Chapter 29


    <strong>Trantor:</strong> Latte <strong>Editor:</strong> Sasha


    <span>Anna grabbed Elody’s arm with a pained expression.


    <span>“Madame, you’ve been eating less these days… Please don’t do that.”


    <span>“I just have no appetite, is all.”


    <span>A year had passed, and Caville would now be 20 years old.


    <span>Elody was disappointed that she couldn’t directly congratte Caville, who had finally reached adulthood.


    <span>Every year on her birthday, she felt like she died a little more. It was a reminder of Caville, whose birthday was only a few days apart from hers.


    <span>When they were children, the servants of the mansion would hold a party for both the duke and the duchess, and the mansion would be infused in a lively atmosphere.


    <span>However, Elody hadn’t been able to celebrate Caville’s birthday for years.


    <span>‘A birthday party without Caville…’


    <span>It could never be fun.


    <span>Maybe that was why Elody had no appetite recently.


    <span>But if it weren’t for that reason…


    <span>‘Is it because of the divorce?’


    <span>The preparations were finished sooner than she thought. The arrangements wereplete, but Elody had a lot of regrets.


    <span>First, she had not finished producing fertilizers for the citizens yet. New crop seeds were also in development.


    <span>‘I can just do it after I leave the mansion, but….’


    <span>During that time, she wouldn’t have the time to deal with thend’s management as she would be busy studying her incurable disease.


    <span>Furthermore, after Caville returned and divorced her, she had no right to deal with the lord’s affairs.


    <span>‘There’s still time, I can build a separateboratory for research…’


    <span>She had made quite the fortune to build anotherboratory anyway.


    <span>‘I have nothing else to prepare…’


    <span>Elody was the only one to leave, so all she had to do was just vanish from Caville’s life.


    <span>As if she never existed.


    <span>Just like the story…


    <span>Elody thought of asking Caville to let her stay in the mansion, or at least on the edge of the duchy.


    <span>But she wasn’t sure if Caville would allow it.


    <span>Nheless, Elody had raised Caville with all of her heart, so she thought that he would at least allow it.


    <span>‘Does he still remember me?’


    <span>It had already been 7 years.


    <span>Young children tend to forget their childhood memories. There was a high possibility that Caville might not even remember her face.


    <span>Or worse, her entire existence.


    <span>‘That’s probably why I have never received a reply in 7 years…’


    <span>“Haa…”


    <span>A sigh escaped Elody’s lips as she cast her eyes to the ground, her mouth drawn in a frown.


    <span>“Madame…” Anna spoke as she watched Elody’s gloomy countenance.


    <span>“Oh, that reminds me. I haven’t seen Marie nowadays. She said she was sick. Is she okay? I sent her some medicine, but she still hasn’te back…” she continued, “I’m worried… I think I’ll visit her myself.”


    <span>Anna replied in a shaky voice, “Ah! No, Madame! M-marie… I mean… Marie has been missing Sir Vedostely! That’s why she’s sad.”


    <span>“…Oh, is that true?”


    <span>Elody felt the same. She also wanted to see Caville.


    <span>‘I’ll ask Marie to join me for a drink sometime.’


    <span>Then, Elody headed for the greenhouse.


    <span>Anna let out a sigh of relief, however, her eyes began to tear up as she stared at Elody’s back.


    <span>She truly felt sorry for the Duchess.


    <span>* * *


    <span>“Hm, hmm…”


    <span>Elody’s gentle humming filled the greenhouse.


    <span>It was her favorite ce.


    <span>The fresh smell of grass always seeded in making her feel better.


    <span>“My wonderful Ginsengs…” Elody smiled as she watched the herb field.


    <span>She reached her hand out to check the condition of the soil.


    <span>Each of her fingertips radiated a warm green glow which was then imbued into the ground.


    <span>“Magnificent. The soil is in perfect condition.”


    <span>Elody had been living in the greenhouse for several years now.


    <span>She had been using her mana on the nts every day. Thus, her affinity in mana had increased tremendously.


    <span>After all, magic was aboutbining multiple elements of nature.


    <span>Elody would feel a refreshing energy circting throughout her body whenever she infused mana to the soil.


    <span>Elody closed her eyes and felt the refreshing flow of mana.


    <i><span>A whileter…</i>


    <span>It was night time.


    <span>As usual, Elodyid alone in herrge bed.


    <span>As she was about to blow out the candles to sleep, someone knocked on the door.


    <span>“Madame, it’s me.”


    <span>“Marie?”


    <span>The door was opened, and Marie came to her line of sight.


    <span>“Oh, Marie!”


    <span>Elody hadn’t seen Marie for a few days, but when she looked at Marie, her face crumpled.


    <span>Marie was like a hollow shell of her once plump and vibrant self. Her eyes were red and swollen, she seemed to be crying these past few days…


    <span>Marie slowly walked up to her bed.


    <span>“Madame, you’re not sleeping?”


    <span>“No, not yet. What are you doing here at this hour? How did you get so thin…. Were you horribly ill? Did you take the medicine I sent?” Elody asked anxiously, caressing Marie’s cheek.


