh my, it’s rare for you to say such a thing. Have you spent the night with her already?"
"We simply talked, all through the night, and became friends."
"That’s wonderful. You’ve made another good friend."
"Yes, meeting her was truly fortunate."
The young man smiled warmly, and Altea gazed at him with a touch of nostalgia in her eyes.
・・・・・・・
Volf first met Altea a month after joining the Chivalric Order's Monster Subjugation Force.
An invitation to afternoon tea arrived without warning in a white envelope bearing the ducal family's seal.
He had never accepted such invitations before, but one line moved him:
"Let us talk about Vanessa," was written in her beautiful handwriting.
Vanessa was the name of Volf's mother.
He had heard that his mother had served as Altea's guard and that their association had been a long one.
To be honest, he felt a sense of caution, but in the end, he was drawn by the mention of his mother's name and decided to meet.
He was greeted by a carriage from the ducal family and invited directly to the mansion.
When they first met, he was genuinely surprised by her ageless beauty, and despite not resembling her at all, she reminded him of his mother.
And then, Altea also said upon their first meeting:
"You look very much like your mother."
As they sat at the table, Volf pretended to sip his tea while listening to her speak.
"I've been friends with your mother since our days at the primary academy. I requested for a lady knight to serve at my side, and after graduating from the high academy, I insisted on her not doing bridal training. In the end, though, she was swept off her feet by your father."
"I see."
"We were close friends. Regardless of status or gender, we were always together from the moment we met, and I thought we would continue walking the same path even after graduating from the high academy..."
The way she spoke about Vanessa resembled how one might speak of a lover, leaving Volf at a loss for words. He simply stared at her in silence.
"To me... Vanessa was a very precious person."
Altea removed a gold locket hidden at her chest and placed it on the table.
When the lid was opened, the portrait of three adorable young children appeared. They were likely Altea's sons. The children had golden hair, blue eyes, and green eyes.
However, when the rose-colored nails turned the lid, another portrait appeared.
There, in the portrait, was his mother from her younger days.
She was wearing the high academy uniform, but even so, it felt nostalgic to Volf.
At first glance, her expression seemed emotionless, but in reality, she was smiling just a little—his mother's expression.
Only those who were close and familiar with her knew that.
"I... understand."
Whether it was friendship or affection, he couldn't tell.
He simply decided to accept that the woman in front of him still cherished his mother.
"I have a favor to ask. Could you tell me about your days with her? About her final moments?"
Volf recounted his memories of his mother, including her last days.
Altea listened attentively, occasionally nodding but never interrupting.
She didn't ask about the matters concerning his household, but it was likely that she already knew. There was no question raised about it.
By the time he finished, afternoon tea had long passed, and the sun was setting.
He had unknowingly consumed three cups of tea.
"Thank you for sharing. It’s already late—let us dine together. Are you good with alcohol?"
"I can manage."
"Then you’re fine."
It was unexpected to share a private dinner with her, but during the meal, Altea shared her own stories of Vanessa.
They had sighed simultaneously over their primary academy's math assignments and begun talking to each other. She was affectionately called "Vi" by those close to her. She often came to class with messy bedhead, and it was Altea who had taught her how to braid her hair. They had stayed up late reading books about adventurers, resulting in both of them being late for class the next day. She screamed during extracurricular lessons, unable to handle her fear of insects. All of these were sides of his mother that Volf had never known.
"Vanessa was so stunning that she often stood out, to the point where she once said she wished she could change her face. Before she became my guard, she was frequently courted aggressively by high-ranking nobles. I imagine you, being so similar to her, must face similar troubles, don’t you?"
At the end of her story, she had asked him this, and Volf was certain that his face had twisted in displeasure.
It wasn’t magical talent he had inherited—it was this troublesome aspect. How utterly disappointing.
"To be honest, it’s incredibly tiresome."
"Shall I introduce you to a suitable marriage prospect?"
"I... intend to leave the Scalfarotto family eventually. Since I lack the five great magic powers, the family has no expectation for me in terms of arranged marriages or formal obligations.”
He stated bluntly that his ties to the family were weak and that there was no hope for him in magic.
A thought crossed his mind—perhaps this woman had summoned him to suggest a marriage proposal.
However, she curved her red lips into a strikingly sensual smile.
"...In that case, let me share a method with you—one that’s both very effective and very improper, Volfred."
Though she addressed him without honorifics, he felt neither surprise nor discomfort. In fact, it seemed oddly natural.
"From time to time, stay over at my residence. I’ll have a room prepared for you. Then, act as my escort to my evening balls. You and I will naturally attract attention, and the rumors will spread on their own."
