1. Laritte and the new house

620 years ago, the Iyasa continent unified and the Empire was born.

The Brumayer family supported the Imperial family in their rise to power and accumulated enough accomplishments to be considered a founding contributor to the Empire.

However, the current generation of Brumayers lacked power, as seen in their current status of Count.

But now, with a daughter married to Duke Reinhardt, a man second in power only to the Imperial family, the Brumayers hoped to see the light once more.

‘…That’s what I thought.’

Count Brumayer felt regret when he thought of the current situation over dinner.

On the table was the family chef’s ‘Beef Steak’, magnificent enough to be called one of a kind. It shone brightly yet he couldn’t bring himself to lay his hands on it.

Rose, too, felt depressed about their situation.

Everytime she closed her eyes, she could see Duke Reinhardt’s shimmering form, just like how he had appeared to her three years ago.

When the continent of Iyasa had unified for the first time in history, the Empire prided itself so highly that it kept the name.

In the heart of the palace laid the first banquet hall.

The ceiling in the corridor leading to the banquet hall towered above the banquet goers. The intricate carvings on the ceiling was, in royal fashion, decorated brilliantly with gold.

Below that ceiling, Rose encountered the Duke for the first time.

‘…Ah!’

His hair was so black it seemed to absorb all the light, standing out in that bright corridor. Beneath his hair were the world’s purest gold eyes, appearing aloof and detached. Though his eyes were narrow, their masculine beauty matched well with the finely tanned muscles outlined by his shirt.

“I can’t believe such a Duke passed away…”

Rose lamented and tormented the steak with her fork.

Although there were some women who had never seen the Duke, it was said that all women who’d met him would fall in love with him.

The few swordmasters in the Empire were nicknamed ‘the murderers’, but the Duke did not care for such things as others did.

could have melted his

the Duke! We should not even be using

eating, put down her salad fork as

of this makes sense? He was killed by a barbarian in the western sea! Plus, the war was nearly

have to let him go. Your father was able to circumvent the marriage contract

“Ahem!”

clearing his throat. The Countess wiped her mouth with her

She resembles that crude dancer from head to toe. With her fulfilling the contract, we won’t have to return the Duke’s money to the Imperial

to the Reinhardt dukedom for no reason other

be rotting in a ditch somewhere,

the dukedom was an old villa in some corner of a mountain. Laritte had been sent there with no support. All she had to do now was die

was extremely happy.

on the otherwise happy Brumayer family.’

may have disliked her father who sired an illegitimate child, but she loathed

characteristics. Rather than red hair and freckles, Laritte resembled her dancer of a mother with her pale skin and silver hair. And those were traits that any noble girl would envy

that, her

to Duke Reinhardt’s golden eyes. It was that cold look, as if she were looking down on you! That expression had been the reason why Rose tormented Laritte more

can’t wait to get

But still, no one scolded her for

what the first thing this abandoned house needed was: firewood to fight off the chill of the night. So, with all the money

complete fool, right? Hahaha!”

she was heading

very end. In truth, Rose was the one who didn’t know what the outside world

were to pick a branch off the ground, even the smallest bit of dampness would have made it

that happened, Laritte would be fighting the cold on her

Laritte thought as she entered

when she was

Laritte had to pick herbs from the mountains in order

been useless weeds, but she couldn’t help it. The alternative was to be home, where her mother could bear

just once, Laritte had

somehow managed to gather enough branches to survive the cold. But one day, a violent storm wet the branches.

clung to those branches for dear life, succeeding in lighting them and starting a fire only when she was on

“Phew…”

a spooky feeling. The furniture was old, so it would have been unsurprising

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