“Valerie?”
Franz, who had been focused on Karl, shifted his attention to the child upon hearing the name Valerie.
“Valerie, you say?”
Franz’s eyes quickly scanned Valerie from head to toe. It took only 5 seconds for his gaze to carefully examine her entire body. After scrutinizing Valerie’s figure, Franz stared intently at the child’s face before turning his gaze towards me.
“‘Valerie,’ you say.”
He then put on that polite smile again. For some reason, the smile that reappeared on Karl’s previously shaking face sent chills down my spine.
***
In the empire, there is a river that plays a crucial role in agriculture and transportation. It is the Manus River that flows from the eastern end, passing through Suwon, to the west.
The Manus River precisely divides the capital in half, and its influence on the lives of the imperial citizens was significant enough to generate a bustling downtown around it.
Descending southeast from the imperial palace over the Manus River, a large fenced area opens up. The gently sloping land leads to the Arduus Mountains, marking the boundary of the capital, all of which belonged to the territory of Count Louiset.
Ascending the iron-fenced hill, there stood the grand mansion of Count Louiset, exuding an aura akin to a fortress. The mansion, once desolate in Celeste’s absence from the capital, was now bustling with activity after a long period.
The inhabitants of the mansion were all ready to welcome back their master after half a year.
Many wished to go to the train station to welcome him personally, but not everyone could leave the mansion empty. Apart from the direct servants assisting the count, other staff members had to remain at the mansion. And the most prominent among them was none other than Lady Cecilia.
Having raised and cared for Celeste since infancy, Lady Cecilia, now in her forties, avoided excessive activity due to her ailing knees. Therefore, she couldn’t accompany the procession to the station and anxiously awaited its arrival.
“Miss, no, Count!”
Finally, after much anticipation, the Count and his procession arrived. Cecilia, despite her discomfort, ran towards Celeste entering the mansion. Though her pace may have seemed slower to onlookers, Cecilia’s heart was running as fast as a sprinter.
“Oh, my goodness. Our dear Count. Alone from so far away… How much you must have suffered. There, there.”
She even took out a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe away tears. Truly, the people in this mansion, without exception, were overly protective of me, that is, of Celeste, which made me uneasy.
Wasn’t it supposed to be common for the members of noble families to dislike and fear ordinary people?
Despite the prevailing notions about villains in many novels, those surrounding me reacted to every action of mine with admiration and tears, despite me being just a three-year-old child. Witnessing their reactions, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming desire to disappear.
“Suffering? No… I’m fine.”
“Oh, you’re raising your voice again. It seems like the marquis’s head is still not fully recovered. Oh my goodness…!”
I wonder what kind of life the original Celest lived… Just by raising the end of a sentence, it made the nanny burst into tears. Seeing this, it seems like she might be one of those typical villains who just go too far.
“Cecilia.”
The butler Mueller calmly called Cecilia. Not knowing English, Mueller gestured towards the Valerie to Cecilia. A big question mark appeared in Cecilia’s eyes.
“What child is this?”
Then he blinked his eyes, sending a look that demanded an explanation.
During the ride back to the mansion, I repeated the same explanations to the mansion’s inhabitants about Valerie several times.
What kind of child is she? I don’t even know. She was suddenly left by someone in Varentum. But she is my daughter, that’s true. Does that make sense? I have no memory, so what am I supposed to do? I don’t remember anything before six months ago, so I don’t know about the child either. Yet, how did you know she is my daughter? I hired a private detective to confirm it.
As if reciting lines in a play, I repeated questions and answers several times until we reached Kellever Street and arrived at the mansion. Luckily, I could stop the barrage of questions from Mueller and Margaret as we got off the carriage.
“What? The marquis’s child?”
Cecilia’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. In that state, if someone were to touch her head, it seemed like her eyeballs would spill out.
I hoped she didn’t have high blood pressure as I handed her coat to Liv, extending my hand.
“A child? Goodness gracious!”
Even then, Cecilia kept repeating the same words for a long time. It was mostly a cycle of ‘Goodness gracious, this can’t be, how could this happen!’ in disbelief.
“What is happening, marquis? A child. It has only been half a year since you left the capital. A child, really, a child!”
