“You’re going to marry Claudel!”
He knew better than anyone else, having snatched the woman who was being dragged away by the messenger and held her in his arms every day.
“She was healthy enough to have a child even after contracting Herzol.”
Kaian realized that he would not hear the answer he wanted as his eyes met with Valquiterre's indifferent gaze.
“Do you doubt me now, Duke of Temnes?”
Kaian unconsciously clenched his hands.
“That’s why they say that even if you work hard for others, you don’t get anything in return.”
Valquiterre said forcefully.
“I understand that the Duke gained nothing from the King’s command. Yes. I indeed sided with Vermont.”
“...”
“It’s true that I wanted to prevent the Valmonde territory from starving to death or being slaughtered by the Duke’s legendary warriors.”
Valquiterre walked slowly around Kai’an, his hands behind his back.
“But I didn’t know that taking my people would anger the Duke this much. I thought you’d be happy if I returned the marriage, which you didn’t want anyway.”
He smirked at Kaian.
“Didn’t you come after me and ask me out after five days, saying it was nonsense?”
He doesn’t want to get married.
That she’s the daughter of Vermont.
Whenever he’s so excited, Valquiterre's mutterings pass by his ears.
“If we can’t use the ports of the North Sea, trade with the Sol Continent will be blocked right away. What am I supposed to do?”
He approached Kaian and patted his shoulder as if to encourage him.
“Fortunately, I’m single. Is there another groom in the Kingdom of Oberon who would suit the tastes of the Duke of Vermont?”
“This crazy bastard.”
Kaian couldn’t hold it in any longer and threw a punch.
Thud.
Valquiterre staggered after being hit in the face with a loud sound.
The handsome man’s face swelled up in an instant after being hit hard by the powerful punch. Valquiterre dabbed the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips and smiled as if nothing had happened.
“I’ll let this kind of insubordination slide today. But you’d better not expect anything next time, Duke.”
Duke.
That damn Duke’s voice.
Kaian was so angry that he felt like a cold flame was surrounding him.
The way Valquiterre used to call him when he was openly drawing a line and talking to him was so damning today.
“...Why Claudel?”
Kaian barely managed to ask.
“If you’re going to please the Duke of Vermont, you have her sister too.”
“I’ve told you many times. I’m cleaning up what you did.”
Valquiterre said shamelessly.
“You’re going to build a wounded and broken woman. What’s the point of complaining?”
“You really...”
“I said I wouldn’t tolerate any more insubordination.”
Kaian trembled.
“Well, the courtship proposals will flood Rowen Castle again. The Duke can choose any woman he wants.”
“Watch what you say.”
“What?”
Valquiterre, who was sitting on the sofa and leisurely looking at him, said indifferently.
“Isn’t that against etiquette? Calling a woman by her name without permission is absurd.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Kaian ran at him as if he was going to tear him apart and grabbed him by the collar. He grabbed the King’s collar and gnashed his teeth, tugging so hard that it seemed as if the blue brooch made of turquoise would be ripped off.
With the blood vessels in his eyes bursting with excitement, Kaian looked like a demon from a myth.
“Was Claudel your goal from the beginning?”
“...”
“You were after my wife?”
Valquiterre kept his mouth shut as his throat tightened and stared at him. Kaian, whose silence was accepted as affirmation, flailed around like an animal that had been stabbed in the vital spot.
“How could you do this to me!”
“Kaian.”
With his pale, sinewy face under his chin, Valquiterre reached out and touched Kaian’s cheek. Kaian’s eyebrows twitched at the sudden contact.
“What?”
Valquiterre, who was sitting on the sofa and leisurely looking at him, said indifferently.
“Isn’t that against etiquette? Calling a woman by her name without permission is absurd.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Kaian ran at him as if he was going to tear him apart and grabbed him by the collar. He grabbed the King’s collar and gnashed his teeth, tugging so hard that it seemed as if the blue brooch made of turquoise would be ripped off.
With the blood vessels in his eyes bursting with excitement, Kaian looked like a demon from a myth.
“Was Claudel your goal from the beginning?”
“...”
“You were after my wife?”
Valquiterre kept his mouth shut as his throat tightened and stared at him. Kaian, whose silence was accepted as affirmation, flailed around like an animal that had been stabbed in the vital spot.
