Chapter 9.1

[Revenge is inherently unjust and absurd…. Do not seek revenge. It will only erase and halt your life.]

The man read the inscription carved into the wall of the former Emperor’s tomb with a face devoid of emotion. It was ironic that the man who had committed the most sins would have such words engraved in his own mausoleum after death.

Perhaps he feared his corpse would be desecrated. In fact, that was exactly what had happened.

His Imperial Mage, Nina, had not come here. Since she was currently fleeing the revenge of Dominic, the Master of the Magic Tower, she had given up on visiting once she heard that traces of the tower could be felt near the former Emperor’s grave.

“Eli, would you go in my stead?”

‘I am indeed a servant the Magic Tower wouldn’t detect.’

He served as a servant of the Sachsen Imperial Family and as Nina’s errand boy. The Imperial Palace was usually a place so busy one barely had time to blink as long as the Emperor was in residence, but things were different now.

This was because the master, the Emperor, was missing.

Was he kidnapped? Some nobles insisted on the kidnapping theory. But if one were to ask if he was dead…

‘He certainly seems dead.’

This tomb was a place where commoners never dared to linger. Fearing thieves targeting the burial goods, the Emperor had stationed soldiers alongside a tomb-keeper to guard it.

On the day the Emperor vanished, he had received a report that the former Emperor’s body had been desecrated and hurried here, only to disappear.

When the ministers arrived with other knights, they found the brutally murdered Imperial guards, the tomb-keeper and soldiers who appeared to have been killed by those guards, and…

‘The unearthed coffin of the former Emperor, the mangled corpse of a monster, and bone fragments mixed together.’

The gruesome scene before the coffin was exactly as reported. While the ministers were shocked, they mobilized men to find the Emperor’s body. However, no soldier or knight could find him, and as time passed, one of the ministers spoke up.

“Wait, could His Majesty’s body be in that horrific puddle? Those fabric scraps look like His Majesty’s robes…”

Terrified, they examined the green puddle mixed with monster parts. Indeed, it appeared that fresh human flesh was mingled with the rotting pieces of the monster. They called for the servant who had served the Emperor most closely to identify the remains, but the servant turned away, gagging.

Some said the Emperor’s body was in there; others said it wasn’t.

“His Majesty has been kidnapped! To think someone would not only assassinate the Emperor but commit such a barbaric act—it’s unthinkable!”

“But… who could have kidnapped him?”

No one could answer, just as they couldn’t answer who had killed the Emperor. Randolph’s closest confidants knew what he had been plotting and doing, but those were things that could never be spoken of publicly—especially if there was a chance the Emperor was still alive. They particularly feared the news reaching the ears of the Tesseia or Lyon Duchies.

On the other hand, some suspected the Tesseia Duchy had a hand in it, as the green slime of the monster reminded them of how the Lady’s hair had turned green.

Nina was certain of the Emperor’s death.

“He is dead. My love was a skilled man who could break the protection spells I cast in an instant; his killer must have been a Sword Master at the very least. He wouldn’t have even had time to scream… My poor love.”

‘Poor love, my foot.’

Eli couldn’t understand how she could lust after a boy she had known since he was six just because he had become an adult. Of course, Randolph was well past adulthood—he was thirty-two.

Growing up as the Crown Prince with everything he could want, Randolph likely found Nina’s blatant seduction unpleasant. Eli knew Nina’s true age despite her looking like she was in her late twenties, and Randolph was never the type to be satisfied with just one woman. Nina, however, had no intention of competing with other women for Randolph.

Regardless, with the Emperor who had been backing them gone, Nina and her followers were in a difficult position. Her research, which involved human experimentation, was impossible without the Emperor’s protection. Even the pro-Emperor nobles within the Sachsen Empire wanted to remove Nina, viewing her as an entity that blinded the Emperor. This was also fueled by the long-standing hatred and distrust of mages within the empire.

Nina seemed calm about Randolph’s death, but at times, she would fly into a mad rage. Whenever that happened, the maids and servants would flee, and most would beg Eli for help.

She supposedly liked his voice—saying it sounded like the purr of a pet cat.

Anyway, Eli was currently scouting the area with a magic tool Nina had given him. It was a detector used to find hidden magic. He found nothing in the tomb except for the spells protecting the coffin and burial goods. With an “I figured” look, Eli stepped out of the tomb.

A single eyeball watched him from a tall tree, but Eli didn’t notice it at all.

***

Just as they had planned, no evidence remained. The Master of the Magic Tower had even shattered the distorted magic waves so that the opening of the gate wouldn’t be noticed, claiming that no mage in the world would be able to find a trace.

With a stoic face, Aaron returned to the Tesseia Duchy, washed, and changed his clothes. It was nearly dawn when he left the mansion again.

The knights who had participated in his revenge had dispersed; some would be sleeping in their quarters. Only a few followed as Aaron’s escort.

The place Aaron headed to was the graveyard where Theresa was buried. Since her infidelity had been “discovered,” her body should have been returned to the Marquis Larqus family plot, but it hadn’t been. He hadn’t wanted to do it then… but thinking back now, he felt it was the one thing he had done right.

“Theresa.”

He whispered her name, feeling a stabbing pain in his heart. It had been so long since he had called her name that it felt as if his throat would twist and break. It was strange, as if he hadn’t spoken at all during the long time it took to say her name again.

“You… would have only given me a bitter smile at these actions. You were the type of person who would have told me to spend that time doing one more thing for Leticia instead.”

But he had no choice. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe in this world without doing this.

‘Theresa…’

“I love you. …I still love you. Even when I thought you betrayed me, until the moment I realized the truth, it was always only you.”

Perhaps that was why Leticia’s presence had been so unbearable. Unable to look elsewhere, he had been consumed by vengeance, struggling to find evidence of an affair that didn’t exist. When he failed, fueled by suspicion, he even doubted if the moments he shared with Theresa were fake. He shouldn’t have done that…

“What should I do now?”

He felt that once revenge was over, he would have the courage to go to Leticia and apologize. But even now, with the revenge finished, courage found no place in his heart.

Part of him, however weak, still resented Leticia. While what she suffered was undoubtedly unfair and cruel, he sometimes wondered if it was truly something to be that angry about.

Being nearly torn apart by hounds was certainly horrific, but compared to surviving an attack by a monster, it felt like nothing. Falling down the stairs was the same.

It wasn’t that those events were trivial. He didn’t know about the former, but surely Godfrey hadn’t intended the latter. Godfrey had looked genuinely shocked afterward.

Back then, hadn’t they believed Leticia wasn’t his biological daughter or sister? That gap in treatment was unavoidable.

Aaron oscillated between feeling he was infinitely in the wrong and feeling this surge of resentment. Because Leticia was also one of the things he had lost, her hating him and keeping her distance felt unfair to him.

‘If only I had known the truth…’

Everything would have been different. Cesare and Godfrey would have cherished Leticia. He thought she and Sebastian would have fought often because they were close in age, but eventually would have gotten along.

If only she could understand that it was painful but unavoidable… if she could just forgive, everyone could be happy. To him, it seemed Leticia was being stubborn.

“What should I do with that child?”

The Duchess in the grave remained silent. The grave had originally been humble, but it had been re-decorated after that ball.

