The Crazy Prologue Never Ends

32. Inescapable Fate

“I’m sorry. No matter how much money you have, there’s nothing you can obtain for me.”

His eyes wavered at my blunt words.

“I understand what you want, but at least within the castle, consider it as something I freely grant. There’s nothing you can’t have or can’t go to here.”

I let out a bitter laugh at Deon’s words.

“You used to shut me off in my room though…”

“That’s…”

He seemed to hesitate, his brows furrowing.

“Don’t think of it as being confined because you can’t go outside the estate. Normally, even other nobles order items from servants in this weather. It’s not a hassle to go out personally.”

“Does that mean I can order anything I want?”

“If it can be done within the mansion.”

“But I want to go outside.”

“As far as the courtyard, it should be fine. Take guards with you.”

“I want to visit the dessert shop in the capital. Can’t I go out by myself and buy something? I promise not to step out of the carriage.”

“Leonie.”

He responded firmly, calling my name, but it was a refusal in all but name.

“Yes, it wouldn’t be possible. Where would the Blood bag go? I dare not.”

With those words, silence settled in.

He movedthe strands of hair clinging to his forehead.

The hair that had seemed so unfamiliar when I first saw it. Now, the familiar streaks danced lightly before my eyes.

After gazing at the sky for a while, I sighed.

“When will the Count’s family arrive?”

“…It will take more than five months.”

Wow. Giving birth here without any options.

Five months. That was the remaining time left in my life.

I still had a faint hope, despite everything.

I vaguely knew, but the words coming from his mouth were despairing.

An inescapable fate lay ahead of me.

* * *

My thoughts jumbled. I sat at the edge of my bed, pondering.

Let’s organize this.

I calmed my mind down.

Of minority ethnicity, and the red hair of the previous generations.

According to Elizabeth, it seems blood is inherited through lineage.

Leonie, Leonie’s mother, Elizabeth’s child, and the protagonist’s mother were all from the same lineage.

The minority ethnicity’s bloodline was the Duke’s ancestral bloodline.

I can understand why the Duke went to great lengths to preserve the bloodline. There weren’t many of their kind left in the system.

If, the protagonist hadn’t broken free from the shackles of this bloodline.

I wonder if the children to be born in the future will be descendants of the dwindling lineage.

From Leonie’s distant ancestors to relatives, estranged family members—because their numbers were dwindling, the Duke would never let them slip away.

As I contemplated this, a cruel thought briefly crossed my mind.

The most effective way to manage the breeding of protectorates is reproduction, maintain their population.

“So… if I give birth to a child, that child could be the Duke’s new blood.”

This wasn’t some kind of fairy tale. Do I have to keep giving birth to children one after the other to continue the Duke’s bloodline. Will I ever be able to leave?

I could choose a suitable man and get married quickly to have a child and survive. It was a futile game of probabilities, but it was the safest bet, at least.

It was also the cruelest and most unethical method.

Passing on suffering to a child to end my own suffering.

It sent shivers down my spine, feeling like a part of this endlessly cruel novel.

It was a thought that fit quite well with this brutal story.

If I were lucky enough for the first child to be of the Duke’s blood, then I could… dedicate that child and go on living.

But could I really do that?

Could I sacrifice a child who would relive a life like mine, just for my survival?

I hadn’t even gotten married or had a child yet, but I felt suffocated.

However, the previous bloodlines that had stayed here until now must have noticed the presence of the next successor.

Why didn’t they run away? Did they miss the chance to escape due to the strong winds? Or did they give up and accept their fate?

Or perhaps, did they fall victim to Deon, who had sensed their escape plan in advance? The more I thought about it, the more suspicions grew.

* * *

“La…dy, Lady Leonie?”

I raised my head abruptly. Elizabeth was calling me.

“Lady Leonie? What are you thinking? Your complexion looks pale.”

“Ah.”

I set down the teacup. The saucer clinked slightly.

“I must have had a nightmare.”

She looked at me, concerned about my answer.

“Must have been a really bad dream… You look distraught.”

Clear green eyes looked at me.

Elizabeth, it was a dream where your child was born safely. And that child devoured me.

Seeing me sitting weakly, she took something out from her lap.

“I brought something for Your Grace… It’s a bit embarrassing, but I’ll give it to you now.”

“What is it?”

“I heard that you haven’t been able to eat well lately, so I was worried. I heard from the maids. They said you’ve wanted to try the famous pastries from the capital for a long time. It’s not as good as the pastry shop, but this…”

She extended a paper bag to me. The bottom of it was slightly soaked with oil.

“I tried to recreate it. The shape isn’t exactly the same, but it should taste similar.”

I opened the bag. Inside were cookies that seemed to be molded together like small clumps.

