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.

could have melted his

speaking of the Duke! We should not even

put down her salad

barbarian in the western sea! Plus, the war was nearly over!”

in his death. We have to let him go. Your father was able to circumvent the marriage contract thanks to

“Ahem!”

The Countess wiped her mouth with her napkin but continued to speak.

crude dancer from head to toe. With her fulfilling the contract, we

dukedom for no reason other than to allow the Brumayers keep the Duke’s money.

right! She must be rotting in a

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

extremely

stain on

who sired an illegitimate child, but she

end that Laritte lacked the typical Brumayer 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 any

to that, her

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

can’t wait to get rid of the corpse.”

scolded her for her choice of words.

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, with all the money

complete fool, right?

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

end. In truth, Rose was the one who didn’t know what

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

the cold on her very first day in

Laritte thought as she entered

already realized this fact when she was six

mother, Laritte had to pick herbs from the mountains in order to

of the herbs had been useless weeds, but she couldn’t help it. The alternative was to be home, where her mother could bear

had gotten lost in the mountains.

branches to survive the cold. But one day, a violent storm wet

had clung to those branches for dear life, succeeding in lighting them and starting a

“Phew…”

had been distracted by her old memories, looked around. The inside of the villa was very dusty and had a spooky feeling. The furniture was old, so

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