7.

“Hmm.”

Stella stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She wore a white dress with lace around the neck, over which she had put on a dark blue dyed spencer.

Around her neck was a silver cross necklace, but Stella frowned at her somewhat awkward appearance.

‘Does it suit me?’

After looking around for a moment, Stella cast her gaze at the bonnet placed on the table.

It was a bonnet she had bought with Kalian last time.

The bonnet, adorned with two large white feathers, red ribbons, and yellow flowers, looked pretty just by looking at it, but she wasn’t confident it would suit her well.

“……”

Stella placed the bonnet carefully on her head so as not to disturb her styled hair and frowned.

Something looked strange.

“How about changing your spencer, my lady?”

Someone spoke to her.

It was the maid Diane, who had nursed Stella all night last time and had occasionally been assigned to take care of Stella instead of Mrs. Poff.

“The spencer?”

“Yes, it seems you don’t want to change the bonnet.”

Stella nodded while holding the bonnet.

“The dress suits you very well! It’s just that there’s no unity between the dress, spencer, and bonnet, making it look awkward. Just a moment!”

Diane, who had run off somewhere, returned with a light pink spencer in her hands.

“How about trying this on instead?”

Stella took off the spencer she was wearing and put on the one Diane recommended. Then Diane quickly offered the next item.

“These shoes would look good!”

They were shoes decorated with flowers similar in color to the yellow flowers on the bonnet.

After putting on the short jacket-style spencer and the recommended shoes, Stella’s expression brightened.

“It’s pretty.”

“Isn’t it?”

Diane smiled broadly.

“Yu look beautiful in anything, my lady. But matching colors like this makes you even prettier.”

Diane rolled her eyes gently while offering flattering compliments.

“Next time, I could help with your makeup and hair too…… I’m very good at makeup.”

It seemed she was aiming to become Stella’s dedicated lady’s maid.

This much is cute.

Stella nodded with a smile.

“I will. Next time, will you help me with makeup first?”

“…Yes!!”

Diane answered energetically. Her eyes began to sparkle.

“From next time, I’ll help you with everything from makeup to hair! Are you going out now? Shall I bring your reticule?”

When Stella nodded, Diane quickly moved to bring the small bag called a reticule and handed it to her.

“Have a good trip, my lady!”

She even followed Stella to where she would board the carriage and waved her hand.

Looking back slightly at the mansion after boarding the carriage, Stella saw Diane already proudly boasting about something to the other maids.

‘How cute.’

Perhaps because she was still young, she reminded her of Mary.

Her spiritedness somewhat reminded her of Sanderson.

‘I really miss my family.’

To confess, there had been once or twice when she wished her father wasn’t around.

There were times when she was so exhausted from taking care of her immobile mother that she wanted to ignore her mother’s voice calling for her.

There were times when she found her siblings annoying.

There were times when she wished her father would simply not love her, so that she could decisively cut ties with him.

……There were even times when she wished her family would abandon her first.

“……”

Stella lowered her gaze.

Thinking about it now, it was truly a foolish thought, but when she was so exhausted, so dried up that she didn’t even realize how tired she was, wasn’t her mind filled with such thoughts?

Back then, it seemed like she would be happy if she lived apart from her family.

But now that she was actually separated, she kept looking back with longing.

‘It will be alright, won’t it?’

Stella thought as she fiddled with the strap of her reticule.

The reason our home was so difficult was because of money, so it should be fine now.

I won’t be too exhausted either, my siblings will receive education, and mother is getting proper treatment.

‘Yes, it will be fine.’

Now that the biggest problem was gone, surely they could become the harmonious family she had dreamed of.

Stella smiled, filled with hope.

⁕⁕⁕

“Bring the Duchess of Rochester to the palace sometime. She is your wife after all, which makes us relatives now, and I haven’t properly paid attention to her.”

Kalian recalled Dukren’s final words as he left the palace.

He had visited the palace to handle a matter requested by Radny, and had once again tried to sound out Dukren.

But that was the only response he received.

Could it really not be true?

She was a woman who seduced men every night under the pretext of saving her family.

She was a woman who gave herself to him with the sole determination to marry him.

That was a kind of belief and conviction Kalian had about Stella.

But in just a few months, that belief was beginning to waver.

“Your Grace.”

When Kalian remained silent, Wilter, who had followed him out, called to him.

“We should leave soon if you don’t want to be late for your appointment with the Duchess.”

“Yes, let’s depart.”

Only then did Kalian take a step and board the carriage.

“Wilter.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“I’ve heard rumors that my wife wanders around Kessentra Street.”

“Cough!”

Wilter coughed loudly. Only after his body jerked several times did he finally seem to calm down.

“The Duchess, you say?”

Kalian nodded in response to Wilter’s question.

“Do you know what she did when she went to meet Count Ambrose and her siblings?”

“Are you actually suspecting the Duchess?”

“I’m not the only one who knows the rumors about my wife.”

By the time Stella and Kalian’s marriage was decided, Wilter, the old butler of House Rochester, had already completed his investigation.

“That may be true.”

Wilter lowered his head.

“But the Duchess I’ve observed these past few months doesn’t seem like that kind of person. She doesn’t seem to be deceiving anyone either.”

“Wilter.”

Kalian replied without taking his eyes off the documents.

“The judgment is mine to make.”

In the end, Wilter nodded. Then he detailed what had happened that day, which had been summarized as ‘she went out to see them off.’

“She did return quite a while after going to see them off. When I asked, it seemed she had purchased gifts for her siblings at the shopping district.”

“Witnesses?”

“The coachman Hill accompanied her. Since it was a short outing and she doesn’t yet have a dedicated lady’s maid, there was no one else with her.”

Of all people, she took the coachman. Coachmen usually wait with the carriage or at the store, don’t they?

“So there’s nothing certain, then.”

Kalian said, closing the document he was looking at.

“Have it investigated.”

“But, Your Grace.”

“It’s better to be certain about everything.”

While this brief conversation took place, the carriage faithfully traveled to the meeting place and stopped.

Through the window, Kalian could see Stella sitting on the terrace of the tea house in the distance.

Stella had ordered a cup of tea and was absently watching the street.

When sunlight shone through the clouds, she would gently squint her eyes, and when a child or animal passed by, she would follow them with her gaze.

Then, as if the bonnet was uncomfortable, she fiddled with the strings and eventually untied them.

“Ah!”

Just then, a strong wind blew. While others frowned at the sudden gust, Stella simply smiled as she brushed away her windblown hair, as if welcoming the breeze.

Kalian continued to watch her from inside the carriage, resting his chin on his hand.

Why was he reminded of that time?

When she didn’t even know what she was wearing and started to remove her dress robe at the mention of her mother’s robe.

“……”

His mouth went dry in the same way. Feeling anxious, Kalian took a deep breath.

It was then that a group of men approached Stella. Judging by their youthful appearance, they seemed to be students still attending school.

Kalian observed them.

They weren’t behaving threateningly toward Stella or trying to get too close to her.

They seemed to be talking about something, but as the conversation went on, Stella’s face grew increasingly rigid until she finally lowered her gaze helplessly.

That was resignation.

It was also the face of someone who realized that no matter how much they cried out, no one would listen to them.

And Stella seemed all too familiar with such resignation.

Just as Stella firmly bit her lower lip, Kalian got out of the carriage.

“So, my lady—”

“What’s going on here?”

He deliberately inserted himself between the men and Stella. With one hand on the table where the teacup sat, he stared at the men.

“Do you have business with my wife?”

“It’s nothing.”

The men immediately backed away. Seeing this, Stella let out an incredulous laugh.

“We just spoke to her because she was so beautiful. Had we known she was your wife, we would never have approached her!”

“Is that so?”

Without even listening to their ridiculous excuse, Kalian turned toward Stella.

“Is what these men say entirely true, my wife?”

Their eyes met. The green eyes that had been lifeless just moments ago now regained their vitality.

“…Will you listen to what I have to say?”

“Of course.”

“Will you believe me?”

Kalian nodded slightly. The men began to panic.

“No, wait.”

“They said unpleasant things to me.”

Stella’s voice gained strength.

“They brought up baseless rumors and insulted me.”

“I see.”

After Stella finished speaking, Kalian finally turned his head to look at the men.

He removed his hand from the table and straightened his posture.

“Anything to say?”

“We, we’re sorry.”

One person from the group stepped forward.

“If we had known her husband was present, we would never have said such things.”

“What a bunch of fools.”

Kalian sneered.

“Whether I’m here or not, it seems I need to teach you that you shouldn’t say such things to people.”

“…Aren’t you being too harsh? It’s not like we said anything untrue.”

“Hey, hey hey.”

Someone tried to say more, but another man immediately stopped him.

It doesn’t particularly matter if they speak.

“Wagging your tongue without distinguishing when it’s necessary and when it’s not must be the result of poor parenting. Each family will pay the price for this incident.”

Kalian’s eyes scanned each one of them in turn.

