Ch#12
Anyway, if I can bring in House Celestine, it wouldn’t be a bad deal even if I hand her over to the marchioness family later.
To do that, he needed to find out how deep the bond was between the two women.
Laslo sent a servant to summon Edel to the first-floor parlor. He thought the open parlor, where anyone could pass by even if not freely enter, would be better than calling her to his private study.
“Pardon? The Count summoned me? Where to?”
“The first-floor parlor. You must follow me right now.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Edel was startled by Laslo’s sudden summons, but she felt relieved when she heard it was the parlor.
*Spoils of war
Duchess
*There are people around, so nothing bad will happen. But why did he call for me?*
Edel excused herself to Celia, wiped the water from her hands on her apron, and followed the servant.
Laslo was already seated in the parlor.
*That man... Every time I see him, I feel overwhelmed somehow.*
Edel had seen many knights during her time as the daughter of Count Canyon and as the Duchess of Lancaster, but Laslo exuded a raw energy unlike any other knight—a refined yet untamed aura.
It made him special.
Wild and dangerous, yet possessing a charisma that inspired awe.
“It’s Edel. I heard you called for me.”
“Come sit.”
Laslo casually gestured with his chin toward the opposite sofa while looking down at some letter.
However, he remained silent for a long time, even as Edel sat on the sofa, removed the towel from her head, and neatly folded her hands in her lap.
Only when he heard the sound of her swallowing dryly did he finally speak.
“To think this stern old lady is pleading so earnestly with a lowly mercenary like me. It’s only natural to be curious about their relationship, isn’t it?”
“This is... a letter from the Celestine Marchioness Dowager?”
“Maybe.”
Edel took the letter with trembling hands and read through the lines.
Suddenly thrust into this conversation, Edel tensed up.
Though she and Barbara had only known each other for about seven years, their friendship was deeper than that of many who had associated for decades.
A friendship that began with Edel’s small help for Barbara—help that was anything but trivial.
“Do you know Barbara Celestine, the Celestine Marchioness Dowager?”
And Barbara, ever the respectable senior and dear friend, moved Edel once again.
“Pardon? Bar— I mean, the Celestine Marchioness Dowager?”
“Why? Are you strangers?”
“Ah...!”
From the way Edel almost said Barbara’s name first, Laslo intuitively sensed they were quite close.
At the part reading, *‘Please do not push her into greater despair. I earnestly beg you,’* Edel squeezed her eyes shut.
But with no idea why she had been summoned, her lips were parched. Knowing her response could put Barbara in a difficult position, she hesitated to speak.
Though she tried to remain composed before Laslo, learning of her friend’s heartbreaking worry overwhelmed her emotions, making it hard even to breathe.
*If it’s known we’re friends, it won’t be good for Barbara. It’s better to be cautious.*
*I thought everyone had abandoned me...*
Edel gave an awkward smile as she replied.
When she was the daughter of Count Canyon and the Duchess of Lancaster, many had approached her claiming friendship.
But the moment House Lancaster fell, she easily foresaw her old friends turning their backs.
“Ah, we know each other, but... we’ve only had tea a few times in passing...”
Of course. It was high treason, after all.
“That tea must have been something special then. Unforgettable, even now.”
Even family turned away to avoid any connection that could shake their own houses. So she held no grudges against her old friends who pretended not to know her.
But Barbara’s letter revealed Edel’s true feelings.
Her heart sank once more.
*I wanted this so badly—just this one bit of faith.*
*I craved this comfort so much.*
*This man knows everything.*
She barely resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes shut.
Her status changed from noble to commoner and criminal; bestowed as spoils of war to a man she’d never spoken to; reduced to a laundry maid enduring grueling days—yet this single letter made it all alright.
At least one person believed in her innocence and even asked that she be treated well.
Edel, who had been nervously biting her lower lip with her front teeth, decided to be bold. After all, neither she nor Barbara had done anything wrong.
*But what will the Count of Cressus think? Will he misunderstand Barbara as being part of the Lancaster Duke’s faction?*
“Well, if she remembers me, I’d be grateful, but I’m not sure what Your Lordship is getting at.”
As the wave of intense emotion receded, fear suddenly gripped her.
It was a polite and vague answer.
Edel hesitated, fumbling for words several times before finally speaking.
Laslo stared at her for a long moment with an inscrutable gaze, then handed her the letter.
“The Celestine Marchioness Dowager is a compassionate woman. House Celestine has no ties to the Lancaster Duke’s family, just as our friendship is purely personal. I hope you don’t misinterpret this letter.”
“What... should I write?”
At her request, Laslo’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Whatever you want.”
“Worried I’d torment an old lady over something like this? Everyone seems to think I’m some barbaric brute.”
Then, as if it just occurred to him, Laslo added,
“Ah, n-no! Not at all! If my words offended you, I apologize.”
“See? You’re trembling like I’m about to chop off someone’s head any second.”
“For the record, I have no intention of treating you as ‘society expects.’”
He paused momentarily.
At that instant, Edel let out a great sigh of relief without thinking. Realizing too late, she tried to compose her expression, but Laslo seemed to have noticed.
Edel awkwardly changed the subject, her panic showing.
“...That was not for me to say in your presence.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have paper or a pen. Could I borrow some?”
He avoided her gaze like someone unsure of what expression to make—a new look on the man who always seemed so sharp and edged.
“Don’t worry about that.”
*Now that I think about it, Laslo was the one who took the Lancaster people’s heads.*
“Thank you. By when should I write the reply?”
“Whenever it suits you.”
*Is he feeling guilty toward me? Unexpected.*
But Edel felt she had no reason to receive an apology.
Laslo’s tone was more annoyed than angry.
Fiddling with Barbara’s letter, Edel shyly expressed her gratitude.
“You merely followed His Imperial Majesty’s orders and secured victory. It’s strange I’m still alive; there’s no need for Your Lordship to feel burdened.”
“Truly... thank you.”
His expression grew strange again at her words.
She was sincerely grateful to Laslo—for not twisting Barbara’s letter, for showing it to her, and for allowing her to reply.
Thanks to Laslo and Barbara, Edel found a bit more will to live another day.
*Was that too heartless?*
Having never felt an ounce of mercy from the Lancaster Duke’s people, Edel actually felt a pang of guilt. It wouldn’t do to seem like she rejoiced in their deaths.
But after pondering briefly, Laslo nodded slightly as if nothing had happened.
*Somehow, it feels deflating.*
“True enough. In any case, I’d like you to write the reply to the Celestine Marchioness Dowager yourself. She wouldn’t believe any self-defense from me.”
Returning to his room, Laslo tossed his jacket aside and sat in a chair.
“Pardon? Me?”
He had summoned Edel today to gauge her reaction to Barbara’s letter—to determine if the Celestine Marchioness Dowager was anti-emperor.
But Edel showed no sign of hiding anything; she was simply surprised, moved, and holding back tears.
Edel was shocked but her heart raced with excitement. She could write to Barbara!
*Like an injured bird.*
