CLWE 32

Chapter 32

By coincidence, Lady Aurelian’s ex-husband had once said the exact same thing as Prince David.

“Madam! You are the only one for me! I think I was out of my mind for a while. Please come back to me!”

He had begged and pleaded, but it was nothing more than someone returning to a familiar taste after growing tired of fine food. From the start, he was a man who failed to understand that a person was not food, so she felt no resentment toward him.

‘But this man knows everything, and yet he is still urging his daughter into that place.’

Lady Aurelian asked coldly,

“Do you truly believe that Liena still wishes to become Prince David’s wife, Duke?”

“Even if the child does not wish it, persuading her is the role of a parent.”

Duke Pond spoke politely, yet with unyielding firmness.

“That child will one day become this country’s queen. Hand her over at once.”

“She is not in this castle. I already told you. Liena has decided to go on a journey.”

“Lady Aurelian.”

Duke Pond’s face hardened. He was convinced that Liena was in this castle.

“I will ask one last time. Is Liena truly not here?”

“Duke.”

Lady Aurelian let out a small scoff. The role of a parent? No matter how lofty the position of queen might be, anyone who knew Liena would never push her from behind.

Liena was a woman who would refuse not only the throne of a queen, but even the position of empress of an empire. That was precisely why Carmine was so restless.

“We already know that living the way one desires does not always lead to happiness. Following one’s heart in life does not guarantee good results.”

For Lady Aurelian, her divorce had been exactly that. It was not as though she had felt no regret afterward. She could no longer live with her children and grandchildren, and among those who knew the circumstances, she had endured humiliating looks.

Even so, she chose divorce. Though her body might have been comfortable, remaining would have meant killing her own soul. And she was certain that Liena’s re-engagement would be the same kind of act.

“Even so, at the very least, it leaves no regrets. That is why so many adults teach children to follow their hearts. So, Duke Pond, leave Liena be. That is her happiness.”

“A truly foolish choice, Lady Aurelian. You followed your heart and ended up as a minor rural lord. Do you still intend to live that way?”

“I am happy now.”

“Hmph.”

Happy? Duke Pond could never accept that. The Liena he knew and the Liena Lady Aurelian knew were simply different.

And besides—

‘Even if that child is unhappy, so what? Because of it, House Pond will gain everything.’

Given all that she had received as a young lady of House Pond, was it not only right that she devote herself to the ducal family?

“Next time, this will not end with words alone, Lady Aurelian.”

With that threat, Duke Pond turned and left.

“My father came here?”

At the butler’s words, my face went pale.

‘I knew he wouldn’t leave quietly.’

But to bring soldiers into another lord’s castle…

That was no different from declaring a territorial war!

‘And if a territorial war breaks out, Postin won’t survive. There are no proper soldiers here.’

And the Duchy of Pond was one of the wealthiest territories in the country.

‘If I don’t step forward, Father will attack Postin.’

If that happened, everything would be over—
the farmland I loved, the villagers, and Lady Grandmother, the lord of this land…

‘…Carmine, too.’

As I stood there trembling, my hands shaking, a loud voice snapped me back to my senses. It was Louis, who had chased after me.

—Master!

“Louis…”

Louis sparkled brilliantly as he spoke to me with confidence.

—I will protect you, Master! Don’t worry!

“Protect me? You were the one lying down crying your eyes out.”

-Th-that was because I felt guilty! I cried because I was sorry to you!

“Hmph.”

I snorted despite myself, but it was true that he gave me strength. Looking at the shining Louis, my fear faded and my mind cleared.

“I need to speak with Lady Grandmother.”

Even if I ran away like this, Father would not withdraw his soldiers. I needed another plan—perhaps pretending to follow him back to the capital and then escaping.

“Good. Now that I’ve calmed down, I can think again. You really are a wonderful sword, Louis.”

—Master.

I gripped Louis tightly, as though simply holding him filled me with courage.

And then, at that very moment—

A large hand seized my wrist and yanked me violently backward.

“So this is where you were hiding.”

“Aah!”

I let out a small scream as I was dragged back by the rough grip. I immediately recognized the man who had grabbed me—the crest of House Pond was emblazoned on his clothing.

‘A soldier!’

He must have been one of the soldiers Father had brought with him.

He openly sneered at me.

“His Grace’s prediction was spot-on. As expected, a young lady who has never once left home by her own strength couldn’t possibly go on a long journey all of a sudden.”

“Let go of me!”

