“Even if it means going against His Majesty the King. Are you willing to do it?”
“Our family has served Temnes for generations.”
Baron Colon straightened his shoulders without avoiding her eyes and looked straight at her.
“The most important thing is his safety.”
Madame Kronach nodded, feeling as if she had seen a large rock that had stood firm through the storms of time.
“Then I will ask you one more time without beating around the bush.”
“Tell me.”
“If the Duke’s safety and Temnes are your priorities, would you be able to stab the King in the face if the situation arises?”
Baron Colon’s eyebrows twitched at those words. When he didn’t respond immediately like before, she closed her mouth for a moment and waited. Silence would be the best urging for a man with a straight mind.
“I hope that doesn’t happen, but I will when the time comes.”
Baron Colon finally answered slowly as if he was hesitating.
Madame Cronach decided to believe him.
'If he was trying to deceive me, he would have answered quickly.'
She thought that she could be reassured.
She knew Baron Colon well, having lived with Kaian for the past ten years as his hands and feet. He was truly a man who was prepared to risk his life for Temnes.
'The weight he carried would be similar to mine, who would die for Claudel.'
Wheels rolling on both sides had to be of equal weight and size to roll properly.
For now, Madame Cronach was happy to join hands with him.
"Did the lord order you to find the lady?"
Baron Colon did not know the truth about her suddenly appearing at Rowen Castle without any notice.
However, he thought that the only way to bring Kaian back to his senses was to bring Claudel back to the lord's castle.
"Claudel is my daughter."
"What? Daughter?"
"She is my child."
At her words, Baron Colon jumped up from his seat and pointed at her with his finger.
“What, that is...?”
“She is my own daughter, born when I was living in the village of Plogne.”
“Huh.”
The image of the woman who had been badly burned and collapsed on the day when ash was flying in Baron Colon’s mind overlapped Madame Cronach’s face.
“Didn’t you say you had no other family?”
However, his expression hardened as soon as he said that.
“Then you must have gone to the Castle de Valmonde at that time.”
“Yes. That’s right. I went to look for my daughter.”
Madame Cronach’s expression gradually sank as if she had recalled that time.
“I lied that I was a distant relative. I thought that if it became known that my husband was the second son of the Vermont family, it would be bad for Temnes.”
Even if Kaian had ignored the rumors of the tragedy that had occurred at the Vermont Dukes’ house and the misfortune that had followed Claudel because he didn’t want to get married, Baron Colon knew all about it.
‘The one who had said in his will that he would go to the side of his wife who had died in an accident. How could this happen?'
He lost his composure and opened his mouth for a moment at the shocking fact.
Madame Cronach gnashed her teeth with a cold face.
"If it weren't for the Duke of Vermont, my daughter wouldn't have suffered like this."
She told Baron Colon clearly.
"That's why it's not a lie that I wanted to be a reliable servant of Temnes."
While she was resenting the Duke of Vermont, she was satisfied with the occasional news about her daughter.
After all, she was too healthy to stand in front of others as a mother.
Seeing that, this time Baron Colon thought that he could trust her words.
"I will trust you."
"I will trust that you won't interfere with my work."
"What should I do about Madam?"
"First, we should get her out of the castle. Since Claudel is trapped in the castle, she's no better than a hostage."
Madame Cronach thought deeply and opened her mouth.
"We need people we can trust to do the work."
***
Crouching, I habitually wrapped the necklace string around my fingers.
Tick. Tick.
The gold necklace, as thin as thread, made a rhythmic sound as it wound and unwound around my hand as I moved my fingertips.
When I raised my head, I saw a familiar space.
It was the King’s bedroom.
However, for a moment, I could not tell why I had come to such an unfamiliar place.
‘Ah. I was trying to save the baby.’
I gradually learned the unfair things that noblemen did to their wives who they considered their property. I never knew when I could say I wanted it and then say I couldn’t accept it that way about my child, so the shock was too great.
The events that happened after that flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern, and I curled up in fear.
The reason Valquiterre had me stay in this room was probably because it was a place where the library, the hanging garden, and his office were all gathered on one floor, so there were a lot of spacious and special spaces.
I would have been grateful even if I had been told not to step out of the room because I would be noticed by others.
Aside from the fact that I was very grateful that I could freely move around in such a large space, staying in this room itself made me mind dizzy.
‘It didn’t seem this spacious when I was with Kaian.’
The place that I had gotten used to after spending a few days there was frighteningly cold and spacious when I was alone.
So I felt a little sorry for the baby, but there were times when I dragged my blanket and pillow to the dressing room attached to my room and slept on the floor.
Perhaps the presence of the man who filled this place was so strong that I didn’t really realize what kind of room it was or how desolately large it was at the time.
Now, even the large room was scary because of the overwhelming fear.
I often had a table next to the bed and sat with my knees up under it.
I didn’t feel like moving unless someone came looking for me, and I felt it was shameful to be too comfortable.
I was trying to stop myself.
One hopeful thing was that I would no longer be buried in the crypts of Rowen Castle under the name of Temnes.
Valquiterre had finally officially withdrawn the royal order, making me and Kaian’s marriage a thing of the past.
“It’s okay to let go now.”
