“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
The butler asked, and Seraphie answered.
“Oh, the soup is delicious.”
Seraphie, relaxed and alone, admired the taste of the soup. The butler had brought a mushroom soup, which had been simmered to perfection, sliding down her throat effortlessly. However, Seraphie didn’t continue eating.
The soup was certainly delicious, and the salad served alongside it was fine too. But each moment was too urgent and important to be spent merely enjoying a meal.
“I’m going to abandon my father—the count.” Seraphie got to the point. “I’m going to kick that b*stard out of this family and take the title for myself.”
“Are you planning to rebuild the family?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.”
Her candid answer followed. Yet, the butler wasn’t disappointed.
“But it will be better than things are now.”
There was a certain confidence in Seraphie’s blue eyes, a resolve that hadn’t been there just a week ago when she had seemed like a living corpse.
“I’m not asking you to trust me.”
Seraphie picked up her spoon again.
“But still.”
She stirred the soup and took a large spoonful, swallowing it with a sense of determination. The creamy taste was smooth and comforting.
“Wouldn’t I be a better option?”
“…”
“Never mind.” Seraphie continued eating, not particularly expecting an answer.
The butler remained silent until the soup on the plate was completely gone. It wasn’t that he was hesitating to answer; rather, the situation felt surreal, like a dream. Was it really okay to believe the words of the young lady before him? Was the person in front of him truly the one he knew? He was in shock and uncertainty. And then,
“Milady.”
The butler’s hands, covered in white gloves, trembled slightly. Seraphie, finishing the last of the soup, noticed but pretended not to.
“What should I do?”
“Endure.” Seraphie stood up. “And stop looking so defeated.”
“Milady…!”
“I’ll lead the way; you just need to stand up again.” Her thin hand gripped the butler’s shoulder firmly. “Help me.”
The butler lowered his head, tears dripping onto the floor. He bit his lip, trying not to sob. His heart swelled with emotion.
“Just one month.” Seraphie had set a one-month preparation period to achieve her plan. “Hold on until then and survive.”
Within that month, she would turn every situation to her advantage as much as possible. Of course, as she had said earlier, she wasn’t entirely confident. But something about remembering her previous world gave her a vague certainty that things would be better than they were now if she tried.
“What…” The butler blinked his wrinkled eyes slowly. “Should I do it?” He repeated the question he had asked earlier, but this time, it held a different meaning. His eyes, slowly opening and closing, resembled Seraphie’s—filled with the determination to survive.
“Help me.”
Seraphie lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Help me, as the future countess.”
If she was going to be a scoundrel, Seraphie decided she might as well do it with grandeur.
* * *
A historian once said that the Ortus Empire’s love for flowers and plants was a way to hide the traces of its savage conquests and pillaging. The jewelry cherished by the queen of some foreign land, the art collected by a fallen noble, and even the castle of a now-forgotten kingdom were said to be stained with the blood and resentment of the conquered nations. But this saying was often repeated, not as a joke, but almost as a source of pride for the empire, not just by the nobility, but by the emperors themselves.
The empire, which had expanded its territory through countless conquests, took pride in its true beauty, claiming that its sense of aesthetics was slightly more aggressive. The beauty the empire sought was one of strength.
The Ortus Empire, with its powerful imperial authority, was guarded by the Felicia and Iris families. The orchids and irises that bloomed under the radiant golden sun became symbols of the imperial family, with the orchid representing the Felicia family and the iris representing the Iris family.
On a sunny afternoon, the heirs of those three beloved families of the empire gathered in the garden of the Felicia Duchy.
“It’s been a while since we all got together.”
Ester, the 3rd Prince of the Ortus Empire, fiddled with the ends of his hair. His golden locks shimmered like sunlight breaking on the waves.
“Why does he look so down?”
“Seems like he got rejected by Lady Lunie,” Orkis responded with a bored expression. His purple eyes filled with a sense of ennui that made them seem as if they were carved from amethyst.
“Finally?”
“I didn’t get rejected…” Carl glared resentfully at the two who weren’t taking him seriously and then finally banged his head against the table. “Can’t you guys just listen?”
Eks said to Orkis. “He’s still your friend. And your cousin.”
“He’s also Your Highness’s friend,” Orkis replied as he pried Cal’s hand off his own.
Eks chuckled, pretending to be carefree. “I’m the third prince who dreams of a leisurely life.” He joked, saying that he couldn’t act recklessly due to his position, as it might provoke his older brother.
“…”
Orkis forcibly suppressed his rising irritation. From the beginning, it was his mistake to have played with these kinds of people since childhood.
Birds of a feather flock together, indeed.
He recalled the scathing words of his sister, who had once looked at the three of them with disdain. As annoying as it was, Orkis had to admit that she had been right.
“But what’s really bothering you?” Eks, who had been watching the scene unfold, asked Carl.
“He’s been acting strange for a while now.”
“He’s always been strange.”
“No, that’s not it…” Carl sighed heavily and hesitated.
