Side Story 4

“Yes. It seems that a sister who married a distant relative was kicked out by her husband after her family fell. I heard that he got angry and attacked his brother-in-law, and then died.”

Natasha Grunehals, who was unable to have children after eating the poison of her family, married a distant relative before the fact spread to society and left the then Imperial Capital. Immediately after that, Megara became Abelus’ mistress and made a fuss, and Natasha’s existence was erased as if she had never existed from the beginning.

However, Cledwyn did not let go of Grunehals’ surveillance of the siblings, and after seeing Nerys’ past, the surveillance became more thorough. The fact that the family did almost nothing in this war, yet he deliberately took away their title completely and kicked them out with nothing, of course, had an excuse—Eustace privately tortured Abelus—but it was basically an expression of resentment.

It seemed that the arrogant Natasha was not well-liked by her in-laws. In the first place, she was brought in as a daughter-in-law after seeing the background of the Grunehals Duke, but didn’t the status of the Dukedom gradually decline?

Moreover, to make matters worse, one of the women who became unable to have children due to Natasha seemed to have guessed the truth and informed Natasha’s in-laws. On the pretext that Natasha was now a member of this family, so they should compensate for ruining her life.

She was already a daughter-in-law they didn’t like. Not only was it revealed that her character was so vile, but she also hid the fact that she couldn’t have children and got married?

Natasha’s in-laws had vast lands and castles received from the Grunehals Dukedom as dowry. They immediately locked Natasha in the most remote hut on that land. And when the Grunehals Dukedom’s title was taken away at the end of the war, they kicked her out with nothing. Without returning a penny of the dowry.

Eustace, who had lost his family and went to his sister because he had nowhere to go, saw that sight. Eustace, whose blood boiled at the sight of his beloved sister in such a mess, went to his brother-in-law, attacked him with a sword, and was beaten to death by rural thugs.

It was written that Natasha was also shocked by the sight and was wandering between life and death. She would probably die soon too. Losing everything she valued and just suffering painfully.

Cledwyn did not feel sympathy because he knew well what the vicious siblings had tried to do to his wife. However, since it wasn’t a good story for a child to hear, he didn’t listen to the details from Rex’s mouth but only read them with his own eyes.

Baron Nine… His family was completely ruined by the war and sold the title. And while trying to leave for a foreign country, the carriage crashed on a rainy mountain road and he went missing. The probability of everyone being dead was high.

Count Berta… He died in the war. His daughter, Rhiannon, also suffered a major injury, and her wound worsened and she died after the war. The person who inherited the title also sold it off because there was nothing left in the family.

Count Isalani… The family survived until after the war. However, Cledwyn had no intention of placing the vicious Alecto Isalani in the new empire’s society. Even if Nerys was okay with seeing that grinning face, he wasn’t. The Isalani Count family fell rapidly for reasons they didn’t understand, and all the members scattered.

Marquis Kendall returned the title and lived a simple life while maintaining some dignity. However, since his energy was gradually declining after Aidalia’s death, giving him a good look was the best he could do.

He had repaid almost everything that needed to be repaid. Valentin Elandria, her lifeline was so tenacious that she was beaten by Isabel at that rural monastery and fell ill, miraculously recovering repeatedly, but she might think it was a miracle, but Cledwyn knew the truth.

The fact that his subordinate, who was monitoring the monastery, was repeatedly treating Valentin when she seemed about to die.

Nerys herself was less concerned about Valentin than Nellusion was. Even though Valentin was the culprit who directly killed her. Perhaps it was because she had expectations for Nellusion, but she had never expected anything from Valentin from the beginning.

So Cledwyn did not tell Nerys that Valentin was still alive. He himself knew that it wasn’t very cool to still be obsessed with the misfortune of a helpless woman… Just, if she didn’t care, that was good enough.

“Good. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Yes.”

Rex bowed politely and left the office.

During the short time until the next document came up, Cledwyn held Arbyone again. The little baby was really different every day, and she was quite heavy compared to when she was first born. But it would take a long time for her to become a person’s weight, and she was still closer to the weight of an angel.

The baby, who loved being in her father’s arms, leaned her cheek against her father’s shoulder. With that warmth and weight, and the strong baby smell, Cledwyn forgot all the thoughts he had been having until just now and smiled brightly.

“I’m glad you can’t read yet.”

The baby blinked her Violet Eyes, which still had a long way to go before becoming Ja’an. Cledwyn thought that appearance was very lovely. How could she already resemble her mother so much from the start, even blinking her eyes when she didn’t understand?