“Wakefield, MacLaren, Rosevale, and…”

The last person Kalian looked at was the one who had bristled at his words.

“Pelepa.”

“……!!”

The faces of the men whose surnames were called turned pale. They whispered among themselves, wondering how he knew them, and then gradually began to back away.

Then they quickly ran off and disappeared.

“They can’t escape by doing that, how shortsighted.”

Kalian clicked his tongue and sat down in the chair.

“As for you…”

He tried to say something but his words suddenly stopped. Stella was looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Kalian smiled slightly.

“You look quite moved.”

“Yes, I am moved.”

Instead of denying it as he expected, Stella readily nodded.

“I didn’t know if you would believe me.”

Stella gazed at him with her hands tightly clasped together and her cheeks flushed.

Her green eyes held numerous emotions.

“Everyone usually tries not to believe what I say.”

But the strongest emotion was…

“So I’m really happy that you believed me, Your Grace.”

A trust directed solely at him alone.

In that moment, Kalian was overcome with the urge to reach out and touch Stella.

He wanted to caress her cheek and make her bite his finger with her lips.

What expression would she make if he did that?

His mouth began to dry up again.

“Your dress is pretty.”

Kalian changed the subject while clenching his fist.

“Did you choose it yourself?”

“Yes. I chose the dress and bonnet myself, and a maid named Diane picked out the spencer and shoes for me.”

Excited, Stella began to chatter.

“Does it look good on me? When she saw I didn’t want to change my bonnet, she immediately brought something that matched.”

“Why didn’t you want to change the bonnet? It would be easier to change one thing than two.”

“True. But this is the bonnet you helped me choose last time, so I really wanted to wear it today.”

Don’t you remember? Stella added as she slightly lifted the bonnet she had taken off.

“Because today is the first time we’ve gone out together.”

Does it matter?

Whether the rumors are true or false, it doesn’t matter now, does it?

“Wife.”

And anyway, aren’t we husband and wife now?

“Shall we go have a light meal first?”

⁕⁕⁕

“Delicious.”

Stella nodded her head slightly as she put a small piece of meat into her mouth.

Her eyes were sparkling, indicating that it really suited her taste.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Kalian said as he moistened his lips with wine.

“I was worried since you don’t seem to eat much at the mansion.”

“That’s…”

Stella started to say something but then closed her mouth. After chewing and swallowing the food in her mouth, she finally spoke again.

“It’s not that the food at the mansion doesn’t taste good. The skill of House Rochester’s chef is always amazing.”

Stella continued speaking while cutting another piece of meat with her knife.

“It’s just that I enjoy dining outside rather than at the mansion. When I lived in my old house, we used to go out to eat occasionally.”

Old house.

Kalian naturally recalled the house on the street where Stella used to live.

It was an old and shabby house that made one wonder how anyone could live there. Taking one step inside, the floorboards would scream as if they might collapse at any moment, and the windows would let in drafts no matter how tightly they were closed.

The furniture too was partly broken and partly damaged, a shabby house where nothing was in proper condition.

And yet it was a place where his gaze kept lingering.

Until the morning they left, hadn’t every corner been dusted and cleaned without a speck of dust, and hadn’t every piece of furniture, which had surely passed through many owners, been touched with care in every corner?

That must be her character.

In any situation, doing her best with what she can.

Kalian watched Stella thoroughly chewing her meat and asked a question.

“When you say you ate out occasionally, how many times a year was that?”

“Twice a year.”

Twice a year, this too caught his attention. Coincidentally, she had exactly two siblings, didn’t she?

“It must have been for Young Count Ambrose and Miss Ambrose’s birthdays.”

He was correct. Stella nodded.

“Once, a child from another family had eaten at an inn.”

Mary seemed to have envied that. Because she had never eaten anything outside. The whole family together? That was a dream-like event for Mary.

But even to her young self, their family didn’t seem to be in a position to afford such things.

“She kept her mouth shut tight and just envied it so much that she developed a fever.”

How much must she have envied it to develop a fever?

What made it even more upsetting was that the child hadn’t done anything extraordinary. They had just had a modest family meal at an ordinary inn.

But in Mary’s eyes, it seemed like an incredibly impressive event.

“So twice a year, on Sanderson and Mary’s birthdays, we would eat something outside, even if it was small.”

“What about on your birthday?”

Stella, who had been bitterly smiling while recalling the past, raised her head to look at Kalian.

“What did you do on your birthday?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

It took a moment for her to answer.

“More precisely, nothing special happened. I just worked as usual.”

She thought she might have received gifts when she was younger, but as she grew older, her birthday was often forgotten. Realizing it after a few months had passed was a better situation, and there were times when she didn’t think about it at all for several years.

“That must have been disappointing.”

“I’m fine.”

Stella answered with a faint smile.

“At least I had small parties when I was young. But my siblings only had those experiences, so I feel sorry for them instead.”

She wanted to give them better things, better experiences.

But with her limited abilities, she could barely provide enough for them to survive.

As her thoughts naturally flowed, a question suddenly popped up.

What did I want to do?

While feeling sorry, yet at the same time wanting to leave my family, what exactly did I want to do?

‘I’ve been having strange thoughts lately.’

Stella pressed firmly on the corners of her eyes. The time she used to spend working to the point of mental comfort had become rest time.

The quality of food had improved to an extent that was embarrassing to compare, and she could sleep and wake up as much as she wanted.

Honestly, it felt good.

Even while worrying about when she would ever be able to enjoy such luxury, she also felt unreservedly happy like a thoughtless child.

And her head grew heavy.

Is it okay for me to be like this, what should I do in the future, what about me in three years, and my family, what should I be doing now?

Numerous thoughts arose and didn’t disappear. They continued to weigh heavily on her mind, didn’t they?

Moreover, not knowing what to do and feeling confused, it was like being a lost child.

“Sigh.”

Stella let out a small sigh. Kalian’s eyes narrowed.

“My wife seems to be too kind for her own good.”

Kalian put down the wine glass he was holding on the table.

“Do you know how difficult it is to support one person?”

“Pardon?”

“I know how hard it is to feed, clothe, care for, and raise even one person.”

At Kalian’s words, Stella blinked.

“You speak as if you’ve raised a baby.”

Isn’t that exactly the feeling? Although it was something that might normally provoke anger, Kalian calmly cut the fish on his plate with his knife.

“One can know without having raised a child directly.”

Suddenly, the knife that had been moving smoothly scraped against the plate, creating a discordant sound.

“Because there are parents who abandon their duty to raise their children, using difficulty as an excuse.”

But soon it became quiet as if nothing had happened.

“It would be fortunate if they just abandoned them. Some even hold them back at every turn.”

After cutting a piece of the fish dish, Kalian chewed and swallowed the food quietly without making a sound.

“We had similar parents, it seems.”

Looking at her as he said this, Stella was caught in contradictory emotions, wanting both to agree and to deny it.

“Um.”

What Stella chose here was avoidance.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something about that matter.”

Putting down her cutlery, Stella looked at Kalian.

Kalian met her gaze as if telling her to speak.

“Is there something going on between the Grand Madam of Rochester and you?”

It had been bothering her ever since she saw the Grand Madam of Rochester’s face at the restaurant. What had happened? Weren’t they parent and child? Then why did she make such a face?

“I asked Wilter, but I couldn’t get a clear answer. I thought I might be able to find out by asking around.”

Stella paused once and then continued.

“It seemed like an important matter, so I wanted to hear it directly from you.”

At her words, Kalian rested his chin on one hand and leaned toward Stella.

“I thought you would already know since it’s a famous story. It’s something that wouldn’t matter if you heard it from someone else, but alright. I’ll tell you.”

After moistening his mouth with wine, Kalian continued.

“As you’ve already met and seen, the Grand Madam of Rochester is a pure person. She’s someone who hasn’t moved beyond her days as an innocent and naive princess who was deeply loved by the late king and adored by everyone.”

“I see.”

The late king and her brother Dukren cherished and loved the princess as if she were a glass doll that might break with the slightest pressure.

Perhaps in the late king’s eyes, his youngest child, born with a weak body, appeared that way.

To Dukren, being a princess, she might have seemed like a pet that wouldn’t threaten his royal authority.

Didn’t they raise her showing only beautiful and bright things, without exposing her to anything dirty or difficult in the world?

“My mother, who grew up only surrounded by beauty and love, seemed to have received a great shock when she faced reality after leaving the palace.”

Kalian continued with a sneer.

“Despite that, she was still the wife of the Duke of Rochester, and my father truly loved her.”

Once, I accidentally overheard something my father said.

What did he say again?

He said it felt like taking a fish that had lived freely in water and removing it from the water just because of his desire to see it.

“Mother began to wither away like that. She only talked about wanting to return to the palace.”

More precisely, she wanted to return to the past when the late king was alive and when she, knowing nothing, was showered with love.

The peak of this was precisely when Kalian was born. The princess, immersed in shock and pain, even refused to hold her son, didn’t she?

“She didn’t continue like that forever. Gradually, she began to accept reality and started to recover.”