He noticed fresh flowers placed by the grave. He hadn’t brought them; he had been too busy preparing for revenge. Judging by the type and arrangement…

‘It must be Leticia.’

Aaron stood there, thinking of Leticia and Theresa. He guarded the grave for a long while before returning to the Duchy at midday.

***

When the news broke that the people of the Lyon Duchy were heading back to their territory, the public’s reaction was “as expected.”

The Lyon Duchy had suffered the most damage during the recent monster invasion of the capital. Rumors said the walls and gardens needed repair, and parts of the buildings had to be demolished and rebuilt. Of course, they could have stayed in other buildings on the estate, but it was rumored the Lyon family’s high pride wouldn’t allow it.

“I heard they’re going to hold the wedding in the Duchy as well.”

“In the Duchy? But how will they accommodate the guests…?”

The wealth of the Lyon family and their massive castle could surely handle the guests, but not everyone could stay in the castle itself. Those who weren’t high-ranking nobles or particularly close to the family would have to stay at relatives’ estates or book hotels, and complaints were already surfacing.

“When the Pope said he would come, he must have had a wedding in the capital in mind…”

“Come to think of it, isn’t there a rumor that His Holiness has already departed from the Holy Kingdom? I wonder if he knows.”

Just as people suspected, the Church was in the dark. When the news reached High Priest Orlando through various priests and priestesses, even he was aghast.

“You cannot go!”

“Did I hear you correctly?”

Orlando had rushed to the Lyon Duchy again, but this time he was meeting Carlyle, not Leticia. In fact, meeting Duke Lyon himself was a great privilege, but Orlando was in no state of mind to appreciate it.

“In just fifteen days, His Holiness will arrive in the capital!”

“He isn’t coming to see me, is he? And it’s not for the children’s wedding either, since the date hasn’t even been finalized.”

Carlyle had welcomed the children’s wish to marry in the Lyon Duchy with open arms. It meant many nobles would flock to the territory, bringing a massive influx of gold.

‘It’ll also be easier to filter out unwanted guests.’

His vassals and the people of the territory would be overjoyed.

“You know why, don’t you? His Holiness…”

“I’m afraid I don’t. I haven’t received anything official.”

When Carlyle pointedly critiqued the Church’s assumption that he would just wait, Orlando’s face turned bright red. Unlike other nobles, imperial kin could not be pressured with the Church’s authority.

“His Holiness will surely expect to meet the Lady here!”

“I see. Then you should do your best to comfort His Holiness’s sorrow when he arrives.”

“Wh-what?! Duke!”

Orlando reacted with disbelief, but Carlyle only raised an eyebrow. Seeing the shift in expression, Orlando realized he had crossed a line.

“He… He is the Pope, after all. I believe you know how difficult it was for him to make this journey. If the Lady meets His Holiness, it will be a great help to her in using her divine power.”

“Isn’t he scheduled to attend the wedding? They can meet then. Furthermore, the child has suffered a great shock from this incident and needs rest. Delaying her recovery would be what truly saddens His Holiness.”

“Waiting fifteen more days won’t significantly affect the Lady’s health… I will examine the Saintess myself!”

When Orlando switched back to “Saintess” from “Lady” to try and gain leverage, Carlyle’s brow twitched.

“There is no need. Her heart is wounded. My son, who looks after her heart, is nursing her… It would be best for you to leave now. A loud noise isn’t good for a patient.”

As he finished, he signaled the servants. High Priest Orlando was indignant but, unable to find a retort, had no choice but to turn back.

“Duke! Please reconsider! It has been hundreds of years since a Pope visited the capital of this empire! In such a great blessing…”

“Take him out.”

Carlyle was a believer in the Goddess, but his faith in the Church or the Pope wasn’t particularly deep. Moreover, since they were trying to take Leticia—his son’s partner—away as a Saintess, every word Orlando said was grating.

He had shown the High Priest of the Great Temple the courtesy of a polite exit, yet the man made a scene until the very end. Just as he thought he had finally gotten rid of Orlando and tried to focus on work, the butler approached to announce an important visitor.

“Who is it this time?”

He asked disinterestedly, but the butler answered with a serious face.

“It is Duke Tesseia. …He says he wish to see the young mistress.”

Carlyle paused, knowing this day would come. The butler watched his master’s face with concern.

“What should I do? I have let him inside for now.”

“Without an invitation… well, if he had sent one, Leticia might have told him not to come.”

Carlyle debated whether he should go up to Leticia’s room and ask if she would meet him. If she said no, he intended to kick Aaron out himself.

‘It’s after that incident, so perhaps he intends to report on it.’

Carlyle had not told Leticia or Terdis that they had conspired and that Aaron had personally killed the Emperor of Sachsen. Leticia seemed to think her enemy had died of old age, and Terdis was unaware that Rupert had committed those acts with the support of the Sachsen Empire.

‘We can’t keep avoiding it forever… Aaron must be desperate.’

The fact that Leticia was staying in the capital but would soon leave for the Lyon territory was enough to make him anxious. Traveling to the Lyon territory would take a significant amount of time, and even if they moved to the Tesseia territory, meeting between the central cities of each duchy was no easy task.

“I’ll go up and tell them myself. You go down and make sure Duke Tesseia is being treated with proper hospitality.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The butler bowed and withdrew, and Carlyle headed upstairs to where the children were.

***

Aaron was in a state of great disappointment and confusion. Though he had learned through Sebastian that the child didn’t particularly want to stay close to them, he never imagined she would prepare to leave so abruptly without a single word.

It was true that cruel things had happened between them, but were they not family? He felt that no matter how disappointed or resentful she had become, she should have at least given him a chance to explain.

As he sat staring at the tea before him without drinking, a servant approached.

“The Young Mistress will be arriving shortly.”

‘Young Mistress.’

It was an irritating title, but one he found difficult to correct for now. As usual, he had expected Leticia to come down with Terdis, but this time, only her personal maid followed her into the room.

Leticia bowed to him, her expressionless face masking her discomfort.

“Duke Tesseia. You’ve come?”

“Leticia.”

His mind knew she was an adult, but he felt as if he had been transported back to her childhood. The memory of 12-year-old Leticia hesitantly walking on eggshells around him flashed through his mind.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you since the trial. I heard you went through a lot a few days ago. Is your body alright?”

“Yes. I am fine.”

Aaron was speaking more than he usually did, but Leticia avoided his eyes as if she had nothing to say. He already felt a heavy tightness in his chest.

‘You… have no intention of reconciling with me.’

He could tell just by her attitude. She found him uncomfortable. It had been the same back when she lived at the Tesseia estate.

He had never gone out of his way to call Leticia for a meal, nor had he ever tried to seek her out. Come to think of it, the realization hit him that they had never even sat together at the same table.

Even though she had lived in his mansion until she was twelve… not once had that happened.

As Leticia remained standing far off even after entering the room, Aaron rose and gestured to a seat.

“Sit. This conversation might get long…”

He worried she might stubbornly refuse to sit, but after watching Aaron with contemplative eyes for a moment, she went and sat down. Aaron felt a momentary sense of relief and began picking his words. He had many things planned to say, but his tongue was not smooth.