I muttered words as if encouraging myself, and tears welled up with a faint smile.
I was proud that she had endured this long. I had done everything I could.
There was nothing I could do about the poor results.
However, my consciousness, which had lost its energy and motivation, kept sinking somewhere.
I knew why.
‘What you heard. It wasn’t all true.’
Because Kaian had lied when he said he couldn’t accept a child with Vermont blood.
“I’m sorry.”
Because he had to apologize now, even though he had been so heartbroken that he thought he would die. Even though he had become a complete stranger to me, I didn’t feel relieved.
There was nothing I could do about the poor results.
However, my consciousness, which had lost its energy and motivation, kept sinking somewhere.
I knew why.
‘What you heard. It wasn’t all true.’
Because Kaian had lied when he said he couldn’t accept a child with Vermont blood.
“I’m sorry.”
Because he had to apologize now, even though he had been so heartbroken that he thought he would die. Even though he had become a complete stranger to me, I didn’t feel relieved.
“No. No. It might really be a lie.”
It might have been a shallow trick to get rid of my guilt. That was much more convincing.
I shook my head from side to side until I felt dizzy, so I rested my head on the table leg and took a deep breath.
“Whew.”
After taking a deep breath for a while and waiting for the dizziness to go away, I opened her eyes.
...Why am I in the palace? Without Kaian.
...Oh, I came because of the baby.
The train of thought I had been thinking about for a while repeated meaninglessly.
I was completely trapped in a fragment that had been a moment of frustration.
Knock knock.
There weren’t many guests visiting my room. However, someone entered the room with light steps without asking for my permission.
“Claudel.”
It was the voice of my beautiful, dazzling sister who looked like sunlight.
"...Claudel?”
She looked around the dark room with the curtains drawn and went to the window. When she opened the curtains, bright sunlight poured into the room, and I shouted involuntarily.
It might have been a shallow trick to get rid of my guilt. That was much more convincing.
I shook my head from side to side until I felt dizzy, so I rested my head on the table leg and took a deep breath.
“Whew.”
After taking a deep breath for a while and waiting for the dizziness to go away, I opened her eyes.
...Why am I in the palace? Without Kaian.
...Oh, I came because of the baby.
The train of thought I had been thinking about for a while repeated meaninglessly.
I was completely trapped in a fragment that had been a moment of frustration.
Knock knock.
There weren’t many guests visiting my room. However, someone entered the room with light steps without asking for my permission.
“Claudel.”
It was the voice of my beautiful, dazzling sister who looked like sunlight.
"...Claudel?”
She looked around the dark room with the curtains drawn and went to the window. When she opened the curtains, bright sunlight poured into the room, and I shouted involuntarily.
“Don’t!”
Only then did Irena turn her head toward the sound and was startled when she saw me crouching in a space the size of a doghouse under the bed and table.
“What are you doing there?”
Irena quickly ran over and knelt in front of me, trying to help me up.
“Let go.”
“You're cold. What are you doing sitting on the floor...?”
“Why? Can’t I just do something?”
“...Claudel.”
I burst into tears when Irena looked at me with confused eyes as if she didn’t know what to do.
“Get out of here.”
“What are you talking about? I just got here.”
“I don’t want to see you.”
“Do you know how worried I was?”
Irena raised her voice, erasing her embarrassed expression.
“I was so surprised when I heard you had an accident right after I got the letter saying you were pregnant.”
As the emotions of that time came back to her, tears welled up in her eyes, and Vermont’s golden eyes, like blessings, sparkled as if they were real jewels.
“And you want the King to withdraw the royal order? What are you talking about?”
“And you want the King to withdraw the royal order? What are you talking about?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Irena’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“What I wanted?”
“Isn’t that what you liked about Kaian?”
Claudel’s gaze at Irena was filled with resentment. The moment their eyes met, Irena felt as if a terrible swamp had enveloped them.
‘Why... Why am I having such a strange premonition?’
As she thought to herself, she heard an absurd voice.
“I lost my baby because of you.”
“...What did you say?”
“Temnes is going to hold my funeral and take a new Duchess. That’s why you went to Rowen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t pretend not to know.”
“Please, tell me so I can understand.”
“I had Herzol. I decided to get married knowing that I wouldn’t live long.”
A small drop of water ran down Claudel's thin cheek in a long line.
"You really didn't know? When I die, you will become the next Duchess of Temness."
Irena’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“What I wanted?”
“Isn’t that what you liked about Kaian?”
Claudel’s gaze at Irena was filled with resentment. The moment their eyes met, Irena felt as if a terrible swamp had enveloped them.
‘Why... Why am I having such a strange premonition?’
As she thought to herself, she heard an absurd voice.
“I lost my baby because of you.”
“...What did you say?”
“Temnes is going to hold my funeral and take a new Duchess. That’s why you went to Rowen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t pretend not to know.”
“Please, tell me so I can understand.”
“I had Herzol. I decided to get married knowing that I wouldn’t live long.”
A small drop of water ran down Claudel's thin cheek in a long line.
"You really didn't know? When I die, you will become the next Duchess of Temness."
A New Series, For You Even Regret Is Luxury, is out now! It's such an interesting story, so I hope you will like it as much as I do! You can check it HERE!
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