But again, what was there to explain? His condition would no longer be any of their concern, considering he had resigned and was about to leave. They were yet to be informed of that, so Eric decided to address that matter first.
"I am no longer Lord Magnolia. Respected Lordships, please do not give me such courtesy. Unofficially, as of today, I shall be withdrawing from my post at the palace and my position as a count. Officially, everything shall be settled in a month at maximum..."
Somewhat recovering from his earlier embarrassment, which he was someone that never lingered on for long, considering his utter disregard for life at this point, he looked them straight in the eyes.
"...As such... My condition shall not hinder my activity and role if you are ever concerned. Someone else will be taking over the role of His Majesty's assistant and secretary as soon as I'm gone, for His Majesty has already seemed to have had a few people in mind already."
Marquis Wetherby's face bore a slight perplexity, dishevelled black hair and a wrinkled collar contributing to his confused aura. Lysander recollected the subtle scent of jasmines and mint when the Marquis had hugged him—a pleasant fragrance.
It reminded him of the Marquis' mother, the previous Marchioness, who enjoyed such delicate things. The memory of her flower garden, still present in the duchy, suggested that the scent may have rubbed off on Marquis Wetherby.
She was a truly gentle lady despite being the head of a big household and would treat everybody equally. Perhaps that may have contributed to her untimely demise at the hands of ungrateful and greedy servants she had put her trust in.
The other party, Lord Smythe, who was leaning slightly on the sofa, regarded him with a complex expression. A light green and gold cape adorned with blood stains draped over him.
Lysander deduced that Lord Smythe had likely been the one to lift him when he fell unconscious and coughed up blood. A manipulative and proud individual, Lord Smythe usually displayed irritability, making Lysander struggle to reconcile this softness he had just witnessed.
Lysander realized he wasn't in his office. Instead, he found himself in a different location. Surveying the monochrome and rough interior of the room, he noted its moderate size.
A bed, sofas, a cloth hanger, and a table at the bed's edge constituted the furnishings. The window provided the sole source of light, positioned against which was the sizable bed. The room exuded simplicity, lacking any substantial decoration.
It was already night outside, and the moonlight provided most of the illumination in that corner of the room. Lord Smythe, in their corner, had employed magic, causing tiny specks of light to dance above their heads. Wondering about the location, Lysander heard a low voice.
"This is an extra room that I use to rest between experiments in the magic tower."
Lord Smythe's voice was calm, devoid of any fluctuation or the usual playfulness. His expression remained emotionless.
"I see..."
Lysander was silent for a moment before bowing in his seat toward the two. Typically, etiquette would have compelled him to stand firmly and bow deeply with respect, but he couldn't move for the moment. His weakness prevented any drastic or significant actions, leaving him to bow slowly as much as he could. His voice remained calm as he spoke.
"I seem to have caused you a lot of trouble. I... Thank you for putting up with my brazen behavior and... And..."
Lysander sensed that they had teleported here to conceal the fact that he was unwell. They must have noticed his desire to keep it a secret from others. His carriage, he hoped, had been dealt with as well. He truly felt grateful for their consideration, a sentiment expressed for the first time.
"And I am grateful you brought me here before anyone could notice... I... This is very important to me. I do not want others to find out... At least not until I can leave the noble circle... So I am really grateful."
"Lord Magnolia."
Lysander raised his head at the call. Confronted with the pained eyes of the two, Lysander was momentarily stunned before he heard the Marquis continue softly,
"Just how much... Have you suffered?"