71. To the New Residence

Suren fell asleep quickly, as if the carriage were a cradle.

I offered her my shoulder. Despite the rough jolting as the carriage moved over cobblestones, Suren remained asleep, clearly exhausted from the sudden packing.

“Mr. Butler, it’s quite a burden at your age. I’m sorry you have to go to such a cold place because of me.”

He was sitting upright, reading a book. I hadn’t wanted to disturb him, but it seemed he was nearing the end of his book. I spoke cautiously.

Since boarding the carriage, he had appeared serene, but being sent out of the capital in his old age must be hard on him as well.

He smiled gently and closed the book, deep wrinkles forming around his eyes.

“Don’t worry. I often used to go there on holiday. It’s quiet and good for recuperation, a place to clear one’s thoughts.”

Clear one’s thoughts. His words stirred up the buried thoughts I had been avoiding.

I hadn’t heard any overt criticism or gossip, but surely the people in the mansion believed I had tried to harm Isella. The incident at the tea party was enough to spark such misunderstandings.

My first tea party since the engagement, poison on the teacup, and being expelled before anything could be resolved—it all looked suspicious.

Fearing my own thoughts would overwhelm me, I changed the subject.

“What’s the house like?”

“It’s a bit old but very tranquil. The population is small, so it’s quiet. The house is old but has a charming, antique feel.”

He answered honestly.

“It’s a place that still functions without magic. In winter, they only use wood for fuel. Each house emits smoke, and there’s the scent of burning wood in the air. It feels like a place where people live.”

Despite his efforts to make it sound appealing, it was clear that it was an outdated and rustic residence. I smiled bitterly.

I clenched my knees until my knuckles turned white. Complaining wouldn’t change our destination. Ultimately, I was at his mercy, to be used and discarded at his whim.

In the North, I had been fortunate to persuade him, but I had forgotten that my fate was still tied to his decisions.

Even if he placed me on the edge of a cliff, I would have no choice but to leap.

Returning to my place. In the end…

I looked out the window. Once the carriage left the smooth road, it jostled violently on the rough path. The luggage shifted to one side, causing the horses to whinny loudly.

* * *

Luckily, we arrived at the villa before nightfall.

I took the butler’s hand and stepped out of the carriage.

The first sight of the villa…

As expected, it was old and gloomy.

The exterior was shabby, looking like a long-abandoned house. Ivy climbed up the walls, covering the windows. The vines had encroached so tightly around the window frames that opening the windows was impossible.

It was clear that his intention in sending me here was more about abandonment than convalescence. Or perhaps it was a command to remain confined here as a form of penance.

“You mentioned you cleared your thoughts here?”

The butler, who had stepped aside to take in the view, watched my reaction.

“That was about fifteen years ago. It seems to have changed quite a bit since then.”

Given the butler’s age, he must have come here when he was still relatively young.

“It’s old, but with some repairs, it could be livable. The interior woodwork was of high quality… back then.”

His words carried a subtly different tone from what he had said in the carriage. His voice lacked conviction.

“My lady has always lived in fine houses. How will she adapt to this… it’s unfair.”

Suren grumbled, unable to hold back her discontent.

The butler opened the luggage compartment of the carriage and retrieved our modest belongings.

We had enough for a single meal—some biscuits and water—and clean blankets.

To make the place habitable, even just for sleep, we needed to start immediately.

Suren rolled up her sleeves.

“The main luggage will arrive tomorrow. For now, let’s just clean up a space for you, my lady.”

I nodded in agreement.

I opened the door. The metal was so rusted that its original color was unrecognizable.

The old door creaked open with a chilling sound that echoed through the villa, like nails on a chalkboard.

Dust swirled in the air, illuminated by the setting sun streaming through the windows.

We climbed the stairs. The wood was so decayed that each step I took widened existing holes. The misaligned planks creaked ominously. It seemed we would need to start by re-nailing everything.

The higher we went, the more the wood was warped and decayed. Even for someone as light as myself, it felt dangerous. I took only three steps before turning back, fearing the floor might give way beneath me.

Seeing me return, Suren asked,

“Not going to explore further?”

“We should set up a bedroom on the first floor.”

“Why?”

“The stairs felt like they were going to collapse under me.”

