Chapter 86

Though there was no reply from the Duke, nonetheless, his serene face appeared to provide her a solution ‘in fact.’

Iellie as soon as once more bowed her head and kissed the Duke’s brow.

“Sleep effectively.”

In a small whisper, she greeted the useless and turned in the direction of Zachary.

“I want the Duke relaxation in peace. Might he stay within the deepest peace endlessly.”

“Thanks. Your prayer will lead my father into relaxation.”

After a proper greeting, the 2 gazed into one another’s eyes for a second. A heavy stillness made it tough to breathe. Maybe as a result of he was aware of her, Zachary had been pretending to be nice till now.

Nonetheless, when his father’s coffin was positioned in entrance of him, he might not fake to be calm. He muttered like a groan.

“…Len.”

Zachary in entrance of her was the brand new Duke Hessenweitz, however on the identical time, he was a younger man who had misplaced his father.

‘Regardless that Zachary has handed his coming of age…’

His physique trembled as if he was about to break down, and the pale face tried to suppress his feelings. A unhappiness as pale as white snow sank within the deepest a part of the blue eyes. The choked Iellie chewed her lips.

“Zachary.”

Zachary, who checked out 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 second…”

“….”

“As a result of it’ll solely take some time…”

His voice trembled thinly. As a substitute of answering, she dug into his arms. When she stretched out her hand and hugged Zachary as arduous as she might, the beast-like moan crawled from the depths of his neck.

“…Ugh.”

However this time, he didn’t cry. Zachary simply took a deep breath and suppressed his feelings.

“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 ground. He didn’t know what he was so sorry about although the voice of the younger man who had misplaced even the best way to cry was simply determined. The sensation of loss that pierced his chest haunted him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, actually…”

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

“…I’m sorry.”

With out a single tear, his brilliant eyes swept over his useless father’s face. Nonetheless, Iellie might acknowledge the deep sorrow and loneliness hidden in his gaze… how a lot he was struggling now.

‘Zachary…’

So, she simply clasped her physique to him and shared her personal physique temperature.

To the younger man who was pressured to put on ice armor within the chilly, she hoped that the armor melted just a little. Finally, the lengthy and prolonged funeral was now solely the ultimate process. They wanted to bury the Duke’s coffin within the grave.

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

A protracted eulogy adopted. The Duke was objectively near a great monarch. She might inform simply by trying on the faces of the nobles gathered right here. There was a distinction between simply pretending to be unhappy and really feeling it.

“Underneath the Duke’s rule, the Duchy loved unprecedented prosperity and its residents…”

The rain continued pouring.

The Duke’s coffin, wrapped in silk and flowers, descended slowly down the deep pit. Folks watched because the coffin was buried within the floor with umbrellas on.

“…Might you’ve gotten a peaceable relaxation.”

Because the eulogy was lastly over, filth was sprinkled over the Duke’s coffin.

In the meantime, Zachary watched the method of the Duke’s tomb being made in a daze, and other people squinted on the new Duke with frightened appears to be like.

“Truthfully, I didn’t know that the earlier Duke would depart so all of a sudden.”

“It’s lucky that the present Duke succeeded to the title safely.”

“I hope the brand new Duke ought to have the ability to keep with out main clashes with the Imperial Household…”

As they mentioned, Zachary had a historical past of clashes with the Imperial Household a number of occasions. The Priest concluded.

“With this, Theron Hessenweitz, the previous Duke, has gone a great distance. Might he take the trail in peace.”

The funeral was over. Zachary glanced again. The pale face glanced on the faces of these current on the funeral. It was a gaze filled with feelings.

Then, he opened his mouth.

“Thanks, everybody, for sending my father on his closing journey.”

Zachary politely bowed his head. His white breath broke and flew within the chilly air.

“The butler will take care of you in your means again.”

All those that had greeted Zachary scattered to their methods. Iellie stared at his facet quietly. Unusually, he regarded like a withered winter tree. He regarded like he was about to interrupt.

“Zachary…”

“I’m nice, Len.”

Zachary took a step again. Iellie regarded up at Zachary silently.

“Can you allow me alone for a second?”

Saying that, his eyes have been simply silent… These chilly eyes, identical to the frozen sea.

“Don’t take too lengthy, okay?”

“Sure.”

He smiled faintly. Iellie checked out Zachary’s again, which was shifting away with a frightened face.

At first, he thought Iellie was frightened, so Zachary held the umbrella and walked calmly. Nonetheless, when he got here to his senses, he realized he was working. His breath pierced the within of his neck painfully.

“Gasp, hoo, hoo…”

He let loose a tough breath. It had been a very long time because the umbrella had already been thrown someplace, and chilly raindrops poured down like arrows throughout his physique. Nonetheless, he didn’t need to present her how damaged he was.

“…Ha.”

On account of working haphazardly to get as distant from Iellie as potential, he all of a sudden regained his sanity in a nook of the massive backyard. His entire physique was chilled by the pouring rain.

Zachary blinked his eyes.

“The place is that this?”

