“I told you the kid is a little strange.”
But her mother couldn’t continue. It was because her father cleared his throat and interrupted her.
Ines tried to act as usual after returning home. But it was no use. If the twelve years she had spent had been just like any ordinary woman, Ines would not have acted differently enough for her mother to notice.
The original Ines was a typical beloved only daughter of a swindler, if not wild.
She did not bully people by being rude, but she often crossed the line between immaturity and cuteness.
“We have a marriage proposal, so we have to meet.”
Her father didn’t know, but Ines’ mother knew that she often met a man named Joseph. And that she always blushed at that commoner knight.
When her mother was too surprised to answer, her father continued.
“The son of Viscount Damian was supposed to come to our mansion this week, but that’s a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
“A new lord will be coming to Landhill soon.”
“Ah...”
Ines answered her mother’s question indifferently instead of her father’s. Then she suddenly realized something.
“So you’re saying that Landhill’s owner is changing? Why?”
He was curious that his daughter, who usually had no interest in the circumstances around her, was interested in the affairs of the estate, but her father kindly added an explanation.
“The Lord’s health is getting worse, and he can no longer take care of the territory. As you know, the Lord has no son to whom he can hand over the management of the territory.”
Although the Swenden Viscounts were said to work for the Lord of Lesonia, they were still people of Landhill. It was only natural that the Viscounts would be busy when the master changed.
“Then, is there a new lord who has decided to come...?”
Ines clenched her molars as she felt as if she could hear Lena’s voice, who always shook her body and muttered, right nearby.
Had the past changed? However, nothing had happened since Ines returned to the past that would change the situation. Furthermore, Ines didn’t know exactly when Carson von Raymond would become the master of Lesonia, not Landhill.
Ines was so lost in thought that she didn’t even hear her father calling her.
“Yes?”
“What are you thinking about? The food is getting cold.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. My head hurts all of a sudden.”
She tried to force a smile, but her heart was still anxious as if she was building a sand castle that wouldn’t hold together well.
“When will the new lord come to the estate?”
“In three days.”
“Three days...”
At that time, Ines was indifferent to the news of the new lord. To her, who was centered entirely around Joseph, the story of the eighth Prince was nothing more than someone else’s business.
At that time, Ines had gotten up in frustration and stormed out of her seat as soon as her father brought up the topic of marriage. So naturally, she hadn’t heard the news of the new lord. That day, Ines received a marriage proposal, and a few days later, her father found out about it and confined her to the mansion.
After barely getting married, she became a commoner’s wife and was unable to enter society, so it was not surprising that she didn’t remember exactly who the lord had changed, even though she had heard about it.
“But he won’t be coming to Landhill right away.”
“Then where...?”
Her father carefully continued, observing Ines’s expression.
“I heard there’s a Princess in Lesonia. So, she is the younger sister of the new lord. He is supposed to go and pick her up.”
Ines listened to her mother and hushed her footsteps. The strange kid her mother was talking about was definitely her.
“She must have become more docile now that she’s older.”
“That’s not it.”
“It’s just time to grow up. My wife is already a mother at Ines’ age. You worry too much.”
“That’s right, father.”
Ines answered in her mother’s place with a smile on her face, and the two of them shut their mouths as if they had made a promise.
“I’m the same as usual.”
“The same... I see it now, honey. If it were me, I would have glared at you, asking why you were talking about yourself in secret.”
“Mom, I’m 20 now.”
Ines stopped the servant who was trying to pull out her chair and pulled it out herself, sitting down.
“Even if it’s her 20th birthday, the kid suddenly becomes strange...”
“She must have become more docile now that she’s older.”
“That’s not it.”
“It’s just time to grow up. My wife is already a mother at Ines’ age. You worry too much.”
“That’s right, father.”
Ines answered in her mother’s place with a smile on her face, and the two of them shut their mouths as if they had made a promise.
“I’m the same as usual.”
