Chapter 49

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Upon returning to the mansion, Luitas summoned Fen to his room.

Immediately, Luitas asked about the outcome, and Fen replied with a somewhat proud tone, "I managed to get most of the information."

Luitas was oddly impressed that Fen didn't start with complaints after being kept busy all day.

"There are currently eleven people working in that mansion.

When Lord Glen was alive, there was a physician, but after his passing, the physician was sent back to the main residence.

All but the maid, Wilia, have been serving Lord Glen since his birth.

They were only separated when Lord Glen attended the royal boarding school."

"The royal boarding school...?

Ah, I see. Only the royal family can bring servants to the boarding school."

Here in Sies, the education of the nobility is entirely different from that in Ancheize.

Unlike Ancheize, where knights are recognized as full-fledged nobles upon their knighthood, in Sies, noble children attend a junior school from the age of six and then proceed to the royal boarding school in the capital.

During the two years of boarding life, they build connections as nobles and, upon graduation, begin to appear in social circles.

"Since they have been serving since his birth, wasn't Lord Glen sent back to his territory, Brunya, for four years starting at the age of six?"

It is common for the children of landed nobles with residences in the capital to attend the junior school in their own territory.

This is to foster independence away from their parents and to learn the culture and industries of their territory.

"You are correct," Fen nodded.

"Lord Glen was sent back to Brunya at the age of six and attended the junior school there.

At that time, the servants from Uzuk, including the maids and valets, accompanied Lord Glen and lived in Brunya.

Not just the maids and valets, but even the cooks and stable hands were Lord Glen's dedicated servants."

"So, the people currently in the secondary residence are more like guardians from his infancy rather than mere servants, right?"

Luitas said, nodding in understanding.

"Yes.

The butler, Mark, was originally Lord Glen's tutor. He might be the one Lord Glen trusted the most.

The only exception, Wilia, is Mark's only daughter.

When Mark was ordered to go to Uzuk, he couldn't bear to leave his daughter, who had no mother, with relatives, so he obtained permission from his lord to bring her along.

She is only one year younger than Lady Sedia and is the maid closest to her."

"I remember there was a young maid... "

Luitas muttered, recalling the young maid who had prepared tea for him the other day.

"Today, I heard the story from Mark and Wilia.

As I mentioned earlier, Lord Glen spent four years in his territory, Brunya, from the age of six, and then enrolled in the royal boarding school in the capital.

Lady Sedia came to the capital at the age of eleven and lived separately from Lord Glen, who was in the boarding school and the main residence, but they began living together after his graduation.

The accident happened three years after their marriage, when Lord Glen was fourteen.

The main residence of the Cains family had a large stable, and during a riding training session, Lord Glen fell off his horse and hit his head.

A physician was immediately called, but his condition was clearly critical, and the lady immediately imposed a gag order.

I don't know the details, but I heard that the two stable hands who saw Lord Glen foaming at the mouth and convulsing were killed the next day.

Lady Sedia was not informed about the riding accident, and only the guardians who were with Lord Glen in Uzuk were allowed to enter his sickroom.

A few days later, he regained consciousness, but the fever and convulsions continued, and by the time his symptoms stabilized, he was paralyzed from the neck down.

A month after the accident, Lord Glen was transferred to Uzuk.

His friends, worried about his sudden disappearance, began visiting the mansion frequently, and the main residence decided it was no longer safe to keep him there.

They wanted to send him to his territory, Brunya, far from the capital, but his body couldn't withstand the long journey by carriage, so Uzuk was chosen.

When Lord Glen heard he was being sent to Uzuk, he realized his condition would not improve and felt abandoned by the Cains family, which made him very agitated.

They gave sedatives to the fourteen-year-old child, carried him from his bed to the carriage, and took him to Uzuk, deceiving him, as Mark told me.

Lady Sedia was then told to go to the secondary residence because Lord Glen was waiting for her, and she came to Uzuk without knowing anything.

After their reunion, she learned the truth for the first time and collapsed on the floor, I heard."

"What a terrible thing to do..."

Luitas muttered, his face contorted.

"Returning to the topic, Mark was given two orders in Uzuk.

To never let anyone visit Lord Glen and to tell them it was Lord Glen's wish.

And to ensure all correspondence went through the main residence."

"But I received a letter from Lady Sedia here?"

Luitas asked with a wry smile.

"That was without Mark's knowledge," Fen replied calmly.

"Mark said he couldn't control a maid who didn't know the situation and entrusted a letter to an acquaintance."

"By the way, I remember Lady Sedia's mother was still alive when she was brought to Uzuk. Were her letters to her mother also intercepted?"

Fen shook his head. "No.

Mark convinced Lady Sedia not to write about the accident, knowing it would be suppressed by the main residence.

He told her it would be better not to worry her sick mother.