“Leticia… I heard the news that you’ll be heading down to the Lyon Duchy with your fiancé in a few days. Must you really? You aren’t married yet, so you could stay at home and prepare for the wedding…”

He had never experienced a moment where his words trembled so much. The maids and servants seemed surprised to see Aaron—usually so composed—stuttering, but Leticia remained calm.

“When I was sent to this house, it was promised that the ceremony would be held as soon as I became an adult. Though the Church says the marriage contract was burned, the fact remains that the ceremony was performed. Duke, my home is now the Lyon Duchy.”

His mouth shut instantly. Even though he knew Terdis’s condition was a curse, he had sent her away back then, ordering her to be married off as soon as she became an adult.

Without a single piece of jewelry, without a dowry. He had sent a 12-year-old away like that.

Though he claimed to have packed everything she owned when he sent her away, it was nothing more than dumping things that had become useless to him.

His daughter wasn’t even openly criticizing him. Yet, simply by reciting the cold facts, Aaron felt as if his heart were being squeezed.

“I… was wrong, Leticia. Please forgive me.”

Leticia blinked slowly as the words of apology finally flowed out. She wondered what exactly he was apologizing for. She didn’t want to hear an apology. To her, apologies felt like words spoken to coax someone when there was something they wanted.

‘What I want is already here.’

She had a family now. There were people who wanted to know her and who enjoyed her company without her having to make a special effort or flatter them.

From Leticia’s perspective, it was only natural that she wanted to get to know them and work hard for them. Because they had given her love first.

She had tried to treat Terdis well out of gratitude to Carlyle, and in doing so, they grew close and began to love one another. That was all.

“Did… Lord Sebastian not say anything?”

Her low, sunken voice seemed to reject his apology. Aaron felt a pain as if his heart were being torn to shreds. His daughter was rejecting him.

“Not ‘Lord,’ but your brother! And I am not ‘the Duke,’ but your father! Did you not reveal yourself that you were not a bastard, but cursed?”

“That was because I wanted to accuse the person who killed my mother. If I appeared to want something from the Tesseia Duchy…”

“No! That’s not it… You know what I’m saying, don’t you? We—I—know that I was wrong. That I caused you great pain… Still, I believe there must be a chance for us to grow closer. Don’t you feel the injustice of what we’ve lost?”

They had lost so much. Time to love one another, memories they might have made, and moments they could have endured more easily if they had each other.

Leticia also knew what she had lost. The difference was that she knew those moments could never come back.

“I cannot be a lovely daughter or sister. No matter what you expected, the time spent with me will be painful.”

“I am not expecting such things from you.”

“I am a twisted, warped, and resentful person. Every moment, I will feel wronged, and I will resent the Duke and the Young Lords who tormented me. You will expect things from me, only to be disappointed and turn your back. The other Young Lords will be the same.”

“Leticia… you are not that kind of child. Why would you say…”

Leticia knew this because she knew the original story. In the original work, even after it was revealed she wasn’t a bastard, Leticia—who grew up as a villainess—was never loved.

The distance between them, which widened further when they adopted Isella, only grew every time Leticia screamed out of a desperate desire to be loved.

In Leticia’s final moments, Cesare was the only one who tried to save her. But even that was far too late.

Shedding tears after death was easier than giving affection and trying to heal a twisted heart while she was alive.

Molly, who was watching, was surprised by Leticia’s words. Since she had only seen Leticia’s kind and gentle side, this was the first time she had seen her this angry, other than the time with Sebastian.

Aaron thought Leticia was simply throwing her first tantrum toward him as her father. Since she had been treated in a way that warranted anger, it was only natural for her to be angry.

“Even so, I will gladly endure it. Be as angry as you wish.”

“You don’t understand my words at all.”

It was natural that he didn’t understand. They were only concerned with what they had lost. No one thought about how she had felt in that place.

Even if they were family, they were strangers. They weren’t ‘good’ people… and that was why they were able to neglect and abuse that young child.

“You all made me this way. When I’m near you, I become that kind of person! Do you think I want to be like that? Why would I? Here, I… I can be happy. Why on earth should I have to do that?”

“Leticia…”

As Aaron looked at her in shock, Leticia wiped the tears flowing from her eyes. She looked at him with a cold expression and spoke.

“Does anything change if I forgive you? Ah, right. I will still be in pain, but the person who made me suffer will receive an indulgence and be set free. I will only feel wronged again, watching that person finally escape their guilt.”

“…”

“I am sorry I didn’t grow up to be a generous and broad-minded person. Many people here cherished me, but I suppose something is wrong with me after all.”

“N-no. You are…”

He needed to say that nothing was wrong with her, but the words felt stuck in his throat. However, Leticia wasn’t speaking because she wanted an answer.

“Just consider me a child who never existed. Do you remember what I said to you on the day the Duke sent me away?”

He didn’t remember. To him back then, Leticia was a child who meant nothing. A child who could be forgotten or die for all he cared. A stranger’s child… whom he simply wished would suffer.

“Those were the last words the Duke’s daughter ever spoke. The daughter you sent away died by your hands that day. So, forget her.”

Leticia rose from her seat as she said this.

“I believe there’s nothing more to say. …Please forgive my rudeness in leaving first. I am tired as well. Farewell.”

Watching Leticia turn away and leave the drawing room, Aaron struggled to find his voice. But what could he possibly say?

No matter how frantically he tried to rake through his past memories, he couldn’t recall what Leticia had said then. His daughter was drifting away, but his heartless memory provided no answer.

“Le… Leticia…”

He finally managed to make a sound, but it was a small voice that only reached his own ears. Meanwhile, Leticia had already left the drawing room and was walking down the hallway.

Only Molly, who followed her out, bowed as if in apology before closing the door.

Click.

At the sound of the door closing, his heart sank.

It was only after Aaron collapsed onto the sofa that he realized he had been halfway out of his seat. In his agony, he felt as if he could hear nothing.

***

Leticia didn’t say a word until they had walked a long way down the hall. Molly kept glancing at her before finally speaking.

“Is it alright to send him away like that? Still…”

She couldn’t finish the phrase ‘He is your father.’ She didn’t know how Leticia would take it. When Leticia came to a sudden halt, Molly stopped too.

“I… I don’t know. Just when I think I’m fine, I get angry. Every time I see those people acting like nothing’s wrong, I feel like I’m going crazy with rage.”

“I see.”

Neither Molly nor Terdis knew exactly what Leticia had gone through at the Tesseia estate. Leticia rarely spoke of her time there.

“The Duke didn’t personally torment me. He allocated a sufficient budget and even assigned someone to watch and make sure the servants didn’t bully me…”

Perhaps at first, he had tried to be fair.

“The only ones who directly tormented me were Young Lords Sebastian and Godfrey. However, the Duke simply stood by and let it happen. That’s all… and yet, he is the one I hate and resent the most.”

“That is because… he was the adult.”

Aaron shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t the right choice for his other children, either.

“If the Duke had sent me to my maternal grandfather’s house, or sent me to be adopted elsewhere so I could grow up not knowing my origins… my life would have been very different.”

She might have become the heir to the marquisate of Larqus, or lived without knowing of her mother’s death. If that had been the case, she might not have even tried to break the curse.

She couldn’t be sure about the former, but if she had been adopted by good people and been happy, she wouldn’t have bothered looking into the life of ‘Leticia the Villainess.’

