As soon as she stepped outside the door, hallucinations and auditory illusions surged up. In the hellish landscape, her husband slithered like a snake and suddenly raised his hand. Rotten curses seeped into her ears and clawed at her mind.
“I’m sorry.”
The great mad lowered her head.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
“I’m sorry for being such a burden…!”
As her mother wept and apologized, Seraphie reached out silently and embraced her.
“While you’re away, I’ll completely change this mansion.”
What fault did she have to warrant such a heart-wrenching apology? Seraphie gently patted the back of the woman who had come to feel like a mother to her. The tears soaking into her shoulder felt heavy and sad.
“Mother.”
Her daughter, seeing her mother unable to even raise her head out of shame, spoke sincerely.
“You saved me.”
The only reason she had been able to survive in this wretched place was because of the great madam’s sacrifice.
“So now, please rest.”
The time when she had to endure without showing any pain was over. Now was the time for her to focus solely on herself and find happiness.
“When you recover and return, this mansion will be completely renewed.”
“My dear, Sera. How can you do it all alone…”
“I won’t be doing it alone.”
Seraphie smiled slightly, her expression a bit mischievous.
“Mother will be part of it too.”
That was how the charity project began, the first project being the rehabilitation center.
“I’ve found a suitable piece of land,” Seraphie said, pointing to a map spread across the table. It was a plot of land she owned—part of The Land Abandoned by God. The location was quite far from the capital. Of course, they weren’t going to build directly on The Land Abandoned by God.
“There are many abandoned villas here.”
The Land Abandoned by God had long been neglected by people, and as a result, the surrounding areas were often abandoned or forgotten as well. The land she purchased this time was a prime example.
“Carl, did you know? Not only the Mars family’s villa is here, but so are Iris and Felicia,” Lunie explained, leaving Carl astonished.
That must be expensive…
Even if it was a forgotten lad, a resort area with a concentration of noble villas would still be costly. Moreover, the villas built there would be comparable to mansions, which would raise the price even more. No matter how powerful Vallidus was, they had only just begun mining the god’s treasures.
Would she really have that kind of financial leeway…? Just as Carl was worrying about that, he realized how foolish he was being. Vallidus isn’t the same as before. Whether Seraphie herself realized it or not was uncertain.
“It’ll take a lot of work to restore the buildings and replace the furniture. When do you think we’ll finish all of it?” Seraphie said, sounding a little overwhelmed.
“Sera, that’s my job, remember?”
“Wow, you’re such an amazing business partner…!”
“Not a partner, more like a subordinate. I only want to focus on the business and finances. So when anything else happens, Sera, you handle it all.”
“What a selfish friendship…”
From the conversation, it didn’t seem like she was aware yet. But it was only a matter of time.
Seraphie was no longer a person who was going to become ‘famous’ in the empire; she was already famous. Unfortunately, it is not always in a positive light. The fact that every noble in the empire was watching her meant they were both looking for a chance to ally with her and keep her in check as a potential enemy. Moreover, the way the emperor and the crown prince were keeping a close eye on her recently was concerning in another way.
“Establishing ties with Countess Vallidus was a good move.”
At the thought, Carl’s expression quickly darkened.
“…Carl?” Lunie gently took his hand, noticing his change in mood.
“It’s nothing.”
“…”
“Are you comfortable staying here?”
“For the first time, I feel like I’m truly living.”
Lunie spoke, patting Carl’s hand in a calming rhythm. It calmed his nerves significantly.
“I didn’t realize how nice it could feel to just breathe, even when you and Peni aren’t around.”
“You’ve found a wonderful friend.”
“And so have you,” Lunie replied, gently stroking Carl’s face. “You’ll feel at peace too.”
“Ah, seriously.”
At the sudden annoyance, Lunie and Carl quickly turned to where the sound came from.
“Can’t you two go outside to do that?” Seraphie, who had finally run out of patience, was glaring at them with sharp eyes. Her finger-pointing outside clearly indicated that they were being kicked out.
“Seraphie,” Carl said, reluctantly letting go of Lunie. “If I ran away from home too, would you take me in?”
“What about your own house? Wouldn’t Felicia be better?” Seraphie retorted.
“I don’t want to be separated from my peach.”
“Aww, my love!” Lunie cooed.
“I wish you’d both just get out of my sight,” Seraphie groaned, turning away, though briefly, a thought crossed her mind. Hmm, if that happens… should I expand my estate a bit?
But the idea was fleeting, and Seraphie soon sat back down, refocusing on work and promptly forgetting the thought.
* * *
“Kis.”
Upon hearing his name, Orkis looked up to see Duchess Felicia leaning against the doorframe in a crooked posture.
Without hesitation, she declared, “I’m really going to get a divorce this time.”
“By all means, go ahead.” Orkis readily supported his mother’s decision.
“I’m serious this time!” Annoyed by her son’s nonchalant response, the duchess stomped into the room. “You’re just as irritating as if you weren’t my son but rather the son of that man,” she muttered, glaring at Orkis as she sat down.