“How could you do this to me!”
“Kaian.”
With his pale, sinewy face under his chin, Valquiterre reached out and touched Kaian’s cheek. Kaian’s eyebrows twitched at the sudden contact.
‘I was after your wife.’
Kaian was wrong.
‘I was after you.’
‘I was after you.’
His blue eyes filled with incomprehensible emotions as he stared into the red eyes that were gleaming beneath the jet-black hair that he did not have.
Why are things that he does not have so beautiful? Whether it was black or red, they were darker and clearer than the hazy lemon-colored blond hair and blue eyes, captivating Kaian’s eyes.
Unable to reveal his honest feelings, Valquiterre slyly changed the subject.
“Can’t you see that I am cleaning up after what you did?”
“What?”
The white hand that had been almost touching Kaian’s jet-black bangs and the corners of his eyes with its fingertips came down and pushed Kaian’s shoulder.
Knock.
Valquiterre shook his hand away as if he didn’t need to look after him anymore.
“Are you trying to fix it?”
Kaian asked dumbly, frozen like a statue.
“Do you know how much trouble Duke Vermont is in because of this?”
“What trouble does he have?”
Valquiterre said coldly.
“Vermont is a place where heirs are rare. Taking a Princess who is a great asset to the family and breaking up the marriage is causing scandal.”
“What do you care about?”
“Why don’t I care? My position as the one who ordered the marriage has become very difficult.”
Kaian frowned involuntarily.
“Duke Vermont demanded compensation for the damage. That’s why I said I would give him the land of Pagos and provide him with food.”
“Isn’t it resolved by transferring the land to the kingdom? Take some of what’s stored in the warehouse and fill his stomach.”
“What do you mean you’re making a fuss because it’s not enough?”
Valquiterre laughed awkwardly.
“Claudel’s condition is so serious. What are you going to do, he's furious, saying that you’ve caused his precious daughter great pain and you’re not being a good person?”
Kaian was astonished.
‘He's never considered Claudel a daughter.’
Kaian was the one who noticed that faster than anyone else. That’s why he made excuses and solved it whenever he saw something that would make Claudel feel embarrassed and ashamed.
The Duke of Vermont was someone who brought shame to Claudel, and Kaian was the one who covered it up and saved her face. If not, he would have been ridiculed in Vermont a long time ago for sending her daughter off to get married empty-handed, saying that they gilded the castle. Even beggars who have nothing will make new clothes for their daughters when they get married.
The Duke of Vermont’s actions when he sent Claudel to Rowen were low-quality, substandard, and inhuman.
‘And you protested to the King on that?’
It was truly astonishing and heartbreaking. However, he couldn’t just tell Valquiterre everything about Claudel’s birth and upbringing. Her honor was at stake, and he didn’t want to give him detailed information about her. However, this conversation finally confirmed the strange premonition that had been nagging at Kaian for a while.
“Did you leak to Claudel that I would be taking a new Duchess?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act like a fool.”
Kaian looked at Valquiterre and burst out in anger.
“A woman who can’t even leave the royal lounge went into premature labor because of such a rumor.”
“She’s weak.”
“That’s ridiculous. Claudel isn’t weak.”
He knew better than anyone else, having snatched the woman who was being dragged away by the messenger and held her in his arms every day.
“She was healthy enough to have a child even after contracting Herzol.”
“I heard there are many variables in childbirth.”
“Did you say I would hold her funeral?”
“Did you say I would hold her funeral?”
Kaian realized that he would not hear the answer he wanted as his eyes met with Valquiterre's indifferent gaze.
“Do you doubt me now, Duke of Temnes?”
Kaian unconsciously clenched his hands.
“That’s why they say that even if you work hard for others, you don’t get anything in return.”
Valquiterre said forcefully.
“I understand that the Duke gained nothing from the King’s command. Yes. I indeed sided with Vermont.”
“...”
“It’s true that I wanted to prevent the Valmonde territory from starving to death or being slaughtered by the Duke’s legendary warriors.”
Valquiterre walked slowly around Kai’an, his hands behind his back.
“But I didn’t know that taking my people would anger the Duke this much. I thought you’d be happy if I returned the marriage, which you didn’t want anyway.”
He smirked at Kaian.
“Didn’t you come after me and ask me out after five days, saying it was nonsense?”
