Chapter 25
“Are you seriously suggesting I go and apologize?”
Regis lifted his head with a disgruntled look, but the Empress’s attitude was firm.
“Whether it’s an apology or compensation—just make things right.”
“Mother, I’m a Fortuna!”
Regis exclaimed, as if what she was saying was absurd.
The Empress knew exactly how to handle Regis. Her voice softened as it slipped through her bright red lips.
“Precisely because you’re a Fortuna, it’ll work. The fact that you, a Fortuna, are taking the first step is important. You need to improve the relationship somehow.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Do you not understand what happens to a Fortuna who fails to become Emperor? Do you even realize the lengths I’ve gone to for you? I’m doing everything I can to save you—to save you alone.”
“Still, apologizing to someone that insignificant?”
“The past doesn’t matter. As the adopted daughter of the Spes family, she’s not insignificant. Especially if it’s for the Crown Prince position. You know this is all for the sake of the prince, right?”
“…Yes, I know.”
“And you know how much I love the prince too, right?”
The Empress spoke in a sweet, coaxing tone, and Regis reluctantly responded.
“…I’ll leave early in the morning.”
Just as the atmosphere began to settle, a pale-faced maid approached again. When the Empress signaled with a nod, the maid delivered explosive news.
“Duke Spes just had a private audience with His Majesty. The Crown Prince appointment ceremony has been temporarily postponed.”
A brief silence passed—followed by the sound of a flower vase shattering against the wall in an arc.
“Young Lady, Young Master, I’ll visit again soon.”
Baroness Rose’s voice was heavy with regret. Louie smiled brightly and replied.
“Okay!”
His adorable response deepened Rose’s reluctance to leave.
“I’ll return after I take care of this urgent matter.”
She repeated her promise to come back several times before finally climbing into the carriage. Louie waved vigorously at the departing carriage for a long time.
When Elluana returned to the Lavender Room after seeing Rose off, she froze at the sight of warm wash water prepared for her.
‘Even the lord of Aden used to wash with cold water.’
The Lord of Aden had lived frugally. With no wife or children, he was a reclusive noble who rarely left his manor.
Until now, Elluana’s understanding of nobility had been limited to Aden’s standards. Though she had witnessed the Spes family’s splendor, she had no idea what kind of treatment guests were typically given.
Looking around the Lavender Room again, she saw everything had been meticulously polished. Not a speck of dust in sight. The cleaning must have been finished while she was chatting with Rose in the parlor.
‘This won’t do.’
She had known that Cindy was slacking off. But she hadn’t realized Cindy was outright withholding what she and Louie deserved. And what’s worse—Cindy had said such things to Louie?
Elluana had made up her mind to stay and live in the Duke’s estate. She pulled the servant bell. But no matter how long she waited, Cindy didn’t show up.
‘So this is how she’s going to play it?’
With her fighting spirit renewed, Elluana stepped out of the Lavender Room and called over the first maid she saw.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The maid bowed with both hands politely clasped.
“Where’s Cindy?”
“Ah… well…”
“Call her for me.”
“Cindy left the estate just a little while ago. I mean, she was expelled.”
The maid’s shoulders were stiff. Feeling the tension, Elluana softened her tone.
“I see. You may go.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The maid fled in a hurry. Elluana suddenly felt like she’d become the bad guy. Her fire died down now that the enemy was gone.
The one who gave the full report about Cindy was Louie. Apparently, the butler had called Cindy in, scolded her harshly, and then kicked her out. A maid who had shared food meant for Elluana and Louie was also expelled. That maid, who used to clean the Daisy Room, was someone Elluana had often seen.
Since they had been fired without recommendations, finding new employment would be difficult, Louie said with satisfaction. For a brief moment, Elluana wondered if she’d failed in raising Louie properly, but she concluded that kindness wasn’t necessary for people who’d shown malice.
The incident ended, and peace returned to their daily life.
Their routine consisted of spending time together, reading books in the library while watching the lavender garden sway in the wind, and practicing alchemy using iron marbles provided by the butler. Of course, the marbles didn’t budge an inch.
Ten days had passed since Duke Spes left for the capital. Having just finished reading “Where Do the Wealth and Power of the Spes Family Come From?”, Elluana sighed softly.
‘I didn’t understand a single word.’
She had tried to be patient, but the string of difficult words and abstract explanations felt like trying to grasp clouds. She simply couldn’t make sense of it.
Books alone were too vague. She felt like her questions would never be answered this way.
‘I’d better check it out for myself—see what I’m really up against.’
Elluana called out to Louie, who was playing with a toy horse beside her.
“Louie, can you be by yourself for a bit today?”
“Where are you going, sis?”
His round eyes held a flicker of fear.
“I want to go outside for a while.”
“Can’t I come too?”
“I’ll go alone today. Next time, we’ll go together.”
“Okay. I can stay by myself just fine.”
Elluana affectionately ruffled Louie’s pink hair.
