Chapter 15
The day after my discussion with Shanette, I never expected a decree to be issued so quickly. It seems the butler contacted Ludger through a letter right after we spoke, saying that I was going to step in to help Northern Light. Judging by how quickly Ludger responded to the situation, it’s clear that butler must have informed him.
‘They think I’m easy to deal with.’
They must have thought I would back down so easily. After finishing a light walk, I locked myself in my room to come up with a plan. The best solution, as always, was…
‘Marriage.’
If I become a part of Northern Light, I could help them freely. Even if I bring up the idea of marriage again now, I would most likely be coldly rejected.
While I was brainstorming a few ideas, a guest arrived.
“Lady Eckhart, Baron Timor is here to see you.”
Serus came already? I barely had enough time to focus on Northern Light’s food situation, and now an unwelcome guest was here. Ludger had told me that if a troublesome guest comes, I should have the butler send them away.
There was no need to meet Serus, especially when we hadn’t arranged a meeting in advance.
“I’m still recovering, so I’m too tired to receive guests.”
“Yes, Lady. I’ll send the Baron away.”
The maid who brought the news bowed and left the room.
‘I should check the situation, just in case.’
I gave Shanette a quick look.
“Be careful. Serus might harbor ill intentions toward you.”
Especially since Ludger wasn’t around to take care of the servants, Serus might come on strong.
“Don’t worry, Lady!”
Shanette nodded and followed the maid out. Before long, she returned. I hadn’t expected anything significant, but unexpectedly, Shanette was holding something in her hand.
“The Baron asked me to give this to you personally.”
It was a letter.
“My letter? Who sent it?”
Outwardly, I had been holed up in the Eckhart mansion, so if anyone had something to say to me, they would have sent the letter to Eckhart, not Northern Light.
“It’s not that, Lady. The Baron heard that you refused the meeting, so he quickly wrote this in the drawing room. He seemed quite desperate.”
Looking at the letter, it hadn’t even been properly sealed.
“He looked as if he was being dragged to the slaughterhouse.”
What happened? I was relieved that, unlike last time, Shanette wasn’t harmed, but still… The letter inside was written in such terrible handwriting that it made me frown.
[Lady Eckhart, if you turn me away, I will die. Please, please, please, save me.]
What is this? I didn’t threaten Serus.
It seems that, in some way, he came to beg for his life. I would look into the situation, but for now…
‘Hmm, this might be useful.’
Since Serus wasn’t affiliated with the Northern Light family, disobeying an order wouldn’t be an issue.
***
Once I was ready, with Shanette’s assistance, I headed toward the drawing room. From a distance, I could already see Serus. He was pacing the room, having discarded the seat that had been prepared for him.
Seeing him fidgeting like that, it seemed something was indeed going on.
“He can’t sit still for a minute, can he?”
“Right? Do you think he’s caught some sort of illness?”
In his past life, Serus was overly healthy. While my choices were changing the future, it was unlikely that a perfectly healthy person would suddenly fall ill.
‘Not that I care.’
What mattered to me was not his health, but his life. And I had to make good use of the opportunity that was given to me.
As Serus, who had been wandering around, finally noticed me, he spoke up.
“Lady Eckhart! I’ve been waiting for you.”
With a look of joy, he approached, constantly glancing over my shoulder, as though searching for someone.
“Are you looking for someone?”
“Oh, no. It’s just that… I was worried you might refuse to meet me, and I’m grateful that you’ve welcomed me despite my sudden visit.”
“Since you’ve come, Baron, I can’t just send you away. Even if I’m not feeling well, I have to meet with you.”
“I’m pleased that you’re so welcoming. Actually…”
I raised my hand to interrupt him.
“I’m not in good health, so it’s difficult to stand and talk. I’d prefer to hear what you have to say after we sit down.”
I wanted to check his expression to confirm his desperation.
I was the daughter of an Earl, but I couldn’t inherit the title. On the other hand, he was a nobleman with the title of Baron. Interrupting a noble like Serus without permission would be quite rude.
