Chapter 101
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 101
Edwin buried his face in his palms. He feared his head might burst from the sheer weight of his thoughts.
Knock, knock.
"Young Master Edwin."
At the voice from beyond the door, Edwin lifted his head, which had been bowed so deeply.
"I wish to be alone."
"That's not it, sir. A letter has arrived for you."
"A letter?"
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason for a letter to arrive for me.
Moreover, nearly all correspondence addressed to Edwin passed through the Butler's inspection first. Since almost every letter was filtered through his hands, it was rare for Edwin to receive one directly.
"Hmm."
My deliberation was brief. I opened the door at once.
Yet no one stood before it.
Only a single, carefully sealed letter lay on the floor.
"What? Where did they go?"
I glanced around the corridor.
But I sensed no presence. The silence was so complete that I wondered if I had imagined hearing anything at all.
"How strange."
I tilted my head curiously and picked up the letter.
The envelope bore neither a sender's name nor a family seal.
"The letter itself is odd too."
Curiosity kindled within me. I returned to my room, opened a drawer, and retrieved a letter opener. Then, with the same care the Butler would have used, I carefully opened the envelope.
Soon, a sheet of paper with only a few brief lines revealed itself.
[Don't you feel as though everyone despises you?]
"...."
My breath caught at the sight of those words.
[Doesn't a sudden sense of isolation make you feel terribly alone?]
The words pierced straight through my innermost thoughts, and my eyes widened in shock.
[I can help you. I will save you from this unbearable loneliness, from the anxiety that you might lose what is yours.]
The loneliness of being a bastard.
The anxiety that Amelia might be taken from me by Lucian.
[If you need help, walk this path with me.]
Under normal circumstances, I would have dismissed this as a strange letter.
I would have torn it to shreds or reported it to Lucella as some sort of cruel prank.
But this time, I could not.
As if by sorcery, someone had seen directly into my soul.
I desperately wanted to escape this unbearable loneliness and sense of exclusion.
Yet I had no idea how to do so. That helplessness tormented me all the more.
And yet.
'You can help me?'
Could this strange person's help truly lighten the weight of my troubled heart?
Edwin's pupils trembled faintly as he reread the letter.
"Young Master Edwin, I've prepared your meal."
"Oh. Just a moment!"
At the voice from beyond the door, Edwin hastily concealed the letter beneath his bed.
There is someone who can help me.
With that thought, Edwin's spirits lifted ever so slightly.
* * *
"The task was handled properly, yes?"
"Yes. I received word just moments ago that the mission was completed successfully."
"Money well spent, then."
Nob Rilprey, the head of House of Rilprey, nodded with satisfaction.
It was only recently that he'd learned Count Kendel had set his sights toward the Capital.
The reason for his journey to the Capital, where he had no prior connections, was painfully obvious.
It had to be to meet Lucella.
Nob Rilprey was acutely aware that the atmosphere within his Territory had grown unsettled.
He knew too that his retainers were scheming behind his back.
He could not allow the position of head to slip from his grasp into Lucella's hands.
How could he fortify his hold on this seat?
After much deliberation, the answer had come to him: Edwin.
A bastard was by nature an unloved creature. Stimulate the wound and feign comfort, and he would surely yield—it would be simple enough. Especially with a child of merely seven years.
All the easier with one so young.
"What do you intend to do next?"
Delivering the letter to Edwin had gone without incident. Now the crucial part was waiting for his response.
"Moving too hastily risks exposure. For now, continue sending letters with similar content to provoke him further. Once the boy begins to show signs of reaction, we'll set the plan in motion."
His scheme required Edwin's cooperation above all else.
"Until then, instruct him to move with utmost caution so as not to be discovered."
* * *
I boarded a carriage with Lucian bound for Count Stanley's Residence. Today was the day of the tea party hosted by Countess Stanley.
I had received repeated invitations to come with Lucian, and since expanding my connections in High Society would prove advantageous, I readily accepted Lady Stanley's invitation.
"There will be many children your age there. Promise me you'll play nicely and not quarrel?"
