For The Eternal's Soul, His Dearest || WrioLette

III

A week had gone by but it seemed like no news or correspondence from Neuvillette was received by the duke's office. His lover is the kind of person who generally only writes to ask him to visit Palais Mermonia or to visit the fortress when there are urgent topics to address, so Wriothesley never gave that much thought previously. Still, the recent scene made him more concerned about the state of the Iudex.

Even so, Wriothesley still continued his duty in the fortress, even though his worry caused him to have sort of a pissed off expression, which undoubtedly scared some of his subordinates and the criminals in the fortress.

As the clock struck eleven o'clock at night, Sigewinne knocked on the duke's office, requesting permission to enter. The human-melusine has a habit of stopping by Wriothesley's office at that hour of the night while he's there. The girl would bring the duke a cup of tea to help him relax and carry on with his job in a calmer manner. But that night, Wriothesley appeared more upset than usual, the girl started to worry.

Wriothesley sighed with a forced smile as he took the cup from Sigewinne's hand. "Thank you, Sigewinne."

Then, in answer, Sigewinne nodded and waited for Wriothesley to drink his tea while standing next to where he sits.

"Your grace, are you experiencing any discomfort? You look a bit off." asked the girl once the duke finished his tea.

"Do I?" sighed the man again, leaning back to his seat.

Now that Wriothesley appeared to be displaying more sadness than his usual irritability when he's with other people outside his office, Sigewinne appeared a little more concerned. The man closed his eyes and went back in time to the moment he left his distraught-looking lover; the sight of the Iudex's anguished visage never fails to give him chills. All he wants is for Neuvillette to always be content and to never have to bear any heavy weight in his mind.

"I'm worried about him, Sigewinne." muttered the duke quietly, opening his eyes.

When the duke mentioned him, Sigewinne appeared to pause for a while before answering, "Are you possibly talking about Monsieur Neuvillette, your grace?"

Wriothesley gave a little nod in response, wearing a dejected childlike expression on his face. With a nod of understanding, Sigewinne rubbed her chin and started to ponder.

"Would you mind telling more details on what happened? I could perhaps try giving you a few suggestions or tips to ease your worry, your grace." she proposed.

Sigewinne listened carefully as the duke proceeded to recount the recent incident involving him and the Iudex, cutting out any details that would be considered inappropriate.

"So you're saying that despite the fact that you already assist Monsieur Neuvillette in becoming more relaxed, he still appeared upset even after you left the Palais Mermonia?" the girl looked at the duke as she concluded the scene description, seeking approval.

"Yes, exactly." answered the duke quietly, his face still has that obvious hint of sadness.

"Maybe you could try giving him his favorite snack, your grace. Eating my favorite snacks makes me feel better every time." suggested the girl innocently.

Wriothesley is definitely far more naive when it comes to his love life and his lover's wants, regardless of how innocent Sigewinne is compared to the adult man. In this case, the Iudex would need to speak clearly for the man to comprehend. It's not that he isn't aware of Neuvillette's feelings at all; rather, it's that he is unaware of the circumstances behind the man's expression of particular feelings, such as gloom, and how to console him.

Nevertheless, Neuvillette finds it easy to do so because all he says is essentially what he needs to communicate, not simply tiny asides or cryptic clues. However, given that the things he spoke were the exact opposite of his actions and look, he appeared to be acting odd more than normal on that particular night.