Chapter 78

“Your Highness the Second Prince, surely you are aware of what kind of rumors spread when an unmarried man and woman stay in the same mansion.”

 

“Unfavorable stories, I imagine.”

 

“And if the parties involved are the Second Prince and the daughter of a Baron, who do you think will be left with the unsightly label?”

 

My father’s worried gaze fell upon me.

 

“Lilithia would have to live with that stigma for the rest of her life.”

 

“…….”

 

“I may seem overly protective, but she is my everything, a daughter I have raised with the utmost care. I ask for your understanding.”

 

Warmth and anxiety were etched into my father’s eyes.

 

“I understand your intent, Baron. However, my feelings are not so light as to be deterred by that.”

 

Freyer looked at me with a soft, playful smile.

 

“?”

 

“I could never be so careless with a lady I have spent a night with.”

 

Thump!

 

I jolted upright, my hands slamming against the table. The impact was strong enough to make the silverware rattle.

 

“W-what on earth are you talking about?!”

 

Freyer chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he spoke with feigned nonchalance.

 

“I mean, of course, that as your savior who rescued you during the Hunting Festival, we spent a night together.”

 

“Ah…!”

 

Because there was a grain of truth to it, I had overreacted. My face turned bright red with embarrassment, and I cautiously lowered myself back into my chair.

 

“?”

 

Father sent a dubious look my way. I hadn’t explained to him exactly what had happened during the Hunting Festival.

 

‘If I tell him the details, he’ll be worried sick.’

 

Just as I opened my mouth to offer a white lie, Freyer beat me to it.

 

“Lady Baimery sprained her ankle in the forest. It started to rain, and since we couldn’t make it back to the campsite, we spent the night in a cave.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“It is.”

 

Father looked at me, seeking confirmation, and I nodded quickly.

 

“That’s right. His Highness rescued me.”

 

“But what did you mean by having feelings that aren’t ‘light’?”

 

“She collapsed back then and her health suffered greatly. Since she was injured during an Imperial event, how could I not feel a sense of responsibility and care for her?”

 

“I was unaware of those circumstances. Lilithia didn’t tell me.”

 

“I’m glad you know now.”

 

Father gave a slow nod, and Freyer added one more thing.

 

“However, from my perspective, I am quite concerned for Lady Baimery’s well-being. Despite your worries, Baron, I would like to stay by her side just a little longer.”

 

Father seemed moved by Freyer’s words.

 

“I will give it some thought.”

 

 

***

 

 

At daybreak the next day, father said there was somewhere we needed to go. We arrived at the graveyard located behind the mansion.

 

“You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you?”

 

Father brushed the dust off a tombstone with his hand. As he wiped it clean, the name ‘Leticia Baimery’ was revealed.

 

“Lilithia. Don’t stand so far away. Come here.”

 

At my father’s call, I stood before the tombstone, my heart feeling heavy.

 

“Leticia. If only you were alive, you could see how beautifully our Lilithia has grown.”

 

His voice sounded as if he were holding back tears, but he looked at me without letting his composure slip.

 

“You should say something, too.”

 

Leticia. To the mother of the real Lilithia, I found it hard to speak. I wasn’t the real Lilithia, after all. Saying I missed her or loved her felt difficult. Instead, I pulled out a thought I had tucked away in my heart.

 

‘Lilithia must have always loved Leticia. I hope the real Lilithia, who gave me this new life, is happy wherever she is.’

 

I hesitated, then finally spoke from the heart.

 

“……Thank you.”

 

Father gave a faint smile. “I have a few things I’d like to say to Leticia alone. Would you mind giving us a moment?”

 

“Of course.”

 

‘It’s probably best if I go quite a distance away.’

 

I caught a glimpse of his eyes turning moist. To ensure he didn’t feel self-conscious, I sat on the ground leaning against a distant tree. A chill rose from the earth, but it was bearable since Winnie had insisted I wear a thick coat.

 

“The clouds are pretty.”

 

Watching the white clouds bloom against the blue sky lifted my mood. I absentmindedly rested my hand on the ground, only for my fingers to catch on a sharp corner of something.

 

I thought I had cleared the stones away before sitting, but there seemed to be one I missed. I looked down at the dirt and my eyes widened.

 

“A box?”

 

The corner of a dark brown box was sticking out of the ground. It looked as though it had been hidden there intentionally.

