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Chapter 4
It wasn’t just the father and son from the collateral branch.
The knights, servants, and maids who had followed them inside as though they couldn’t refuse were equally stunned.
“Oh, my. How terribly rude of me. If I’m mistaken, please do correct me.”
I smiled pleasantly.
“If there truly is a rule that allows a mere member of a collateral branch to enter the room of House Mertiel’s proud young lady without permission, I’d be delighted to hear it.”
“…”
“If not…”
“I’m afraid this situation is about to become rather interesting.”
“Lady Inerea!”
As I took a single step toward him, Rublion—who had already begun sweating nervously—instinctively retreated.
“To think that someone capable of such disgraceful behavior carries the blood of House Mertiel…”
Our House Mertiel.
It felt strangely ironic to willingly use the family name I had spent my entire life wanting to cast aside.
“How embarrassing.”
I deliberately looked at him with pity.
Unable to endure the humiliation, Rublion roughly raked a hand through his hair.
The young man who had been standing quietly beside him suddenly stepped forward.
“Lady Inerea, I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Chandler. We used to visit each other often when we were children.”
As if he had rehearsed the speech beforehand, he continued smoothly.
“It has already been over two months since His Grace and Her Grace disappeared. In circumstances like these, who could possibly protect you, my lady? That is precisely why we’ve come to offer our assis—”
“There, there. I understand.”
I cut him off before he could finish.
“Arrest them.”
“…What?”
“They entered the Duke’s castle without permission.”
“Lock them in the prison on the third underground level according to estate regulations.”
There was no need for anyone to protect me.
After all…
I was the one who had killed the missing Duke.
“We came here out of genuine concern for you, Lady Inerea! Is this truly how you repay us?”
Chandler raised his voice.
Yet not a single servant or knight stepped in to stop him.
I’ll replace every last one of them eventually.
Adjusting the shawl over my shoulders, I glanced at the knights before turning my attention back to Chandler.
“Under Article 16, Clause 7 of the Libedro Empire’s Code…”
“If the head of a noble household is absent, the individual who inherits the family name shall oversee the estate in the head’s stead.”
Blank expressions.
Not one of them had expected me to cite Imperial law.
“At present…”
“I am acting as the Duke’s representative.”
“Therefore, your actions may reasonably be interpreted as challenging the Duke’s authority.”
Those words weren’t directed only at the collateral nobles.
They were also for everyone else watching me with expressions that practically screamed:
Has the Lady gone mad?
“In addition to trespassing…”
“I hereby charge you with attempting to undermine the Duke’s authority.”
“You will be imprisoned on the third underground level.”
The knights exchanged uncertain glances.
Then…
They moved.
Quickly.
They obeyed with surprising efficiency.
Seeing them respond so readily made me let out a hollow laugh.
If they could obey this easily…
How pathetically had I behaved until now for them to look down on me so completely?
Then again…
I was the daughter abandoned by the Duke himself.
The child the Duke neither loved nor acknowledged.
No matter how much I was bullied…
I had never once dared complain.
How amusing that must have been for them.
“Listen carefully.”
“I will not entertain objections.”
“Since both the Duke and Duchess have been absent for over two months…”
“I hereby declare that I, Inerea Mertiel, am acting as the head of House Mertiel.”
As Chandler struggled against the knights with a gag already forced into his mouth, I lightly patted his shoulder.
Then I smiled.
“Now…”
“Does anyone object?”
✦ ✦ ✦
After that day…
The attitudes of everyone in the Duke’s castle changed.
“L-Lady Inerea…”
“A letter has arrived from the Imperial Palace. What should we do?”
The useless daughter despised by the Duke had suddenly become the most powerful person in the household.
Perhaps that reaction was only natural.
Of course…
There were limits to how respectfully they treated me.
“Give it here.”
There were plenty of reasons.
Everyone serving House Mertiel knew them perfectly well.
The Duke was gone.
The Duchess was gone.
Even the collateral nobles who had been constantly coming and going had distanced themselves after my declaration.
Who exactly could someone like me rely upon?