If it had ended just there, it could have been considered a touching story of overcoming hardship, despite the difficulties.

“Then my mother caused an incident.”

Kalian openly frowned.

“Why?”

Mother, with a face so beautiful it was hard to believe she had a grown child, was sitting on the floor looking up at me.

“Why on earth……”

Tears welled up in her blue eyes, identical to his own.

“I did it for you, Kalian! To try to restore the relationship between us!”

“Then you should never have done such a thing, Mother.”

What filled Kalian’s eyes as he looked at his mother was disgust.

“How could you tell the king everything?”

The princess remained naive even after leaving the palace world and growing older.

She was so naive that she couldn’t even imagine that her dear brother, who cherished her, would keep her son in check.

“Brother Dukren is your uncle. Would my own brother, of all people, do something to harm you?”

“…Ha.”

Kalian gritted his teeth. Of all times, how could such crucial information flow to the king at such an important moment?

“I will join the military. I’ll leave the capital for a while.”

“…Kalian!”

“Since you’re not well, Mother, you should go to a resort for a while.”

“Wait, my child!”

“Always remember this. It was you who made me leave.”

“After that, our relationship worsened. I requested the king to let me join the military as an officer, and my mother, whose health didn’t improve, had to leave the ducal residence for a while.”

The days without exchanging even a single letter grew longer.

Just when he thought they might live without seeing each other for the rest of their lives, the tragedy at the summer villa occurred, and Kalian returned to the capital.

“Mother probably acted without malice. She must have acted purely out of good intentions.”

And he met the woman before him.

“That’s why I told you not to worry about it.”

Even actions taken with good intentions don’t always lead to good results. They could even harm others.

Weren’t his mother and Count Ambrose perfect examples of this?

So regardless of the relationship, whether moved by good intentions or not, one should know how to reject things that are harmful, but the woman sitting before him was swallowing it all with difficulty.

“I see.”

Stella, who had been listening attentively to catch every word of the story, nodded.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but it must have been something serious enough for you to make such a decision, Your Grace.”

Stella fiddled with her water glass for a moment, seeming to contemplate something, then spoke.

“But are you going to leave it like this indefinitely?”

Look at this.

Kalian smiled and leaned toward Stella.

“Are you asking if I have any intention of reconciling with my mother?”

Stella nodded.

“I’ll consider it if Mother apologizes first.”

“So the Grand Madam needs to speak first… I understand.”

“It won’t be easy.”

Kalian rested his chin on his hand again while twirling the wine glass with his other hand.

“Like the noble royal she is, my mother has never apologized once in her life.”

She was completely different from Stella. She was someone who had never uttered words like “sorry” or “thank you.”

“Even my father, who lived with her all that time, never heard it once.”

“Still, I was thinking of at least talking to her about it.”

Why bother?

That was his first thought.

What benefit would she gain by improving the relationship between him and his mother?

It would be fortunate if she didn’t get torn apart like last time after meeting his mother.

“May I ask why?”

After tapping the table a few times, Kalian asked.

“Why you want to do something that will obviously only hurt you and bring no benefit.”

“Well, because you’re family.”

Stella smiled.

“I think that reason alone is enough. And, um.”

Stella carefully chose her words.

“Being family doesn’t necessarily mean you have to get along well. Even among family, there will be people who don’t match.”

“……”

“But because you’re family, I thought you could at least try once.”

What an innocent woman.

A woman so frustrating that anyone would clutch their chest in exasperation.

And yet, a consistent person.

‘Is it really true?’

He suddenly became curious. She had clearly begged Dukren to help her fulfill her first love, hadn’t she?

Was he really her first love?

“My lady.”

When Kalian called Stella in a low voice, she raised her head, which had been lowered slightly as she drank water.

With a slight nod, her brown hair swayed, and soon his image was reflected in her eyes full of green.

Suddenly, he had a thought.

The thought that he wished this woman, who couldn’t discard anything, would discard everything and hold only him in those eyes.

The desire to exclusively possess those eyes that made one feel like standing in a forest, those lips, and that heart grew stronger.

“I like this.”

Kalian smiled as he relaxed his posture.

“Shall we have times like this occasionally?”

“I would like that.”

Thinking her efforts had worked, Stella smiled brightly.

“If you have time, let’s set aside a small amount of time each day to talk.”

Looking at Stella, Kalian played with the stem of the wine glass, twirling it between his fingers. The red wine rippled.

“Have you ever had alcohol before?”

“Punch, perhaps.”

Wasn’t that a party drink that even children could have?

“You’ll be invited to various places from now on, so it wouldn’t be bad to try some.”

Kalian took a sip of wine.

“Let’s try some lightly at the mansion this evening.”

⁕⁕⁕

“This way, Your Grace.”

Unfortunately, the evening appointment was canceled.

It was because Wilter, who had been sent to investigate Stella appearing in Kessentra, had returned with something else.

As soon as he descended the stairs, the musty smell and humidity made Kalian’s brow furrow.

“Please wait a moment.”

After descending the long staircase, they came to an iron door. The person guarding the door opened it with a rusty key.

The thick iron door opened with a terrible sound.

Inside the door, except for the area around the torches lit in the corridor, darkness had swallowed the light, making it impossible to see anything.

“Ugh……”

However, over the sound of insects crawling here and there, groaning sounds could be heard.

“I’ll escort you, Duke Rochester.”

The man guarding the door grabbed a torch from beside him and led the way. As the man walked, light spread, and the people locked in the iron cells curled up to avoid the light.

“What’s going on here?”

Kalian asked without even glancing at those fleeing from the light.

“I thought nobles weren’t imprisoned in places like this.”

“We had no choice.”

The man began to explain in a voice asking for understanding.

“It was a murder case, and there was nothing to prove his identity. He was even caught trying to escape.”

The man scratched his head.

“His appearance was so dirty that… At first, we mistook him for a street beggar who had stolen clothes from somewhere.”

“Was it that bad?”

Wilter, who was following behind, asked worriedly, and the man nodded.

“Fortunately, we could tell he wasn’t a beggar from his speech and accent. Otherwise, he would have been beaten to death by the gambling den men. Ah, here we are.”

After walking for some time, the man stopped. He then hung one of the nearby torches on the wall of the corridor behind them.

The light quickly spread, illuminating the inside of the iron cell. However, in the darkest corner where even that light didn’t reach, a man was curled up. Despite someone’s arrival, he remained still and quiet, as if uninterested.

“Count Ambrose.”

When Kalian called his name, the body flinched. Count Ambrose trembled as he raised his head.

The man’s words were true.

He hadn’t washed for so long that filth was streaming down his face, with tears flowing over it.

This is too much.

Kalian inwardly clicked his tongue at Count Ambrose’s appearance.

He had thought that the money he gave to Baizel would cause division between the brothers, but to think that money would be used solely to bring down his own brother.

“…Duke Rochester?”

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

Kalian gave a slight bow.

“It pains me to see you in such poor condition.”

“Please pretend you didn’t see me like this.”

Count Ambrose raised his knees and repeatedly shook his head.

“Just, just treat me like a stranger, please go back. I beg you.”

He had always been thin, but what on earth had he done in such a short time?

The count trembled as what little flesh he had left seemed to have disappeared.

“I’ve already caused all the trouble I could to my family, to Stella… I’ve lived for over a decade relying on that young thing. So please let me atone for all my sins here… Please, please I beg you.”

The pathetic father was crying.

“I can’t even show myself like this to Stella. Please help me, Your Grace.”

Kalian could tell. This was Count Ambrose’s last remaining dignity.

Even so, there was no reason for him to protect that dignity.

“……Sigh.”

Kalian took a deep breath.

It was pitiful that even in this situation, he thought hiding his head would conceal everything.

“Count. Even if I leave this place, everyone here already knows that you are Count Ambrose.”

Though Wilter, who had started the investigation, found him first, it was no difficult task to identify someone by investigating the hat, jacket, and accessories sold at the gambling den.

“When I leave, people will immediately go to House Ambrose. Then who will greet those people?”

Would it be young Miss Ambrose playing and running around the house, or the young count taking his heir lessons?

Or perhaps Countess Ambrose who had barely recovered enough to take walks?

“Whoever it is, the end will be the same, won’t it?”

This was a murder case, nothing less. There were limits to what could be suppressed even with noble status.

This was something that House Ambrose, which had just barely begun to live like proper people, could not handle.

Then ultimately, whether it was suppressed with power and authority or resolved with money, this matter would be handed over to someone who could finish it.

“That would be my wife.”

Kalian stepped closer to the iron bars and lowered his voice.

“What kind of reaction do you think my wife will have when she hears that her beloved father has become a murderer?”

Would she freeze in shock, sob loudly, or suffer while denying reality?

“Whatever the case, it will be a great shock to someone who has just recovered from a fever, Count Ambrose.”

As if imagining Stella collapsing, Count Ambrose took a deep, gasping breath.

“No, no.”