Lady Sedia followed his advice, so her letters reached her home country, and she received letters from her mother until the end.

When Lady Sedia's mother passed away, she cried out that she wanted to return to Ancheize.

Of course, Lord Cains would never allow it, and upon learning this, Lady Sedia became reclusive out of grief.

When Lady Sedia stopped visiting, Lord Glen, who was already agitated, became furious.

He demanded that she be brought to him, even if she had to be dragged.

Mark, thinking it would be wrong to push Lady Sedia further, decided to tell Lord Glen the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes.

That Lord Glen's friends had tried to visit him multiple times, but his parents did not allow it, and their letters were also suppressed by the main residence.

That Lady Sedia and he were confined in Uzuk to prevent the accident from becoming public.

When Mark asked if Lord Glen remembered the conditions of his marriage, he finally realized everything.

He muttered that it was all for the benefit of Sies.

...From that day on, Lord Glen changed, Mark said.

He began to care about Lady Sedia's situation, little by little, even though he had only been lamenting his own misfortune."

"That's... quite something..."

Luitas sighed deeply.

"However, even though he began to care about Lady Sedia, he was still a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old child.

Tantrums were a daily occurrence, and he often cried and lashed out at the guardians with harsh words.

But, as Wilia said, he was also hurting himself with the words that cut others.

To Lord Glen, who had been abandoned by his family, Lady Sedia was the only remaining family.

She saved him with her bright and gentle personality, and he gradually opened up to her, but at the same time, what troubled his heart the most was his guilt towards Lady Sedia.

When she was not around, he often blamed himself for treating her badly, it seems."

"It was Lord Cains who caused this situation. Lord Glen doesn't need to blame himself."

Luitas frowned, and Fen nodded in agreement.

"There was nothing Lord Glen could do.

However, he could have chosen to tell the truth and apologize for the Cains family's cruelty to Lady Sedia.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

If the marriage was found to be invalid, Lady Sedia might hate him and stop smiling at him as she used to.

Lord Glen was most afraid of that, it seems."

"That... makes sense."

Luitas sighed deeply, understanding the sentiment.

"Wilia often saw Lord Glen praying devoutly.

Perhaps relying on his faith helped him gradually calm down. By the time three years had passed, he often smiled and laughed with Lady Sedia with a gentle gaze, I heard.

...Have you heard how they spent their days from Lady Sedia?"

"Yes. They spent time admiring flowers and designing embroidery together. It seemed to be a pleasant daily routine."

"Lord Glen was skilled at designing embroidery patterns. His color choices were also exquisite.

Everyone received the finished works they made together, and Mark said they were treasures."

"I see."

The scene came to mind, and Luitas couldn't help but smile.

"Did you hear anything about the time of his passing?"

When he asked, Fen's expression turned serious.

"As soon as he arrived at the secondary residence, Lord Cains first confined Lady Sedia in a separate room. He must have been worried about her saying too much to the mourners.

Moreover, he clung to Lord Glen's body and wept in front of the visiting relatives and other nobles.

Wilia, who knew of Lord Glen's resentment and anger, could hardly bear to see it.

After the funeral, Lord Cains and his wife told Lady Sedia that she was not allowed to leave the secondary residence from then on.

In Sies, the authority of the head of the family is absolute, so Lady Sedia had no choice but to obey."

Fen, who rarely showed such emotion, said it with a tone of disgust.

"To take advantage of her and then confine her for the rest of her life after using her... truly a heartless and merciless person."

After dismissing Fen, Luitas rested his elbow on the table and stared blankly out the window.

He had grasped the situation, but he had no idea how to prove that the marriage was invalid.

Glen, who could have been a witness to the accident, was dead, and the only ones who knew the truth besides Lady Sedia were the servants living in the secondary residence.

They could never accuse a noble, and even if they had the courage to appeal directly, they would be punished for betraying their lord.

There was no evidence.

Lord Glen was in no condition to leave a written record, and Lady Sedia's testimony alone was not enough to change the current situation.

Luitas rubbed his temples and sighed wearily.

It might be possible to have Lady Sedia return to her home country through negotiations between the countries, but in exchange, the Cains family would likely insist that she never return to the public eye.

That would be no different from changing her place of confinement, and it would be of little meaning to Lady Sedia.

No, Luitas thought. Lord Cains would never let Lady Sedia, who knew the truth, out of his sight. If the matter were brought to international negotiations, Lady Sedia would likely be eliminated.

In the meantime, Luitas had asked an acquaintance to gather information about Lord Glen's surroundings at the time.

He should avoid any actions that might catch Lord Cains' attention, but he couldn't do anything without knowing the situation.

The person he had asked was Lady Bard, whom he had recently excused himself from a tea party.

He had written down the information he needed and asked for her assistance, along with an apology.

Luitas had found such helpful acquaintances in each country, who could lend a hand when needed.

