Chapter 57
Cassel’s Childhood (2)
June 26, 2024
“The previous Duke and Duchess were extremely strict people.”
Liena listened quietly, offering no response, simply absorbing the story.
“The Duchess was a princess of the Farnes Kingdom, located near the Empire. She wasn’t a particularly notable princess, but still, she was royalty. They say she married the Duke in an arranged marriage to ensure harmony between the Empire and the Kingdom.”
“……”
“Even among nobility, some manage well with arranged marriages, but their relationship wasn’t very close. Especially after giving birth to their heir, Young Master Asher, they became quite distant.”
Liena couldn’t fully understand it, but such situations were not uncommon among nobles in arranged marriages.
Rarely, some noble couples would simply ensure the formal heir is born and then pursue their own interests, leaving personal attachments aside. Perhaps the previous Duke and Duchess were like that—mutually indifferent.
“The Duchess had no interest in her children at all. When Young Master Asher was born, she didn’t even hold him herself but left everything to the nanny. Meanwhile, the Duke cherished Asher.”
“……”
“Then, ten years after Asher’s birth, the Duke had another son—Young Master Cassel. But then a problem arose……”
Amy paused. Liena gently prompted her to continue.
“What kind of problem?”
“Cassel was born with black hair. Neither the Duke nor the Duchess had black hair.”
“You mean… they doubted his parentage?”
“……Yes.”
Amy let out a deep sigh.
“The Duchess claimed she would never do anything shameful to the gods. She argued that, since someone in her family lineage had black hair, it must have skipped generations and appeared in Cassel.”
“……”
“But the Duchess, being indifferent in all matters, didn’t bother to actively explain further. She said she had done her duty, having made it clear that Cassel was the Duke’s son. She even said that if people still doubted, they could perform a paternity test.”
“And then?”
Liena asked. Amy lowered her voice to a whisper. It was barely audible, like a mosquito buzzing, but Liena could hear her clearly.
“The Duke never fully trusted her. Even though there was no evidence she had met another man, he remained uneasy. He didn’t perform a paternity test, perhaps fearing that it might prove Cassel wasn’t his.”
“……”
“So, the Duke raised Cassel strictly. The heir was, without question, Young Master Asher, and Cassel could never compete for that position. The Duchess showed no interest in Cassel, just as she had shown none in Asher.”
“……”
“The Duke ensured everyone kept quiet about it, so Cassel never knew the truth during his early childhood.”
Liena could already guess the next part.
“So that’s why Cassel became more timid and withdrawn.”
“Yes. Without Asher, it would have been truly difficult for him.”
“Then, after Asher Winkler died, he grew into the heir?”
“Yes. At that time, we didn’t know that Lady Lorraine was pregnant, so the only direct family member was Cassel. Only then did the previous Duke confirm the paternity, and fortunately, it turned out Cassel was indeed his son.”
“……”
“Anyway, even after Young Master Noah was born, the Duke declared that Cassel would remain the heir of the Winklers, and his descendants would continue leading them.”
The late Duke of Winkler must have felt a sense of relief, as if a burden had been lifted. He likely tried to treat Cassel kindly afterward.
‘But what good does it do? Cassel has already been hurt enough.’
Liena felt resentful toward the late Duke. If he had suspected anything, he could have performed the paternity test sooner and treated Cassel kindly once his parentage was confirmed.
But the Duke was already dead, and Liena couldn’t voice her frustrations to him.
“Anyway, that’s how it happened.”
Seeing Liena’s face grow serious, Amy left the room to fetch tea. Probably to give Liena time to think alone.
As soon as the door closed, Liena buried her face in her hands.
‘I should have cherished him more.’
She wished she could return to Cassel’s childhood, even for just one day—or one hour—and silently embrace the child who had been hurt for no reason.
She wanted to tell him: “Thank you for enduring such hardships and coming to the Dyke estate. You’ve done nothing wrong, so don’t blame yourself. Your father and I love and cherish you, so remember us when times are tough. Even if you leave, I will always be on your side.”
