Clatter, clatter— The ride in the poor-quality carriage was still terrible, but there was no helping it. The red jewel hanging from Milena’s ear swayed in time with the carriage’s movements. Watching her silently, Lexion frowned.
“Aunt-in-law.”
“…….”
Tap, tap— The child tapped Lexion’s thigh with the arm of a stuffed rabbit. He had reflected on his previous behavior of ramming into the injured man and acting violently, so he now addressed Lexion in a gentlemanly manner.
“Aunt-in-law!”
Only at the child’s small exclamation did Lexion finally shift his gaze from Milena and look down at Ashid, who was sitting beside him.
“Hmm?”
He seemed normal today, but had he started acting strangely again? Ashid stared at Lexion’s face and then asked,
“Why are you so restless?”
“Me?”
“You keep sneaking glances at my aunt. Are you really in he—mph!”
“Oh dear, should I tear Gerard’s mouth apart?”
Lexion’s face darkened as he whispered with a chilling smile.
“That’s not a word for a child to use, is it?”
“Mmph!”
“Didn’t you get scolded by your aunt for calling me a pervert? And it wasn’t that long ago that I reluctantly accepted your forced apology.”
He felt the child’s small lips pout within his large palm. At the command to nod if he understood, the child hesitated before reluctantly nodding.
“That’s right, dear nephew. Let’s use nice, pretty words, okay?”
Ashid, who had been glaring with wide eyes, surrendered and nodded again. When Lexion finally let go, the child innocently asked,
“Then why are you like this? Did you do something wrong to my aunt?”
“I don’t think it’s exactly a crime.”
“Then?”
“Your aunt hasn’t said a single word since getting in the carriage.”
In such a small space where she could clearly hear their conversation, she hadn’t even spared them a glance. How could he not be conscious of her mood?
Milena possessed a special magical energy that stabilized his powers, and he was inevitably drawn to it. In front of her, Lexion could only be weak.
What was certain was that Milena’s mood was low. She was a woman whose smiles were rare. Even with the same expressionless face, Lexion could sense her emotions.
The carriage traveled far, finally reaching the territory of Lastia. Milena gazed at the familiar passing scenery, lost in thought.
‘Am I ready to face the past?’
Although her memories had returned, the emotions from that time had not fully come back.
Would she be able to remain sane in the place from her memories?
She was anxious. What if something triggered her and she reverted to the villainess? She closed her eyes, pushing away such useless worries.
She had to step into her sister’s shadow.
“We have arrived.”
The carriage stopped, and at Gerard’s voice, Ashid and Lexion stepped out first—only to be met with the threat of spears.
“Who are you? The Count’s estate is currently closed to outsiders.”
It was an expected reaction to a shabby carriage arriving without prior notice, but the noble-looking child was clearly displeased.
“What, so you’re saying you won’t open the gate?”
“Please state your identity. We received no prior notice today.”
“My face is my identity. Is that enough?”
At the child’s icy response, the guards hesitated. They did not recognize Ashid. It was understandable—he was the infamous ‘Ghost Grand Duke,’ a figure who had never been seen outside the castle. But Ashid was confident.
After all, he knew the Count had hung a massive portrait of him in the estate—a piece his mother, Lariette, had proudly sent when he was just a baby.
“You really don’t recognize me? The Count must have a cherished portrait of me somewhere.”
“The, the Grand Duke… gasp.”
“I understand your concerns, but now that you realize the situation, why don’t you open the gate? Do I, the Grand Duke, really have to stand here suffering such poor hospitality?”
“We, we’ll confirm and open it immediately!”
The guards were utterly flustered by the child’s unexpectedly mature speech. One of them hurriedly ran inside.
Lexion silently observed the arrogant young master. His presence was so faint it was as if he were merely a servant. But Lexion paid no mind to the guards blocking their way.
His entire attention was on Milena, who still hadn’t emerged from the carriage.
Despite the commotion at the estate’s gates, she remained inside for a long while. Only after several deep breaths did she finally step out.
During their rest stop at a village, she had changed into mourning attire—all black. The black dress made her appear elegant yet solemn, as if she were attending a funeral.
“Aunt, they were ignoring us, so I revealed my identity.”
She had been too preoccupied to listen properly, but the clever child had surely handled things well.
“Really? Good job.”
Just how well he had handled it became evident as they saw the Count himself rushing towards them in a panic.
“Open the gate! Hurry! What are you doing?! My grandson has arrived!”
The previously hesitant guards flinched and hastily opened the gate.
The Count, panting heavily, arrived at the entrance and bowed deeply.
“Huff… My grandson… Huff… You came all this way to see this old man…”
“I guess you don’t see me, Father.”
The Count, who had only been focused on Ashid, scowled deeply. As Ashid subtly hid behind Milena, the Count finally noticed her. His sharp, irritated expression was framed by the same deep golden hair as Lariette’s.
“You…!”
“It’s been five years, hasn’t it? You seem to be doing well. You even look younger. If someone saw you, they might mistake you for my older brother rather than my father.”
It wasn’t mere flattery. Whatever mysterious elixir he had taken, the Count’s face was remarkably smooth and boasted the beauty of his prime.
“You—How dare you come here! You ran away to steal your sister’s place!”
“Why? Am I not allowed in my own home? Where is Lariette—”
Smack!
A fierce slap cut off her words, turning her face sharply to the side.
The Count’s hand trembled, as if just seeing her made his blood pressure rise. His violent nature had not faded. He seemed to realize, too late, that he had raised his hand in front of his grandson.
Her tender skin stung, and she let out a small, bitter laugh.
“Milena!”
“Aunt!”
The two men reacted a beat too late. She raised a hand to signal that she was fine—or rather, to tell them not to interfere.
Seeing her firm stance, the two hesitated and held back.
“How dare you speak my sister’s name so carelessly—!”
Thud!
The Count’s eyes blazed with fury as he tried to slap her again, but this time, she caught his wrist. Her nails dug into his skin as if she would claw into it.
“You still haven’t fixed your habit of using your hands so easily, have you, Father?”
“W-What?!”
The Count, stunned by Milena’s resistance, looked visibly shaken.
‘I’m no longer the same as I was back then. No longer the villainess they accused me of being.’
In her deep green eyes, an unquenchable fire burned.
At that moment, in the Grand Duke’s Castle.
The unorganized Grand Duke’s castle was in chaos. Most of the knights had gone out in groups, leaving only low-ranking soldiers behind. Those remaining were waiting to be deployed across various villages.
A heavy silence filled the vacant knights’ quarters.
A man lying motionless on a bed suddenly twitched.
The magic within his rigid body began to flow again, ever so slowly.
With tousled hair and long eyelashes, Hubert blinked his dry eyes, surveying his surroundings.
“You’ve awakened.”
He had assumed he was alone, but another presence was in the room.
A suspicious figure in a black robe—the same swindler the Grand Duke had been hunting.
Or, to be more precise, the living puppet whom Lexion had recognized.
The puppet bowed to Hubert.
“The Grand Duke?”
“He is desperate to find Lariette.”
“And Milena Lastia?”
“She has regained her memories, shattered the coffin, and left the Grand Duke’s castle as you intended. She has now arrived at the Lastia estate.”
“I see.”
Beneath his messy gray hair, the man’s lips curled into a smirk.
