Chapter 9
“I apologize for making you leave so early.”
At dawn, just as the sun began to rise, Sandes informed Erina that he had urgent business and needed to return to the marquisate.
Erina had to quickly prepare for departure.
“It’s no problem.”
As soon as they were ready, the carriage carrying Sandes, Erina, and Revil set off.
Feeling the small warmth beside her, Erina glanced down at the child.
Since their conversation the night before, Revil had refused to leave her side.
She gently stroked his soft, light brown hair.
Leaving House Eols was already difficult.
Taking the designated heir with her made it even more so.
But every time she looked at him, she saw her own childhood reflected back at her.
She had promised herself she would live without regrets.
If she left this child behind, she knew she would constantly turn back, unable to move forward completely.
The strands of his hair slipped between her fingers, warm and silky.
Watching the two, now noticeably closer than before, Sandes suddenly spoke to the boy with a soft smile.
“Your name is Bill, correct?”
Revil flinched.
Before he could respond, Erina answered in his place, sensing his anxiety.
“His name is Revil Eols. Faylon Eols, despite being married to me, insisted he would never have children with me and officially took Revil in from an orphanage as his heir.”
Sandes let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
“His Majesty, who trusts that man so blindly, ought to be informed of this.”
“He will find out at the Founding Festival.”
At her cold reply, Sandes fell silent, studying the boy closely.
This orphanage child—
He looked far too much like that child.
But that child was dead.
Sandes had seen it with his own eyes.
Five years ago, he had watched that child die.
The memory was still vivid, seared into his mind.
And yet—
The boy before him shared the same hair color as himself, the same vivid crimson eyes that he both loathed and could never truly hate.
If that child had lived and grown up safely, would he have looked exactly like this?
“How old are you?”
His voice, sharp and demanding, made Erina instinctively pull Revil close, shielding him.
“Marquis.”
Her protective stance made Sandes’ expression harden.
“You truly intend to take him from House Eols.”
His eyes seemed to ask, ‘Are you sure you want to take the difficult path?’
She knew it would be difficult.
Taking Revil—who had already been publicly introduced as the heir—was no simple task.
“Yes. But it’s not as difficult as it seems.”
“Oh?”
“For Revil to be officially recognized as the heir, my consent is required, as well as the emperor’s approval.”
Faylon had brought Revil into the household less than a week ago.
Erina had never given her consent.
Nor had the emperor issued any decree finalizing the adoption.
While Faylon had privately declared him as the heir to her, legally, nothing had been confirmed.
Technically, Revil was still an orphan temporarily residing in the Eols estate.
There was no legal barrier preventing her from taking him.
“Understood.”
“Eight… I’m eight years old.”
As soon as Sandes spoke, Revil answered in a small voice.
Sandes’ eyes widened.
Revil, still tense in Erina’s arms, stared up at him with wary red eyes.
Sandes smiled gently, meeting his gaze.
“I see.”
‘He’s not that child.’
If that child had survived, he would have been seven this year.
Even knowing that, Sandes found himself unable to stop looking at Revil.
Then—
The carriage came to an abrupt halt.
A knock sounded, and the door swung open as a woman climbed inside.
“Marquis?”
Startled, Erina turned to Sandes, but the woman simply grinned.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Countess. I’m Heila Bentel.”
Her vibrant sky-blue hair, cut short, matched the energy in her bright red eyes.
“Sending my knights to serve someone outside my direct vassalage might have raised suspicions, so I found someone to act as your handmaid—while also serving as your knight.”
“A knight to act as my handmaid? ‘Lady Bentel’?”
Erina was utterly taken aback.
She knew who Heila Bentel was.
Though not extremely famous, the eldest daughter of the Bentel family—who held lands not far from the capital—was a well-known figure in social circles.
But Erina was more shocked by the two things Sandes had just revealed:
First, that Heila was a knight.
And second, that she would be acting as a handmaid.
“You’re a knight?”
“Of course! I belong to the Marquis’ secret forces, but starting today, I’m your knight and handmaid.”
Heila’s lively tone only deepened Erina’s confusion.
“But…”
She was a countess.
Even if she were to have a personal handmaid, she would typically choose a baron’s second or third daughter.
While there were no strict rules, it was extremely rare for a noble of similar rank to serve in such a position.