He chose women with wide social networks, who were not greedy for money, had a good personality, and a good sense of balance.

They had to be good conversationalists but also know when to keep their mouths shut.

In short, they were like a smaller version of Empress Via.

In Sies, he had found Lady Bard, who, while not of the highest rank, was a noblewoman with a talent for drawing out information from others and was also intelligent.

It was fortunate for Luitas that Lady Bard's daughter had married into a middle-class noble family in Ancheize about six months before Emperor Alex ascended the throne.

Lady Bard wanted to become close to the high-ranking nobles of Ancheize for her daughter's sake, and Luitas needed a source of information for Sies' diplomacy. Their interests aligned perfectly.

They got along well, and Luitas always made a point to visit her whenever he came to Sies.

He had asked her two days ago, and they were scheduled to meet the following evening.

He had requested to speak with one of Lord Glen's friends in a discreet manner, but it was uncertain whether he could arrange it in just two days.

For now, it would be good to hear the details from Lady Bard.

The next evening, Luitas went to Lord Yodum's residence as planned.

It was the social season, and tea parties and evening gatherings were held daily at various residences, but tonight's gathering hosted by Lord Yodum, the prime minister of Sies, was in a league of its own.

Almost all the prominent nobles of Sies were invited, and many nobles from other countries were also present. It was on par with a royal-sponsored evening gathering in scale.

After greeting Lord Yodum, the host, Luitas casually looked around and saw Lady Bard waving at him from the other side of the crowd.

She must have been looking for him.

As he greeted other acquaintances and slowly approached her, Lady Bard also left the conversation and came over.

"I apologize for suddenly declining your invitation the other day. I had an urgent matter from my home country."

Luitas bowed sincerely, and Lady Bard chuckled behind her open fan.

"I was looking forward to your visit, so I was disappointed to hear you couldn't make it.

However, the pastries you sent were very well-received by everyone in the salon. So, please don't worry."

She lightly placed her hand on Luitas' elbow and subtly guided him towards the long corridor.

In such a large hall, one never knew who might be listening, so they couldn't have a detailed conversation.

Lady Bard was well aware of this.

As they left the main hall and the crowd thinned, they stopped in the middle of the long corridor.

One side of the Yodum family's long corridor was made of glass, offering a view of the spacious garden between the pillars.

With no one in sight, it was the perfect place for a private conversation.

"Regarding the person mentioned in your letter, I did some investigating.

It's quite an old story, so I was a bit surprised, but it's certainly someone who could interest Lord Radus."

Luitas smiled without answering, implicitly affirming her words by not denying them.

"I kept your name out of it, as you requested.

I didn't gather much information, but I managed to get in touch with one person."

Luitas smiled in relief.

"I don't know how to thank you."

"Oh, you should thank me," Lady Bard replied playfully.

"The other day, you sent a grand gift for my daughter's childbirth. It caused quite a stir at her in-laws' house."

In noble society, one's future could be greatly influenced by the number of high-ranking nobles one knew.

Lady Bard's daughter had married into a middle-class noble family in Ancheize.

It was not a family that would receive gifts from the emperor's close aide, so it must have attracted a lot of attention.

"The person I will introduce you to today is Lord Glen's closest friend from the royal boarding school.

His name is Jace Brogdon. Do you know him?"

"I've met him once. ...Ah, I remember, he's a distant relative of the Cains family. That's why they were close, right?"

"From childhood, they were acquaintances."

"How well do you know Lord Glen?"

Luitas asked again, and Lady Bard tilted her head slightly.

"He had just graduated from the royal boarding school, so I had seen him, but I never had a direct conversation with him.

However, the son of a close acquaintance of mine was in the same year at the royal boarding school.

So yesterday, I met with that person and heard about his time at school."

"Was there any mention of him being ill during his student days?"

"He was very healthy, I was told. It's strange, but he suddenly became ill after graduation."

She said this with a meaningful smile.

"Were there any suspicions about this?"

"There were rumors at one point, but his mother is a cousin of a noble lady.

No one could speak out against her directly."

"I see."

"Besides, it was a different time back then..."

Lady Bard's words trailed off, but Luitas, understanding her point, nodded with a wry smile.

Ten years ago, when the accident occurred, the former king of Sies had just passed away. The country was in turmoil, and it was not surprising that the story of a single noble was overshadowed.

"By the way, is Lord Jace attending this evening gathering today?"

He asked, regaining his composure, and Lady Bard smiled.

"Yes.

Actually, I asked Lady Yodum to open one of the rest rooms for us. I told Lord Jace to meet us there.

It's the Blue and White room. Do you know where it is?"

Noble residences often had small, cozy rooms where close friends could play cards or share drinks.

Women were not allowed to enter, and it was a place for male socializing.

The room's name was usually indicated on the door, and the Blue and White room likely had