# 61
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“Agares and I are just partners in collaboration.”
Elinor drew a clear line.
"We continue to communicate because we each have what we want from each other. I can confirm that even if Agares has an interest in me, it will be academic, not romantic."
“And you, Miss Elinor?”
“I never dreamed of getting closer to this level.”
If I get any closer, I might end up signing a contract and being stuck in the Wizards Tower forever, right?
Agares is lurking for her talent, after all.
But this is not the future Elinor wants.
'But, why is the Duke suddenly asking me this?'
Elinor narrowed her eyes.
'His actions have become a little more polite, but he's still the same as he was that day.'
Accusing her of being “dating” just turned into a question of “Are you dating?”
As she turned to make a scathing comment, he said:
“Well, that's convenient.”
Her eyes met those of Matthias, who smiled brightly.
His face looked very relaxed.
His expression looked so sincere and happy that Elinor couldn't get out the words she intended to say.
* * *
After about three days of traveling by car, the scene outside the window began to change noticeably.
The sun never appeared, and the day was constantly cloudy.
The dull sound of the wind beat the carriage ceaessly.
Even in the day, not night, it seemed like ghosts might appear.
A dry forest devoid of everything.
Finally, the destination appeared between the trees.
Since the messenger had already left, the castle was awaiting the early arrival of the duke's convoy.
Matthias got off the horse first.
“Logan.”
"my brother."
Matthias hugged a man warmly.
Logan Hilliard, Hilliard's second son, was guarding the border.
"wow."
He looks just like the Grand Duchess.
Eleanor was inwardly impressed.
Except for his bright blond hair, a symbol of Hilliard, he might have been thought of as the image of the Grand Duchess's youth.
Maybe because of his long hair, it seemed more obvious.
His eyes were round and gentle, making his impression completely different from Matthias.
However, his height and build were similar to Matthias.
Will Tidian grow to be this big?
Elinor couldn't imagine it.
"It's been a while since I've seen you. You look a little thinner since the last time. You've been suffering, haven't you?"
"Suffering? I'm just watching."
Logan laughed softly.
“Is everyone okay? And my mother?”
"Yes. Teddy and Corey are full of energy, very loud. It's lucky that Maria and Julia are in D.C. for their debut. Mother is doing well with no additional illnesses."
"I was worried, but this is a relief. So, that accident…"
"We'll talk about it later inside the castle. First, I want to introduce you to someone."
Matthias shared all the information with Logan, who guards the border, from the beginning.
But since this was their first meeting, Matthias formally introduced Elinor to Logan.
“She's the one who's going to help Hilliard. Miss Elinor Winston.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Elinor extended her hand nervously.
But Logan, who was supposed to return the greeting, didn't move.
She felt embarrassed by her hand being extended in the air without a response.
Elinor smiled embarrassedly and called him.
“Um…Sir Logan?”
“Ah...! Nice to meet you...”
Logan belatedly regained his composure and shook her hand awkwardly.
“This place is almost remote, it was hard travel, wasn't it?”
“The Duke and the knights took great care of me, so I was fine.”
"The Duke? Oh, I mean, my brother."
Logan continued to act awkward.
As if to say that Elinor wasn't the only one nervous here.
“Huh…”
Elinor felt relieved by his behavior and laughed lightly.
At that moment, Logan's face flushed.
“Haha…”
Logan laughed awkwardly.
The two did not notice that Matthias was watching them carefully.
* * *
Perhaps because of the exhausting carriage journey, Elinor fell asleep early after dinner.
Matthias had a drinking session with his brother, whom he had not seen for a while.
There was a lot to discuss.
Especially about the incident at the dueling tournament, where many people tainted by black magic appeared.
“There are indeed spies hiding within Hilliard. Not only in the main castle, but in the borders as well.”
In fact, in this incident, there was a spy who had infiltrated the territory a year ago.
Grace's maid, now gone and being hunted, was the target.
“They have been stealing black magic for a long time. Contaminated soil may have leaked. Moreover, they even controlled the timing of the incident.”
They make the dark magic explode on the day of the tournament final, when the crowd is largest.
According to the Grand Duchess, Margaret's outburst looked similar to an incident that occurred ten years ago.
“It is very likely that significant research has already been done.”
The hidden spies were acting freely, and he had not been able to catch them in advance.
This was a result of him stalking Charlotte last year to win her favor.
He found the solution in Elinor, but he wasted time.
Mathias gritted his teeth.
“The deceased were all people in trouble, no one would look for them even if they died. We are looking for common points between them, but it will take time to get concrete results.”
“But the good news is that Miss Elinor has decided to help Hilliard. I plan to go to the outer border areas tomorrow, what do you think?”
“Logan, are you listening to me?”
"Oh?! What did you say?"
Logan raised his head in shock.
Mathias clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“You didn't listen to a single word. Why are you so distracted?”
“Ah…”
Logan scratched his head in embarrassment.
He turned the yellow whiskey glass in his hand.
"my brother."
"Yes."
“I want to ask something.”
"What is it?"
“Is Miss Elinor single?”
Mathias narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just... so I don't make a mistake in calling.”
“She is single.”
Matthias answered in a harsh tone.
Logan's face lit up a little.
“So, is she engaged?”
“Is that what matters to you now?”
“Um... well...”
“As far as I know, she's not engaged yet.”
Logan's features improved even more.
Unable to control his expression, he moved excitedly and suddenly emptied the glass of whiskey into his mouth.
He wiped his mouth while making a sound, and said to Matthias:
“Brother, I think I met my angel.”
"What?"
A crack appeared on Matthias' face.
Without noticing it, Logan spoke in a dreamy voice.
“When I first saw Miss Elinor, I thought an angel had descended from heaven.”
Border, dry land covered in grey.
An angel descended there.
Kind eyes, a friendly smile, a small figure that arouses a desire to protect, and elegant movements that arouse admiration.
Eleanor embodied every aspect of the woman Logan dreamed of.
Had not a governor sent Elinor out of mercy, because he could not leave the border?
There was no other explanation.
"Her hand was so small and soft. I felt that just holding her hand might be an insult."
“Oh, really.”
“Winston is a count, isn’t it? I’m sorry… If I had been active in high society, perhaps I would have met Miss Elinor sooner?”
“Maybe. Miss Elinor has been at the academy for a long time. During that time, she doesn’t seem to have frequented high society.”
"She was in the academy? Wow, she's beautiful and her mind is smart too. She has the sacred power of purifying black magic, right?"
"… Yes."
“Oh my God, she really is my angel.”