CLWE 39

Chapter 39

‘Ugh, why do people like that keep showing up in this rural estate?’
Duke Pond flinched for a moment, as Carmine had said, but recalling his position, he straightened himself and puffed up again.
“So what? What can a rural bumpkin like you possibly do?”
“A rural bumpkin, huh.”
Carmine smirked.
“Well, getting trampled by a rural bumpkin must hurt a lot.”
It wasn’t something new or unfamiliar to him. Everyone who had mocked him as a young emperor had ended up rolling on the ground.
“You who trample on what is precious to me cannot be forgiven.”
What was precious to Liena was precious to Carmine as well. Without hesitation, he commanded:
“Kill them all! Show them the fear of the Empire!”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights, who had already been informed of the situation by Lady Aurelian, were full of anger. Even though Lady Aurelian was no longer technically part of the Empire due to her divorce, she was still someone entitled to its protection. For Duke Pond, this was tantamount to ignoring the Empire itself.

As Carmine advanced, swinging his sword without hesitation, Duke Pond turned to flee—but someone kicked him hard in the chest.
“Ahh!”
To be kicked in the chest—this was a humiliation Duke Pond had never imagined in his life. As he fell backward, he lifted his head to see a short-haired, lively beauty standing in front of him.

It was Suzanne. She scolded Carmine loudly.
“Brother, really! Doing whatever you want all by yourself!”
“There’s nothing fun about this.”
“Don’t lie. I can see you’re just taking out stress under the excuse of helping your sister-in-law.”
Having been stuck in the palace, running around in Postine felt like a huge stress relief.

Duke Pond pointed a finger at Suzanne, raising his voice:
“You—who do you think I am!”
“Who? Do you know who I am?”
Suzanne crossed her arms and smirked.
“My name is Suzanne Mareschal, princess of the Empire. I’m currently spending summer vacation at my grandmother’s house.”
“Wh-what?”
Suzanne Mareschal—a name Duke Pond could do nothing against—had appeared. Trembling, he glanced back. There stood Carmine, holding a glowing Louis in his hand. It was like a scene straight out of the Empire’s founding legend.

“So this man…?”
Who could be Suzanne Mareschal’s older brother?
Carmine said to Duke Pond in a firm voice:
“Shall we first settle our… relationship?”
“Re-relationship?”
The sudden politeness in his voice was almost comical. Carmine shrugged.
“We need to settle things. I plan to marry your daughter.”
“Wh-what did you say?”
“And you must pay for your crimes as well.”
Carmine looked down at Duke Pond with cold eyes.
“That’s actually the main point.”

After sending Carmine off, I surveyed the damage to the farm. There was the smell of oil everywhere.
‘Disgusting. They even tried to set fire here.’
The smell even reached my house. What if the fire had started while I was sleeping? Just imagining it was horrifying.
‘Still, it’s a relief that it’s been mostly contained. It’s unfortunate that the watermelon patch burned, but the vineyard survived.’
If the orchard had burned, I would have cried. Unlike annual plants, the orchard trees took years to grow.
‘Can I finally rest now?’
Perhaps because I thought that, my tension suddenly dropped, and reality began to return. My throat stung from the black ashes, and I couldn’t open my eyes. My legs, which had been moving busily just moments ago, felt as if lead had been tied to them.

I stared blankly at the white smoke rising from everything that had burned, and only then realized:
‘It’s dawn.’
Even without lighting a lamp, the surroundings were clearly visible. The morning sun was rising. The long night had ended.

Once I relaxed a little, a wave of emotion finally hit me.
‘How could someone do something so cruel?’
I had memories from my previous life, but also memories of living as Liena. So my sense of betrayal toward my father was even stronger.
‘How could my father… do this to me?’

Just as I trembled in despair, Carmine and the knights rushed toward me.
“We caught him, Liena, just as you wanted.”
Carmine pushed a man forward. Kneeling before me was none other than my father.

Before I could express my resentment, he lowered his head and apologized:
“I-I’m sorry, Liena.”

Hearing that, I felt a tightness in my chest. Even seeing him sneak glances at me like a frightened mouse didn’t make me happy—it irritated me.
Why apologize so easily? When he burned what was mine, there must have been a reason!
‘Was he this lighthearted even when setting fire?’

My blood boiled. I spun around sharply, fists clenched.
“This isn’t what I want.”
“Liena.”
Carmine held my wrist. Feeling his warm presence as I was seething somehow made me want to cry. I looked at him, voice trembling.
“Even if we punish him or hit him, my fields won’t come back.”

An apology given so lightly? Forgive him? I could never accept that.
And Carmine kindly understood my feelings.
“You’re right. But this will at least ease Liena’s mind a little. For that, I’d face any danger.”

How much effort had Carmine gone through to make my father apologize? I should have thanked him first, but instead I blurted out my disbelief. Yet Carmine didn’t scold me.

“Carmine.”
I called him with teary eyes.
“Eek!”

‘Why is he like that?’
My father suddenly jumped as if he’d been shot, trembling. I glanced at him suspiciously. At that moment, Carmine tugged my arm and asked again:
“What do you want, Liena?”
“I…”

I met Carmine’s gaze again. My mind was in chaos. Hesitating, I finally said:
“I don’t want to see him again. I want to make sure he never interferes in my life again under the name of my father.”

No matter how much I hated him, he was still my father. I couldn’t beat or drive him away—but I couldn’t forgive him either.

Carmine calmly observed me as I struggled to speak. Then he spoke to my father in a harsh tone:
“Never show your face to Liena again.”
“Yes, yes! Of course!”

My father bowed quickly. Carmine nodded to the knights who had followed him. They grabbed my father’s arms and took him to the lord’s castle. I silently held Carmine’s hand.

He walked me steadily, holding my hand. After the fire, even the insects were quiet.

I moved a little to calm myself and finally spoke:
“I thought I’d feel relieved if my father apologized. But I don’t. An apology given so easily feels neither sincere nor satisfying.”
“Liena.”
Carmine squeezed my hand. His calm gaze seemed to ask, Do you want me to make him apologize more sincerely?

I shook my head. No matter the situation, my answer would be the same. The bonds of family are heavier and more persistent than imagined.

Instead, Carmine making sure my father would never appear again was enough.
“Thank you, Carmine. I could never have said that myself.”

Above all, Carmine had confronted my father for me. The only thing I could say was thanks.

“And Louis…”
Startled!
Like a blade that was mine but not quite mine, Louis flinched beside Carmine when I called him. I looked at Louis directly, and he hovered in front of me with a soft hum.

I smiled, alternating my gaze between Carmine and Louis.
“You two have gotten close. Helping me together.”
-Oh, no! Master! This is nothing! I just lent my body!
Louis protested desperately. I smiled and asked:
“You did it for me, right?”
-Of course!

What a sweet little thing. I kissed the blade of Louis.
“Thank you, Louis.”
-……

But unlike I expected, Louis seemed unusually gloomy and didn’t answer. I tilted my head, puzzled, and he muttered in a somber voice:
-I’m trash. Just a scrap that can talk. Master doesn’t need to thank me excessively.

“You’re already more than just scrap because you can speak.”
-W-Anyway! Don’t thank me! I don’t want to say a word now! Just ignore me!

“Louis?”
Before I could question further, Louis clung to my back again. I tilted my head.

Why is he sulking like this?