The cat rubbed its face against Yulian’s leg.
“Leo.”
At Leo’s appearance, Yulian’s stern expression softened slightly.
As Yulian crouched down, Leo leaped lightly onto his shoulder.
Seeing Yulian’s softened face, Croa let out a brief sigh of relief.
But when Yulian caught the faint sound of his breathing, he furrowed his brow again.
“What are you doing here?”
“Sir?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said by tomorrow. Even if you start now, time’s tight.”
Leo hissed at Croa.
Two pairs of golden eyes glared fiercely at him.
Croa felt goosebumps rise all over his body, as if facing a starving lion. He wanted to cry.
“I’ll go right now!”
So much for leaving work early today.
Croa, slightly teary, hurried away.
“Always needs a few extra words to get moving.”
Yulian shook his head, looking at the empty space where Croa had been.
Leo let out a small sigh and landed softly on the ground.
Yulian’s mind echoed with Leo’s voice.
“Who’s that woman you’re so worked up about?”
“I’m not worked up. Seeing her just reminds me of someone, and it puts me in a foul mood.”
Yulian plopped down onto the white sandy beach. The quiet coast was filled only with the gentle sound of waves.
“Your mother, the Duchess Johannes?”
“You read me like a ghost.”
Yulian let out a wry chuckle.
Truth be told, as someone who avoided social events, he rarely had the chance to meet Rebecca.
But even in their few encounters, Rebecca had left a deep impression on him.
Like Yulian, she only briefly appeared at large banquets.
Rumor had it that Zeppelin kept her on a tight leash.
Rebecca was always dressed in dazzling, beautiful finery, but she seemed devoid of life.
Even when chattering with noblewomen, she often gave mechanical responses.
People hailed her as the empire’s greatest beauty, but Yulian couldn’t agree.
She was like a corpse. That’s why seeing Rebecca always reminded him of his mother.
A person whose soul had withered like a dry branch.
“But what was that look in her eyes just now?”
The Rebecca sitting in the carriage seemed like a different person.
She was angry. He had thought her incapable of emotion, so it was unexpected.
And that fiery gaze of hers. It lingered in his mind like an afterimage.
For a brief moment, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“You’re not smitten, are you?”
Leo looked up at Yulian with interest.
“What… You! I told you not to poke around in my head like that.”
“I didn’t want to hear it either. You’re the one leaking your thoughts.”
At Leo’s words, Yulian gave a bitter smile.
He absentmindedly stroked Leo, who was resting his chin on his paw.
Leo purred contentedly.
A beloved presence and, at the same time, something deeply loathed. A blessing and a curse.
That was what Leo was to him.
The burden on his shoulders felt especially heavy today.
He was never alone, yet always lonely.
…
Another day dawned.
With Zeppelin and Alicia away on their honeymoon, the vast Devonshire estate belonged solely to Rebecca.
It was a rare moment of peace, but Rebecca couldn’t savor her freedom.
Zeppelin’s so-called hounds, his attendants, were discreetly watching her from every corner.
“Why don’t you eat a bit more today, since the count’s not here?”
Alice said, bringing out another plate of dessert.
Rebecca glanced at the cake adorned with dainty raspberries.
Her appetite stirred, but she shook her head.
If she ate more, who knew what she’d hear. For now, she had to act as usual.
Rebecca tried to recall what she’d been doing around this time in her past life.
“I’m fine. Let’s just go for a walk.”
Rebecca left the dining room.
The masterless estate felt no different from usual, not because Rebecca was an adept mistress of the house.
It was because the capable head maid and butler worked tirelessly to avoid any fault when Zeppelin returned.
She was a countess, but it was merely a hollow title.
Rebecca knew nothing about managing the household.
Zeppelin didn’t entrust her with even basic budgeting duties.
“All you need to do is sit there like a rose in bloom. I’ll handle all the complicated matters.”
She wasn’t free to go out either. Rebecca’s days were spent embroidering or playing the piano within the estate.
On tiresome days, she’d aimlessly wander the garden.
She could invite nearby noblewomen or ladies for tea, but for some reason, no one seemed eager to accept her invitations.
Occasionally, invitations to social events arrived for Rebecca.
But unless absolutely necessary, Zeppelin forbade her from attending parties, claiming he feared the innocent Rebecca might be tainted by vulgar company.
“A doll…”
Rebecca recalled the words Zeppelin had said to her before she died.
A perfect doll.
He was right. The count’s estate was a grand dollhouse, and she was merely a beautiful doll seated within it.
A pitiful doll that could be discarded at any moment.
Lost in thought while strolling through the garden, Rebecca stopped in front of an exhibition hall with a glass dome ceiling.
It was called the Hall of Light.
The glass dome was covered with black cloth to block the sunlight.
The cloth was only removed when guests visited.