"I already told you before. I'm not a child anymore."
"That's right. I'll look forward to it this time too."
As Lucian and I exchanged idle conversation, the carriage arrived at Count Stanley's Residence.
"Miss Rilprey, how wonderful that you've come!"
As I descended from the carriage with an escort, Lady Stanley—dressed more modestly than at the banquet—welcomed us warmly.
"And the Prince of House of Bellomen has graced us with his presence as well. How delightful."
"It's nothing much, but I felt awkward arriving empty-handed, so I prepared a small gift."
The gift I had brought was a premium foreign black tea. Since this was my first social gathering in some time, I had taken care to prepare something befitting the occasion.
"My goodness, how precious!"
Countess Stanley, beaming with a broad smile, carefully opened the gift I had given her. Her face was radiant with undisguised joy.
"Come now, don't just stand there. Please, come this way at once."
After handing my gift to a maid, Countess Stanley led Lucian and me toward the gazebo in the garden.
Several guests who had arrived earlier were gathered there. Among them were faces I recognized from the banquet hall.
"Miss Rilprey, Prince Lucian. We've been waiting for you."
"Come sit with us!"
Contrary to my expectation that they might be reserved, everyone greeted Lucian and me with genuine warmth.
"We only caught a glimpse of each other at the banquet, which was such a shame. I'm so delighted to see you again like this, Miss Rilprey."
"I feel the same way. It's been so long since I've been to the Capital, and everyone has welcomed us so kindly that both Lucian and I should have no trouble settling in."
I exchanged the customary pleasantries with a laugh and a smile.
"Now that I think about it, there are quite a few children here around Prince Lucian's age."
Lady Stanley gestured toward the left side of the garden as she spoke.
About five or six children sat there, their curious eyes fixed intently on Lucian.
"Prince, would you like to play with your new friends?"
At Lady Stanley's suggestion, Lucian's legs, which had been swinging restlessly against his chair, stilled.
"Yes, I would!"
Lucian nodded eagerly at once.
Swinging his legs was one of his habits whenever he grew bored—a telltale sign that sitting among the adults had become quite tedious for him.
"Wait!"
I hurriedly grabbed Lucian as he was about to leap from his seat.
"You haven't forgotten the promise you made to me, have you?"
"Do you think I'm an idiot? You told me to behave with proper manners."
"That's not what I meant."
I leaned close to Lucian's ear and lowered my voice so those around us couldn't hear.
"I'm talking about things like putting spiders in other children's clothes or dirt in their drinks."
"...."
"If you pull any of that, I really won't let it slide."
My jaw tightened without my realizing it.
"I mean it."
Pranks played on adults are one thing; pranks played on children are quite another.
Cruel tricks inflicted at a young age can leave lasting trauma, after all.
Besides, we were currently establishing our position in High Society to secure the family headship. We absolutely could not afford anything that might damage our reputation.
"Do you understand?"
"...Y-yes."
Sensing that my demeanor was different from usual, Lucian shrank back and answered meekly.
"My, you two. What are you whispering about so intently?"
"Oh, I was just telling him that he should play nicely with the others. Lucian is rather shy, you see."
"How affectionate of you."
With a gentle smile, Countess Stanley led Lucian toward the group of children.
I watched his retreating figure with a worried heart.
'My little bean, please don't cause any trouble.'
Judging by Lucian's recent behavior, he seemed to get along well with his friends, but... one could never predict when that mischievous seven-year-old would act out impulsively.
"Miss Rilprey takes such meticulous care of your nephew."
"Lucian is quite the handful, you see. I worry whenever I have to let him out of my sight."
"A handful? When I saw him at the banquet, he seemed so dignified."
"Dignified, you say..."
That word seemed worlds away from Lucian.
I was smiling at the thought of how poorly matched that description was when—
"This isn't the time for such pleasantries."
The young lady seated across from me set down her teacup and opened her mouth to speak.
"Since the children aren't here, why don't we adults have a conversation just among ourselves?"
Her expression as she said this was sinister.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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