He didn’t know the place it was, however at the very least he favored the truth that it was sparsely populated. Zachary sat casually below the naked tree… No, to be extra exact, it was extra correct to say that he collapsed.

“Father.”

Zachary muttered blankly. The final hours he spent along with his father have been pouring out.

“Father…”

His father was all the time chilly… Moderately, he pushed him to the tip, these have been the deeds proven by his father’s affection on the finish. Zachary was confused as individuals’s phrases echoed in his ears.

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

“Regardless that the father-and-son didn’t get alongside effectively, that was a bit harsh.”

He bit his lip.

…Sure. It will have been higher to only draw a line to the tip as a father-and-son with a foul relationship.

“Why wouldn’t they go away me alone in order that I can hate my father till the very finish.”

He didn’t need to take into consideration something. Time and again, ideas rushed to his father. He tried to fake he was okay when he met Iellie once more although it was the restrict now. Every kind of feelings rush in like a tidal wave.

“…If that have been the case, I wouldn’t should endure a lot.”

He scoffed. The ridicule was directed at himself.

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

Iellie peered out of the window with an anxious face. Two hours had already handed, however Zachary didn’t intend to return to the Duke’s citadel. The rain was getting weaker, however he should’ve been chilly for that entire time.

‘…Why gained’t Zachary come again?’

She didn’t thoughts him having alone time. Nonetheless, staying outdoors on this chilly climate for thus lengthy…

‘What if he harm himself…’

She furrowed her eyebrows.

Zachary regarded drained, as he hadn’t had sufficient meals and sleep. In addition to, nobody within the Duke’s Citadel knew the place he was.

‘I can’t, I’ve to go search for him.’

Carrying her umbrella, she quickly left the room. The raindrops, which flew like mist, coloured her imaginative and prescient white.

How a lot time has handed? His imaginative and prescient was all blurry. Zachary took a deep breath. His eyes have been scorching.

‘I’m certain Len is frightened.’

However opposite to his ideas, it was tough to elevate even a single finger. He laughed bitterly. He can really feel the exhaustion that crushes his entire physique. He was pleased to see his ideas about his father clouded over with exhaustion.

‘I ought to return…’

He thought blankly, however quickly, he heard the sound of footsteps.

Zachary blinked his eyes.

“…Len.”

An umbrella got here out all of a sudden into his view. It was a inexperienced umbrella resembling a young bud. The umbrella instantly fell over Zachary’s head. The chilly raindrops that had been pounding on his physique have been gone.

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

A white, slender hand caressed his brow. A voice filled with concern rebuked him.

“The climate is chilly, however when it rains like this, your entire physique will get chilly!”

“….”

“The place do you allow your umbrella, and what are you doing alone in a nook like this?”

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

“I used to be frightened, you mentioned you’ll come again early, however you didn’t come again for 2 hours…”

“Len.”

As Zachary referred to as her, his voice was terribly low.

Iellie gazed at him silently.

“I’m okay.”

“Sure?”

Iellie regarded stunned, however he solely confirmed a smirk. With a puzzled look, she picked up her handkerchief. She was offended as he wiped his moist face.

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

“It’s simply good to see your face.”

His head was dizzy. Seeing himself speaking haphazardly, it looks as if he’ll make a slip of the tongue ultimately. As a substitute of claiming extra, Zachary determined to return to the Duke’s Citadel, and he acquired up.

“Let’s return.”

“…Zachary?”

Iellie regarded suspicious. Regardless that he mentioned himself that he was nice, he shouldn’t be left within the rain like this. Even when not, her physique was weak, so if he caught a chilly, it might be a giant deal for her.

“The climate is chilly. What if you happen to catch a chilly?”

“You’re all moist. Are you frightened about my chilly now?”

“As a result of I’m wholesome.”

Zachary answered that means, and for a second, he felt his eyes go spherical and spherical. He bit his lips. No. His physique fully betrayed his will. It was due to the extraordinarily little sleep and the physique cooled by the rain.

“Zachary!”

Shocked, Iellie supported his physique, however Zachary waved his hand and pushed her away.

“It’s okay. I simply chanced on my foot.”

“You actually…”

As she clung to him and held the umbrella, Zachary thought he ought to by no means present himself collapsing in entrance of her. He straightened his again and smiled at her.

“…Sure, so let’s return quickly. You’re very pale, you realize?”

With that mentioned, Iellie took his hand although she regarded startled.

“Hey, your fingers are scorching.”

“Actually?”

Like a joking little one, he waved his clasped fingers, and Iellie narrowed her brow. When she first noticed him, she thought he was a bit odd, however now, he regarded very unstable.

‘In addition to, I don’t just like the complexion.’

His physique temperature was surprisingly excessive, and his face, which had been within the rain for a very long time, was as white as a clean sheet of paper. She pulled his hand.

“You appear to be in very unhealthy form. Let’s get in rapidly.”

“….”

“You’ve gotten a fever. You is likely to be actually sick.”

Iellie’s face was filled with concern.

Zachary lowered his gaze barely, then reached out and stroked her cheek. The rain fell, and his scorching palms brushed over her chilly cheeks.

__