1. Laritte and the new house

620 years ago, the Iyasa continent unified and the Empire was born.

The Brumayer family supported the Imperial family in their rise to power and accumulated enough accomplishments to be considered a founding contributor to the Empire.

However, the current generation of Brumayers lacked power, as seen in their current status of Count.

But now, with a daughter married to Duke Reinhardt, a man second in power only to the Imperial family, the Brumayers hoped to see the light once more.

‘…That’s what I thought.’

Count Brumayer felt regret when he thought of the current situation over dinner.

On the table was the family chef’s ‘Beef Steak’, magnificent enough to be called one of a kind. It shone brightly yet he couldn’t bring himself to lay his hands on it.

Rose, too, felt depressed about their situation.

Everytime she closed her eyes, she could see Duke Reinhardt’s shimmering form, just like how he had appeared to her three years ago.

When the continent of Iyasa had unified for the first time in history, the Empire prided itself so highly that it kept the name.

In the heart of the palace laid the first banquet hall.

The ceiling in the corridor leading to the banquet hall towered above the banquet goers. The intricate carvings on the ceiling was, in royal fashion, decorated brilliantly with gold.

Below that ceiling, Rose encountered the Duke for the first time.

‘…Ah!’

His hair was so black it seemed to absorb all the light, standing out in that bright corridor. Beneath his hair were the world’s purest gold eyes, appearing aloof and detached. Though his eyes were narrow, their masculine beauty matched well with the finely tanned muscles outlined by his shirt.

“I can’t believe such a Duke passed away…”

Rose lamented and tormented the steak with her fork.

Although there were some women who had never seen the Duke, it was said that all women who’d met him would fall in love with him.

The few swordmasters in the Empire were nicknamed ‘the murderers’, but the Duke did not care for such things as others did.

have melted his

should not

eating, put down her salad fork as

killed by a barbarian in the western sea! Plus, the war was nearly

have to let him go. Your father was able to circumvent the marriage contract thanks to that illegitimate child.”

“Ahem!”

by clearing his throat. The Countess wiped her mouth with her napkin

be so useful? She resembles that crude dancer from head to toe. With her fulfilling the contract, we won’t have to return the Duke’s

to the Reinhardt dukedom for no reason other than to allow the

be rotting in a ditch somewhere,

villa in some corner of a mountain. Laritte had been sent there with no support. All she had

extremely

on the otherwise happy Brumayer family.’

who sired an illegitimate child, but she loathed Laritte even more.

freckles, Laritte resembled her dancer of a mother

that, her eyes…’

It was that cold look, as if she

can’t wait to get rid of

table knew that Rose was talking about Laritte. But still, no one scolded her for her choice of words. It was clearly

time in her life, Laritte was able to spend her time relaxing. She already knew what the first thing this abandoned house needed was: firewood to fight off the chill of the night. So,

complete fool, right?

told her as she was leaving. Rose was aware that she was heading to

truth, Rose was the one who

even the smallest bit of dampness would have made it impossible to light with a flint.

happened, Laritte would be fighting the cold on her very

autumn and already this cold…’, Laritte thought as she entered the house and lit the fireplace using

had already realized this fact when she was six years

to pick herbs from the mountains in order to

the herbs had been useless weeds, but she couldn’t help it. The alternative

just once, Laritte had

survive the cold. But one day, a violent

dear life, succeeding in lighting them and starting a fire only when she was on the

“Phew…”

memories, looked around. The inside of the villa was very dusty and had a spooky feeling. The furniture was old, so it would

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