Dorian looked up to see the youth standing by the doorway. It hadn't been long since he'd seen him last, but seeing the young master of Evastine now was different than seeing him in the faint moonlight or disheveled from running. The young man currently in front of him looked to be a gentle beauty and level-headed gentleman. Though Dorian already knew better than to believe that was the case...
The Northern Grand Duke nodded.
"Tea sounds nice."
Yunho quickly stepped forward and lifted the painted porcelain that was the teapot, carefully tipping the spout into a cup. He slid the teacup over to the Grand Duke with his head bowed.
"Is it working? He doesn't look 'I want you executed'-y..."
-----
"...I'll be with him in a bit. I just need some time to look more presentable for such an important guest...ha," Yunho had announced to all the hands working at the lodge.
He left them to the work as he hurriedly slinked away to his room.
Upon arriving at the door of his room, Yunho slammed it open and rushed in. He paused to enjoy the quiet. But then, the stress of the reality of his situation sank in.
"Ah, what am I going to do?" Yunho lamented.
He threw himself on his bed. The pillows could at least comfort him at this moment. At least, they couldn't give him any death flags... Or could they?
Yunho sat up.
"No, I need to think this through. The Duke is here, and there's nothing I can do about THAT. But, there has to be SOMETHING!"
Yunho sat some more in the silence. His head hurt from all the strain his thoughts were putting on his mind.
Then, a certain book flashed inside his mind...
And, it wasn't that Lucivian history book he picked up.
Yunho rubbed his temples with his fingers.
Why must I be born with such a brain...?
But he hated the fact it actually gave him an idea.
In "My Loyal Knight Actually Wants To Marry Me?", the female lead captures the attention of the second male lead even after she insults him because of her beautiful grace and stubborn nature.
So, the message of the story must be...
"To avoid the wrath of others, just make sure you look good that day."
...
That can't be right...
But, there could be some truth to it. Who could look a beautiful face in the eye and condemn it to a horrible fate? Hopefully, not the Northern Grand Duke.
Yunho hummed as he mused to himself. It wasn't like he had many options anyway. If Dorian came here with an execution plan, all paths most likely led to that dreadful five-letter word. The one that starts with D and ends with him getting his head lobbed off.
At least, Yunho should be able to utilize Kris's face once and cross his fingers for exile at the most.
Yunho sighed.
The standards for life are really low in this world...
Yunho shrugged to himself as he looked for a good set of clothes around the room.
"Not like my original life was leagues better. Now, where is that hairbrush..."
---
Yunho took a seat after the Grand Duke accepted the cup of tea.
Yunho gestured at the small assortments of refreshments arranged as he pushed the jade pin that was haphazardly stuck in his hair back in place.
"Please do help yourself to any food. The kitchen put a lot of care into preparation."
Half of Yunho's silver hair was pinned back behind his left ear, while the rest kissed the side of his right cheek, framing his face.
It was only after much deliberation and then realization that he couldn't do anything harder than a ponytail that he came to this particular hairstyle.
Yunho smiled as he slightly cocked his head to the side.
"So, I suppose Your Grace has come here with some purpose?"
Yunho inwardly crossed his fingers.
The Grand Duke nodded as he smoothly looked over the tea.
Clear
He took a small sip, lifting his eyebrows slightly in pleasant surprise.
"Yes, I have come here with some purpose. Well, purposes..." The Grand Duke started.
"This comes a bit tardy, but I've heard of your public work in the smaller villages here. It was greatly appreciated... Truly, thank you. Disasters are especially hard on places like those, and it's hard for me to attend to everywhere." The Grand Duke explained, placing the teacup down.
Yunho sighed inside and bowed his head. He rejoiced in his mind, "So... That's what this is about... Thank you, past me, for all your arduous efforts!"
The youth looked up and smiled again. "It was no trouble. I was able to help, so I did."
Hey, that was like a quarter of the truth, to be fair!
The Grand Duke nodded, "In fact, I've brought some gifts to show my appreciation, as is customary. Two of my men should be with them. I'll tell them to bring the gifts inside before I leave."
"Ah, Your Grace is too kind. That wasn't necessary, but this humble one is appreciative," Yunho said. He was making sure to lay the formalities on thick.
The Grand Duke paused and took a few seconds to just look at the man in front of him.
He looked well-behaved now, but Dorian couldn't help but feel suspicious when he remembered this was the same person who claimed he was throwing rocks at night because it was "good for the bones."
And...
"But, there is just one thing I'm curious about..." The Grand Duke leaned back in his seat, cutting an imposing figure. His eyes rested on Yunho as if he were reading the silver-haired youth.
Yunho almost froze from the heat of the stare.
The Northern Grand Duke continued, "This Frostwreath... How did you know it'd work?"
---
Beyr and Quince sat at the side of the carriage, resting in the shadow of the vehicle.
Though their uniforms also included a coat and gloves, Beyr was already getting red in the nose, as if the rest of his face was jealous of the color of his hair.
"Isn't this too cruel?" Beyr whined. "Can we at least get a warning that we'll be in the cold for so long next time?"
Quince shrugged, "I just assume everything General does is some secret training regimen."
Beyr huffs, sending a white tuft of smoke out his lips.
Quince cast a sidelong glance at his now both red-haired and red-everywhere companion and took off his own coat in a quick motion. The brown-haired trainee draped the layer on the soon-to-be human popsicle next to him.