They could have been happy, separated from each other forever.

“You don’t need to regret a future that didn’t happen. One can never know about the path not taken. There would have been other hardships there too. You’ve done so well here, My Lady.”

“I’m not so sure. I was desperate… and life flowed in a direction different from what I intended. Now I don’t know if this is due to my own efforts or if destiny just threw it in my lap.”

What Leticia wanted was to not be swayed and tormented by others, and to build a small happiness through her own strength. But the reality was that she was receiving a confession from the male lead and had suddenly gained the power of a Saintess, resulting in her life being threatened by a foreign emperor.

“Are you not happy, then?”

At Molly’s question, Leticia could shake her head firmly.

“I am happy. I have Terdis, and Father… and I have you, Molly, and everyone else.”

Molly smiled at the small confession as Leticia’s cheeks flushed slightly. She also felt that this Lyon estate had become happier since Leticia arrived.

She had seen with her own eyes how their suffering young master had softened and found moments of happiness because of Leticia. This young lady had become hope for their master.

“Those people… feel like my past misfortunes.”

Her childhood had already slipped away. Since no one can catch time that has passed, Leticia felt that her relationship with them would never be restored.

To her, they were simply burdensome entities who required her to intentionally expend care and time. In the past, she was powerless and couldn’t choose her family, but now she was an adult. She could choose her family now.

“Let’s go. Terdis will worry if I make him wait too long.”

As Leticia started walking again, Molly asked, “Why didn’t you bring the Young Master with you? He wanted to come along.”

“Because I was going to be mean. I didn’t want to show that side of myself to Terdis. …Can you tell I’ve been crying?”

“I can’t really tell, but I think the Young Master will notice.”

“He probably will, right? I should wash my face before going into the room.”

Terdis would notice anyway, but Molly didn’t stop her.

***

He didn’t know how he had managed to get home. All he remembered was the Lyon family butler trying to support him with a bewildered face.

‘Why can’t I remember?’

He had to remember. Those were the last words 12-year-old Leticia had spoken. He didn’t believe his young daughter was truly dead as she had said, but those forgotten words added weight to his guilt.

Entering his office and sitting on the sofa, he called for his servant. The man was observing Aaron with a worried face. Aaron realized that expression was because of him.

“…What did Leticia say to me before she left this house?”

“Do you not remember?”

She had always been a child who was unnervingly calm for her age. Back then, as Aaron’s servant, the man had tried not to hold a personal bias, but he had found it unpleasant that the child didn’t act like a child.

However, now that he knew the truth, he judged her to have been mature and clever.

“Tell me.”

“The Young Lady was very dignified. She seemed to be in great shock, but she composed herself and… I believe she said, ‘Thank you for raising me until now.'”

It seemed Leticia had even noticed that he hadn’t listened to those words and had forgotten them. Those were her final words. In that moment, she had drawn a line. She was never coming back here.

“She said that?”

“She did. She was quiet, though she had every right to throw a tantrum.”

That was likely why Duke Lyon felt so sorry for Leticia. Since Aaron’s servant had only viewed it as unpleasant at the time, he now felt a wave of embarrassment.

‘Why… was it so terrible? Enough for her never to look back?’

Even if he had been indifferent to Leticia… she had seemed to be doing fine. She didn’t raise her voice, and there was no friction with the servants. The only times there were loud noises were when she was entangled with Sebastian or Godfrey, or when his servants bullied her.

“Bring… her servants.”

“Who are you referring to?”

Aaron, who had been deep in thought, looked up.

“Leticia’s servants. They must all still be working for my family, right?”

“Of course. One or two might have left to get married, but the rest…”

“Assemble them before me immediately. Right now!”

***

They were holding their breath. Though many had worked at the Tesseia Duchy for years, Duke Aaron was not a man they saw every day. Furthermore, most of the servants never even had the opportunity to speak to him.

‘What is happening?’

As they exchanged anxious glances, Aaron gestured to the head butler. The butler cleared his throat and addressed them.

“Starting from the far right… state in order what your duties were while serving Lady Leticia.”

At the mention of Leticia, their faces paled. Though they had been nervous since being summoned by the master of the house, Aaron found their fearful aura particularly grating. To him, the fact that they had something weighing on their consciences was proof that they had wronged her.

The purge was not going to end with just Sebastian and Godfrey’s personal attendants.

“I was… in charge of assisting the Lady with her dressing and repairing or purchasing her clothes.”

“I served her meals. I delivered the food and consulted with the head chef to ensure the Lady received balanced nutrition.”

“I was responsible for cleaning the Lady’s room, as well as laundering her bedding and clothing.”

“I…”

Because Leticia had been a young girl, most of her attendants were women. There were male servants for heavy labor, but under the strict management of the nanny, they never had occasion to speak with her. After the nanny left when Leticia was nine, her personal maid, Cecilia, took over that role. Just as before, Leticia rarely spoke to men. The only interactions she had were when Sebastian or Godfrey picked fights, or when their servants tormented her.

Once the introductions were over, Aaron stepped forward.

“Then I shall ask. You said you served her meals? What was her favorite food?”

“Pardon?”

The maid gasped, looking frantically at two other maids who had shared the duty. The butler’s thunderous voice immediately followed.

“Where are you looking! Did you not hear the Master’s question?!”

“I-I believe she liked strawberries…”

She remembered the way Leticia had looked at her with a startled face after picking only the strawberries out of a cake. As the maid turned deathly pale, Aaron spoke again.

“If I verify this with the servants of the Lyon Duchy, there will be no discrepancy, correct?”

“T-that is…”

“Then what was the food Leticia hated or couldn’t eat?”

“Bell peppers… sir.”

There was likely no child who liked bell peppers. Even if she did, the maid figured she could claim the Lady’s tastes had changed as an adult. Aaron looked at the other two maids. Seeing them exchange glances, he spoke coldly.

“Everything said here will be verified with the Lyon servants. It would be wise to speak the truth.”

He stood before the second maid. “What is Leticia’s favorite food?”

“She liked sweet desserts, and otherwise she ate everything without being picky.”

A flash of betrayal crossed the first maid’s eyes, but she feigned ignorance. Since the Duke was sending someone to the Lyon Duchy to verify, she wasn’t about to get dragged down for giving a wrong answer.

“If she liked desserts, which did she want more of?”

“There was no such thing. She never asked for seconds.”

That part was true—except for the days when the maids ate Leticia’s meals for fun while the nanny was away. Once, when the nanny took a day off, young Leticia had to starve for the entire day. Later, as she grew older and learned to curry favor with the senior maids, such incidents stopped, but before she turned seven, it happened frequently.

“I see. And you, tell me. What did Leticia like?”

“As Susan said, she liked desserts and ate everything well… she was someone who made things easy for us.”

The maid added a compliment to Leticia, hoping to please Aaron. It was true that Leticia was a child who required little effort. Servants attending the other young lords had always envied them. Though she was far from power, Leticia was a child who functioned well even without a maid’s help. Unless the nanny prodded them, they didn’t try to serve her, and Leticia didn’t seem to mind.

“Made things easy, did she…”

Aaron’s chilly murmur made the maid flinch. She had intended it as praise and didn’t realize what was wrong—that the phrase contained an underlying contempt, treating the Lady as an equal or something even lower.

