Chapter 6
Blair poured liquor into the remaining glass and pushed it toward Lily. After downing the offered drink, Lily asked another question. Her gaze grew more serious.
“What do you plan to do when you go down to your estate?”
“Hmm, first I’ll take care of the estate. I don’t have any specific plans, but for now, I’m thinking about getting married.”
“Uh… you, Lord Blair? Marriage?”
Lily couldn’t hide her surprise as she questioned him.
“Yes. Why, do you also think marriage doesn’t suit me?”
“I can’t say it doesn’t.”
The female owner shrugged. She was remarkably bold, despite sitting before the nation’s Finance Minister and General.
“I’m quite perceptive. My intuition is also quite good. You have someone you hold in your heart, don’t you?”
“It’s time to put it to rest.”
Yes, I figured she would know, Blair thought. He hadn’t assumed that Lily, who had observed them for so long, would be oblivious. Blair responded calmly as if it were nothing. Lily nodded slightly. From her perspective too, it truly seemed time to let go. Blair hadn’t always been this impassive. In the beginning, he had certainly felt disappointed and bitter. But after continuously whittling away at himself, Blair had at some point started to behave indifferently.
“So that’s it. It’s certainly not a bad choice. I’ve heard several times that the Gladius estate is a very fertile place with good weather. Since I’m sensitive to cold, I should go live there when I’m old. As you said, I’ll open a branch of my pub there. You go first and wait for me. Have beautiful sons and daughters.”
“If I have to wait until Lily grows old, I’d need to wait at least five hundred years, but I’d die first.”
Blair joked with a mischievous smile.
“Five hundred is a bit much, around two hundred and fifty should be enough.”
Lily played along, winking as she responded to his joke.
“Well, I’ll try to live until then. I’ll need to be extremely long-lived.”
“Please do. I should go now. Come by once more before you leave. I’ll take care of your farewell party.”
“Of course.”
“Well then, I’ll be going. Please call if you need anything.”
Blair waved his hand lightly. After Lily left the room, Aaron, having finished organizing his thoughts, bombarded Blair with questions.
“What you said earlier wasn’t a joke? You’re really serious about putting everything in order and going down? Even giving up your position as General?”
“I obviously can’t leave right away. Currently, I occupy a significant position in the Military Affairs Department. I plan to slowly restructure the organization of the Military Affairs Department and the Imperial Palace Guard. I think I could go down by the end of this winter. It’s the perfect timing. I’ll be free from spring, when the parties are held.”
“Blair.”
Aaron called him in a low voice. Blair smiled refreshingly, closing one eye as if it were nothing. It was a smile so fresh it seemed completely out of place in the dark, calm atmosphere of the pub. In contrast, Aaron’s expression was extremely gloomy.
“Why are you looking at me so pitifully? I’m not that pitiful. Just think of it normally. The third son of a noble family supported a prince who eventually became emperor, and in return, received a noble title and estate. The end? Simple, isn’t it?”
“That’s not it.”
“What else is there? On the surface, that’s all there is to it. Feelings that even the person involved doesn’t know about are just side branches.”
Blair shrugged and opened a new bottle. The aroma of oak-aged liquor spread gently throughout the room. Blair poured the drink into his glass.
“I don’t regret my choices. And I think it was quite a successful gamble. In the end, Kyle was the one who survived and became emperor, and I became Duke Gladius and received an estate. I think I’ve walked a path that’s not too bad. It wouldn’t have been bad to live as the third son of the Monetari family either, but this is also a life worth living once. And ultimately, I achieved results that weren’t bad.”
“Right. You’re correct. But what about your heart? What about your feelings? Are you really thinking of giving up now? Have you thought about it enough?”
Aaron asked seriously. The unrequited love he had witnessed from Blair over the years was certainly not a light emotion. Had it been a light feeling, it couldn’t have persisted for over a decade. There were many people who showed interest in Blair, but his unwavering gaze toward Kyle alone was of a depth Aaron couldn’t fathom.
“Anyway, I’m the only one who knows about it, so it’s just a feeling I alone need to sort out. That’s what unrequited love is. When I let go, it ends. Until now, I’ve been desperately clinging to it as if it were my only lifeline, but I don’t want to do that anymore. Continuously pouring endless emotions into a heart with no possibility of reciprocation is too foolish and stupid. Fifteen years is enough.”
Aaron knew that Blair was saying only the right things. However, it was still difficult to accept. Aaron knew well that a person’s heart doesn’t change so easily. Especially if it was a feeling harbored for 15 years. Until just a moment ago, he had been swayed by Blair’s words and nodded in agreement, but Aaron knew better than anyone that Blair was a stubborn and persistent person.
Blair wasn’t someone who would withdraw his feelings so easily. Noticing Aaron’s thoughts, Blair spoke again in a lighter tone.
