The Sad Past Of Duke Lanberg

Here at the Lanberg Ducal House, there were two heirs.

One was Lady Hermina, as Jonah surely knows, and the other heir was her younger brother, Lord Daniel.

Lord Daniel was a bright and cheerful young man who always smiled and treated us servants with great kindness.

His swordsmanship was astonishing, and His Excellency Lars—the former head of the Lanberg family and father of Lady Hermina and Lord Daniel—had taken a great interest in him, saying he possessed talent comparable to Princess Patricia, the so‑called “Silver Sword Princess.”

Naturally, Lady Hermina doted on Lord Daniel so much she could scarce stand to have him out of her sight, and she took him with her wherever she went.

When Lord Daniel reached the age of twelve, word came that remnants of the Demon King’s army had raided the southern border, and Lady Hermina led the troops to defend it.

Normally His Excellency Lars would have gone as commander‑in‑chief, but he had been laid low by a contagious illness, and so the then‑twenty‑year‑old Lady Hermina had no choice but to go.

That said, Lady Hermina had been fighting remnants of the Demon King’s army since she was sixteen, and by then she had already shown extraordinary talent as His Excellency Lars’s right hand, performing admirably.

There was nothing amiss about Lady Hermina serving as commander‑in‑chief.

However… at that time Lord Daniel refused to be persuaded and insisted on fighting alongside Lady Hermina.

No matter how talented he was, they could not take Lord Daniel—who had never set foot on a battlefield—into the fight. Distressed, Lady Hermina said to him, “While I fight the remnants of the Demon Lord’s army, you are the only one who can protect Gratz. So please… guard the place I will return to.”

Lord Daniel did not want to be parted from her, but at her request he nodded strongly and accepted the duty of guarding Gratz.

Lady Hermina embraced Lord Daniel and then led the army to the border.

I still remember how the Lady’s face shone with such obvious joy at Lord Daniel’s growth.

But… that was the last time the Lady ever saw Lord Daniel.

Taking advantage of the moment Lady Hermina’s forces were defending the border, the remnants of the Demon Lord’s army launched a sudden assault on Gratz.

Because nearly the entire army had been sent to the border, only five hundred soldiers remained in Gratz, while the remnants numbered over two thousand.

Originally, there is a great gap in individual combat power between humans and demons. Added to that fourfold numerical superiority, defeat was inevitable.

Still, through His Excellency Lars’s leadership—pushing through his illness to command Gratz’s defense—they held out for a week, and with Lady Hermina’s army returning, they succeeded in driving off the remnants.

But.

“Lord Daniel… Daaaanieeeeeel!!”

Lord Daniel had joined the battle against the remnants to keep his promise to the Lady.

He slew many monsters, but he fell to a demon’s vicious blade, his life of merely twelve years extinguished…

I cannot forget the utterly anguished expression on the Lady’s face when she looked at Lord Daniel lying as if asleep in his coffin.

Not long after, His Excellency Lars’s exertions in defending Gratz took their toll, his illness worsened, and he too passed away.

Thus… Lady Hermina lost two beloved family members in the blink of an eye.

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“…Since then, to protect the Lanberg domain she inherited from the late His Excellency Lars, the Lady has always steeled her heart. Many misunderstand her because of that demeanor, but we—no, all who live in the Lanberg territory—know that the real Lady is kinder than anyone.”

Having finished her story, Petra pressed her hand to her chest and exhaled.

“So, this room…”

“Yes. It is Lord Daniel’s room.”

The late younger brother’s room, beloved by the Duke of Lanberg.

The careful upkeep shows the Duke of Lanberg surely still holds feelings for Lord Daniel.

“I‑I wonder if it’s really all right for someone like me to use such an important room…”

“Of course. …No, Sir Jonah, we very much want you to use it. The Lady herself desires it as well.”

Why the Duke of Lanberg is so kind to Jonah is clear.

It is because she has been seeing the image of her late brother reflected in Jonah.

“Sir Jonah, I beg you. Even if only for the time you stay here, please… please honor the Lady’s feelings…!”

Petra bowed deeply and pleaded.

She was asking Jonah to take Daniel’s place.

But.

“…Miss Petra. I’m Jonah, just Jonah. I cannot be a substitute for the late Lord Daniel.”

Yes… Jonah is Jonah, not Daniel.

No matter how much kindness or affection is given, he cannot fulfill the role of the other.

More than anything, Jonah will leave this world in nine months.

If the Duke were to learn that, what would she think?

Having lost her beloved brother, and then losing the substitute Jonah as well, surely the Lady’s heart would shatter.

Believing that, kind Jonah refused Petra’s request.

“…I’m sorry. Please forget what I have just said.”

Petra let her shoulders fall and, with a respectful bow, left the room.

Jonah watched her retreating back and pressed his hand to his chest.