MEBD 16

Chapter 16

The Second Funeral (1)

To hide Kaiden’s presence, Berenice had dutifully played the part of a bedridden patient. After arriving at the lord’s castle and collapsing like a painting, she spent the next four days shut away in her room.

Her family pitied her for living so confined, but to Berenice, it was precious time — time she could use to memorize every word of her brother’s diary.

In the process, her respect for her eldest brother was chipped away just a little — really, just a very little — but she was able to refine her next course of action with greater precision and detail.

“Is it today?”

Still keeping up the act of being ill, Berenice leaned back against the headboard of her bed, dressed in her nightgown, and asked Nadia, who was sitting by her bedside embroidering.

“They said it will take place after lunch.”

“So I’m really saying goodbye to my brother today…”

Today was the day of Bledin’s second funeral —
the day to correct yet another regret left in the past.

“How’s our ‘guest’ doing?”

“The physician’s medicine worked quite well. I heard that as long as he rests for a while, there should be no problem with his health.”

Perhaps thanks to Berenice’s unseen help, Seth had successfully completed the antidote in record time.

Of course, it wasn’t as though they could administer it directly to a member of the royal family without caution. Kaiden and his aide had to witness multiple tests to confirm there was nothing wrong with the medicine.

Using the wrong antidote and killing him would be a disaster, but letting the poison linger too long would be just as bad…

Though it wasn’t a poison that caused death, it was still poison — and Berenice could easily picture the faces of Kaiden’s family members, tormented with worry as he suffered, even if they hadn’t shown it outwardly.

“And… the ‘guest’ said he’ll be attending the funeral.”

“What?”

Berenice’s head whipped toward Nadia, so fast that it made a whoosh sound.

Kaiden had come to the estate under the pretext of attending Bledin’s funeral, but honestly, Berenice had thought that was impossible.

The second funeral was a time reserved strictly for family.

And yet, her father had allowed it?

Berenice was speechless for a moment, and Nadia continued softly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.

“They said His Highness came because he couldn’t attend the first funeral and ended up getting hurt while visiting the estate. Since he personally made the ‘request,’ the marquis couldn’t refuse.”

“But still…”

“Anyway, His Highness’s presence in the estate is a secret, right? It sounds like he just wants to pay his respects quietly, without anyone knowing.”

“…Quietly?”

“Yes. I heard he promised not to disturb the family’s time together.”

Kaiden had nearly died when he came to bid farewell to Bledin before — so if he now wished to attend the funeral, there was no reason to deny him, even without calling it a “request.”

After all, he was royalty.

The second funeral might be a family tradition, but tradition was hardly a valid reason to refuse a royal.

The marquis surely knew that — and probably felt relieved that Kaiden had phrased it as a mere request.

What is he really after?

Berenice was deeply curious about Kaiden’s true purpose, but there was no way to find out.

He hadn’t done anything suspicious — only remained quietly in Bledin’s chamber.

Maybe it was because of his injuries, or perhaps he wished to avoid drawing attention, but he hadn’t taken a single step beyond that room.

Berenice had kept a close eye on him — and noted that even his aide never left his side for a moment.

What could it be?

Suspicious as it was, unless Kaiden confessed on his own, she had no way of knowing the real reason he had come to the marquisate.

There’s not enough information.

Would the White Crow have been able to find out?

Somehow, she doubted it. Even with her “friend’s” help, Kaiden’s real intentions would be a hard mystery to uncover.

If I can’t solve it now… then I should focus on what I need to do.

Resolving to visit the White Crow as soon as she returned to the capital, Berenice thought about what she needed to accomplish at the funeral.

He said he buried it beneath the small statue of the goddess, near the family tomb, right?

Bledin had prepared in advance — a way for their father to meet the White Crow after reading the diary, hand it over, and then forget everything.

But that plan had failed, both in the past and in the present.

Father died before meeting the White Crow… and now, I’ll be meeting them myself.

Thanks to Bledin, she could skip all the tedious steps and meet her “friend” directly.

Would she be able to hear what she couldn’t before?

Thinking of that friend — who had always held his tongue whenever Bledin came up in conversation — Berenice sighed softly and got out of bed.

The funeral would begin after lunch, but preparations had to start now.

“Nadia, let’s get ready.”

“Yes, my lady.”

First, a bath.

Aside from the “outing” on the first day she’d arrived, she’d spent all her time lying in bed, so her body was stiff and sore.

She’d loosen her muscles with hot water — and think about how to sneak over to the goddess statue unseen.

Nodding lightly, Berenice gathered her thoughts and headed for the bath.

After a long while, Berenice had her first family meal again.

Now, she walked slowly behind the coffin, clutching Bledin’s sword tightly in her arms.

The marchioness and Lowell walked beside her, following the carriage that bore the coffin.

And the marquis himself — he was pulling the carriage with his own hands.

Cruel as it might seem, this too was part of the second funeral’s tradition.

When parents die, the eldest child pulls the carriage; when a child dies, the parents do.

No one knew exactly why such a custom began, but the marquis’s broad, sturdy back — gripping the reins firmly — looked as imposing as ever.

He’s only pretending to be strong… for our sake, so we can keep walking behind him.

Guessing her father’s true feelings but pretending not to notice, Berenice turned her head and glanced around.

“Why?” Lowell asked.

“…Didn’t they say the ‘guest’ was coming?”

“He’ll probably come by another path. There are too many eyes here.”

“Ah…”

From afar, the people of the territory — who knew that this was the second funeral — stood with bowed heads, silently paying their respects.

Since Kaiden had said he would only offer his condolences quietly and had to remain hidden, it made sense that he wouldn’t walk this public route with them.

They kept walking for some time, down the well-paved road that soon led into a forest.

At last, a great stone gate came into view — carved with the white wolf emblem of House Wiltiera.

The family tomb, located deep in the forest, was a vast stone chamber built directly into a cliff.

Even the massive gate blocking the entrance had been carved from a single boulder — its sheer size enough to overwhelm any first-time visitor.

“Lowell.”

“Yes.”

“You know the procedure?”

“…Yes.”

Because Bledin had given up his right to inherit, Lowell had been trained from childhood to succeed the house — and he understood what his father wanted without needing to ask.

Though the marquis had pulled the coffin himself in accordance with tradition, he could not bring himself to open the tomb’s gate.

Understanding his father’s heart, Lowell nodded silently and stepped toward the stone gate, drawing a dagger from his breast pocket.

As if he had anticipated this moment, he cut his palm without hesitation and pressed his bleeding hand to the carved white wolf on the stone.

It happened instantly.

The white wolf, bathed in the blood of Wiltiera’s direct line, began to glow.

For a brief moment — bright enough to blind anyone who wasn’t quick to look away — radiant light flooded the entrance.

Berenice had known about it from family history lessons, but seeing it in person for the first time left her dazed.

The gate began to open slowly on its own, as if responding to the moonlight itself.

“They said the Wiltiera tomb was carved from ‘moonlight’ itself,” said a voice beside her. “I guess that was true.”

Startled by the sudden words, Berenice turned sharply.

There stood Kaiden — his complexion far healthier than the last time she’d seen him, red eyes gleaming with intrigue.