“I should have offered you a seat first, but I was too hasty to notice. Please, sit down, Lady.”
Without showing any displeasure, he nervously studied my face, almost flustered. Seeing him lower himself to such an extent, it seemed like I was the only one who could save him.
‘Well, I’ll make sure to get my price for his life.’
He might not be worth much, but my help certainly was.
With Shanette’s assistance, I slowly sat down.
Serus hesitated, not saying anything, carefully watching my every move.
‘First, I need to handle my own matters.’
I decided to first ask about the progress of the previous task.
“How did the matter I asked about last time go?”
“Don’t worry about the rumors. I’ve made sure that no one knows you’ve been staying outside. Even most of the servants believe you’ve been in your room the whole time.”
I didn’t fully trust his words, so I kept up with the news by reading the newspapers daily. There was no juicy gossip like other people’s scandals, and it seemed like he was handling things better than I expected.
“That’s a relief. I feel reassured.”
At my neutral response, Serus showed an expression of disappointment.
What he probably wanted to hear was thanks from me. If I thanked him, it would make it easier for him to ask for something in return.
I wasn’t going to offer him what he wanted so easily.
“Since we’re on the topic, I’m curious. How is the Eckhart family doing these days?”
“So far, there have been no problems. However, with the head of the family position vacant, we shouldn’t relax our guard.”
“I also feel responsible. As soon as I’m recovered, I’ll need to find someone to take over Eckhart.”
In other words, don’t bring it up until I’m fully recovered.
“Yes, your recovery is the most important thing. You’re the last Eckhart left.”
Isn’t that strange?
I expected him to bring up the loyal servants who had been with the Eckharts for a long time, but he didn’t.
His attitude was noticeably different from usual.
In the meantime, tea and snacks were brought in. Almond-topped cookies and black tea.
I took the teacup and leisurely inhaled the fragrance.
“The scent is nice. Please, Baron, have some too.”
“I’m not thirsty, so…”
He probably meant that it was time to have a conversation, but I pretended not to notice, savoring the aroma instead.
Serus glanced around impatiently, but he didn’t rush me. He seemed determined not to make me refuse his request.
After leisurely finishing half of my tea, I finally brought up the subject he had been waiting for.
“By the way, what does the letter you sent me mean?”
“Well, the thing is…”
He glanced around once more, sweating profusely as he looked around, resembling a fugitive on the run. Once he confirmed no one else was around, he spoke up.
“…I-I received a letter of challenge, no, a duel challenge.”
“A duel challenge? From whom?”
“I received it from the Duke of Northern Light. I-I might die at the hands of the Duke. Please, save me!”
No wonder his complexion had been so pale, as if he had already received a death sentence.
‘Hmm, so it’s a matter of life and death.’
A noble’s duel was something that required risking one’s life, and Ludger’s duel record was undefeated in ten matches. To Serus, it must have felt like the Grim Reaper was coming for him.
“Calm down and have some tea. I think you need it now.”
“Ugh, th-thank you.”
Serus trembled pitifully as he sipped his tea. While I waited for him to calm down, I started to think.
‘Ludger sent a duel challenge to Serus?’
When? Why?
As far as I knew, Ludger had never sent a duel challenge to anyone before. All of his previous duels had been challenges he’d received, and the reasons were always…
‘Issues with women.’
During my time as the Crown Princess, the ladies I spent time with in social circles shared all kinds of gossip. Among the stories, Ludger’s name would often come up.
It wasn’t a topic to openly discuss because of the Emperor’s anger, but Ludger was the kind of man who could stir up emotions in many women, making it something that was whispered about, even in secret.
“I saw the Duke of Northern Light leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His posture was so firm and composed that I couldn’t help but be captivated.”
Most people were too scared to approach and merely watched from a distance. The men who secretly harbored feelings for those women would send him duel challenges, driven by jealousy.
The result was always death.
But now, Ludger, the one who had always received duel challenges, was the one sending them. At this point, I was curious about the reason.
