Home/The Duke's Revolution Is My Responsibility/ch 10

Chapter 10: Fulfilling the Contract

Roana stood before the magnificent ducal residence, overwhelmed by the imposing presence of the finely crafted structure. The deep emerald roofs flowed together like natural ridges. White sunlight bathed every window, reflecting so clearly it was almost blinding. At both ends of the mansion rose towering spires that seemed to pierce the sky. They carried a mysterious air, like a wizard's tower, with pale mist lingering around their conical roofs.

They rode the carriage much further inside. Beyond the gates opened by the servants lay another world entirely—a sea of blue hydrangeas stretching like an ocean. Thanks to the artifacts, the garden was maintained in perpetual spring. As the main building drew nearer, the sweet, moist air of flowers and grass enveloped them.

"So this is..."

Roana murmured, mouth agape, leaning her upper body out the window. The rushing wind scattered her chestnut hair like flower petals. Her clear, healthy skin glistened. Her curious cat-like eyes darted across the scenery. Picking a strand of hair from her lips, Roana smiled. Cleo watched her for a long while.

The carriage stopped, and everyone alighted. The five-day journey from the Hartland estate had come to an end. Cleo stood with his back to his home and spoke with a note of pride.

"Everyone, welcome to the ducal estate."

"Victor will be staying at the ducal residence on Eastwood territory from now on."

When Cleo made that declaration, I was surprised. Even though he wasn't formally taking a consort, he was still bringing Victor into his castle. In any case, I had come to Eastwood territory to see Victor's new home with my own eyes and to inspect the ducal workshop. If possible, I planned to finish the sample work with the apprentices here and then return to Hyperion.

During the five days in the carriage, Victor and I sensed that this was the moment marking the end of our childhood, which had spanned nearly ten years. Now he would move toward a wider world. We wouldn't be able to see each other as often as before.

Servants approached to take Victor's luggage. Cleo walked ahead and spoke.

"The lord of the castle is quite busy, you know. You may think of yourself as the lady of the house."

"D-Duke!"

"Haha, just joking. Though I have given you that status."

Cleo granted Victor the right to roam the castle freely and assigned him a personal attendant. More importantly, he said that the capital's chief physician was on his way here—to Eastwood territory.

Severance from the Hartland family. A capable physician to take responsibility for Victor's health. I never expected my goal in this life to be accomplished so smoothly. The speed and precision were admirable.

Cleo, watching my reaction, puffed out his chest and asked confidently.

"Well, Roana? Doesn't it make you want to create artifacts?"

Instead of a flat "yes," I replied:

"Show me the equipment first. If it's too shabby, I can't work with you."

Cleo snapped his fingers with a sharp click.

"Good. Then Victor, follow the butler's guidance. We'll move separately. Maurice, go with Victor."

"Yes, understood."

Victor still seemed dazed, rooted to the spot. I waved my hand in front of his face. He looked at me with dreamy eyes, as if just waking from a trance.

"Roana."

"Victor."

"...I can't believe it. That I have freedom like this..."

Victor swallowed dryly and looked around as if seeing it all for the first time. His body trembled slightly. The liberation from the family that had bound him his whole life—I truly felt that thrill of freedom with him.

I gave him a warm, tight hug.

"Let's be happier from now on."

Victor buried his face in my shoulder.

"Yeah."

---

Cleo led me to the workshop attached to the castle. His mouth never stopped running. He openly admitted to having investigated me. Given that he was the man who had broken in through my window on a moonlit night, the background check wasn't surprising.

It felt strange. This man—Cleo Eastwood—was undeniably the one who had killed me in my past life, and just days ago I had held a revolver to his throat. Yet now, walking alone with him through these unfamiliar hallways, I didn't feel the same tension or fear as before. He was truly an amiable, witty person. He seemed genuinely curious about magical engineering and listened seriously to my opinions.

"We're almost there."

He stopped before a heavy iron door and placed his finger on it—seemingly a biometric lock artifact.

"You spent a lot on that."

"Security is important."

"An artifact that expensive only advertises that there's something valuable inside."

When I said that cynically, Cleo shrugged as if it didn't matter.

"That's my risk to take."

With a dull groan, the door opened.

"..."

Stairs led down into the pitch-black basement.

I...

I felt dizzy. Unpleasant memories flooded over me. I remembered a door that never seemed to open. Being blindfolded and dragged endlessly downward. The bottom of the abyss. At the end, with a blade to my throat, I had to create weapons for Arthur III.

When I instinctively shuddered, Cleo caught me from behind.

"Is something wrong?"

Cold sweat poured down my back, but I tried to act as normal as possible.

"...Is the workshop underground?"

Cleo let out an "Ah" as if he understood my concern. He raised his index finger and explained confidently.

"For security reasons, we had no choice but to set up the workshop underground. But of course, the ventilation system is well-equipped, so don't worry."