After shaking his head several times and clutching his hair in distress,

“…Du, Duke Ro, Rochester……”

He finally crawled toward Kalian.

“May I make a request?”

“Of course.”

Kalian nodded slightly and lowered himself to meet Count Ambrose’s eyes.

“I will make today’s events disappear. Both the fact that you killed someone and your gambling debts.”

Hadn’t he already heard all the facts from Wilter in the carriage on the way here?

Thanks to that, Kalian already knew how much debt Count Ambrose had accumulated at that illegal gambling den, and who had lent him that money.

He had even completed an investigation of how much the count’s hat, jacket, and accessories had been sold for.

“Count Ambrose, you just need to leave this place, wash yourself, put on new clothes, and return to your estate.”

Vitality gradually returned to Count Ambrose’s eyes, which had been dry until just now. Of course. Who wouldn’t be tempted by the offer to erase the worst day of their life?

“But there is one condition.”

A shadow fell over Count Ambrose’s head.

“Leave the capital.”

“…What? Wa, wait a moment, Your Grace. What do you mean?”

Count Ambrose’s eyes widened. Regardless, Kalian calmly continued with what he had to say.

“I know that House Ambrose originally resided in the Marer region, not the capital.”

Kalian’s words were true. House Ambrose had long established roots in the Marer region rather than the capital.

The mountain that both Count Ambrose and Baizel had so desperately wanted was also there.

“So why not return to where you originally lived?”

“That’s absurd.”

The count shook his head.

“Even though House Ambrose’s foundation began in the Marer region, my children and I are from the capital.”

It had been about 100 years since House Ambrose left the Marer region and settled in the capital.

Count Ambrose, as well as Stella, Sanderson, and Mary, all considered the capital their home and foundation.

To their eyes, no matter how much it was their family’s old base, it would be nothing more than an unfamiliar place.

“The children have just barely become attached to the current mansion.”

To be precise, they had just barely adapted to the mansion without Stella. If they moved again in the midst of all this, it would take even longer to adjust.

“If you follow my words, I will provide better things. A better mansion, better servants, and much better quality education. And.”

Kalian leaned forward.

“I will help you acquire that mountain you so desperately wanted.”

“……!!”

Count Ambrose’s eyes began to waver. He dug his fingernails into the stone floor.

“Bu, but that would put us too far from Stella. The Marer region is three days away from the capital by carriage……”

“There are letters, aren’t there? If you wish, you can also visit and meet her anytime.”

Kalian stood up and smiled with his back to the light.

“What will you do, Count?”

⁕⁕⁕

“Phew.”

Stella took a deep breath. She was now standing in front of the mansion where the Grand Madam of Rochester lived.

‘I ended up coming after all.’

A few days ago, after hearing that story from Kalian, Stella had unknowingly sent a letter to the Grand Madam of Rochester as if entranced.

The content was nothing special. Just asking if she was well, thanking her for coming last time, and then:

[I have something to discuss with you, and if it’s alright, I would like to meet you.]

‘I didn’t expect her to reply so quickly.’

Honestly, Stella had prepared herself for the possibility that the Grand Madam might not reply to her letter, but making Stella’s concern seem foolish, the reply had arrived surprisingly quickly.

‘I had Kalian check this gift, so it should be fine.’

Stella made a final check of the gift for the Grand Madam that she had placed in the basket she was holding.

The Grand Madam seemed a bit perplexed when told she liked pastoral atmospheres, but in the end, hadn’t she nodded in approval?

The preparations were complete. Now she just needed to prepare her heart to knock on the door.

‘I know I’m taking excessive action.’

She also knew there was no need to do this.

Stella took a deep breath as she stared at the door, which had been neatly painted in the currently fashionable blue color.

She knew that simply filling time and then disappearing would be more beneficial to her.

But.

“……”

Somehow, the expression on the Grand Madam of Rochester’s face when she last saw her kept bothering her.

“Being kind is also a disease.”

Stella shook her head once and raised her hand with courage. Before she could even knock on the door, it opened.

“The Grand Madam says to come in.”

The person who came out was a maid who looked younger than Stella. The maid with curly hair tied up smiled brightly.

“I’ll guide you to the Grand Madam of Rochester, my lady.”

“Ah, yes.”

Nodding in surprise, Stella followed the maid with quick steps.

After walking down a long corridor for a short while, they arrived at a garden.

“Since the weather is nice, she says to have tea time here. Please walk just a little along the path.”

“Alright. Thank you for guiding me.”

The maid responded to the thanks with a light smile before leaving, and Stella walked along the path as instructed. After walking for a while,

“Welcome.”

She encountered the Grand Madam of Rochester enjoying tea time at a table placed where the sunlight shone the brightest.

Under the late summer sunlight, the Grand Madam of Rochester was shining beautifully.

Perhaps it was because of what Kalian had said.

The Grand Madam of Rochester seemed like a person ready to return to her past as a beloved princess at any moment, except for a few wrinkles around her mouth.

“Why did you want to see me?”

Skipping greetings, the Grand Madam asked.

“I thought you would try to avoid seeing me in the future.”

“Why did you think that?”

Stella, who had substituted a light bow for a greeting, asked as she sat in the chair, and the Grand Madam tilted her head slightly.

“Because among people who have met me for the first time, no one who left like that has ever met me a second time.”

Blue eyes reminiscent of Kalian fixed on Stella.

“So I was curious when you asked to see me.”

She had come prepared for all sorts of treatment: reproach for interfering in such matters, territorial remarks about not acting like a real duchess, or even the discourtesy of being left outside the mansion to wait endlessly.

“I wondered what it could possibly be about.”

She hadn’t expected to face such seemingly pure eyes.

“First, please accept the gift I’ve prepared.”

She had been worried about what was in the basket anyway.

As Stella handed over the basket, the Grand Madam tilted her head and gestured.

The lady-in-waiting standing behind the Grand Madam took it instead and removed the cloth covering the basket so that she could easily inspect it.

“Peep!”

What emerged from the basket were baby geese. The fluffy yellow-feathered baby geese all began to peep at once.

“What is this……!!”

One of them bravely jumped onto the Grand Madam’s hand. The Grand Madam, who caught the goose in surprise, froze.

“Kyaa! My lady!”

The lady-in-waiting standing behind began to make a fuss as if a dirty insect had climbed onto the Grand Madam’s hand.

“It’s alright.”

Restraining the lady-in-waiting, Stella encouraged the Grand Madam.

“Try petting it once.”

“Th-this?”

“Yes.”

“…Won’t it bite?”

“Even if it does, it won’t hurt.”

As if finally gathering courage, the Grand Madam hesitantly but carefully stroked the fluffy feathers of the goose.

“How soft……”

She seemed somehow moved.

As the Grand Madam tried to stroke it once more, the goose that had cried “Peep!” jumped back into the basket.

“Actually, I asked His Grace to tell me about you.”

She had planned to listen to various stories, both true and made-up, while drinking alcohol, but due to Kalian’s urgent business, Stella’s plan was only realized the next day.

“That’s when I heard that you had wanted to raise animals since you were young.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The Grand Madam nodded while unable to take her eyes off the baby geese in the basket, which she found quite adorable.

“I’ve always wanted to raise something since I was young. Especially birds.”

But permission was rarely granted. She somehow managed to persuade her father, the late king, but…

“No.”

Her brother Dukren was the problem. Dukren would hold the young Grand Madam’s hand tightly and say this.

“You have a weak body.”

“But I think I’m all better now. I can run around the garden without getting out of breath, Brother.”

“No, you’re sick.”

With his eyes fixed in a seemingly affectionate gaze, Dukren spoke firmly.

“If you were to collapse while raising such animals, my heart would break. So no, understand?”

“Permission was never granted until the end.”

“Why not try raising some now, with this opportunity?”

Stella continued with a bright smile.

“I heard there’s a beautiful stream in the garden of the mansion where the Grand Madam stays.”

The Grand Madam of Rochester, who dreamed of a pastoral life, had built a small wooden house in her vast mansion garden and even created a stream.

“Geese are easy to raise if there’s a stream. They also recognize their owners well and guard them.”

“These tiny things?”

With a disbelieving face, the Grand Madam of Rochester looked at Stella once, then at the baby geese that were still peeping.

“When they grow up, they become braver than any animal. They’ll guard the mansion well.”

“My goodness.”

The Grand Madam’s eyes widened. She clearly couldn’t believe it.

With careful hands, as if touching a glass doll, she placed one on her palm.

When the goose wobbled on her palm, she gasped and took a deep breath.

“Could I really raise these? I don’t think my brother would allow it.”

“Why not? If only the people here keep it a secret, no one will know, right?”

Stella winked.

“I’m already prepared to keep it a secret.”

“Me too.”

Both their heads turned to the lady-in-waiting who still had a bewildered expression.

“No, my lady. How could you raise such dirty things? Then, then……”

The lady-in-waiting, who seemed about to say something more in refusal, rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

“I will carefully take them to the mansion.”

“…!”

