Chapter 85

* * *

Reina didn’t know it, but the moment the Duke of Winternight’s carriage appeared in the capital, all eyes turned toward it.

No, to be precise, everyone had been watching ever since word spread that they would soon be coming to the capital.

Naturally, the greatest attention was focused on Estelle. But the next person of interest was Reina.

Magic stone powder had not yet been distributed. It was more accurate to say that the technology to produce it had only just begun to be sold, that everything was still at the starting line.

Even so, no one could deny that quality of life would improve even further in the future.

And the fact that this invention had been achieved by someone who had once been a mere commoner was more than enough to draw attention.

“I heard the Duke of Winternight personally granted that woman a title.”

“A mere commoner really produced results like that?”

“The duke must’ve done almost everything. Did you know? I heard it from a maid who worked in that estate…”

Countless rumors circulated, but none of them could be directly confirmed.

That was how isolated the Winternight duchy was.

Since it wasn’t a place just anyone could visit, the proud nobles and royals chose one method.

Sending invitations.

Damian stared indifferently at the roaring fireplace.

He tossed letter after letter into the flames and muttered.

“It’s a bit chilly today.”

Peter, standing beside him, quickly added.

“Yes, it’s a perfect day to light a fire.”

“Tsk.”

No matter how many letters he burned, they never seemed to run out.

All the letters the head butler had handed over when they entered the mansion were from the imperial family.

They were probably presented because they were considered urgent matters, but to Damian, they were nothing more than annoying tricks.

“Most of them are addressed either to Reina or to the young lady.”

“They’re hoping at least one of them takes the bait.”

Those cunning people knew full well that sending letters to Damian himself would get them nowhere.

“Haha. True. If they sent them to Your Grace, they’d obviously just become firewood.”

Of course, all the letters were already turning into firewood.

Peter simply smiled.

“But is it really fine not to even look at the contents?”

“…”

“No matter who you are, ignoring repeated invitations from the imperial family isn’t ideal.”

Damian openly scowled at Peter’s blunt advice.

“Throwing Estelle or Reina Botn into a nest of nobles wouldn’t do either of them any good.”

Damian himself could afford to be openly discourteous.

Everything backing him was flawless, and the imperial family both restrained him and relied on him.

Having overwhelming military power and wealth was very convenient.

But Estelle was half Finecke, and Reina was born a commoner.

Damian didn’t care about their origins, but the world did.

‘Annoying.’

The situation had been unpleasant for some time now, and Damian didn’t bother hiding his irritation.

“We still haven’t found the real mastermind behind Count Embron or the kidnapping…”

At his mutter, Peter stiffened.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“That’s enough. If even you can’t find them, it means they’re hiding very thoroughly.”

“…”

“One thing is clear. Since neither case has yielded even a single clue, the mastermind behind both must be the same.”

Damian waved his hand, dismissing Peter.

He grabbed the stack of letters piled on the small side table beside the sofa and threw them all into the fireplace at once.

Even as the flames flared higher, Damian leaned back against the sofa without sparing them a glance.

‘What about an etiquette tutor.’

Finding an instructor who knew how to keep their mouth shut was no small task.

In the duchy, it had been enough to teach basic propriety, so choosing someone hadn’t required much consideration. But now that they were in the capital, they would have to attend at least one party, which made proper education unavoidable.

‘The real problem isn’t Estelle. It’s Reina Botn.’

Estelle was only nine. Minor mistakes could be overlooked.

And more than that, Estelle was a Winternight. Anyone who dared to mock a Winternight’s mistake would not remain in this world the next day.

Reina Botn, on the other hand, was an adult. Though she was under Winternight protection, she shared no blood with them.

He had even granted her a title with land attached just in case, but there were limits.

“Reina Botn…”

Damian murmured her name softly.

A private conversation he once had with Reina came to mind.

‘The way she held a teacup was strangely natural.’

Neither Peter’s reports nor Damian’s own investigation revealed anything particularly notable.

He had even expected to find some record of her working near a noble household, but she was truly ordinary.

Recalling everything he had learned so far left him dissatisfied.

‘Should I investigate the area where she used to work.’

No, even that felt excessive.

Normally, he wouldn’t have hesitated to dig into someone’s background without a shred of guilt.

Yet whenever Reina was involved, he found himself overthinking.

“For Reina’s etiquette instructor, someone who used to teach a madam would probably be best.”

“Is that person in the capital right now?”

“Yes. Shall I send a letter?”

That person was trustworthy. Rarely biased against Finecke and discreet.