Next, she visited Dave. As soon as he saw her, the kind lines on his aged face deepened with goodwill. He looked ready to fetch anything she desired.
“Is there something you need?”
“I want to go out quietly, if possible.”
“Outside?”
“Is it too difficult?”
“Not at all. I’ll have it arranged immediately.”
Since she mentioned wanting to go quietly, Dave prepared a carriage made of black wood. It bore no crest, but its elegance made it stand out. He strongly objected to her using a lower-class carriage, saying those were only for servants—so she had no choice but to board the black one.
As Elluana traced the smooth wall of the luxurious carriage, she looked out the window.
A neatly dressed knight was riding beside the carriage. Against the backdrop of the lavender fields, he looked like a scene from a painting. His disciplined form, exuding precision and dignity, could’ve been lifted straight from the pages of a popular romance novel.
He was the knight assigned to escort her today.
‘His name was Alex Rothen, right?’
As far as Elluana knew, the Rothens were a Count’s family. She wondered why the son of a Count would be serving as a knight for the Duke of Spes.
‘Would it be rude to ask?’
Pushing aside her idle curiosity, she glanced at Dave seated across from her. He had boarded with her after asking, “Would you grant me the honor of accompanying you, my lady?”
With eyes that moist, how could she have said no?
Dave was no ordinary butler. He handled not only the duties of the Duchess but also those of the head maid. He was essentially the true authority in the Duke’s household.
Perhaps feeling her gaze, Dave smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.
“Please don’t mind me.”
But Elluana, who had been minding him immensely, gave an awkward smile and turned her gaze back to the window.
The vast lavender field stretched endlessly. Along the road, she saw occasional flags—marking the land as the property of the Spes family.
“Is that crest a wolf?”
“It’s a Golden Wolf. It was the sacred beast of the first head of the house.”
“The same one from the empire’s founding myth?”
As soon as one entered the Lord’s castle in Aden, the ceiling mural depicted the first emperor, Cantio, alongside the first Duke of Spes, a Silver Dragon, and a Golden Wolf.
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Was the wolf really golden? The one I saw in the mural looked more yellowish.”
“They say its fur gleamed with a radiant golden light. It’s extinct now, so we can’t be sure.”
Elluana felt a tinge of regret.
‘It would’ve looked great standing next to the Duke.’
After passing the seemingly endless lavender field, they arrived at a cluster of inns and restaurants. Beyond that, the actual residential area began. The houses were not fancy, but they looked solid and densely built.
The lively residents diligently carried out their tasks. Some looked tired, but no one had a shadow over their face. Even the steps of a passing puppy were light and cheerful.
Then came the marketplace. In front of stores filled with fresh vegetables and food supplies, people haggled over prices.
“I want to get out for a bit.”
As soon as she said it, the carriage began to slow down. It was strange—there was no way her voice could have reached the coachman.
Dave pointed to a button on the carriage wall.
“Pressing this sends a signal to the driver.”
While Elluana stared curiously at the button, the carriage came to a full stop. Taking Alex’s hand as he opened the door, she stepped down—and felt eyes on her. The carriage had no crest, but Alex’s knight uniform had the Spes family insignia embroidered on the chest.
‘So much for a quiet outing.’
Elluana was unaware that her most attention-grabbing feature was her own appearance.
Throwing a brief glance of blame at the crest on Alex’s chest, she began walking into the marketplace. Dave and Alex followed close beside her.
People bowed politely when they saw the three of them, but there was no fear in their eyes.
What she saw instead was… reverence.
With every step, she felt the weight of what the Spes family meant to its people.
Elluana stopped in front of a fruit stall and picked up an apple.
“How much for the apple?”
“Just 1 bronze, dear lady.”
Her eyes trembled like waves in a storm—not from being called dear lady, but from the price.
“Wh-what about these plums?”
“Five for 1 bronze.”
My goodness. The fruit was almost half the price of what she was used to. She brushed back her flowing golden hair.
“I’ll take 10 apples and 20 plums, please.”
After paying, Dave naturally took the bundle of fruit. As they left the fruit stand, Elluana asked him quietly,
“Is the cost of living low in Spes territory?”
“Staples like grain are cheaper than in other territories. But for fruits, spices, and manufactured goods, it’s about average.”
This was average?
As they passed a vegetable stand, she glanced at the price tags.
‘Have I been ripped off all this time?’
Vegetables here cost only a third of what she was used to. Her eyes filled with tears. Everything else—from spices and honey to cheese—was similarly cheap. It made her dizzy.
In front of a clothing shop, her heart flared in fury. She realized that the clothes she had purchased before cost five times more.
“Was Aden’s cost of living unusually high?”
Dave answered as if he’d been waiting.
“Border regions incur extra logistics costs, so it’s bound to be more expensive. I’d say about 30% more.”
Elluana staggered slightly.
‘People of the town! The fool who paid five times more is right here!’
