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Chapter 9 …
I left the other servants at the garden entrance and went for a walk alone with Mikhail.
The lush greenery of the Valienor garden was on a completely different scale. It looked more like a massive park, or even part of a well-maintained estate.
“What’s at the end of the garden?”
“There’s a fence.”
“…Ah.”
I let out a short laugh at his answer—so AI-like in its blandness.
A while ago, he was acting like a broken Casanova. This man was impossible to pin down.
“Well, of course there is. But aside from that, is there anything worth seeing? Something Valienor is proud of?”
“At the northern end, there’s a Lemur oak tree.”
“You mean the really big tree? I could see it from my room.”
“Yes. You can also see similar ones in other territories from time to time.”
When I looked up, the towering tree caught my eyes.
At least as tall as a ten-story building, the massive tree stood proudly, like the very center of the earth.
“I’ve never gone there since it’s so far away.”
“Would you like to go today?”
“Sure, why not? I have a lot to talk about too.”
From a distance, I could see the oak branches swaying softly like hair caught in the spring breeze. It felt as if the tree was happily dancing to welcome me.
“What is it you wish to talk about?”
“I had a long conversation with Father this morning. Did you hear?”
“I did. It seems many changes will be happening in Valienor.”
“I wanted to know what you think about it.”
I rolled my eyes sideways to study Mikhail’s expressionless profile.
He slowly lowered his long lashes and turned his head slightly. His red irises gazed down at me, warm like the glow of a hearth.
“What I think as a mere retainer is not important. A retainer’s duty is to follow the orders of their master.”
His words were rigid and formulaic, like an AI reciting from a manual, but his eyes told a more honest story.
He was clearly pleased with his master’s new orders.
Seeing his reaction, I was certain.
Mikhail was on my side.
He wanted Valienor to change—probably in a way similar to what I was thinking.
“You’re not being very honest.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“How can I make you be honest?”
“Simply order me to.”
His snappy reply came without hesitation, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Alright. From now on, in front of me, speak honestly about everything. I’ll forgive any rudeness.”
“Yes, my lady. Thank you for your generosity.”
A faint smile touched the end of his otherwise flat voice. A strange satisfaction welled up inside me.
“What do you think about the remodeling of the main building?”
“A wise decision.”
“And having my younger siblings stay near me for a while?”
“An excellent decision.”
“See? Being honest is so much better.”
Unable to hide my smug smile, I nudged his arm with my elbow. I was startled by the solid feel of his arm—harder than my own elbow.
…What the heck? If I’d hit harder, I might have dislocated my elbow.
My body swayed for a moment, knocked slightly off balance from bumping into him.
“My lady, are you alright?”
“Yeah. You’re seriously solid. Are you even human?”
Maybe he was actually made of metal, like an AI robot.
To my half-joking remark came an answer that was impossible to laugh off.
“I am. For now.”
…For now?
Damn. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him to be honest about everything.
The old suspicion about Mikhail’s true identity popped back into my head. I clenched my teeth and forced my thoughts into order.
No matter what he was, he was on my side. That was the most important fact.
Better not to dwell on it. Thinking about it won’t give me an answer anyway.
I deliberately changed the subject with a casual expression.
“My siblings will come to the annex this evening. Should I prepare anything?”
“You should be prepared mentally.”
“For what?”
“You’ll understand when you see them. I’ll tell you then.”
“Hm, alright.”
Well, if he says so, he must have his reasons.
I didn’t press further and focused on the walk. As we went deeper into the garden, there were plenty of new sights.
We passed a path overhung with dense white branches, crossed a bridge over a dark, murky pond like a swamp, and arrived at a fountain that looked as if it were painted with prehistoric murals.
I scooped some of the water cascading down from the fountain into my hands and drank without hesitation.
“Ah, refreshing.”
I wiped the moisture from my lips with the lace sleeve of my dress and tilted my head back.
The branches of the oak tree filled the sky so completely that they blocked most of the blue above.
When I lowered my gaze, the massive shadow cast by the oak had crept right up to my feet.
“It’s huge up close. I wonder how long it’s been here?”
“I believe it dates back to the era of Nefertean.”
Nefertean. Neferte.
The name felt familiar yet strange, making me tilt my head.
“…Huh. So basically, it’s really old?”
“Yes. It has existed since the mythical age, and after the founding of the Eldrian Empire, it became the property of Valienor.”
A tree as grand as the World Tree itself, belonging to a single family—it really drove home Valienor’s prestige.
“There’s no legend or anything about it? Like, if you make a wish under the full moon, it’ll come true?”
