Chapter 38
Her graying hair and neat gray uniform immediately identified her as the overseer.
My gaze naturally drifted to her hands, folded in front of her.
Faint scars on the back of her hands and nails neatly trimmed, though slightly yellowed.
“She’s not someone who usually does this kind of work.”
Usually, the more remote a villa, the more likely it is staffed by locals rather than sending in professional caretakers.
They likely spent their days farming, only hastily preparing when they heard that the Crown Prince and his wife would be coming for their honeymoon.
As I speculated, my eyes met the housekeeper’s. She bowed slightly.
“Greetings to the Dawn of the Empire.”
“Oh?”
The bow was perfectly in line with etiquette. No one at the wedding banquet in the imperial palace had greeted like this.
While I was momentarily speechless, Demian naturally acknowledged her greeting.
“Lift your head.”
The housekeeper raised her head, and only then did I notice something different in her gaze toward us.
It wasn’t fear—it was overwhelming emotion, as if, had there been no one around, she might have rushed to embrace us.
“It’s been a long time.”
Demian extended his hand to her. It was rare for royalty to offer a handshake to a commoner.
I could see those around us nearly fainting, but the housekeeper seemed oblivious to their reactions. Her expression choked with emotion as she took Demian’s hand with both of hers.
“It is an honor that you remember me.”
Then she turned to me, seemingly wishing to shake my hand as well.
“If Demian knows her, could she have managed the Sardena border estate since before the Marquis?”
With that in mind, I smiled and extended my hand.
She held mine extremely carefully—far more gently than she had with Demian.
Her hands were rough, yet not unpleasant. I didn’t remember clearly, but I must have visited often as a child. Thinking that she remembered and felt close to my younger self left me with a bittersweet feeling.
She seemed about to speak, then simply squeezed my hand tightly.
“You must be tired from your journey. I’ve prepared dinner to coincide with your arrival. Allow me to guide you inside.”
She carefully led us and our party into the villa.
The villa was cleaner than I had expected. There was no musty smell, no cobwebs, not a single insect.
The carpet and tapestry tassels were faded, and a few bricks were cracked, giving an impression of age, though not of decay.
The meal in the dining room was warm yet modest: potato soup with bacon, braised meat with fresh vegetables, mushroom garnishes. Curiously, there was no alcohol.
Since it was already late, we decided to plan what to do the next morning.
We were shown to the largest room, likely the one the Sardena border marquis had used.
It had a very large attached bathroom and showed signs of careful maintenance compared to the rest of the house.
After unpacking and freshening up with the help of the staff, fatigue set in. I wanted to sleep immediately, but it wasn’t yet time.
The room was now quiet, leaving only Demian, the housekeeper, and me. We stood, looking at each other, doing nothing.
When would sleep finally come? I kept glancing at the fresh-looking bed as Demian spoke.
“Greet her comfortably.”
The housekeeper’s eyes reddened. She dabbed at them with her sleeve.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I never imagined I would see you again—what a great favor this is.”
Then she turned to me. I smiled.
“It’s nice to see you again.”
“My, you’ve grown into a proper young lady so quickly.”
She bowed and fiddled with her skirt, tears soon falling.
“Truly… you’re the spitting image of Miss Alina…”
Her voice broke. I stiffened at the unexpected name, one I hadn’t heard in a very long time.
Alina Moor—my mother.
“The Sardena border marquis was related to my mother?”
Wasn’t my mother from a minor viscount family? A border marquis guarding the frontier would have a status similar to a marquis.
Seeing my shock, Demian gently comforted the housekeeper.
“It’s wonderful to see you again after so long. But we should rest now—let’s leave the rest for tomorrow.”
At Demian’s words, the housekeeper hurriedly wiped her tears. Her cheeks were flushed, but she babbled on nonetheless.
“Oh! The elder lost his composure. Of course. Please rest comfortably, and let me know if you need anything. May your night pass beautifully.”
She hurried out of the room.
Now, silence truly filled the space. I slowly surveyed the room:
Reddish-brown wallpaper, mahogany furniture, lily-shaped candle holders.
“Do you remember?”
“Hmm?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it, shaking my head slowly.
“No… honestly, I don’t remember clearly. I was very young.”
Demian silently went to the bed and sat. I hesitated. He looked at me for a moment and spoke.
“That lady earlier is Mrs. Marlin. She holds no title and came to this estate when she was sixteen.”
“Ah.”
“She was the duchess’s nanny.”
My mother’s nanny? I stared at the closed door, puzzled.
“Because she had her own family, she didn’t follow the duchess to the duke’s home. She was kind and also treated me gently.”
The revelation that my noble-born mother had lived in the marquis’s villa, and that her nanny now managed the villa, was shocking.
I could no longer ignore it. I looked at Demian.
“Was my mother the heir to the Sardena border marquis?”
“Yes.”
“Then Viscount Luzan was a collateral relative of Sardena.”
Even as a viscount, he would differ from other viscounts. Though now the title was meaningless without land.
“Even though they talked about a ‘love of the century,’ mother also had status and power.”
Did my father really marry solely for love?
Why did he place a commoner, Estelle, with us from such a young age?
I bit my nails as unease slithered in like a snake.
Could it be that my father knew something about Estelle? Not necessarily that she’s a saint, but perhaps that she is connected to the Land of Death, just as my mother had been.
My mind felt engulfed in darkness. I took a deep breath.
Don’t jump to conclusions. The fact that Sardena’s lands were not inherited may simply mean they had no desire for them.
Moreover, my father had never been near the Land of Death, at least as far as I knew.
Everything could be a coincidence. He might have truly married my mother for love.
Perhaps he gave up inheriting land because it would be too hard to manage.
“Taking responsibility for distant lands would also burden us.”
Estelle… remains a mystery.
“Rose?”
Demian’s concerned voice reached me. I realized I had been slumping forward.
“Ah, sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought.”
I straightened up with an awkward smile. Through the window behind Demian, I could see the faint mountain range and the moon rising above it—a waxing crescent, soon to be full.
The next morning, before leaving the room, Demian and I sat on the bed to discuss our plans.
“Even if we tour the castle in the morning, I want to explore the surroundings in the afternoon.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest today at the villa and recover?”
I shook my head eagerly.
“Don’t we need to meet the treasure hunters here? Every minute counts.”
Clenching my fist, Demian nodded. A breeze came in through the open window.
He led me to the window, pointing to the distant mountains.
“Beyond those mountains lies the Land of Death.”
“Then the treasure hunters must be nearby.”
Some peaks were hidden by clouds. How long would it take to reach them?
“I hope there aren’t too many companions,” I muttered. I had things to search for myself and preferred minimal supervision.
Demian chuckled softly.
“You need not worry about that.”
“Huh?”
“Would you like to see for yourself?”
He said so, taking my hand. Alongside the warmth on my skin, a cold smile flickered across his face.
“In that case, we will guard the villa.”
The staff who came with us made playful remarks. Even the doctors coughed nervously, avoiding eye contact.
I held back a laugh, glancing at Demian standing beside me.
“Then let’s do that. You all should also recover from the journey.”