The Grand Madam’s face instantly brightened. Even after the lady-in-waiting took the geese away, saying that such warm sunlight would be dangerous for the young geese, the Grand Madam couldn’t sit still.

“What should I feed such adorable creatures? Would meat work?”

“Insects are enough, Grand Madam. If you let them loose by the stream, they’ll catch them on their own. Just pay a little attention to them when they’re young.”

“Meat won’t do? My brother used to throw chunks of meat to his hunting dogs.”

“Dogs eat meat, but geese don’t eat it well. Just as horses wouldn’t eat meat even if offered.”

“Ah……”

The Grand Madam of Rochester nodded, listening attentively to every word Stella said.

“This is the first gift of its kind.”

She blinked, as if still unable to believe it, and murmured softly.

“Will I be able to raise them well?”

But soon her eyes sank as if she had realized reality.

“I couldn’t even raise my own child well.”

Her blue eyes, which had fallen to the floor, rose again to look at Stella.

“Isn’t that why you came? To criticize me, saying how could a mother abandon her own child?”

The Grand Madam closed her eyes.

“If you’re going to do it, do it quickly and leave.”

Her face showed resignation. And she looked somewhat tired.

“Grand Madam.”

Stella reached out and took the Grand Madam’s hand that was resting on the table. She didn’t know if this was proper or correct according to etiquette, but it felt like the right thing to do at that moment.

“I came because I thought it would be good if Your Grace and the Duke could talk to each other.”

At first, it had been a one-sided love that started with admiration, a love that had lasted too long.

After that, it became a love she wanted to fold away, and then a feeling so painful that just having it made her want to cry.

But by watching from the side and talking a little, couldn’t one tell?

“I found out that the Duke isn’t a bad person.”

I wish he would at least curse at me. I wish he would even hit me. I wish he would just treat me badly. If he had, it would have been easier to let go of these feelings.

“A woman who just takes care of others?”

“Such a woman doesn’t suit my side.”

There were times when she wished he would say those words she had heard before directly to her face.

Then she could completely cut out her heart.

But Kalian didn’t do such things. Instead, he steadied her when she wavered and became her ally.

How could she not think of him as a kind person, even knowing she wasn’t the one?

“So why not try talking once more?”

“I have tried!”

The Grand Madam shook her head at Stella’s words.

“I’ve tried many times! But he doesn’t even pretend to listen to me. He won’t even meet my eyes. How much time has passed like this already.”

The end of the Grand Madam’s voice cracked.

“…I missed his childhood because of my mistake, and now I have to turn another page without even seeing it.”

The Grand Madam of Rochester bit her lip hard. She didn’t cry. But her face was terribly distorted.

Watching her, Stella spoke.

“Have you tried apologizing?”

“What?”

The Grand Madam of Rochester raised her head.

“Of course I have. I’ve said many times how truly sorry I am that things turned out this way.”

“No, not that. Have you said you’re sorry? If you haven’t tried it yet, why not give it a try?”

“Do you think one such simple word will make a difference?”

“Yes.”

Stella nodded.

“And because it’s just one simple word, there’s no harm in trying.”

“……”

The Grand Madam of Rochester was silent.

“I don’t have the confidence.”

That was what she said after a long pause.

“When I think about whether he will accept me, I can’t find the courage.”

“If he doesn’t accept it, then you wait.”

Stella continued.

“If the Duke’s heart becomes just a little better, he will surely accept your apology. And even if he doesn’t accept it, I’ll wait alongside you, Grand Madam.”

Saying this, Stella smiled brightly.

“Despite appearances, I’m better than anyone at enduring and waiting.”

The Grand Madam of Rochester looked at Stella with somewhat dazed eyes. After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she eventually nodded.

“I’ll try writing a letter as you suggested.”

This was enough. She had done all she could. Stella nodded.

Afterward, they continued with trivial chatter. But it was comfortable.

“That doesn’t mean I’ve become your ally.”

Those were the words of the Grand Madam of Rochester who had come out to see Stella off.

“I think the same as the other relatives. You don’t suit House Rochester. Especially not Kalian.”

Stella looked at the Grand Madam while in the middle of tying her bonnet strings.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Wrinkles formed between the Grand Madam’s brows. She somehow looked like a teacher watching a disobedient child.

“However, if I truly reconcile with Kalian, no. Even if we don’t reconcile, I’ll be on your side at least once.”

“Thank you.”

Stella nodded.

“That’s enough. Thank you, Grand Madam.”

The carriage carrying Stella left the mansion. The Grand Madam of Rochester watched it for quite some time.

That child didn’t suit House Rochester. She suited her son even less.

‘She’s too innocent.’

The Grand Madam also knew that she herself had been too innocent and had lived too much in the past.

But Stella’s purity was of a different nature than her own.

‘It will be worse for her than it was for me.’

She had her bloodline, money, power, and backing to protect her, but what did that poor child have?

Nothing but her own body.

‘…If only she had married another man, she could have had an ordinary, happy married life.’

Why did she have to marry none other than her son?

The Grand Madam shook her head and headed to her room.

She intended to write a letter as advised.

⁕⁕⁕

“How did you do it?”

Stella paused in the middle of spreading jam on her bread. Kalian waved a letter as if to show her.

“It’s a letter from my mother.”

As soon as Kalian sat across from her, a cup of strongly brewed tea was placed in front of him.

“The letter starts with an apology. How did you really do it?”

“I didn’t say anything special.”

As Stella smiled, small wrinkles formed around Kalian’s eyes.

“Do you know how many people have tried to reconcile my mother and me?”

Not only nosy people, but also relatives had interfered, trying to reconcile him and his mother, creating a mess, though he wasn’t sure what judgment had led them to do so.

But their methods were so clumsy that they only had the opposite effect, making the relationship even more distant.

“Both my mother and I are proud people. Once we make up our minds, there’s hardly anyone who can dissuade us.”

The only people whose voices his mother might heed were her nanny and the current king, Dukren. But the nanny had long departed to God’s side, and Dukren wasn’t someone who would improve the relationship between him and his mother.

Dukren had no reason to keep together his eyesore of a nephew and his sister who followed his words like a pet.

If anything, he would rather make them more distant.

“So I never even thought she would say such words.”

Kalian looked at his mother’s letter again.

“I’m sorry,” it said, with ink blotched in a circle above it, as if she had pondered for a long time before writing it.

Reading that one word made him feel drained. He thought that even if they couldn’t have the close mother-son relationship his mother dreamed of, at least they could have a meal together without raising their voices.

“How exactly did you do it?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Stella carefully spread jam on her well-toasted bread.

“The Grand Madam was already prepared to apologize.”

She had simply been wandering, not knowing the right way. She had apologized in her own way, but when Kalian didn’t accept it, she probably became upset and wandered even more.

“I just showed her the method and gave her a little push from behind.”

The well-toasted bread crumbled in her mouth with a crunch. The jam must have been expensive, as a sweet taste filled her mouth.

“I was just lucky.”

“If it only required luck, others would have already managed it somehow.”

Kalian smiled as he placed his half-empty teacup on the table.

“It seems you are even more remarkable than I thought, wife.”

An undeniable smile spread across Stella’s lips at Kalian’s single remark. She smiled brightly, not hiding her joy at being acknowledged.

“I’m happy if you see me that way. Please think even more highly of me, Your Grace.”

Good.

Kalian now understood what satisfaction came from being the only one reflected in those eyes.

This time too, he smiled while taking in the sight of Stella looking only at him. He reached his hand toward her face. Stella flinched momentarily but then quietly followed his hand with her gaze.

Almost touching, almost not touching, the hand that caressed her cheek brushed against the corner of her eye where long eyelashes resided.

“…Your Grace?”

Thinking he would just brush her cheek again, Stella expressed her confusion, but the hand that had brushed her eye quietly fell downward.

Stroking her cheek once more, caressing the corner of her mouth, and then…

“You have something there.”

“……?”

Stella, who had unknowingly frozen, blinked. Jam was smeared on Kalian’s finger.

“I should probably speak to Mrs. Poff about preparing a cloth for you.”

“……It was a mistake.”

After hurriedly wiping the corner of her mouth, Stella cleared her throat as if nothing had happened.

“Doesn’t everyone make such mistakes occasionally?”

“No.”

Kalian shrugged his shoulders.

“I have never made such a mistake, wife.”

“……”

The corners of Stella’s eyes lifted. Her face said she found him incredibly annoying. As Kalian burst into soft laughter, a knock was heard.

“Excuse me, Your Grace, my lady. It’s Wilter.”

“Come in.”

Finally, the time has come for news. Kalian leaned back against the chair. Stella looked at him strangely, but only for a moment.

“Huh?”

All of Stella’s attention was sold to the letter that had arrived. As she read the urgently delivered letter, her face began to harden.

“Is something wrong, wife?”

“Well……Father suddenly says he’s leaving the capital.”

The hand holding the letter began to tremble. Poor thing.

“He says it’s for something important, but I don’t understand why he would make such a choice.”

“Calm down.”