"That would cause undue trouble for you, Altea-sama."
What Altea was suggesting was for Volf to pretend to be her young lover.
Certainly, being associated with a duchess would greatly reduce the frequency of matchmaking proposals or unwanted advances within the castle.
But it would inevitably result in scandal for Altea, and he wished to avoid that.
"Volfred, this isn’t just for your sake. Since my husband passed, I’ve been inundated with far too many requests from would-be lovers. It’s exhausting. My sons also agree that having a respectable man in my company would alleviate some of these issues. It won’t be a nuisance to me at all—it’ll just become another topic to talk about.”
"Is that so..."
"Could it be that you find 'the noble way of thinking' difficult to deal with, Volfred? If you were to take on this role, it would help me greatly, and I would offer you a fitting reward. Is there anything you desire at the moment?"
"In that case, could you teach me about the noble way of thinking and how to dance?"
He knew little about the noble way of thinking, something he ought to understand better given his work in the royal castle.
As for dancing, he had avoided it since his academy days because it required partnering with women.
Yet, at his brother’s wedding, standing awkwardly on the sidelines had only made him more conspicuous. Perhaps it was time to learn.
Volf requested these two things—his areas of weakness.
"Certainly, I’ll help. Speaking of which... Vi also put a lot of effort into learning to dance. It brings back memories."
"My mother... never danced with me, not even once."
His mother had never taught him how to dance, nor had they ever danced together.
What she had taught him, tirelessly, was swordsmanship. Perhaps she had no expectations of him in aristocratic pursuits.
But the woman before him spoke plainly.
"Well, of course. Vi could only perform the male part of the dance. I might be the only one who ever danced with her."
"Is that so..."
"Vi had excellent physical coordination, but her sense of rhythm was unique. I had my toes stepped on quite a bit."
Hearing Altea recall this with an uncharacteristic furrow of her brows made Volf laugh aloud.
Over the years that followed, Altea taught him the intricacies of the noble way of thinking, behavior, and dance.
The knowledge about nobility proved to be immensely helpful.
Without them, understanding the subtleties of noble interactions would have been impossible.
While he had no opportunities to dance publicly, learning from Altea and two dance instructors turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable.
Their relationship, meeting once or twice a month, resembled that of an aunt and nephew—or a teacher and student.
It was enjoyable and appreciated in its own way, but as time passed, Volf began to realize something.
Altea wasn’t looking at him.
Through him, she always saw his mother, Vanessa.
・・・・・・・
"Tomorrow, I depart for the expedition to exterminate the big frogs."
"So, it’s that season again."
Last year and the year before, this was likely the time for the big frog hunt as well.
It was far from picturesque as a seasonal tradition, yet it was shaping up to be just that.
"In that case, when you return, I’d like to request your presence as my escort for one of the balls."
"Of course, I’d be happy to."
After a brief conversation, Volf took his leave earlier than usual.
He had preparations to make for the expedition, and Altea did not stop him.
"Use this for a toast with your new friend when you return."
"...Thank you."
A servant briefly showed him a red wooden box before carefully wrapping it in a white cloth.
Realizing it contained alcohol, he accepted it with a smile rather than refusing it.
She had tried several times to give Volf spending money or travel expenses, but he rarely accepted. Even when he did, he would return with a gift of equivalent value the next time they met.
The only things he willingly received were drinks, meals, or a tie pin on his birthday.
In the end, she remained outside the boundary he had drawn around himself.
"Take care, Volfred."
After watching his retreating figure, Altea closed her eyes.
This was the first time Volf had ever spoken to her about a woman, except when he was in trouble.
It was also the first time she’d heard him refer to a woman as a friend.
When he mentioned it, his smile had been completely unguarded.
It must have been a good encounter.
And he must genuinely believe they had formed a true friendship.
However, in one's younger years, friendships between men and women often have a tendency to evolve into romance.
A shift in feelings, even on one side, can overturn everything in an instant.
Young as he was, Volf had yet to notice.
Calling that woman a friend, his eyes had sparkled with joy.
It was both delightful and gratifying to witness Volf, who had never allowed anyone within his boundaries, gradually changing in such a way.
The only regret was that the friend she wished to share these stories with was no longer by her side.
"I wonder when you'll notice the 'measles' you've caught. Will it cool off quickly, shatter completely, or perhaps become something you carry all the way to the grave..."
Altea smiled at the portrait inside the locket.
"Exciting, isn't it, Vi?"
As she addressed the portrait, the expressionless face of the woman seemed to faintly form a wry smile.
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