chapter 5
5 – {Duke of Skyroad}
{Duke of Skylord}
Duke of Sky Road.
As the most prosperous family in the Arkhan Empire, it was a family close to the Imperial Family that always took pride in protecting the Arkhan Empire’s Imperial Family.
Theodore returned to the mansion of the Duke of Skyroad and as soon as he opened the door and entered, he identified an object that was running towards him.
“Brother!”
Seeing the blond girl with long hair below her waist, smiling broadly and hugging her, Theodore calmly took her and hugged her, giving her a friendly smile.
“Judy. Didn’t I tell you not to play at home?”
“Yeah! I’ll remember!”
“Judy, isn’t that the 28th already?”
“Yes! I’ll try to fill number 30 soon!”
The girl with a lively smile was Judith Skylord, the princess of the Skylord duchy, who turned 15 this year.
She was the biological daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Skylord, and was Theodore’s half-sister.
“Anyway.”
Theodore’s tone as he looked at her was absurd, but his gaze was warm. The butler of the Duke of Skyroad approached him as he looked at his step-sister as if she was very lovable.
The butler, who will turn 60 this year, has enough skills to hold the title of a knight, befitting a butler of the Duke of Skyroad, he looks young and healthy enough to look like a middle-aged man in his mid-40s.
“Are you here, boy?”
The butler was one of the few people in this mansion who could call Theodore a young man and Judith a lady.
“Yes, Grandpa. All right?”
“Yes, of course.”
After exchanging appropriate greetings, Theodore patted Judith’s head and said,
“Judy, did you eat well?”
“Yeah! But I think the breakfast was less tasty than the one my brother made himself.”
“hahahaha, is that so? I’ll make lunch myself.”
“Really?! You made a promise?”
“Yes.”
When Theodore made an appointment by giving him a finger, a stern-looking maid approached.
“Princess Judith, it’s time to start class.”
“Ugh! Oh, brother. I-I’ll go to class then.”
Looking at Judith’s pathetic steps, like an animal going to a slaughterhouse, Theodore said, “Oh my God.” Muttered and shook his head.
“Looks like Judy is having a hard time too. I’ll have Judy’s favorite beef dish for lunch.”
After hearing Theodore’s words, the butler lowered his head.
“Yes, young master. I will prepare some good beef for you.”
“Okay, prepare as many thin slices of beef as possible. I need to make country fried steak, so prepare the ingredients as I wrote down the other day.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Well then, Grandpa. Keep working hard.”
“Yes, boy.”
Theodore’s footsteps, which gave instructions to the butler, headed directly to the office of the Duke of Skyroad, the owner of the Duke of Skyroad.
In front of the office stood two knights on alert, but upon seeing Theodore, they immediately bowed their heads respectfully.
“Are you here, Young master?”
“Yes, I think your father is inside. Report.”
Theodore’s behavior of not directly telling the Duke of Skylord that he had come and ordering his knight to deliver it to him was actually polite.
He didn’t make a loud noise directly about his visit, but quietly told the other person’s vassal the story, which was a consideration that raised the other person’s face.
But the Duke of Skylord had told him that this was not necessary. But he was meticulous in keeping this manners.
It was to show that he cared about the authority and face of the Duke of Skyroad, and all the knights had already become accustomed to this kind of behavior.
“Yes, I understand. Duke, Young master has visited.”
“Tell them to come in.”
The Duke of Skylord’s answer came right back from inside the room.
“Please eat.”
When the knight opened the door and answered politely, Theodore nodded lightly and went inside.
Going inside with a confident attitude, he smiled slightly and walked in front of the Duke of Skyroad.
The Duke of Skylord was a handsome man with radiant blonde hair that could tell where his real daughter Judith’s hair color came from. He was now in his middle-aged age, but still looking young, he was a genius who was said to be proud of his incompetence within the top 10 of the Arkhan Empire.
It has been speculated that he would have been in the top three if it hadn’t been for the lack of time for training due to his duties as Duke of Skylord.