He doesn’t want to get married.
That she’s the daughter of Vermont.
Whenever he’s so excited, Valquiterre's mutterings pass by his ears.
“If we can’t use the ports of the North Sea, trade with the Sol Continent will be blocked right away. What am I supposed to do?”
He approached Kaian and patted his shoulder as if to encourage him.
“Fortunately, I’m single. Is there another groom in the Kingdom of Oberon who would suit the tastes of the Duke of Vermont?”
“This crazy bastard.”
Kaian couldn’t hold it in any longer and threw a punch.
Thud.
Valquiterre staggered after being hit in the face with a loud sound.
The handsome man’s face swelled up in an instant after being hit hard by the powerful punch. Valquiterre dabbed the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips and smiled as if nothing had happened.
“I’ll let this kind of insubordination slide today. But you’d better not expect anything next time, Duke.”
Duke.
That damn Duke’s voice.
Kaian was so angry that he felt like a cold flame was surrounding him.
The way Valquiterre used to call him when he was openly drawing a line and talking to him was so damning today.
“...Why Claudel?”
Kaian barely managed to ask.
“If you’re going to please the Duke of Vermont, you have her sister too.”
“I’ve told you many times. I’m cleaning up what you did.”
Valquiterre said shamelessly.
“You’re going to build a wounded and broken woman. What’s the point of complaining?”
“You really...”
“I said I wouldn’t tolerate any more insubordination.”
Kaian trembled.
“Well, the courtship proposals will flood Rowen Castle again. The Duke can choose any woman he wants.”
When he didn’t answer, Valquiterre raised his chin.
“Don’t expect the Duke’s insight.”
Young Claudel walked down the dark hallway.
The girl, who had become thinner and more emaciated after attending her father’s funeral, wearing a thin white one-piece nightgown, would not have been strangely considered the ghost of the castle. The child with disheveled red hair suffered from sleepwalking, and with each step she took, the sound of her small bare feet hitting the stone floor resonated loudly.
‘There’s such a big building in the world.’
Claudel was terrified of the closed structure that continued endlessly. She felt hopeless about living in such a place.
‘...I’m sleepy, but I can’t sleep.’
It wasn’t like she was completely unaware of her surroundings. It wasn’t like she wasn’t awake either.
Claudel wandered around the castle of Valmonde every late night in a half-asleep state.
Not knowing the way wasn’t a big problem for her.
If she fell asleep like this, curled up somewhere, one of the servants would wake up at dawn and take her back to the nicely decorated bedroom.
'...Claudel...!'
However, Claudel stopped in her tracks at the unexpected voice.
'...Mother?'
The voice she heard clearly was her mother's voice calling her.
However, even though she strained her ears, she could not hear the sound again. Instead, she could only hear the sound of someone yelling and getting angry, and someone else sobbing and weeping.
Claudel unconsciously swayed the hem of her nightgown and walked in the direction of the sound.
Just as she had turned the corner, around a large pillar, she froze in place.
'Claudel is my daughter. Let me take her.'
'Shut up! Listen! Banish this crazy woman from the castle.'
'Please.'
'No, banish her from the estate!'
...Mother?
Claudel's floating consciousness cried out in confusion.
The voice was clearly that of her mother, whom she had longed for, but what was revealed whenever the flickering candlelight shone was a melted form.
Regardless of the shock that had frozen her, the symptoms of sleepwalking continued.
Mother. Don't go. Don't leave me.
Unlike her waking consciousness, her half-asleep body and mouth did not move.
The Duke of Vermont, who had come around as if he had finished a bothersome task, frowned deeply at Claudel, who stood out like a ghost next to the long shadow of the pillar.
'Did you just see that?'
When he grabbed her small body by both shoulders and shook her, Claudel finally woke up and returned to reality.
'Oh, mother. My mother.'
At that moment, fire flashed across her cheeks.
'Tell me again. What did you see?'
'Mother. Mother!'
Claudel sobbed and tried to run towards the direction where her mother had been dragged away a moment ago, but the Duke of Vermont roughly grabbed her.
Another unstoppable violence fell on her cheeks.
'You didn't see anything.'
'Mother.'
'What do you think of the favor I gave you? There's no need to remember useless things.'
