Hearing her self-mocking monologue, the Count’s face instantly flushed red. “What daughter in the world calls her father ‘old man’?” he snapped in irritation.
Yet everyone in the dining room knew the truth: he wasn’t truly angry—he was merely embarrassed. It had been a long time since they had such a cheerful breakfast together.
“Um… Lady, sorry to interrupt your meal, but may I ask something for a moment?”
“What is it?”
“The Captain of the Imperial Knights has come with an imperial decree. What shall we do?”
“Tell him to come in.”
An imperial decree. Karia realized immediately from that word that the news she had been waiting for had finally arrived. She had expected it to take another day or two, but it came sooner than anticipated.
Karia couldn’t help but smile, thinking of the emperor who must have been utterly flustered while drafting the decree after she fainted and woke up in such a state.
But her smile vanished the moment she saw Alkard’s face entering the dining room. It was covered with a dark bruise.
“What happened to your face?”
“Oh, it’s nothing… just…”
“Don’t tell me the mighty Emperor himself laid a hand on his nephew’s face?”
Alkard neither confirmed nor denied it. As someone serving the emperor, he could not risk revealing anything that might reflect poorly on His Majesty—but neither did he have the skill to lie convincingly.
Seeing him with such a battered face, yet wearing that easy smile, Karia felt a surge of anger.
“So this is a warning for me? That it’s not you he really wants to hit, but me? That I shouldn’t act so arrogant?”
“That’s not it. It’s just… the emperor can be a little hot-tempered at times.”
“Even after getting hit, you still try to defend him, huh?”
At her sharp tone, Alkard averted his eyes and scratched the back of his head.
Honestly, he did feel a twinge of resentment when the emperor struck him. After all, it was Alkard who intercepted the emperor’s refusal so Karia could attend the hall, but even he hadn’t expected her to drop such a massive bomb.
Alkard had learned then that she had an illegitimate child—something he hadn’t known before—but how could he have stopped it? And yet, in the emperor’s eyes, he had looked like a co-conspirator, so he had endured hours of interrogation.
Still, now, seeing Karia angry at him face-to-face, he felt oddly satisfied. Her pouting didn’t look like worry about him at all. And those adorable children sitting next to her were probably…
Alkard’s eyes fell on a wide-eyed little girl and a boy who somehow looked wary. Reflexively, he smiled and waved, and Alice giggled and waved her small hand back.
“You brought the imperial decree, right? Why don’t you deliver it quickly?”
“Oh! Uh! Right! Yes!”
Alkard had been staring at the children who looked exactly like Karia, lost in thought. Her prompting snapped him back to reality. He pulled a beige envelope sealed with a golden emblem from his coat pocket and opened it before her.
Normally, upon delivering an imperial decree, the protocol would require one to kneel as if before the emperor, but Karia remained seated at the dining table.
Crossing her legs and tilting her chin upward gave her an air of arrogance—but no one in her household dared comment on it.
“In the name of the 18th Emperor of the Castaros Empire, Ilgenes Lebal Castaros, the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Pandeon is hereby authorized. Upon delivery of this decree, the name ‘Karia Pandeon’ shall officially revert to ‘Karia Lutterbert.’ Further details regarding the settlement of their married life shall be resolved quietly and swiftly by the two parties.”
Alkard handed her the emperor’s handwritten order with a complex smile, saying, “Congratulations.” Karia scanned the text carefully with her eyes and, satisfied, replied, “I shall obey the decree.”
Count Lowell and the household staff, along with the mercenaries, erupted into applause as if the mansion itself would lift off the ground. Some whistled, and a few servants who knew Karia’s situation even shed small tears.
The entire house was caught in a festive mood, leaving Alkard feeling both embarrassed and relieved. He felt reassured knowing she was thriving in this household.
“Ah, but I didn’t come alone. The princess sent someone with a gift for you. What shall we do?”
“Servis? Hah, she works fast. Maybe she’s afraid I’ll change my mind?”