“The same... I see it now, honey. If it were me, I would have glared at you, asking why you were talking about yourself in secret.”
“Mom, I’m 20 now.”
Ines stopped the servant who was trying to pull out her chair and pulled it out herself, sitting down.
“Even if it’s her 20th birthday, the kid suddenly becomes strange...”
But her mother couldn’t continue. It was because her father cleared his throat and interrupted her.
Ines tried to act as usual after returning home. But it was no use. If the twelve years she had spent had been just like any ordinary woman, Ines would not have acted differently enough for her mother to notice.
The original Ines was a typical beloved only daughter of a swindler, if not wild.
She did not bully people by being rude, but she often crossed the line between immaturity and cuteness.
When her mother’s face did not brighten due to worry about her daughter, Ines intentionally put her elbows on the table and rested her chin on it. Her mother was horrified when she saw this and scolded her.
“Oh, look at her. Who taught her table manners like that?”
“Huh? Sorry, Mom.”
Her mother seemed a little relieved while scolding her. Her father also glanced at Ines absentmindedly and lifted his teacup to cover his mouth. He was probably smiling slightly.
“Ines.”
When the meal was halfway through, her father called her name. Instead of answering, she turned her gaze to meet his eyes and her father smiled kindly.
“I have a marriage proposal.”
Ah, Ines recalled a memory from the past that she had forgotten.
On the morning of her birthday, her father had informed her that a Viscount in Lesonia had proposed a marriage.
Her father’s attitude was very cautious. At that time, Ines, who was immature, was so immersed in foolish love that she didn’t care about her father’s expression. When she didn’t answer, her mother stepped in to help her father.
“Ines, this is a very good family. You know the Lord of Lesonia? I heard that they are a family that assists that Count’s family along with your father.”
There were several reasons why her father, Viscount Andrew Swenden, came to assist the Lord of Lesonia instead of his own land, Landhill.
The location of the Swenden Manor was currently adjacent to Lesonia, and before the boundaries of the land were changed, the Swenden family belonged to Lesonia.
Many roads were washed away by heavy rain several years ago, and the boundaries of the land were changed to what they are now for convenience in the process of restoring the land.
However, since the number of Viscounts was small compared to the size of the estate, Lesonia continued to hope that Swenden would support the lord’s family.
“When can we meet?”
“So don’t just say no, what...?”
“Oh, look at her. Who taught her table manners like that?”
“Huh? Sorry, Mom.”
Her mother seemed a little relieved while scolding her. Her father also glanced at Ines absentmindedly and lifted his teacup to cover his mouth. He was probably smiling slightly.
“Ines.”
When the meal was halfway through, her father called her name. Instead of answering, she turned her gaze to meet his eyes and her father smiled kindly.
“I have a marriage proposal.”
Ah, Ines recalled a memory from the past that she had forgotten.
On the morning of her birthday, her father had informed her that a Viscount in Lesonia had proposed a marriage.
Her father’s attitude was very cautious. At that time, Ines, who was immature, was so immersed in foolish love that she didn’t care about her father’s expression. When she didn’t answer, her mother stepped in to help her father.
“Ines, this is a very good family. You know the Lord of Lesonia? I heard that they are a family that assists that Count’s family along with your father.”
There were several reasons why her father, Viscount Andrew Swenden, came to assist the Lord of Lesonia instead of his own land, Landhill.
The location of the Swenden Manor was currently adjacent to Lesonia, and before the boundaries of the land were changed, the Swenden family belonged to Lesonia.
Many roads were washed away by heavy rain several years ago, and the boundaries of the land were changed to what they are now for convenience in the process of restoring the land.
However, since the number of Viscounts was small compared to the size of the estate, Lesonia continued to hope that Swenden would support the lord’s family.
“When can we meet?”
“So don’t just say no, what...?”
“We have a marriage proposal, so we have to meet.”
Her father didn’t know, but Ines’ mother knew that she often met a man named Joseph. And that she always blushed at that commoner knight.