Kalian rose and wrapped his arms around Stella’s shoulders.

“I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

⁕⁕⁕

“Father!”

Stella ran into the mansion that was still unfamiliar to her. The mansion was already in disarray with servants packing belongings, seemingly having begun the relocation.

“Mother! Mary, Sanderson!”

“Sister!!”

The first to run out at Stella’s voice was Sanderson. Sanderson, who had grown two spans taller than when they lived in the street house, ran and embraced Stella.

“What brings you here?”

“Where’s Father? Where is Father?”

“He’s in the study right now. I’ll guide you, Sister.”

Sanderson, who was about to take Stella’s hand, paused when he saw Kalian standing behind his sister.

He released her hand and gave a light bow.

“Welcome, despite the commotion, Duke Rochester.”

“Not at all. I’m intruding during your busy time.”

Kalian also bowed in response. Sanderson looked at the two with bright, alert eyes.

“If you’ve come to see Father, he’s in the study now. Since the servants are busy, I’ll guide you myself.”

“I appreciate it, young Count.”

Sanderson, who bowed again, led the way.

When did he grow so much?

When she had visited during his illness, she had merely thought he had grown a bit taller, but seeing him bow before Kalian and show his demeanor as the heir of House Ambrose, she somehow felt that her once little brother had grown up considerably.

“The young Count has learned well.”

Kalian whispered as he followed the young brother.

“His posture is straight, and his pronunciation, which was inaccurate before, has been properly corrected.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Kalian nodded.

“The next generation of House Ambrose will surely flourish.”

How those words made her heart swell.

Even though it was certain her father had caused trouble, and they were going to confirm it, she felt her steps becoming lighter.

“If Your Grace says so, it must be true.”

Stella smiled innocently.

“What is it, Sanderson? Father is busy. Stella……?”

Count Ambrose, who had been personally organizing books in the study and covering furniture with cloth, widened his eyes at the sudden appearance of his daughter.

And it was the same for Stella.

“Father.”

Stella held Count Ambrose’s hands and her eyes welled up with tears.

“What in the world happened to you?”

Her father’s face was a mess. There were wounds here and there, and even blue bruises.

Moreover, he had lost so much weight that his cheeks had become hollow. If she had seen him on the street, even Stella would have had difficulty recognizing him at first glance.

“Who laid hands on you, Father? Why!”

“Ah, this.”

Count Ambrose awkwardly stroked his face.

“There was a bit of trouble while doing business. But it’s been well resolved. This minor matter is something we can just move past.”

“How can this be considered minor?”

Stella raised her voice.

“We should report this to the guards, to the police immediately.”

“No, Stella. It’s really fine. Thanks to this, I’ve been able to buy the mountain, the mountain I wanted so badly. So, you see.”

Still holding Stella’s hand tightly, Count Ambrose slowly continued.

“To properly manage it without losing the mountain like last time, I think I need to oversee it closely. You know, don’t you? That this father of yours……has no head for such matters. I felt I couldn’t miss this opportunity that I’ve barely managed to grasp again.”

“But Father, even if that place has been where House Ambrose resided for a long time, it’s still a strange place to Mary and Sanderson, and to you too!”

“My child.”

Count Ambrose’s wrinkled hand tightly held Stella’s.

“My beautiful first daughter, my beloved child.”

“……”

“It wasn’t an easy decision for me either. But I can no longer live relying on you, I cannot be a burden to you anymore.”

“Why do you say such things? I have never… never once thought that.”

Stella bit her lip hard. She had never thought that. She couldn’t say that.

“I understand. I know everything.”

Count Ambrose whispered as he patted Stella’s back.

“I know how hard it has been for you. Now, this father……”

Count Ambrose also broke down in tears. He sobbed and wiped his face.

“I want to be of help to you in whatever way I can.”

⁕⁕⁕

Thud.

Stella’s head moved lifelessly with the carriage’s rocking. Her eyes were still sunken, as if she hadn’t yet recovered from the shock.

“Did I unknowingly show it?”

Stella murmured as if talking to herself.

“Did I get irritated and show hatred, and that’s why Father made such a choice to leave me?”

What was plastered all over Stella’s face was guilt. Even without seeing inside her, it was obvious.

She was probably chewing over and over again on that one time she got angry, that one time she raised her voice, that one time she turned away saying it was bothersome.

As if determined to find the reason for her parents’ departure within herself.

“That can’t be, wife.”

Kalian sat right next to Stella.

“Didn’t Count Ambrose say it himself just now? That he wants to develop his judgment by being there in person.”

“But I’m not sure if judgment can really be developed that way.”

“It’s absolutely necessary.”

Kalian nodded.

“When I was young, I also developed an eye for goods by traveling to various places with my father. Surely Count Ambrose decided to leave for the same reason.”

“Do you really think so?”

Her voice was already cracking at the end.

“I hope that’s the real reason……”

“Don’t cry too much.”

Kalian comforted Stella with a light kiss on her hair.

“I’m sure that’s the reason.”

Stella nodded weakly at Kalian’s words.

“If you’re still worried, I’ll have a new carriage and coachman prepared for you. You can go see your family whenever you miss them.”

Stella let out a small laugh. Kalian’s consideration somehow sounded like an absurd joke to her.

Yet he was sincere, as always.

“Coming from you, not just anyone, it makes me feel a little more at ease.”

Stella smiled sadly, as if trying to cheer herself up. The last remaining tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye fell with a drop.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“It’s nothing.”

Kalian whispered as he wiped Stella’s tear-stained eyes.

“But if you feel guilty about the Count’s departure, why not invite them to the mansion?”

“My family?”

“Yes, since they came last time for a sick visit, we couldn’t properly entertain them.”

Stella listened to Kalian’s words as if entranced.

“Invite the Count and Countess, show them the lake and give them a tour of the mansion. A fine dinner would be nice too.”

“Would that be alright?”

Some vitality returned to Stella’s voice.

“Actually, not just Father, but Mother has been bedridden for so long. I wanted to show her some natural scenery.”

“That’s perfect. I just hope the Countess will like our mansion.”

Kalian added with a smile.

“If you’d like, how about inviting Sir Ambrose as well?”

“Uncle too?”

“Yes. It would be nice to have a pleasant meal together as family and relatives. Didn’t you say Sir Ambrose has been very helpful?”

“That’s right.”

Stella nodded with a now completely brightened face.

“I’ve always felt sorry toward Uncle and Julia……Actually, Julia mentioned last time that she wanted to see House Rochester’s mansion.”

“I see.”

Kalian nodded perfunctorily. But his touch on his wife was exceedingly careful.

“Then let’s write invitations when we return.”

Having finished one matter, it was now time to check the next.

⁕⁕⁕

“How on earth did he escape?”

Baizel frowned.

He thought he had set up a good plan to deal with his brother.

His stupid and timid brother had lived a life far from dangerous things. That’s why he deliberately made him come looking for him.

Gambling—there was no need to show a particularly good image. He just needed to show once or twice that he could make a lot of money in a short time.

Then, when pushed into a corner, his brother would naturally think of it.

But given his brother’s personality, he wouldn’t go straight to the gambling house. It was obvious he would just wander around with the money and then go back.

So he sent someone.

Someone to properly seduce his brother and help him take the first step.

The rest went smoothly. Once you experience the thrill of getting money in just one night that you couldn’t earn in a year of hard work, that pleasure follows you until death.

Especially someone like Count Ambrose, who was innocent and had stayed away from pleasure according to God’s words, was instantly stained by it.

And so, smoothly, his brother fell to the bottom, to an even deeper bottom.

“I can’t go back like this……!”

Finally, he fell to where Baizel wanted him to.

“How did he get out?”

In fact, Baizel was the first to hear the news that Count Ambrose had been imprisoned in the underground jail.

It was natural. He was the one who had paved the way for his brother to go to the gambling house. Of course, the news reached him first.

He ignored it.

He heard that his brother was badly injured, but he ignored it. He hoped he would suffer more. He waited for him to be more tormented and to belittle himself.

That would make it easier to use him as he pleased.

Well, it would have been better if he had just died.

After waiting for him to be properly tamed, he went to find him.

“Gone?”

His brother had disappeared.

It wasn’t a matter that could be resolved easily. Even for a nobleman, murder was dealt with severely.

There should have been at least one guardian for him to be released, but it was as if someone had come for him. Baizel could only hear that his brother had returned to the mansion.

No matter how many times he asked who had taken him, saying he had the right to know the truth as family, the gatekeeper kept his mouth shut and said nothing.

After wasting a lot of time, he rushed back to House Ambrose, only to find it quiet, as if a storm had passed. Count Ambrose, with wounds plastered all over his face, quietly told him.

He had bought a mountain and was returning to the Marer region.

“Hmmm……Someone must have helped him.”

The money he had given to Count Ambrose was part of what he had received from Duke Rochester.

Of course, it was money too precious to give away. But if he could get rid of his brother for just that amount, it would still be a profitable deal.

“Who on earth helped him?”

