“Eiane Carter…”
The red eyes of the person who murmured trembled uncontrollably, shocked by the unexpected name that had emerged.
“My stepmother… No, that woman. She had such a connection with you?”
At Cassion’s astonished voice, Blanca appeared calm, as if she had anticipated such a reaction.
“I’m revealing it now, but I have to admit that I didn’t accept the Ducal Lady’s proposal just out of curiosity.”
“Were you using us to seek revenge on Duchess Carter?” Rosetta asked.
“Revenge is too grand a word. After all, I was the one who sold the poison, and Gail was the one who took it. Besides, Gail and I weren’t so affectionate that I’d avenge him. However.”
Her lips, smoothly responding until then, paused momentarily.
She touched the ring on her left ring finger.
“But, well, I did somewhat hope that woman would be a little unhappy.”
The power she desired so much, even to the point of killing her beloved.
What kind of face would that woman make, realizing that she would never be able to grasp it in the end? Blanca was a bit curious about that.
“Blanca.”
“Yes?”
Blanca’s unfocused eyes turned towards Rosetta, who had called her.
Rosetta looked at her silently, seemingly hesitating about something. Blanca slightly narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, signaling Rosetta to speak without concern.
Rosetta quietly moved her lips, but then shook her head.
“No. It’s nothing.”
The question rose to the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
‘Blanca, did you really not love that man?’
There were questions in this world that were better left unasked.
Blanca shrugged with a faint smile.
“Oh, how boring.”
She then reached for her glass and finished off the remaining wine.
Perhaps talking about old tales had made her throat dry.
Just like the night Gail fell into his eternal sleep.
* * *
After the eventful dinner, Cassion and I walked down a sparsely populated street.
It was a brief stroll, heading towards where the coachman was waiting.
The evening glow had long been consumed by the long darkness of winter.
“I never imagined she had such a story.”
“Right. I had never heard about my stepmother… having a lover before her marriage.”
Cassion murmured thoughtfully.
Even if Cassion had been treated as an outcast, it was surprising that he, bearing the ‘Carter’ surname, had never once heard about Eiane’s past lover.
Indeed, Duchess Carter’s ‘settling of the past’ must have been quite effective.
With the person in question dead, people gradually forgot about ‘Gail’. With his traces erased, the memories of him faded as well.
As for the woman who had passionately loved him in her youth, it goes without saying.
And the woman who now lives her life wearing a ring that was never hers seems to still remember ‘Gail’.
I shook my head, stopping that train of thought.
Even though Blanca had shared the story herself, showing too much interest felt inappropriate.
Instead of dwelling on other people’s matters, I brought up our own.
“Anyway, we’ve somehow secured two letters of approval, right?”
“That’s right. Only the remaining one is the problem now.”
“You don’t have anyone in mind? Someone who might be willing to write the last letter for you.”
Cassion seemed to ponder quietly for a moment before shaking his head.
“No, I don’t have a large extended family on my mother’s side either. My mother married my father against many people’s wishes.”
Cassion laughed in self-deprecation.
It wasn’t his fault, but he looked as if he had done something wrong.
I tightly grasped Cassion’s hand.
I could feel his gaze on me.
“It’s okay. We’ll find a way to get that approval letter. And about your extended family…”
“…What?”
“The family of your wife-to-be is quite a respectable one, isn’t it?”
“……!”
Half a beat late to my teasing remark, his reaction was delightfully evident, with him getting flushed from neck to ears. He covered his face with an empty hand, then exhaled a flustered breath.
Finally, he chuckled and nodded.
“That sounded almost like a confession. It feels really good to hear.”
“It is a confession. So, feel even better.”
Calmly responding, I tugged at Cassion’s collar and pulled him closer.
Caught off guard, the man blinked in surprise.
His bewildered face was so cute that I smiled and spoke.
“After everything is over and you become the duke, I’ll tell you properly then.”
Yes, after everything is over.
When Urien, Leo, or anyone else can no longer hinder us.
At that moment when this miserable, tragic novel—against all odds—finally reaches a peaceful ending.
Cassion’s face grew serious.
He cradled my cheek with a light smile.
“I’m looking forward to that.”
With that lighthearted tone of his voice, laced with laughter, Cassion soon leaned down and kissed me.
It was an exceptionally beautiful night.
* * *
“Really… did we manage to get it?”
Cassion murmured in a somewhat perplexed voice, looking at the paper on his desk.
His fingertips tapped the thin paper lightly.
‘Letter of Approval’ was written prominently where his fingers touched.
Just like Rosetta said that we would somehow find a way to get the letter, today, after a few days, the final letter of approval they needed was in his hands.