“There is. The first Duke of Valienor believed the Lemur oak possessed a mysterious power.”
“What kind of power?”
“The power to make you see what you must see, hear what you must hear, and correct what is wrong.”
“So basically, the power to knock some sense into people?”
“…That’s one way to interpret it, but it’s said that for direct heirs of Valienor, the power manifests in various ways.”
A strange light glimmered in Mikhail’s eyes. Like a magician luring someone in, he reached out a hand.
“Would you like to take a closer look?”
“Sure.”
With Mikhail’s escort, I approached the tree. Its roots jutted out from the ground as massively as its branches, making each step tricky.
Finally, we reached the trunk. The surface twisted into geometric shapes, its intricate patterns so elaborate they looked as if a god had carved them by hand.
It was like standing before a gorge sculpted to perfection—overwhelming and awe-inspiring.
Almost entranced, I reached out and grasped the polished surface.
Contrary to my expectation of cold, hard bark, it was warm and slightly soft.
It felt less like touching a plant and more like touching the body of a living creature.
“…Weird.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s soft—feels alive.”
“Ancient trees have their own unique textures.”
“…Is that so?”
Well, it was possible. This was a fantasy world, after all.
Relieved by his answer, I ran my hand over the trunk without hesitation.
“Will this help me get some of that mysterious power?”
When I grinned innocently, his eyes softened.
“You’ve probably already received it.”
“Really? Then let’s go back. I’m tired.”
I was about to pull my hand away with a laugh when a sudden static-like jolt ran through my palm.
What was that? Did I actually just get some mystical power?
I brushed it off lightly and shook my hand. No harm in getting a little extra power, I figured.
The walk back was pleasantly easy—when I complained about my sore feet, Mikhail carried me all the way to my room.
Truly, being a romance-fantasy noble lady was way better than being the eldest daughter in a modern Korean family.
By the time my siblings arrived, the sky was already dark. The maid I had sent to check on them never came back quickly.
I figured they’d only show up after sunset—and I was right. The maid finally returned after night had fully fallen.
“My lady, I’m sorry. Young Master Jeremiah and Lady Davina have just arrived at the annex entrance.”
“I’ll go down right away.”
I set off with a calm smile, doing my best to keep a positive interpretation of the situation.
At the entrance, a stern-looking man and a warm-faced woman greeted me politely.
“We greet the mistress of the annex.”
“Good evening, Lady Ariel.”
I searched my memory to place them.
The man was Count Pavel, Jeremiah’s tutor, whom I’d met at the main building not long ago—the one who rudely interrupted me.
The woman’s identity was hazy, like something locked away in a foggy box.
From the context, I guessed she must be the children’s nanny.
“My lady, it feels like only yesterday you were a baby, and now you’ve grown so much. Do you remember me?”
The nanny smiled sweetly, as if testing me.
That insincere smile unlocked the box in my mind with a sharp click. Memories Ariel had forced down came flooding back.
A lump of unpleasantness lodged in my chest. Just looking at her made my stomach churn.
“How could I forget Baroness Caitlin?”
When I smiled as if it were nothing, the baroness’s fake smile deepened.
“There’s no need to be so formal. Just call me ‘nanny,’ like you used to.”
“That wouldn’t be right. Things are different from when I was a child.”
Call her nanny? As if.
In her childhood, when Ariel’s mother was ill and her father was indifferent, the one she relied on was the nanny.
But the nanny always prioritized Jeremiah and Davina over Ariel.
‘Poor Lady Ariel. With hair like that, it’s no wonder they call you only half a Valienor.’
Because she had neither the silver hair nor the blue-grey eyes, she was deemed unfit to be a true Valienor.
When Ariel came to her after a nightmare, she would send her back coldly:
‘My lady, stop being such a baby. What inconsiderate behavior, coming in the middle of the night.’
If Ariel showed the slightest bit of appetite for food, she would scold her:
‘My lady, don’t be selfish. As the eldest, you should naturally yield to your younger siblings.’
And as soon as Ariel moved to the annex, the nanny completely cut off contact—never once coming to visit, not even when Ariel was ill.
A serene Buddha-like smile spread over my face. After my previous life dealing with my siblings, this was the most anger I could possibly show.
Honestly, wouldn’t I be justified in smashing her skull at this point? So many ways to do it, too.
My saintly smile deepened—a benevolent expression, like a deity deciding the target of divine punishment.
Ariel, are you watching from the heavens? I can’t promise you happiness, but I’ll make sure to take care of your revenge.
