The Duchess of the Attic

"Oh? That's crazy."

"... what's up?

Opal raised his doubts when he finally saw the big rock.

So Claude contemplates. Not really, he realized he had been silent for a long time, and rushed back to Opal to ask.

Opal also doesn't look angry at Claude like that, he points to the big rock and laughs.

"Think it's smaller than I remember. I came here before... twelve years ago and I still don't feel as big as I did then. And then you didn't grow taller, but that's crazy, right?

"So it's easy to climb?

"Are you provoking me?

"What do you think?

"Right...... Well, let's compete!

"Ah, hey!

Having seen Claude's mean grin, Opal suddenly ran out after pretending to think for a second.

Well done competition back in the day, usually Opal starts first, but as a matter of course the result is lost.

I put down a surprise claude this time too, I started quite a bit earlier, but it quickly overtook me.

Feet on some smaller rocks, fly over to a slightly larger rock and climb to the biggest one at the end.

When we both got to the top of the big rock, we were out of breath, sitting back.

"... I wonder what you're doing..."

"Opal... you started..."

"I provoked... not Claude. Me... Twenty-seven?

"I'm twenty-nine."

We talked about our age with regret for each other and laughed out both ways.

I can't breathe enough to laugh.

Still, eventually when we were ready to breathe, we both watched the nostalgic scenery in silence.

Even though the age and position of the two of us have changed dramatically, nothing seems to have changed from the old days when we are doing this.

But not all the time, Opal took a big breath once and stared at Claude sitting next to him.

"Claude."

"What the fuck?"

"Thank you so much for investing in man-testing. If you hadn't sent me a technician, if you hadn't put in the funds, the Duke would have been bankrupt. Even you had a big risk... I really appreciate it, though it's not enough to exhaust my words. Thanks, Claude."

"... that's not something to be thanked for. With the technology of the kingdom of Tysey, I stepped in and said that I would always make a profit. Indeed, the initial investment was significant. But now that we're collecting it well, it wasn't a mistake. You know it's Opal, right? He's one of the investors."

"Right... It was pretty risky though. Investing is with gambling, right? I'm sorry I ever thought of that again."

At that time, to the Marquis Roussel - if Claude hadn't been able to assist him, Hubert would have been bankrupt.

Nearly five years later, the Kingdom of Tysey is now perfectly stable, sending technicians to various countries to train technicians again in each country, so railway opening is not that difficult.

It's just that it was that time of year, and even now it's bringing me huge profits.

Opal took another big breath and braved himself to face a reality he didn't even want to know about.

"So... this is the first time I've been back in a long time to introduce you to your family... your wife?

"... what? Your wife?"

"Didn't we get married?

"Who asked you that? Such lies."

"Huh? Yes, no. I didn't hear it from anyone... I just thought so on my own..."

"Why, did you think that on your own?

"So, because, you see, Claude is the Marquis, and he's almost thirty..."

Opal was delighted, though he hastily explained to Claude, who inquired in an angry tone.

Just because Claude is single doesn't mean anything changes.

Still, I wanted you to be happy with a woman you didn't know about Opal and where you don't.

"Don't mention the year. Ever since... I just didn't feel like it. Besides, this time I've finally been able to take my family... to the kingdom of Tysey, so I picked her up."

"With your family... are you moving?

"No, I don't have that. Even my mother came here with her father ready to bury her bones in this country. Still, the kingdom of Tysey is my mother's home. The close family has died, but you will want to visit the grave, and some servants still know their mother in the consulate where they were born and raised, as well as in the mansion of Wang Du. Well, you'd be surprised at your hometown, which has changed quite a bit in the last forty years. We can travel by rail to our territory."

Claude, who speaks happily, has the same grin as he did as a boy.

I've been excited to even Opal, but I had to tell you something, I deliberately flaunted my face.

"Still, it's terrible that you haven't even contacted me before. Even your aunt was so worried."

That's what I complained about Opal, but at the same time it made me awkward to remember a letter I had previously written.

But Claude will look awkward again.

"I'm sorry, Opal. Actually, I've been in touch with my mother for a long time."

"... all the time?

"It's been about four years, to be exact. Until then, it was best served by rebuilding the country with His Majesty. Besides, I thought if I found out I was in the kingdom of Tysey, I'd be worried the other way around. So I had Count Holloway keep it a secret. Then when the population settled down, the Duke of McCloud came... and finally wrote to my mother to contact her family."

"Then why didn't my aunt... nobody in the Baron's family tell me? Don't worry about me..."

I met with the Baroness about a year ago, and she missed the conversation and couldn't tell me anything.

Opal was about to get depressed when he meant to get along pretty well with the barons.

But somehow Claude apologizes again.

"I'm sorry about that, too. Sorry."

"Why would Claude apologize?

"I was talking to my mothers. I don't want Opal to tell anyone."

"Is that because I read that letter?

"That letter?

I thought Claude didn't want to contact herself because of that penitentiary letter Opal wrote.

That's right. Claude must have despised a woman who cheated on her property from her husband, too.

But Claude doesn't seem to know right away.

"It's a letter I wrote to Claude about seven years ago. But because I don't know where Claude is, the letter my aunt kept for me."

"Oh, that one! The one who took his fortune from that duke."

"Hey, don't say that out loud."

"You haven't heard anyone, have you? Besides, that... let me be honest with you?

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead."

"I'm sorry, but you made me laugh."

"Huh?"

"No, if it's normal, you might think it's a joke or something. You already thought it was the truth. Opal would definitely do it."

"... don't you despise me? He's a terrible one."

Opal has been worried for over seven years about regretting sending out letters or telling himself that this was a good idea.

And yet Claude says he laughed a lot when he read the letter.

When Opal inquired in a vehement manner, Claude gave him a serious look and gently stroked Opal's head, as he used to.

"I didn't just laugh. I was actually quite angry."

"To me?

"No, to the Duke. I guess that's why you did all that, huh? Yet I was also angry at myself for not being able to help anything"

"Oh no, Claude is nothing wrong..."

"No, I shouldn't have left this country. But I couldn't even go back now. Still, Opal worked hard on his own. I've heard that the Duke of McCloud is now as prosperous as this Earl of Holloway territory, even though it would have been a lot harder. Opal, you've done something that everyone admires. So you can put your chest up. You're the best."

"Claude......"

I swore to my mother that I wouldn't cry, but I've already shed many tears.

I just cried earlier.

Yet tears overflow from Opal's eyes one after another.

"... of Claude, silly"

"Why not?"

"Because I was worried. Wow..."

"So he said it was bad. Sorry, Opal."

Claude held Opal, who lay his hands on the big rock and wept.

It was a little bold to do in a scenic place, but Opal was quiet without saying anything.

I wonder since when I've had such a hug and consolation.

And that reminded me that it was almost fifteen years ago.

The other guy wasn't my father or my brother, he was still Claude.

Just like then, the peace of mind that you're protected.

I want to do this all the time.

You don't listen to what your body says to me, even though I suppress the feeling of thinking so and tell myself I need to leave now.

Just a little sweeter, Opal continued the conversation.

"... so, how could you keep it from me?

"Because I was weak."

"Claude...?

"I couldn't get Keri on me, and I couldn't."

Claude whispers in his ear before Opal understands the meaning of the word.

"Hey, Opal."

"... hey, what?

"Will you come with me to the kingdom of Tysey?