“How could someone from the direct lineage of Windsor say such an absurd thing!”
That surprised me!
“Someone else’s house, you say! This castle belongs to the Windsor family! There’s no need for permission! Because this castle is Windsor’s!”
“W-W-Why are you getting angry…”
“It was because you spoke in a manner unbecoming of Windsor’s direct lineage! Your words have degraded the dignity of Windsor!”
I was shocked by these words. Did I speak in a manner unbecoming of Windsor’s direct lineage? Did I degrade the dignity of Windsor?
“Mark Kuruz. What are you doing not apologizing right now!”
Count Kuruz turned his gaze away from me, seemingly not wanting to speak further, and banged his stick on the ground.
“Kneel down and apologize at once!”
“…”
Mark’s face turned beet red. He didn’t want to apologize. He couldn’t understand what he had done wrong. But in front of his father, who was like a tiger, he couldn’t do anything else.
“…I apologize.” Slowly, very slowly, he knelt down. A sense of humiliation seemed to break something inside his head. “I apologize. Please forgive me.”
And Count Kuruz knelt down beside his son, banging his head on the ground with a thud. “I, too, will apologize! Please forgive me!”
I blankly watched this scene. Mark and Count Kuruz were kneeling in submission.
And the woman quietly observing this scene— Danae Windsor.
* * *
Count Kuruz had awakened. This meant that Mark Kuruz had reverted back to three months ago. Powerless, owning nothing, just a young lord. No, even worse than before.
“When the direct lineage leaves, I will properly discipline you.”
Having learned what happened during his unconscious state, Count Kuruz was filled with murderous intent.
“Lady Danae has specially forgiven you. But you will not inherit the family!”
“Fa-Father! But I’m your only child!”
“I will adopt someone to inherit.”
“Father!”
“You fool! To think such a person is my son!”
Mark became helpless and collapsed on his knees.
Not inheriting the family.
Not inheriting the castle.
Not inheriting Windsor territory.
This is impossible! No matter how loyal, how could a father disown his own son!
Not only Mark was in trouble.
“How could someone of Carl Windsor’s lineage be so foolish.”
I, too, was scolded by Count Kuruz.
“Instead of sternly dealing with a subordinate who caused a rebellion, you helped him! Such an action tarnishes Carl’s reputation!”
“I didn’t help him.” I felt deeply wronged and frustrated. “Listen. I intended to reconcile. It’s not always right to oppress others, right?”
“Reconcile? Did you just say reconcile?”
Hahaha. Count Kuruz laughed as if he had heard a ridiculous joke.
“Reconciliation is between equals!” Then he shouted again. “The Kuruz family is a vassal of the Windsor family! Subordinates! And you talk of seeking reconciliation. How can you have such a disgraceful thought!”
“I-I just… meant well.”
“Good intentions should be even more resolute!” Count Kuruz was frustrated, not even trying to listen to me. “You should have punished him! Then, after earning submission and loyalty again, you could forgive him! But reconciliation?!”
“T-Things were going well! Mark was opening his heart to Windsor’s direct lineage! Look, he even presented me with this necklace as a gift!”
Count Kuruz looked at the diamond necklace and sighed deeply. “Are you admitting to accepting a bribe?”
“What?” I protested in shock. “A bribe? It’s not like that. It was just a gift!”
“That necklace was purchased with Windsor’s money! With the management funds provided by Duke Windsor!”
Count Kuruz seemed as if he was burning inside, looking at me with eyes filled with disdain.
“By gladly accepting it, how is it different from accepting a bribe and condoning embezzlement!”
I burst into tears.
I couldn’t understand what was being said. Embezzlement, a bribe? I didn’t know about that. I just accepted it as a gift, intending to get along well in the future. But…
“I will report this matter in detail to Duke Windsor!”
But why did it turn out like this?
* * *
Dana’s POV
“I apologize again.”
“Enough, I understand.”
Hearing the same apology almost a hundred times started to get tedious.
He’s so vigorous despite having been unconscious. Perhaps it was because he had been guarding the borders all his life. Count Kuruz’s recovery was frighteningly fast.
“But… was I really contaminated by the rotten land?”
“Yes.”
“That’s strange. There’s no rotten land in Windsor territory…”
Count Kuruz seemed a bit embarrassed.
“As you know, I’ve spent my whole life in the territory and never seen rotten land. There’s never been any in Windsor territory.”
“That’s true.”
“Land turning black and all life dying on it… that’s the phenomenon of rotten land, I’ve heard.”
“Yes.”
My face turned serious.
“Everything dies on rotten land.”
Not just humans.
“Every blade of grass, every passing ant, even the butterflies on the flowers. All contaminated and decayed.”
“…How terrible.”
“That’s right. And you were at an early stage of contamination.”
That was the strange part. People contaminated by rotten land die within a week or, at most, a month of decaying. But to have lasted three months in the early stage…
Not only that. Only Count Kuruz got contaminated at the ritual ceremony. That’s strange too.
Something is very odd.
Of course, I don’t know everything about rotten land.
Rotten land started appearing ten years ago. Suddenly, without warning or signs, parts of the empire’s land began to decay. The imperial family declared these lands no-go zones.
But six years ago… After I realized I had the power to purify, those lands regained their vitality. I purified all the rotten lands so they were believed to be gone.
Maybe there was dormant rotten land I didn’t find.
It’s giving me a headache. This wasn’t something I could just ignore or overlook. It could turn into a massive disaster. Even though I’m fed up with this world… I didn’t want innocent people to die.
“It seems I must visit the guardian tree.”
* * *
The guardian tree was deep in the forest of the territory.
“It’s a holy tree that is 2,000 years old. The guardian tree that protects our territory.”
The tree was huge, as expected from its age.
“Look. There’s no sign of rotten land, right?”
“…”
True. The forest was lush, with no signs of the black stains characteristic of rotten land.
Then where did Count Kuruz get contaminated?
“Kuruz family holds a ceremony at this tree once a year, right?”
“Yes.”
“Was there anything special this year? Anything different from usual?”
“I’m not sure. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.” Count Kuruz stroked his beard, pondering, then said, “Well, I did get pricked by a thorn on the tree.”
“…A thorn?”
“Yes. It was just a drop of blood, nothing more.”
At that moment, I had a dreadful thought. Could it be?
“Lady Danae?”
“Wait here. Don’t approach the tree. Stay there.”
I immediately jumped off my horse. Count Kuruz tried to follow, but I firmly stopped him.
“Don’t come near the tree. Wait there.”
With every step towards the tree, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. When was it? It felt familiar.
It was when I was Yeon Dana. Was it when I was nine years old? No, it must have been when I was ten years old. At a time when I had to hide in a cramped attic, harassed by relatives. Just before opening a closet door where she heard a mouse squeaking.
Yes, it’s similar to then…
I placed my hand on the trunk of the tree. And at that moment, I was certain. The tree was decaying slowly from the inside.
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