Chapter 10

10

Mrs. Seymour did not call me because of the necklace I received from Theodor, nor because I had sold all the jewels I brought from the Everett Dukedom. Of course, it seemed such facts had already reached Mrs. Seymour's ears, but she did not seem particularly concerned. However, her face, which was usually stern, was now deeply troubled, which made me feel uneasy.

"Ah, you're here."

Mrs. Seymour, who was standing by the window, turned to me and briefly began. Her attitude was calm, but her face was tinged with a sadness that could not be hidden.

I quietly approached her, trying not to make a sound. Although there had been an inspection of the estate, I did not particularly have any ill feelings toward her. It was just awkward.

"You wanted to see me..."

"Yes, I have something to tell you. Lily should know as well."

Mrs. Seymour gestured for me to follow and continued.

"In four days, it will be Camille's anniversary, Theodor's older brother."

"…!"

I couldn't help but open my eyes wide and quickly composed my expression. …I had no idea. Although I had studied the Valentine family before my marriage, the anniversary of Camille Valentine had been omitted by my governess.

Suddenly, I recalled Theodor's tearful face in the dark garden at dawn. The recent gloomy atmosphere in the castle and Mrs. Seymour's troubled expression were all because Camille Valentine's anniversary was approaching.

"Do you know how Camille passed away, Lily?"

"…I know he died while trying to stop a rift."

I answered based on my memory. The place we arrived at was a room filled with portraits. It seemed to be a room where the portraits of the previous Valentine Dukes, their wives, and direct descendants were stored.

"It happened when Camille was twenty. Theodor was even younger. The previous Duke and Duchess of Valentine… my brother-in-law and sister, were also swept away by the sudden rift and lost their lives. And then Camille also died due to the rift."

"…."

Mrs. Seymour stood in front of two large portraits. I read the elegant handwriting below the portraits: Pietro Valentine, Renée Valentine. They were the previous Duke and Duchess.

"I…"

Mrs. Seymour, looking up at the two portraits, closed her mouth as if her throat was choked. After a moment, she continued.

"I truly respected my brother-in-law and sister. They deserved the love of everyone. How they had to leave the world at such a young age… I still can't understand it."

"…."

"The same goes for Camille's death."

As she added, her gaze turned to me with a peculiar expression. I immediately understood why Mrs. Seymour was telling me this. She was hinting that the deaths of the previous Duke and Duchess and their eldest son could have been due to Everett's schemes.

A sudden chill ran through me, but I quickly regained my composure. If the Everett family was behind the deaths of those three people… they would have had to manipulate the occurrence of the rift. Is that even possible?

'I've never heard of such a thing. Father… might have found a way, but…'

It was impossible for a human to do.

Mrs. Seymour, who seemed to know this, returned to a calm demeanor and slowly moved. She stopped in front of a portrait of a young man with a youthful appearance. …It was Camille Valentine.

Camille Valentine in the portrait had warm brown hair and light blue eyes, with a gentle expression. Upon closer inspection, he resembled the previous Duchess, Renée Valentine.

"Camille was a very kind child. He had a good nature and was considerate. Everyone loved Camille."

"…."

"Camille cared for Theodor a lot. After the unfortunate death of Camille… Theodor was half-mad. Even now, as Camille's anniversary approaches, he still struggles."

Mrs. Seymour, reaching out to gently stroke the portrait, turned to face me with an elegant movement. Her emerald-green eyes seemed calm. Or rather, they were pretending to be calm.

"In four days, a memorial service for Camille will be held. Originally, the mistress, Lily, should check the budget, schedule, and number of participants… but since Lily has only been at the Valentine Castle for a short time, I will take charge this time. Mistakes must not be made in important events. Do you understand?"

"…Yes, I understand."

That was the main point. But I didn't think Mrs. Seymour called me just to ask for my opinion. I had a feeling.

She took me around the portrait room and told me old stories, hinting at the suspicious deaths. By doing so, she undoubtedly wanted to instill a sense of guilt in me.

After greeting Mrs. Seymour and leaving the portrait room, I went straight to my room. The necklace I received from Theodor was on the vanity shelf. Seeing it, an indescribable feeling of frustration and pain washed over me.

I curled up in the darkness. Theodor's face in the garden came to mind, and a belated realization struck me.

At that time, I definitely wanted to comfort him. Despite my position, without knowing my place.

'After Camille's unfortunate death… Theodor was half-mad. As Camille's anniversary approaches, he still struggles.'

Why did Mrs. Seymour want to instill a sense of guilt in me? It was probably a kind of warning. Not to approach Theodor when he is struggling, not to dare comfort him.

Yes, I understand. I must not forget my place.

But is it easy to ignore his struggles?

I thought about it and felt as if someone had hit me hard on the head.

Why?

For example, if Owen, Hessen, or Lennon were struggling, I could ignore them. The same goes for Mrs. Seymour or others. Charlotte is an exception.

Charlotte is…

"…"

Charlotte is someone precious to me.

Then, why is Theodor Valentine different?

'Stop.'

Stop, stop thinking. In the end, I will either be poisoned in this household or divorced after some time. I should have no emotions. None.

The necklace Theodor gave me suddenly came into view. The pale green peridot was shining transparently. I hastily picked it up and stuffed it into a drawer.

After firmly closing the drawer and hiding it, the dazzling light of the peridot no longer leaked out, and my heart felt a bit more at ease.

"Ah…"

Ah, that's it. I just need to lock it away. I need to tightly seal it so it can't leak out. Then, the desire to comfort Theodor will not arise.

I imagined a small box inside me. I placed things I was afraid to name into the box one by one. These emotions are not mine. They should not be.

If they gain names and voices, I will be miserable.

* * *

Four days later, a memorial service for Camille Valentine was held.

I also attended but stood quietly in a corner, looking like an outsider.

The occasional glances from people were like thorns, piercing and sharp. I bowed my head and tried not to meet anyone's eyes.

"Poor Camille…"

"The heavens are heartless. Good people like Camille and Theodor should live happily, but why do villains like Everett…"

"Shh, they might hear."

Every time I heard such conversations, it felt like rain was falling on my heart. I felt like a shapeless rock being eroded by rain, standing there helplessly.

Drip, drip—

Fortunately, it started to rain. I looked up at the cloudy sky, and someone approached with an umbrella.

When I raised my eyes, a blank face came into view. The blue eyes under slightly lowered black lashes were deep like a lake. When our eyes met, he frowned and said irritably,

"You should take shelter from the rain. Why are you standing there dazed?"

"Ah…"

The schedule at the cemetery had just ended, so it seemed fine to go inside. I nodded and pulled the hood of my cape over my head. As I tried to sneak past Theodor and head to the main building, he grabbed my arm and looked at me with a bewildered expression.

"Use the umbrella."

"…Okay."

I was about to say it was fine, but with people watching, I silently agreed. Theodor held the umbrella and stood close to me. I emptied my mind and walked in step with him.

When we entered the lobby, I subtly moved away from Theodor as he shook and folded the umbrella. Someone called out to him.

"Theo! It's been a while."

It was a high, beautiful voice, like a soprano. When I looked up, the first thing I saw was wavy pink hair.

I stared blankly at the face. A lovely beauty with crimson eyes was smiling brightly at Theodor.