Chapter 284

Valentin. “Miss?” Could it be someone who had seen her before?

Hearing the word “Miss” after so long filled Valentin with overwhelming relief. In a situation like this, it was better to be recognized than not. Whether she begged or threw a tantrum… if the other person remembered the old Valentin, wouldn’t they show at least a little sympathy?

“Y-yes, that’s right. Who are you?”

“You don’t remember me?”

The maid’s eyes glittered. Valentin took it as a welcoming attitude.

Fortunate. Truly fortunate. Valentin straightened her back the way she’d been taught all her life and studied the other woman like a proper lady.

The maid’s face was deeply tanned, likely from working in the fields, and her body looked sturdy. That was strange. Valentin had lived a life where even the maids who served her had maids of their own. She’d never formed a relationship with someone who did manual labor—close enough for them to ask, “You don’t remember me?”

‘Her features do look a little familiar.’

After thinking for a moment, Valentin made the gamble of her life.

She pretended to recognize her.

“Ah, ah!”

“Ah!”

When Valentin cried out as if she remembered, the maid echoed her and smiled as though she’d been waiting for it. ‘Then is this my chance to slip away now? It would be troublesome if word spread that the last of the Elandria Family is here…’

Valentin subtly shifted her gaze, and in that instant—

“You bitch, where do you think you’re trying that?”

The maid smiled brightly and smacked Valentin over the head with the farming tool in her hand, just like before. Valentin’s head spun, stars bursting behind her eyes. She screamed without thinking.

“Ow!”

“Ow? Ow? This bitch still hasn’t come to her senses?”

This time, the maid’s fists flew, striking Valentin here and there. Valentin cried and protested. How could she speak so harshly when she knew who Valentin was?

“Why are you hitting me! Who are you!”

“Who am I? I’m Isabel—the one Delma and that damn bitch threw out.”

Who was that? Valentin and Delma had thrown out plenty of people. Those words didn’t bring back anything.

Isabel seemed to realize it at once and gave a scornful smile.

“You don’t remember? Then how about this. I’m the one you ordered to dig up information on that clever Miss Nerys, and you threw me out because the seal on the invitation was wrong. Then you reported me to Lord Carten for stealing, and I went through hell. Thanks to you, I got a criminal record, wandered like a beggar, and only survived because I met a monk who doesn’t care about anyone’s background.”

Now it came back. The image of a stupid maid from a lower noble family rose vaguely in Valentin’s mind. She didn’t remember the face, but maybe it had been her. Back then she hadn’t done rough work, but living in a place like this could change anyone.

Isabel cackled as Valentin recoiled.

“I know it too. The world’s changed. I heard your family’s ruined? People are looking for you all around here. Folks have come and gone from our monastery a few times. If I hand you over now, maybe I’ll get my revenge.”

Valentin’s mind went blank. If she was caught now, wouldn’t she be sentenced to d-death? Or something just as terrifying?

She couldn’t be caught. Not now. She collapsed, dropping to her knees and begging with hands and feet.

“Please don’t hand me over. I was wrong before. I—sob—I was awful. Please pretend you don’t know me. I won’t come here again. I won’t come near here again, sob!”

Begging and panting for the first time in her life clearly pleased Isabel. She looked down at Valentin, who had even prostrated herself, and curled her lips into a sneer.

“Hey, you.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll let you off if you do everything I say. You look hungry, so I’ll feed you, too.”

“O-oh? Anything. I’ll do anything.”

Valentin jerked her head up. Isabel looked down at her, then suddenly grabbed her by the hair. Valentin’s neck snapped back and she screamed.

“Ahk!”

“Why are you using informal speech, you impudent thing. Still can’t grasp the situation? Since your head seems bad, I’ll personally teach you etiquette every time you slip. One hit every time you talk back, three hits every time you slack off, and I’ll break your legs if you try to run. I needed someone to tend the pigs and pull weeds, so this is perfect. And our monk won’t hear you no matter how much you scream, so don’t bother trying to win sympathy.”

Isabel yanked Valentin by the hair and shook her roughly, dragging her through the monastery fence. Valentin sobbed, tears and snot running down her face.

‘If I try to run…? Does that mean I’m trapped here? Until when? Forever…?’

The gate slammed shut behind Valentin.

❖ ❖ ❖

Before winter arrived, magnificent carriages lined up at White Swan Castle.

Black, sleek vehicles with silver-trimmed wheels, drawn by six well-bred horses adorned with tassels. With escorts and attendants’ horses before and behind, the procession alone announced an important ceremony. And each time the doors opened, the people who stepped out drew admiration.

“Is that Duke Ganielo? Is he the father of that handsome young master who came last time?”

“I heard he’s the head of the Mirham Family, which protected the Imperial Family for a long time. Even though his title is Baron, it’s a family that’s existed since the early days of the empire’s formation, so they’re on par with most upper nobles, they say.”

The people of Maindulante had never cared much about the great noble families of the south. But it was only shortly after months of war—after watching countless people die or be punished. The sight of high-ranking figures in glittering jewels and deep, lustrous fabrics made the weary gloom in people’s hearts flutter.

At intervals of several days, black carriages continued to arrive at White Swan Castle. And when the last one finally came—

“Grand Duchess.”

As the people of Maindulante saw it, the Grand Duchess—the highest and most wonderful person in the world—came out to greet them with a bright smile.

The solemn-faced old woman who revealed herself from inside the carriage looked down at Nerys. Holding the butler’s hand, she stepped down and scolded her as if it were nothing.

