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CHAPTER 53………
“…Where is Mother right now?”
When Etisha asked, the maids gathered before the storage room bowed their heads and answered.
“She is on her way after hearing the news.”
“And the Duke?”
“He is still in his office… shall we summon him?”
“If he is busy, then leave it. Call for Valdefram instead.”
“Yes, my lady.”
One maid quickly left the storage room to carry out her orders. Etisha gathered up the remains of the ruined dress. Her chest ached as she stared at the ragged scraps of fabric.
A memory surfaced—the conversation she had a few days ago with Lady Cirileze while wearing that very wedding gown here.
<This wedding dress is an heirloom of House Wintel, isn’t it?>
<Indeed. It is a precious piece with a long history. For generations, only the Duchesses of Wintel have been allowed to wear it. There is even a legend tied to the gown.>
And what had Etisha thought back then?
<No one can predict what lies ahead in life. So don’t trouble yourself with little things, my dear.>
What was she feeling when she wore this gown?
<Let’s raise a toast to the bride.>
How had her reflection looked in the mirror, adorned in that dress?
Suddenly, something ignited.
As if a wildfire had broken out deep in her heart, smoke and flames surged upward.
Like a calm sea suddenly overturned, waves of fury roared within her. Whoever had shredded this gown—she could never forgive them.
“Who… who would do such a thing? Has the culprit been caught?”
“No, not yet…”
“I heard the storage room door had been open. Who opened it? Since when?”
“We are not certain, my lady. But last night, the dress was definitely intact. It must have happened at dawn.”
“…I see.”
That meant only a few hours ago.
Just hours earlier the wedding gown had been whole—now it lay in tatters.
Etisha looked around at the bowed maids and asked,
“Did anyone see anything suspicious at dawn? Anything at all? Perhaps a sound, or someone passing by.”
The maids fidgeted, glancing nervously at one another.
“It’s all right. Speak freely.”
She reassured them. Right now, catching the culprit mattered more than blaming the maids for their negligence.
“Well…”
At last, a maid standing at the far end spoke timidly.
“I believe I saw someone… pass by here at dawn.”
“Really? Who was it? Did you see their face?”
“No… I couldn’t see the face. But I knew who it was.”
“…?”
“The hair. The color stood out too much to mistake. I recognized it immediately.”
Etisha’s lips stiffened. In a trembling voice, she asked,
“Who was it?”
The answer came without delay.
“It was Lady Larienne Heinz.”
Lightning struck Etisha’s mind.
Just then, the storage room door banged open.
“Bring Lady Heinz here at once.”
Lady Cirileze appeared, her expression as frigid as a northern gale. Like Etisha, she clearly had no intention of forgiving the culprit.
In fact, forgiveness was the last thing in her eyes—she looked ready to tear the offender to shreds, as the gown had been.
“Bring her. Now.”
“Yes, madam.”
The maids hurried out again, leaving the room steeped in a chilling silence.
“…Child.”
Lady Cirileze slowly studied Etisha clutching the gown. Her gaze wavered with fury, sorrow, and pity all at once. She reached out to stroke Etisha’s arm.
“It’s all right.”
“Mother…”
“It is only a dress. History and tradition can always be remade.”
“Mother…”
“I will handle everything. You need not worry. Do not let your heart ache.”
She gently patted Etisha’s back. The kindness and care pierced Etisha’s chest even more deeply than the loss of the gown itself. She felt both grateful and guilty.
“I’m sorry. I should have expected my sister would do something like this.”
“No! No, what fault lies with you? It is my husband’s fault for allowing Lady Heinz into the castle.”
“No, Father knew nothing of the Heinz family. It isn’t his fault.”
“…Yes. Then it is no one’s fault. Only the fault of the one who destroyed the gown.”
Time passed.
At last, Larienne was dragged in by the castle guards. She glared venomously at them.
“You dare lay hands on me? Release me this instant!”
She shook off their grip and swept her gaze around the room.
The shredded gown. Etisha. Lady Cirileze.
Sensing the icy atmosphere, Larienne’s expression slowly darkened.
“…Why did you do it?”
Breaking the silence, it was Etisha who spoke first. She straightened and took a step toward Larienne.