Baizel racked his brains. But no matter how much he thought about it, there was no one left who would help Count Ambrose.

Hadn’t he carefully cut off all connections over the years?

Honestly, money had done more work than he had.

Even the kindest and gentlest person would distance themselves from someone who kept borrowing money without repaying it.

“Could it be Duke Rochester?”

A man appeared in Baizel’s mind. The man who had married his niece with his own hands, wasn’t he more famous in this palace than the king himself?

Yes, someone like the Duke could cleanly extract Count Ambrose.

“……No, it can’t be!”

Baizel waved his hand vigorously and fell back. It couldn’t be.

He was someone who prioritized his old lover over Stella when she fell into the lake. He was a man who didn’t visit even once when Stella was suffering from a terrible fever.

Such things had even come out of Stella’s room.

“Then who could it be?”

“Why don’t you find out?”

A cheerful voice came from above Baizel’s head. His face brightened as he identified the uninvited guest. It was Julia. Julia, with her brown hair flowing down, was smiling brightly.

“My beautiful daughter!”

Baizel jumped up.

“Are you going out?”

“Yes, I’m going to have fun.”

Saying this, Julia twirled around as if to show herself. Her dress with a plunging neckline looked dangerously revealing.

“Yes, yes. Have fun. But what did you mean by what you said earlier?”

“You’re confused right now, aren’t you? Whether Duke Rochester helped the kind and good Sister Stella or not.”

“That’s right.”

Baizel nodded vigorously.

“The only person who could help my brother now is Duke Rochester, but he has no reason to help.”

“Then we should check with our own eyes, Father.”

Julia smiled and handed him a letter.

“What is this?”

“Read it.”

Julia leaned against the back of the chair with a charming gesture, resting her arms and chin on it.

“Stella? Why is this……”

As Baizel roughly tore open the letter and read it word by word, a smile froze on his lips.

“So this is how it flows again. She’s inviting us to Duke Rochester’s mansion.”

“Pfft, I pricked Sister when I met her.”

Julia clasped her hands together and raised her voice exaggeratedly.

“Sister, Sister! I want to see Duke Rochester’s mansion. Yes, Sister, you know. I grew up poor. I’ve never even dreamed of such a magnificent mansion?”

Sob, the awkward act couldn’t last long. Julia burst into laughter.

“I can’t believe she actually believed that! Anyway, the result is here. It seems Count Ambrose is coming too.”

“I see. It says my brother and his family are all coming.”

Baizel, who had been nodding, smiled.

“Whatever it is, an opportunity is an opportunity. Write back immediately saying we’ll go……”

“Write that I have a fever.”

“What?”

Surprised, Baizel turned around. But Julia just played with her brown hair as if she liked it, continuing to speak.

“And write that you’re too busy to go.”

“Why on earth?”

“Oh, come on.”

Julia grumbled.

“That way, the kind Sister will invite us separately, won’t she?”

Julia grinned.

“Let’s start by removing unnecessary obstacles, shall we?”

⁕⁕⁕

“Sister Stella!”

The one who got out of the carriage was her cousin, Julia.

“Sister, I’ve missed you!”

“Julia.”

Julia, who had thrown herself into Stella’s arms, smiled broadly and buried her face in her embrace.

“Mmm, Sister’s scent……It’s so good.”

Stella smiled and stroked Julia’s golden hair. Perhaps because she had lost her mother at a young age.

Julia often treated her like a mother like this.

“Wow!”

Julia, who had popped her head out of Stella’s embrace, began to sparkle with light in her eyes.

“So that’s House Rochester!!”

“Julia.”

Baizel, who had been watching the scene from behind, grabbed his daughter’s arm and forcibly pulled her back. Julia staggered greatly from the strong force.

“How many times have I told you! Stella is no longer someone you can treat as you used to. She’s the Duchess of Rochester.”

Julia’s face, which had been full of energy, darkened instantly. Julia bit her lip and lowered her eyes, which looked like they might cry at any moment.

“Come on, apologize to the Duchess of Rochester.”

“Stop it, Uncle.”

Stella hurriedly stepped between the two and embraced Julia.

“Although we are cousins, Julia and I share a closeness no less than that of real siblings. Please don’t scold her too much. There’s no need to change how we address each other. This isn’t a formal occasion, after all.”

“Sister……”

Julia, in Stella’s arms, looked up at her tearfully. Baizel, caught in the middle, fidgeted uncomfortably.

“But, my child. Julia should also observe proper etiquette and manners. That way, she might at least find a position as a governess.”

There was bitterness in Baizel’s final words about being a governess. Considering his circumstances, he had made a realistic choice, knowing he couldn’t debut his daughter in society.

“No.”

Stella tightened her arms around Julia and shook her head.

“Julia will properly debut in society and meet a fine gentleman. I’ll help her.”

If all else failed, Stella was thinking of asking the Grand Madam of Rochester to be a chaperone. If someone like her stepped forward, Julia could receive quite good treatment in society.

“I haven’t forgotten how you’ve helped our family all this time, and even sold furniture to help when Mother was seriously ill.”

“Oh, my child……”

Baizel repeatedly wiped his face. His face turned red instantly.

“That’s right! Since our niece is offering so much help, I can’t refuse. Right, Julia?”

“Yes, that’s right. Stella is truly an angel, isn’t she?”

Julia murmured as she hugged Stella tightly.

“This is why I can’t help but like her.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, Sister!”

Julia, breaking free from Stella’s embrace, twirled around in place.

The light aqua dress fluttered.

“This is a new dress I had made. What do you think? I’m a bit worried the ribbon color might look awkward.”

“Is this the dress you were going to buy last time?”

Stella was about to agree but tilted her head as if she had noticed something.

“But Julia, isn’t this a bit different from the dresses you usually wear?”

Didn’t she usually prefer brighter, more intense colors? She seemed to prefer larger patterns and more accessories too.

But the dress Julia was wearing now had no pattern at all and had minimal lace—it was a plain dress.

If anything, it was more like something she herself would wear.

“Yes, that’s right.”

As if she had become a dignified lady, Julia nodded while holding the hem of her dress, showing off her outfit.

“But I’m about to graduate from school, aren’t I? I thought I should start dressing more maturely. Instead, I put emphasis on this brooch.”

Julia pointed to the brooch on her spencer. Though it looked a bit old, it had been well-maintained—an elegant pearl brooch that sparkled in the sunlight.

“I received it as a gift before, but I just kept it because I didn’t have a dress that matched it. But it seems to match this dress.”

“I see.”

“So what do you think, Sister? Am I pretty?”

Julia urged for an answer as if determined to hear it from Stella.

“Yes, you’re very pretty.”

“Right? It’s a style I’ve never worn before, but I was confident it would suit me.”

Julia smiled brightly and linked arms with Stella. Their bodies pressed close together.

“We look exactly alike, like twins, don’t we?”

“That’s right.”

Stella calmly nodded and placed her hand on Julia’s hand that was linked with her arm.

“Well, shall we go? It’s too hot to keep standing here.”

The three people walked slowly through the garden toward the mansion. Baizel, who had been here before, appeared relatively calm, but Julia’s eyes grew wider with each step she took.

“Hello. I am Addin Poff, the head maid of the Duke of Rochester’s residence.”

Mrs. Poff greeted the three at the door. She wore a broad smile.

“Please call me Mrs. Poff.”

“Ah…… Nice to meet you.”

Unlike Mrs. Poff, Julia’s expression was dark. She trailed off as if something displeased her and abruptly turned her head away.

Stella, caught in the middle, could only feel awkward.

“I think she’s still unfamiliar with you.”

“That could be the case.”

Mrs. Poff nodded emphatically, appearing completely unbothered.

“You mentioned wanting a tour of the mansion. Shall we start with the east wing?”

As the lady turned around, Julia tightened her grip on Stella’s arm and called to her.

“Sister, don’t be so friendly with the servants!”

Julia whispered in a hushed voice.

“Oh my, this is why I can’t help but worry about you. Sister, I heard that real nobles treat servants like furniture.”

“What?”

“They shouldn’t speak to their masters first and should only do what they’re told. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

With a sigh, Julia grumbled while looking at Mrs. Poff’s back.

“I was lenient because she’s the head maid. If she had been an ordinary maid, I would have scolded her severely.”

“Julia.”

“Mrs. Poff!”

Before Stella could say anything, Julia raised her voice. Mrs. Poff, who had been explaining the paintings hanging on the corridor walls, turned her head.

“The paintings are pretty, but there’s somewhere I’d like to see first.”

“Where would you like to go?”

“The Duchess’s room.”

Julia smiled, lifting her chin.

“……”

Mrs. Poff looked at Stella with troubled eyes, silently asking what to do.

“This way, please.”

Only after Stella silently nodded did Mrs. Poff resume walking.

“She’s so slow, isn’t she, Sister?”

“Julia.”

After receiving a word of reproach from Stella while badmouthing Mrs. Poff, Julia closed her mouth. But she showed no signs of remorse. She was filled only with excitement.

