The Main Heroine Likes the Extra

71 – Duke Ignis

After it was revealed that Duke Ignis’ traces had headed north, the duke search party naturally requested cooperation from Count Wentos, the county lord who rules the north.

In addition to the search mission conducted by the royal family, the fact that the person in charge of the search party was Princess Aine, who had a close relationship with Count Wentos, and the fact that the person leading the search party at the time was Eve Ignis, Count Wentos was willing to cooperate. Accepted the request.

Shortly thereafter, news came that Prince Andrew, the heir to the dukedom, and Rachel, the duchess, had returned, and Eve, leading some of his men, left for the Duchy of Ignis in a hurry. Taken over and implemented.

There are few people living in the county, but the territory is so wide that it covers the entire northern part, so it was not an easy place to search.

However, Count Wentos, who was in charge of the search, led his elite soldiers, a man who had lived in the North for decades, and carried out his search mission by scouring the entire North.

Even so, it was Duke Ignis who was rarely found, but in a very unexpected form, he was caught in the search net and was able to be found.

“Uhhhhh…”

“Ah…Father…”

Riel muttered, standing blankly in front of her door with her pale face.

As expected, the condition of the man in the room was miserable.

He was very thin, perhaps because he hadn’t eaten properly, and his skin was flaky, indicating a serious health condition.

Her red hair, which she would have passed on to her children, was white and almost sporadic, perhaps a sign of her frequent seizures.

“…Serious.”

“After the discovery, our side used our hands to stop it, and it was even more serious at the time of discovery.”

After greeting his father at the outbuilding, the duke was in the room of the outbuilding following his father’s guidance.

According to his father, Duke Ignis was discovered in the northern part of the border that exists further north.

It was the place where the land known to have been the territory of the demon king in the past and the Earl of Wentos met.

Duke Ignis ran to the northern border of the county with a terrifying appearance, as if being chased by something scary, and soldiers patrolling around the border just found him.

Of course, the soldiers did not recognize that he was the Duke of Ignis, but he was a dangerous person no matter how he looked, and they subdued him to prevent him from going to a dangerous place in the first place.

He was overpowered, but he ran wild with terrifying power, and seeing him talking like a madman even after talking to him, the soldiers reported that they had caught a suspicious person.

“Uhhhhh!!”

A middle-aged man who looks around with anxious eyes and goes mad in fright as if he has seen something scary.

My father, who knew Duke Ignis’ face, didn’t recognize him at first either.

To that extent, Duke Ignis’ condition was very serious.

“Father! Father!!”

“Ugh…Uh…”

Riel walked over to him and held her hand tightly.

She was Riel desperately calling her father, but there was no change in her dukedom status.

“Uhhhhh!!”

“Kyaaah!!”

“Riel!!”

Rather, Riel desperately beside her and waved her arm in a frenzy, even with her words, and Riel fell helplessly out of the way.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes…”

After I went out and helped Riel who had fallen, Riel grabbed my hand and stood up slowly.

She said she was fine, but a very sad expression came over her face.

“It’s been like this ever since I found it. It stays still and goes on a rampage, but it’s almost certainly going on a rampage when someone approaches…”

“So that’s why they were isolated in the annex.”

“That’s how it is. I’m sorry for Sylvia who cares about plants…”

It was her father who looked at her mother as if she was sorry, but her mother shook her head as if nothing was wrong and said.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not particularly damaging to plants.”

The botanical garden is a quiet place where no one but the mother who manages the plants and the seedlings come.

Then, the unused outbuilding in the botanical garden was a perfect place to contain the Duke.

“Your condition seems more serious than what Your Highness Yuril told you.”

“…That’s what fairies do.”

“…?!”

I was startled by the sudden voice and looked away after hearing the voice.

Mr. Leelu was looking at the duke with his arms crossed.

But why are you here?

“Mr. Leelu…? You weren’t escorted to your room, were you?”

“The countess thought she was hiding something, so I secretly followed her later.”

“Oops.”

Surely an elf.

No, it might be possible because it’s Leelu-san rather than an elf.

“What do you mean by fairy thing?”

When Riel tried to calmly ask, Lilu looked at the duke once again as if observing and then opened her mouth.

“…Fairies are good at manipulating the mental system, but this one seems to have used emotional amplification.”