“Why did you come out when it’s getting cold?”

“It’s not that cold.”

“The baby might be cold.”

“Can’t you see this thick coat covering my belly?”

Before and after the war, the relationship between Madam Moriah and the Grand Duchess of Maindulante should have been completely different. Even if they had once been close, the Grand Duke and Duchess were now the very people who had overthrown the Imperial Family.

But the Grand Duchess only snorted, indifferent. Then her gaze shifted to Diane, who was linked arm-in-arm with Nerys.

Diane’s eyes widened. She had only ever been showered with affection by her family, and she wasn’t used to adults with faces as strict as the Grand Duchess’s. Even her etiquette teacher had never truly been strict with her.

The Grand Duchess stared into those eyes for a long time, then chuckled.

“Let’s go inside. You two are young, so the cold wind might feel refreshing, but I’m cold.”

“You should’ve said so from the beginning.”

Nerys chuckled. Nerys, Diane, the Grand Duchess, and the butler walked into the castle together.

As they entered the hall, the Grand Duchess asked as if tossing out a casual question.

“What about Izet? Is that child in prison as well?”

“Since Izet’s position was similar to Her Majesty the Empress’s, we’re treating her with respect. We can’t place too much responsibility on someone who never had authority.”

“Are you going to have that child serve at the temple?”

“We can give her a small territory.”

“You don’t need to give her anything. She’s my niece, so I’ll pass on one of my territories. You need to prevent that child from being used by powerful nobles.”

“We can allow her to keep the title of ‘Princess’ and the appropriate protocol.”

“That isn’t necessary either. It’ll only cause trouble.”

“I understand. Then we’ll leave her with the title of ‘Lady’ and set her protocol to the level of a Countess. It will apply only to her, and if she marries and has children, it will follow noble law.”

“That would be appropriate. How do you know imperial law so well?”

“I studied a bit.”

Diane watched Nerys and the Grand Duchess speak without pausing, amazed. Wow. Like mother and daughter—though in a different way from when Lady Truydd and Riz are together.

“Miss.”

As the four headed toward the Crown Prince’s main conference room, a low-ranking official passing through the corridor approached and called out. Among the four, there was only one “Miss,” so all eyes naturally turned to Diane.

Diane greeted him with a smile.

“Hello?”

“Yes, hello. The two noble ladies are headed to an important meeting, so Miss, please come with me somewhere else.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s nothing special. You’ll know when we get there.”

The low-ranking official—Talfrin—naturally linked arms with Diane and led her toward the garden. Nerys called after their backs in warning.

“Be careful not to get caught by Lord Joyce.”

Diane and the low-ranking official—Talfrin—turned back at the same time, both wearing expressions that said they had no idea what she meant. Nerys shook her head.

People who are usually quick-witted.

“She’s a cute child,” the Grand Duchess remarked briefly.

Nerys knew that whatever Diane wanted to do in high society later, she would have the Grand Duchess’s support.

Nerys, the Grand Duchess, and the butler arrived at the entrance to the Crown Prince’s main conference room. Duke Ganielo, who had been lingering nearby, smiled and approached the Grand Duchess.

“You’ve arrived. It’s the first time I’ve seen you since you went down to Tropur.”

“I didn’t see your face often even before that.”

“Haha. Still, it’s different from being in the same social circle. Please come in. I’ll escort you.”

Both Nerys and the Grand Duchess knew Duke Ganielo had been waiting here for that exact role. The butler stepped aside of his own accord. This was not a meeting for him. That was also why Talfrin had taken Diane away earlier.

The oldest and most important remaining adult of the Imperial Family, the Grand Duchess, and Duke Ganielo entered, and everyone seated inside stood. Cledwyn, seated at the head, rose as well. He quickly went to Nerys, took her arm, and supported her.

“I told you, you don’t need to support me like this.”

Grumbling, Nerys carefully sat in the chair Cledwyn pulled out for her. Moving around was definitely harder now.

When the Grand Duchess took her seat, everyone else sat as well. Nerys swept her gaze over the faces gathered in the conference room.

Black carriage. Silver-trimmed wheels. Six well-bred horses.

Those three things symbolized an Imperial Family regulation that had not been activated in a long time. When an Emperor died without designating the next Crown Prince, or when the designated Crown Prince could not inherit the throne, the elders of the Imperial Family, the heads of the great noble families, and a few other designated families gathered to decide the next Emperor.

The election of the Emperor by the Prince-Electors.

Usually, there was one Ja’an bearer in each generation of the Imperial Family. And since it was customary for the Ja’an bearer to inherit the throne, there was rarely any need for the Prince-Electors to gather.

However, by law and custom, it was always clearly designated who the Prince-Electors of the time were. Because there were times when two Ja’an bearers appeared in a single generation. Historically, in such cases, the Emperor would clearly designate the Crown Prince to prevent trouble.

That, at least, made it easier to resolve the current situation.

A situation where not a single bearer of Azure Jeweled Eyes remained, and where the proposition that ‘Azure Jeweled Eyes is the Emperor’ would likely never stand again.

The great noble families, aside from the Ganielo Family, had suffered near-extinction, and the families that still had any structure left had said they would abide by the outcome. Most of the collateral imperial family was dead except for the Grand Duchess, and only a few of the families whose heads legally held the position of Prince-Elector remained.

So all the remaining Prince-Electors of the empire had gathered here.

“Shall we begin the meeting?”

And Nerys—the one who had summoned them—already knew what today’s outcome would be.