Chapter 17
* * *
At that moment, in the study of the Florence count’s estate.
An uncomfortable silence hung between Count Florence and Bianca, seated across from each other with the table between them.
Bianca glanced cautiously at the count’s expression. The count was pressing his temples firmly, his face etched with exasperation.
“Bianca. Don’t you have anything to say to your father?”
“What is there to say?”
“At Eleonor’s birthday party! I’m asking if you didn’t go to the attic!”
“……”
Bianca blinked in surprise at the unexpected topic. There was no way the count could know that she had locked the attic door.
To begin with, only she, the maid, and the butler knew about it. And they were people with mouths sealed tight enough for Bianca, who didn’t easily trust others, to rely on.
Bianca feigned ignorance and looked at the count.
However, the count, who had gleaned the answer from Bianca’s demeanor instead, wore an incredulous expression before suddenly bellowing in rage.
“Why did you do it, why on earth! Do you even know how many baseless rumors are circulating in high society because of your thoughtless actions? Huh?”
“……”
“Sigh… Helena came by. She looked convinced that you were the culprit. She said to think about how to handle the culprit before she and the duke come themselves.”
“She said that? That I’m the culprit?”
Bianca gripped the sofa armrest so tightly it seemed it might break.
“She ignored me, right in front of the servants! She dared to spout nonsense about how I lacked etiquette training or common sense!”
“……”
“As her older sister, how could I just let it slide when my younger sibling acts so rudely? I just… gave her a punishment.”
“……”
“You said it yourself, Father. That lowly things need to be firmly stepped on before they get out of line without knowing their place. That way, they won’t smear mud on my face.”
“……”
“So I’m not wrong! It’s her fault for getting out of line without knowing her place.”
At Bianca’s fuming appearance with her arms crossed, the count leaned back deeply into the sofa and muttered like a sigh.
“I must have misjudged you terribly. I didn’t realize you were so stupid you couldn’t even grasp the situation.”
“What? Father! What do you mean…”
“Bianca, my dear. Do you know who’s smearing mud on my face right now?”
The count leaned toward Bianca and said in a low voice.
“It’s you, Bianca Florence.”
“……”
“I’ve decided to give the villa I gave you to Helena. It’s already settled, so throwing a tantrum won’t help. It’s thanks to her softness that it ends here. If it were the duke, he would have demanded your life and more.”
Bianca bit her lip with a wronged expression. The count continued with an impassive face.
“Who did you have lock the door? The butler? Or that maid you always keep around?”
“…The maid.”
“Does only the maid know about this?”
“…The butler knows too.”
“That’s the first smart thing you’ve done. I’ll handle this matter myself, so you stay in your room for the time being.”
“What? No! Why should I…!”
“Butler! Is anyone out there!”
With a knock, the butler entered and bowed.
“You called, my lord.”
“Have the knights take her and lock her in her room. Outside of meal times… No. Starving her for about three days would be good. She needs to know the consequences of her actions.”
“Father!”
“What are you waiting for? Hurry.”
“Understood, my lord.”
Soon, the corridors of the count’s estate echoed with Bianca’s shrill screams.
But that lasted only a moment. With a clanking noise, the door was firmly locked, and the estate soon regained its peace.
* * *
The next day. A letter arrived from the Florence count’s household along with a large box.
Inside the box were the items from the attic that Helena had previously requested. While the maids organized the items, Helena carefully unfolded the letter.
The contents of the letter were simple.
They had caught the culprit, but during the process of bringing them to the duke’s estate, the culprit escaped and ended up unintentionally killed. And the accomplice had their hands cut off and was sent as a slave to a distant foreign land.
After reading the letter to the end, Helena closed her eyes tightly, opened them, and swallowed a sigh.
“Madam? Are you alright?”
“…Was apologizing once so hateful? Is admitting fault that difficult…”
The culprits’ identities were the butler who had served the count’s family for many years and one maid. The letter crumpled like trash in Helena’s hand.
Knock knock. As soon as she permitted entry, the door burst open, and the butler entered with an urgent expression.
“Butler, what’s the matter?”
“M-Madam! You need to come out for a moment. O-Outside right now…”
Helena’s eyes widened at the butler’s following words.
* * *
Claude paced anxiously in front of the closed reception room door. Kavil, who had left the study saying he needed some fresh air, was nowhere to be seen.
Claude, who had thought Kavil went to the training grounds, only learned belatedly that he had ridden out of the estate on horseback. Standing in front of the closed reception room door, Claude pressed his ear against it unnecessarily and let out a long sigh.
