Chapter 4
Is it possible to easily express the betrayal from those I considered family as mere anger?
Despite spending eight years together, they made it impossible for me to offer any excuses. The one I trusted as a brother nearly severed my wrist, and even my own father was killed…
Can I explain all this with just the words "resentment" and "anger"? Even if I were to gather all the malice in the world, it would still fall short of capturing the depths of my feelings.
"But still..."
"Head Butler."
I called out to him, not wanting to hear the predictable words that were about to follow.
The old man, whom I once followed closely, seemed no longer able to hear me, as if age had finally taken its toll.
"But please, just this once, try to understand."
I suppose this is what the Head Butler wanted to say. He understands my feelings, but there is a reason behind these actions, yet he cannot divulge it now.
I swallowed down the urge to question whether any reason could justify abandoning family in such a manner.
If I had heard these words before my affection for the Ducal House faded, perhaps things would have been different.
But that was no longer the case.
The saccharine words used to placate a child made me feel as though my insides were twisting in agony.
"Please endure it here for just a little longer. After a year, the Duke will..."
Patrick took a short breath.
"You will receive the appropriate compensation, my lady."
"Appropriate compensation, you say..."
Lianne did not know why the Duke summoned her here, nor why she was to stay for a year, but Patrick seemed to be aware of the reasons.
"I wonder what could be so intriguing and worth the anticipation."
The reason the Duke summoned me and the compensation he would offer after a year must be significant for him to speak in this manner.
I softened the corners of my lips into a gentle smile and nodded.
"What is this appropriate compensation for someone who threatened the young lady's life?"
And would the Duke still feel the same a year from now?
* * *
Why does everything feel so strange?
As I looked around the Ducal House, which had hardly changed, I couldn't help but frown at the subtle distortions I felt.
Several people had witnessed my return to the Ducal House, and surely the rumor had spread widely throughout the capital by now.
It takes only half a day for rumors to spread.
And it had already been a full day, so the news of the Ducal House's young lady returning must have reached the center of the capital's social circle.
Yet, despite the return of the Duke's daughter, not a single word had been spoken? How could that be?
"Are you saying there has been no correspondence for me?"
"Yes, my lady."
When I asked the maid who had been assigned to me at the Ducal House, she nodded vigorously, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
They were indeed treating me as the real April, just as they had promised.
I had two things I was curious about.
One was the reason April had been staying at the villa, and the other was why there had been no word from her fiancé, Perpene.
Meeting others would eventually reveal why April was at the villa, but I couldn't understand why they hadn't told me already.
Even when I asked Patrick or Cana, they both clammed up as if they had made a pact of silence.
"Is there someone you're expecting a message from?"
The maid asked cautiously, her demeanor exceptionally polite.
If I blatantly admitted I was waiting for word from Perpene, it might arouse suspicion.
But the lack of communication was deeply troubling me.
Even if I hadn't heard from anyone else, at the very least, I should have heard from Perpene, the Crown Prince.
It wasn't just because he was engaged to April; he was also my closest friend, just as I was his.
Considering that I had once saved his life during our childhood, it made no sense that he had remained silent.
Could it be that the Crown Prince's delayed response reflected the Royal Family's stance?
"No, never mind. Please prepare a quill and some paper for me."
"Certainly, my lady."
If no one would tell me anything and no messages arrived, I would have to find out for myself.
I still remember the day April first encountered Perpene.
Her once pale cheeks flushed with a pink hue, like a ripe peach, and her eyes had that dreamy, hazy look, as if she were lost in a sweet reverie.
It was easy to see that she had fallen for him at first sight.
"Are you really just friends with him?"
"Yes."
I remember her radiant smile after hearing my response, as if she were overjoyed.
Well, it would have been strange if April hadn't fallen for Perpene. He was like the epitome of a prince from a fairy tale.
With hair that gleamed like pure gold, honey-colored eyes, and a kind demeanor that treated everyone with equal kindness, it was no wonder.
Even setting aside the crazed Emperor and his mistress, the fact that he was the sole legitimate heir to the throne was an irresistible allure.
He was the ideal, the dream, of every noble lady.
Judging by how quickly she proceeded with the engagement to Perpene after my departure, it seemed her feelings were indeed quite urgent.
I smirked as I turned away from the portrait of the late Duchess hanging in the foyer.
How should I start my letter to Perpene to ensure he would meet with me?
As I pondered the opening of the letter and headed toward my room, a brilliant light began to emanate from the floor just before I entered the Duke's mansion.
"My lady."
As soon as the light appeared, Patrick rushed over to me, grasping my shoulder urgently.
"Please, go to your room."
"Why?"
"Just go to your room, and I will explain later..."
The only person in this house who would cause such concern and effort to avoid confrontation was the Duke's madman.
"Judging by the Head Butler's reaction, it seems Brother Barak has arrived."
"My lady."
The brilliant light rising from the floor was all too familiar to me.
Indeed, even though the Duke was here, with Lianne gone, if Barak had arrived, there was bound to be trouble.
Seeing the effort to delay any commotion in the household, I replied lightly.
"It's something I'll have to face sooner or later."
"I'm worried that Young Master Barak might lose his temper and do something reckless to you, my lady."
Though his concern was about my safety, I couldn't take it as a sign of care and thoughtfulness, because I had changed from who I once was.
As I left the nervous Patrick behind, the fading glow revealed a man with hair that shone like the light itself.
"Steward, where is Father..."
Barak handed his robe to a maid and spoke in a gloomy voice.
"What is this?"
If he hadn't caught sight of me.
His already sharp gaze turned savage the moment he saw me.
There had been times when his gaze had frightened me before.
Moments when I had tried everything to soften that expression.
And I knew all too well that the only way to avoid it was to stay out of his sight, so I used to retreat to my room.
"Why is that thing here?"
"Young Master."
Patrick stepped forward to calm Barak's murderous tone.
Who would have thought I'd be calling him "Brother" again in this house.
"It's been a while, Brother."
I greeted him with a bright smile, in stark contrast to his twisted expression.
I looked at his handsome, distorted face as if I were admiring a masterpiece.
He looked around as if he had no intention of speaking to me at all.
"Steward, I asked why that thing is here."
The household staff, all too familiar with Barak's temper, kept their heads down and held their breath.
There was no one who would dare to speak up and explain, knowing that they would face Barak's wrath in return.
They all seemed to be hoping that Patrick, who was present, would somehow resolve the situation.
"That thing..."
Barak clenched and unclenched his fists as he spat out the words.
He looked ready to charge at any moment, his stance threatening.
Even Alicia, the wolf beastkin, had more patience than this.
"Young Master, please calm down..."
Patrick's cautious words were met with Barak's fierce glare.
He was behaving as if he were about to devour the elderly Patrick, his grandfather's contemporary, and I clicked my tongue quietly at the thought.
To think he would show such ruthless behavior towards Patrick just because I had returned.
With the situation looking as though someone was bound to get hurt before it was resolved, I had no choice but to speak up.
"The Duke summoned me here."
"What?"
"I figured you might be wondering why I am here."
"Father called you?"
"Yes."
Barak let out a hollow laugh.
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