Regret burned in her heart that she hadn’t said those words sooner. She wanted to run to Cassel and comfort him immediately.
But she couldn’t.
It would betray Amy, who had bravely shared the story, and it would be unfair to Cassel.
Perhaps this was a past Cassel wanted to hide. It was right to pretend not to know.
So Liena decided that once she grew closer to Cassel and heard the story directly from him, she would comfort him then.
‘I hope that day comes.’
Liena gazed at the autumn sky outside the window. The sky was a clear, cloudless blue—beautiful enough to lift anyone’s spirits.
Yet today, it somehow felt melancholic.
After hearing Amy’s story, Liena unconsciously tried to treat Cassel better. Yet there wasn’t much she could do.
All she could do was engage him more in conversation at meals, smile warmly whenever they met, and ensure he didn’t feel lonely.
It was a small, almost trivial effort. Still, Cassel seemed to appreciate it, occasionally returning a faint smile.
It was a promising start.
A few days later, the Founding Festival officially began.
As promised to Amy, Liena decided to go see the festival. Of course, her guard, Max Carrett, and Ryan accompanied her.
Until a few days ago, Ryan had hidden his disappointment over Amy going with Liena to the festival.
‘Did he feel rejected before he even confessed?’
Feeling responsible, Liena subtly invited Ryan to join them for tea in the garden, and he gladly accepted.
“Make sure you come back quickly.”
Young Noah, escorted to the main gate by his nanny, spoke wistfully.
When he first heard about the outing, Noah wanted to go too, but it wasn’t wise to bring a child who was still wary of people into a crowded place.
They promised to go together another time, so today Noah would stay behind.
Liena crouched to Noah’s eye level and gently touched his cheek.
“We’ll be back soon. We’ll even bring you a gift, so wait just a little while.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, Noah didn’t seem anxious about being separated from Liena and waved politely. Liena was proud of how mature he had become.
“Be careful out there!”
Liena watched Noah through the carriage window until the mansion disappeared from view. Noah continued to wave, not entering the house.
During the ride, Liena briefly regretted leaving him behind. Yet as soon as they reached the bustling streets, she was captivated by the sights.
“This is incredible.”
“Right?”
“Much bigger and more magnificent than I imagined.”
“Don’t festivals like this exist in the Dyke estate?”
“Hmm, not quite a festival, but after the autumn harvest, we wrap up the year with a lively celebration. Everyone shares dishes they made and drinks the wine brewed from the previous year.”
“That sounds fun too.”
Amy agreed enthusiastically.
“Yes, I’ve gone a few times with my father. It was really enjoyable. By the way, what about the Winkler estate?”
“There’s something similar there.”
Ryan, walking ahead of them, joined the conversation, explaining as he looked back at the two.
“The difference is that in the north, they celebrate spring, not autumn.”
“Spring?”
“Yes. You haven’t experienced it yet, but the north is far colder than you can imagine. If someone asks how cold it is, people jokingly say, ‘Colder than you can imagine.’ The wind is already sharp as a knife this time of year, and it sometimes snows. It’s completely different from Dyke’s southern climate.”
Just hearing this made Liena shiver.
“They prepare thoroughly for winter, but some people still die, especially young children. So when the warm spring arrives and the snow melts, they hold a simple festival to thank the gods for helping them survive the winter.”
“Different climate, different traditions. In Dyke, snow is rare.”
A snowy winter there would trigger an emergency throughout the entire estate.
Liena nodded while Amy spoke worriedly.
“That’s why I’m worried about you going to the north. Everyone struggles the first time they go, and coming from the warm south will make it even harder. You might be ill all winter.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sturdier than I look.”
“Still, it seems the Duke has considered your situation since he’s staying in the capital.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“It seems our lord cares for you deeply.”
With Amy, Ryan, and Max excitedly chiming in, Liena felt slightly embarrassed.
“Well… anyway, let’s hurry and go see the festival. Ryan, be careful walking backward like that; you might fall.”
“Yes. I shall obey.”
Ryan, imitating a knight’s voice with a laugh, began walking properly.
