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 heart.”

Duke! We should not even be using that traitor’s

been quietly eating, put down her salad fork as

by a barbarian in

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

“Ahem!”

Countess wiped her mouth with her napkin

wench none would consider a Brumayer could be so useful? She resembles that crude dancer from head

been sent to the Reinhardt dukedom for no reason other than

must be rotting in a ditch somewhere, right?”

old villa in some corner of a mountain. Laritte had been sent there

extremely happy.

the only stain on the

disliked her father who sired an illegitimate child, but she loathed Laritte even

characteristics. Rather than red hair and freckles, Laritte resembled her dancer of a mother with her pale skin and silver hair. And those were traits that

that,

felt so similar to Duke Reinhardt’s golden eyes. It was that cold look, as if she were looking down on you! That expression had been

can’t wait to get rid

about Laritte. But still, no one scolded her for

abandoned house needed was: firewood to fight off the chill of the night. So, with

what a complete

was heading to the mountains where trees were plenty, so why

Laritte until the very end. In truth, Rose was the one who

If Laritte were to pick a branch off the ground, even the smallest bit of dampness would have made it impossible to light with

the cold on her very first

Laritte thought as she entered the house and lit the fireplace using

had already realized this fact when she was six years

pick herbs from the mountains in order

been useless weeds, but she couldn’t help it. The alternative was

once, Laritte had gotten lost in the mountains.

managed to gather enough branches to survive the cold. But one day, a violent storm wet the branches. They could no longer

branches for dear life, succeeding in lighting them and

“Phew…”

had a spooky feeling. The furniture was old, so it would have been unsurprising if a ghost popped up

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