Chapter 10

The envoy from the neighboring country declared the accession of the new king. His Majesty the King congratulated the new king of the neighboring country on his ascension.

The new king of the neighboring country was a young general who had led the salvation army. I stopped trying to think about who the young general was, as the unfamiliar name puzzled me.

I wanted my best friend to be alive. I wanted to meet her again and check if she was well. However, it was unlikely that my best friend would return to this country, where I had lived and died as a duchess's daughter. The past had been buried.

In the office of the neighboring country's king, it seems that a magnificent flag embroidered with the coat of arms is displayed. I decided to think that it was my masterpiece, which I had completed beside the late duchess, who had been bedridden on a distant day. I decided to believe that the late and current dukes had delivered the work I had entrusted to them to my best friend.

The neighboring country was devastated by repeated civil wars. The new king had to take his role in governance seriously. If the neighboring country were to become even more devastated, it would be a disaster. The new king might be cursed as a foolish king, just like the former king whose head he had cut off, and might be beheaded by someone. That would be too sad.

The affairs of the neighboring country are the affairs of the neighboring country. My life as a teacher of embroidery to the young ladies of the duchess's household, busy and visiting various mansions every day, would not change.

On the contrary, my surroundings changed day by day.

The biggest change was the deaths of my parents and the late duke.

My parents suffered from floods in their territory. Thanks to their efforts in flood control in the latter half of their lives, the territory began to yield abundant harvests. The late duke had provided the funds for the flood control project.

I am proud of my parents, who repaid the interest-free, unsecured, and unlimited-term loan. After they passed away, my brother told me about it. I cried and laughed with my brother, moved by their thoughtful consideration.

I avoided informing the late duke, who was already in his old age, about the deaths of my parents. I only expressed my gratitude with my brother and his wife.

The late duke had already forgotten many things, just like the late duchess. Still, I wanted to convey my gratitude.

The late duke, thankfully, remembered me, who was not his biological child, until the end. In the late duke's memory, I had married my best friend and joined the ducal family.

"Thank you for coming to my child's home."

Thinking of the late duke's heart, who had lost his beloved daughter, his wife, and sent his beloved daughter's legacy to the battlefield, I could not deny his words.

"Please take care of my child."

The old man, known for his shrewdness, held my hand with his emaciated hand and said the same words as the late duchess, who had passed away before him.

"Yes, I understand."

I replied with the same words as before.

I put on mourning clothes again. I had one more grave to pray at. I felt lonely.

After seeing off the late duke and duchess, and with my parents also gone, I found myself left behind. My brother and his wife, who had inherited the title, did not say anything special to me. They only told me to spend some money on myself, as I earned my own living and helped with the family finances. Even if I adorned myself, I was still left behind. Nothing would change. I didn't want to change either.