“Are you also going to tell me that Leticia never asked for anything special? That she never asked for more, or said she couldn’t eat something?”

“No, sir. The nanny wanted the Young Lady to grow into a perfect lady, so she taught etiquette strictly. Thus, the Lady never once said such things.”

“…”

That was impossible. A child might have their behavior corrected through education, but no child is born without desires. Aaron, who loved his sons in his own way despite being a distant father, knew this well. He looked at the clothing maid with a face lost for words.

“You were in charge of her wardrobe. What kind of clothes did she like?”

“The Lady liked quiet, inconspicuous clothes.”

“…”

He remembered the dress Leticia wore at the spring ball—a brilliant dress like a blooming spring flower, adorned with elegant decorations. He remembered what she wore in court. It was neat, but not the kind of outfit that would vanish into a crowd.

“What was her favorite color?”

“That is…”

The maid bowed her head, eyes darting. When she was first assigned to Leticia, she had been annoyed, but later she grew to like it—thinking she could steal expensive ornaments behind the old nanny’s back. After being caught by a servant the Duke had stationed, she started asking Leticia for them directly. The nanny wasn’t always by her side.

‘If you don’t give me this, I’ll prick you with pins every time I change your clothes. Your body will be covered in ugly marks in no time. Who would want a bastard like you then?’

Leticia had surrendered her ornaments when she was very young, and as she grew, she learned to protect them by negotiating with the maid.

“She said black or gray would be good… but it didn’t seem like she said it because she liked them. She just wanted to remain unnoticed.”

The maid shrugged as if it were Leticia’s fault for not speaking up. The Duke moved on to the next group without further questions.

“What was Leticia’s most cherished possession?”

‘Cherished possession? How should I know that?’

Cecilia bowed her head to hide her paling face. In her eyes, Leticia was a strange child who did nothing but pray all day. She never received gifts, bought only the bare essentials, and insisted that all remaining funds be put into her own account. How Cecilia had coveted that money! If not for the watchful eyes, she would have stolen it all.

“The Lady was… very devout, so she cherished her prayer book most.”

She was a child who prayed twelve times a day. Cecilia thought the Duke wouldn’t be able to argue with that answer.

“Then, which place in this mansion did she like most?”

To avoid the Duke and his three sons, Leticia had spent most of her time in her bedroom. She ate, slept, and simply existed there. When all four were out, she would creep out and wander, but since not all of Sebastian and Godfrey’s servants were gone, she had to hide from them too. Furthermore, the nanny disliked Leticia’s “frivolous” behavior and restricted her to the library and the garden.

The library was a place where the three Young Lords, excluding Aaron, frequented. If she accidentally ran into Sebastian or Godfrey, she would face great humiliation, so Leticia rarely went there. She walked in the garden for exercise, but there, the servants of the two lords would secretly throw dirty water, hurl stones from a distance, or toss insects and rotten tomatoes, forcing her to hide and scurry about.

‘Where was it, really?’

It was hard to just make something up. Cecilia spoke without daring to meet Aaron’s eyes.

“The Lady was… a very quiet person. Perhaps because she felt she would be attacked if she left her room, she stayed inside most of the time.”

“She stayed only in her room?”

“It’s not that she was only there. She went to the library occasionally… and she walked in the garden by the nanny’s order.”

She also remembered Leticia sneaking out to the stables to look at the animals, but since that place had become a site of trauma later on, she couldn’t mention the stables.

Aaron pressed a hand to his forehead. These were Leticia’s servants… and he had even stationed an extra servant to monitor them and ensure they treated her well. He didn’t think that monitor would have failed—he had chosen him specifically for his character.

‘And yet, this is how she lived?’

Walking on eggshells around servants, living like the dead without even a preference. Sebastian and Godfrey may have bullied her, but this…!

“It’s useless to ask them. They never once served Leticia properly.”

Sebastian said as he descended the stairs leading to the central hall. The servants looked panicked at the sudden bombshell.

“Young Lord, what are you saying…!”

“This is unfair! We served the young Lady with all our hearts!”

“What are you talking about? Do you think I didn’t know what you servants gossiped about? The only reason you served her properly once she grew up was because she signed a ‘contract’ with you.”

“A contract?”

At the mention of the contract, the servants who knew of its existence exchanged glances, and the faces of those who had actually signed it turned white. Aaron raised his voice immediately.

“A contract? What does that mean, Sebastian?”

“Because those wretches bullied her so much. Leticia signed a contract promising to give them each a cut of her savings when she turned of age and left this house.”

“N-no, that’s not it!”

They cried out in unison, but their terror-stricken faces told the truth. Aaron turned to the butler instantly.

“…Search their rooms and find that contract.”

“Your Grace!”

Ignoring their frantic cries, the servants moved. Since they were short-staffed, they even called in the soldiers. Aaron glared at them, his face a hardened mask. Nothing was right. This was never supposed to happen.

‘I never intended for that child to go through this…’

Is that really true? A voice whispered from deep within his heart, and Aaron lowered his gaze.

***

The contracts still existed. They hadn’t thrown them away just in case. Since signing the contracts, things had been decent, and they thought the “generous” Lady might still give them the money after leaving the family. It was too much money to give up on.

[…if I am served faithfully every single day without fail, I will calculate one gold coin per month and pay it on the day I become an adult and gain independence from the family.

-Leticia]

It was a simple, clumsy contract. Judging by the date at the top, she had written it when she was seven. Only seven years old.

“…The Lady was truly clever,” the butler murmured as he looked at the paper.

One gold coin was equivalent to their monthly salary. For poor commoners, some lived their whole lives without touching a single gold coin, and one could last a person six months. Leticia had received a generous budget, and with a monitor present, it was nearly impossible for them to steal it. The most they could pilfer were copper scraps. Leticia had realized their greed and refused to buy luxury goods, choosing instead to save for her future.

The contract was packed with additional clauses.

Do not steal my food. Do not hit me.

For every violation, a gold coin would be deducted from the ledger.

Aaron was in despair. The child had been so cornered that she had to create such a thing herself—even with a monitor and a loyal nanny present.

“I am a twisted, warped, and resentful person. Every moment, I will feel wronged, and I will resent the Duke and the Young Lords who tormented me.”

“No, Leticia…. You are not that kind of child.”

“You all made me this way…”

Aaron could offer no answer to those words. He had thought Leticia got along well with her immediate servants. Growing up beside a nanny who strictly restricted her life and signing contracts to pay for her own safety—what must that young child have been thinking?

“Who would ever want to return to a house like this?”

No one else heard his self-deprecating murmur. Aaron turned to the butler. There wasn’t even enough energy left in him for an explosion of rage.

“Fire them all. For those who held contracts, give them no recommendation letters and no severance pay.”

“Y-Your Grace!!”

“It’s unfair! We didn’t know the Lady was your biological child! We wouldn’t have done it if we knew!”

“Please give us a chance! It will never happen again!”

Those who had been closest to Leticia—and thus likely tormented her the most—knelt at Aaron’s feet and begged. Even if one worked for a Ducal house, being kicked out without a recommendation was fatal. They truly felt wronged. They had worked faithfully since the contract, even if only for the money. They hadn’t even received the promised payment yet.