“If anyone should feel wronged, it’s me.” Orkis chuckled as he sat opposite her as if to say, ‘Look at me. I was working diligently and got scolded for no reason.’
“Would you like some tea?”
“Took you long enough to ask.” The duchess declined, turning her head away in a huff.
Only then did Orkis notice that his mother’s attire was different than usual. She was wearing a rare dress.
“Your father is really the worst kind of man,” she began, punching a small cushion beside her as she launched into a tirade about her husband.
“Mother, that’s something the entire world already knows.”
“He’s been especially insufferable lately.”
“That’s hardly news,” Orkis sighed. “Why bother bringing it up again?”
“Kis, you’re really a spitting image of your father.”
Orkis wondered why he had to endure such insults. Still, he knew better than to challenge his mother when she was in a foul mood. After all, she held more power in the household than his father, the duke.
“…Did father do something wrong?” Orkis cautiously asked. Judging by her mood, it seemed like something had happened between his parents before she came to see him.
“I’m going to cut my hair,” the duchess declared.
I must’ve heard this a hundred times. Orkis nodded his head slightly, keeping his thoughts to himself.
“It’s not because of your father—I just find my long hair annoying, so I want to cut it.”
“Of course,” Orkis agreed.
In short, this was the situation.
“The conversation about Countess Vallidus came up.”
Surprisingly, Seraphie was a frequent topic of conversation in the Felicia household. This wasn’t just because their children were friends but also because Seraphie was involved in business ventures that greatly benefited the family. The conversations typically revolved around ‘It seems like our son is getting along well with her,’ or ‘Peni keeps mentioning Countess Vallidus lately,’ or ‘Our business is thriving.’ The Duchess, in particular, was quite fond of Seraphie’s short hair.
“Whenever I train with the knights, my hair keeps flopping around and getting in the way. I just want to cut it for convenience.” She fiddled with her hair, which she usually kept tied up.
The idea of cutting her hair had crossed her mind before, but societal customs—expectations that even a duchess couldn’t ignore—kept her from doing it. The unwritten rules were harder to break than iron chains. Seeing Seraphie at the forced succession trial, boldly cutting her hair and even tearing her clothes, had left a deep impression on the duchess. It was more shocking than an ambush from behind.
Since that day, the duchess had repeatedly proclaimed she would cut her hair, and the duke had been busy trying to stop her.
“I didn’t realize your father was so narrow-minded,” she sighed.
“It’s not narrow-mindedness,” Orkis defended his father for once. “Father just prefers long hair.”
“I suppose.” The duchess sighed deeply, resting her chin in her hand. “You’ve seen his portrait in his youth, haven’t you?”
“You meant his dark history?” Orkis smirked.
The portrait showed the young Duke of Felicia with hair that cascaded down to his chest, only half slicked back — a ridiculous, pretentious look. That portrait had brought a lot of peace to the household.
“If it weren’t for that portrait…” The duchess’s expression became complicated as she continued. “I would have beaten him senseless a few times over.”
Orkis thought to himself that there probably wasn’t a more cheerful married couple than these two. At the same time, he felt quite proud of himself for having grown up relatively well under such parents.
“In any case, he did whatever he wanted with his hair, didn’t he?”
In this empire, while it was customary for women to have long hair, men were expected to keep theirs short. Hair that extended below the neck was considered improper.
“…”
After a brief silence, Orkis tilted his head. “… That’s odd.”
“Your father?”
“Not Father.” Orkis shook his head and continued, his brow furrowed. “I mean, why can’t we do what we want with our hair?”
“Because it’s a custom, of course.”
“Since when?”
“Well…” The duchess absentmindedly furrowed her brow, her eyes narrowing as she thought.
Since when, indeed? The question that arose out of nowhere left both mother and son in silence.
“Mother.”
Orkis broke the awkward silence first.
“Why don’t you just cut it first?”
“If I do that, your father will sulk for a week…” she trailed off, her voice growing quieter. “…Wait a minute. Why did I even think I needed that man’s permission? I don’t usually act like this.”
Determined, the duchess got up and walked over to a desk. She rummaged through a drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors, and smiled wickedly.
“You could’ve at least gone to your room…” Orkis began, but his plea fell on deaf ears.
Without hesitation, the duchess loosened her hair, measured the length with her hand, and snipped away. Snip, snip. Thud. With each swift cut, her silver hair fell to the floor.
Orkis watched in silence, finally closing his mouth after it had hung open in surprise. Now, he could see where his younger sister had inherited her boldness.
“Are you getting along with Countess Validus?” the duchess asked, twirling the scissors. Bits of hair fell from the blades.
“Yes.”
I guess I’ll have to clean up her hair before I get back to work. Just as Orkis stood up and was about to call for a servant, his mother’s next words stopped him in his tracks.
“They say you’re dating her.”
“…”
“Is it because of the crown prince?”
She was asking something she usually wouldn’t.
Hi, if you enjoy the story, please leave a review in the Novelupdates. Thank you~
