“I’ll do it.”
Kanna answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Among the people of Liberta, Kanna was known for doing anything. Even assassination, if it aligned with her will, she carried out without pause.
The maids of the Devonshire estate, especially those serving Rebecca directly, weren’t chosen lightly. Talent trumped background.
For years, Kanna had taken on every job, waiting for the day her name would reach Zeppelin’s ears.
Compared to that, this task was simple.
Rebecca flinched at Kanna’s unwavering response.
Kanna’s eyes sparkled, just as they had when she was a child.
After a pause, Rebecca spoke.
“If you’re truly on my side, Kanna…”
“I am, Lady Rebecca.”
Her words were warm.
Rebecca gave a faint smile.
“I don’t have much to offer, but I’ll be on your side too. So, Kanna, don’t betray me.”
Kanna felt a pang of sadness.
Rebecca looked desperate. Each word pierced her heart.
Anger surged as well.
In Kanna’s world, Rebecca deserved to be the happiest.
Tap-tap—
Something tapped the window. Kanna glanced and saw a black cat standing there.
Spotting it, Rebecca quickly ushered Kanna out.
Kanna obeyed without question.
“Phew.”
Rebecca pressed her ear to the door, waiting until all sounds faded.
Hearing nothing, she took a deep breath and approached the window.
The cat waited patiently for it to open.
“You waited long, didn’t you? You’re Leo.”
As the window opened, Leo yawned languidly and stepped inside.
Curiously inspecting the room, Leo wore a collar with a small box attached.
Rebecca poured water for him and opened the box, retrieving a note.
In a concise, forceful script, it read:
<Let’s meet and talk.>
It was very Yulian-like.
Not a firm commitment, but she’d succeeded in piquing his interest.
Rebecca wanted to cheer with joy.
But it was too early to celebrate.
After careful thought, she began writing a reply, folding it neatly and placing it back in the box.
Leo, seeming to like her, rubbed against her leg.
Rebecca smiled softly, stroking him. His purrs were pleasant.
“This is a very important note, so please deliver it accurately.”
Leo nodded at her.
With that, he leapt out the window.
They say all cats are children of the gods. Leo, their leader, was truly clever.
<Come to Liberta Sanctuary this Wednesday at three. Dress plainly and come discreetly.>
“She’s got some nerve telling me where to go,” Yulian chuckled, reading Rebecca’s note.
“Good job, Leo. You must be tired.”
Yulian patted his knee, calling Leo.
Leo pretended not to hear.
“You’re sulking over one errand?”
Leo turned away, lying down.
Yulian looked at him, exasperated. He could share thoughts with his soul-bound cat, but only if Leo allowed it.
He tried to read Leo’s mind, but Leo blocked him.
“Leo, I had no choice. You know how important this is. I couldn’t send another cat.”
Yulian sighed, rubbing his forehead. Leo was usually cheerful but stubborn when upset.
“She reminds me of that girl from back then.”
Leo’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Yulian, examining the note, froze and looked at Leo. It was the first time he’d mentioned that incident.
“No way. That was in the middle of nowhere. You saw her—she doesn’t look like she’s ever left the capital.”
“I just said what I felt. She doesn’t seem like a bad person, though.”
“That’s a relief. But are you really okay with this? If she’s telling the truth, the curse could be broken. Then you…”
“It’s fine. My life’s already been thrown away once.”
“You always talk like that…”
“I’m done. I’m leaving.”
Leo stood and sauntered off, three black cats trailing behind.
Even sharing thoughts, Yulian couldn’t fathom what went on in that small head.
Rebecca was similar in that way.
Divorce? And marry him?
It was absurd, yet tempting.
The temple had started sending letters.
For now, they were just pleasantries, but soon they’d demand an heir to tend to the goddess’s messenger.
In the Dephria faith, a divorcee wasn’t an issue. The religion was lenient about marriage.
Polygamy, polyandry—it didn’t matter. Divorce was more accepted than in other nations.