If Kavil knew who was in the reception room with the madam right now, he would probably foam at the mouth and collapse backward.
Unable to hold back any longer, Claude stepped out of the estate and rushed toward the knight running from the main gate.
“My lord? Did you find him?”
“W-Well… It seems he’s left the territory and gone to the outskirts.”
“What?”
“Fortunately, all the hunting gear he usually uses is still here, so he hasn’t gone to the hunting grounds at least…”
“What kind of nonsense is that! Send people out immediately and bring my lord back! Understand?”
“Yes, sir!”
The knight hurriedly led his horse out the main gate. Claude’s anxious gaze, as he sighed nervously, turned to the carriage in front of the main gate.
The carriage bore the imperial family’s crest.
* * *
A black horse galloped across the vast clearing, kicking up clouds of dust.
Fierce winds whipped past Kavil, but he paid no heed and urged the horse faster.
The conversation he had with Claude on the day he dealt with Count Randaf’s henchmen came to mind.
“So. What do you want me to do?”
“At least don’t make an enemy of the prince—that’s what I mean.”
“……”
“The emperor personally asked you to support the prince. And the prince probably knows about it too. He’s sure to try to win you over. With the power of you, a neutral party, he can definitely turn the tide in the succession battle.”
Claude, noticing Kavil’s expression as if asking why he should bother, shouted in frustration.
“What harm is there in wearing a fox’s skin for a bit, my lord? The more precious something is to protect, the more cautious you become.”
“……”
“I’m saying don’t give a firm commitment to support the prince, but don’t make him an enemy either. Use him moderately and discard him. Yes? My lord.”
Something to protect. Kavil feared the weight that word carried. He had already failed once to protect someone precious.
His life was one without goals. A life lived simply because he was born. As a Destrian, his end was predetermined.
Like his father, grandfather, and the founding head, he would meet a horrific and wretched end.
The one difference was that while they had struggled desperately to escape the curse, he had calmly accepted his fate.
He vowed not to create any desires, goals, or will to live in his life. The happier life felt, the more miserable his predetermined end would seem.
In the midst of that, he met that child and unconsciously harbored desire. The moment he thought it might be okay to have this much, the child died, and he was plunged into the mire.
He vowed not to desire anything more, not to dare have a will to live. But,
“…It must have been so hard. And so lonely.”
Ridiculously, everything crumbled whenever he stood before her.
“That day… if you hadn’t opened the attic door, I would have been stuck there.”
“Thank you, for coming to find me.”
She kept making him have goals and will that he had resolved not to have. It was unbearably uncomfortable yet welcome, terrifying yet anticipated. Kavil’s eyes sank low as he let out a long sigh.
Neigh! Gripping the reins tightly, Kavil suddenly turned the horse’s head. Anyway, the time with her would last at most a year.
The emperor’s health was deteriorating day by day, and once the emperor passed, he planned to divorce her.
So, just until then. He wanted to protect the smile of the one who had called him family for the first time.
Since they would divorce soon anyway, he buried his anxiety, telling himself that this level of resolve was fine.
The black horse raced swiftly across the fields. The destination was the Destrian duke’s estate.
* * *
In the quiet reception room.
Helena stared down at the lavish bouquet offered by Prince Lucien, then smiled lightly and said.
“You didn’t need to prepare something like this. I’ll accept it gratefully, Your Highness.”
“Oh, not at all. If I’d known you’d like it this much, I should have brought the entire imperial palace garden, haha.”
Helena smiled wordlessly at Prince Lucien’s jest. Staring at her intently, Prince Lucien opened his mouth.
“Since it came up, how about visiting the imperial palace sometime soon? As you know, madam, the palace gardens are famous for their beauty. It would surely help with your artistic work.”
“If the opportunity arises, I’ll visit with the duke.”
At Helena’s polite refusal, Prince Lucien paused briefly before nodding as if understanding. Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he clapped his hands exaggeratedly.
“Come to think of it, I asked the duke if he’d like to have lunch with you. I completely forgot.”
“Lunch?”
“Yes. Since it’s come up, how about lunch tomorrow?”
“That… I think I can give a definite answer after checking the duke’s schedule.”
Without withdrawing his gaze from Helena, Prince Lucien slowly stroked his chin.
“Is that so? Then…”
His languid eyes curved brightly as he smiled.
“May I take that to mean the duchess’s schedule for tomorrow is free?”
“……!”