The Devonshire family was renowned for its deep artistic heritage.
Over generations, they had acquired artworks of immense value.
Zeppelin, in particular, had collected more pieces than any previous count.
His passion for art was so obsessive that he built a separate building with controlled temperature and humidity for the artworks’ preservation.
Rebecca imagined destroying the Hall of Light.
She pictured Zeppelin in despair. A smile crept onto her face.
But she soon shook her head bitterly.
The Hall of Light was heavily guarded. Even now, knights in gleaming armor stood watch at the entrance.
Spotting Rebecca, a few knights bowed in greeting.
She nodded back and turned her gaze away.
For now, she had no power.
If she’d had a strong family to rely on, she would’ve divorced him long ago.
But her modest viscount family had gone bankrupt after her marriage.
Until her return, her family had clung to the count’s support to barely maintain their lineage.
“The sun’s strong today. Be careful not to burn.”
Alice draped a shawl over Rebecca’s shoulders and held up a parasol to shield her from the sun.
“Alice, holding that parasol for so long will tire your arms. Shall we just go inside?”
“No, it’s fine. I can handle this much for you, madam. You’re feeling stifled, aren’t you? A walk like this will help clear your mind.”
In her past life, on the day Alicia gave birth to her second child, Alice had taken Rebecca to a village festival to cheer her up.
It had been a rare moment of happiness, but the cost was severe.
When it was discovered she’d gone out without permission, Zeppelin beat Alice to death.
Rebecca recalled the final moments of Alice, bleeding out before her eyes.
She felt she owed Alice a debt she could never repay.
“If you have a wish, tell me anything, Alice. If it’s within my power, I’ll grant it.”
“My wish is to spend peaceful days like this with you, madam.”
“Don’t lie. Tell me honestly. Jewels? Or shall I raise your wages?”
“Madam.”
Alice set the parasol on the ground and took both of Rebecca’s hands.
“I truly don’t need anything. I just want to be by your side forever.”
At Alice’s affectionate smile, Rebecca smiled back.
She was grateful to have returned to a time when Alice was still alive.
In this desolate estate, Alice was the only one she could trust.
“Thank you. You’re truly the only one I have, Alice. Let’s walk a bit more and then head inside.”
At Rebecca’s words, Alice nodded with a warm smile.
Alice’s smile was the only warmth that pierced the icy cold of the Devonshire estate, even in the spring sunlight.
…
Returning to the estate, Rebecca slowly climbed the stairs to her second-floor room.
She glanced up at the third floor, where Zeppelin’s room and study were located.
Most couples shared a bedroom, but Zeppelin and Rebecca were different.
After their time in bed, Zeppelin always returned to his own room to sleep alone.
He worried that Rebecca’s sleeping habits might scratch his face.
Moreover, he wanted everything beneath his feet.
Zeppelin began each day looking down on everyone from the top floor.
No one could enter his domain without permission.
The third floor was off-limits to all, including Rebecca.
Rebecca’s interest lingered on the study up there.
Zeppelin disapproved of her gaining knowledge.
Since all the books were in his study, Rebecca couldn’t read without a specific reason.
“Everything about the count’s household must be in there.”
When Zeppelin went out, he always locked the study door tightly.
Given how strictly he forbade outsiders, there had to be some significant secret hidden inside.
Rebecca stared up at the study door.
“If I dig around, I might find something.”
Taking advantage of Alice’s absence, Rebecca quietly moved toward the third-floor stairs.
“Entry is forbidden from here, madam.”
There had been no one around. Yet, out of nowhere, a burly servant blocked her path.
“I know. I just took a wrong turn.”
Reluctantly, Rebecca turned back.
Alice, coming up with an afternoon dress, silently watched the scene. Then, narrowing her eyes, she seemed lost in thought.
“Madam, do you want to go to the study?”
“What?”
Rebecca, startled, paused her embroidery.
“I saw you heading for the stairs earlier. Shall I help you?”
Looking into Alice’s sparkling green eyes, Rebecca recalled a past moment.
“If we just go to the festival for a bit, no one will know! Come on, madam!”
She couldn’t let that happen again.
Rebecca shook her head.
“No, it’s too dangerous.”
“The count won’t be back for a week. With security relaxed, now’s the perfect chance.”
Alice was right. Who knew when another opportunity like this would come?
But it was a gamble.
As Rebecca hesitated, Alice whispered quickly.
“Listen, the only one guarding the third floor right now is Hans. Luckily, I’m on good terms with him. I’ll lure him to the kitchen. While I do, you go up to the third floor.”
“But Alice…”
“It’s really fine! You want to read, don’t you? You’ll be bored until the count returns, so reading would be good for you.”
At Alice’s persistent urging, Rebecca reluctantly nodded.
Her heart raced, just like the day she fled the count’s estate.