“Mom and Dad read and wrote around the age of three or four. Since you’re our child, you’ll probably be able to read and write around that age too. And you’ll still ask Dad to read you books for a long time after that, but it’ll probably be quite difficult to keep secrets from you then.”

The people who were listening from the side wondered if they had just heard a tremendous ambition about their child’s education. Well, our genius Princess, Arbyone, will be able to do anything.

Cledwyn deliberately shook his body up and down slightly, and the baby laughed again. He kissed the baby’s cute face several times.

“Before that, I’ll finish everything that’s not good for your education. I promise.”

❖ ❖ ❖

The sound of celebratory gunshots leaked into the old warehouse in the mountain monastery one after another.

Valentin was the only resident there. Stuck in the corner of this dirty warehouse where rats freely came and went at night and bugs swarmed during the day.

Until recently, she was one of the noblest women in this country, the Empire of Bistor. No one could compare to Valentin, a direct descendant of a great noble family and beautiful. She deserved to live a luxurious and honorable life.

The symbol of the eternal alliance between the Elandria Family, the most historically renowned noble family in the empire and even on this continent, and the Imperial Family.

The glorious Crown Princess Consort. The next Empress. A being who should be wrapped in the most expensive silk and large jewels in the Imperial Capital and rest in a golden bed.

Valentin should have been given just such a life.

But now she was barely wearing rags. She had no jewels, not even a proper ribbon. Isabel cut off her glossy long hair, saying she would ‘sell it to a wig maker.’

Valentin, who had always been proud of her appearance, now tried not to look into the water basin. In just a few months, she had changed so much that it was hard to look at. She didn’t want to see herself like that.

Pitifully abused day and night, toiling in the fields, and then stuck in this warehouse, groaning.

While spending the winter and spring, Valentin almost died several times. Sometimes the wounds from being beaten festered, sometimes because she was too cold or hungry. At first, she thought it would be better to die than to live like this, but after overcoming the real crises several times, she had to admit that she still wanted to live.

It was better to prolong even a wretched life. Maybe someday she could go back to the way she was.

Today, too, she was lying down sick. The celebratory gunshots coming from outside were said to be fired by Carten’s side, so was there something to celebrate? This monastery was already isolated, but in Valentin’s case, she couldn’t contact outsiders, so she couldn’t find out any news at all.

In the last news she heard, the Imperial Family had clearly lost and the Grand Duke’s side had won. And the people of the Elandria Family were captured by the Grand Duke’s side and were probably executed.

But how could she know? Valentin had not confirmed any of it with her own eyes. Maybe, maybe… Such wretched hope, or rather, delusion, kept seeping into Valentin’s confused head.

What if it was all rumors? What if the Imperial Family had actually won? No, even if the Imperial Family really lost and the Elandria Family was ruined… It wasn’t necessarily the end, was it? There were many loyal subjects in the Imperial Family, so maybe one of them raised an army again and drove out the Grand Duke…

Creak. Valentin’s delusion scattered like bubbles at the sound of the warehouse door opening.

“Valen, our lazy Valen. Did you lie down again because I was away for a while? You deserve to be beaten to death.”

Isabel, holding a club, came into the warehouse, grinning. Valentin cowered in fear. But instead of resorting to violence as usual, Isabel squatted next to the mat where Valentin was lying.

“Even a dog understands what you say, when will you grow up? Huh? Well, I’ll let you off the hook because today is a good day.”

Today was the day once a week when Isabel went to town to buy the things she needed. It was a good day to escape, but after failing to escape several times and being treated terribly, Valentin couldn’t even think of leaving this place on her own.

Valentin got up, knelt down, and looked down at Isabel’s feet with trembling eyes. Because if she made eye contact, she would get beaten again.

Looking at Valentin with satisfaction, Isabel opened her mouth.

“That sound, you know, is the celebratory gunfire for the inauguration of the new Emperor and Empress. I don’t care who the new Emperor is, but do you know who the new Empress is?”

The new Empress? Who dares? Valentin flinched, and Isabel whispered as if she was very happy.

“It’s Miss Nerys, yes. That smart Miss. She was a bit brazen, but I guess she was ambitious from a young age to do well. Anyway, she’s a better person than you, right?”

Suited? Who? Valentin screamed. Stars flashed before her eyes. She couldn’t tell if it was because she was beaten by Isabel or because she was so shocked.

“Why are you screaming? You’re worse than a dog, you should be grateful that you get food in a place like this! You’re going to starve today because you made so much noise.”

Valentin finally fainted. The world around her was so terrible. How could this be reality? Wouldn’t it be better to die?

But the deep darkness continued to be only dark.