The child, whose cheeks were swollen red, covered her cold cheeks and answered emptyly.
'Uh, uh... I don't remember.'
This continued until Claudel stopped calling her mother.
'What did you see?'
'... Nothing. I don't remember.'
...Until I completely forgot my mother.
"...Huh."
I woke up soaked in cold sweat.
My head was soaked as if I had been doused with water, and as soon as I pulled back the blanket, a chill rushed over me.
Claudel tugged at the rope with trembling hands. Then the maids outside came in diligently and, seeing her in what seemed to be a sweat-soaked nightgown, they flinched in surprise.
“Oh, my. Let me change your clothes right away.”
“Would you rather wash?”
Claudel stammered.
“Bring someone over.”
“Yes? Who do you want to see?”
One of the maids’ eyes widened.
“Bring the mistress of the Salon Arvo.”
“Don’t expect the Duke’s insight.”
***
Young Claudel walked down the dark hallway.
The girl, who had become thinner and more emaciated after attending her father’s funeral, wearing a thin white one-piece nightgown, would not have been strangely considered the ghost of the castle. The child with disheveled red hair suffered from sleepwalking, and with each step she took, the sound of her small bare feet hitting the stone floor resonated loudly.
‘There’s such a big building in the world.’
Claudel was terrified of the closed structure that continued endlessly. She felt hopeless about living in such a place.
‘...I’m sleepy, but I can’t sleep.’
It wasn’t like she was completely unaware of her surroundings. It wasn’t like she wasn’t awake either.
Claudel wandered around the castle of Valmonde every late night in a half-asleep state.
Not knowing the way wasn’t a big problem for her.
If she fell asleep like this, curled up somewhere, one of the servants would wake up at dawn and take her back to the nicely decorated bedroom.
'...Claudel...!'
However, Claudel stopped in her tracks at the unexpected voice.
'...Mother?'
The voice she heard clearly was her mother's voice calling her.
However, even though she strained her ears, she could not hear the sound again. Instead, she could only hear the sound of someone yelling and getting angry, and someone else sobbing and weeping.
Claudel unconsciously swayed the hem of her nightgown and walked in the direction of the sound.
Just as she had turned the corner, around a large pillar, she froze in place.
'Claudel is my daughter. Let me take her.'
'Shut up! Listen! Banish this crazy woman from the castle.'
'Please.'
'No, banish her from the estate!'
...Mother?
Claudel's floating consciousness cried out in confusion.
The voice was clearly that of her mother, whom she had longed for, but what was revealed whenever the flickering candlelight shone was a melted form.
Regardless of the shock that had frozen her, the symptoms of sleepwalking continued.
Mother. Don't go. Don't leave me.
Unlike her waking consciousness, her half-asleep body and mouth did not move.
The Duke of Vermont, who had come around as if he had finished a bothersome task, frowned deeply at Claudel, who stood out like a ghost next to the long shadow of the pillar.
'Did you just see that?'
When he grabbed her small body by both shoulders and shook her, Claudel finally woke up and returned to reality.
'Oh, mother. My mother.'
At that moment, fire flashed across her cheeks.
'Tell me again. What did you see?'
'Mother. Mother!'
Claudel sobbed and tried to run towards the direction where her mother had been dragged away a moment ago, but the Duke of Vermont roughly grabbed her.
Another unstoppable violence fell on her cheeks.
'You didn't see anything.'
'Mother.'
'What do you think of the favor I gave you? There's no need to remember useless things.'
The child, whose cheeks were swollen red, covered her cold cheeks and answered emptyly.
'Uh, uh... I don't remember.'
This continued until Claudel stopped calling her mother.
'What did you see?'
'... Nothing. I don't remember.'
...Until I completely forgot my mother.
"...Huh."
I woke up soaked in cold sweat.
My head was soaked as if I had been doused with water, and as soon as I pulled back the blanket, a chill rushed over me.
Claudel tugged at the rope with trembling hands. Then the maids outside came in diligently and, seeing her in what seemed to be a sweat-soaked nightgown, they flinched in surprise.
“Oh, my. Let me change your clothes right away.”
“Would you rather wash?”
Claudel stammered.
“Bring someone over.”
“Yes? Who do you want to see?”
One of the maids’ eyes widened.
“Bring the mistress of the Salon Arvo.”
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