Besides…
How threatening could a young woman who had only recently come of age really be?
More importantly…
There was an even bigger problem.
“Lady Inerea…”
“The collateral nobles also sent this.”
“…Hm?”
“A portrait?”
“Yes.”
“They wished to know what you thought of this gentleman as a potential fiancé.”
Article 10, Clause 1 of Imperial Law
A woman cannot inherit the position of head of a noble house.
As long as I remained a citizen of the Empire…
There was no escaping that law.
Eventually, once I married and left the Duke’s household…
The title would pass to one of the collateral branches.
Which meant…
To them, I was merely someone they needed to humor temporarily before claiming everything.
Seriously…
There was nothing about this Empire worth liking.
“Tell the undertaker…”
“…to send over several coffin designs.”
“…Pardon?”
“Then deliver those designs…”
“…to everyone who sent these portraits.”
Engagement?
Marriage?
There was no chance I would obediently fulfill the wish my father had treasured his entire life.
“That will be all.”
“You may leave.”
Originally…
Father had been nearly infertile.
He had consulted not only physicians but even shamans in a desperate attempt to conceive.
It had taken seven full years before Mother finally became pregnant.
The moment her belly began to swell…
The Duke prayed with all his heart that his first—
And certainly only—
Child would be a son.
He summoned countless shamans.
Paid them enormous sums of money.
He didn’t care about side effects.
He demanded only one thing.
That the child be born male.
And yet…
The child who entered the world…
Was me.
The daughter Father had never wanted.
Not long after my birth…
The Duke was declared completely infertile.
“Bear me a son.”
“That is the only purpose you have.”
His words echoed vividly in my memory.
“You were born wrong.”
“Blame yourself for entering this world as a failure.”
The twisted rage of that mad Duke—
Who pretended to be perfectly normal before everyone else—
Had always been directed at me.
…Even remembering it now left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I wonder if you’ve reached the gates of hell by now.
With a soft slice, I opened the Imperial letter using a paper knife.
The wax seal split neatly apart.
I unfolded the letter bearing the unmistakable Imperial crest.
“You’re still here?”
“Then excuse me.”
As the servant quietly left…
My eyes scanned the contents.
“An Imperial investigation…”
If the Emperor decided to grant the title to someone from the collateral branch…
Then I really would end up being married off like property.
“I thought as much.”
“They’re sending someone.”
I folded the letter shut.
The Imperial Palace certainly moved quickly.
The inevitable moment had finally arrived.
“Though…”
“I suppose two months was already remarkably patient.”
They would never find the missing Duke and Duchess.
Unlike my father in my previous life…
I hadn’t made such a foolish mistake.
I’d made absolutely certain they would never be discovered.
“Besides…”
“No one will suspect me.”
Last time, I’d been framed because the fabricated evidence had been overwhelming.
But now?
Who would ever suspect the Duke’s secluded daughter, who never left her room?
There were only two paths left before me.
The first…
Remain quiet.
Hand the title over to the collateral branch.
Then marry some elderly noble…
Or some ambitious man who only wanted noble blood.
“…I’d rather not even imagine it.”
Who else would want to marry a noblewoman whose title existed only in name?
“Without House Mertiel…”
“I have no value.”
If I refused that future…
Then there was only one remaining path.
“I become someone valuable.”
I took one step forward and flung the door open.
“Ugh!”
The foot I’d confidently stepped out with struck someone’s leg.
Losing my balance, I stumbled forward.
Strong arms immediately caught me.
Startled, I quickly looked up.
The man whose leg I had apparently kicked let out a quiet groan.
Dark navy-blue hair swayed gently.
The hand supporting my shoulder slowly loosened.
He lifted his head.
Our eyes met.
The moment those vivid crimson eyes settled on me…
I froze.
“…Kischel?”
The man whose name I had just spoken smiled.
Then, with theatrical elegance, he bowed deeply.
“Kischel Vessen…”
“…has returned to report to his master.”
Standing before me…
Was Kischel Vessen—
My childhood friend.
And my personal knight.
Someone I hadn’t seen in years.
