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Chapter 4
“Please give me the letter Duke Allen Pianus sent to my mother.”
“…?!”
The guilt lingering on Rupert’s face instantly gave way to pure shock.
“H-How do you know that name, My Lady…?”
Allen Pianus—he was the former lover of Roselyne, Ludiana’s mother, and the Duke who ruled over the Eastern territories. Even after Roselyne’s marriage, he had sent letters a few times, but Roselyne had never once replied, leaving his final letter unread.
After that, the letters ceased, and Jonas had paid it no mind either. It was a name that had faded even from Rupert’s memory. Yet just a few days ago, a letter bearing that very name had arrived at the estate once again.
“Dispose of it.”
In the past, Jonas had ordered all letters from Allen to be delivered directly to Roselyne. But this time, he had commanded it to be destroyed without even being opened.
Startled by the unexpected order, Rupert had been flustered; unable to bring himself to throw the Duke’s letter away, he had merely hidden it.
“Rupert, that letter is the only chance the three of us—Mother, Irene, and I—have to survive.”
The young lady who looked straight at him carried desperate yearning, urgency, and fear in her eyes.
“Eventually, Rhea Werther will become the Lady of Nurnbern. That woman will stop at nothing to secure the position of formal wife. Even if it means killing my mother. And Father won’t care in the slightest.”
“My Lady…!”
“You know it full well, don’t you, Rupert? Father cares for no one in this house except his heir. To him, keeping the business rights gained through his marriage is all that matters.”
Yet her expression remained resolutely firm.
“…”
At that moment, Rupert realized what his precious young lady was truly seeking.
She spoke of a letter, but what she truly wanted was… something else entirely.
She intends to leave Nurnbern.
Looking at her resolute expression, Rupert could not bring himself to refuse. He cherished those two children far too deeply to ignore the young lady struggling to escape her tragic fate.
“…Understood.”
Though Ludiana tried to decline, Rupert—whose gloves were already covered in dust from wiping the chair and table—gently seated her, brewed her a cup of tea, and stepped out of the room.
It worked!
Ludiana let out the breath she had been holding.
At that exact moment, footsteps echoed beyond the door Rupert had just closed behind him.
It was not because the room lacked soundproofing, but rather because the interior was wrapped in such complete silence that sounds from outside carried with unusual clarity.
Has he returned already?
No—the footsteps were light and belonged to several people. Hurriedly standing up, Ludiana hid herself beside the bed.
Click.
The door opened, and women’s voices drifted inside.
“See? I told ya it’d be in here!”
“What in the world is the butler thinking…”
“Has the young lady gone already?”
They looked around the room, but fortunately failed to spot Ludiana huddled next to the bed.
“The tea’s gone cold already. Looks like the little peek in secret is over.”
“Honestly, risking someone’s neck just for a trick like this…”
Clatter, clinking—the sound of fetching items echoed.
Cough, cough. “Eesh, what kind of tea is anyone supposed to drink in a dust bucket like this?”
Grumbling incessantly, they cleared the tea tray and finally left the room.
As their voices faded into the distance, Ludiana carefully stood up.
Though the room was still filled with a hazy fog of dust, the surface of the table had been made clean once more.
Yes… this is my reality.
Ludiana curled up beside the bed again. Even though she knew no one else would enter a room that went unused, the surging anxiety kept her from resting at ease.
After some time passed, the door creaked open, and Rupert returned.
“My Lady…?”
The tea tray was gone, and the lady who should have been there was nowhere to be seen. Startled, Rupert looked around until he found the young girl huddled beside the bed.
“What in the world happened here?!”
“People came and cleared everything away.”
Flabbergasted, Rupert looked back and forth between her and the table. Yet Ludiana merely dusted off her skirt with a nonchalant attitude and stood up from her spot.
“Knowing that My Lady was inside, how dare they do such a thing…!”
Rupert’s voice rose slightly, a tremor of suppressed anger leaking through.
“They didn’t know I was here. I hid.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Ludiana walked over to him—toward the silver platter he was holding. Upon it lay a single letter.
