“…Let’s delegate Wellington to the acting lord and head to the capital, together with me.”
“Countess Montreal, with you?”
“Yes. If you go to the capital under the pretense of becoming my disciple to study, no one will find it strange.”
Karen’s voice carried a sense of pride in her own knowledge as she spoke.
Marsha squinted her wrinkled eyes at Karen, but Erich remained completely calm.
It wasn’t until Karen had finished her tea that Erich, who had been quietly gazing at her face, finally spoke.
“Very well.”
“Young Master?”
Marsha turned to Erich in shock.
“You’re not even eighteen yet! If you go to the capital now, it will only highlight the absence of Grand Duke Ludwig and the vacancy of the title. How can you trust this woman?”
“Of course, I will handle that part cleanly.”
Karen continued in a smooth tone, though her voice betrayed an undeniable fatigue. She wasn’t the type to talk this much by nature.
“Whether you choose to follow me or remain trapped in this old castle is entirely up to you. Life is always a gamble, after all.”
It was a statement Karen was also directing at herself. What kind of life would she have led if she hadn’t decided to leave Adelbar?
The people of Adelbar still praised Karla’s beauty and the divine ecstasy she bestowed through her holy power.
All Karen could have done was serve as a mere maid attending to such a Karla.
But she had abandoned her hometown, chosen to trust an eccentric mentor, and as a result, was now thriving in Leahian in a way that was impossible to ignore.
‘If he doesn’t follow, so be it.’
Life, at any moment, is one’s own.
Even in moments when it seems others are steering the course of your life, the weight of your life is entirely your own burden, and soon enough, you’ll come to realize it yourself.
Perhaps Erich sensed Karen’s genuine conviction. After a brief pause, he spoke again.
“I will follow you.”
“Young Master!”
Though he spoke as if it were no big deal, it was the answer Karen had been waiting for the most. She beamed and extended her hand toward Erich.
“An excellent choice. Not to brag, but I’m a gambler with a 99 percent success rate. You won’t regret it.”
“Is the remaining 1 percent humility?”
Marsha, who strongly disapproved of this decision, snapped sarcastically. Karen responded in a matter-of-fact tone.
“A scientist never claims 100 percent certainty in any case. Nature is fundamentally probabilistic. Though of course, as we approach the limit, it gets closer to 100.”
Naturally, Marsha didn’t understand a word of Karen’s response.
In any case, probability theory wasn’t what needed to be discussed here.
Having successfully concluded the negotiations, Karen sprang to her feet. While dusting off her dirt-covered pants, she said.
“My aide will take about two weeks to arrive, so during that time, Young Duke, please make your preparations to leave.”
“Erich.”
Karen gave Erich a strange look as he suddenly stated his name. Erich continued in his characteristically awkward manner.
“Since you’re now my teacher, instead of cumbersome titles, please call me Erich. Feel free to speak casually as well.”
Well, look at that? Quite bold, isn’t he?
‘This might turn out to be a good hand after all.’
Thinking this, Karen broke into a deep smile.
“…Alright, Erich. I look forward to working with you.”
The Young Teacher and Disciple in the Capital
As Karen had promised, her aide, Marianne, arrived in Wellington exactly two weeks later. She was warmly welcomed the moment she stepped out of the carriage.
“Welcome, our new lord!”
“Please take care of Wellington!”
The flower petals thrown by the citizens fluttered beautifully like snow.
Marianne—no, the temporary lord of Wellington and the second daughter of Marquis Somerset, who governed the nearby Somerset territory—hesitated briefly as she stepped out of the carriage. Overwhelmed by the enthusiastic support, she gave a shy smile.
“I will dedicate myself with utmost sincerity and effort.”
Her soft, cotton-candy-like pink hair matched perfectly with the pure white dress she was wearing.
Her graceful and modest demeanor, combined with her shy actions, made her appear as noble as an angel descended from the heavens.
How would such a figure have appeared to the citizens who had been serving the ‘Devil Grand Duke’ until now? Honestly, they had been saying they’d take anyone as long as it wasn’t a devil, but if they had a choice, of course, they’d prefer someone angelic.
In this fervent atmosphere, there was only one person who couldn’t smile.
And that person was none other than Marianne herself.
*** *** *** *** ***
“How could you do this to me, Countess?”
Amid the citizens’ passionate welcome, Marianne entered the Grand Duke’s residence with the numerous people she had brought along.
Karen, who was drinking tea in the garden where even weeds had withered to avoid the mansion’s dust, flashed a sly smile.
“What’s wrong, new lord? Everyone loves you, don’t they? Isn’t that happiness enough?”