“If you are doing this because of the Lady, I will make her return!”

The air went dead silent at that impulsive shout. While the other servants cast panicked looks, Cecilia didn’t realize what a mistake she had made.

Aaron spoke with an expression as cold as frost.

“You are going to convince Leticia? How?”

“The Lady has listened to me since she was young. Right now she’s just being immature and keeping her distance from Your Grace and the Young Lords. If I just scold her a little—”

“You? Scold my daughter? A mere maid?”

Leticia had indeed feared Cecilia. It was because Cecilia knew how to subtly pressure her. But that was only possible because Leticia was young and essentially without a guardian. Cecilia had misinterpreted this. The repetitive experiences leading up to Leticia’s departure for the Lyon Duchy had made her arrogant.

At Aaron’s sharpened voice, Cecilia hurriedly bowed her head.

“Not scolding, but… making her realize. If I convince her how much Your Grace and the Young Lords cherish her…”

Listening to her frantic excuses made Aaron’s insides twist. He realized his initial thought of simply letting them go was foolish.

“Take this woman to the dungeon and interrogate her. I must know exactly what she did to my daughter. All of them!”

“N-no!”

“Your Grace!!”

Ignoring their screams, the servants and soldiers moved. Interrogations accompanied by flogging soon followed. Most of them blurted out accusations against others, and a rare few confessed their own deeds.

The details were appalling. The butler recorded every single one. From petty theft and gossip… to stealing Leticia’s food and hitting her.

Watching the interrogation, Sebastian looked stunned as the hidden torments from her infancy until she could “respond” were revealed. He knew they bullied her, but he didn’t realize they had been this sickening.

Aaron’s personal valet thought that Leticia must have utterly washed her hands of the Tesseia family.

‘She might not even want to spit in this direction anymore.’

No one was innocent. Siding with colleagues while knowing their master was being bullied was also a sin. Most were kicked out without recommendations, and most had their severance pay confiscated. Some were even turned over to the guards by the Duchy.

Cecilia was lucky enough not to be sent to the guards, but the other fired servants looked at her as if she were a mortal enemy. Since most could have left with their documents and pay if not for her, a massive brawl even broke out near the estate.

The butler clicked his tongue and told the gatekeeper to call the guards if they looked like they were coming back.

***

Dominic, the Tower Master, kept his eyes closed, peering at the distant situation in the Sachsen Empire. Even for him, looking directly inside the palace was a challenge. What he could monitor instead were the officials entering and exiting the Imperial Palace.

‘The monster of the Lyon Duchy… certainly reminded me of Nina.’

Just as Dominic had disciples, Nina had hers. The difference was that most of Nina’s students ended up as her experimental subjects, though a few survivors likely remained.

‘Should I just close my eyes and infiltrate the palace?’

The capital of the Sachsen Empire was protected by magic of a different nature than that of the Luendal Empire. It wasn’t because they possessed superior spells, but because they had converted ancient ruins into the Imperial Palace. Had it not been for that, Dominic would have infiltrated the moment he grew suspicious and killed Nina. She was guilty of murdering twenty-three mages from the Magic Tower for her experiments.

Fortunately, the “revenge” of the Tesseia and Lyon families did not end with the death of the Emperor. They had planned for the aftermath, and those effects were now beginning to manifest. If the person they had planted took control of the Sachsen Imperial Court, he would be the first to drag Nina out of those ruins. The price Dominic truly sought could only be claimed then. Until that moment, he intended to stay calm and wait for the perfect opportunity.

***

“My Lady, she’s here!” the errand boy shouted, his face flushed red. Olga’s guard tossed him a coin, and Olga rose from her seat along with her maid. For this day, Olga had sat in this cafe every day, groomed to perfection.

‘A woman from a high noble house always goes shopping before a long journey!’ she thought.

She assumed Leticia de Tesseia would be no different. Though Leticia was now technically “de Lyon” due to her marriage, Olga chose to think of her as a Tesseia since the marriage wasn’t yet “official.” It would also prevent her from making mistakes in front of Cesare.

“Let’s go.”

The coachman had already prepared the carriage upon seeing the boy run toward the cafe. Shopping wouldn’t end in a flash, so there was no need to rush. Olga boarded elegantly and signaled her maid. The carriage hurried toward the jeweler “Louis.”

‘She must be with her husband, Young Duke Lyon, right?’

The fact that they went everywhere together was a source of envy for many young ladies, including Olga. Most men didn’t care to accompany their wives so closely after the initial honeymoon phase. Compared to the limited times Cesare escorted her, Olga had plenty of reason to be jealous.

‘But that’s over! After today, Cesare’s attitude toward me will change.’

Olga had high hopes for this scheme. She planned to decide whether to end her relationship with Vincent after seeing his reaction.

‘That foolish girl better listen to me.’

The carriage pulled up to “Louis,” and Olga stepped out, taking her servant’s hand. However, she wasn’t the only noblewoman disembarking.

“Oh? Lady Valentine.”

It was Nastasya Renain, Sebastian’s “former” fiancée. Their relationship had soured rapidly after Olga refused to help her just before the engagement was broken.

‘What? Are you here to see Leticia too? Planning to beg her to convince Sebastian?’ Olga thought bitterly.

Nastasya’s eyes sharpened the moment she saw Olga. “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“I haven’t even addressed you yet, My Lady,” Olga countered.

Nastasya flinched at the correction. Olga looked down her nose and said, “Is that how you greet someone? Speaking before your greeting is even acknowledged… truly.”

“What do you mean, ‘truly’?” Nastasya snapped.

Olga realized she was wasting time on a petty argument and stepped back. “I just thought it was typical of you. I’m busy, so if you’ll excuse me—”

“Why stop talking mid-sentence?” Nastasya reached out to grab Olga’s arm, but Olga’s guard stepped in to block her. Startled, Nastasya stumbled back and fell on her backside.

Though her maid hurried to help her up, Nastasya pushed her hand away, her face burning with shame. “You dare push me?!”

Her eyes blazed with fury, her original purpose forgotten. Olga found the situation irritating. Technically, someone of Nastasya’s rank shouldn’t have even addressed her first, but the Renain family’s wealth—second only to the Lyon family—gave her audacity. Olga’s own father wouldn’t want to cross Marquis Renain; if he came with a mountain of gold to apologize for his daughter’s rudeness, Olga’s father would likely overlook it.

“Is something wrong?” Olga asked.

“Something wrong?! Your knight used violence against me!” Nastasya shrieked.

Olga looked down at her arrogantly. “He simply did his duty. Was it not you who spoke rudely and then tried to assault me? And now you play the victim… apologize to my knight.”

‘Me? Apologize?’ Nastasya’s eyes flared. “I’m the one who should receive an apology!”

“Raising your voice like this… how unladylike. Your father must be so embarrassed by your behavior. I can already see him coming to our house to apologize for you.”

“You…!”

Nastasya’s fists trembled. Just as she was about to scream at Olga, a high-pitched voice cut through the air.

“Oh my, My Lady!!”

The jewelry shop “Louis” was a grand building with a massive entrance. A crowd of noblewomen began swarming toward the doors. However, the “Lady” they were calling out to was not Olga. Seeing them run past her toward Leticia, Olga’s face twisted.

