I captured in my eyes again the beautifully dazzling woman who smiled like sunlight.
Among the noblewomen, she shone like a wildflower, radiantly pure. Her bright platinum hair glistened as if shattered by sunlight, and her creamy white skin exuded a fragrance so exquisite it could be felt from afar.
Laila Tooper. From the excessively complimentary descriptions alone, it was easy to guess her identity – none other than the original female protagonist.
A typical character of delicate beauty, oblivious to her charm over all men around her, unable to tolerate injustice, and a lover of animals… the cliched yet charming female lead!
Shocked by her presence, Hannah quickly grabbed my arm, preventing me from impulsively rising during this solemn moment where everyone else bowed their heads and mourned.
Meeting her here, like this person. “Just as described.”
Laila was truly beautiful. No, the word ‘pretty’ was inadequate… She had a loveliness that led one to think no wonder men around her were so captivated.
As the seemingly endless eulogy concluded, Lady Pulcheria rose from her seat. After listening to the eulogy, I thought she would leave, but instead, she smiled and reached out her arms towards someone. Even at her niece’s funeral, I wondered if she could display such openness and smile.
“The Duke Albrecht has arrived, milady.”
Instead of wiping away tears, Lady Pulcheria greeted him with a smile. As I faced Karl, who had caused a stir by requesting a kinship confirmation at the manor, a strange mix of joy and malice welled up within me.
In reality, ‘I’ had no reason to feel malice since I had no relation to him, but after spending a few days together, perhaps I had grown somewhat accustomed.
I kept feeling disgruntled at not being informed in advance that the funeral would take place here, or why there was even a need for us to meet here without hearing any news beforehand.
After exchanging a few words with Lady Pulcheria, Karl found his seat. His seat, too, was among the high-ranking ones. Since the throne was vacant, based on the succession hierarchy, he would likely be given top precedence.
“Even if you could spare a glance in my direction, you don’t seem to be looking this way.”
“I have eyes too, so I can see. You don’t need to mediate.”
In a solemn atmosphere, Karl did not even glance in the direction of the people, perhaps trying to show his dignity. He only looked at the apostles conducting the ceremony, sitting right next to Lady Pulcheria.
Just as I was starting to feel a bit resentful about that, Hannah began to make a fuss.
“Oh my. Duke Toskur has also arrived.”
If you’re going to make a fuss to that extent, does it even make sense to speak in a whisper? I raised my index finger to Hannah, making a hushing sound.
Unlike when Karl appeared, Lady Pulcheria did not even flinch at the sight of Franz. Not even a greeting, it seemed as if her presence was being ignored entirely.
Without even moving to find her seat, Franz stood still and offered his greetings, yet Lady Pulcheria did not spare him a single glance. Franz seemed unfazed by such indifference, as if he was used to it.
Family matters are complicated, indeed.
Despite just observing from a distance, I found myself getting nervous to the point of breathlessness by the sight of the three people. Everyone else seemed to be similarly silently watching the three nobles without making a sound.
***
“Nice to see you after a long time, sister.”
Bowing deeply with respect up to the knees, Franz greeted her formally, but there was no response in return. As he had expected this, he wasn’t greatly affected. Franz lifted his head, which had been bowed with a smile.
“You are still as beautiful as ever.”
Even with the words coming out of his mouth, Lady Pulcheria’s expression remained unchanged. Her step-sister in front of her seemed almost nonexistent to her.
“You are still as cold as ever.”
Since they shared the same father, they were undoubtedly siblings. However, Lady Pulcheria never acknowledged this fact even once.
She had always rejected Franz, claiming that if he was not born within a legitimate marital relationship, he could not be recognized, and if he posed a threat to the family, he could not be considered a part of it.
Perhaps Franz thought it stemmed from resentment towards his father for having a child with a younger woman. “Nevertheless, it’s nice to see you here. Whether you care or not, sister.”
He didn’t throw out those words to elicit a specific response. He had no intention of staying here for long. He had come here forcibly just to participate in the Emperor’s funeral as a member of the royal family.
Even in that regard, Lady Pulcheria did not seem pleased with his presence. How could a madman who denied even his own existence and harbored such hatred towards her be a welcome presence?
Karl was seated right next to Lady Pulcheria. Then, was the seat next to Karl his? Franz quickly scanned the seats, but there was no chair placed next to Karl.
As Franz seemed to find his place at his rightful seat on the dais, Karl spoke disdainfully, “This is reserved for members of the imperial household.”
They could speak comfortably when they were alone, but here, there were many watching eyes. Despite that, Karl’s unyielding formality was meant to teach Franz where he truly belonged.
“The proper seat is over there, one step down.”
Karl’s pointed location was not far from where they were sitting, but it was a place with a clear significance.
Franz’s eyes flickered as he confirmed the positions of the nobles, not the queen’s attendants, in the gathering.
The time Franz hesitated in front of the two was only about two minutes. Since there was no response, the conversation was unlikely to continue, and Franz soon gave up, turning his head as if surrendering.
Karl casually watched Franz move away. It didn’t even last for three steps.
“I can’t see Monica.”
“Her Highness couldn’t attend due to illness.”
“Well, it’s understandable. Even I would be the same if my child… ”
“… ”
“Why is that impudent fellow even daring to show his face here? Perhaps he inherited it from his mother; shameless to the core.”
Each word clearly revealed the contempt towards Franz. Most of the nobles, including Lady Pulcheria, rejected Franz, and it wasn’t solely based on his origins.
Emperor Alexander, Karl’s grandfather, had two sons and a daughter: the eldest son, Bayern; the second son, Meinhardt; and the third daughter, Pulcheria. Karl’s father was the second son, Prince Meinhardt.
Prince Bayern, Karl’s stepfather, died suddenly of a longstanding illness before ascending the throne, leaving Maximilian, his only son, who was just one year old, to inherit the title.
Though there were concerns about Maximilian being too young to become the crown prince at the time, the throne could be maintained due to the stability of Emperor Alexander, the previous monarch.
The problem arose when, from somewhere, a child appeared claiming to be the emperor’s son, during the rule of the former emperor. The blonde boy, one year older than Karl, bore a striking resemblance to his mother but had one distinct feature inherited from the emperor, which was his deep blue eyes that seemed to be as engulfing as the deep sea.
Emperor Alexander accepted the boy as his son. Later, the royal courtiers regretted not having done whatever it took to prevent that, realizing it was an irreversible event.
Despite being only a year apart in age, the boy became Karl’s nephew. Though no one recognized this relationship aside from the emperor, being the son of the grandfather made him a kind of uncle at least in part.
The boy acquired the Toskur family name, a noble lineage of the imperial family, along with the middle name Albrecht. Thus, Franz Albrecht Toskur became a member of the noble class.
If Franz had only become a member of the nobility, Pulcheria, Karl, and even Franz himself might not have been so repulsed.
The family’s wrath concentrated on Franz due to suspicions surrounding his mother’s involvement in the sudden death of the Bavarian crown prince.
After the prince’s demise, eleven years later, Emperor Alexander also died under similar circumstances. Was it a coincidence? There was no evidence or charges brought forward, yet anyone within the imperial family doubted Franz and his mother.
Furthermore, Maximilian, the grandson of the former emperor and son of the late crown prince, met a similar fate, succumbing to a mysterious illness.
