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Chapter : 6
What a quiet family they were.
The three of them sat around the large dining table in the banquet hall, yet not a single one spoke first.
The Duke, whom Karl had not seen in quite some time, greeted his now fully grown son with a handshake before smiling and patting him on the shoulder. Even his mother, who rarely had reason to smile, offered a faint one.
That was all.
Other than the clinking of cutlery and the gentle melody of a violin drifting from the gramophone in the banquet hall, the dining room remained wrapped in complete silence.
Norman, the head butler waiting by the door, noticed Karl’s wineglass was empty. He approached personally, refilled it, and spoke politely.
“Young Master Karl, this is wine from Mount Conrad. I hope it suits your taste.”
“Thank you. It has a pleasant finish.”
“If you are to begin attending university in September, I imagine there is much to prepare. You should rest here for the time being and recover from your journey. Shall I make arrangements for tomorrow’s hunt?”
Hoping to ease the usual cold silence hanging over the dinner table, Norman spoke in a warm, friendly tone.
Everyone in Heightsrind knew there was little that could be done about the relationship between the Duke and Duchess, so he directed the conversation toward Karl instead.
“I’m not sure. I was thinking of taking a ride around the estate. If I decide to go hunting, I’ll let Boris know.”
“Very good, sir. It will be nice to hear gunfire echoing through the Heightsrind Forest again after so long.”
Norman smiled before glancing toward Duke Clauzen.
Catching the butler’s subtle signal, the Duke finally lowered the whiskey glass he had been drinking from.
He had not touched a single bite of food, choosing instead to drink one glass of strong whiskey after another.
“How have your studies in Schultz been?”
“They’ve been enjoyable.”
“I see. And when do you plan to leave for Regenshen?”
“Sometime in August.”
The chandelier overhead shimmered gently as the summer night breeze drifted through the room.
The rich fragrance of roses floated in through the open windows, while the violin melody continued softly and leisurely.
Pink Four Seasons roses, crimson peonies, and brilliant orange carnations decorating the dining table reflected the chandelier’s light, each petal displaying its beauty.
Because Karl had arrived earlier than expected, the kitchen had hurriedly adjusted its preparations, yet course after course was still served flawlessly.
It was a perfect evening.
Parents who, as always, hardly exchanged a word.
A vast mansion peaceful to the point of monotony.
Kind and diligent servants.
Nothing in Heightsrind had changed.
As Karl idly took in the calm, dignified atmosphere of the estate, his thoughts drifted to the strange little girl he had met that morning.
Her neatly cut blonde bob.
Eyes as deep green as a summer forest.
“By the way, I noticed a young girl today whom I’ve never seen before.”
A single pebble thrown into the still waters of unchanging Heightsrind.
Hoping to shift everyone’s attention and lighten the atmosphere, Karl brought up the little girl he had met in the garden.
The peaceful mood in the banquet hall changed instantly.
Daniela’s blue eyes trembled uncertainly.
Behind her, Dana, who had been attending her, visibly stiffened with tension.
Even the ever-composed Norman’s shoulders became rigid.
“So you’ve already met her, Karl. I was planning to introduce her anyway. Since the topic has come up, this is as good a time as any. Norman, please fetch Miss Adel.”
Lifting his whiskey once more, Duke Clauzen spoke casually.
The Duchess’s hand tightened around her knife and fork until it trembled.
“Karl has finally returned home, and this is our first family dinner in a long time. I would rather not ruin such a pleasant evening.”
“Daniela, I have already had it legally notarized that I will serve as the girl’s guardian until she reaches adulthood. If she is to stay here as our guest, then it is only proper that she be introduced to the future master of Heightsrind.”
So she had chosen Father as her guardian.
Karl quietly sipped his wine as he recalled the surname the girl had given him earlier that day.
Baden.
It was not especially common, but hardly rare either.
He felt certain he had heard it somewhere recently.
Judging from how his mother’s old anxiety had resurfaced, however, whatever came next was unlikely to be pleasant.
“That’s fine, Father. I already met her in the garden today and introduced myself. As Mother said, today is the first time in a while that the three of us have been together. We can have tea and speak properly another day.”
Karl’s calm intervention settled the matter neatly, and Duke Clauzen nodded in agreement.
For nearly a week, the Duke had deliberately avoided seeking the girl out.
He knew Daniela was enduring the situation with every ounce of restraint she possessed.
Though only a few days earlier, after the lawyer delivered the notarized document naming him guardian of Adelaide Baden, she had smashed the furniture in his study.
“You may already know this, but Adelaide’s father was Michael Baden. He died several months ago from a tropical disease in the southern territories. His failed business ventures made headlines throughout Erwin. I wasn’t one of his investors, but he once helped me with a railway project. I held shares in the freight railway connecting Pforzheim and Karli. It seems that, too, has been lost because of his financial collapse.”
Only then did Karl remember where he had heard the Baden name.
His classmates in Schultz had spoken of it more than once.
Michael Baden had been known as an aggressive businessman whose ventures had enjoyed remarkable success.
Many among Schultz’s upper-class circles had invested in his enterprises.