"...Can't you make the artifact above ground?"

A note of concern crept into Cleo's voice.

"...I can make it."

"Then?"

"It's just..."

I gripped the doorknob so hard my fingertips turned white. The pitch-black darkness before me seemed ready to swallow me whole.

Suddenly, Cleo placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You don't look well."

"I'm fine."

"Fine? Your lips are pale. And you're sweating."

His fingers brushed my forehead.

Slam!

Startled, I swatted his hand away—an instinctive reaction.

I bit my lip and apologized.

"Sorry."

Cleo shook his head.

"I think I pushed you too hard out of my own greed. I should have let you rest from the journey first."

"...The workshop can wait until tomorrow."

Without hesitation, he closed the door. The heavy iron door's closing sound lingered in my ears like a ringing echo. Following his straight back out of the hallway, I took a deep breath and spoke.

"If it doesn't have to be there."

"Hm?"

He turned around. The hallway was quiet. Only the twilight streaming through the full-length windows shattered white against the floor.

"If you could lend me a couple of senior apprentices, I'd like to make the samples back in Hyperion."

As long as one knew how to create the magical circuits, artifacts could be made anywhere with the right equipment. Staying here for a few days as a supervisor would have been ideal, but...

I didn't think I could go down those stairs through that door. I wasn't confident.

How long do I have to suffer from this trauma?

This was just making things more complicated. I was going back to Hyperion anyway, but the apprentices would be spending ten days on the road for nothing.

What if Cleo asked why?

I racked my brain quickly.

Should I say I'm particular about my work environment? Or that Karim's supervision works better?

Anything would be a flimsy excuse.

But Cleo readily agreed.

"Fine. Do whatever suits you."

"Are you... not going to ask why?"

"You must have your reasons."

"...Thank you for understanding."

Cleo waved his hand as if it were nothing.

"I'll pick smart ones for the apprentices."

"Yes. They need to be smart enough to watch what I do and remember it."

Cleo nodded. His silver hair swayed brilliantly.

Then, as if just remembering, he asked me.

"Will you be staying the night?"

---

I stayed one night at the ducal estate. Whether it was thanks to the huge, fluffy bed, I slept very well. After a hearty breakfast, I boarded the carriage Cleo had prepared.

"I'll write to you, Ro."

Victor looked happy.

We shook hands. His fingers, which wrapped around the back of my hand, were slender, but I could feel a certain passion and vitality in his strong grip.

"Take care, Victor."

And so we said our goodbyes.

Cleo, with his arms crossed, spoke.

"The senior apprentices will follow in a separate carriage. They're quick-witted and sturdy young men, so use them as you please."

"Yes. I'll start working as soon as we arrive."

"Safe travels."

The horses neighed, the wheels pushed against the ground, raising fine dust. They say the return trip feels shorter than the outbound, but this time it was the opposite. When heading to Eastwood, with Victor and Cleo in the carriage, there was never a dull moment. On the five-day journey back to Hyperion, I consoled my loneliness with two novels Victor had given me. Long days and long nights. Afraid of the nights when sweet dreams and horrific nightmares intertwined, I tried to stay awake as much as possible.

And on the morning of the fifth day, when I arrived at the workshop, Karim greeted me with a face full of displeasure. She hadn't been happy about my departure when I'd told her I'd be gone for about ten days. And now I'd returned with strange men in tow—no wonder she wasn't pleased.

After a quick unpacking—though I'd brought almost nothing—I headed straight to the workshop. Biting a rubber band, I ran my fingers through my tangled hair. Tying it up high let a cool breeze brush my neck.

"This way, please. We'll start work right away!"

I gathered the apprentices. They were sturdy young men, but they looked a bit tired from the rough journey.

"While I get the blueprints, could you please organize the magical tools? They're standardized, so you should get the hang of them quickly."

The workshop began to bustle. I spread the blueprints on the large central table and secured each corner with silver paperweights. I explained the principles of magical circuits to the eager apprentices.

"...So this artifact has separate components for light, scent, and sound. We need to design each magical circuit and also a separate circuit to connect the three in parallel..."

By evening, Karim couldn't hold back and barged in. She leaned against the bookshelf and asked.

"Who are these people?"

"I took on a commission. Karim, if you have time, help out."

I said, goggles flipped onto my face. The apprentices, watching my demonstration, were taking notes by hand.

The whirring of magical tools and the scent of metal filled the workshop, heating the room. Karim stood still, watching us.

I spoke.

"I'm serious. I'm having dinner separately."

"Ahem. Well then, shall I show off my skills for the first time in a while?"

Karim, ever contrary.

Since I'd started pulling my own weight, I rarely worked with Karim. It had certainly been a while. My chest tingled with excitement—it felt refreshing and new.

"How do you like the magical circuit I designed?"

I brought her to the table and sat her down.

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