“But why would this person…”
And from a really unexpected individual.
Viscount Hamilton.
He had personally come to the ducal residence to hand the agreement to Cassion.
…And was one of Leo’s prominent supporters.
* * *
Meanwhile, around the same time.
After handing over the three letters of approval and leaving Cassion’s room, Hamilton was still walking inside the ducal residence.
His steps halted at a place quite distant from Cassion’s room, in front of Leo’s office.
Swallowing hard, Hamilton cautiously knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
As he entered with permission, Leo, sitting with his long legs crossed, greeted him with sharp eyes.
A shiver ran through him momentarily, but Hamilton quickly composed himself and bowed deeply.
“As you instructed, I’ve delivered the letter of approval to Sir Cassion.”
“Ah, good. You’ve done well.”
Leo responded briefly and then seemed to lose interest, withdrawing his gaze.
It felt like a silent dismissal.
‘I’d hate to leave just like this.’
Opportunities for a one-on-one meeting with Leo weren’t common.
Moreover, he had, after all, been the one ordered by Leo to deliver the letter of approval to Cassion, fulfilling his duty for him.
He wanted to make a more lasting impression while he had the chance.
And there were some concerns he harbored.
“Um…”
At Hamilton’s tentative call, Leo glanced over with a sharp look.
The man swallowed hard before continuing.
“I did as Your Lordship instructed. But quite honestly, I’m worried. What if others assume that I’m in full support of the Eldest Young Master… Even when I support no one but you, Young Duke!”
It was transparent flattery, but not unpleasant to hear.
The title ‘Young Duke’ wasn’t disagreeable either.
“Huu, there’s no need to worry about that. You may go now.”
As Leo responded with a more amiable voice, Hamilton grinned and nodded.
“Hearing you say that reassures me. To me, you are the only future Duke!”
“Alright, I get it, now go on.”
Knowing too much of anything could be as bad as too little, Hamilton left the room at that point.
His departing footsteps seemed especially light.
Left alone, Leo stared at the closed door, then sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
“Pretending to be calm, but worried, aren’t you?”
At the sound of the voice, his eyes snapped open.
Leo spun his chair around, looking towards the source of the voice.
Between the bookcase and the window, in a corner of the wall, stood a large mirror.
Instead of reflecting Leo’s image, another face appeared.
Daniel Freesia.
“Was it necessary to hand an approval letter over from this side?”
Leo, who had been silently observing Daniel, spoke up.
In truth, the idea to give Cassion the letter had originated from Daniel.
Leo had merely followed along.
But it didn’t sit well with him.
He felt displeased, as if he had inadvertently done Cassion a favor.
“If we hadn’t given the agreement, he would have failed at merely first trial.”
Then, perhaps without needing to go through the second and third trial, they could have brought him down at the first.
At Leo’s dissatisfaction, Daniel smiled silently.
“Yes, he might truly have failed at the very first trial. Maybe so much that he wouldn’t have made it to the second.”
“Then why in the world—”
“That’s why.”
“What?”
Leo, puzzled by the cryptic remark, questioned further.
“Fearing that he wouldn’t make it to the second trial, we gave the agreement.”
Leo fell silent.
It seemed as though there was a predetermined answer or plan in Daniel’s mind, and Leo felt foolish for questioning him out loud.
He decided it would be better to keep quiet and listen to what this ‘plan’ was about.
Noticing this, Daniel lightly laughed and continued.
“If we eliminate Cassion at the first trial, he will continue to be a thorn in your side… Wouldn’t it be better to kill him off completely?”
Daniel was right.
Even if it was frustrating to hand Cassion the solution to the first trial practically on a silver platter, he would surely continue to be an impediment had this not been done.
Now that his presence had become known to many people, it wouldn’t anymore be easy to eliminate him through just any half-baked schemes.
“Is there a way to kill Cassion at the second trial?”
“Who knows. But I hear that the place where the second trial will be held is quite remote. The Skarm Plateau, I mean.”
His voice dropped as if he was sharing a secret.
“Remote enough that no one would find it odd if someone were to die there.”
As Daniel stopped speaking, he flashed a radiant smile.
Despite the chill running down his spine, Leo found himself picturing the Skarm Plateau in his mind.
An endless wasteland.
And atop it, Cassion—
Dying a miserable death.
The thought was so exhilarating that his head buzzed with twisted delight.
Leo’s eyes glittered with unbridled intent.
Facing his blatant ambition, Daniel smiled quietly once more.
‘Yes, he must be killed for sure.’