When her mother was too surprised to answer, her father continued.
“The son of Viscount Damian was supposed to come to our mansion this week, but that’s a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
“A new lord will be coming to Landhill soon.”
“Ah...”
Ines answered her mother’s question indifferently instead of her father’s. Then she suddenly realized something.
“So you’re saying that Landhill’s owner is changing? Why?”
He was curious that his daughter, who usually had no interest in the circumstances around her, was interested in the affairs of the estate, but her father kindly added an explanation.
“The Lord’s health is getting worse, and he can no longer take care of the territory. As you know, the Lord has no son to whom he can hand over the management of the territory.”
Although the Swenden Viscounts were said to work for the Lord of Lesonia, they were still people of Landhill. It was only natural that the Viscounts would be busy when the master changed.
“Then, is there a new lord who has decided to come...?”
“Carson von Raymond, the eighth Prince of His Majesty the Emperor.”
At that moment, Ines tightly closed her eyes and clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly. And she tried to piece together the memories that had been scattered to various places.
Prisoner number 3790, who was more commonly called the madman of Romfield than Lena.
Why were her words coming to mind now?
The person Lena had cursed every single day was definitely the Lord of Lesonia. So Ines naturally assumed that the person behind the curse was Carson von Raymond, whom she had met. But then came the news that he was coming to Landhill, not Lesonia.
“You’re going to die anyway, you’re going to die too, you know? I killed the royal family. I killed the royal family.”
Lena’s words, which she had been repeating like a spell while repeatedly rubbing her red hair band, rang in Ines’ ears.
According to what she had heard from others, her crime was the negligent homicide of the royal family.
So who on earth was the royal family she had killed?
At that moment, Ines tightly closed her eyes and clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly. And she tried to piece together the memories that had been scattered to various places.
Prisoner number 3790, who was more commonly called the madman of Romfield than Lena.
Why were her words coming to mind now?
The person Lena had cursed every single day was definitely the Lord of Lesonia. So Ines naturally assumed that the person behind the curse was Carson von Raymond, whom she had met. But then came the news that he was coming to Landhill, not Lesonia.
“You’re going to die anyway, you’re going to die too, you know? I killed the royal family. I killed the royal family.”
Lena’s words, which she had been repeating like a spell while repeatedly rubbing her red hair band, rang in Ines’ ears.
According to what she had heard from others, her crime was the negligent homicide of the royal family.
So who on earth was the royal family she had killed?
"The lord who wouldn’t be satisfied even if he were to tear him to pieces... said that all he had to do was do as he said... He clearly said he would spare Jason, but this bastard who would tear him to pieces... Jason, Jason..."
Ines clenched her molars as she felt as if she could hear Lena’s voice, who always shook her body and muttered, right nearby.
Had the past changed? However, nothing had happened since Ines returned to the past that would change the situation. Furthermore, Ines didn’t know exactly when Carson von Raymond would become the master of Lesonia, not Landhill.
The only thing Ines knew about the world was the magazines and newspaper headlines on the desk she saw every time she was dragged to Zemern’s office.
“...Nes... Ines?”
“...Nes... Ines?”
Ines was so lost in thought that she didn’t even hear her father calling her.
“Yes?”
“What are you thinking about? The food is getting cold.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. My head hurts all of a sudden.”
She tried to force a smile, but her heart was still anxious as if she was building a sand castle that wouldn’t hold together well.
“When will the new lord come to the estate?”
“In three days.”
“Three days...”
At that time, Ines was indifferent to the news of the new lord. To her, who was centered entirely around Joseph, the story of the eighth Prince was nothing more than someone else’s business.
At that time, Ines had gotten up in frustration and stormed out of her seat as soon as her father brought up the topic of marriage. So naturally, she hadn’t heard the news of the new lord. That day, Ines received a marriage proposal, and a few days later, her father found out about it and confined her to the mansion.
