Chapter translated by Loulou.
“What… …?” Larienne asked.
“What did you say?” her mother repeated.
“Send her to the North. If something happens, it will happen in the North. We just have to pretend we didn’t even know that she had a terminal illness,” the Viscount replied.
“…….”
“Nobody will know if the disease broke out after she went to the North or while she was still in the capital. It’s perfect. Plus, the doctor who diagnosed Etisha is our family physician, so as long as we silence him, there won’t be any trouble,” Viscount Heinz smirked, twisting his lips. His eyes, devoid of blood or tears, flashed with cruelty.
“There isn’t much time left until she dies. During that time, we must negotiate with the Wintel family to ripe as much benefits as possible from the North… don’t you think?”
At that moment, Larienne shook her head, rebelling against her father’s words.
“No!”
“Larienne!”
“I hate it, I hate it! Tisha becoming a Wintel. I don’t want that. Etisha is a Heinz, isn’t she? Etisha Heinz. She’s mine. So why are you sending her off to Windell?”
Larienne then grabbed onto the hem of her mother ’s dress and hung on, causing Dorothea’s green dress to become crumpled and disheveled.
“Mom, Mom, say something too. What if Tisha really goes to the North like this? I hate it. I absolutely hate it! Tisha should be in our mansion, in her room, quietly confined. She should be the toy that entertains me whenever I’m bored!”
“Lari…” Dorothea said, gently brushing Larienne’s grip off.
Seeing Larienne hanging onto her like this made her heart ache. She had always been on her daughter’s side.
So, in an attempt to change Heinz’s mind, she cautiously spoke up.
“Darling, considering how much Larienne dislikes this, how about reconsidering?”
“No, I can’t. How can I miss such a good opportunity?”
“But it won’t be a good look for an Etisha to get married before her older sister. What if it hinders Larie’s prospects of marriage later on?”
“Hmm. There’s only one year difference between the two of them. We can just start looking right away and find a good match for Larienne too. If anything, with Windell’s influence, she will be able to get married under better conditions than before.”
At those words, Larienne shouted from the side, “I’m not getting married!”
Dorothea tried to calm her daughter down while continuing to persuade her husband.
“Then what about the dowry? If you’re marrying her off to Duke Windell, you’ll have to pay a fairly large dowry… ….”
“Dowry, hm…”
As a practical problem emerged, Viscount Heinz’s once firm expression wavered for a moment.
Marrying off his daughter would indeed require a dowry, and if it’s to a noble family like the Windells, then the amount would have to be jaw-dropping, to say the least.
“I see. The dowry… there’s an issue with the dowry.”
Then, after pondering while stroking his beard, Viscount Heinz uddenly muttered,
“I should have a separate discussion with the Duke about that matter.”
“Pardon? What do you mean, dear?”
“Well, I have a plan in mind. I’ll handle this matter myself, so you and Larienne don’t need to intervene.”
The Viscount’s determination was firm. He seemed to be swelling with dreams of seizing advantages by hitching onto the Windell Ducal family through Etisha.
Kaiyen Windell, a Duke who was so distant and powerful, no one couldn’t even dare to look up at him.
To become the in-laws of such a family, it would be like a wide-open path to success.
I don’t know how Etisha managed to entice the Duke, but that’s none of my concern… Wait, could it be that she is pregnant? Heinz chuckled with narrow eyes. Well, that’s even better. Etisha’s child will be the future Duke of Windell!
That child would not only be the future Duke but also Heinz’s grandchild.
But considering that Etisha only had about a year left to live, it was uncertain whether she could give birth in time.
Hehe… It can’t fail. I must meet with the Duke as soon as possible.
Viscount Heinz, more devilish than the devil himself, was burning with filthy and ambitious desires.
* * *
At the same time, a carriage passed by on the smooth street.
It was a carriage with the seal of a snow eagle with its wings spread wide.
Creak! Creak!
Inside that carriage, two individuals, Duke Kaiyen and Etisha, sat in silence, gazing out the window.
“… … .”
Until yesterday, they had never crossed paths, but now they were riding in the same carriage, and heading towards the same destination.
Etisha found it truly fascinating.
It feels even more surreal to think that I will be living in the Duke’s villa from now on; Etisha mused inwardly as she carefully gazed at Kaiyen, who was sitting across from her in a dignified posture.
She first thought that seeing his face might bring some reality to the situation, but his face, resembling a sculpted masterpiece that surpassed human form, made things feel even more unreal.
He’s really handsome; Etisha silently admired him in her mind.
Duke Kaiyen was undeniably a handsome man.
The courtiers had given him the title of the second most handsome man in the Ignivan Empire. However, Etisha believed that this statement was false.
Why is he the second and not the first?
Etisha had already seen the empire’s first most handsome man. Although she had seen him from a distance, she still saw him clearly.
And in her opinion, the Duke was much more handsome than him….
In addition to his exquisite features, the aura created by his dark hair and eyes, were unmatched.
