19. Winkler Estate in the Capital (2)
May 19, 2024
“Come to think of it, you said you learned painting from the Duchess? Have you been working at the Duke’s residence since you were young?”
Riena asked warmly, but perhaps Amy misunderstood the question. She frantically waved her hands and explained in a hurry.
“Oh, no! It’s not like that! The Duke and Duchess aren’t the kind of people to assign tasks to a clumsy child like I was!”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I was just surprised, thinking maybe you’d grown up in the Winkler household.”
“Oh, I see! Yes, that’s right! I’ve always been with House Winkler. I moved between the estate and the capital residence. My mother was the Duke’s nanny. She’s now head maid.”
To be precise, Amy said her brother, three years older than her, had been a milk sibling of Kassel. She added that her brother had followed their knight father’s path and was now a knight himself.
Amy had grown up in the Winkler estate from birth and seemed to have naturally formed a sibling-like bond with Kassel. The Duchess had even treated her like a daughter.
“The Duchess only had two sons. She always said she wanted a daughter but never had one. Maybe that’s why she was so affectionate toward me.”
It wasn’t hard to see why the Duchess had cherished Amy like a daughter. With her cheerful and positive nature, Amy had a charm that naturally drew people in.
Anyone who spoke with her for even a moment would quickly find themselves fond of her.
“Even when the Duchess showered me with affection, my mom always told me not to get conceited and to remember my place. She’d scold me often, saying someone of my status couldn’t possibly be close to the Duke. But the Duke always treated me like a younger sister.”
“I see.”
Riena muttered quietly, smiling bitterly.
‘It reminds me of Joanna.’
Joanna, who had been with Riena for many years, was like a friend to her.
Joanna had lost her parents at a young age and wandered the streets. When Riena visited the domain with her father, she saw Joanna and brought her back to the mansion.
It was thanks to Riena that Joanna, even at such a young age, was allowed to work as a maid in the mansion.
But there was little work someone not even ten years old could do. Count Dyke couldn’t bear to assign hard labor to someone like a daughter, so Joanna became Riena’s companion.
Though she had cut ties with Joanna after her betrayal, the pain of it still lingered.
Now, Riena found herself wishing Amy would never betray Kassel and that their good relationship would remain.
“Anyway, my conclusion is that the Duke is a really great person! But that’s not what matters now. Let me give you a quick tour of the room!”
Amy clapped her hands and began her explanation.
“This area is the living room and parlor. If you go outside, there’s a terrace with a view of the garden. There aren’t many flowers now since it’s autumn, but just a few months ago, the roses were in full bloom. When you’re feeling down, having tea while looking out over the garden will lift your spirits.”
Following Amy out to the terrace, Riena admired the view below.
“You’re right. It’s beautiful. So well kept.”
“Winkler Territory is in the far north of the Empire, so it’s not that warm even in spring or summer. It’s hard to maintain a garden. So instead, the mansion here in the capital has always been kept grand and elegant!”
After finishing her explanation, Amy waved toward a young man watering the flower bed in one corner of the garden.
“Ryan oppa!”
The man looked up at the call and came running toward the terrace.
“Is that you, Amy Carrot?”
“Haha! I’ve told you so many times—it’s Amy Carrot, not actual carrot!”
“Carrot, Carrot—same thing! Anyway, what are you doing up there? Who’s that with you?”
As Ryan curiously asked, he realized this was the Duchess’s room. He quickly removed his straw hat and bowed.
“Greetings, my lady.”
Amy burst into laughter.
“She’s not the Duchess yet, oppa. She’s still Lady Dyke. Just call her ‘young lady.’”
“Then let me try again… Lady, how do you do! I’m Ryan, the gardener at the capital residence. I’ll be in charge of the flowers around your room!”
Riena leaned over the balcony and looked down.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Riena Dyke.”
“Please feel free to speak casually!”
“Shall I?”
“Of course.”
Ryan didn’t look like your typical gardener. His tanned skin, tall stature, and strong build made him seem more like a stable hand or a knight.
At first glance, he didn’t seem suited to the delicate work of handling plants, but his demeanor toward Riena was unexpectedly thoughtful.
“There are more flowers than I expected for autumn. Is that your doing, Ryan?”
“Haha, thank you. That’s flattering. I’m just diligently following what I’ve learned.”
“I know that tending to plants isn’t something that can be done with diligence alone. I’ve tried caring for wildflowers in small pots, but they always ended up wilting.”
“That likely wasn’t your fault. Maybe the soil lacked nutrients, or the pot was too small. By the way, do you like flowers?”
“Yes, I do.”
“There’s a small greenhouse over there. You’ll find more flowers there, even in winter. If you’d like, please visit sometime. I’ll give you a tour.”
He pointed to a semi-transparent building in the distance. Though he had called it “small,” even from afar, its size seemed impressive.
“Okay, I’ll visit soon.”
“Just let me know through Amy. Ah, and I’ll pick some of the best blossoms and send them up as a welcome gift.”
“Thank you. I’m already looking forward to it.”
“Amy, I still have things to do with the young lady, so we’ll head back in now!”
Amy, cutting in quickly, ushered Riena inside.
“Phew, if I hadn’t stopped you, you would’ve been stuck there forever. Ryan becomes a chatterbox whenever he sees a beautiful woman. Anyway, as I said, the garden view is right off the terrace.”
Amy briskly walked over and pointed at a door beyond the living room.
“This is the door I mentioned. If you undo the lock and open it like this…”
As she flung the door open, another door appeared. Riena panicked slightly, worried she’d be able to see Kassel’s room directly, but she was relieved.
“This leads to the Duke’s room. As I said before, if you lock this door from this side, no one can open it unless they break it down. The same goes for his side.”
“If I lock it, won’t the Duke think that’s strange?”
“I don’t think he’ll mind. I heard that in arranged marriages where the couple didn’t get along, they often kept the doors locked. The previous Duke and Duchess did that too.”
“I see.”
“I think that’s it for the living room.”
After locking the door again, Amy turned to the door on the other side.
The scene inside was just as Riena had expected. There was a main bedroom, a dressing room as large as the bedroom, and a bathroom. The decor, like the living room, used darker tones.
The bed was big enough for five adults, and a tea table sat on one side, perfect for working or relaxing.
“Oh, I need to get you something to change into.”
With permission, Amy opened Riena’s luggage and quickly noticed there weren’t any clothes inside.
“You must be uncomfortable in your travel clothes. I’ll draw a bath for you. Some other maids will help you. In the meantime, I’ll find something suitable for you to wear.”
With help from three other maids, Riena bathed. The bathtub was far more luxurious than anything in the Dyke mansion.
‘I always thought bathtubs were just for washing.’
She’d only used simple, functional tubs before—there was no reason to show them to others.
Wiggling her toes above the water, Riena truly realized where she was.
Earlier, when she and Amy were touring the mansion, she’d felt too tired and overwhelmed for it to feel real. But now, soaking in warm water and easing her fatigue, reality sank in.
To escape the Dyke family’s influence, she was about to enter a fake marriage with Kassel.
But more important than that was uncovering the truth behind her father’s death.
‘If someone really did provoke Father on purpose… and if that’s why he died, what should I do?’
What if the person behind it was someone she already knew?
Was she opening a Pandora’s box for no reason?
Wouldn’t it be easier to just believe it was an accident?
‘No. I can’t do that. I have to clear Father’s name.’
But before anything else, there was one thing she needed to do.
‘I need to contact Aunt Leticia. That’s why I came to the capital.’