The Tesseia Duchy was the strongest on the continent in terms of military might, and the Lyon Duchy was wealthy enough to rival them. And had Leticia not eloped with the Young Duke of the richest family in the Empire? Rumors that the Young Duke had broken his curse and become a Sword Master had made the young women idolize her.

‘I couldn’t even speak to her at the party!’

‘What a coincidence! This is fate!!’

‘If I can get close to her now and get an invitation to the wedding…!’

Though Olga currently acted as the queen among the younger social circles, few believed she would actually marry Cesare, given his lack of commitment even at twenty-six. Leticia, on the other hand, had solidified her position and even manifested the qualities of a Saintess. To the crowd, Olga paled in comparison.

“Hello, My… Lady!”

“Lady Leticia…”

One young lady shoved another aside to claim the spot directly in front of Leticia. Having seen her bounce another girl away with her shoulder, Leticia froze. The crowded socialites blocked her path completely. Terdis, who had been holding Leticia’s hand, quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders like a man protecting his mate from a pack of wolves.

“I don’t know if you remember me… Ack!” The girl speaking was shoved aside by the sheer force of the crowd behind her.

“We met at the Temple once… you probably don’t remember,” another smiled.

‘Yeah, I don’t remember anyone.’ Leticia thought. Back at Tesseia, no one had wanted to talk to her. She had been “the bastard,” and she never dared to make friends.

‘I remember the girls who mocked me at the Temple… surely they wouldn’t be shameless enough to talk to me now.’

The girls currently jostling in front of her didn’t seem to be the ones from her past. Though she assumed they had changed as they grew, she felt certain their “extra” character designs (hair and clothes) wouldn’t have changed much if they were the same people.

“L-Lady! I wanted to apologize for the past…”

The terrifying glares from the other girls forced the speaker to stammer out whatever came to mind first.

“An apology… in a place like this?”

“There’s a limit to being rude. It’s exactly what I’d expect from someone who persecuted a poor soul.”

“I can’t believe her.”

The insults weren’t directed at Leticia, but whispered among the girls so that both Leticia and the target could clearly hear them.

‘Whoa… these people are scary.’ Leticia thought. Their ability to gossip on the spot was impressive, but even more so was the way they moved like a single, writhing wall of human spirits. Had she been without her guards and Terdis, she would have been swallowed by the swarm.

“Move aside! You’re startling the Lady!”

“Is she startled by us, or by your brute strength?”

“Ouch! Who pinched my side!”

It was chaos. They were all pushing and shoving to be right in front of her. If Leticia hadn’t been staring at them with a dazed expression, they might have started pulling hair.

“Hello, everyone…” Leticia finally spoke, realizing she couldn’t just slip away. The tangled mass of ladies beamed at her.

“Hello, My Lady!”

“Good afternoon… Ouch!”

“Please come to our tea party… Don’t step on my foot!”

It looked like a brawl was happening beneath the surface. Terdis leaned down and whispered into Leticia’s ear.

“Let’s go back into the shop and leave through the back door.”

Leticia felt a chill as the girls suddenly went silent, trying to eavesdrop on the whisper. Just as she thought they were caught, a sharp voice rang out.

“What are you all doing?”

It was Olga de Valentine. Somewhere in the interim, she and Nastasya Renain had seemingly formed a truce, standing together as if they hadn’t just been at each other’s throats.

“You’re blocking the entrance and bothering people.”

The effect was instantaneous. The girls who had ignored Olga to run to Leticia began to slink away as Olga memorized each of their faces. Leticia watched in wonder as the human wall dissolved. Terdis seemed equally impressed.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you since the ball, My Lady. I was disappointed we didn’t get to greet each other then.”

Leticia gave Olga a subtle look. Whenever Olga had visited the Tesseia estate in the past, she had looked at Leticia as if she were an insect.

“Is that so? I thought you disliked me…?”

“What a thing to say… No. How could that be? We are family, after all.”

Olga seemed slightly flustered that Leticia would speak so bluntly. Nastasya took the chance to step forward. She might have talked trash behind Leticia’s back, but she had never actually done anything to her in person.

“I’ve wanted to meet you. I heard so much about you from Sebastian!”

‘All he probably did was curse me out,’ Leticia thought. By the time Sebastian had stopped hating her, he had already broken off the engagement. Leticia wondered how to handle Nastasya, who acted as if the broken engagement never happened.

“I see. However, I have an appointment…”

“An appointment?” Olga’s gaze turned cold, seeing Terdis—the only person Leticia would likely have an appointment with—standing right next to her. She clearly thought Leticia was lying.

‘Are you going to grab me by the collar if you don’t like my answer?’ Leticia wondered.

“I’m meeting my father. So, let’s exchange greetings another time.”

“…”

If the “father” was Duke Carlyle Lyon, they couldn’t exactly prioritize themselves over him. Had it been someone like Cesare, they might have demanded to join. But no one could stop Leticia as she gave a polite greeting and walked past with her husband/fiancé.

‘I missed my chance!’

No matter how angry they were, who could interfere with a meeting with Duke Lyon? Olga and Nastasya watched Leticia and Terdis board their carriage with lingering, regretful gazes.

***

Vincent Larkin listened to the noblewoman in front of him with an intrigued expression. It was rare to hear stories of his secret lover, Olga, being humiliated. His date for the evening was thrilled by his reaction and spoke with even more fervor.

“It was a disaster after that! Lady Valentine and Lady Renain started fighting again. They were tearing into each other’s weaknesses.”

Olga’s weakness was Cesare’s lack of affection, and Nastasya’s was her recent broken engagement. It was a losing battle for both. Vincent chuckled and took a sip of wine. He never went on casual dates with Olga to avoid Cesare’s suspicion. He thought she worried too much, but he humored her—otherwise, he might be dumped or face retaliation.

“I’ve never seen Lady Valentine so angry! It was a shame she couldn’t deliver the invitation to Lady Tesseia, but the fight made up for it…”

The girl realized she had been gossiping too much and blushed. Vincent gave her a generous, reassuring smile, making her feel brave enough to continue. He responded politely while thinking about Leticia, who was set to marry Young Duke Lyon. Only a few days ago, he had been trying to kill her, but now that the young Emperor of Sachsen was dead, she was someone worth befriending.

‘Based on the state of Sachsen… it will be chaos for a while without a proper emperor.’

Emperor Randolph had no wife, no concubines, and no heirs. Sachsen was currently directionless. Opposition forces were gaining ground, and a massive shift in power was likely. Vincent planned to take what he could from the chaos and distance himself from Sachsen. The organization that managed him was currently in limbo, so it seemed possible.

As long as a few specific people died.

‘…I don’t even need to wait.’

In the midst of Sachsen’s chaos, a few more deaths would simply be attributed to internal power struggles. It was a stroke of luck. Vincent smiled warmly at his date. Rare were the times that felt this fortunate.

***

Godfrey couldn’t quite define the pressure he was feeling. Sebastian had failed, and his father had clearly been rejected. No one in the family said anything, but he felt that mere letters were not enough.

‘She doesn’t even seem to read them.’

He had never received a reply. He wrote every day, but he wondered what the point was.