Ester immediately regretted showing interest. Watching a man’s lips quiver was a dreadful sight. Just as Orkis was about to lose his patience and stand up, Carl spoke.
“I met Lady Vallidus.”
A name they hadn’t expected came up.
“Vallidus?”
Orkis’s purple eyes narrowed. Ester’s expression mirrored his.
“You mean that scoundrel?”
“He’s too old to be called a scoundrel.” Orkis corrected.
Count Vallidus was already a middle-aged man with a daughter their age. Of course, that wasn’t the important part. There wasn’t a noble in the empire who didn’t know about Count Vallidus. A man who had lost his mind to alcohol squandered his wealth on gambling and debauchery and collected every disgrace imaginable.
“Why did you meet his daughter?” Orkis asked. It was hard to see how they could have any connection.
“I met her by chance at the library.” Carl recounted the events of a month ago.
As the story unfolded, Orkis and Ester’s eyes widened.
“A forced succession trial?”
Eks, unable to contain himself any longer, interrupted. It didn’t matter since he had heard enough, but his shocked exclamation was rough.
He didn’t care since he had heard enough, but his shocked exclamation was rough.
“…Is that even possible?” Orkis asked Eks, clearly skeptical.
“It’s a toss-up.” Eks’s response was casual, though he seemed excited about the prospect of something interesting happening. “With Count Vallidus’s notorious reputation, there’s a chance she could take the title…”
The decision in a forced succession trial rested with the emperor. Titles were an honor bestowed solely by the emperor. Therefore, the emperor would personally judge both the plaintiff, who sought to forcibly inherit the title, and the defendant, who wished to keep it. In this regard, Lady Vallidus was at a disadvantage.
“The problem is proving she’s fit to inherit the title.”
Usually, when noble children reach a certain age, they help their parents or handle small tasks on behalf of the family as part of their succession training. When multiple candidates vied for the position, competition ensued.
But Lady Vallidus had likely never engaged in such activities. Moreover, according to the rumors Eks had heard, Lady Vallidus had recently become addicted to gambling and lotteries. And she was even buying up barren lands with non-existent wealth. Rather than proving her worthiness to inherit the title, she seemed to be in need of a mental evaluation. And even if these issues were set aside,
“There’s no guarantee the trial will even be held.”
Just as the emperor had the final say, they also had the authority to approve or deny the trial.
“Carl, you’ve stepped into a mess.” Eks lightly scolded Carl, though he didn’t mean it. He simply sympathized with his friend for getting involved in such a complicated and headache-inducing situation.
Will Her Majesty even show interest? Eks thought of his strict mother and shook his head.
The chances were slim. “…I don’t think it’s a mess,” Carl muttered.
“But I feel guilty.” With a miserable tone, Carl repeatedly ran his hands over his face. “The truth is, we all knew….”
Everyone in the Ortus Empire knew what was happening in the Vallidus family. But they all turned a blind eye as if they had agreed to ignore it. Carl was no different. Until he met the subject of those rumors, he had only felt a superficial sense of pity.
“I’ve never seen such thin arms and a frail body.”
It was only natural that Carl approached Seraphie. She was on the brink of death. Leaning against the wall and gasping for air, she looked worse than a corpse.
“And yet, those eyes…”
However, what made Carl feel so guilty wasn’t Seraphie’s frail body or her dire situation. It was the fierce, blazing blue eyes that burned with the will to survive.
“…I’m a knight.”
As a knight, why hadn’t he helped before?
“…What time did you agree to meet?” Orkis asked.
“8 PM,” Carl replied.
“You’re going, right?”
“There’s no need to go.” Tsk, tsk. Eks clicked his tongue.
From the conversation, it seemed Carl had promised to return the necklace to Lady Vallidus at the Vallidus mansion that evening. In truth, there was no pressing reason for Carl to go. The promise had been made under duress. But Carl, who was too earnest and kind-hearted for his own good, would go, driven by guilt.
After a brief pause, Orkis spoke slowly. “…I’ll go too.”
“Really?”
“You?”
Carl’s face lit up while Ester looked puzzled.
“Is the sky going to fall?”
Eks was genuinely surprised. The Orkis he knew were as indifferent to others as he was. The only things Orkis showed affection for were the puppies born recently at the duchy.
“Kis, it’s not like you to be struck by guilt.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“So, why the sudden interest?”
“Let’s just say I’m feeling pricked.”
“Because of curiosity?” Eks asked once more, implying that Orkis wasn’t usually the type to feel guilty.
After a moment of thought, Orkis shrugged. “…Carl has a fiancée.”
For someone as indifferent to others as Orkis, Carl was one of the few friends he truly trusted and relied on. The same went for Eks, though he hated to admit it.
“If Carl goes alone to visit Lady Vallidus, it could lead to misunderstandings. So, if I accompany him, it won’t cause a stir.”
“If the two of you go together, that might cause more trouble.”
Eks scoffed. “Lady Vallidus is truly blessed.”
She’s got the two best knights in the empire coming to help her.
Thank you, can’t wait for the next chapter’s ☺️