"Her Highness the Grand Duchess..."
The Grand Duchess smiled and slowly closed her eyes. Her breathing became quiet.
"Your Highness, the Grand Duchess!"
As Odelia leaned forward urgently, the Grand Duchess whispered with her last ounce of strength.
"Do not grieve too deeply. I have already savored every moment, so I have no regrets. I do not want to leave only sadness behind in the place where I have gone."
The Grand Duchess's voice grew lower and lower, and her breath trembled faintly.
Odelia's eyes flushed hot. Her throat felt as if it were completely blocked, but she managed to pull her lips away and whisper.
"I will definitely... protect it. What Your Highness has wished for, and even my parents and the name of my family—no matter what happens, I will surely do it."
The Grand Duchess slowly closed her eyes with a smile that was not quite a smile. Like someone finally resting comfortably after a long journey, only tranquility permeated her face.
"...Your Highness...!"
Odelia tightly grasped her hand with trembling fingertips. However, the Grand Duchess did not answer.
In deep silence, Odelia squeezed her eyes shut and sat there for a long time, unable to let go of his hand.
In the room, only the silence of a final farewell settled quietly, along with her rough breathing.
***
The news of the Grand Duchess's death spread throughout the empire within a day of the banquet ending.
The will revealed in the meantime overturned the expectations of many. This was particularly true of the provision bequeathing the villa she cherished most during her lifetime—um, Talamand—to Baroness Odelia.
A few days later, the funeral was held solemnly.
The Grand Duchess's coffin, adorned with the flowers she loved, was placed at the center of the grand funeral procession. The imperial family and nobility of the Empire gathered to bid her farewell on her final journey, and Odelia, draped in a black veil, guarded the coffin to the very end.
Flower petals scattered in the wind and quietly settled on her shoulder.
After the funeral ended, people's mouths were busy again.
Now, the Empire's gaze turned toward Talamand. Everyone held their breath, watching to see how the Grand Duchess's final choice would change the fate of a territory and a woman.
***
A few days after the Grand Duchess's funeral, Odelia quietly visited the villa with her face freed from the black veil.
This place was now hers, but her heart still felt unfamiliar. The mansion, where the Grand Duchess's breath had lingered for decades, was filled with a heavy silence.
"Baroness, this way."
The Grand Duchess's aide led the way and guided them.
The old gentleman, with his long gray hair neatly tied back, was a loyal figure who had served the Grand Duchess for a long time. His voice was tinged with sorrow, but at the same time, it held respect for Odelia.
As she walked along the long corridor, the Grand Duchess's taste was evident everywhere. From the portraits hanging on every wall and the old antiques to the vast garden visible through the glass windows, Odelia calmly took in all of it.
"This is... Her Highness's study."
As the aide opened the door, a faint scent of flowers and the smell of old books wafted in together. It was the Grand Duchess's private space, and her traces remained intact.
Odelia slowly approached the desk. On the desk lay neatly arranged documents, a quill pen, and a few faded letters.
Among them, one particularly worn envelope caught her eye. The edges of the envelope bore the marks of time, but a familiar sentence clearly engraved on it captivated her gaze.
It felt as if she had caught her breath. Odelia picked up the envelope with trembling fingertips.
It was filled with dense records and signed documents.
The more she read, the wider her eyes became. The document contained the truth behind the incident in which the Rubis family had been framed for treason. Odelia tightened her grip on the document.
"Someday, clear the disgrace from your parents and family."
Odelia took a deep breath. Then, with a determined look in her eyes, she clutched the document tightly.
***
Crash! A sharp scraping sound rang out from a corner of the imperial palace.
Fabiana was throwing nearby objects in anger. The ladies-in-waiting, who had become quite accustomed to such situations, simply stood there with their mouths shut and heads bowed low.
"Calix sent supplies to Talamand again this time?!"
Fabiana's sharp voice rang out.
"He suddenly started showering every small village with supplies and whatnot, so I wondered what kind of nonsense he was pulling... It was all for Talamand?! What a true romantic!"
Her voice was filled with anger. As the ladies-in-waiting glanced at one another and flinched, the Duke of Devon sat on one side with his arms crossed, glaring at his daughter.
"Stop acting vulgar and just sit down."
As the Duke of Devon rebuked her in a low voice, Fabiana, trembling uncontrollably, glared at her father.
"Father, aren't you dumbfounded? He is using the imperial treasury as he pleases!"
"Even so, it was a justifiable move. Besides, you sent bandits to the Talamand territory several times. Don't you know that your scheme to prevent the supplies from arriving was all in vain? How long do you intend to waste time on such petty schemes?"
At the sight of her father clicking his tongue in disapproval as if he were dying of pity, Fabiana could not offer any rebuttal and just smashed an innocent teacup on the floor.
"Father, don't you feel any pity for me?!"
"In the end, wasn't it your choice? That is why you should have just stayed as Liam's Empress. Isn't this mess caused by you killing him? Did you think you could control Calix by intimidating that woman?"
As the Duke of Devon scoffed, Fabiana finally burst into tears. The Duke of Devon looked at his pathetic daughter and soon spoke in a secretive voice.
"Just wait and see."
In any case, it was the same for the Duke of Devon as well: Odelia was a thorn in his side. Wiping away her tears, Fabiana spoke in a sullen tone.
"Do you have a plan or something? I can't just mess with that woman openly. You know! You know what Calix did to my aide's ankle back then!"
"All you have to do is not move openly."
***
Talamand Manor on a day when thunderous lightning struck, and heavy rain poured down.
The fierce wind lashed against the windows and screamed, and the walls and ceiling seemed to shake with every clap of thunder.
On this bleak night, Odelia was holding Allan tightly in her arms.
Sje embraced his cold, blood-stained body and traced his frozen cheek with trembling fingertips. With every breath she swallowed, the stench of blood burrowed into her lungs.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
A ceaseless muttering voice filled the room hollowly.
With every clap of thunder, flashing lightning illuminated the room, revealing the gruesome sight of the two people, their bodies drenched in blood, in stark detail for a moment.
A horrific sight with red stains scattered across the walls and floor.
Soon, the door burst open, and the butler and servants rushed in.
"Lady Odelia!"
"Aaah! Mr. Allan!"
The servants ran out into the hallway, screaming, pale-faced. The Talamand mansion was filled with chaos.
Some slumped to the floor and wailed, while others trembled and repeatedly shouted, 'He is dead. The Baron is dead!'
The only one who remained motionless was Odelia.
***
The greenhouse was filled with the damp air of early morning and the scent of flowers. Calix tended the plants with meticulous care, leveling the soil and pruning the branches.
The potatoes Odelia had sent were growing vigorously and preparing to bloom, and his fingertips caressed the soil as if by habit.
It was just as he had finished grooming himself and was about to head to the path he always walked for his morning duties.
The aide ran up from the far end of the hallway, panting, and stopped in front of Calix with a pale face.
"Your Majesty...! Something terrible has happened. Lady Odelia has been imprisoned!"
Calix's feet stopped. It took an instant for his face, which had been indifferent as if uninterested in anything, to contort.
"What?"
"Oh, Lady Odelia... Baroness Talamand... has been imprisoned in the dungeon."
Calix immediately turned around and headed to the underground prison.
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