WDHTMU| CHAPTER 02

Chapter 02

“A debutante party?”

Rosanna covered her mouth, her eyes wide in surprise. Marsha glanced around, then frowned slightly.

“It’s just you and me here. You don’t have to be so careful.”

“Hm.”

Rosanna looked around as well. It was a quiet walking path, filled only with the beautiful sound of birdsong. A carriage driver could be seen far in the distance, but he was too far away to hear their conversation.

“Your father dislikes me so much that I can’t help being cautious.”

“Father doesn’t hate you in particular.”

Rosanna lifted an eyebrow and smiled playfully. In contrast, Marsha’s face was clouded with worry.

“He just holds beliefs that don’t fit this era. In many ways… I’m truly sorry to you.”

The Dominique Principality was small, with little land and a sparse population, so compared to other countries, the wall between classes wasn’t especially rigid. To them, the ‘upper class’ didn’t mean only nobles—it also included many wealthy commoner merchants. But Count Emelide believed that only nobles could be considered true high society.

“It can’t be helped. He’s someone who has everything, after all. And our family once borrowed a large sum from him. From his point of view, how dreadful must it be for the daughter of a commoner family—once drowning in debt—to act familiarly with a count’s daughter?”

Twisting her parasol as she walked, Rosanna stopped and turned back.

“I’m not being sarcastic. I truly understand how the Count feels.”

Seeing that Marsha’s expression was still dark, Rosanna shrugged.

“Are you just going to leave me walking alone?”

“Huh? Of course not.” Marsha hurried to her side.

Rosanna, who had been smiling faintly, suddenly opened her mouth.

“Ah! Lucas sent a letter yesterday. He said the business contract ended well, and he’ll be able to return soon!”

“Really? Then it’ll be five months since you last saw him.”

“Five months, they say—but it felt endless. I hope that when he returns, we can finally put an end to this tiresome engagement and truly become husband and wife…”

A soft, flower-like blush slowly spread across Rosanna’s face.

“I hope so. Then we’d become family.”

“Family? Hardly. The Count doesn’t treat Lucas like family at all.”

“Still, he’s my aunt’s son.”

“Technically, your sixth cousin aunt. And he’s not even her biological son.”

Lucas had been an orphan discovered by the Countess Emelide during volunteer work. The Countess, fond of the bright and diligent boy who followed her so well and eagerly helped with chores, brought him back with her.

[He’s such a clever child. With proper education, he’ll grow into an adult who positively influences many people.]

A few months after Lucas began living at the Emelide estate, Lady Rom—Count Emelide’s cousin, who had married a poor commoner and been disowned by her family—came to visit the Countess.

Count Emelide loathed the very idea of her crossing the estate’s threshold, but the Countess secretly met her from time to time, offering help and maintaining their connection.

That day, too, Lady Rom had come hoping to receive a little assistance.

[Oh my. My goodness. And who is this child?]

[A child I sponsor.]

[Oh? Then where are his parents?]

[Sadly…]

Lady Rom, who had no children of her own, said she wished to adopt the handsome, intelligent Lucas. The Countess asked Lucas several times for his thoughts, and each time he answered with a happy smile that his dream was to have a family. And so, Lucas became the son of that household.

When he reached adulthood, he revived the family fortunes. Lucas often said it was only possible thanks to the Countess Emelide’s financial support. Even the wine he now exported was produced on the Emelide estate, the pride of the Dominique Principality—and it was the Countess who had granted him that business right. So his gratitude was not mere flattery.

“Lucas truly respects and loves the Countess Emelide and the Emelide family for saving him. But the Count doesn’t feel the same way.”

“……”

“If it weren’t for the Countess’s will, people like us wouldn’t even have been allowed to step inside the estate.”

Marsha’s mouth went dry. She felt uneasy and guilty, like a child caught doing something wrong. No matter what she said, it wouldn’t comfort Rosanna. And changing her father’s behavior was impossible for her.

Rosanna glanced sideways at Marsha’s face, the corner of her lips slowly lifting.

“By the way, Marsha. Are you going to invite me to the party?”

“Of course. You’re my most precious friend.”

“Thank you for saying that… but will the Count allow it?”

“There’s no point in holding a party if I can’t invite my friend.”

Marsha said it seriously.

“If you say things like that, it makes me feel guilty.”

As she said so, Rosanna deliberately drooped her eyebrows, suppressing the satisfied smile threatening to spill out.

***

After washing up, Marsha sat before her vanity, applying cream to her skin. Behind her, Anna—the maid tidying the bedding—twisted her wrinkled lips.