With that, Rosetta will…
“Eiane Carter…”
The red eyes of the person who murmured trembled uncontrollably, shocked by the unexpected name that had emerged.
“My stepmother… No, that woman. She had such a connection with you?”
At Cassion’s astonished voice, Blanca appeared calm, as if she had anticipated such a reaction.
“I’m revealing it now, but I have to admit that I didn’t accept the Ducal Lady’s proposal just out of curiosity.”
“Were you using us to seek revenge on Duchess Carter?” Rosetta asked.
“Revenge is too grand a word. After all, I was the one who sold the poison, and Gail was the one who took it. Besides, Gail and I weren’t so affectionate that I’d avenge him. However.”
Her lips, smoothly responding until then, paused momentarily.
She touched the ring on her left ring finger.
“But, well, I did somewhat hope that woman would be a little unhappy.”
The power she desired so much, even to the point of killing her beloved.
What kind of face would that woman make, realizing that she would never be able to grasp it in the end? Blanca was a bit curious about that.
“Blanca.”
“Yes?”
Blanca’s unfocused eyes turned towards Rosetta, who had called her.
Rosetta looked at her silently, seemingly hesitating about something. Blanca slightly narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, signaling Rosetta to speak without concern.
Rosetta quietly moved her lips, but then shook her head.
“No. It’s nothing.”
The question rose to the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
‘Blanca, did you really not love that man?’
There were questions in this world that were better left unasked.
Blanca shrugged with a faint smile.
“Oh, how boring.”
She then reached for her glass and finished off the remaining wine.
Perhaps talking about old tales had made her throat dry.
Just like the night Gail fell into his eternal sleep.
* * *
After the eventful dinner, Cassion and I walked down a sparsely populated street.
It was a brief stroll, heading towards where the coachman was waiting.
The evening glow had long been consumed by the long darkness of winter.
“I never imagined she had such a story.”
“Right. I had never heard about my stepmother… having a lover before her marriage.”
Cassion murmured thoughtfully.
Even if Cassion had been treated as an outcast, it was surprising that he, bearing the ‘Carter’ surname, had never once heard about Eiane’s past lover.
Indeed, Duchess Carter’s ‘settling of the past’ must have been quite effective.
With the person in question dead, people gradually forgot about ‘Gail’. With his traces erased, the memories of him faded as well.
As for the woman who had passionately loved him in her youth, it goes without saying.
And the woman who now lives her life wearing a ring that was never hers seems to still remember ‘Gail’.
I shook my head, stopping that train of thought.
Even though Blanca had shared the story herself, showing too much interest felt inappropriate.
Instead of dwelling on other people’s matters, I brought up our own.
“Anyway, we’ve somehow secured two letters of approval, right?”
“That’s right. Only the remaining one is the problem now.”
“You don’t have anyone in mind? Someone who might be willing to write the last letter for you.”
Cassion seemed to ponder quietly for a moment before shaking his head.
“No, I don’t have a large extended family on my mother’s side either. My mother married my father against many people’s wishes.”
Cassion laughed in self-deprecation.
It wasn’t his fault, but he looked as if he had done something wrong.
I tightly grasped Cassion’s hand.
I could feel his gaze on me.
“It’s okay. We’ll find a way to get that approval letter. And about your extended family…”
“…What?”
“The family of your wife-to-be is quite a respectable one, isn’t it?”
“……!”
Half a beat late to my teasing remark, his reaction was delightfully evident, with him getting flushed from neck to ears. He covered his face with an empty hand, then exhaled a flustered breath.
Finally, he chuckled and nodded.
“That sounded almost like a confession. It feels really good to hear.”
“It is a confession. So, feel even better.”
Calmly responding, I tugged at Cassion’s collar and pulled him closer.
Caught off guard, the man blinked in surprise.
His bewildered face was so cute that I smiled and spoke.
“After everything is over and you become the duke, I’ll tell you properly then.”
Yes, after everything is over.
When Urien, Leo, or anyone else can no longer hinder us.
At that moment when this miserable, tragic novel—against all odds—finally reaches a peaceful ending.
Cassion’s face grew serious.
He cradled my cheek with a light smile.
“I’m looking forward to that.”
With that lighthearted tone of his voice, laced with laughter, Cassion soon leaned down and kissed me.
It was an exceptionally beautiful night.
* * *
“Really… did we manage to get it?”
Cassion murmured in a somewhat perplexed voice, looking at the paper on his desk.
His fingertips tapped the thin paper lightly.
‘Letter of Approval’ was written prominently where his fingers touched.
Just like Rosetta said that we would somehow find a way to get the letter, today, after a few days, the final letter of approval they needed was in his hands.