“Wow!”

Baizel, who had already visited the Rochester mansion before, remained in the reception room, claiming fatigue. In the end, only Stella, Julia, and Mrs. Poff headed to the Duchess’s room.

“So this is the Duchess’s room……”

As soon as they entered, Julia, who had gone ahead, began examining the Duchess’s room as if determined not to miss even the smallest detail.

“So Sister, you’ll be staying here?”

Julia asked while picking up a golden ornament from above the fireplace. Stella shook her head.

“No, I’m using a different room. I plan to use this place after it’s been fully decorated.”

Properly speaking, she should be using this room, but Stella continued to use the room she had been initially assigned. She had no particular desire to move to the Duchess’s room, and Kalian hadn’t mentioned anything about it either.

“……”

Stella picked up an ivory animal sculpture sitting on the bureau.

The rabbit sculpture was so intricately carved that it seemed as if it might come alive at any moment.

Recently, Kalian had been kind and affectionate toward her, firmly holding her when she was wavering. If she hadn’t tried to close her heart after hearing those words, she would have been hopelessly blinded.

But now, reality was visible through the cracks of her broken heart.

This was all an act.

An appropriate performance to spend three years without arousing anyone’s suspicion or curiosity.

It was merely that, with a small favor shown by the Duke added to it.

It was just that his small favor was too significant for her, causing her alone to flounder like a drowning person.

She would close her heart slowly.

She couldn’t completely let go of the feelings she had harbored for so long in this situation. So she would release them gradually.

A little each day, doing what she could while stepping back one step at a time.

She planned to practice so that when the day came for her to leave, she could depart without regrets, taking only memories with her.

“……”

This beautiful room would be used by someone else who would come after she left.

This was never hers.

Tap.

Stella placed the ivory sculpture back in its place without hesitation.

“I suppose.”

Julia, who had been touching the golden ornament, smirked.

“I did think the room was too luxurious for you to use, Sister.”

Julia, who had carelessly set down the golden ornament anywhere, continued to busily move around the room.

“By the way, I hope you don’t change much! Your taste doesn’t really match a large, historic mansion like this, does it? What I mean is that your taste is a bit too plain.”

Whether Stella responded or not, Julia excitedly moved here and there.

“The wallpaper is so pretty! The paintings are a bit lacking, but I suppose that’s not too bad.”

Mrs. Poff’s disapproving gaze followed her.

“Still, the sofa should be changed. It looks too old, doesn’t it? I heard strong colors are popular these days. How about red, Sister? And the arrangement of the furnitures needs to be changed too. Mrs. Poff!”

Julia called to Mrs. Poff and pointed to a small piece of furniture.

“Could you move this to the center over there?”

Her attitude was not that of a guest. It was clearly that of someone addressing an inferior.

“Julia.”

Stella called her name quietly.

“Thank you for your advice. But I’ll decorate this room as I wish. It will be my room after all.”

“…Sister?”

“And it would be best if you apologized to Mrs. Poff now. She’s here to guide us. And above all, she is my person, not yours.”

Despite Stella’s gentle phrasing, Julia’s face froze coldly. She stared at Stella without blinking, as if she couldn’t believe the current situation.

“What did you just say to me, Sister?”

“That’s right.”

But Stella nodded with the same slightly smiling face as before.

“The Duchess of Rochester is me, not you.”

“……”

Silence hung in the room. Julia glared at Stella with a rigid face, her back to the window. But she soon crumbled. Her stiff face gradually relaxed, and she dropped her head as if all strength had left her.

“That’s cruel.”

Her voice was trembling. Julia covered her face with her hands.

“That’s cruel, Sister. How could you, of all people, do this to me?”

She was now completely sobbing.

“You said we were like real sisters. Our tastes are identical, like twins. How could you, of all people……”

“Julia.”

“You know.”

As Stella approached to comfort her, Julia suddenly lifted her head. Tears were falling from her green eyes, which looked exactly like Stella’s.

“My family is poor, my noble lineage is questionable, and I can’t bring a large dowry…… I can’t marry a good gentleman. I’ll never have the opportunity to decorate such a wonderful place in my lifetime.”

Julia continuously wiped her eyes.

“I was just a little excited, but how could you hurt me like this, Sister?”

“I see.”

Unlike Julia, whose emotions ranged wildly from happiness to stiffness to anger to tears, Stella remained calm.

Stella approached Julia and stroked her hair.

“You’ve always loved decorating things since you were young. You wanted to help your sister, didn’t you, Julia? Thank you for your advice.”

“Then Sister, are you apologizing to me? If you apologize, I’ll accept it. I’ve always loved you.”

“You’ll surely be able to have a wedding with a wonderful gentleman who loves only you.”

Stella naturally ignored Julia’s words as if she hadn’t said anything and continued speaking.

“Because you’re so pretty.”

“Sister?”

“Don’t undervalue yourself too much. As I said earlier, I’ll help with your dowry.”

Stella smiled brightly.

“So now, let’s apologize to Mrs. Poff for the rudeness you committed.”

Julia gritted her teeth.

“If that’s the case, I’ll apologize to you, Sister. I’m sorry, Sister. I was too presumptuous with your servant.”

“No, the one you were rude to wasn’t me, but Mrs. Poff.”

Despite taking a step back, Julia bit her lip at Stella’s unyielding attitude. Her gaze, which had been on Mrs. Poff, caught something.

A slightly open door crack. And the tip of a shoe visible through it.

Ah.

“I’m sorry.”

Julia lowered her head. She didn’t want to apologize to a woman beneath her more than death, but now was the time to retreat.

“Mrs. Poff, I was ignorant and committed a rudeness…… Please forgive me.”

“No, it’s quite alright.”

Mrs. Poff smiled brightly. It was a smile that seemed somehow satisfying.

“Excuse me.”

Just as the situation had been resolved, the slightly open door opened fully. The person who entered was Kalian.

“Oh my, Your Grace.”

The first to react was Mrs. Poff, who was standing closest to the door. As if she hadn’t expected Kalian of all people to come, Mrs. Poff hurriedly stepped back.

“……”

The second to react was Julia. She showed no sign of surprise and simply lowered her gaze.

“Your Grace.”

Stella was the last to call Kalian’s name as she approached him.

“You’re early. I thought it would take more time.”

“My business ended earlier than expected.”

Kalian smiled as he brushed Stella’s hair back behind her ear as she approached him.

“I truly missed you, wife.”

“Oh my……”

While Mrs. Poff smiled warmly at the affectionate scene between the two, Julia bit her lip and abruptly turned her head away.

It was childish behavior, like someone unable to control their anger. Kalian’s lips curved into a smile as he observed such a Julia.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ambrose. I hope you’ve found the mansion to your liking.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Duke Rochester. It’s a truly beautiful mansion. I liked it very much.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I hope you’ll also enjoy the food I’ve prepared.”

“The meal is ready, I see.”

Kalian nodded at Stella’s words.

“It’s a bit early, but shall we go for dinner?”

Julia nodded. Mrs. Poff led the way, with Julia following behind her.

Stella was about to go to Julia’s side, but Kalian stopped her.

“Wife.”

Walking in step with his wife, Kalian whispered.

“I’m a bit surprised.”

“About what?”

His breath touched her ear as he lowered himself to whisper, causing Stella to shrink back.

“You seemed to be excessively fond of your cousin. As if you would permit anything she did, any behavior she exhibited.”

“Surely not.”

Stella continued speaking while touching her ear with a slightly reddened face.

“It’s true that I care for Julia. But that doesn’t mean I’ll withhold necessary discipline because of it.”

Don’t children sometimes go down the wrong path? Due to curiosity, simple amusement, mistakes—they went astray for various reasons.

“Hmm.”

His eyes narrowed after hearing Stella’s words. For some reason, one corner of his mouth lifted slightly upward in amusement.

“Did you know that Miss Ambrose has been imitating you?”

“How could I not know? I often took care of young Julia in place of my uncle. Why, don’t young children tend to imitate those around them for no particular reason?”

Don’t normal children arbitrarily imitate their elders—older sisters, older brothers?

They try wearing the same clothes for no reason, or when you’re reading a book, they’ll come in from playing outside and quietly open a book they have no intention of reading just to sit beside you, or when you say you’re going out, they throw tantrums asking to be taken along.

“Julia is an only child, so I was her target.”

That’s why she had knowingly tolerated Julia’s subtle imitation of her until now.

“But today was too much. She inconvenienced not only me but also Mrs. Poff. That’s why I gave her a warning.”

Stella smiled.

“I can’t let her keep imitating me forever.”

“Ha.”

For a moment, Kalian almost burst out laughing.

Does this woman know the truth?

Probably not.

Because Stella was simply guiding her young cousin to the right path.

Pure goodwill defeated malice.

‘How amusing.’

Instead of laughing out loud, Kalian reached out and caressed Stella’s face. Her startled gaze turned toward him.

Why?

For some reason, he felt that this woman would stand firmly on her own two feet until the very end.