Even though I couldn’t remember, my body seemed to remember the way to the mansion, and fatigue washed over me as we entered. Perhaps it was the aftereffects of being dizzy on the train. I followed Liv to the bedroom, thinking that might be the reason.
While doing so, Cecilia trailed behind, bombarding me with a series of questions. She’s going to make my ears bleed, Cecilia…
“So, you left the mansion? A, a lover’s escape?”
Cecilia’s voice, which sounded like it could burst eardrums, grew quieter at ‘lover’s escape.’ Even though it was Celeste’s home and there was no need for a stranger to hear such a story, there was a hint of concern about who might overhear.
“Even so, well, that’s the case, but without getting married, a child? Oh my goodness. If the former Marquis finds out, he will be shocked and faint.”
“Yeah. I also thought the first time I saw Valerie that the Marquis would be shocked and faint.”
“Valerie? Is that the little girl’s name, Valerie?”
“Is that so.”
“‘Is that so’ you say?”
“I don’t remember. I thought the person who brought the child was Valerie because they said so.”
“Someone brought the child? Who? The child… the father?”
Pursuing with thudding footsteps, Cecil lowered his voice once again in the midst of ‘the child’s father.’
“Who is the child’s father, Your Lordship?”
“Please forgive me.”
Unexpectedly, it was someone unexpected who stopped Cecil’s questioning assault.
“I still have matters to attend to with Viscount Louisette, so I humbly excuse myself to accompany him.”
The tall brown-haired knight, Clovis, was being guided into the mansion by Kendrick. Startled by the intrusion of a stranger, Cecil was completely frozen in place upon seeing the person coming in behind Clovis.
“Y-Your, Your Highness…”
Celeste, who had been missing for almost half a year without any news suddenly returning with the royal investigators, was enough to shock Cecil beyond belief.
And to make matters more unbelievable, the royal highness who vied for the second or third position in the imperial hierarchy appeared with her. They had even come all the way to the house.
It was a known fact that when noble adults visited each other’s homes, it signified something significant. Cecil had no idea his jaw could drop so low.
“L-Lord, what is this all about…?”
“I would like to have a discussion.”
He might have his jaw dropped permanently if this continued. While worrying more than worrying about Cecil’s expression, Karl cut through Clovis and his knights to address him directly.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Hearing that, there was no reaction. He said they should talk, so why remain silent? With a blink, Cecil looked up to see Hannah vigorously gesturing and signaling words of medical expression beside him. What? What is it?
“There are many prying eyes here, Viscount.”
Ah, they wanted to speak privately. If they had something to say, they could have said it here. How secretive of a conversation were they planning to have?
Turning to look, Mueller quickly gestured to guide them. As the steward, Mueller was as quick-witted as the owner of the mansion.
Following Mueller, they headed towards the library located at the far end of the most secluded corridor on the first floor. The description from a novel about it being a public chamber used for secret conversations came to mind.
I read it in Korean; it was the first time I had seen it with my own eyes. Although outwardly I was the owner of the mansion, inwardly I felt no different from a first-time guest. So, filled with curiosity, as I looked around, Mueller left the study in retreat after saying he would prepare the tea.
“Please have a seat.”
“Yes? Yes.”
Feeling awkward, Karl took the seat at the table in the center of the study before I did, as if I had been invited as a guest to his house. Who is the real host here?
“Have you forgotten the layout of the mansion as well?”
“Yes? Well, I mean…”
Karl still doubted my amnesia. I knew I had to be careful with every word to avoid triggering his sharp suspicions and tensions.
Knock, knock.
Mueller returned with the tea. I greeted him shortly and sat down cautiously. The sound of the trolley wheels broke the awkward silence, thankfully.
“You can help yourself with the tea until I call you again, so as not to be disturbed.”
“Yes. Your Excellency.”
Mueller, meticulously arranging the teacups, teapot, teaspoon, and sugar bowl on the table, went back out with the same courteous greeting as when he came in.
Everything was calm and slow, yet the time he took to prepare the tea and leave seemed short to me. The instruction not to be disturbed until called – did that mean I shouldn’t listen to any sounds until then?
My palms were sweating with tension. Strangely, being in front of Karl alone filled me with an inexplicable tension that spread throughout my body.