I tried to wrench my hand free, but his grip was far too strong. Just as I was struggling with him, Susan stepped forward, hands on her hips, and shouted at the soldier.

“Have you entered another lord’s castle without permission?!”

“What’s with this woman?”

The soldier looked down at Susan and mocked her like a common thug.

“Yeah, I dragged her in. So what are you going to do about it?”

“This is an insult to the lord of Postin! You know that soldiers entering another territory without the lord’s permission is a serious crime! Are you prepared to be punished for it?”

“Prepared?”

The soldier snorted in disbelief.

“What could a tiny backwater lord like this possibly do?”

“W-what do you mean, what could we do?”

“So what if it’s unfair and unjust? What then? Are you going to declare a territorial war?”

“W-what kind of brazen nonsense is that—!”

Apparently never expecting such a retort, Susan faltered, her mouth opening and closing. I gestured to her.

“Susan, don’t step in. I’m afraid he’ll hurt you.”

If he could treat me this roughly despite knowing I was a daughter of House Pond, I feared he would be even worse to Susan.

I straightened my back and forced myself to speak calmly.

“So, you’re saying you invaded Postin because of me?”

“Invaded? That’s an unpleasant way to put it. Strictly speaking, isn’t Postin the one at fault? You’re hiding the young lady and refusing to hand her over.”

At my words, the soldier frowned and replied curtly. I let out a hollow laugh.

“I was already cast out of my family, and I’m an adult. I’m choosing not to return of my own will. This has nothing to do with Postin.”

“Does your will even matter?”

At that question, I bit my lip hard. When I lived as a daughter of House Pond, I had thought the same.

‘I believed Father’s will was my own.’

As I fell silent, lost in the past, the soldier seemed to think he had persuaded me. His tone softened, as if coaxing a child.

“Isn’t this good for you as well, miss? You can become the highest-ranking woman in this country. We’re doing this for your sake.”

‘After humiliating me like that, and now shamelessly coming back for me—damn you, David!’

No matter what David said, I had no intention of returning to him.

‘If he abandons me again, then I’ll just be cast out of my family once more.’

Leaving my fate to someone else’s feelings was deeply unpleasant. I laughed bitterly.

“For my sake? You mean for the glory of the family.”

“What’s the difference?”

The soldier glared at me with clear displeasure.

“You were born in Pond and grew up enjoying what Pond provided. Isn’t it only natural to think you should repay that debt?”

“If you mean that debt, I repaid it when I was disgracefully dumped at the ballroom! Everyone there—including Father and my brothers—just watched as I was humiliated. Isn’t that enough?”

“That incident only harmed the family.”

“…!!”

My eyes flew wide open at the soldier’s words.

‘That was harm to the family?’

What on earth had I done wrong?

As I stood there in a daze, the soldier continued his smug lecture.

“If you truly cared about the family, shouldn’t you have done something before things got that bad? You had plenty of time and opportunity.”

There was no way a mere hired soldier would have come up with such thoughts on his own. It meant that, after I left, such opinions had been circulating within House Pond.

As if driving the final nail in, the soldier muttered,

“For a half-baked woman who couldn’t even properly seduce one man, you sure are noisy.”

“You—! Just because you have a mouth, do you think you can say whatever you want?!”

The one who lunged at the soldier with clenched fists was Susan. Startled, the soldier reflexively released his grip on me.

“Susan!”

I shouted her name in worry—

At that moment, Louis, who had been clinging to me gloomily, burst forth with dazzling light and rattled violently in front of me.

—My master is not half-baked! In the dozens—no, hundreds—of years I have lived, you are the finest master of all!

I stared wide-eyed at Louis as he shielded me.

‘That’s right! I did nothing wrong!’

Louis thrust his hilt toward me and shouted,

—If you’re going to fight, grab me, Master!

“Louis!”

Of course I would fight!

‘Sitting around waiting for some prince to come save me doesn’t suit me at all!’

The moment I firmly grasped Louis—

“W-wha—?!”

As if by magic, my body moved as smoothly as flowing water. With Louis in my right hand, I swiftly stabbed the soldier in the side.

“W-what is this?!”

The soldier screamed as he slashed wildly with his sword, his skin and clothes barely grazed. But the moment his blade collided with Louis, it shattered with a loud clang.

Every object has a point where it breaks most easily, and the tip of Louis’s blade had struck that spot with perfect precision.

Having lost his weapon in an instant, the soldier staggered back in panic.

“You were never trained in swordsmanship, miss—so how?!”