“Being physically distant will make it easier to sort out my feelings.”
Blair downed his drink and put down the empty glass.
“Do you really have to go down to the Gladius estate? How about just giving up your title and staying in the imperial capital? There would be far more parties in the capital. You just need to avoid the ones held at the imperial palace.”
“I can always come up occasionally if there’s a party I want to attend. There’s no difference if I stay in the capital. It’s better to be a bit distant.”
Aaron, still not fully convinced, tried to persuade Blair, but Blair just smiled slyly. If Blair were to leave, Kyle wouldn’t be the only one who would miss him. To Aaron as well, Blair was a friend and comrade of over 20 years.
“If I were to play around, all the women in this country would fall for me. To avoid being known as a notorious playboy and rake after retiring as General, I need to be somewhat discreet. The capital is too much. The Gladius estate is just right.”
Blair joked with a smile.
“It’s good to be confident, I guess. Well, you are quite popular. What you’re saying isn’t completely wrong.”
A duke without a wife. The lord of the prosperous Gladius region. Not only was his background impressive with his brilliant military achievements, but he was also personally very charming. Blair was humorous and relaxed, and his appearance was quite outstanding. His character was also flawless.
Although he had missed the usual marrying age, people would understand if he explained that it was because he was supporting the emperor. He was an ideal candidate for unmarried women who didn’t know his inner feelings. He could easily be described as the perfect marriage partner. Aaron accepted Blair’s words. While it would certainly be regrettable not to see Blair as often as now, his words were right. It was time for them both to make changes.
“Yes, yes! Let’s drink ourselves to death! And sort out our feelings too! It’s a good choice, well done! Well done.”
Aaron slapped Blair’s shoulder repeatedly.
“Good, good. I was more frustrated watching you pine away, so I’m glad you’ve thought it through. It’s surprising that you could finally make this judgment after turning thirty, but I’m glad you’ve come to your senses even now. Foolishness can only last for so long.”
“Well, there are various reasons for this decision, but I simply want to live more peacefully now.”
“Of course, your peace of mind is the most important thing. Ah damn, what will I do without you? Will I have to clean up after Kyle and that little Leonard by myself? Just thinking about it irritates me. I really hate it. Truly hate it. Ugh.”
Aaron grimaced as he gulped down his drink. The expression on his face clearly showed that he genuinely disliked both Leonard and Kyle.
“Still, you’ve made a good decision. I’ll sacrifice myself to ensure your peaceful life after retirement. Leave the rest to me.”
Aaron puffed out his chest and joked.
“It makes me feel bad when you say it like that.”
“So continue to be my wallet in the future.”
Aaron grinned as he opened a new bottle.
“I won’t be receiving a salary once I retire, you know?”
“Hey, Your Grace! Pretending to be poor won’t fool me.”
“Tch.”
Blair’s complaint was cut short. He grumbled as he poured a drink into Aaron’s empty glass.
“You’ve thought well, really made a good decision.”
As the night deepened, glasses of alcohol were exchanged. Aaron had a much lower tolerance for alcohol than Blair. Aaron, who had entered boastfully declaring he would finish all three bottles of Hoberlon, was now mumbling that Blair had done well after just three glasses, half out of his mind. Blair picked up a bottle and put it directly to his lips, gulping down the remaining liquor.
The alcohol that had settled at the bottom of the bottle was indeed murky and strong. Just like his decaying heart. While love expressed in works of art was always beautiful, noble, and dazzling, his own love, which had remained stagnant for so long, was terribly dark, murky, and bitter.
It was love that was no longer love.
This was truly the end. Blair tossed back the last drop of alcohol in his glass. Along with the liquor, Blair firmly locked away his own heart.
Blair came out of the room with a drunk Aaron slung over his shoulder. Lily, the female owner who spotted the two, rushed over to help support Aaron.
“Oh my, how much did Lord Aaron drink?”
“Three glasses of Hoberlon? Ah, he probably had two more glasses of brandy.”
“And that was enough to make him completely unconscious?”
Lily clicked her tongue at Aaron’s poor drinking capacity.
“You know this friend can’t handle alcohol. Could you call two carriages for us?”
“Yes, of course.”
Blair roughly stuffed Aaron into one of the quickly arrived carriages, then wiped the sweat from his forehead and took out his wallet.
“We didn’t even open one of the three bottles of Hoberlon. Please keep it here. I’ll come back to drink the rest before I leave for good. Let’s have that farewell party you mentioned then.”
Blair smiled slightly as he paid with several gold coins. It was an amount with a generous tip included.
“Understood, I’ll keep it safe. Since you’ve left such expensive liquor in my care, make sure to come back before you leave. You must come! Next time I won’t charge you for the drinks, so you really must come!”
Blair smiled gently as he said goodbye.
“Take care, Lily.”
[To be continued in the next part…]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
