“Please hire me as a tailor at Rowan Castle again.”
In fact, she wanted to wait for Claudel to come back, to bring back at least a piece of the red dress that the crazy Kaian had seen, but even that time was too cruel for Madame Marcel.
“I want to finish what I have to do.”
“You don’t have to be tied down. I’ll give you the freedom to make other choices.”
“The Lord ordered me to make a surprise gift for you.”
“A surprise gift?”
Claudel asked.
“I can’t tell you what it is. I guess I haven’t disobeyed the Lord’s order to keep it a secret.”
Madame Marcel smiled.
“I want to go back and finish the work I left behind. If you allow me, I’d like to make a dress for Madame.”
After a moment of silence, Grand Duke Luxen said.
“I’m thinking of taking Valquiterre to the duchy.”
“Isn’t that so?”
“Don’t you object?”
Kaian shook his head.
“No. I don’t think it’s my place to decide.”
“If Valquiterre were to be released, wouldn’t the Duke be the one who would be most concerned?”
“If he were to be held captive, wouldn’t I be the one who would be most concerned?”
Valquiterre was a special person to Kaian.
He couldn’t call him that, but he was a brother who shared the blood he inherited from his parents.
The two of them went their separate ways in their hearts.
While one trusted him infinitely, the other suffered from endless jealousy.
This was due to the lack of communication about each other’s lives.
Kaian was proud of Valquiterre, who sat at the top of the kingdom. Valquiterre who had cried and grown up on the same day and at the same time, had stabilized the country to this extent while fighting a war while he was building a territory, was amazing.
At one time, Kaian would have been the first to raise his flag and head to the battlefield for his brother.
Now, they were completely at odds.
If only he had been able to guess the darkness in his heart, even a little bit, Claudel and Julien might not have had to go through such hardships that were on the line of death.
It wasn’t the meager meals and barracks life that made Kaian suffer.
Thinking that he had driven his wife and children to the brink of death because of his shortcomings, he felt like he wasn’t qualified to rule Rowen, let alone Pagos.
That had severely damaged Kaian’s confidence, but he couldn’t show it on the outside. The fight was already a reality, and if he backed down or showed weakness, Claudel and Julien would get hurt again before Kaian himself.
It would be better if Valquiterre left the Kingdom of Oberon and went far away.
When Claudel was surprised by the unexpected words, Madame Marcel took a sip of tea as if embarrassed.
“It would be a shame to ask you to hire me again. Actually, I wasn’t fired or anything.”
After reuniting with Kaian and returning to Rowen Castle, Claudel had not heard anything about Madame Marcel. When Madame Marcel said that she had not been fired, Claudel hesitated.
“The lord appointed you as the exclusive tailor at Rowen Castle.”
“Yes. But I am the madame’s tailor.”
Madame Marcel’s mood seemed to sink as she recalled the old days.
“When the madame went missing, the lord clearly said that he saw her sinking deep into the water.”
“I see.”
“He said that he saw the red dress disappear into the dark lake.”
Madame Marcel tried to dress her in something else, saying that the nights on the lake could be cold, but the red dress was the key to her escape.
The striking red dress, a thin, flowing chiffon dress, was so light that it sank down with just a few stones sewn together. The swaying hem of the dress blinded the man’s sensitive eyes, giving her time to swim to the other side.
“Perhaps you chose that dress on purpose?”
“...Yes.”
“I only realized that when I heard that you were alive. I was so heartbroken up until then.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“That’s why you can’t refuse me."
Madame Marcel said emphatically.
“The Lord hired me to make clothes for the maid, but I couldn’t stay at Rowen Castle without you.”
“It would be a shame to ask you to hire me again. Actually, I wasn’t fired or anything.”
After reuniting with Kaian and returning to Rowen Castle, Claudel had not heard anything about Madame Marcel. When Madame Marcel said that she had not been fired, Claudel hesitated.
“The lord appointed you as the exclusive tailor at Rowen Castle.”
“Yes. But I am the madame’s tailor.”
Madame Marcel’s mood seemed to sink as she recalled the old days.
“When the madame went missing, the lord clearly said that he saw her sinking deep into the water.”
