Chapter 11
As soon as they stepped down from the carriage, the first thing they felt was the wind. The sun had set, making it more chilly than refreshing, but for those who had been inside the carriage for a long time, it was a welcome sensation.
As the long procession halted, the gates of the inner castle opened, and people came out. Numerous attendants and maids began unloading the luggage, and among them, the chief butler and the head maid approached Yulian with steady steps.
“You must be tired from the journey.”
“Coming this far into the inner walls, it wasn’t all that uncomfortable. I’m glad the roads were maintained, even if the trip took longer. The scenery’s improved, too.”
Isolette walked slowly, following the others. It had been a long time since she returned to the duchy—especially the main castle. And with that return came a profound loneliness.
This was a place for the family who had long protected the territory. That’s why, now that even the Duchess was gone, everything felt distant to Isolette.
“If we had arrived a little earlier, we could’ve seen the sunset. What a shame,” Layla murmured beside her.
She was right. The main castle sat on relatively high ground, and the vast plain below turning golden was a rare and unforgettable sight.
There was one sunset Isolette could never forget: the golden garden of the castle seen through a window, and a man and woman walking slowly beneath it.
As she recalled the distant memory, Isolette lifted her head. The head maid was bowing politely, offering to guide them.
“I’ll be in your care during my stay.”
Her hair was stark white now—it was fair to say she was elderly—but her upright posture made her seem anything but weak. Isolette remembered her. The chief butler and the head maid had served in the main castle long before Isolette’s time.
“I will serve you with sincerity.”
A sharp determination, like a finely forged sword. She must have always acted this way in her position, yet even now, Isolette found her intimidating. In front of her, she always felt like her ten-year-old self again.
The room they were guided to was in the outer part of the castle. Isolette disliked the castle for this very reason. People who seemed unlikely to like her treated her with polite indifference…
Would they still smile once they turned their backs?
She had always felt that unease.
Isolette opened her eyes.
Mornings at the castle didn’t begin with sunlight but something else. Perhaps because her room wasn’t far from the training grounds, the sound of martial shouts seemed even louder than she remembered.
The knights of the territory couldn’t be compared to those in the capital. Maybe there was training this early in the morning. Stepping outside, the sounds became even clearer.
They said the interment ceremony would proceed more quickly than the memorial service in the capital. Although magic was used to maintain the coffin’s internal temperature, it couldn’t be kept like that for too many days.
“This castle is amazing,” Anne said in awe as she walked slowly behind Isolette. Perhaps it was thanks to Yulian’s consideration, but Isolette was relieved Anne had come with her to the castle.
As they headed to the main building, Isolette asked, curious. Anne seemed like this was her first time at the main castle. Most people working in the townhouse were likely from the duchy.
“Have you never worked here before?”
“I was hired in a hurry when they urgently needed someone,” Anne replied.
Because of that, she had to bring several strong references, she explained. Had she started working in the duchy first, her background would’ve already been verified. Nowadays, Anne added, households in the capital hire people that way.
“So yes, this is my first time here. It’s really huge.”
The duke’s castle in the territory was far more magnificent than any house in the capital. Isolette nodded in agreement. This was the Duke’s domain. The buildings themselves conveyed a power that overwhelmed people.
It was only natural that the young Isolette had feared everything about this place. Castles were meant to instill the authority of their master—and dread in outsiders.
“Once you’ve dropped me off, you’re free to go about your day.”
She assumed Anne would find some time for herself, and Isolette didn’t want to hold her back unnecessarily. Anne might be interested in exploring, and there wasn’t much for her to do all day anyway.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll be in my room the whole time. I’ll use the time to prepare for the stage.”
The performance had been postponed, but once the funeral was over and they returned to the capital, there wouldn’t be much time to rehearse. To avoid being pressed for time, she needed to memorize her lines in advance.
Little by little, the entrance to the main hall came into view. Several carriages and an aligned group of knights—it was the procession heading to the family grave.
Yulian and Layla were nowhere to be seen. She would have to go alone now.
She wasn’t sure exactly when it started, but at some point, Isolette had begun thinking of entering crowded places as if she were stepping onto a stage.
When she did that, everything became manageable. The exclusionary atmosphere, the whispers of people pointing fingers at her…
“You’ve lived a very lucky life.”
At the sharp tone, she looked up and saw someone from long ago. A beauty mark beside her lips made it easy to recognize her—Madam Collins.
“Hello, Madam.”
“To think you followed us here, all the way…”
There were a few among the family who disliked Isolette. What if that girl steals something from the family? What if Yulian ends up liking her? Things like that.
Isolette remembered all the hatred she received under the guise of concern.
Madam Collins, who had come and gone as an etiquette tutor, was one of those people.
A life of mere luck. In this woman’s eyes, she would forever be someone clinging to others to survive.
“If you were given grace by the family, you should live quietly.”
She wouldn’t listen even if Isolette explained who brought her here. But Isolette was no longer afraid of her sharp eyes.
“Yes… That’s what I intend to do.”
Positions change. Isolette no longer felt hurt by the Madam’s words. Once the funeral ended, she would finally live as someone unconnected to the family—just as he wanted.
Isolette lifted her chin slightly. She felt pity for this woman, still harboring hatred toward her—and toward the Duchess—even after more than a decade.
“Ha!”
She hadn’t forgotten Daniel’s warning or Yulian’s concern. But Isolette knew what she could do better than anyone.
“It’s unfortunate I couldn’t learn more from you… But I believe you feel the same.”
“You think I regret not teaching you more?”
Isolette smiled gently. She used to think recognition wasn’t necessary as long as she could sing and dance and not go hungry. But she had been wrong.
“If I had learned everything from you, Madam, you would’ve become more famous. People in the capital would’ve sought you out.”
She recalled the social circles in the capital, where even the name of one’s tutor was a matter of pride. Seeing Madam Collins’s stiffened face, Isolette knew she had hit a nerve.
“It’s a shame. I couldn’t repay the kindness I received.”
No one stays a child forever. Isolette no longer disliked Madam Collins, nor did she fear the castle. The only sadness was that the person she needed to show this to was no longer alive.
The bell announcing the start of the interment rang. Madam Collins turned her head with a scornful glance and disappeared among the family members.
How many of these battles have you fought?
As she watched the coffin being carried by priests, Isolette wanted to ask. How much damage did the cruel and mocking words do to you?
Though the official cause of death was nervous exhaustion, Isolette believed the Duchess had been murdered.
The Empire had killed her.
It wasn’t the hardships of exile that made her ill—but the suffocating pressure of countless relationships that slowly drained the life from her.
The coffin was gently lowered into the grave prepared for it. Around it, the priests began singing hymns in quiet voices.
The family members bowed their heads in prayer, and Isolette captured every moment in her mind.
Princess Circe, it was said, had disguised herself as a maid to flee the rebels. She had split the group and switched daughters with a maid to preserve the royal bloodline, no matter who got caught.
But in the end, only she and Isolette had reached the meeting point for the escape—a lonely truth the Duchess had once confessed before leaving the townhouse.
I have never forgotten my kingdom, she had said. And you are the proof of that.
Tears welled in Isolette’s eyes. The Duchess had not forgotten the kingdom, yet was forced to live as someone of the Empire. She gave up everything but held onto Isolette—and paid for it with her life.
Perhaps her only peace was found in death.
Isolette was selfish. She had wanted her to live a little longer. Even without meeting her, knowing she was alive gave her strength.
My origin. My savior.
The bell rang heavily. As its resonance lingered in her ears, Isolette felt that it was she who wanted to die.
