Confession (2)

In front of the mansion painted in lilac like lilac petals stood a stern-looking middle-aged woman.

She merely gave a subtle glance to Reichardt as he stepped down from the carriage.

It was not the kind of gesture one should show to royalty.

But Reichardt neither punished her nor took issue with it.

“Let’s go inside.”

“They’re waiting for you.”

The woman, with dark mahogany hair and a strict demeanor, opened the door for him.

Reichardt followed her into the estate.

Though it couldn’t compare to noble houses within the Imperial Capital, the grounds of this villa—built more like a retreat—were still quite spacious.

The two of them had to walk over a hundred steps.

Until they reached the entrance, they exchanged not a single word.

The stern woman, Camille, opened the door.

“Presenting His Grace the Grand Duke.”

As the entrance opened, the mansion’s attendants all bowed in unison.

There were no maids in modest caps here, only women in stiff bonnets.

They were scribes affiliated with the Grand Temple.

Without sparing a glance at the purple bonnets bowing to him, Reichardt ascended the stone staircase at one side of the hall.

The mansion had three floors.

Its spiral staircase and the railings of the second and third floors were adorned with the same soft curves as the exterior.

Reichardt quickly climbed to the third floor and headed for the room at the end of the corridor.

Camille carefully opened the door.

The room was warm and elegant, decorated in bright colors.

The bed, which took up most of the space, was draped with fluttering lace curtains.

A breeze drifted in through the slightly opened window, stirring the beautiful veil.

From between the softly swaying curtains, a slender woman’s hand emerged.

“Your Grace?”

Reichardt approached the bed and firmly took the hand reaching for him.

“Yes, I’ve come.”

His large hands gently enclosed the woman’s hand.

Reichardt knelt by the veil and leaned toward the bed.

The woman’s delicate hand reached to embrace his neck.

“Your Grace… I missed you.”

At her whisper, Reichardt looked into the face nestled in the pillow and smiled.

He pressed a kiss to her hand.

“I missed you as well.”

The woman laughed softly at his whisper.

It was a joyful, radiant laugh.

“You took too long to come. I know you’re busy, but still… I’m hurt. These days, even Reichardt doesn’t come to see me. I suppose that means he’s becoming a young man. Naughty as it is, he’s still darling, so I’ll forgive him.”

Her face, resting gently on the pillow, wore a warm smile.

“So Reichardt said that…”

Reichardt’s expression did not waver as he looked at her.

Only for the briefest moment did he glance at Camille beside him.

“……”

Camille met his gaze with a sorrowful look.

“Your Grace.”

The woman lying beyond the delicate veil…

The Viscountess of Loire bore deep traces of age in the wrinkles of her face.

Her hair had turned completely white.

Her frail frame rose and fell faintly with each breath.

Only her green eyes, nestled within the lines, still held a spark of life.

“Yes, my lady.”

Reichardt’s voice was full of compassion.

“Please care for Reichardt with love. He’s brusque, but he’s a good boy.”

“I will…”

“I feel myself weakening by the day. That child isolates himself and befriends loneliness—it’s troubling. You must become a friend to him, Your Grace.”

At her words, Reichardt only nodded.

The Viscountess gently patted his shoulder with her wrinkled hand, as if praising him.

She let out a small cough and soon fell asleep.

“……”

Reichardt silently watched the sleeping Viscountess of Loire.

He gazed at her countless wrinkles for a long time, then quietly left the room.

“Your Grace.”

Camille called out to him as he descended the stairs without a word.

“When did it begin?”

Reichardt stopped in his tracks.

As he turned to Camille, his face was heavy with grief.

“We don’t know exactly when symptoms first appeared. We only realized something was wrong about two years ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me…!”

As Reichardt raised his voice, Camille quickly glanced behind them and shook her head.

“She never failed to recognize you, Your Grace.”

“When did it get worse?”

“Her condition has deteriorated in the last six months. But we didn’t expect her to not recognize even you. Just before you came for the Marguerite ruby, she was already confusing past and present—but when she saw you, she suddenly grasped the flow of time.”

Camille’s face was filled with unspeakable despair.

Her stern expression had melted into pure sorrow.

“You’ve all had it hard.”

“Please don’t visit too often. On rare days when her mind is clear, she recognizes her own confusion and becomes deeply saddened.”

“I understand. I’ll take my leave now.”

Reichardt offered those few words and resumed walking.

Before Camille could respond, he had already exited the mansion.

She watched his retreating back, her eyes clouded with complexity.

Reichardt’s face was twisted with anguish as he headed toward the gate.

Striding toward the waiting attendants, he suddenly stopped and looked back.

The villa, modest yet charming, came into view.

“Anyone bound by an oath to Tessen becomes unhappy…”

He exhaled the words like a sigh and resumed walking.

Each time the face that had haunted him since entering the estate came to mind, Reichardt focused on the bitter pain.

A brilliant yet cursed bloodline.

The way he saw himself was nothing short of monstrous.

Four days had passed since Alicia returned to Luderne.

In that time, the month had changed—March had arrived.