“But why would this person…”
And from a really unexpected individual.
Viscount Hamilton.
He had personally come to the ducal residence to hand the agreement to Cassion.
…And was one of Leo’s prominent supporters.
* * *
Meanwhile, around the same time.
After handing over the three letters of approval and leaving Cassion’s room, Hamilton was still walking inside the ducal residence.
His steps halted at a place quite distant from Cassion’s room, in front of Leo’s office.
Swallowing hard, Hamilton cautiously knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
As he entered with permission, Leo, sitting with his long legs crossed, greeted him with sharp eyes.
A shiver ran through him momentarily, but Hamilton quickly composed himself and bowed deeply.
“As you instructed, I’ve delivered the letter of approval to Sir Cassion.”
“Ah, good. You’ve done well.”
Leo responded briefly and then seemed to lose interest, withdrawing his gaze.
It felt like a silent dismissal.
‘I’d hate to leave just like this.’
Opportunities for a one-on-one meeting with Leo weren’t common.
Moreover, he had, after all, been the one ordered by Leo to deliver the letter of approval to Cassion, fulfilling his duty for him.
He wanted to make a more lasting impression while he had the chance.
And there were some concerns he harbored.
“Um…”
At Hamilton’s tentative call, Leo glanced over with a sharp look.
The man swallowed hard before continuing.
“I did as Your Lordship instructed. But quite honestly, I’m worried. What if others assume that I’m in full support of the Eldest Young Master… Even when I support no one but you, Young Duke!”
It was transparent flattery, but not unpleasant to hear.
The title ‘Young Duke’ wasn’t disagreeable either.
“Huu, there’s no need to worry about that. You may go now.”
As Leo responded with a more amiable voice, Hamilton grinned and nodded.
“Hearing you say that reassures me. To me, you are the only future Duke!”
“Alright, I get it, now go on.”
Knowing too much of anything could be as bad as too little, Hamilton left the room at that point.
His departing footsteps seemed especially light.
Left alone, Leo stared at the closed door, then sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
“Pretending to be calm, but worried, aren’t you?”
At the sound of the voice, his eyes snapped open.
Leo spun his chair around, looking towards the source of the voice.
Between the bookcase and the window, in a corner of the wall, stood a large mirror.
Instead of reflecting Leo’s image, another face appeared.
Daniel Freesia.
“Was it necessary to hand an approval letter over from this side?”
Leo, who had been silently observing Daniel, spoke up.
In truth, the idea to give Cassion the letter had originated from Daniel.
Leo had merely followed along.
But it didn’t sit well with him.
He felt displeased, as if he had inadvertently done Cassion a favor.
“If we hadn’t given the agreement, he would have failed at merely first trial.”
Then, perhaps without needing to go through the second and third trial, they could have brought him down at the first.
At Leo’s dissatisfaction, Daniel smiled silently.
“Yes, he might truly have failed at the very first trial. Maybe so much that he wouldn’t have made it to the second.”
“Then why in the world—”
“That’s why.”
“What?”
Leo, puzzled by the cryptic remark, questioned further.
“Fearing that he wouldn’t make it to the second trial, we gave the agreement.”
Leo fell silent.
It seemed as though there was a predetermined answer or plan in Daniel’s mind, and Leo felt foolish for questioning him out loud.
He decided it would be better to keep quiet and listen to what this ‘plan’ was about.
Noticing this, Daniel lightly laughed and continued.
“If we eliminate Cassion at the first trial, he will continue to be a thorn in your side… Wouldn’t it be better to kill him off completely?”
Daniel was right.
Even if it was frustrating to hand Cassion the solution to the first trial practically on a silver platter, he would surely continue to be an impediment had this not been done.
Now that his presence had become known to many people, it wouldn’t anymore be easy to eliminate him through just any half-baked schemes.
“Is there a way to kill Cassion at the second trial?”
“Who knows. But I hear that the place where the second trial will be held is quite remote. The Skarm Plateau, I mean.”
His voice dropped as if he was sharing a secret.
“Remote enough that no one would find it odd if someone were to die there.”
As Daniel stopped speaking, he flashed a radiant smile.
Despite the chill running down his spine, Leo found himself picturing the Skarm Plateau in his mind.
An endless wasteland.
And atop it, Cassion—
Dying a miserable death.
The thought was so exhilarating that his head buzzed with twisted delight.
Leo’s eyes glittered with unbridled intent.
Facing his blatant ambition, Daniel smiled quietly once more.
‘Yes, he must be killed for sure.’
With that, Rosetta will…