    <span>Marie smiled and nodded. Then she climbed into her bed and lied next to Elody.


    <span>“What’s wrong?”


    <span>“I want to sleep with you. Like when madame was young… do you remember?”


    <span>“Yes, I remember.”


    <span>After Caville left for the battlefield, Elody became scared of sleeping alone, and so, she would sometimes call upon Marie to sleep with her.


    <span>“I guess you’re not afraid of sleeping alone anymore,” Marie said.


    <span>“Even if I’m scared, I’ll have to bear with it. I’m an adult now,” Elody replied.


    <span>“You’re still like a child in my eyes… How did you grow so big?”


    <span>Elody giggled at Marie’s remarks.


    <span>Smiling, Marie hugged Elody and patted her back.


    <span>Just like what Elody used to do to Caville.


    <span>Elody breathed more slowly, her body melting into Marie’s as every muscle lost its tension to the air. She felt safe and protected in her arms.


    <span>‘Is this how Caville felt?’


    <span>Elody snuggled in, “Marie, you’re like a real sister to me.”


    <span>She could never let another close to her like this, but Marie was different. They were six years apart, but Marie was like a family to her.


    <span>“I also think of you as my little sister,” Marie smiled.


    <span>‘If I had a real sister, would she have been like Marie?’


    <span>Elody had never met her real family in any of her lives.


    <span>But now, Elody knew. People can be a family even if they weren’t connected by blood.


    <span>Everyone in the mansion was her family.


    <span>Although some were away… Caville, Marie, Anna, as well as the maids, butlers, and knights. They were <i><span>all</i><span> her family.


    <span>“……”


    <span>“But Marie, why were you crying? You want to see Sir Vedos that much?”


    <span>“…Yes, I miss him <i><span>so much</i><span>.” Marie smiled, letting a tear slip down to her cheeks.


    <span>Elody held her close, feeling the warmth in each others’ embrace.


    <span>“Let’s stop talking and sleep now, madame.”


    <span>“Alright.”


    <span>Elodyfortably closed her eyes. It was reassuring to have Marie by her side.


    <span>Marie gazed at Elody and wiped her tears away.


    <span>Elody was the duchess, the one she worked for, but now she was her treasured little sister.


    <span>She was so precious, lovely, and kind.


    <span>But she was suffering from an incurable disease…


    <span>“……”


    <span>The pitiful duchess.


    <span>Marie brushed a strand of pink hair away from her face and pulled her closer, tears started welling up in her eyes again.


    <span>She stroked her hair and made a decision.


    <span>She decided not to grieve anymore.


    <span>She would not be sad again.


    <span>Marie stared at Elody, who tried to hide her illness from the servants.


    <span>She would show her cheerful side so that Elody could be happy as well.


    <span>She nned to stay with Elody until the moment she died, and even hold the funeral herself.


    <span>As Elody said, they were family.


    <span>‘My precious duchess. How lonely and difficult it must be for you toe here alone at such a young age.’


    <span>From today onwards, Marie vowed to never cry again.


    <span>‘Today shall be thest.’


    <span>That night, Marie’s emotions were filled with grief, loss, and devastation. She couldn’t stop her tears until she passed into the oblivion of unconsciousness.


    <span>* * *


    <span>“Madame! Madame! Look at this!” Marie eximed, bursting through the office door.


    <span>“What is it?” Elody, who was talking with Norman, asked.


    <span>“The newsletter is here!”


    <span>“What’s the news?”


    <span>Marie handed over the newsletter to Elody.


    <span>Elody was relieved as Marie’s expression looked brighter than yesterday.


    <span>‘But why does her eyes look more swollen than before…? Did she cry again?’


    <span>Elody looked anxiously at Marie, then turned to the newsletter.


    <span>The news said that the Duke of Cernoir had saved Larissa, the Princess of the Dayev Empire during the war.


    <span>Elody frowned.


    <span>‘They’ve finally met…’


    <span>There was also news that Caville used the Spirit King of Fire to lead the war to victory, and that the temple called him as the child of the Gods.


    <span>‘Caville was chosen by God because of his strong faith…?’


    <span>Caville…? He was highly religious?


    <span>Elody had never known that.


    <span>Confused, she tilted her head.


    <span>Furthermore, the spirit of fire was never mentioned in the story.


    <span>In the newsletter, there was also the phrase ‘The child of God and the chosen princess led the war to victory.’


    <span>It also said that the princess was the emperor’s niece…


    <span>Elody recalled her memories.


    <span>‘The emperor’s niece? Was there such a setting in the original storyline?’


    <span>The novel had never mentioned it.


    <span>‘Or maybe I’m just forgetting some things…’


    <span>Lastly, the article said that the Imperial Army had captured and executed the high-ranking generals of the Urta Empire that ran away from the battlefield.


    <span>s, the war had ended.


    <span>‘The war is over? Really?’


    <span>The war ended in seven years.


    <span>Elody blinked in surprise.


    <span>The story said that the warsted for 10 years. Those were one of the things that Elody remembered correctly.


    <span>This could only mean that… Caville would soon return to the estate.


    <span>Simultaneously, it was time for Elody to leave the mansion.


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