His businesses dealt with tea from the southern countries and mineral mining.
When everything collapsed almost overnight, many had questioned how such a prosperous enterprise could fail so suddenly.
Only now did Karl understand why the girl had looked at him without lowering her gaze, despite trembling so visibly.
Until her father’s death…
She must have been a child who had never learned to bow her head before anyone.
“I understand. If this is your decision, Father, then I have no objections.”
The veins on the Duchess’s hand bulged as she gripped her wineglass.
Duke Clauzen had completely lost his senses.
She had always known that.
But to publicly declare he would raise the girl until adulthood…
She simply could not comprehend his mad determination to bring his former lover’s daughter into Heightsrind and raise her beneath this roof.
That wretched Rene von Eduardt.
Her soot still clung to every corner of the Heightsrind estate.
It could never be wiped away.
Wherever Duke Clauzen’s gaze lingered, she felt herself being compared endlessly to Rene.
Even now, it was as though the dead woman still lived there.
She could endure it no longer.
Though Rene von Eduardt had long since died, she continued to manipulate her husband from beyond the grave, reducing Daniela herself to nothing more than a puppet.
And now…
Now it was the woman’s daughter.
Another sharp pain throbbed through her head.
The banquet hall once again sank into silence.
No one spoke another word.
“Young Master, it’s Dana. May I have a moment of your time?”
Dinner had ended earlier than expected, though the summer night had already grown quite late.
Hearing Dana knock on his door, Karl frowned slightly in surprise.
Dana had grown up alongside his mother as her personal maid since childhood.
If Daniela commanded it, she would willingly walk into hell itself.
When Daniela married into Heightsrind, she had insisted on bringing Dana with her.
Since then, Dana had become the Duchess’s most trusted attendant—almost another pair of hands.
“Come in.”
Having just finished his bath, Karl was reading in comfortable clothes.
He pulled his robe closed neatly before inviting her inside.
Dana entered without making a sound.
She kept her head lowered, never once meeting his eyes.
“I’m terribly sorry to disturb you when you must be tired, Young Master. There is something I wished to discuss beforehand, so I have taken the liberty of coming to see you.”
“Go ahead.”
Knowing Karl disliked unnecessary conversation, she quickly came to the point.
“It concerns Adelaide Baden, whom you met today. She is the daughter of Rene von Eduardt and Michael Baden. You may not know much about Michael Baden, but I’m sure you’ve heard of the Eduardt family.”
Karl frowned, pressing two fingers against his temple.
Only now did he fully understand why his mother’s face had darkened so noticeably.
He had never known much about his parents’ relationship.
But after growing old enough to understand their arguments, there was one name he had heard repeatedly.
Rene.
She had been his father, Levin von Clauzen’s, first love.
His first fiancée.
Karl could never understand why his father remained obsessed with a relationship that had ended long ago.
Nor could he entirely understand why his mother—already the mistress of House Clauzen—remained so deeply insecure.
He sometimes suspected that his father’s cold treatment of her was due, at least in part, to her obsessive jealousy.
Still keeping her head bowed, Dana continued.
“I know it is terribly presumptuous of me to say such things. But I beg you to consider my lady’s feelings. Since the Master brought that girl here, Lady Daniela has scarcely slept at all. I ask that you avoid speaking of the child whenever possible… and please keep your distance from her.”
As he listened, Karl’s brow gradually furrowed.
“I know it is insolent of me to interfere in the affairs of my master. But I ask that you pity both my lady and myself. While you remain at Heightsrind, I hope you will remember this humble request….”
Despite her respectful posture, her words were unmistakably inappropriate.
Karl closed the book resting on his lap with a sharp snap and stood.
“Dana.”
“I understand perfectly what you’re trying to say. I already noticed Mother’s displeasure during dinner, and I know you’ve served her faithfully for many years—so faithfully that you’re practically family to her.”
He looked directly at her.
“But what you’re doing now is highly offensive. You have overstepped your place.”
His voice remained low and even, but the anger beneath it could not be concealed.
“It is disrespectful enough for you to speak about the private affairs of my parents. More importantly, I do not believe my mother is so foolish as to drag the bitterness of the past onto an innocent child. I cannot understand why you felt compelled to come to my room at this hour to say such things. I’ve heard what you wished to say. You may leave now.”
Karl’s blue eyes—the same color as his mother’s—looked upon Dana with unmistakable anger and contempt.
Her head lowered even further.
Young Master Karl was, after all, a member of House Clauzen.
He clearly found her presumptuous behavior deeply distasteful.
“I sincerely apologize, Young Master Karl. Please forgive my unforgivable rudeness.”
Receiving no further response, Dana quietly left his room.
She had expected this reaction.
Even so…
She had to do everything she could to keep that vulgar girl as far away from the Clauzen family as possible.
Surely the intelligent young master had understood what she truly meant.
Leaving Karl’s room behind, Dana headed toward the kitchen.
She decided to prepare a warm cup of tea for the Duchess, who had endured such a difficult day.
Praying that, at least tonight…
Her mistress would finally be able to sleep peacefully, without dreams.