“So this is why you told me to wear a white dress and put on delicate makeup! You know I hate being judged by my appearance more than anything!”
“It’s a matter of efficiency, not emotions. You know this, so why complain?”
Karen dismissed Marianne’s trembling protests with a snort.
Two weeks ago, Marianne, who had been drowning in work in the capital covering for Karen’s absence, received an urgent message.
<Find about forty people—carpenters to repair the broken house, skilled cleaners and gardeners, and servants. Contract period: 4 years. And Marianne, dress up nicely when you come. You’ll be meeting the Grand Duke, so show proper respect.>
Finding people wasn’t difficult. Many in the capital volunteered, as they only needed to work in Wellington for four years.
Moreover, since Somerset territory was just half a day’s journey from Wellington, they could recruit from there if they couldn’t find enough people in the capital.
Marianne, who usually dressed like her boss in black slacks, black jacket, and just an ID badge, had dressed up properly as befitting a Marquis’s daughter for the first time in ages, believing the letter’s words about showing respect to the Grand Duke.
‘I never thought everyone would be waiting like this…’
Marianne shuddered at Karen’s thoroughness in orchestrating the situation. Karen, unbothered by Marianne’s reaction, leisurely sipped her tea and spoke.
“It’s amusing, but you can’t ignore the influence of appearance, can you? The public naturally assumes beautiful people are good. A city that had been living under the illusion of being ruled by a devil needed the performance of an angel-like beautiful lord gracefully appearing.”
“Then you should have discussed this with me beforehand! What will my father say when he hears I’m managing this territory?”
Marquis Somerset had long been pleading with his capable second daughter to become the financial advisor of Somerset territory.
But Marianne had flatly refused. She could clearly see through the scheme to tie her to the territory and then marry her off, turning her into a land-bound spirit.
Marianne was now twenty-five. She wanted to live happily in the capital, enjoying freedom in love.
And yet, after coldly refusing her father’s request, she becomes the temporary lord of nearby Wellington territory?
‘This devil of a superior.’
With tears in her eyes, Marianne glared at Karen’s red hair as she sat there nonchalantly, as if to say ‘That’s your problem, not mine.’
But it was too late to blame Karen now—the appointment letter bearing the Queen’s seal had arrived even before Marianne, and Wellington had already welcomed her.
Realizing there was no turning back, Marianne clutched her dress skirt and spoke.
“…I guess I should quickly change and get to work. The official residence is completely ruined and fixing it won’t be an easy task.”
“Wait. You haven’t done the most important thing yet. Just hold on a little longer.”
“What now?!”
Marianne shouted in frustration. Karen, with her sly smile, waved her hand.
“Erich, over here.”
Marianne, trembling with irritation, instinctively turned to look in the direction Karen was waving. And then she froze like a stone.
‘Who is that?’
Marianne had always had a complex about her pretty appearance.
Since childhood, many shallow people had judged her solely by her looks, assuming she was just a silly girl whose only dream was to marry quickly and settle down.
But even she had to admit that her appearance was angelically beautiful.
“This is Marianne von Somerset, the second daughter of Marquis Somerset, who will manage the territory in your stead for the next four years. She’s a veteran in administration, so there’s nothing to worry about. And Marianne, this is…”
But what was this? The word ‘angel’ seemed more fitting for the person in front of her.
“Erich Fromm de Rodriguez, the Grand Duke’s heir. Since Grand Duke Ludwig passed away, he is the rightful owner of Wellington. Though he’s not yet of age to officially become the Grand Duke.”
The Grand Duke’s heir had a face so pale it seemed as though it had never seen sunlight. If one looked closely at his cheeks, they might even see the fine capillaries beneath his skin.
His hair was a transparent silver, like freshly fallen snow from the night before.
Under the sunlight, the boy’s hair and delicate eyelashes appeared even more unreal.
Marianne, who had only recently learned of the Grand Duke’s passing through Karen, was inwardly surprised.
‘This boy is the devil?’
Not a devil. He looks like a complete angel.
Unable to hide her confusion, Marianne dutifully grabbed her skirt and curtsied.
“I am Marianne, the second daughter of Marquis Somerset.”
“I am the Grand Duke’s heir, Rodriguez.”
Erich’s face was perfectly expressionless. This made him seem even more lifeless.
‘Isn’t he really an angel?’
As Marianne was thinking this, Erich asked Karen in a cracked voice.
“Then are we leaving for the capital now?”
“No.”
Karen set down her teacup and stood up from her chair. Though her face was plain, there was an eerie sense of power about her, as if a leopard were stretching lazily, either from her languid demeanor or the hidden strength beneath her exterior.
“We need to put on a show before we leave.”
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