Jeanette sat at the bedside of Lowell, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, gently stroking the child’s hair.
She had stopped humming a lullaby in fear that it might disturb his peaceful slumber.
The soft texture of the child’s hair brushing against her fingers was soothing.
The sleeping child was as lovely as a little angel. Jeanette gazed at him lovingly before her expression hardened, and she lifted her head.
“What’s the matter?”
A tall man stood with his back to the light, his shadow looming over both Lowell and Jeanette.
“I came to inform you that the notarization of the agreement is complete.”
“I believe I told you there was no need to come.”
Ludwig felt bitterness in his mouth as he witnessed the scene, which looked like something out of a fairytale, shattering before his eyes.
“You’ll be returning to the Kingdom of Hamond soon, won’t you?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Isn’t there someone you left behind there?”
Jeanette avoided mentioning her name, not wanting to speak it aloud.
However, Ludwig couldn’t quite guess who she was referring to.
Her family, friends, a nanny… There were many things Jeanette had left behind.
In the end, Jeanette confessed herself.
“Charlotte Verben. She’s your fiancée, isn’t she? Or, by now, perhaps you’ve already married?”
She was Jeanette’s one and only twin sister.
“You don’t ask me about this face, do you?”
“…”
Ludwig’s expression shifted subtly, as if he had realized something.
“You planned to take Lowell away. Did you agree to it with Sister Charlotte? She’s not the type to allow something like that…”
“It seems the news hasn’t reached here.”
“Pardon?”
“The Verben family has been eradicated.”
Jeanette froze.
She stared at Ludwig, unable to hide the tremor in her eyes, disbelief written all over her face.
“Eradicated… you say?”
“Marquis Verben was beheaded, and the Marchioness is imprisoned in a dungeon. The title has been stripped, and they’ll likely live as slaves for the rest of their lives.”
“…”
“Charlotte Verben was also… executed.”
Jeanette couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Although she had fled her household, she never imagined that it would have collapsed so completely.
No matter what happened, she thought they’d still be living in comfort.
“Why… on earth…”
When Janet hesitantly asked the reason, Ludwig remained silent for a moment.
“I did it.”
“What?”
“I’m the one who eradicated the Verben family.”
Ludwig’s face showed no trace of falsehood as he said this. He was completely composed, even nonchalant.
Jeanette instinctively stepped back, feeling an eerie sense of unease at his attitude. Only when her back touched the wall did she realize there was nowhere left to retreat.
“I thought you’d be pleased.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Didn’t they try to do something horrible to you?”
“How do you…!”
Jeanette almost shouted but stopped short, startled. She quickly turned to check on Lowell, who only mumbled in his sleep but remained peacefully slumbering.
“Did you think I didn’t know?”
Ludwig slowly approached her.
“I found it odd. That woman, whose head was full of nothing but luxury and indulgence, would sometimes display an inexplicable skill.”
There were days when she’d talk nonsense all day, and then there were times when she would give answers so wise that they would leave his eyes wide open.
Thanks to her, Ludwig felt like he was constantly oscillating between heaven and hell.
The fact that he was destined to spend his life with such a dreadful woman made him shudder, yet sometimes he felt a strange impulse, thinking he wouldn’t mind spending his life with her.
He tilted Jeanette’s chin up with his fingers, forcing her to meet his gaze with a firm grip.
“I never imagined she had a twin.”
“Ugh…! Let me go!”
Smack!
Jeanette forcefully shook off his hand. Ludwig retreated without resistance.
“The Marquis Verben was summarily executed for attempting to dabble in black magic. Heresy is punishable by death on the spot, according to the laws of the Church of Verdio, is it not?”
“…”
“You’re well aware of the forbidden sorcery they tried to perform, aren’t you?”
How could Jeanette not know? That was precisely why she had fled, leaving everything behind in a hurry.
“When one twin reaches the age of 19, if the other is sacrificed, the remaining twin absorbs their soul and awakens special abilities, or so they said.”
“…”
Jeanette silently closed her eyes.
The truth she had buried for so long was now rearing its head once again.
—
“Ugh, how annoying!”
Smack!
Charlotte Verben, her face twisted with fury, vented her frustration.
“What’s this? I always tell you to bring the tea at the perfect temperature! Why is it so lukewarm? Are you trying to mess with me on purpose?”
“I- I’m sorry, Miss!”
The maid, drenched in tea, knelt on the floor. But even that sight didn’t appease Charlotte’s anger, and she kicked the maid aside, telling her to get lost.
“Fetch Jeanette. Jeeeeanetteeee!”
“You… you called, Sister…?”
Janet, dressed in plain clothes, rushed in at her sister’s call.
The two identical faces stared at each other. One dressed in a lavish gown, surrounded by attending maids, the other dressed like a kitchen maid.
“Didn’t I tell you I hate seeing your face?”
“S-s-sorry. I came out in a hurry…”
Jeanette flinched, covering her face with her hands.
“So unlucky. Why do you have to have the same face as me…”
The softly muttered words pierced like a dagger. Even so, Janet couldn’t come up with a single excuse.
“Tomorrow, there’s a banquet at the Imperial Palace to celebrate the Crown Prince’s birthday. You’ll attend in my place.”