Theodore greeted him with a calm smile.
“To my father, Theodore Skylord greets you.”
“Tsk.”
The Duke of Skyroad clicked his tongue at Theodore’s attitude.
The look in his eyes at Theodore was full of dissatisfaction.
“Anyway, it’s okay to speak casually. Boy, imitate Judy.”
At the words of the Duke of Skyroad, Theodore smiled and said with a little playfulness, but in a serious tone.
“It is naturally difficult to do so. As the heir to the great Duke of Skylord who walks the heavenly path protecting the Arkhan Empire, I am a truly brilliant person whom everyone looks up to. Such a brilliant person is a child. Wouldn’t it be a bit like showing a child-like appearance?”
At Theodore’s words, the Duke of Skyroad laughed as if he was dumbfounded.
“Anyway, you don’t lose a word. Yes, that’s like you.”
“Thank you for noticing.”
“Yes, Theo.”
The Duke of Skyroad was calling Theodore by his nickname.
“Yes, Father.”
“You said you were going with Princess Yuria this time?”
“Yes. She is a special human being in that she is my fiancée. Shouldn’t she be protected?”
Looking at Theodore saying that, the Duke of Skylord lightly shot at him.
“Isn’t a guy who won’t have any regrets even if he breaks up his engagement?”
“That’s right. If she breaks off her marriage with me, doesn’t that mean that she couldn’t handle my brilliant talent and let herself fall down because of her inferiority complex? There’s no need to take care of every fallen person.”
At Theodore’s words, the duke of Skyroad smiled wryly instead of an expression of absurdity.
He was well aware that Theodore said that, but in a deliberately unfriendly way.
He had that kind of attitude, but I knew very well that he was actually a person with a lot of affection, and that he was a guy who would think deeply about giving affection once.
That’s why he doesn’t make friends, only followers.
“Whoa, yes. But Judy said you were going to the academy. You’ve been busy these days, and you’ve been sad because you didn’t come home often on the weekends. Didn’t you talk about it?”
“They said the breakfast didn’t taste good. So I decided to make lunch for them.”
Actually, it just meant that it tasted worse than the dish he cooked, but Theodore didn’t explain it at length, he said it briefly.
“Hmm, I see. Well, your cooking has left my taste buds behind. Tsk, you’ve made people taste luxurious.”
The Duke of Skylord grumbled a little, but then he cleared his throat and asked quietly.
“By the way, Theo. What’s on the menu for lunch today?”
Theodore, who had already expected this kind of reaction from the Duke of Skyroad, replied with a calm expression.
“Country fried steak. Judy’s favorite.”
“Hmm! That would be nice. My, come to think of it, your mother wants to eat the pork dish you made. Is that even possible?”
“What specifically are you talking about?”
“They said they wanted a stuffed pork chop with that fruit in the middle.”
“If you tell Grandpa or others to prepare the ingredients listed in the recipe, I will make them myself later in the evening.”
“Hmm! Thank you!”
Theodore asked with a slight smile at the expectant appearance of the Duke of Skyroad.
“By the way, father, what is the public opinion in Korea about my going to study abroad this time?”
Suddenly, as the heir of the Duke of Skyroad, he spoke to Theodore, who asked about public opinion, recalling the contents of the Duke of Skyroad’s investigation.
“Nothing special. Most of the public opinion expects just how excellent you will go there and flatten the noses of the Britannia Empire.”
“I see.”
In the Arkan Empire, there were more people who envied Theodore, who had overwhelming abilities, than those who were jealous. In particular, public opinion expected how much he would raise the status of the Arkhan Empire and humiliate the Britannian Empire when he visited the Britannia Empire. A lot.
Since ancient times, it has been the truth of eternity that the inside unites in the face of external enemies.
“By the way, Theo. Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
Theodore asked casually, but the Duke of Skyroad didn’t miss the slight chill in his eyes.
That coolness was directed towards those who were in the Britannia Empire, not himself.
“Duke Artin. Don’t they recognize you?”