Chapter 16
At the time, Briana didn’t feel hurt. But now, receiving a gift from Sebastian, she was reminded of how cold Cassius had been. She stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought. Then, a conversation suddenly brought her back to reality.
“Oh, and I found David Caspian’s whereabouts.”
Hearing the name of the butler from the Floria family, Briana felt a wave of emotions rise in her chest.
[Where is he?]
“I went to the address you gave me, but he wasn’t there. I asked around and found out that after the Duke’s execution, the landlord kicked him out because he was afraid the anger would reach him as well.”
Kora continued,
“Since then, he’s been wandering between different inns. Now, he’s staying at a small inn called ‘Fensingpony’ in a corner of the busy district.”
Briana quickly bit the inside of her lip, trying to hold back the tears. She grabbed her pen, forcing herself to remain calm.
[Thank you, you can go for today.]
“Yes, Miss.”
As Kora left, Briana moved to the corner of the room and buried her face in her hands.
He had escaped death, but the fact that he had been associated with the Floria family must have made his life very difficult.
David never married and lived alone because, as a butler for the Duke’s family, he was constantly in danger. He had never formed any close relationships to protect himself.
Because of this, he had likely spent many lonely years.
‘It’s my fault.’
If I hadn’t loved Cassius, none of my family or the people around me would have suffered.
Loving him was foolish.
And…
‘I thought I could change Cassius.’
I thought I could make him a better emperor, someone who could rule this country well.
That was pure arrogance, and there was no excuse for it.
The things that had been repressed, the false accusations, the death, everything she had hidden as Briana, all of it came flooding out.
“I need to correct my mistakes.”
She couldn’t just sit back and watch the country fall into Cassius’s hands.
She might regret this decision one day, but…
‘Sebastian.’
Briana decided to trust him, but she wasn’t ready to trust him completely like before.
She had learned her lesson after the foolishness of the past.
With her thoughts sorted, she moved to her desk, pulled out some paper from the drawer, and began to write.
The ‘Fensingpony’ inn, located on the outskirts of the busy district, was a shabby place. Its exterior looked run down, and the inside wasn’t any better. However, its cheap prices made it perfect for travelers who were short on money and needed a place to rest for a night or two.
David had been staying there for almost two weeks now.
He woke up in the morning and stared at the sunlight streaming through the window.
“Another awful morning.”
To him, every new morning felt meaningless. He had developed a habit of waking up at the same time every day during his years as a butler, but waking up early didn’t change anything.
Even if he spent his time lazily in bed, nothing would change. As he was finishing making his bed, he heard a voice.
“Ted? You awake?”
It was Tom, the innkeeper.
David had stayed at many inns before, always using a different name. This was to prevent the innkeepers from being dragged into any trouble because of him.
He quickly finished making his bed and opened the door.
“Yeah, I’m up. What’s going on?”
There was clear anxiety in David’s voice.
Have I been discovered? Where should I go next?
Just as he was feeling lost, Tom moved aside, and a woman wearing a hood appeared.
Tom, as he stepped aside to let her in, whispered to David,
“She can’t speak.”
From the glimpse of her face and the information Tom had given him, David immediately recognized her.
‘Briana Clark.’
How dare she come here after throwing my master into the mud!
David fought to suppress his anger.
“She’s my guest. Thanks for bringing her in, Tom.”
When Tom offered water, David refused and sent him away. He then led Briana to his room and closed the door behind them.
“Miss, you sure know how to make things difficult for people.”
He tried to sound calm, but his voice was full of rage. Briana noticed the unfamiliar tone and was taken aback.
“Does working for Lady Anastasia erase the sins of your father?”
“…?”
“I hate you and your father.”
The fall of the Floria family had been caused by a secret alliance with the Derga Empire.
Derga had lost more territory to the Adelaide Empire than any other nation. Derga’s land was in the north, where the harsh winter prevailed, but it was also rich in diamonds and gold.
The trouble started when Cassius began eyeing the territory, leading Sebastian to take much of it.
Then, suddenly, they started moving south.
Sebastian, who had been stationed in the north, tried to suppress them, but it wasn’t easy.
It seemed like Derga’s forces knew the terrain and defense systems of Adelaide too well.
This led to speculation that someone in the Adelaide Empire was secretly in league with Derga.
Eventually, a secret letter sent to the Derga Empire surfaced, bearing the Floria family seal.
The impact of that letter was huge. All the nobles who had supported the Floria family turned their backs on them.
‘The person who probably forged that seal was Count Clark.’
The one who had truly taken down the Floria family.
His mother hadn’t suspected her brother’s betrayal, but to forge the Floria family seal, one had to have a close relationship with them.
Thinking back on Count Clark’s actions, David was sure of it.
“I don’t want to see you again. Please leave.”
David said firmly, turning his back on Briana.
As emotions surged again, Briana fought back tears as she slowly removed her hood.
She then spoke.
“Uncle, it’s been a long time.”
David turned around in shock.
“I know you’ve had a tough time because of the Floria family… I can’t lift my head in front of you.”
Uncle?
David stared at her, confused, then furrowed his brows.
“What are you talking about? Why are you calling me ‘uncle’?”
“Grandfather gave you the Floria name. How could I forget that?”
Anastasia’s grandfather had recognized David’s intelligence early on and took him in to study with his own son. At first, David had been supported as a poor student, but later, the Floria family granted him the Floria name.
David, however, had refused the title and remained the butler of the Floria family.
But Anastasia’s family had treated him like true family.
Only the direct descendants of the Floria family knew this secret.
“How do you know that?”