“Huh? M-Me?”
“Yes! Since we look exactly alike, it won’t matter. If you can’t even manage this, you’re just a leech.”
“B-but… I’ve never been to such an event before…”
“You know all the proper etiquette, don’t you?”
“Well, that’s because I’ve been doing your homework instead…”
“Why are you saying so much? I told you to go, so just go!”
As Charlotte shouted in frustration, Janet flinched and nodded in agreement.
“T-there will be young ladies there who will talk to you first. Paula, that annoying girl, will suggest holding a poetry contest on the spot.”
“A poetry contest?”
“Yes. Whatever you do, don’t say anything else! Just write a poem and leave. Got it?”
“Y-yes… I got it… But why aren’t you going instead, sis…”
At that, Charlotte snapped.
“If only you hadn’t overdone it! You’ve been doing all my etiquette homework until now! Madam Neumann praised one of my poems at the tea party and asked me to recite one… Ah, it still irritates me just thinking about it!”
As she ground her teeth, the shoulders of the maids helping her change into her dress tensed up.
“Alright, I’ll go…”
Though she said so, Jeanette couldn’t help but feel a little excited about tomorrow. It would be her first time attending a ball, and she’d even get to recite a poem in front of people. It was almost like a dream.
That night, Jeanette headed to her room, filled with joy. It was a small attic room, hot in summer and cold in winter.
There, she skillfully laid out her bedding and fell asleep alone.
—
“Frail? Lady Jeanette?”
“That’s how it’s known publicly.”
Ivan was nearly bending his neck due to the narrow entrance, while Natasha and Vasily exchanged words as they continued forward.
It was a secret passage leading to his hideout.
“They say the second daughter of the Marquis of Verben is weak and suffers from severe social anxiety, unable to meet people. Even when she appeared in public, she wore a mask to hide her face.”
“That’s why no one knew they were twins.”
It was all so meticulously planned.
“When the truth came out, everyone was shocked. At first, people thought the second daughter had been absorbed by the eldest and disappeared. But according to the inquisitor sent from the Verdio Church, although an attempt was made, no actual black magic had been performed.”
So Ludwig must have believed Jeanette was still alive somewhere and had been tracking her down.
‘He probably didn’t expect her to have a child.’
In a way, it was like a story straight out of a romance novel.
“Well, in any case, now that the Verben family has been wiped out, there’s nothing to worry about!”
Vasily cheerfully concluded.
“Can we head back now?”
“While we’re here, take some herbs. You’re almost out, right?”
Step, step.
After walking a few more steps, a door finally appeared. Natasha estimated how much of the herbs were left in the drawer. Probably only about a month’s supply.
Creeeaak!
With a grand sound, the door opened.
“You remember to only step where I stepped, right?”
“Yeah.”
Natasha and Ivan expertly followed Vasily’s lead.
One wrong step, and a trap would be triggered, turning someone into a mess.
“Ta-da! We’ve arrived! Wait just a moment. I’m sure I left it here somewhere…”
Rummage, rummage. Though it was too dark to see clearly, Vasily moved with practiced ease.
The surroundings were pitch black. For someone like Natasha, whose senses were only slightly sharper than an ordinary person’s, it felt like being thrown into the middle of the darkness.
“Found it!”
His hand suddenly thrust something into view.
His presence had been so faint that it was hard to even sense he was standing right in front of them.
On his gloved hand was a familiar bundle of herbs.
“Thanks. I owe you again.”
“No problem~! I’m always happy to help Natasha!”
He replied in a cheerful voice.
“Ivan, need some too?”
“I’m good.”
“You sure? Isn’t it tough to endure?”
“I said I’m fine.”
Ivan’s firm rejection stopped any further offers. Instead, Vasily slipped his hand under his leather mask and popped a bunch of herbs into his mouth.
Munch, munch, gulp.
After finishing with a show of exaggerated effort, he let out a long groan.
“Ugh, it tastes awful!”
“Who told you to eat it like that?”
“It works fastest this way.”
Vasily carelessly took off his mask. Blink, blink. He opened and closed his eyes multiple times to adjust to the light.
Click!
Finally, the lights came on.
His deep indigo hair, like the night sky, and his mysterious violet eyes glimmered. Depending on the light, his eyes shifted from dark blue to purple, expressing a wide range of hues.
A pair of jewel-like eyes.
It was one of the rare moments when a treasure, unique in this world, revealed itself under the light.
Vasily smiled softly, his eyes curving.
“Oh, right. I’ve got some new information about my savior. Want to hear it?”
“You’re still looking for that person?”
Natasha responded in a weary voice.
“Of course! They’re my savior! You’re one of my benefactors too, Natasha, but my savior is different. They’re the light of my life, my one and only world, and—”
Fed up with his endless praise for this unknown savior, Natasha frowned deeply.
“Enough. I’m not interested.”
Vasily looked disappointed, but Natasha was firm.
“Instead, find out when Duke Ludwig and Jeanette Verben came into contact. I heard Jeanette’s outings were strictly prohibited, so when did they even meet?”
Vasily, as if his disappointment had never happened, smiled brightly again.
“That’s the most interesting part!”
He spoke with absolute confidence.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
