Chapter 18

Edmund frowned fiercely and pretended to look at the documents as he spoke.

“When did the title change?”

“Edmund, while you were away, I took a walk in the garden with the maids and chatted with them. They all said Lady Etricia is witty. Can you believe it? I’ve never seen Marie laugh so much before!”

Ha. Edmund let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

While he had taken his eyes off her for a moment, Etricia had gradually expanded her influence within the mansion.

“Do not grow too attached. She will leave.”

“I know… I do. She will leave once she has secured a place to stay.”

Lilien pouted and grumbled, then sighed as she glanced at Edmund, who was already immersed in his work again.

She felt both sorry and frustrated that he had locked his heart away, allowing no one but his sister to get close.

The siblings had lost their parents on the same day.

The Duke was fair and just, earning the respect of his vassals, while the Duchess was kind and compassionate, beloved by the people of the territory.

Yet, in an instant, they were gone—killed by monsters that suddenly appeared in the dead of night.

The creatures had slaughtered the mansion’s servants and devoured the Duke and Duchess.

The Duchess had pushed her two children into the incinerator’s storage room, smiling through her tears.

‘Stay hidden until an adult comes to get you. Can you do that?’

As the door closed, the vertical sliver of light narrowed, and the fear-stricken face of the Duchess disappeared from sight.

Much later, after calming Lilien down, Edmund was the first to leave the storage room. Amid the horrific carnage and pools of blood, he saw something.

During the trial that followed, Edmund testified:

‘It’s true! Please believe me! The monster disguised itself as a human and disappeared!’

But no one believed the tearful young boy’s words. They dismissed his testimony, saying the trauma had made him hallucinate.

At first, the vassals, who had respected the Duke and Duchess, supported the boy. But they eventually turned away due to his uncle’s schemes, stripping Edmund of his right to inherit the title.

The only one who believed him was Lilien, who had been there with him.

Their uncle then tried to auction off his young sister into marriage, and the boy, in order to protect the only family member who believed him, had to take up a spear with his small hands.

‘If only I had lied and said I saw it too… If I had strengthened Edmund’s testimony… Then he wouldn’t have suffered such a terrible wound that made him distrust people.’

Thinking about how Edmund had spent the past nine years constantly on guard, doubting and testing those around him, made Lilien’s heart ache with guilt. She felt as if she had lived too comfortably compared to him.

What must it be like to live every moment unable to trust anyone, suffocating in a constant state of tension…?

She squeezed her eyes shut as if to block out the thought, then spoke in an unsteady voice.

“I know that you can’t trust people because of that incident. But Lady Etricia—”

Edmund’s cold, emotionless eyes met hers, and Lilien shook her head before standing up.

“No, never mind.”

She couldn’t find the right words to convince him. To explain how kind and warm Etricia was, she would have to confess the shameful events that Etricia had advised her to keep silent about.

Though those memories embarrassed her, she didn’t want to worry her younger brother, who had worked tirelessly for the family for the past nine years.

Not long after Edmund left for the Zeder Forest, the letters from their uncle, who had been pressuring her into arranged meetings, suddenly stopped.

Even someone as oblivious as Lilien knew it was thanks to Edmund. That was why she didn’t want him to sacrifice or trouble himself for her anymore.

She glanced at Edmund, who was engrossed in his work, and decided not to bother him further. As she quietly lifted her dress and prepared to leave, she suddenly remembered something and paused.

“Oh, right! Tomorrow, I’m going to visit the boutique with Lady Etricia.”

“Just the two of you? The Countess of Buell?”

Edmund narrowed his eyes slightly and lifted his gaze from the documents.

Lilien flinched under his sharp stare.

“W-Why? The social season is ending, and there’s a royal banquet soon. They say all the boutiques and jewelers in the capital are running out of stock. I want to gift Lady Etricia a dress before it’s too late.”

Edmund held back the words on the tip of his tongue—She does not deserve such a gift. He let out a shallow sigh instead. Explaining the assassination plot would only wound his sister irreparably.

He considered sending Rail in his place but quickly dismissed the idea. As a non-noble, Rail’s movements were too restricted. In the end, Edmund chose a slightly more troublesome option.

“I will accompany you.”

“…You?”

Suspicion flickered across Lilien’s face. She had some idea of what was happening—the quiet internal war to purge their relatives from the duchy. She had been too scared to ask, pretending not to know.

She also knew that the most trusted vassals were delivering mountains of documents to Edmund.

She had once gaped in shock upon seeing the towering stacks of paperwork, more than he could ever finish in one night. Even now, the pile on his desk was taller than he was.

And yet, he was coming along? It was suspicious, but she also secretly hoped the two people she liked would grow closer. Opportunities like this didn’t come often.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Lilien walked to the door.

“…Just make sure to be polite to Lady Etricia. I was worried even when you went out for that legal consultation.”

“Understood.”

“Really?”

“…”

When Edmund gave her a look of annoyance, Lilien smirked, slammed the door shut, and left.

Once the sound of her footsteps faded down the hallway, Edmund leaned back in his chair and rubbed his tired face.

A shadow hidden in the darkness emerged.

It was Rail.

“Tail has arrived at the estate with the knights. The resisting vassals were silenced when he showed them the grant documents. He will contact you through the communication channel once he has taken care of your uncle, Doven, his children, and the rest of his subordinates.”

Edmund’s lips twisted into a grim smile.

“It’s a shame I won’t get to see them grovel.”

“Their pitiful lives aren’t worth watching. I’ll confiscate their wealth, exile them, and assign watchers to ensure they don’t cause trouble.”

Rail, gritting his teeth, suddenly realized his mistake.

“Some vassals are skeptical even after seeing the grant documents since the imperial family hasn’t made an official announcement. What should we do?”

“Do I really need to tell you?”

At Edmund’s sharp response, Rail chuckled and bowed his head.

“I will ensure their expulsion with a valid excuse.”