“…Forgive me.”
“It’s alright.”
Rupert’s face contorted in pain. It broke his heart that the young lady could not even enjoy a quiet cup of tea in peace.
“More importantly, is that the letter?”
“Yes. Here it is.”
Two envelopes rested on the silver platter.
One was an envelope showing the marks of time, while the other…
This is it!
Without hesitation, Ludiana tore open the letter.
[To Lady Nurnbern…]
The letter stated that he would be waiting at the Imperial Clubhouse in the Capital on the eve of the Emperor’s coronation.
The Emperor’s coronation!
Gathering the remaining letters, Ludiana looked up at Rupert.
“Rupert! Please call a carriage!”
“We have arrived.”
The carriage bore no family crest, nor any noble insignias. When Rupert offered to prepare the family carriage, Ludiana had declined, requesting a hired carriage instead.
Rupert has already done more than enough for me.
Judging by the reaction of the servants who had cleared the tea tray, it was clear Rupert had taken a great risk on her behalf. If Rhea found out he had gone so far as to arrange a carriage for her, she would never let it slide.
Checking that she had stepped down, the coachman departed without a moment’s hesitation.
“Phew…”
She had made it this far somehow. But could she truly succeed in persuading him?
Allen Pianus—what intention was hidden within his letter to her mother?
Clutching the hem of her skirt, which revealed a sliver of her ankles due to being worn and frayed from long use, Ludiana climbed the stairs.
Though coarse, her black hair shimmered softly under the sunlight. Her pale skin and the peachy flush on her cheeks stood in stark contrast to her worn, out-of-date dress. The gazes of passersby turned toward her.
“I have come to see Duke Allen Pianus.”
She showed the guard at the entrance the letter stamped with the Pianus family seal.
“…This way, My Lady.”
Though hesitant at first, the guard’s attitude shifted instantly the moment he verified the seal.
I’m glad I brought the letter.
Ludiana had a more realistic view of her own shabby appearance than anyone else.
Without this letter, what guard would ever believe that a young girl in such ragged attire had come to meet the Duke of the East?
“The Duke is waiting upstairs.”
‘Orient’ was a clubhouse for nobles, a space to drink tea and socialize. Unlike other clubs that catered primarily to men, Orient was a favorite spot for both noble gentlemen and ladies.
Even so, high-ranking nobles avoided mingling with lower-ranking nobility, which was why Orient operated the entire second floor as an exclusive space reserved only for counts and above—and the guests they invited.
Even as the daughter of a baron, Ludiana had never dared set foot here while Rhea Werther was around.
After reaching adulthood, she had visited a few times with her husband, Baron Ponedo, but she had never once gone up to the second floor.
Back then, I was always brought along almost against my will…
A strange wave of emotion washed over her. To think she would return here of her own free will.
This was the first time she had set foot in this place by her own volition.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she surveyed the floor, tracing her memory to find Allen’s face. He was seated at the table with the best view, over by the terrace.
A gentle breeze blew in, lightly fluttering his silver hair.
“My Lord Duke, a guest has arrived.”
Swiftly—yet with grace—his blue eyes turned toward her. Those eyes were filled with yearning.
However, the instant his gaze met Ludiana’s, that yearning turned into vigilance.
“Greetings, Your Grace. I am Ludiana Nurnbern.”
“Did you say Nurnbern?”
“Yes. I have come after reading the letter you sent to my mother.”
His long, dark eyelashes lifted as his eyes widened.
Listening to her speak, Allen saw Roselyne within her.
Not just her hair, her eyes, and her features, but even her low, calm voice—she resembled the Roselyne of his youth all too closely. Memories flooded in uncontrollably.
He merely stared at her in silence. Ludiana continued in a calm tone.
“Your Grace, please save us.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
His voice dropped low.
“Jonas—my father, Jonas Nurnbern—will leave my mother to die.”
Ludiana’s eyes blazed with a fierce passion unsuited for her age.
