Chapter 70
After leaving the doctor’s office, I headed straight to Tristan Duke’s castle. The carriage stopped in front of the castle, and Richard and I got off together. Unlike the chaotic scene of yesterday caused by Cecilia, Tristan Duke’s castle was now neat and orderly.
In front of the castle stood Julia, along with servants, maids, and soldiers, all lined up.
“Welcome, my lord. And Count Theodore as well.”
“Welcome.”
Julia greeted us on behalf of the others, and the servants behind her all bowed their heads in unison.
It was similar to when we arrived at the Count Theodore’s mansion, but the atmosphere was completely different. Even standing still, I could sense the tension from the servants. It wasn’t just a feeling; I could clearly see their apprehension, as they worried that they might upset me. If they remembered the wrongs they had done to me under the name of Baron Hazel, it was understandable that they would be afraid. After all, they had ignored the abuse I endured under Baron Hazel to avoid falling out of favor with him.
However, I understood them. I understood their inevitable situation. If I couldn’t even stand up to Baron Hazel, then the castle’s employees, who were under his employment, had no chance to speak up either. Moreover, the servants hadn’t done anything wrong to me directly.
In that situation, firing the servants would only cause more problems. Richard was already unable to return to his estate because of me, and I didn’t want to create unnecessary complications by taking actions that would waste time. Since they had been working here for so long, they were well-versed in the operations of Tristan Duke’s castle.
I nodded at Julia and the other servants, who still hadn’t lifted their heads.
“It’s fine now. Go back to your places.”
Even after I said this, they hesitated to lift their heads, probably thinking I would find fault with them for that too.
“If you don’t want to stay here, you’ve already greeted me properly, so return to your positions and do your work.”
“Yes, of course.”
After I spoke twice, the servants finally began to scatter, cautiously watching me. I nodded at them and then walked into Tristan Duke’s castle. Julia, who had remained behind, hurriedly followed me, quietly trailing behind.
I headed straight for the office that had been primarily used by Baron Hazel. Even though I had vaguely mentioned it to Julia yesterday, there were no signs of Baron Hazel’s belongings in the office.
“It’s all been organized for you to use immediately. If you need anything, I will take care of it right away.”
While I was checking the tidy office, Julia spoke to me. I nodded as I confirmed the neatness of the office.
“There should be another office. What about that one?”
“Please follow me.”
Following Julia, I found another office exactly like the one I had just entered. This was the office that had been used by my mother, the late Duchess of Tristan.
It seemed well-maintained, and the furniture was in good condition.
I lingered for a moment, lost in memories, as I looked around the office. Though my memories had blurred over time, I could still faintly recall my mother’s welcoming face as I worked here.
I gazed around with a wistful look in my eyes. Soon, my gaze rested on Richard. He had looked around the room a few times, and when he saw me staring, he met my eyes.
“I think it would be best if I used this office. How about you use the one we saw earlier, Richard?”
I wanted to use the office that held memories of my mother, and I didn’t hide my desire when I suggested this to Richard.
Richard nodded without hesitation and spoke.
“I don’t mind. If it’s what you prefer, Diarna.”
His affirmative response made me smile warmly.
“Next, I’ll show you to the bedroom.”
Julia then guided us to the bedroom. Unsurprisingly, it was the main bedroom that Baron Hazel had used. It appeared that all of his personal items had been removed, and the room seemed rather empty now.
“But…”
As I noticed the carefully changed bedding, I suddenly turned to Julia.
“What about other bedrooms?”
“Huh? Is this room not to your liking?” Julia asked, confused, as she didn’t quite grasp the intent behind my question. She seemed to think I was asking for a different room because I didn’t like this one.
“No, it’s just that Richard and I need separate bedrooms.”
I clarified, but Julia still looked a bit confused.
“But, the Count and the Duke are married…”
After hearing Julia’s words, I awkwardly smiled, realizing my mistake. She was right. If we were married, it was customary for us to share the same bedroom. This room had been used by Baron Hazel and my mother before his occupation, and I hadn’t thought about it in that context. I had been sharing a room with Richard at Count Theodore’s mansion, so I had naturally assumed it would be the same here at Tristan Duke’s castle.
If we shared a room here, the servants would likely find it odd. But even so, there was no need to concern myself with their opinions or force us to share a room just for the sake of appearances.
“We are married, but we still need our own personal space. So, prepare another bedroom for us. Understand?”
“Yes, of course, Your Grace.”
Julia bowed deeply in response and immediately instructed a nearby maid to prepare another bedroom.
“Now, Richard, I think you’ve gotten a good sense of the castle after the tours today. I’ll be going to the office to sort out some records, so if you need to take care of anything, you can do so in the office I showed you earlier.”
“Alright. I’ll see you later then.”
Leaving Richard, who was unusually quiet today, behind, I headed to the office.
Sitting in the desk chair prepared for me in the office, I felt a wave of newness wash over me. Until now, I hadn’t fully realized that I was truly the Duke of Tristan, but it was starting to sink in.
Olivier stood by, waiting for my orders, and Julia was nearby, also waiting.
“Julia, could you bring me the financial ledgers for this estate?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
She immediately left to retrieve the ledgers, and I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes for a moment. Everything was going smoothly.
Coming back to the castle with the title of Duke of Tristan felt like a dream, and soon I would be able to treat the illness that had been troubling me for so long.
Could there ever be a time as smooth as this in my life?
The only thing that made me uneasy was Cecilia, who had been released from the guards, and Baron Hazel, who had probably harbored a grudge against me.
Baron Hazel, having committed his crimes, would be confined for some time, but sooner or later, he would be released. When that happened, the people he would most likely want to kill would be either Richard or me, so it was wise to remain cautious.
Even if that wasn’t the case, I couldn’t predict what Cecilia might do. Thinking about her violent behavior over the past couple of days, I had a feeling that she would soon make a bold move.
At least for now, I had two knights from Count Theodore’s household guarding me, so I didn’t think they could harm me too much. Still, it was better to be careful.
I took a deep breath, slowly exhaling, and turned my gaze toward Olivier.
“Olivier, have someone look into Cecilia. See if she’s plotting anything suspicious.”
“Yes, I’ll take care of it.”
Olivier bowed and left the office. The room was silent now, with no one else present. I quietly stood up and examined the furniture around me.
It had been quite a while since I had entered this office, as I had been unable to after my mother’s death and the violent confinement imposed by Baron Hazel.
Despite that, the office had changed little. The furniture, elegant yet refined, matched my mother’s tastes, and a painting by her favorite artist hung on the wall. Everything was as it had been before.
The happiest memories of my life, when I had just become Diarna, slowly consumed me.
Back then, I never imagined it would lead to this outcome. This was a world from a book, and I hadn’t yet realized I was just a minor character destined for a miserable death. I thought I would live peacefully.
However, after my mother’s death, the memories of my past life came back, making me miserable.
Baron Hazel and Cecilia were the ones tormenting me, but what made me even more miserable was the future that had been laid out for me. No matter how hard I struggled, it seemed impossible to escape from that tragic past.
But that wasn’t true.
When I met Richard and attended the ball with him, I thought my future would follow the same path as it had in the original story, but things didn’t unfold the way I had expected.
Why was that?
Was it because I knew everything about this world?
Did the actions I took slowly start to change the original story?
My thoughts spiraled, and at the end of those thoughts, only one question remained: How had I come to find such happiness?