“No… I suppose there’s no need to ask why. You’ve always been this way.”
“Tisha? What are you saying?”
“When you want something, you take it. When you dislike something, you destroy it.”
“No, Tisha, what are you talking about? What is this situation?”
“Don’t deny it. And don’t think I’ll forgive you this time either. Look into my eyes and answer me.”
“T–Tisha…”
“My wedding dress. Did you tear it apart?”
Larienne gasped.
She stared at Etisha as though frozen, then whispered with trembling lips,
“…What?”
“I’m asking you. Was this your doing?”
“….”
“Someone saw you outside the storage room at dawn. What were you doing here so late at night?”
Her red lips quivered. Then she ground her teeth hard.
“You… you’re suspecting me?”
“No. I’m certain.”
“It wasn’t me.”
Larienne shouted, gritting her teeth.
“It wasn’t me!”
“….”
“This is absurd! I’ve never even been in this room before. I didn’t even know it was a storage room! I couldn’t care less about it! I’ve never even seen that so-called wedding dress or whatever those rags are until now!”
She raked her hair back furiously. But Etisha could not believe her. The culprit would never confess so easily anyway.
Larienne fumed,
“You drag me here against my will and try to frame me? Tisha, how could you do this to me?”
“Oh? So it wasn’t you?”
“It wasn’t! I told you, I know nothing about this! How could you… How could you do this to me? You owe me an apology!”
“….”
“What? You falsely accuse me and won’t even apologize? I won’t accept that. I deserve an apology.”
At last, Lady Cirileze spoke.
“Lady Larienne Heinz.”
Just the utterance of her name chilled the room like a blizzard. Her voice was sharp and merciless.
Larienne slowly turned toward her. Even she, notorious as society’s wild child, could not help but feel intimidated by the famed former Duchess of Wintel.
But Cirileze did not need to say more.
“Mother. Please wait.”
Etisha held her hand and shook her head slowly.
This matter was hers alone.
Because at last, she had a chance to pour out years of pent-up resentment and sever the hateful tie binding her to Larienne Heinz.
“How astonishing… I knew, but still, you truly are astonishing.”
“…What?”
“You want an apology from me? Do you really believe you deserve that?”
Etisha smiled faintly.
That smile carried countless emotions—layered, hardened, their origins blurred with time. Her gaze toward Larienne was the same.
“Think back to everything you did to me. Locking me up. Hitting me. Playing with me like a doll. Smashing my belongings.”
“….”
“I still remember it all vividly. The piano music box I cherished as a child. Every night I fell asleep listening to it. Without it, I had nightmares.”
“Music box? What music box? I don’t remember that.”
“One day, I woke up and found it gone. I searched everywhere, and do you know where I finally found it?”
“I told you, I don’t remember!”
“In the fountain. And there you stood, shamelessly singing the very tune it used to play. While I cried, digging it out of the water, you said this to me.”
“….”
‘Tisha, you don’t need that thing. From now on, I’ll be the one to sing you lullabies.’
Etisha stepped closer.
Her face loomed before Larienne, emotions blazing in her eyes.
“…That music box was my mother’s keepsake.”
“….”
“Because of you, it was ruined.”
“….”
“Because of you, I had nightmares every single night afterward.”
“….”
“Each time I woke crying, did you ever once apologize? Truly, with all your heart—did you ever feel sorry for me?”
Larienne instinctively stumbled back.
She was afraid of Etisha’s approach—no, afraid of the crushing weight of her own past sins.
Her lips quivered, her fists clenched. No matter how hard she thought, she could not remember that music box.
But singing to Etisha—yes, that she remembered. She had always done that.
And yet…
That music box…
“I–I didn’t know. I didn’t know!”
“Of course you didn’t. Because you never knew me at all. You only ever thought of yourself.”
“No, I… I loved you, Tisha…”
Larienne shook her head violently. This couldn’t be happening.
She was supposed to be the one who knew Etisha best.
She was supposed to be the one who loved Etisha most.
She was supposed to be the one who stayed with Etisha forever.
But all of it—was nothing more than her own delusion.
“And now you dare… demand an apology from me?”