“I see.”
“He said that he saw the red dress disappear into the dark lake.”
Madame Marcel tried to dress her in something else, saying that the nights on the lake could be cold, but the red dress was the key to her escape.
The striking red dress, a thin, flowing chiffon dress, was so light that it sank down with just a few stones sewn together. The swaying hem of the dress blinded the man’s sensitive eyes, giving her time to swim to the other side.
“Perhaps you chose that dress on purpose?”
“...Yes.”
“I only realized that when I heard that you were alive. I was so heartbroken up until then.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“That’s why you can’t refuse me."
Madame Marcel said emphatically.
“The Lord hired me to make clothes for the maid, but I couldn’t stay at Rowen Castle without you.”
In fact, she wanted to wait for Claudel to come back, to bring back at least a piece of the red dress that the crazy Kaian had seen, but even that time was too cruel for Madame Marcel.
“I want to finish what I have to do.”
“You don’t have to be tied down. I’ll give you the freedom to make other choices.”
“The Lord ordered me to make a surprise gift for you.”
“A surprise gift?”
Claudel asked.
“I can’t tell you what it is. I guess I haven’t disobeyed the Lord’s order to keep it a secret.”
Madame Marcel smiled.
“I want to go back and finish the work I left behind. If you allow me, I’d like to make a dress for Madame.”
When Claudel didn’t readily accept, she looked at her.
“Actually, you didn’t like my dress.”
“No. Absolutely not.”
Claudel hesitated for a moment.
“You are too much for me, so I was wondering if I could just accept this kind of thought.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve been paid too much.”
“If you come back to Rowen Castle, you’re always welcome.”
Madame Marcel’s face lit up when she finally got the definite answer she had been waiting for.
“I will continue to work diligently for you, Madame.”
When she was happy, Claudel felt awkward but happy.
The reason she hadn’t checked on Madame Marcel’s work was because she was incompetent. She wasn’t confident that she had captured Kaian’s heart, so she thought she couldn’t bear it if he had interfered with her ordering Madame Marcel around and ended up being treated as a speculative, incompetent wife.
That’s why, rather than asking Madame Marcel for sure, she put more effort into confirming the evidence that could support the rumor.
Even so, it wasn’t that Claudel hated Madame Marcel.
It was unrealistic to think that she could monopolize a great husband like Kaian. She didn’t mind sharing his warmth like sunlight, so long as he didn’t push her into a completely shady place. That was all she hoped for.
“Please take care of me.”
Madame Marcel was one of the people who had been a great help to Claudel during her stay in Rowen.
The only people she could trust in Rowen Castle were Hannah, Madame Marcel, and the butler, Baron Colon.
The feeling of betrayal that she felt the moment her trusted axe struck her foot was even greater, but she thought that Madame Marcel would not be able to refuse whatever Kaian ordered her to do.
Now that she knows, it seems that it was true that he had given her a strict order that she could not refuse.
Madame Marcel left the living room.
Hannah, who had been loitering in the hallway, approached her with a smile.
“What did Madam say?”
She quickly asked out of curiosity, and Madame Marcel smiled brightly.
“She told me to take care of the work again.”
“Wow. It went so well.”
The two women held each other’s hands and jumped around without any sense of shame.
Madame Marcel snorted.
“I’ll have to make a lot of baby clothes when I go to Rowen Castle.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“I’ll give Hannah’s baby a present too.”
“Thank you.”
They were delighted, hoping that the good old days would come back.
The last time they saw the Grand Duke of Luxen was the year before last, during the celebration of the King’s Birthday.
Last year, the brothers’ birthdays were not a time to celebrate because of the civil war.
Before they set out, the Grand Duke of Luxen sent them a letter.
The messenger, who had changed horses several times and traveled a long way from the Duchy of Luxen, handed him a letter with worn edges just as he looked tired.
However, Kaian decided not to read the letter from the Grand Duke of Luxen. He thought about what it would contain, but then thought he didn’t.
That wasn’t Kaian’s doing. In this situation, Valquiterre was unilaterally trying to condemn Kaian as an enemy.
