‘Meeting Rosie again will be soon now. Where could she be, and how has she been living?’
Up until now, it could be said that this had all been a preparation process to rescue Rosie from the influence of House Lansval and raise her properly.
Now, all that remained was to meet the child in person. I left with my heart fluttering with anticipation.
***
For the next few days, I spent the most wonderful days imaginable at the Blake Ducal estate.
The weather happened to be perfect the entire time, which only made it better.
The spring breeze drifted softly, and the flowers blooming in colorful clusters throughout the garden felt as if they were welcoming me.
‘How long has it been since both my body and mind were this peaceful?’
The staff took care of me with attentiveness that went beyond mere politeness.
On top of that, Rastan even canceled all his external engagements and worked from his office within the manor.
‘Are you telling me that even a Duke who handles state affairs can work from home…?’
Not only did he share all three meals of the day with me, but he also spent quite a lot of time with me under various pretexts, such as tea time and walks in the garden.
He even showed me the library himself and volunteered to guide me on a tour of the entire estate.
‘Honestly, having the Head of the House personally escort me all the way to the library was a bit much.’
After all, as befitted House Blake, counted among the Empire’s greatest noble Houses, the library had professional librarians on staff.
Still, since it was so obvious that Rastan was finding excuses to stay with me, I pretended not to notice and went along with it. After all, the value of me being here lay in easing his nightmares by staying as close to him as possible.
And the effect became immediately noticeable.
‘He has been sleeping well lately, he said. The face that was always shadowed now has light in it.’
Honestly, I liked staying with Rastan as well, but I kept repeating to myself that it was only for that purpose.
If I didn’t, I would surely end up defenselessly bewitched by the charm he breathed out as naturally as air.
‘Get a grip. I’m only staying here for a while, then I will leave and live a new life with Rosie.’
I kept thinking, ‘I’m in the middle of revenge, and I will leave this place soon,’ but I couldn’t deny that I had grown very fond of the safe and comfortable life here.
‘I’m human too, of course I would.’
Even though the time was this peaceful, I wasn’t simply idling away.
I was preparing the bombs that would bring House Lansval to ruin and discussing concrete execution plans with Rastan.
Somehow, I had ended up as the brain behind those operations, with Rastan acting as my hands and feet.
But above all else, the greatest gain from staying at the Blake estate was that my ability was growing stronger every day.
The proof was that I could now actively alter Rastan’s various nightmares without putting strain on my body.
Unlike before, it even became possible to leave the dream at a time I wanted after changing the nightmare, by staying together with Rastan for a while.
I would send Rastan out of the dream first, then escape from his collapsing dream as he awakened.
This was also thanks to the daily practice I had done on the staff of the Blake household.
‘Judging by how effective it is, everyone has been sleeping well lately and working in good condition.’
But the more important reason was probably Rastan himself.
‘There is no doubt my ability has grown stronger because I have been staying close to him constantly.’
Remembering what I had worried about before, I cautiously asked him.
“Could it be that every time we touch, I am taking your power away?”
“Not at all. As I said before, it is not a kind of power that can just slip away so easily without a contract. Rather, the more I touch you, the more my body and mind are clearly restored.”
Rastan smiled softly and lifted our interlaced hands to press his lips against them.
Before we knew it, this level of contact had become a natural part of our daily lives. I no longer felt awkward frequently pressing close to him.
For Rastan, it purified his nightmares, and for me, it strengthened my ability. Wasn’t that justification enough?
‘Of course, I should also admit that the reason it doesn’t feel uncomfortable is because it’s Rastan and not just any other man.’
Still, I was starting to grow curious.
‘Just how far will my ability grow? What kind of things will I be able to do?’
And whether living pressed close to Rastan every day, with the level of skinship increasing, made my ability grow even stronger.
Of course, this wasn’t out of ulterior motives, but pure curiosity. Truly.
***
A few days later.
Count Krone, Evelyn’s father, suddenly visited the Lansval estate.
Gerald and Helga didn’t want to meet him up close, coming as he did from a mansion where a contagious patient was staying.
Just as they had done with Ris, they covered their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs, kept him standing outside the door, and shouted,
“Uh, over there, let’s talk outside…!”
At that, Count Krone, his eyes somehow vacant, slowly opened his mouth.
“Because she is ill, I had Evelyn stay in the annex with a maid. I have not met the child since she returned.”
Having gone that far, there was no helping it. In the end, Count Krone was guided into the reception room and sat facing Gerald and Helga.
Gerald and Helga still couldn’t hide their unease, leaning their bodies back as far as possible.
As soon as Count Krone sat down, he placed a box and a letter envelope he had brought onto the table.
The box was about the size of three encyclopedias stacked together.
“What is that?”
In response, he opened the box toward Gerald and Helga. Inside, it was filled with gleaming gold coins.
“This is the money House Krone received for sending Evelyn, the funds you would have used for the engagement party, with a bit extra added as a gesture of sincerity.”
With her attention completely captured by the gold coins, Helga barely managed to ask in a mutter,
“W-why is this…?”
Count Krone replied with eyes that were still unfocused, as if he were in a daze.
“I am here to request the annulment of the engagement.”
At the unexpected words, Gerald and Helga’s eyes widened.
Whether he noticed or not, Count Krone continued his explanation without any change in expression.
“After returning home, I had Evelyn examined by the most renowned physician in the Capital. He said her condition would improve, but that her body has become incapable of bearing heirs. She would be a burden to House Lansval, so I would like this marriage agreement to be treated as if it never existed.”
As they listened to him, Gerald and Helga felt a strange sense of unease.
They knew Count Krone as a man who lived perpetually soaked in alcohol, yet today, for some reason, his pronunciation was remarkably clear, and his words were neatly organized.
A person couldn’t possibly change this much in such a short period of time.
The reason goosebumps were rising all over their bodies might have been the way his gaze seemed to meet theirs, yet strangely slid past without truly making eye contact.
Helga rubbed her arms, then belatedly processed what Count Krone had just said.
Her eyes immediately sharpened as they usually did.
“…So she cannot bear heirs. At least you have a conscience.”
Gerald pulled the box of gold coins toward himself, gazed at it with rapture, then cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Well, since you are confessing so frankly, we will overlook the matter of nearly sending a defective daughter to House Lansval.”
As expected, not a single one of them expressed concern or pity for Evelyn’s health.
They simply looked satisfied that they could dissolve this engagement without suffering any loss.
Count Krone, who seemed to be looking somewhere behind their faces, staggered slightly as he stood up.
“There is an annulment document inside the envelope. It already bears House Krone’s seal, so please have it signed as well and send it to the Central Temple as soon as possible. Then, I will take my leave.”
By law, matters such as nobles’ births and deaths, marriages and divorces had to be submitted to the Central Temple for official registration.
Count Krone gave a slight nod, then turned away and walked out unsteadily without even receiving Gerald and Helga’s farewell.
Watching his retreating figure, which looked like a clunkily moving marionette, the two were briefly overcome by a strange feeling, but that was all.
They deliberately erased that feeling from their minds.
Now, they had acquired a considerable amount of cash, and the woman who couldn’t even bear children had left of her own accord.
It felt as though nothing but good fortune awaited the future of House Lansval.
***
Rastan spent tea time alone with me in the garden again today. After savoring a sip of fragrant tea, he spoke in a calm voice.
“Your engagement annulment has been resolved smoothly. Lansval signed the annulment document and submitted it to the Central Temple today.”
“What?”
I was so startled that I covered my mouth with both hands.
It was really over this easily in just a few days?
Setting House Lansval aside, the most astonishing part was my father.
“How did you persuade my father?”