 

Driven by curiosity, I dug into the earth. It wasn’t buried deep, so I pulled it out easily. I carefully opened the box to find a diary inside. On the cover, the name ‘Lilithia Baimery’ was written in large letters.

 

“It’s Lilithia’s?”

 

I knew I shouldn’t touch other people’s things, but I thought this might help me as I lived my life in Lilithia’s body. I tried to open it to see what was inside, but the diary was locked.

 

“A key….”

 

I searched the box for a key, but there was none. As I was turning the diary over in my hands, a small slip of paper fell out from between the pages.

 

“?”

 

I picked it up. It was a letter, but the recipient’s name was blank. The very first line gave me goosebumps.

 

> I hope you are doing well.

 

“A love letter…?”

 

I looked at the handwriting and then back at the name on the diary. The script was identical. This was a letter written by Lilithia.

 

> The weather is so lovely today that I find myself missing … especially now.

 

The person she missed was left as a blank space.

 

> I attended the banquet because I wanted to see …, but unfortunately, I heard you didn’t attend. I plan to attend the next banquet as well. I hope I can meet … then.

 

It was a love letter through and through. Since I had none of Lilithia’s memories, I had no idea if there was someone she had feelings for. Seeing the unsent letter written with such care, it was clear she had been deeply infatuated.

 

“Based on the content, it looks like a one-sided crush.”

 

I had lived in this body for several months now, but other than the Crown Prince and Freyer, no man had even come close to me.

 

‘I have no clue who it is.’

 

I stared intensely at the diary.

 

‘If I find the key, I might find out who it is.’

 

Since this was an unsent letter, perhaps the diary would explain who it was for and how she felt in more detail.

 

“Right. Let’s find that key.”

 

I immediately went to find the person most likely to know where it was. Winnie’s face lit up when she saw the diary in my hands.

 

“Oh, you’ve brought out your diary after all this time?”

 

“Yeah, I forgot where I put it, but I found it. By any chance, do you know where the key is?”

 

Winnie tilted her head in thought and shook it. “Only you would know the location of the key, My Lady.”

 

“Is that so…?”

 

“Did you forget where you put the key as well?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Would the young lord Lilithia loved remain a mystery forever? Feeling a lingering sense of regret, I placed the diary in my desk drawer and closed it.

 

“If I find the key while cleaning, I’ll bring it to you right away!”

 

“Thanks, Winnie.”

 

And so, the mystery of Lilithia’s crush was put on hold.

 

 

***

 

 

After the visit to the grave, father said he would be reviewing the documents for the main guild office, so I handed over several files to him. As the guild master, he needed to understand the current flow of the business.

 

“It really is nice having father back.”

 

Since he was checking over my work, I felt a burden lift from my shoulders. Having returned the office to my father, I was on the first floor taking inventory when Kenny approached me.

 

“My Lady. The Guild Master asked for you to come upstairs for a moment.”

 

“Right now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Since he hadn’t been at the main office for months and the guild had shifted directions slightly, he likely had specific questions for me. I went straight to the second-floor office and knocked.

 

“Father, you called for me?”

 

“Yes. Come in.”

 

Father was sitting at the desk reviewing papers. As I entered, he took off his reading glasses.

 

“I called you because I wanted to know if you knew anything about these canceled reservations.”

 

Father held up a sheet of paper.

 

“I’ve looked over the other documents, but the exact reason isn’t explained. I figured you would know.”

 

“Ah….”

 

I let out a long sigh and spoke carefully.

 

“There’s been a strange rumor going around… saying that the goods our guild sells are of poor quality. That’s why the ladies have been canceling their orders.”

 

“Is there any truth to the rumor?”

 

“No! Absolutely not! I’d stake my life on it. I worked harder than anyone to produce the highest quality fabric.”

 

I looked at him with conviction.

 

“If we remain confident, these baseless rumors will die down soon. This market is a place that is naturally prone to being swept up in gossip.”

 

Father gave a faint smile and pushed a different document toward me.

 

“And can you explain why this task hasn’t been executed yet, Lilithia?”

 

It was the document regarding the wool. I spoke cautiously, explaining the current situation where our trading partners were unable to pass through the Empire.

 

“In that case, you should go to the other kingdom yourself.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes. Now that I am here at the guild, you no longer need to worry about things here.”

 

Father looked at me with eyes full of trust.