As I gazed at the cookies, she coughed awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed.

“They don’t have a proper mold, so the shape isn’t great, but… it should be good for soothing nostalgia. Let’s go up to the capital together later and have them. If Your Grace invites the Viscount’s family, I’ll have the pastry shop’s cookies piled up and waiting for you. We can watch the festival together and be like sisters. Next year, and the year after that…”

A sweet sugary scent wafted from her sleeve. There was sugar on her nails. It was clear that she had tried her best, albeit unskilled, for my sake. My heart ached. I couldn’t hate her no matter how hard I tried.

Elizabeth was taken aback as tears welled up in my eyes. She offered me a tissue from beside her.

“Don’t cry. I’ll make more for you.”

“You don’t have to sneak in the kitchen just to make cookies for me.”

“For Lady Leonie, I’ll do anything.”

Could I really do anything?

As I gazed at her, I felt like my eyes would unintentionally drift toward my rounded belly, so I averted my gaze.

“Elizabeth, excuse me, but… do you happen to remember what your surname was before marriage?”

“My family name?”

“Yes.”

It was an abrupt question, but Elizabeth calmly answered.

“I haven’t thought about that name in a long time. It was Snow, Elizabeth Snow.”

It was a clear confirmation. I didn’t recognize her as the child’s mother because her surname had changed due to marriage. So, Elizabeth’s sister must be Isella Snow.

Fate couldn’t be changed. After all, the Snow family originally had only two females.

I tightly closed my eyes.

Without me realizing it, she added, “If it’s a girl, I plan to name her Karana, and if it’s a boy, Milanner.”

Milanner Arinna.

That child already had a name.

It was only natural.

Even for me, who appeared in the novel as the Viscount’s wife or Cyan’s lover, I had a distinct name.

“Lady Leonie, your face is so pale. It was like this last time at the restaurant too. Are you unwell?”

“No, it’s just… I think the stress from before is catching up with me now. I’ll be fine if I rest.”

I forced a smile to reassure her.

Then, I got up from my seat. The chair squeaked as it was pushed back.

“Shall I call the physician?”

She grabbed me with delicate hands.

“It’s okay. I’m fine…”

I pushed Elizabeth away, who was trying to support me. I waved my hand weakly and staggered away. Even with that small movement, my head spun.

“Lady Leonie!”

With her short cry, I suddenly fell to the side.

I’m not sure if I stumbled or if I was originally going to fall, but I couldn’t get up. There was no strength in my body.

In my tilted field of vision, I saw the hem of a woman’s dress desperately running across the snowy field.

* * *

Perhaps because I had been lying in the snow for a long time.

I lay there without moving.

Leonie was truly fragile, as it turns out.

I heard the sound of logs burning in the fireplace, but my body kept trembling. My head throbbed, and a thin cough escaped me.

“It hurts.”

I whimpered like a child with my eyes shut.

Then, someone next to me wrung out a towel and replaced it with a fresh one. I felt the cold sensation on my forehead.

“I told you not to lie in the snow and to get up.”

I opened my eyes at the familiar voice.

It was Deon.

“…Why?”

I parted my cracked lips with great effort and spoke to him.

“What if I die here?”

Without realizing it, I blurted out the sharp words.

I knew he was worried, but every gaze he cast upon me felt like surveillance.

Was it because I was in pain and my nerves had become sensitive that I thought this way, fearing the precious medicine would run out?

“You may appear quite robust, but people don’t die from flu. If you just eat vegetables like last time, you’ll definitely die.”

His hand wiped my face.

“Don’t talk too much. The doctor said your throat is quite swollen.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll lie in bed for just a few days to make sure it doesn’t affect your lordship’s work. You’ll be able to eat in a few days.”

“Leonie.”

He gnawed at his lips.

He pulled the blanket down to my chin. His touch was gentle, though he seemed to be suppressing anger.

“My lord, have you not noticed anything strange despite changing the bandages five times?”

“I told you not to talk too much.”

He cut off my words firmly, but I couldn’t back down. Time was running out.

“I must tell you this. It’s important.”

I coughed and cleared my throat with effort.

“In my opinion, it seems that the ancestral fiddlers are born from the blood of minority ethnicities. Actually, it’s not just a mere guess, but a certainty. Red hair, minority ethnicity, generations filtered through blood. Those are common traits of Your Excellency’s exclusive fiddlers. Were you aware of this?”

It was subtle whether he knew or not. There was no change in his expression.

“So what? It doesn’t concern you.”

“Why not?”

The words I had unintentionally held back suddenly burst out.

“Just consider it. Take this opportunity.”

His previously expressionless brow now furrowed sharply.

“What are you suggesting?”