Theodore was strolling along the lake in Tahata.
It was the place where Mary cried her eyes out when she heard their family’s secret while walking on this lake with Rex.
As Theodore flopped down on the grass near the lake, the knight beside him fidgeted.
“Master, if you sit in a place like this…….”
“It’s okay. I want to rest a little because the sun is nice.”
Thinking of Theodore, who had been wandering around this small town all day, the knight could no longer urge him to get up, so he kept his mouth shut and stayed by Theodore’s side.
Theodore gazed languidly at the surface of the lake, glistening in the sunlight.
He wondered what Mary was doing now.
The only sister he’d ever had.
She was his one and only younger sister. Although they were separated when they were very young, she resembled their mother in everything except eye and hair color.
For that reason alone, Mary was a dear and precious sister to her three brothers.
Yet, sometimes, when Mary looked at him and his brothers, there was a strange sense of discomfort in her eyes. Theodore wasn’t the only one who noticed.
Sometimes Gilbert regretted that he had been so cold to the child the day he saw her again after nine years.
How difficult it must have been for a child to be suddenly in a strange place.
Gilbert, now eighteen, understood how young and clueless nine-year-old Mary must have been. He had always admired their father and tried to act sternly toward Aiden and Theodore, but at some point, he stopped hiding his affectionate nature.
As Gilbert reached a marriageable age, suitors from various noble families started approaching him.
Despite being the son of Grand Duke Conler there were hardly any women willing to enter the Conler family due to the curse they were said to carry.
But Gilbert had rejected them all, saying he was not ready, and Estin respected his decision.
Gilbert claimed he wasn’t ready, but Theodore knew better. Gilbert has always been preparing himself to inherit the Conler family’s curse, following Estin.
‘That goes for Mary Conler as well.’
The youngest of the family, Mary Conler, is currently the only one of the four siblings to have a fiancé.
Theodore sometimes didn’t understand the Emperor.
Why would he choose the youngest daughter of the Grand Duke of Conler, whom he hated so much, to be his son’s fiancée, but Gilbert’s explanation made some sense.
There is no safer place to be than in the Grand Duchy of Conler.
If Demimore came to the Grand Duchy, he would no longer be a threat to Cameron and would be protected by the Grand Duke.
Considering the rumors surrounding Demimore’s mother, who had received numerous assassination threats, it was probably the best decision the Emperor could have made.
Besides, the Grand Duke could not refuse an imperial order.
The thought that two innocent children were sacrificed for no good reason does not escape Theodore’s mind. They’re only two years apart.
If the damn bloodline was so important, wouldn’t it be better for Demimore to succeed on the imperial throne? Feeling low at the thought of his younger sister being used above all others, Theodore fumbled around with his hands.
Grabbing a small pebble, he slowly rose from his seat and threw it into the lake with all his might.
Rough ripples formed on the calm surface of the lake.
“Young master!”
As Theodore continued to gaze at the lake until the ripples disappeared, a voice calling his name was heard from a distance.
What? Why are you screaming? Theodore frowned.
But his frown soon turned to curiosity as he realized that in a town as calm and serene as this lake, it was rare to hear such a loud noise.
“Phew, there you are, my Lord.”
The knight who had rushed over bent at the waist and drew in a ragged breath.
What could possibly be the reason for a knight who is considered one of the best on the continent to come rushing in such a hurry and exhale so harshly?
Theodore’s mind rippled as if a stone had been thrown at him.
“Miss…”
“Mary?”
“They say she’s back!”
The knight’s tear-soaked voice rumbled in Theodore’s ear. It was an unreal moment, as if it were a dream.
The sparkling lake was beautiful, and the person he always missed finally returned home.
“We should get back.”
Theodore looked up at the sky. The sun was so bright that he felt like crying.
***
Tia Bluea was at the Grand Duchy again today.
The Grand Duke became subtly cold right after Mary Conler disappeared, but he had treated her with more warmth.
Although they’ve been prying around about Duke Bluea. Tia Bluea had been keeping her mouth shut as much as possible as the Duke of Bluea’s spy.
Tia liked this place.
The name Tia Blua, the people who treated her kindly, the beautiful dresses, and the sparkling jewels—everything here captivated her.
There were times when it was boring, and there were times when her pride was bruised, but when she realized that once she got through all of that, she would have this huge mansion in her hands,
“It’s been a while!”
“Yes, I see you’ve come today.”
Duke Bluea was also quite handsome, but Grand Duke Estin really looked like a sculpted masterpiece.
If the divine creator really exists, he must be a very good sculptor.
In fact, sometimes he was frightening, but looking at his face, one could get lost in its beauty and mistake him for a kind-hearted man.
“Miss!”
Tia’s head, which had been fixed on Estin’s face, turned back at the sound of someone calling her.
If she wasn’t mistaken, the voice belonged to Lucas.
‘Did he only just notice my arrival? Were we close enough for him to be so pleased to see me?’
However, what Tia saw within her line of sight was Lucas’s back. His gaze remained fixed on the entrance.
‘What’s going on?’
When Tia turned her head again, Estin wasn’t looking at her either. He had a subtly tense expression as he gazed beyond Lucas’s back. Tia began to feel uneasy.
“Mary Conler…….”
Mary Conler is back? Tia turned to see Mary Conler clutching a colorful bouquet of flowers in her arms.
She had an awkward smile on her face, as if she was embarrassed to be back.
“I’m back…….”
“Miss!”
Mary was greeted in a hushed voice, and Lucas rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her tiny body.
As if she expected him to do so, she handed the bouquet in her arms to the man next to her.
The man beside her was a handsome boy with silver hair and red eyes. Tia recognized him immediately.
That was her fiancé, Demimore Arstans, the Second Prince of the Empire, a handsome man whose noble lineage was evident.
Although his face was more accurately described as beautiful rather than handsome at this point, his features were delicate, and his tall, slender figure hinted at the future transformation of a handsome man as he aged.
All of the servants came running at the sound of Lucas’ voice.
Some burst into tears at the sight of Mary Conler in Lucas’ arms.
Tia Bluea was confused. Why were they so overjoyed to see someone who left and returned as she pleased?
“You’re back.”
Though Estin was still by her side, Tia couldn’t help but feel uneasy as he walked towards Lucas and pulled him away from Mary’s embrace.
Tia observed the scene, feeling a sense of jealousy. Mary, too, appeared flustered as she blushed slightly upon seeing Estin.
“Oh, father…”
“Yes, Mary Conler.”
“Do you remember…”
Mary asked expectantly as she watched Estin bend his knees to meet her gaze. However, before her question could fully form, Estin shook his head, causing her expression to turn sad as she lowered her head.
“I see. If I burdened you in any way, I apologize. It’s just the way you look at me so tenderly… it reminds me of Father…”
“I may have lost my memory, but that doesn’t mean I’m not your father.”
Tia clenched her fists at the sound of Grand Duke Estin’s affectionate voice.
No matter how much she tried to act like she didn’t care, this was unbearable. The affectionate attitude Estin showed Mary now was not the same formal demeanor he displayed towards her.
“I should be the one to apologize.”
“Father…”
Her father, who was always so kind to her, her beautiful fiancé, who stood by her side as she cried, the employees, who cared for her and loved her, and this spooky, beautiful mansion.
‘It’s mine…’
It was the seat of Tia Bluea that God promised.
Not that fake one. Tia stood here, biting her lips. The moment she had been waiting for was coming soon, very soon.