That froze the redhead more than the literal cold. He whipped his head towards the other knight-in-training to only find that he wasn't even looking at him anymore. Quince had gone back to observing the foliage around the lodge property.
"..."
Beyr decided to let it go this time.
"So why do you think we're here? I've heard the General is visiting that one young master to thank him for the famine help. Iris de Evastine, right? " Beyr wasn't only asking out of curiosity but also to pry. Quince was close with some of the senior knights, so it was likely he had more information than him.
Quince hummed.
"That's part of the reason..."
Beyr raised a fiery eyebrow, intrigued, "Only part...?
Quince looked at his companion, "Well, don't you wonder, too, how he was so prepared?"
Beyr looked at his brown-gloved hands in confusion. "Wasn't it just happenstance? He just so happened to have a lot of Frostwreath, and it had good qualities for this situation?"
Quince let out a short smug chuckle, "Well, this is mostly talked about in the senior knight circles, so you probably wouldn't know...but..."
Beyr was already annoyed. He didn't enjoy it when people brought up his low social rank. But he really had no luck in the connections department, so he wouldn't interrupt for now.
Quince continued, "It's said that an informant for the General told him that Iris de Evastine had ordered a lot of Frostwreath even when the first of the famine had yet to happen."
Beyr's eyes widened. No one would just waste their money on Frostwreath without a reason.
But, then...
----
"How did I know? What does Your Grace mean by that?" Yunho replied. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. This is the first time someone had voiced suspicion of him. Was he acting too out of line?
The Grand Duke took another sip, the black glove on his hand wrapping around the fragile handle like a snake around a mouse. It felt weirdly reminiscent of the current energy in the room. Yunho took a deep breath. He had to remember that he held the high ground as a reader... No one would suspect transmigration first...
But they could certainly suspect scheming, which in this world would definitely mean the "eternal slumber" special! If only he also held the power, riches, influence, and strength high ground...
"I don't really mean anything by it... How would one cause a sweep of blight anyway?" Dorian paused, arching an eyebrow, "But why Frostwreath?"
Yunho took a deep breath. Spending years masking his feelings as a forgotten, sickly child, Yunho knew lying was sometimes not just the best option but the only one.
"Well, I was looking to start a garden on some of the free land I had here. Not many plants can grow in the snow, much less edible ones. But, after I learned of Frostwreath, I sought it out for my hobby."
The room fell to silence as the Grand Duke took another sip of tea, his eyes still reading him. It was like he was stuck on a page written in a code he couldn't quite decipher...yet.
Then, the noble set the cup down and suddenly smiled. The smile had no teeth, nor was it particularly wide, but it was still a smile.
Dorian let out a short chuckle, more like a quick exhale, and set a gloved finger on his right temple.
"If you say so."
Yunho's mind went blank.
Hey, it's not fair to use your looks to your advantage! Only I can do that!
"Well, if that's truly your answer, I don't have much else to say. Thank you for accommodating me, Young Lord de Evastine." The Grand Duke said, standing to his full height.
Yunho followed and stood, giving the Duke a quick, polite bow.
"It was my pleasure. Your Grace is welcome here anytime." Yunho replied. He was secretly smiling with his head down for seemingly successfully navigating this situation.
Dorian smiled. His eyes slightly narrowed.
"Anytime? Then, next week too would be fine, right?"
Yunho paused and looked up. He couldn't keep it in and let out an audible:
"Huh...?"
The Grand Duke just smiled again, "I just so happen to have business down here for the next few months with some local territories. It'd be nice to have an acquaintance's home I can visit now and then in the area."
Yunho absent-mindedly nodded.
'Like I said, Your Grace is welcome anytime..."
He had no proof, but there was something malicious in that smile.
----
The Grand Duke was finally seen off, and the proof of his visit, the crates of gifts, was now placed in the lodge's parlor.
To get it over with (more so, to satisfy his curiosity), Yunho peeked inside the crates.
Two were filled with tonics and books. And the other two held fabrics that you could tell were high quality.
Yunho sighed.
"At least, he came with some good gifts..."
The lodge returned to its bubbly peace, though Janine was still silently crafting stories in her head. She refused any secret or "mystery" to get by her.
----
The Grand Duke was silent on the carriage ride back. He looked to be reading over some important documents, but he was really thinking about his talk earlier with the young Lord de Evastine.
It was only a half-truth that he suggested visiting again due to some business in the region. There were indeed some issues with the local officers he needed to attend to, but he had other people in the area that he was acquainted with.
From the alleyway incident during the harvest festival to the incident at the next high priestess, Irene's celebration party, the silver-haired youth seemed to be a wild card on all fronts. Paired with his rumored personality change and preemptive dive into Frostwreath, he wasn't only strange but suspicious on some counts.
Some extra surveillance wouldn't hurt; maybe he could finally decode what he always saw on that silver... rabbit's face.
Because it was one thing if he was insane and another if he was a power-hungry schemer, but Dorian could be dealing with a type of person he's never had to before.
And, for Dorian, someone who'd been stuck in the chaotic monotony of betrayal, danger, and palace politics since birth and was forced by life to learn to predict others, that prospect didn't only set him into alarm.
It allured him.
----
End of Chapter 25