But despite the faith’s openness, Rotanders’ conservative culture frowned on openly taking a second wife.
The Dephria faith valued pleasure, but tradition prized propriety, creating an odd balance.
Unless tied to succession issues, like the Johannes family, affairs usually stayed discreet.
Zeppelin was an outlier. Despite a decade without a child, Rebecca was still young.
Taking a second wife while the first was youthful was a blatant insult.
“That bastard deserves a divorce.”
Old memories made Yulian scowl.
He’d disliked Zeppelin from the start.
With a sickly mother, Yulian was raised by a nanny, a rough immigrant woman.
She was in his few happy childhood memories.
Yet Zeppelin insulted her, calling her filthy to her face.
“Human garbage.”
Yulian recalled what Leo told him about last night at the Devonshire estate.
Punishing a wife was absurd enough, but whipping someone she cared about in front of her?
How vile.
He couldn’t imagine what else she’d endured.
“No wonder she always seemed half-dead.”
Yulian thought of Rebecca at the banquet.
The face he saw last night wasn’t an illusion.
She wasn’t the Rebecca he’d known. Her eyes shone with resolve, her words carried strength.
It was like she was a different person.
He pictured her delicate neck, cascading golden hair, soft yet firm voice, and astonishingly tiny waist.
“She was so light when I lifted her.”
Even for a woman, she was unnaturally light.
“He’s definitely starving her.”
Yulian clicked his tongue, vowing to feed her properly if she became his duchess.
A natural gourmand, Yulian’s estate boasted the empire’s finest chefs.
…
Count Zeppelin Devonshire’s mornings were always the same.
At 6 a.m., a maid drew the curtains, left a basin of water, and slipped out.
Zeppelin woke, savored the morning light, washed lightly, spritzed perfume, and rose.
He entered the mirror room connected to his bedroom for his hour-long ritual.
In a room lined with mirrors, he examined every inch of his bare body.
A lover of all beauty, he held beautiful women in the highest regard.
But, unusually, he found one man beautiful: himself, Zeppelin Devonshire.
By tradition, only beauties could become Devonshire countesses. Zeppelin was the culmination of that obsession.
His golden hair flowed softly. His pale blue eyes evoked sunlight on rippling water.
He had a boyish charm, but his high nose and strong jawline were distinctly masculine.
His finely sculpted body added to his allure.
Humming cheerfully, Zeppelin entered the mirror room. Unlike yesterday’s gloom, today’s weather was splendid.
A picnic with his two beautiful wives sounded perfect.
Of course, he’d need a custom parasol to shield their faces from the sun.
Running a hand through his hair, he froze.
Thinking he was still half-asleep, he left and reentered.
“Aaaagh!”
His scream echoed off the mirrors, filling the room. His knights rushed in.
“Count! What’s wrong?”
“My hair… my hair!”
His golden locks, meant to flow gracefully by his ears, were hacked off unevenly.
A knight, seeing the mess, widened his eyes.
He bit his cheek to stifle a laugh.
“Who did this?! Which bastard?! You?”
Zeppelin grabbed the knight’s collar. The sturdy man was dragged helplessly.
“N-No, sir! I’d never dare…”
Seeing Zeppelin’s murderous eyes, the knight stopped laughing.
Cold sweat dripped down his temple.
“What kind of work do you do?! Bring everyone on guard duty last night!”
…
Hearing the commotion upstairs, Rebecca cracked her door open.
Zeppelin’s furious voice carried down.
Curious, Alicia stepped out, looking up.
She grabbed a passing servant to ask what happened, but upon meeting Rebecca’s eyes, she hurriedly shut her door.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes.
Since Zeppelin took only Rebecca to the banquet, Alicia had been relatively quiet.
She was surely plotting something.
Rebecca had a faint guess what it might be.
Savoring Zeppelin’s screams, she returned to her room.
A small wooden box sat on the side table.