After barely getting married, she became a commoner’s wife and was unable to enter society, so it was not surprising that she didn’t remember exactly who the lord had changed, even though she had heard about it.
“But he won’t be coming to Landhill right away.”
“Then where...?”
Her father carefully continued, observing Ines’s expression.
“I heard there’s a Princess in Lesonia. So, she is the younger sister of the new lord. He is supposed to go and pick her up.”
The new owner of Landhill was said to be stopping by Lesonia and then coming here. Her father, who also assisted the Lesonia estate, was naturally doubly busy.
“That is why Viscount Damian’s son cannot come here.”
“Yes.”
Three days later, he came to Lesonia.
Ines took a breath. It was twelve years later that she had met Carson. She thought that perhaps she would not have the chance to meet him in this life. The savior who saved Ines from being forgiven even in death, and the only person who had kept her safe.
The savior who had reached out with good intentions for the first time in a world filled with contempt and malice toward her.
Ines’s heart began to beat at the thought of seeing him again.
Then she felt that she had forgotten something important that she must not miss. She simply chewed her lower lip, putting aside her anxiety and joy.
Even after returning to her room, Ines couldn’t sit down and just kept wandering around.
She recalled the day she was released from prison when she had met Carson.
“That is why Viscount Damian’s son cannot come here.”
“Yes.”
Three days later, he came to Lesonia.
Ines took a breath. It was twelve years later that she had met Carson. She thought that perhaps she would not have the chance to meet him in this life. The savior who saved Ines from being forgiven even in death, and the only person who had kept her safe.
The savior who had reached out with good intentions for the first time in a world filled with contempt and malice toward her.
Ines’s heart began to beat at the thought of seeing him again.
Then she felt that she had forgotten something important that she must not miss. She simply chewed her lower lip, putting aside her anxiety and joy.
***
Even after returning to her room, Ines couldn’t sit down and just kept wandering around.
She recalled the day she was released from prison when she had met Carson.
Ines, who had been sentenced to 30 years in prison in Romfield, had been granted a special pardon to coincide with the new Emperor’s ascension to power and had been released from that prison.
The huge prison door that seemed like it would never open opened and Ines was pushed out into the world.
With a loud bang, the door closed behind her, and at the same time, the strong sunlight that made her eyes ache was the first thing that greeted her.
She covered her face with her hands and waited for the sunlight to get used to it for a while, catching her breath. She couldn’t even open her eyes properly and started walking, but she just couldn’t find the courage to go out into the world.
When she came out of the rough forest path and came upon a wide, well-maintained sidewalk, she had no choice but to stop. In the distance, she could see people leisurely strolling in the market.
But Ines knew. What cruelty was hidden behind those ordinary people’s faces that seemed warm and kind at first glance?
“Die. Die!”
“I wouldn’t even waste rotten food on something like that, you dirty bitch.”
“Look at that half-and-half face, eating her husband and then latching on to another bastard.”
People threw whatever they could at her as she was dragged into the courtroom by the guards.
The huge prison door that seemed like it would never open opened and Ines was pushed out into the world.
With a loud bang, the door closed behind her, and at the same time, the strong sunlight that made her eyes ache was the first thing that greeted her.
She covered her face with her hands and waited for the sunlight to get used to it for a while, catching her breath. She couldn’t even open her eyes properly and started walking, but she just couldn’t find the courage to go out into the world.
When she came out of the rough forest path and came upon a wide, well-maintained sidewalk, she had no choice but to stop. In the distance, she could see people leisurely strolling in the market.
But Ines knew. What cruelty was hidden behind those ordinary people’s faces that seemed warm and kind at first glance?
“Die. Die!”
“I wouldn’t even waste rotten food on something like that, you dirty bitch.”
“Look at that half-and-half face, eating her husband and then latching on to another bastard.”
People threw whatever they could at her as she was dragged into the courtroom by the guards.
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