“If they can’t support you, then we won’t be able to step on them at all.”

Suren tapped on the steps. The already weak plank tilted dangerously.

“Still, this room should be suitable for you, my lady. It might not match the grandeur of your room in the Imperial Palace, but the view is quite lovely. I used this room for a brief period myself.”

The butler led us to an interior room.

The bottom of the door was gnawed through, resembling a rat’s work, exposing the inner material.

Despite his words, I felt no anticipation. I responded indifferently.

“When was that?”

“About fifteen years ago. Even if the mansion rusts, the scenery does not.”

He opened the door.

The wallpaper was yellowed, the candleholders were dusty, and the candles seemed to have solidified into lumps long ago. The bed frame was blackened with grime. Each item in the room was unremarkable.

Among these insignificant things, one element stood out. A gleaming, shimmering blue without any light. Through the window, a small lake spread out.

“The color is really clear. It has a slight bluish tint.”

I stared at the lake in a daze. The tall trees had obscured the lake from view during our carriage ride. Only from this room could you see the scenery so clearly.

“I thought you might like it. It’s a unique feature of this area.”

He was right. The mansion was old and quiet, but the scenery was beautiful. It was a bit different from what I had imagined.

The mansion was deteriorating from neglect, but the lake shone brightly without any human touch.

In fact, it was even more beautiful because it had been left alone. The wild, overgrown bushes enhanced the atmosphere of the lake.

“Would you like to use this room?”

The butler asked, noticing how I stared at the lake. His tone suggested he already knew my answer.

Mesmerized, I nodded as if enchanted.

“Yes.”

* * *

I wrapped myself tightly in the blanket and sat on the bed.

Although it was late into the night, sleep eluded me. The firewood crackled as it burned in the fireplace. I capped the flue and the fire slowly died out as the air supply was cut off.

Resources were scarce. From now on, I needed to tighten my belt and conserve.

How much was it again?

I recalled the number of zeros I had seen in passing. It was quite shocking and still faintly lingered in my memory.

Once the unpacking was somewhat done, the butler handed me some documents he had received from the Imperial Palace. At the bottom of the papers was the allocated budget. Given that it came from his estate, I knew all too well how much such an amount would be worth in other residences and what kinds of items it could procure.

Compared to what I had while living in the Imperial Palace, the amount was absurdly low. It wouldn’t even cover the cost of the daily desserts.

The allocated budget was far from sufficient. It wasn’t even enough to cover the price of five trees used in the greenhouse at the Imperial Palace. Most of the meager allowance would be consumed by the servants’ wages.

“It’s an official letter,” the butler said.

“Yes.”

If it was official, Isella would also be able to view it. She might have already read it.

I held the pen. The feather quivered slightly.

I needed to sign the letter to confirm its receipt. I hastily scrawled a line below the signature from the Imperial Palace.

Above my signature was an unfamiliar script, possibly penned by her hand.

Noticing my increasingly gloomy expression, the butler cleared his throat.

“Though the budget is limited, we won’t be here for long. If necessary, you can use our wages. We can collect the back pay from the Imperial Palace later. I’m sure they will understand. The maids here would agree.”

“Can I really do that?”

I handed the papers back to him.

When I extinguished the fire, the room quickly filled with cold air. The proximity to the lake made it worse.

Closing my eyes, I could still vividly picture the paintings on the ceiling and the bed frame from the Imperial Palace. But opening them revealed an unfamiliar ceiling. I didn’t want to open my eyes.

I pulled the blanket up to my shoulders, feeling the cool fabric against my skin.

For some reason, it felt colder here than in the North.

The moonlit lake illuminated the dark room. At least I could save on candle expenses since I could read by the moonlight.

The croaking of frogs by the lake sounded like a lullaby.

* * *

The next morning, I walked around the estate with Suren.

The estate was small, and surrounded by mountains, making it hard to see the village.

“There’s not much to see,” Suren remarked.

“Indeed.”

I was about to turn back towards the mansion when I felt a tug on my dress.

“Excuse me.”

I turned around. A child was holding onto my skirt with small hands.

The child looked unkempt, with soot on their cheeks as if they hadn’t washed in a long time.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

The child flinched slightly at my question. Fidgeting with their hands, the child finally spoke.