Chapter – 16
The Prelude to a Conspiracy
Daisy, having smiled brightly, retreated, and Jessica’s expression turned cold and rigid.
“Knight Alter.”
“You called, my lady?”
“Are there no suspected individuals among the knights yet?”
“No one in particular so far.”
“They will aim for the time when Father is away from the estate. On the day an order for departure to the front is issued or news spreads of him going hunting, bring me the list of people who left the Marquisate.”
“Understood.”
Jessica’s cold eyes looked down at the folding fan. The fan held in her hand only trembled faintly and did not break. This was the good thing about a fan made of bamboo. It didn’t break easily, so it could be used for a long time.
‘It mustn’t break.’
It was a fan Isanna had gifted her, so she must use it for a long, long time, mustn’t she? Jessica unfolded the fan once more. The luxurious black hue of the fan shimmered subtly under the sunlight.
The sun beat down hotly on her face. Jessica fluttered the fan, creating a breeze. She stared momentarily at her hair swaying with the small breeze, then rose from her seat. Daisy must have left the Marquisate to deliver the news she mentioned, so now it was her turn to move about freely.
“I must go see Father.”
As Jessica walked ahead, Alter followed behind. The Viterne Marquisate was not a very large place. Still, it was a place with quite a few servants, but today, all those many servants were busily moving about, preparing for her debutante ball.
‘What’s all this commotion about preparing for a ball that’s over four months away?’
She felt sorry for the butler who was putting effort into a ball that wouldn’t even be held properly, but Jessica couldn’t tell him in advance.
‘I’d just be told I’m crazy.’
The knights guarding in front of the Marquis’s study watched her and gave a knightly salute. Not forgetting to give Alter a jealous glance, they spoke kindly to Jessica.
“What brings you here, young lady?”
The Jessica of the past would never have come to the Marquis’s study alone. The first reason was that the faces of the knights guarding it looked rough, and the second was her distant relationship with her father. For the her of her previous life, the only places to rely on were Dartan and Selaira.
‘Speaking of which, I wonder if Selaira is doing well.’
Selaira hadn’t come to her mother’s funeral either. Frail since childhood, she was bedridden with a severe cold on the day of the funeral. In the time before the regression, she, who had no contact, barely managed to send letters, and when Viterne Marquis’s departure for the front was decided, she came to the Marquisate in person.
“Young lady?”
As Jessica, lost in thought, gave no answer, the knight called her once more.
“Ah, I’d like to see Father. Is he inside?”
“Yes, he is.”
“May I go in?”
“Of course.”
The knight’s cheek, smiling with immense goodwill, had a long scar. He must have been a top-tier talent among the knights to become Viterne Marquis’s guard knight. The fact that even he bore such a scar must also be due to conflicts at the border.
Jessica smiled broadly, filled with gratitude. The face of the knight who had spoken to her flushed red at her radiant face. Jessica laughed aloud at his innocence. Her clear laughter echoed through the study corridor, and Viterne Marquis, hearing it, came out of his study.
“Well, what brings you here?”
“What do you mean? I came because I wanted to see you, Dad.”
At the word ‘Dad’ from Jessica, the Marquis’s mouth fell open in surprise. He asked, his eyes shining with slight embarrassment.
“My daughter came because she wanted to see me? This father is touched.”
“Have I been that scarce?”
“You’ve never come even once.”
At his words, which sounded a bit cautious, Jessica’s face darkened. She liked him this much, so why hadn’t she visited before?
“I was worried I’d disturb your work. I’ll visit more often from now on.”
“You’re always welcome if you come.”
“What if I come so often you can’t work?”
“That’s alright.”
A warm breeze blew in Viterne Marquis’s eyes as he looked at Jessica.
“What father would refuse if his daughter wants to spend time with him?”
“Dad.”
Jessica’s voice trembled. She hadn’t properly understood this fatherly love before. Why had she craved affection from Dartan, who wasn’t even family? Jessica regretted it over and over.
“I’ll come more often.”
“Yes, please do.”
A gentle energy overflowed on the faces of the father and daughter holding hands and smiling. And someone was watching that scene with cold eyes. Unaware of this, Jessica whispered affectionately to Viterne Marquis.
“Let’s go inside quickly, Dad.”
“Ah, right. I’ve kept you standing too long.”
Viterne Marquis’s study was simple. Anything in the Marquisate that could be turned into money had already been used to supplement the medicine costs for the late Marchioness, but the Marquis had not touched the funds for Jessica’s dignity maintenance.
