~CMWDD 10~
Chapter 10
At that moment, Dimidius gave orders to the knight approaching him.
“…Take care of all of them, then follow me.”
“Are you sure just one aide will be enough? It’s dangerous, Your Grace,” the knight cautioned.
“Such interference. What are you trying to do?”
When Dimidius’s aura shifted so abruptly that Olentia could sense it, the knight flinched in surprise and immediately bowed.
“I-I apologize!”
“No matter the situation, Killan and I are enough.”
“I will remember that!”
Olentia perked up her ears and listened closely to their conversation. It seemed Dimidius intended to move alone with Killan for now, temporarily separating from the Belial knights.
Where on earth was the duke going? Why had he been ambushed, and how could he remain so calm even after an attack?
Her curiosity surged like it could pierce the sky. Unconsciously, Olentia stomped her feet in impatience.
Thump! Thump!
Only then did Dimidius turn to Olentia and speak.
“Lady, like a flower in a greenhouse, it would be best for you to return to your original place.”
‘Is he saying that just because he knows how much I hate being called a greenhouse flower?’
Olentia glared at him fiercely, then finally said what she truly wanted to.
“I don’t like that Bauta mask. Change it to something else.”
Dimidius, with both arms fully bandaged, tilted his head as if puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“I have a very precious dream, and the person in that dream wore a white Bauta mask. So Your Grace, please wear a different mask. It’s unpleasant.”
What really made her feel upset, though, was that he had never even asked her name. It meant he had no curiosity about her whatsoever.
Olentia felt utterly baffled and at her wit’s end—half annoyed, half sad. She felt almost like she’d been stood up for no reason.
Unaware or unconcerned with her feelings, Dimidius wiped his bloodied hands on a cloth and, in a serious tone, said:
“I refuse, Lady.”
“Pardon?”
“Whether you change your dream or choose not to sleep, this mask is no different from my face.”
She thought that was the end of it.
Then, suddenly, Dimidius called her back.
“Wait a moment.”
Olentia turned her head with a sour expression.
“Why?”
“You need proper treatment for your wound before moving on.”
He was holding a tube of ointment. Could it be he intended to apply it himself? Olentia stared at him suspiciously.
With a brisk step, Dimidius approached, grabbed her hand, and made her hold the ointment.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Applying ointment.”
“I can apply it myself if you just hand it over.”
“Some people say they’ll apply it but then skip it out of laziness.”
Whoever he meant, Dimidius steadfastly held Olentia’s hand, opening the tube. The opaque ointment popped out, and he brought it to the wound on her neck.
It was an unusually hands-on treatment method.
Dimidius had to bend his knees deeply to reach her neck, which must have been uncomfortable given his large frame. Yet the sunlight streaming through the window made his thick black hair look unusually soft, and his large hands seemed almost fiery-hot.
‘Why is he doing this?’
Olentia stayed still as if turned to stone, though a gentle spring breeze seemed to swirl in her chest, like dandelion seeds drifting around.
‘He hasn’t asked my name… so why is he taking care of me?’
She was thoroughly discontented with Dimidius’s strange method of applying the ointment.
“Unbelievable,”
Back in second class, Olentia huffed for a long while. She could not understand Dimidius Belial at all.
‘Well, if His Grace isn’t curious about me, I don’t need to be curious about him.’
She told herself this to keep calm.
Having been gone for quite some time, Bobby had a lot to say once Olentia woke up, nearly fainting at the sight of her neck wound.
“Miss! What on earth happened?”
Olentia had no choice but to offer a bizarre excuse, claiming she had been stung by some strange insect.
“I need to meet Archbishop Werbu.”
Within a month, she had to persuade the archbishop and avoid marrying Marquis Luxus.
Olentia clenched her resolve and stepped off the train with Bobby.
The station was quiet, and sunlight streamed through the circular dome, making the surface glitter.
She glanced around, but Dimidius and his party were nowhere to be seen. They had evidently gone straight to their destination without a word. She had no clue why they were headed to the Odor territory.
Regardless, she needed to focus on finding the archbishop after reaching the Odor estate. Surely the Count of Odor would know why Archbishop Werbu had come and where he was staying.
It was fortunate that Archbishop Werbu wielded considerable influence in that region.
Some time later, Bobby, who had arranged a carriage, spoke to Olentia.
“Shall we head to the Odor estate now?”
Olentia smiled slightly and climbed into the carriage, admiring the Odor territory.
She was especially captivated by the vast daisy fields, sparkling under the spring sun and swaying in the wind, resembling cracked eggs delicately scattered on the soil.
‘Just like me? Uncle Jack used to call me Daisy when I was little.’
Jack Odor—her mother Malisa’s only sibling—ran a successful perfume business. The Odor estate had many famous herb gardens, including lavender, jasmine, and ylang-ylang. If open to the public, it would have been a major tourist attraction.
But the Odor family preferred to protect their herbs rather than let people trample them.
After passing the daisy fields, the Odor estate finally came into view. The carriage jolted, making Olentia eager to get out; her back was sore from the ride.
Noticing this, Bobby gently said,
“Just a little longer, Miss. We’re almost there.”
“I’m fine. It’s just that I’m not used to it.”
Bobby thought she had endured well, considering the distance. Normally, Olentia wouldn’t have traveled so far, though she had occasionally visited as a child. Marrying Marquis Luxus was indeed a major affair.
At the gate, where a fountain with a built-in organ was visible, Bobby stepped out first and approached the knight guarding it.
The knight tilted his head upon seeing Bobby emerge from the modest carriage.
“Who has arrived?”
Bobby boldly answered with her mistress’s name.
“Please inform them that Miss Olentia Armeniaca has arrived.”
The knight knew Jack Odor’s only cherished niece very well and, astonished, approached the carriage to greet Olentia.
“Greetings, Miss Armeniaca. I am Alter, the knight guarding the Odor estate gate.”
Olentia yawned slightly, seeming a bit tired.
“All right, Alter. Please inform my uncle.”
But Alter’s reaction was strange. He bit his lip, seemingly flustered, and paced in circles, the clinking of his shoulder armor echoing.
Olentia poked her head out of the carriage and frowned.
“What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Only when she expressed displeasure did Alter explain.
“The estate has been hectic receiving a previous guest. You arrived without notice, correct?”
“That’s right. How did you know?”
“Well… the master would not have invited you on the day His Grace Dimidius Belial arrived.”
“What? What did you say?”
“Pardon?”
“You just said the Duke Belial is here?”
Olentia shouted at him in shock.
Come to think of it, high nobles often stayed at local lords’ estates when traveling. If Dimidius followed custom, it made sense that his destination could be the Odor estate.
‘Am I an idiot? Why didn’t I think of that?’
It had been a long time since she felt so self-critical. Since Dimidius, who rarely left his duchy, had arrived at the Odor estate, there must be an important reason. He probably wouldn’t leave within a day or two.
“Ah! This can’t be. Why must we have the same destination…”
The thought of encountering him again made Olentia uneasy. In the Bonus Empire, three coincidences meant fate—but she didn’t want to be tied to Dimidius that way.
Bobby, looking puzzled, asked:
“Did you know this already, Miss?”
“No… I only saw him in first class.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do.”
Bobby, hesitating while looking at her despairing mistress, told the knight,
“At least inform them the lady has arrived. It would be difficult to just turn back now.”
Bobby herself was tired from bringing Olentia this far.
The knight had no choice but to leave the gate in another’s charge and enter the estate. He knew how much effort the Count of Odor had invested in preparing for Dimidius Belial’s visit, making him slightly uneasy.