And Heila Bentel—the eldest daughter of a viscount family—could have easily entered a ducal household or even the imperial palace if she had sought such a role.
And yet—
Here she was.
As her handmaid.
And a knight, at that.
“Didn’t I promise to protect you?”
At Sandes’ unexpectedly warm tone, Heila—not Erina—was the one who looked shocked.
Erina had plenty to say, but in the end, she hesitated.
“With the mana stone mine now in play, quick updates and flexibility in handling unexpected situations will be crucial. Heila is essential for that.”
His reasoning was sound.
A handmaid was not bound to a noble family the way other members of the household were.
They had far more freedom.
This meant that neither the Countess Dowager of Eols nor Rose Asilla could treat her disrespectfully.
And even Faylon wouldn’t be able to exert control over her.
Heila Bentel wasn’t just a good choice—she was perfect.
After some hesitation, Erina nodded.
“Alright. I understand.”
“I look forward to working with you, Countess.”
“Please, call me Erina.”
By the time their conversation ended, the carriage had reached the outskirts of the Eols estate.
It did not stop directly in front of the manor.
“Since I am not particularly close to Faylon Eols, I thought it unwise for a Kerenik family carriage to enter the estate. I had it stop nearby instead.”
“Thank you for the consideration, Marquis.”
As the carriage door opened, Heila, Erina, and Revil stepped out one by one.
Sandes, leaning against the doorframe, looked directly at Erina before curving his lips into an alluring smile.
“Next time we meet, will you call me Sandes?”
“Pardon?”
“We’re close enough now, wouldn’t you say?”
Realizing his playful smirk was meant to tease her, Erina pursed her lips in irritation.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
With that, Sandes closed the carriage door and departed.
Revil stood to Erina’s left, holding her hand, while Heila took her place on the right.
As the sun shone down, Heila smoothly unfurled a parasol—one she had seemingly prepared in advance—casting a cool shadow over Erina.
The bright, sunny day put them all in good spirits.
But that lasted only for a moment.
—
“Are you out of your mind?”
The first words Erina heard upon entering the estate came from Faylon.
She sighed deeply.
Why was he the one acting so furious?
“You left the manor? And you took my heir with you?!”
Standing beneath the grand chandelier in the entrance hall, Faylon’s silver hair gleamed under the light, almost blindingly so.
“You must be insane to—”
“Did you not hear me?”
“What?”
Faylon scowled, utterly confused.
Erina stared at him in disbelief.
He genuinely had no idea.
When a noblewoman left the estate in the family’s carriage, the head steward and head maid had to know.
Not only that, but it was standard practice for the head of the house to be informed.
The fact that Faylon didn’t know meant that someone had deliberately intercepted the report.
Who, exactly?
A loyal steward or maid?
Or someone with real power in this household?
“Yesterday, I took the Eols carriage and visited a small village on the outskirts of the territory.”
At her words, Faylon’s face stiffened.
He hadn’t heard anything about this.
“But do you know what’s even funnier?”
For the first time, Erina did not lower her gaze before him.
Instead, she lifted her chin, her expression filled with amusement.
“The coachman—who said he would return shortly—never came back.”
Faylon sucked in a sharp breath, his body freezing.
A family carriage returning without the noblewoman it had taken out—
This was a clear message.
It was a well-known silent punishment in noble society.
It meant she had been banished.
Legally, the countess would still hold her title, but she would be stripped of all power and immediately ostracized by high society.
Humiliated and deprived of authority, the noblewoman would eventually leave on her own accord.
This was not a minor offense.
Sandes and Heila had barely contained their fury when they learned what had happened.
“T-That’s…”
“Did you authorize this?”
“Of course not!”
Faylon blurted out his denial, only to fall silent in shock.
“Then who did?”
As Erina’s gaze sharpened, she noticed someone watching from afar.
“Faylon, let me tell you something.”
Her voice softened, turning almost melodic, like a mother reading a storybook to a child.
“The place I visited was a tiny village. So small it doesn’t even have a name.”
She sounded gentle, too gentle.
But her serene smile only made the atmosphere tense.
“As it got darker and darker, the carriage never came.”
Slowly, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, before shifting her gaze—
To the person lurking in the shadows.
“Would you happen to know why, Lady Asilla?”
The moment Erina spoke the name, every eye in the room followed her gaze.