‘They’re probably going straight into the fireplace without being opened…’

Though it wasn’t the season for fires, his suspicion wasn’t unfounded. Yet, how could he blame her? He was the one sending letters uninvited. Leticia had no obligation to answer.

He had learned through his sources that the Lyon family was preparing to leave for their duchy soon. It seemed they wanted to head down before the Pope arrived in the capital in about a week.

‘She’s trying to avoid becoming a Saintess, so of course she’s leaving. What is that man even doing coming to the capital now? The wedding date hasn’t even been set.’

The Lyon family never explicitly said they were leaving because of the Pope, but everyone assumed they were avoiding the Church’s greed. The fact that a high noble’s marriage contract was destroyed inside a holy temple had shocked nobles and commoners alike. It was as if people had discovered their respected priest was actually a murderer on the wanted list.

‘Anyway, I can’t let Leticia leave like this.’

If she left for the Lyon Duchy and had the ceremony there, the Tesseia family would be cut off forever. He didn’t want to lose the sister he had just “found.” After racking his brain, Godfrey decided to send a bouquet and a card. Even if she didn’t read letters, few people ignored cards. He planned to send flowers and go to the meeting place every day, even if she didn’t show up.

But to his surprise, Leticia appeared on the very first day.

***

Upon seeing the bouquet and card sent by Godfrey, Leticia decided to meet him immediately

First had been Sebastian, then Aaron. Godfrey, too, had committed acts that required an apology, and Leticia felt that if she didn’t receive one now, he might continue to be a nuisance later. She wanted to settle things before leaving the capital.

When she arrived at the designated spot, the afternoon sun in the park was intense, signaling the transition from spring to summer. Under a cloudless sky, Leticia headed toward the meeting place shielded by a parasol held by her maid. Beside her was Molly, her personal maid, four imperial guards, and, of course, Terdis. Although rumors were spreading that the Emperor of the Sachsen Empire had gone missing, they couldn’t afford to be complacent.

Unlike when she faced Sebastian, Leticia felt confident she wouldn’t lose her composure with Godfrey. In her childhood, Godfrey had actually been a more direct object of fear than Sebastian—he was like a simple, thuggish brute. However, now she found herself loathing Sebastian more; his cruelty had been more calculated, designed to twist the heart.

Still, in Leticia’s eyes, Godfrey remained a violent man. But today was fine. She had her guards, and more importantly, she had Terdis. No one in the world would succeed in laying a hand on Leticia while Terdis was watching.

Godfrey was waiting exactly where the card said he would be. He sat hunched on a bench a short distance from a statue of a former emperor, staring gloomily at the ground. When he sensed her presence and looked up, his face brightened instantly.

Leticia looked at him with a cold, stiff expression.

[Sun Park. I’ll wait by the statue of Emperor Arl at 3:00.]

The card had said nothing else. She didn’t care what he was thinking; perhaps he had planned to wait here every day at 3:00 until the Lyon family left the capital.

“We are leaving soon,” Leticia said. She thought about saying she wanted to wrap things up before going, but she held the words back, wary of letting her anger tangle her thoughts.

At the mention of her departure, Godfrey’s complexion seemed to turn even paler.

“I see… I should have apologized eight years ago, as your fiancé suggested then. Too much time has passed. I was… a coward.”

His self-deprecating voice echoed quietly in the midday garden. This park was on the outskirts of the city, and because not even the summer flowers bloomed near this particular statue, it was deserted. Leticia, having never visited this place before, realized she wouldn’t have even found it without help.

‘Godfrey probably doesn’t even know that I’ve never been to this park before.’

While most citizens would have visited at least once, for Leticia, the “bastard” daughter of Tesseia, even a simple walk in the park had been a luxury denied. It was another small injustice he likely hadn’t even considered.

“I am truly sorry, Leticia. Please forgive me for only now offering the apology I failed to give eight years ago. I was foolish and reckless. I regret… causing you such deep pain.”

Godfrey felt a chill of relief seeing that she looked well. He had heard her injuries back then were so severe she required a High Priest and follow-up treatment for aftereffects. He knew it was shameless of him to feel relieved when he had contributed nothing to her recovery, but he was glad she was whole.

“Am I supposed to show a generous side and forgive you now?” Leticia asked.

“N-no! I just wanted to tell you that I regret what happened and that I am sorry. To expect forgiveness would be absurd…”

Leticia felt a wave of irritation. It felt as though not forgiving him would make her the bad person. The world felt vulgar and mean, constantly siding with the perpetrators and the strong, allowing them to ask for permission to have sinned. She still felt a phantom shiver of fear whenever she stood at the top of a staircase.

“Fine. Then I’ll be going.”

It was frustrating. Even if they were blood, she couldn’t bring herself to wish him eternal misery, even though she had nearly died by his hand.

As she turned to leave immediately, Godfrey panicked.

“You’re… you’re going?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t even glance back. Godfrey realized from her expressionless face that Leticia wasn’t just angry—she was trying to erase them from her life entirely. His apology was merely self-satisfaction; it meant nothing to her heart.

“Le-Leticia!”

She stopped at his desperate call. She looked back with eyes devoid of emotion, a sight that made his heart sink.

“Will we meet again…? No, can I… send letters…?”

“Don’t. I haven’t read any of the ones you’ve sent so far.”

“Ah… I see. I’m sorry.”

Leticia decided that as soon as she got home, she would burn every letter from him she had collected.

“Is there nothing… nothing I can do for you?”

Leticia considered telling him to never approach her again, as she had with Sebastian, but she changed her mind. Perhaps venting to Aaron and Sebastian had softened her edge just enough.

“I don’t think there is.”

She hesitated on whether to tell him to never see her again, but chose to simply walk away. As Terdis walked beside her, he glanced back and saw Godfrey standing there with his head bowed low.

As they neared the park exit, Molly peered at Leticia’s face.

“What is it? If you have something to say, say it,” Leticia prompted.

“It’s just… it was different from when you met Lord Sebastian. I wondered if he had treated you even worse than Lord Godfrey.”

Leticia’s eyes took on a far-off look. “Godfrey was terrifying too. He was usually the one who personally bullied me. But Sebastian… he mostly made the servants do it.”

She knit her brows, clearly hating the memory. “The fall from the stairs was scary, but I hit my head and blacked out immediately. It hurt when I woke up, but it felt like falling off a horse. But when the hunting dogs attacked…”

Her expression twisted as if she could feel the phantom pain of the impact.

“That was truly terrifying. For some reason, I couldn’t even scream. I was lying there bleeding, and Sebastian’s servants were clapping and pointing and laughing…”

The memory of them laughing while her flesh was being torn by sharp teeth was horrific. Seeing Leticia turn pale, Terdis quickly pulled her into an embrace and rubbed her shoulders.

“Tisha, stop. Don’t think about it anymore.”

“Okay…”

“I’m so sorry, My Lady. I shouldn’t have asked,” Molly apologized, looking distraught.

“It’s alright,” Leticia replied.

Because they were by her side, she was finally able to talk about those things without being completely overwhelmed by the pain. She knew that with more time, a day would come when she could speak of it with complete indifference.

Leticia boarded the carriage while leaning on Terdis. From a distance, Godfrey watched the carriage depart. Terdis and the guards noticed him, but Leticia did not.