In the midst of this, what would Grand Duke Luxen have to say to me, not to Valquiterre? Give in? Or let him off?
Either way, Kaian would not be able to grant Grand Duke Luxen's wishes.
Since they were facing each other with weapons that could take lives, the concept of 'moderately' was not feasible.
"You didn't read the letter I sent you?"
Kaian answered Grand Duke Luxen's words.
"I didn't read it."
"Why didn't you read it?"
"I thought it wouldn't help the situation."
"I see. Since I didn't get a reply, I thought you hadn't even looked at it."
Grand Duke Luxen didn't seem offended.
"I just wrote to ask you to forgive that guy, Valquiterre."
"Even if I forgive him, it was a fight I couldn't lose."
“Actually, you didn’t like my dress.”
“No. Absolutely not.”
Claudel hesitated for a moment.
“You are too much for me, so I was wondering if I could just accept this kind of thought.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve been paid too much.”
“If you come back to Rowen Castle, you’re always welcome.”
Madame Marcel’s face lit up when she finally got the definite answer she had been waiting for.
“I will continue to work diligently for you, Madame.”
When she was happy, Claudel felt awkward but happy.
The reason she hadn’t checked on Madame Marcel’s work was because she was incompetent. She wasn’t confident that she had captured Kaian’s heart, so she thought she couldn’t bear it if he had interfered with her ordering Madame Marcel around and ended up being treated as a speculative, incompetent wife.
That’s why, rather than asking Madame Marcel for sure, she put more effort into confirming the evidence that could support the rumor.
Even so, it wasn’t that Claudel hated Madame Marcel.
It was unrealistic to think that she could monopolize a great husband like Kaian. She didn’t mind sharing his warmth like sunlight, so long as he didn’t push her into a completely shady place. That was all she hoped for.
“Please take care of me.”
Madame Marcel was one of the people who had been a great help to Claudel during her stay in Rowen.
The only people she could trust in Rowen Castle were Hannah, Madame Marcel, and the butler, Baron Colon.
The feeling of betrayal that she felt the moment her trusted axe struck her foot was even greater, but she thought that Madame Marcel would not be able to refuse whatever Kaian ordered her to do.
Now that she knows, it seems that it was true that he had given her a strict order that she could not refuse.
Madame Marcel left the living room.
Hannah, who had been loitering in the hallway, approached her with a smile.
“What did Madam say?”
She quickly asked out of curiosity, and Madame Marcel smiled brightly.
“She told me to take care of the work again.”
“Wow. It went so well.”
The two women held each other’s hands and jumped around without any sense of shame.
Madame Marcel snorted.
“I’ll have to make a lot of baby clothes when I go to Rowen Castle.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“I’ll give Hannah’s baby a present too.”
“Thank you.”
They were delighted, hoping that the good old days would come back.
***
The last time they saw the Grand Duke of Luxen was the year before last, during the celebration of the King’s Birthday.
Last year, the brothers’ birthdays were not a time to celebrate because of the civil war.
Before they set out, the Grand Duke of Luxen sent them a letter.
The messenger, who had changed horses several times and traveled a long way from the Duchy of Luxen, handed him a letter with worn edges just as he looked tired.
However, Kaian decided not to read the letter from the Grand Duke of Luxen. He thought about what it would contain, but then thought he didn’t.
That wasn’t Kaian’s doing. In this situation, Valquiterre was unilaterally trying to condemn Kaian as an enemy.
In the midst of this, what would Grand Duke Luxen have to say to me, not to Valquiterre? Give in? Or let him off?
Either way, Kaian would not be able to grant Grand Duke Luxen's wishes.
Since they were facing each other with weapons that could take lives, the concept of 'moderately' was not feasible.
"You didn't read the letter I sent you?"
Kaian answered Grand Duke Luxen's words.
"I didn't read it."
"Why didn't you read it?"
"I thought it wouldn't help the situation."
"I see. Since I didn't get a reply, I thought you hadn't even looked at it."
Grand Duke Luxen didn't seem offended.
"I just wrote to ask you to forgive that guy, Valquiterre."
"Even if I forgive him, it was a fight I couldn't lose."