The only issue was that they were reclusive, appearing and disappearing without warning.

And they refused to teach anyone they disliked.

“I really do have a lot of eccentrics around me.”

Damian realized it anew.

“That’s probably because Your Grace embraces all kinds of people.”

Peter spoke lightly as Damian let out a heavy sigh.

“Those who are capable and socially adept can work anywhere. But people without titles or with difficult personalities aren’t welcomed everywhere.”

“That hits close to home.”

“Haha.”

Damian didn’t reprimand Peter for his cheeky words.

Though known across the empire as cold blooded, Damian fiercely protected those he considered his own.

“That family is strange as a whole.”

“Still, they’re trustworthy. Shall I send the letter?”

“Yes. Do it. As discreetly as possible.”

“Haha. Understood.”

Damian waved Peter away.

Despite the halfhearted gesture, Peter retreated with a smile.

‘Too many things to worry about.’

He stood up from the sofa.

With no letters left to burn, there was no reason to remain seated.

‘Maybe I should go see Estelle.’

What he needed to focus on now were the appointment ceremony for the Twelve Priests and the inevitable ballroom invitation from the imperial family.

The two things that required the most attention were exactly the two things he wanted to avoid the most.

He wanted to abandon everything and disappear into a sparsely populated territory.

Somewhere like the Lian Barony.

Lian Barony was considered neither good nor bad, but from Damian’s perspective, as long as there was no war, it was more peaceful than anywhere else.

A port city lay not too far away, and there were mountains nearby.

The climate was mild year round, and even winter was warm compared to the Winternight duchy.

‘And above all, near that territory…’

Damian unconsciously rubbed his left ring finger.

A bare hand with no ring, the texture of his glove vivid against his skin.

His heart grew heavy in an instant, as if weighed down by lead. Subtle, no, painfully clear guilt and feelings he couldn’t share with anyone wrapped tightly around him.

He stood there for a long while, rooted to the spot, before finally forcing his feet to move.

‘I told Reina she thinks too much, but I’m no different.’

The room Estelle was staying in had been left vacant ever since Damian became duke.

It was the best location in the mansion, a room he himself had once used before he became the full duke.

‘It’s been a long time.’

The capital was not a place Damian found pleasant or wanted to visit.

After losing his parents to a certain incident, even the memories he had built here had twisted into painful ones.

He had lived alone for an unbearably long time and never formed trustworthy friendships. With so many social events, the capital could never suit him.

As he drew closer to Estelle’s room, the lonely past he had lived through began to chase him.

Like a shadow clinging to his feet, it was persistent and unshakable.

“…”

“Reina, look at this. Look at this.”

Just as his clear eyes were sinking into darkness, laughter like a spring breeze reached him.

Estelle was giggling as she spoke to Reina and Bonita.

Reina’s calm voice followed, along with Bonita’s bright laughter.

“The head butler and the maids said this room has the best view of the garden.”

Hearing those clear voices made Damian’s chest itch.

At the same time, he felt he didn’t belong there. It was the same sensation he had felt months ago in the greenhouse.

If someone like him, damp like winter, stepped into a group of people colored like spring, he would only be an unwelcome guest.

And Estelle, his precious daughter, was smiling so brightly.

Estelle didn’t dislike Damian, but she didn’t smile at him like that either.

‘If I go in now, she won’t smile like that.’

He didn’t want her affection. He only wanted her to be happy.

Damian turned away.

It wasn’t as though he had nothing to do. Starting his work early wouldn’t hurt.

In fact, it was what he did every year anyway.

“Your Grace?”

Before he could take more than a few steps, a voice stopped him.

“Did you come to see the young lady?”

Damian forced his unusually heavy head to turn.

Reina stood by the doorway, looking puzzled.

“Reina Botn.”

With nothing else to say, he simply called her name.

After blinking a few times, Reina spoke.

“The young lady really loves her room. She said she wants to thank you. My lord, no, Your Grace.”

“…”

Damian’s throat tightened with an emotion he couldn’t explain.

“May I go in?”

He asked with a hesitation so slight even Reina didn’t notice.

She answered immediately, without a moment’s thought.

“Is there any space in this mansion you’re not permitted to enter?”

Damian let out a short laugh.

“There is.”

“There is?”

“Yes.”

Though he wasn’t smiling anymore, a trace of warmth passed through his eyes.

“The space I gave to Baron of Lian can’t be entered without her permission.”

“…”

“That space belongs entirely to her.”

That warmth resembled spring, just a little.