Chapter 25

'Did you think I would hope for adoption?'

But now, my thoughts have changed.

'I’m turning it down.'

I secretly snorted and looked at the viscountess.

"And, madam, please take a walk with me!"

"…Pardon?"

The viscountess blinked in surprise.

"Is that all you want? Nothing else?"

"Yes. I love taking walks! I’ve only been here for a short time, so Damian is my only friend. I would like it if you could be my friend, madam."

"But…"

"Roine is busy, Ace is busy, and Damian is also too busy to play with me…"

Pretending to be dejected, I slumped my shoulders, causing the viscount and viscountess to flinch.

"I’m not busy at all…"

Damian, who was about to object, shut his mouth at my gaze.

Quickly regaining my composure, I glanced at them nervously.

"I won’t be a bother, so could you play with me just three times a week?"

The viscountess, hesitating, slowly approached me.

She bent her knees to match my eye level.

"…I wouldn’t want to be a burden to you, Miss Ellie."

"It’s fine even if I’m a bit of a bother!"

"But…"

"Let’s go to the greenhouse too. I want to show you many flowers."

I pleaded like a child, and the viscountess smiled sadly.

After a moment, she draped something around my neck. It was the scarf I had given her.

"…It’s an honor, Miss Ellie."

Her smile, full of wrinkles, was as warm as the sun.

* * *

A few days later, on a warm afternoon with a cool breeze.

The viscountess and I were enjoying tea in the sunlight.

Fortunately, the viscountess seemed to be in good condition today.

"So, you were able to come to this duchy."

"Yes. How could you, in such a harsh place… Coming to the north must have been a difficult decision."

As I explained how I came to be here, the viscountess said with a sad expression.

No one had ever empathized with my feelings, so the viscountess’s comfort felt unfamiliar.

It wasn’t that I thought she was being insincere.

It was just that I had no experience with this, so I didn’t know how to react.

Being addressed with honorifics by a noble, and especially by someone much older than me, never seemed to get familiar no matter how many times it happened.

"Well… It was a bit scary, but it’s okay! Compared to the orphanage, this place is heaven!"

I forced a laugh.

I was used to being mistreated, and it didn’t really affect me much, so it didn’t matter.

'To gain capital, this level of trial is basic.'

While sipping cocoa and recalling my past life, a warm sensation settled on my head.

It was the viscountess’s hand.

"You’ve been through a lot."

"Uh…"

Her gaze and touch were incredibly warm.

It felt different from when Roine and the other maids patted me.

If I had a grandmother, it might feel like this. My chest felt a bit ticklish.

"It wasn’t that hard. The children were all very nice. Of course… there were some who weren’t."

"Did some children bully you, Miss Ellie?"

"Yes, but the duke… no, he took care of everything."

I corrected myself and laughed naturally.

"That’s surprising. For Duke Schuetz to take the initiative in someone else’s affairs."

Is that so?

In the novel, Duke Schuetz was described as a person who, despite his gruff exterior, had a tender heart.

'You can tell from how he searched the entire empire for his friend’s son.'

Though that tenderness was limited to Damian.

"The duke doesn’t like to get involved in other people’s affairs."

"But the duke saved Damian from the orphanage."

"That was… probably because of guilt."

Guilt? I tilted my head at the unexpected word.

"I’m a bit hesitant to tell you this… but it’s better to tell you while my memory is still intact."

The viscountess hesitated for a moment before sighing.

"Probably no one else would tell you this, Miss Ellie."

After a while, she began to speak.

"About 15 years ago, did you know there was a great war in the empire?"

I knew this story well.

The number of war orphans had increased exponentially because of it.

"The late Klaider Duke and Duke Schuetz went to war and brought victory to the empire. The two dukes became inseparable friends after the difficult war."

The viscountess continued her explanation in a gentle voice.

"When Duke Schuetz returned, he was with a woman."

A woman?

It was the first time I heard this story.

There was not a single word about the duchess in the book.

"That was the late Yuria. Yuria was from the Sosu clan."

The Sosu clan were the people who fought in the war.

'Why did he bring her…'

I widened my eyes, and the viscountess continued.

"…People call the Schuetz family descendants of demons. Do you know why?"

I shook my head silently.

"Those with the Schuetz name have suffered from madness for generations. It’s said that due to an ancient curse, they go half-mad. That’s why the Schuetz territory is called cursed land."

I opened my eyes wide.

The novel focused on Damian, so I didn’t know about Duke Schuetz’s issues.

"That’s why the duke had to go to war. War was the only way to alleviate the madness."

The viscountess sighed softly.

"But after Yuria came, the duke’s madness disappeared."

"How?"

"I’m not sure… The Sosu clan could use various kinds of magic, so it might have been their power."

The viscountess continued her explanation.

"So, the duke married Yuria. At first, they… had some friction, but they truly loved each other. Yuria was a very lovely person."

The viscountess’s face was filled with happiness as she thought of Yuria.

'If the viscountess can have such an expression, what must Duke Schuetz have been like?'

The only person who could cure the madness passed down through generations.

'The Sosu clan, he had no choice but to bring her.'

But how did this relate to Duke Schuetz’s guilt? I tilted my head, and the viscountess spoke in a slightly lowered voice.

"The magic of the Sosu clan is different from other magic. To manifest it, a price must be paid."

"A price?"

"Yes. Yuria used her magic to eliminate the demonic power that had been passed down through generations. She cast the spell while the duke was away on a campaign…"

The viscountess trailed off and fell silent.

Seeing the shadow on her face, I realized.

The duchess was no longer in this world.

I held the viscountess’s hand as if to comfort her. She smiled faintly.

"…After the accident, the duke cut off all ties. But Duke Klaider kept sending letters."

This was the part of the original story I knew.

"Two years later, Duke Klaider sent a letter saying his son was born. At that time, Duke Schuetz opened the closed castle gates for the first time. He responded for the first time."

"So…"

"Yes. Duke Klaider and the duchess were on their way here when the accident happened."

She was talking about the incident orchestrated by the emperor.

I clenched my fists.

I could understand why he felt guilty towards Damian.

Losing his wife and his friend.

He probably thought it was all his fault.

'But I can understand to some extent.'

I, too, had lost someone precious.

Seeing my gloomy expression, the viscountess tried to change the mood with a forced bright voice.

"But talking with you, Miss Ellie, makes me think you’re not as cold as I imagined."

The viscountess stroked my head with her wrinkled hand.

"You brought such a beautiful and smart Miss Ellie here."

"Hehe. Thank you for your kind words."

'But…'

Most importantly, since Damian wanted to be with me, he had no choice but to bring me here.

I must have seemed useful to him.

"But, Miss Ellie. Marriages between commoners and nobles are forbidden. If it was really a bother, the duke wouldn’t have looked for a family to take you in."

"…Is that so?"

"Yes, that’s right."

The viscountess nodded with a gentle smile.

She was such a kind and warm person.

For someone so proper to change so suddenly.

Even though I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it.

She gently stroked my head and said,

"Being with you, Miss Ellie, reminds me of my son."

"You have a son?"

I pretended to be hearing this for the first time, my eyes shining. The viscountess smiled as if I were cute.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t be your friend. I’m very old and busy with the mine."

Her face was very bright when she talked about her son.

At that moment, a good idea flashed through my mind.

"Madam, I want to visit the mine!"