"Since the son wouldn't listen to his father. I was grasping at straws."
After a moment of silence, Grand Duke Luxen said.
“I’m thinking of taking Valquiterre to the duchy.”
“Isn’t that so?”
“Don’t you object?”
Kaian shook his head.
“No. I don’t think it’s my place to decide.”
“If Valquiterre were to be released, wouldn’t the Duke be the one who would be most concerned?”
“If he were to be held captive, wouldn’t I be the one who would be most concerned?”
Valquiterre was a special person to Kaian.
He couldn’t call him that, but he was a brother who shared the blood he inherited from his parents.
The two of them went their separate ways in their hearts.
While one trusted him infinitely, the other suffered from endless jealousy.
This was due to the lack of communication about each other’s lives.
Kaian was proud of Valquiterre, who sat at the top of the kingdom. Valquiterre who had cried and grown up on the same day and at the same time, had stabilized the country to this extent while fighting a war while he was building a territory, was amazing.
At one time, Kaian would have been the first to raise his flag and head to the battlefield for his brother.
Now, they were completely at odds.
If only he had been able to guess the darkness in his heart, even a little bit, Claudel and Julien might not have had to go through such hardships that were on the line of death.
It wasn’t the meager meals and barracks life that made Kaian suffer.
Thinking that he had driven his wife and children to the brink of death because of his shortcomings, he felt like he wasn’t qualified to rule Rowen, let alone Pagos.
That had severely damaged Kaian’s confidence, but he couldn’t show it on the outside. The fight was already a reality, and if he backed down or showed weakness, Claudel and Julien would get hurt again before Kaian himself.
It would be better if Valquiterre left the Kingdom of Oberon and went far away.
“Thank you for telling me that.”
“I don’t know what Bianque would say.”
She was dissatisfied with Valquiterre's actions. Just by revealing the secret of his birth and suggesting that he could marry Valquiterre if she sided with Kaian, Bianque immediately turned to his side.
“I’ll take care of that problem. Don’t worry.”
With that story, the conversation between the two men ended. Kaian, who did not want to stay in the palace for even a moment longer, soon got on his horse and started to go down the slope of the palace.
'I wondered if there was anything else, but there was nothing to worry about.'
It was fortunate that the conversation ended like this. He was secretly worried because he had no idea what Grand Duke Luxen would say.
'And I checked with Valquiterre.'
He asked what had been bothering him the whole time.
If he really liked Claudel.
But Valquiterre didn't seem to care about that.
He worried that his brother had really been attracted to his wife, or that he had found something special in Claudel that seemed special to Kaian.
If he had coveted something that he couldn't give up, he didn't know if he would hate or blame Valquiterre for the rest of his life. If he had to fill the rest of his life with such feelings, how much more unhappy would Kaian himself be before he could punish Valquiterre?
Kaian arrived at the mansion just after sunset.
He handed the reins to the stableman at the entrance and took off his gloves. As he entered the mansion, his eyes met Claudel's, who was holding onto the railing on the second floor and looking down.
"Are you home?"
Kaian diligently greeted her and hugged her as soon as she came down the stairs.
'What I gained and what I lost.'
I will never forget.
"I'm home."
It was fortunate that the conversation ended like this. He was secretly worried because he had no idea what Grand Duke Luxen would say.
'And I checked with Valquiterre.'
He asked what had been bothering him the whole time.
If he really liked Claudel.
But Valquiterre didn't seem to care about that.
He worried that his brother had really been attracted to his wife, or that he had found something special in Claudel that seemed special to Kaian.
If he had coveted something that he couldn't give up, he didn't know if he would hate or blame Valquiterre for the rest of his life. If he had to fill the rest of his life with such feelings, how much more unhappy would Kaian himself be before he could punish Valquiterre?
Kaian arrived at the mansion just after sunset.
He handed the reins to the stableman at the entrance and took off his gloves. As he entered the mansion, his eyes met Claudel's, who was holding onto the railing on the second floor and looking down.
"Are you home?"
Kaian diligently greeted her and hugged her as soon as she came down the stairs.
'What I gained and what I lost.'
I will never forget.
"I'm home."
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