“Amplification?”

“Yes. It’s the ability to amplify emotions such as sadness, joy, fear, and favor. It’s not a big deal if you can resist if the magical power inside your body is strong, but…”

Mr. Leelu said with a frown.

“If you get stabbed in the gaps and get hit once, you’ll end up like this. I don’t know if it’s magic that manipulates your emotions, but this ability is more difficult to solve because it manipulates the emotions you originally feel. You’ve done a troublesome thing…”

…Certainly, I’m not sure if it’s about inserting feelings that I don’t have. Even if you amplify the emotions you originally felt, it may be more difficult to resolve as it is definitely the emotion you felt.

Perhaps judging from the state of the duke, the duke stabbed the gap in his heart at the moment he felt fear.

It makes me sad just to think of how scared they must have felt for a long time, even with their lost hair.

“I can’t… Father…!”

Riel expressed his sadness in a voice that seemed to make him cry.

Duke Ignis was muttering something quietly as he sat there blankly.

“Is there any way to fix it?”

“…Even if the fairy dispels her abilities, it will take time as she has been consumed by amplified emotions for so long.”

“Father… I’m your father…”

She sits there and sobs Riel.

All I could do right now was to hug the sobbing Riel.

Of course, the fact that the duke was discovered had already been reported to the royal family and the Ignis family.

I couldn’t tell only one person, Her Highness Aine, who was in the Empire, but since Her Highness Aine was going to come here as soon as she finished her work in the Empire, there shouldn’t be any big problems.

It wasn’t until after we decided to recuperate in the count’s annex until the Duke’s condition got better, that I picked up Riel, who was sleeping exhausted from crying.

“I’ll put Riel to sleep in her room.”

“Yes, you must be very heartbroken.”

Her mother lightly stroked the sleeping Riel’s head.

She had been crying for a while, so Riel’s face, which was red near her eyes, seemed to have eased a little.

“Wait a minute, Kyou.”

As I was about to leave the outbuilding, her father called me and stopped me.

He looked at his father, wondering what was going on.

“Today, tonight, guests from far away are coming. Please join us as well.”

“Yes? Me?”

“Yes. In addition to you, your mother, Asta, and Kino will also be present.”

“…Are you an important guest enough for the whole family to attend?”

My father nodded.

Whatever, no matter how much it is, it should be royalty or high-ranking aristocrats enough to greet everyone.

“Tonight, Duke Grace and all his family are due to visit.”

“Oh.”

That’s right.

Come to think of it, was there such a story?

[This is my personal apology, and I think that sooner or later the duke’s family will visit both families to apologize in person.]

That’s right.

Surely Carlena Grace said that.

But, no matter how much, I didn’t expect the entire duke’s family to come.

No matter how much the purpose of the visit was to apologize, the duke’s family, let alone the entire family, came from a long way to visit.

Of course, this also requires a lot of preparation.

“Okay.”

“Okay. Please don’t be rude, dress neatly and behave well when you come out.”

“Yes.”

I said that, but deep down I didn’t feel comfortable.

I’m not the type to like nobles’ ostentation yet.

Well, since I’m an aristocrat, I’m accustomed to appearing that way even on the outside.

“Then excuse me.”

“Okay, then see you in the evening.”

Riel laid her down in the room she had previously stayed in.

Luka, Riel’s exclusive attendant, quickly prepared a bed for her, so I just had to lay Riel on the spot.

She quietly covered her with the blanket to the sleeping Riel while catching her breath, and she sat down on the chair prepared next to him.

She looked at her face quietly.

I was finally able to find Riel’s father, Duke Ignis, who had been missing.

But the duke’s condition was very bad, and he even threw away Riel, her daughter, without recognizing her.

At that time, Riel looked very shocked.

“Riel…”

He reached out and stroked her forehead.

I looked at Riel’s face as I stroked her forehead, which was warm and hot, and I fell asleep on the spot in a drowsy state.

Evening time.

A place where the families of the two families, excluding guests, exchange greetings.

I put on a splendid formal dress that I was not used to, and looked at the Grace duke’s family in front of me.

Suddenly, I felt a soft touch on my arm.

I could feel Riel’s warm body temperature clinging tightly to my arm, through her robe.

…How did this happen?