“Change your mind? About what?”
“Nothing. Just tell them to come in.”
With her permission, Alkard only raised his head and nodded at the door, and a man entered the dining room in response to his signal.
A man with a stern, unsmiling expression. He could have sent a servant, but unexpectedly, it was Higon Alcestra, the princess’s guard, who had arrived.
Karia silently lowered her head and extended her hand. Higon stepped forward and kissed the back of it.
For a moment, silence engulfed the dining room.
“-I just meant for you to take it quickly.”
“Oh, yes.”
Without changing his expression, Higon handed her a thick paper envelope. Karia opened it immediately and confirmed it contained documents transferring the tax rights of the Barony of Balta.
A satisfied smile spread across her face. Those who didn’t know the contents swallowed nervously and waited for her reaction.
Then Higon knelt on one knee and placed a large, ornate ring on her hand—the family seal of the Balta Baronial House.
“Congratulations, Baroness of Balta.”
Karia held the centuries-old, slightly loose ring to the light. The deep green gem sparkled vividly, like a dark forest illuminated by sunlight.
As she examined the ring, Alkard let out a puzzled sound.
“Wait, the Barony of Balta? That… was definitely—”
“Servis had it. I received it from her.”
“She gave you a title? A barony? Why? She’s always been trying to torment you!”
“Well? Maybe her heart suddenly changed, and some sisterly affection surfaced.”
Alkard’s expression immediately crumbled. Sisterly affection? From Servis? That fearless youngest daughter of the emperor, with nothing to fear in the world—could she really have such feelings?
Karia said no more. Even if it made her lips itch to explain, it remained a secret. Her job was to wait for the right moment and enjoy the freedom and power she had acquired. Compared to what Servis had taken from her, this was still just the beginning.
Higon, who had been kneeling quietly beside her, finally spoke.
“Baroness of Balta.”
“What is it?”
“Actually, I came here not by the princess’s order, but because I wished to speak to you directly. Please allow me to say a few words.”
Karia lowered her gaze expressionlessly. What could this man have to say at this point?
When she met his gaze silently, the stoic man finally spoke:
“I wish to return by your side.”
“-What?”
“Is there still a place for me?”
5. The Barony of Balta
“Allow a divorce? Who gave you the right?!”
Rubiderf Pandeon flew into rage upon hearing the imperial decree delivered by the palace servant. Though he had spent his life expertly concealing his emotions, this time he could not hold back.
Seeing him sweep the desk in frustration, his right-hand man, Hesis Ribne, sympathized. Despite all the circumstances, her secretly raising a five-year-old illegitimate child was almost a betrayal of the Pandeon family.
“No matter how disconnected she felt from the family, having an affair and bearing a child? And hiding it all these years? Is that even possible? Duchess… I didn’t expect such cunning!”
“Still no response from the estate? If she was pregnant, her belly would have shown by now. How could no one have known?”
“Sigh… the Pandeon estate has always been a bit exclusive. The duchess is not particularly warm, so she must have kept her distance.”
“Why now, of all times?”
While Rubiderf and Hesis exchanged increasingly frustrated comments, Jurin Baltos spoke quietly. He was the calmest, carefully piecing the situation together.
“Hiding it for five years means she had no intention of divorcing. And buying a townhouse immediately after leaving the Pandeon estate suggests it wasn’t a financial issue… Rubiderf, do you have any idea?”
“If I did, do you think I’d be sitting here quietly?!”
“Sir Ansen Miller said the duchess once collapsed during volunteer work at an orphanage—fell down the stairs that day.”
“What?”
Collapsed? The duchess? Rubiderf’s eyes widened at the news. But why had he never heard of this before? It seemed there were endless surprises about her—he was growing weary of discovering new facts.
He recalled hearing from the butler that she had argued with her personal physician about a month ago. Could she have been seriously ill?
“But the doctor said her body was fine… ah, perhaps that was what he meant to say that day?”