The pure jet-black color radiated a dignified charm that no other color could put to shame.
Well, the first most handsome man was the Emperor himself, so that’s probably why?
Emperor Ignivan.
Based on what Etisha had seen, he had golden hair that shone bright like the sun.
Also, the Duke and Emperor Ignivan were childhood friends who had been inseparable since their young age thanks to the Emperor, who was still a prince at the time, growing up in the north instead of the capital.
They even fought together on the battlefield later on.
Duke Kaiyen and Emperor Ignivan were the best of friends.
One could grasp the depth of their friendship just from the few rumors circulating about them.
I wish I could see them standing side by side at least once, Etisha thought as she suppressed her laughter, and turned her head to look outside the window again.
The streets were adorned with flags of various colors to commemorate the founding day.
“Miss Etisha.”
At that moment, Kaiyen softly called out to her.
Oh, did I stare at the Duke too openly; Etisha panicked as she looked back at him with cautious eyes.
“Yes, Duke.”
“Do you tolerate the cold well?”
“What… …?”
“The northern region is cold. You must already be aware of that, but it’s truly not a good environment for a patient.”
“Oh…” Etisha murmured, trying to hide her flustered expression.
She felt like her true emotions would inadvertently show on her face.
Why is the Duke asking me this? Is he concerned about me? But there’s no need for us to go that far in our relationship; Etisha tilted her head. Her long hair swaying in waves along with the movements of the carriage.
“I don’t do well in the cold, but I will take good care of myself so that you don’t have to worry. Especially during the journey to the northern region, I won’t be a burden,” she clearly answered.
And upon hearing her response, Duke Kaiyen blinked his twice, seemingly surprised by her words.
Then, after a moment of silence, Kaiyen brought up another topic.
“Crops also don’t grow well in the north. It’s especially difficult to find fruits. So, regarding that…”
But Etisha quickly responded, nodding her head, “Oh, that’s fine as well. Since the fruits were always given to Lari, I am not used to eating them anyway.”
And Kaiyen fell silent once again.
More time passed compared to before, then he brought up a new topic.
“After you leave for the northern region, it will be difficult to meet people from the capital again. If you have any friends you want to contact…”
Before he could even finish his sentence, Etisha was already shaking head.
“Duke, I don’t have any friends. Whenever I tried to talk to people my age, Larienne harassed them and spread rumors about me. Even in social circles, I was always ostracized and gossiped about.”
“… … .”
This time, Kaiyen completely sealed his lips.
Meanwhile Etisha was thinking that he was a much more meticulous person than she had anticipated.
He’s asking things I never even considered. I don’t believe that he’s genuinely concerned about me… Is he warning me in advance because he’s afraid I’ll complain about those things later? She wondered.
A land that was cold and harsh all year round; Etisha was already prepared for the vast difference in environment between the capital and North.
I have no intention of running away, especially after the marriage was announced … Should I tell him not to worry? Etisha pondered.
She feared that if she remained silent, she would continue to receive warnings about the subject.
“In that case, Lady Etisha.”
However, before Etisha could even open her mouth, Kaiyen addressed her first.
“May I ask one more thing before we finish? There’s something I need to make sure of.”
What do you need to be clear about?
What is it? Etisha thought as she nodded her head and answered,
“Yes, please go ahead and tell me.”
“…”
For a moment, the Duke stared at Etisha’s face before asking in a strangely subdued voice.
“Are you hoping to sever ties with the Heinz family? Or are you seeking revenge and apologies from them?”
Etisha quickly, almost as if there was no need for hesitation, opened her lips.
“I… “
Just as she was about to answer, the carriage jolted brutally.
Perhaps it hit a protruding rock, but Etisha’s body lean over due to the strong and sudden movement.
“Ahhhh!”
I’m going to fall; she thought, closing her eyes shut.
She was more embarrassed by the thought of her showing indecent behavior in front of the Duke than by the pain she would feel.
“Excuse me.”
But at that moment, as Etisha leaned forward, Kaiyen’s voice echoed in her ears as his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly. The carriage was still shaking violently, but his embrace provided an unexpectedly stable support.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, I, I apologize.”
“Don’t say that. It’s the coachman’s fault. You don’t need to apologize.”
“…”
“When we arrive at the villa, I will make sure to hold the coachman accountable.”
His voice was surprisingly cold and detached. It was a tone that made it hard to believe he was the owner of the warm arms holding Etisha.
Still, Etisha shook her head and tried to dissuade him.
“No, it’s not the coachman’s fault that the road is rough. It seems there was a protruding stone in the way. There’s no need to punish him.”
“Miss Etisha is merciful.” Kaiyen murmured softly. “However, those who have committed wrongdoings must be punished accordingly.”
“…”
For some reason, Etisha felt that the “wrongdoings” and “punishment” that Kaiyen referred to were not directed towards the coachman.
His target wasn’t the coachman.
<What you want is to sever ties with the Heinz family? Or is it to take revenge on them and receive an apology?>
Revenge…
And punishment…
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