“My lady. You met Miss Pudelli again today, didn’t you? Even though you know the Count disapproves.”

“Anna, don’t say that. Rosanna is my only—my precious—friend.”

“But that young lady’s family… can we even call her a young lady? They’ve only just finished repaying their debts, and their circumstances aren’t exactly—”

“Anna.”

Marsha cut her off firmly.

“Marsha.”

Her father’s voice came from outside. Marsha quickly composed her expression as Anna hurried to open the door. Standing there was her father, already dressed to go out. It was strange—it was pitch-dark outside.

“What is it?”

“There’s been a problem at the Soboda Mine.”

Soboda Mine was a coal mine newly developed by the Emelide family.

“Is it serious?”

“Not particularly. But as you know, it takes five hours just to get there. If I leave now, I can return tomorrow.”

“That sounds like a very harsh schedule. If it’s not urgent—”

Just then, a sound came from the end of the corridor. Marsha turned her head and saw a shabbily dressed man wearing an orange scarf standing there, watching them cautiously.

“Tsk. I told him to wait outside.”

“I—I’m sorry!”

The man quickly turned and hurried away, his worn green vest fluttering as if it might tear.

“Who was that?”

“One of the workers from Soboda Mine. He’s lived his whole life as a miner—seems he lacks manners, and his hearing isn’t very good either.”

With a short sigh, the Count gently patted Marsha’s shoulder.

“Anyway, I’ll be off. Don’t toss and turn worrying about me. Sleep well.”

“Please be careful.”

“Of course. My daughter is waiting for me—I must return safely.”

As if to a small child, the Count pressed a brief kiss to Marsha’s forehead.

After he left, Anna finished preparing the bed and departed as well. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Marsha let out a long sigh.

‘How should I explain this to Father?’

He would surely dislike the idea of inviting Rosanna and Lucas. But to Marsha, those two mattered most. They had been her only companions during her lonely childhood, the arms that held her and cried with her when she lost her mother. Building walls between people over nothing but status was absurd.

‘Because Father looks down on them, even the servants speak carelessly.’

Frowning, Marsha pressed her lips together and nodded.

‘When Father returns, I’ll talk to him seriously about this.’

It would be a long conversation. Perhaps he would even raise his voice. But he had always yielded to his daughter in the end—so this time, too, things would surely go her way.

With that thought, Marsha closed her eyes, waiting for her father to return the next day.

But the next day passed. And the day after that.

The Count did not return.

Five days after he left the estate, a guard came urgently to find Marsha.

“My lady. We’ve found him.”

“My father? Where is he?!”

The guard looked at Marsha, who clung to him, emaciated and desperate, with pity.

“He was found in the forest.”

“…What?”

“It appears he was attacked by robbers. His money and belongings were gone—nothing remained.”

“No—wait. What are you saying? You mean Father was attacked by bandits? Then where is he now? A hospital? Is he badly hurt?”

The guard exhaled softly, then spoke with heavy lips.

“The Count has passed away, Lady Emelide.”

“That… that can’t be…”

Marsha’s vision went black in an instant. Her ears rang so loudly she couldn’t hear anything else. She didn’t even realize people were gathering around her fallen body.

***

Marsha remained unconscious for two full days. She hadn’t eaten for five days while searching desperately for her father, her body already at its limit—then came the shock.

Despite the absence of his only family, Count Emelide’s funeral proceeded. His body had already begun to decay, and the burial had to be hurried.

On the final day of the funeral, Marsha—supported by a maid—made her way on trembling legs to the silent church.

“…Father.”

Around the ornate coffin, various chemicals were used to mask the stench of decay. Inside lay her father, his face covered with expensive silk. His hands—still unspoiled—were neatly folded over his abdomen. The moment Marsha saw the deep indentation left by his ring on his ring finger, the tears she had been holding back spilled over.

“What do I do, Father… Father…!”

Why had such a tragedy struck so suddenly? Even if he had passed after illness, her heart would have shattered—but to be murdered by robbers… How much pain, how much fear must he have felt?

“How much… how much…!”

When Marsha was young and cried for her mother, her father would hold her tightly, forcing a bright smile. He told her that pain and sorrow would one day become memories she could recall with a faint smile—that it would be all right.

But now, that seemed impossible.

“Ahhh…!”

Her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed—

Suddenly, a large man’s hand caught her shoulder.

“!”

Startled, Marsha looked to the side.

“Marsha.”

A familiar face she hadn’t seen in a year looked down at her, eyes filled with deep sorrow.

“Lu… Lucas….”