He also hadn’t touched the money for the knights or the servants, so all that remained for him was money for his own use. Consequently, his study was shabby for a Marquis’s rank.
Having lived in a splendid study as a Duchess, valuing her dignity, Jessica was surprised to see her father’s study was more worn and humble than she had thought, and her eyes widened. Viterne Marquis, noticing her surprised expression, became self-conscious.
“Is it a bit… unsuitable for you to sit?”
“It’s fine, Dad.”
Viterne Marquis blushed, embarrassed to show his daughter such a study. He hadn’t been embarrassed when showing his study to others. It was proof he had lived honestly.
He had run the Marquisate only with the money received from the nation, without committing any wrongdoing. There was no exploitation of commoners like other nobles committed, and no plundering while guarding the border.
So why was he so ashamed? Just because his daughter had seen his shabby study, Viterne Marquis’s face flushed.
Jessica sat nonchalantly on the chair in front of his desk. It was a shabby chair that didn’t match her daughter’s elegant dress. Feeling embarrassed to have his daughter sit on such a chair, Viterne Marquis cautiously said to her.
“Let’s go out.”
“No, I like it here.”
“We can talk in the drawing room or your room, not here.”
“No, I like it here. I wanted to see where you work.”
“Is that so?”
Viterne Marquis stared intently at Jessica’s faintly smiling face. No sign of aversion showed on her face. Nor any sign of disliking the untidy place. She merely looked around the room with calm eyes.
“It’s nice.”
“Nice? A place like this?”
“It’s a place filled with passion, isn’t it? You must have overseen the estate affairs here, right?”
“Yes. I’ve been reviewing documents here since before you were born.”
Jessica stared blankly at Viterne Marquis’s proud expression as he slowly recounted the history of the study. His face was full of self-respect and pride as he explained the long history of the ancient Viterne Marquisate.
‘I lost a place like this.’
She had lost the foundation of her being to some insignificant baron’s daughter.
‘Not a chance this time.’
Viterne Marquis, continuing his story, made an awkward expression and whispered as Jessica just looked at him without a word.
“Are my stories boring?”
“No, they’re good.”
As Jessica spoke, slightly waving the fan she held, the Marquis’s gaze changed.
“Who gave you that?”
“Hmm?”
“That fan. Who gave it to you?”
It was too expensive to have been procured with the Marquisate’s budget, so he had to ask. Viterne Marquis opened his mouth with an anxious heart, hoping the person who gave the fan was anyone but the 1st Prince.
“A friend gave it to me.”
“A friend?”
Relieved at the word ‘friend’ from Jessica’s mouth, Viterne Marquis felt at ease. The only person she could call a friend was Selaira of the Arteus Dukedom. He didn’t even need to ask if it was Selaira. Losing interest in the fan, Viterne Marquis finally asked as if he had just remembered.
“Did you come here because you had something else to say?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
Hesitating, Jessica spoke in a small voice.
“…… I’d like it if you could.”
“Huh?”
“I’d like it if you could give me the wasteland of the estate.”
“Wasteland?”
“Yes. The only land the Viterne Marquisate possesses.”
“What will you do with that land where nothing grows?”
Viterne Marquis asked with a genuinely curious expression. Even he thought his daughter’s request was absurd. The wasteland of the Viterne Marquisate was a stony field where nothing grew. They had tried clearing it for farming, but nothing could be cultivated.
According to veteran farmers who tried farming there, nothing sprouts on that land no matter what you plant. The first Emperor of the Erde Empire who bestowed that land upon the Viterne Marquisate probably didn’t know that fact.
Since it was land bestowed by the first Emperor, they couldn’t even sell it off. Even if they put it up for sale, no one would buy it anyway.
At Jessica’s request for that useless, abandoned land, Viterne Marquis thought for a moment and then nodded. Since it was idle land, he thought it wouldn’t matter what Jessica did with it.
“Alright, I’ll give it to you.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I can give you anything you want.”
“Thank you!”
Overjoyed, Jessica sprang up and approached the chair where Viterne Marquis was sitting, leaving a light peck on his cheek.
As Jessica hadn’t done such a thing since she was six, the Marquis froze in place, unable to move. Only after Jessica left the study did he snap back to his senses and shout.
“Ye, Jessica! Come back and do it one more time!”
His hollow shout only echoed through the empty study with no one to hear.
