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.

I could have melted

Duke! We should not even be using that traitor’s

quietly eating, put down her salad

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

in his death. We have to let him go. Your

“Ahem!”

Countess wiped her mouth with her napkin

lowly wench none would consider a Brumayer could be so useful? She resembles that crude dancer from head to toe. With her fulfilling the contract, we won’t have to

no reason other than to

right! She must be rotting in a ditch

old villa in some corner of a mountain. Laritte had been sent there with no support. All

was extremely

was the only stain on the otherwise happy Brumayer

have disliked her father who sired an

Laritte resembled her dancer of a mother with her pale skin and silver hair. And those were traits that any noble girl would envy at some

that, her eyes…’

It was that cold look, as if she were looking

wait to get rid of

still, no one scolded her for her choice of words. It was

abandoned house needed was: firewood to fight off the chill of the night. So, with

complete

was leaving. Rose was aware that she was heading to the mountains where trees were plenty, so

was the one who didn’t

pick a branch off the ground, even the smallest bit of dampness would have made it impossible to light with a flint.

happened, Laritte would be fighting the cold on

as she entered the house and lit the fireplace using her

had already realized this fact when she was six years

mother, Laritte had to pick herbs from the mountains in

of the herbs had been useless weeds, but she couldn’t help it. The alternative

just once, Laritte had gotten

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

in lighting them and starting a fire only when she was on the brink of death.

“Phew…”

dusty and had a spooky feeling. The furniture was old, so it would have

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