The sunlight had grown noticeably warmer.

But dawn and night still bit with winter chill, and even midday air stung the cheeks.

A visitor now stood before Alicia, having braved the cold morning air.

“Lady Alicia. Her Majesty the Empress sends you a gift of gratitude. Please accept it.”

Debbie, a maid of the Empress’s Palace, spoke with a blank expression.

Daisy, standing beside her, held a jewelry box in her arms and presented it.

With an equally calm face, Debbie helped open the box.

“…!”

Inside the box were twelve compartments, each meant to hold a ring.

The platinum rings represented plants as they appeared across the twelve months of the year.

The winter rings were adorned simply with dark-colored gemstones, while the ones for spring and summer were studded with leaves holding countless tiny jewels.

The autumn rings were distinct in their own ways—some lavish, some elegant, others charming.

Strangely, the rings for January and February were missing.

“What do you think?”

At Debbie’s question, Alicia offered a courteous smile.

“It’s an extravagant gift.”

“Her Majesty the Empress said Lady Alicia is more than deserving of such a gift. If it pleases you, may we ask for a letter of thanks?”

Debbie made no mention of the missing rings for January and February.

“Of course.”

Alicia didn’t ask about it either.

She simply kept her serene and well-mannered smile.

“I will wait, then.”

Debbie took a step back and bowed her head.

“Daisy.”

Alicia rose from her chair in the reception room and went to the desk prepared at one side.

Daisy carefully packed away the jewelry box from the Empress and tied Alicia’s black writing apron around her.

“……”

As she sat before the desk, Alicia let out an unconscious sigh of relief.

Her hand moved swiftly over the pre-cut stationery.

Seeing this, Daisy couldn’t hide the confusion on her face.

Though puzzled, she didn’t question her mistress in front of others.

Alicia sealed the letter and handed it to Daisy.

“Shall I deliver it now?”

Daisy glanced sidelong at the Empress’s maid and asked with deliberate caution.

“Just a moment.”

At Alicia’s response, Daisy quietly let out a breath of relief.

She assumed the sleepless night had simply caused Alicia to make a mistake.

But then Alicia rose from her chair and walked out of the room without even removing the apron.

With an outsider present, Daisy couldn’t follow.

“……”

Alicia soon returned to the reception room.

In her hand was a rolled-up sheet of paper tied with a checkered ribbon.

“Give her this as well.”

“Yes, my lady.”

What Alicia brought was sheet music.

Daisy didn’t know which composition it was, but she could tell it was worth a fortune.

Most of Alicia’s sheet music had to be bought with high-grade deep-sea pearls equal to their weight in paper.

Daisy was always happy when Alicia spoke her mind freely.

But each time she saw Alicia purchasing musty, tea-stained scores and books, it felt like coming down with an illness.

A tightness in the chest, a clouding in the head.

Among Alicia’s purchases, Daisy’s biggest frustration was always the sheet music.

To her, it was absurd that a few lines and dots on a page could cost more than a several-hundred-page book.

Alicia, being a noble lady, played both piano and violin.

But she didn’t particularly enjoy music.

If she had loved it so much that she collected passionately, Daisy might have understood.

But Alicia didn’t even look at the pieces once she bought them.

When a rare score came up for sale, she somehow always knew and immediately moved to purchase it.

In those moments, Alicia didn’t seem like a lady buying goods, but a hunter seizing her prey.

Though she beamed after obtaining them, she’d toss the scores carelessly afterward, and Daisy felt her mysterious affliction worsening each time.

And now, watching one of those extraordinarily expensive pieces being given away like this made Daisy’s hand tremble.

This particular piece had cost fifty high-grade deep-sea pearls.

Yet Daisy, being an excellent maid, hid both her trembling and her sigh as she delivered the letter and score.

Debbie bowed toward Alicia upon receiving them.

“I shall deliver Lady Alicia’s letter to Her Majesty. I take my leave.”

“Please see her out, Daisy.”

Daisy was fixated on the sheet music Debbie held so carelessly.

She was anxious that it might get creased.

Alicia’s expression showed no awareness of Daisy’s distress.

“Yes, my lady.”

Daisy managed to reply and led Debbie out.

The moment the reception room door closed, Alicia let out a deep sigh.

“Whew… what a relief.”

The missing rings for January and February in the set sent by the Empress signified her pregnancy.

Alicia had been most concerned about that point changing due to her interference, but it seemed to be following the original timeline.

She would likely be anxious again when the Empress gave birth…

But for now, she was simply happy and relieved.

In her heart, Alicia wanted to dash to the end of the reception room and burst with joy, but of course, she couldn’t.

“My lady.”

Daisy returned to the reception room after seeing Debbie off.

She had decided to respectfully share her opinion with Alicia at this opportunity.

Though the Marquis’s household was wealthy, and Alicia—now the Grand Duke’s fiancée—was even wealthier, there were places where one ought to be extravagant and places where one shouldn’t.

Instead of moldy, musty-smelling scores, Daisy planned to suggest Alicia buy dresses and jewelry instead.