🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 01
When Killian heard the news and hurried back to the ducal estate, she had already disappeared.
“Yuse, Yuse—where is she?”
It was a desperate and pitiful voice, one he had never used nor heard from himself in his entire life.
“I’m asking where Yuse is!”
No one could answer easily, and as silence continued, his voice grew louder, demanding a reply.
Anything related to the woman the master of the estate, Killian, was looking for had already been completely cleared away.
As if she had never been there from the beginning.
“Why is no one answering me? Did you all become mute while I was gone? Hm?”
“Her Grace the Duchess has, has disappeared…”
“That is not what I asked.”
A servant barely managed to answer under Killian’s shout, but it only made things worse.
Unable to control his anger, Killian grabbed a chair that had been left in her room and threw it out the window.
“Y-Your Grace.”
At that moment, the butler stepped forward and carefully took something out from inside his coat, handing it to Killian.
In his hand was a letter. A letter written in a handwriting he knew very well.
Killian snatched it at once, tearing it open as if he would rip it apart, and began to read every single word inside.
[ Killian, you were always the man who became my light.
By looking at you, I found a reason to live, and I was able to move forward again. But now, I think it is time for me to leave.
Killian, you who were my everything, my life, and all my love. Please remember that I was always sincere with you. ]
He read it. And read it again. The words did not change.
Only then did Killian slowly lift his eyes from the letter.
Tears had gathered in his eyes—tears that even the butler, who had served him his entire life, had never once seen.
With his eyes closed, Killian steadied his breathing. The letter was still tightly clenched in his hand.
“This can’t be. You cannot leave me.”
He muttered empty words several times. Then suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and shouted at the servants, who were holding their breath in fear.
“…Find her.”
Once more, he forced strength into his jaw to hide the trembling in his voice and said through gritted teeth,
“Find Yuse immediately!”
— 364 days before Yuse Lil Krantz disappeared.
That day was the day Yuse Lil Krantz finally turned nineteen.
“Happy birthday, Yuse!”
The loud voice of Liam Lil Krantz, the lord of the Duchy of Berchia, filled Yuse’s room.
As soon as morning came, Liam had gone to her room to be the first to congratulate her.
Whenever Yuse’s birthday came around, he could not help but feel a little bitter, thinking about how many years had already passed since his wife, Alice, had died.
But seeing how much Yuse had grown was enough to make him happy.
“You’re already nineteen! When did you grow up so much, my daughter!”
Liam smiled proudly.
Yuse, still half asleep, looked at him blankly as he gently messed up her hair.
“Dad… it’s still early in the morning.”
She rubbed her eyes and answered in a sleepy voice.
“I could still sleep a little more…” she mumbled.
“Today is the day my daughter leaves the estate to go to the capital to meet Killian! Of course I came early to see you as much as possible!”
Liam laughed heartily, ignoring her sleepy complaint.
“T-Today? The day I go to the capital?”
Yuse slowly woke up at the sound of his laughter.
At the same time, she realized again how important today was.
“Oh, right—Killian!”
She lifted her heavy eyelids, and her green eyes sparkled.
Yes. Today was the day.
The day she would go to the imperial capital.
And more than anything, the day she would meet her fiancé for the first time.
“That’s right. Hurry and get up to prepare. You already packed your things, didn’t you? We leave at noon.”
Liam spoke warmly, his eyes fixed on his precious daughter.
The Duchy of Berchia belonged to the Cheritin Empire. It had been granted to Duke Liam Lil Krantz as a reward for his great achievements in the massive war between empires twenty years ago.
Though in truth, it was not entirely so.
He had achieved those feats together with his closest friend, Duke Chirso Diet Siarekatte.
However, Duke Siarekatte did not want to bear such heavy fame, so he gave all the credit to Duke Krantz.
Instead, to continue their deep friendship for many years, the two dukes made one promise.
That one day, their children would marry.
And today, as promised, was the day Duke Krantz’s daughter, Yuse, turned nineteen—the legal age for marriage.
Killian, the son of Duke Siarekatte, had been born a year earlier, so the timing of the marriage was set entirely according to Yuse’s age.
“I-I’ll get ready quickly!”
The sleepiness disappeared from her green eyes, which were now full of excitement.
She did not see the faint sadness that passed through Liam’s eyes.
Yuse had lived her entire life inside the duchy under her father’s protection. Now she was simply happy that she would finally live in the imperial capital.
“I’ve prepared breakfast, so come downstairs. You can finish preparing after that.”
Liam looked at his daughter and laughed softly, watching her warmly.
[ Hello, Yuse. How are you feeling today? I am… ]
“Yuse! Stop reading the letter and focus on your meal.”
No matter how much Liam tried to stop her, Yuse’s gaze did not move.
What she was reading was a letter from her fiancé, Killian—someone she had never seen in person in nineteen years, but with whom she had exchanged letters all that time.
“Father, I still can’t believe I’m finally going to meet him. I can’t believe someone so kind is my fiancé.”
Yuse smiled shyly, her face bright as if it held all the sunlight in the world.
Her fiancé. A fiancé she had never seen.
But she had no doubt that he was the kindest man in the world.
From the rumors she had heard, he was said to have a sculpted appearance and perfect proportions.
More than that, people said he had a truly good personality.
A man kind to everyone, regardless of gender—Killian.
The thought of finally seeing him, and becoming his wife, made Yuse’s heart beat fast.
“You’re that happy?”
Liam laughed loudly.
“Of course! Father, even after I marry, I’ll come visit often. I promise.”
“Silly girl. Of course you will.”
“Right?”
Yuse burst into laughter at Liam’s suddenly serious face.
She loved her father and every corner of this castle.
And she would miss it.
But at least for now, she wanted to step into a new world.
The world was too wide for her to stay only under her father’s protection.
“Yuse, this is your home. If things become difficult, you can always return. And always hide your ‘ability’ as much as possible. Do you understand?”
At the mention of her ability, Yuse’s face grew serious for a moment—but only for a moment.
She hugged her father tightly, who had gained wrinkles from taking care of her, and nodded firmly.
“All right. Now go and finish preparing.”
Finally, the words she had been waiting for came from Liam’s mouth.
“Hehe, yes!”
“And don’t forget. You must never use that power.”
“Of course!”
Leaving behind her still-worried father, Yuse left the dining room with light, excited steps.
Finally, today.
The day her world would grow bigger.
