CIBLN Chapter 7

“She Might Be From a Noble Family”

“It was a little clumsy, but it was definitely the etiquette used in noble families.”

Deon recalled Rosalyn sitting in the garden earlier.

Her straightened shoulders and back. The way she lifted and set down her cup.
The subtle movement of her eyes while drinking.

“I almost missed it.”

To Deon, noble etiquette was so ingrained that it didn’t seem out of place.

But then a question arose.

Why was Rosalyn so naturally adept at such manners?

“Maybe she learned it briefly a long time ago?”

“She said she didn’t.”

“…Hmm.”

“She didn’t seem like she was lying.”

Those innocent eyes had spoken nothing but the truth.

Which meant…

The most plausible explanation was that she had unconsciously absorbed what she saw and imitated it from a very young age—
In other words, before coming to the orphanage, she must have been in an environment where such manners were commonplace.

“Interesting. Her background records were accurate, right?”

“Yes. According to the report… there was no trace of her being registered anywhere at birth.”

There was no record of her birth.

Which is why it had been assumed she was abandoned right after being born.

          “Rosalyn was only left here temporarily. Someone’s coming to take her!”

Now that he thought about it, the head of the orphanage had once said that—
That someone was supposed to take her in.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

“…What’s so fascinating? I think this is turning into a serious matter.”

Though they had arrived at the same assumption, the two wore completely different expressions.

Deon’s lips were curled in intrigue. Berta’s face had gone pale.

“Rosalyn truly is an intriguing child.”

A girl raised in an orphanage without any birth records, yet demonstrating noble manners.

“In the Empire, there are only two reasons why a birth wouldn’t be registered.”

Deon’s ocean-blue eyes glinted.

One: The child was abandoned by their parents.
The second and more probable one…

Was that the child had been born into a noble family.

“Are you saying Lady Rosalyn… might be from a noble family?”

“At this point, that seems most likely.”

Deon tapped the desk thoughtfully, murmuring to himself.

“There are a few noble families in the Empire that do this sort of thing.”

“But… isn’t it usually the high-ranking ones?!”

Berta exclaimed, nearly in tears.

And she wasn’t wrong.

Most prestigious noble families withheld birth registrations until their child showed signs of a blessing or “authority”.

They wouldn’t even enter the child into the family registry.

In case the child failed to manifest their gift and became a burden—
Because in the Empire, a noble house’s status heavily depended on how many powerful heirs they produced.

“Find out where Rosalyn might have come from. Who left her at the orphanage, and how.”

“…Understood. But… if she really is from a noble family, what do you plan to do?”

Chances were high Rosalyn had been abandoned due to her lack of abilities.

Either that, or the family had pitied her and erased any trace of her once-comfortable life as a noble.

“Doesn’t matter, Berta.”

“…What?”

“No matter what the result is—legally, Rosalyn is my daughter now.”

“Lord Deon…”

Berta lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes.

It was an unspoken rule among nobles—
One did not take in children cast away by other houses.

“Find another etiquette tutor for Rosalyn. One who knows how to keep their mouth shut.”

“…Yes, understood.”

Berta finally gave in with a resigned sigh.

***

After returning from her outing, Rosalyn sat down at her desk.

‘Will he really accept my invitation?’

Her heart pounded in her chest.

She knew better than to get her hopes up, but…
She liked those fleeting moments when Deon showed kindness.
Even if it meant nothing to him.

“Lady Rosalyn, have you thought about what you’ll write?”

Lorna peeked over her shoulder with a sly grin.

“Not yet…”

Rosalyn shook her head weakly.

She had no idea how to begin.
She had never written a letter to anyone before.

“Nobles usually start with all kinds of flowery words. Like… ‘To the most dearly beloved and precious Lorna in the world,’ something like that!”

“That long?”

“Yes! Quite a mouthful, isn’t it?”

The pen in Rosalyn’s hand trembled slightly.

Just imagining Deon receiving such an over-the-top letter…

‘No way.’

She quickly shook her head.

“I’ll just keep it simple and ask him to have a meal.”

“Yes! I think the young master would prefer that! Actually, I think he’d love anything you say!”

“…Yeah.”

Rosalyn had a good idea of what Lorna was imagining now.

She probably saw them as a long-separated father and daughter, awkwardly trying to get close again. A touching family drama.

Rosalyn let out a deep sigh as she stared at the blank sheet of paper.

Truthfully, this was her first letter—ever.

‘This is hard.’

Even something as simple as writing a letter felt impossible without someone to teach her.

Her delicate brows furrowed as she cautiously began to move her pen.

[To the Honorable Young Lord Arcas,]

Too stiff?

Rosalyn paused, unsure.

“My lady, I think that sounds a little formal.”

“Then…?”

“How about this?”

Lorna’s red eyes gleamed mischievously—ominously so.

With a bright smile, she suggested,

“To the one and only father I love most in the world.”

“…Gasp!”

“From your one and only darling daughter, Rosalyn.”

“What do you think?”

Rosalyn was momentarily speechless.

“Sometimes a bold move is what you need, Lady Rosalyn.”

“…Really?”

“Yes! Trust me just this once. I’ve served the young master for years, you know.”

Lorna looked utterly confident.

Rosalyn hesitated, then bit her lip.

Soon after, the sound of her pen scratching against the paper filled the room.

Childlike handwriting slowly filled the page.

***

That evening—

“Hah.”

Deon’s lips curled up after receiving Rosalyn’s sudden letter.

“She really knows how to be cute.”

It wasn’t a bad feeling.

“What did she say, my lord?”

Berta, curious, peeked over to get a glimpse of the letter.

But Deon swiftly tucked it into the second drawer of his desk.

Then, lacing his fingers together, he asked with a hint of contemplation:

“Do I have anything scheduled for lunch tomorrow?”

“Yes. A lunch with Count Avantium.”

“Cancel it.”

Deon stood up from his chair, signaling the end of his workday.

“Something more important has come up.”

***

Just as dawn began to break.

Kaemon pulled his sword from the final monster he had dealt with.

The Empire, now entering spring, was facing the season when monsters swarmed.

Boom—

The creature fell with a thud, and Kaemon lowered his blade.

He couldn’t use his gift here in the province.
Its dark energy would attract even more monsters.

It was a hassle, but eliminating them manually was safer.

His men had grumbled about it, but this was Kaemon’s personal rule.

“My lord.”

As Kaemon sheathed his sword, Edin returned, dismounting from his horse.

“I found no further signs of monsters in the areas you designated.”

“I see. Good work, Edin.”

Edin gave a small bow.

They had been pushing through this for over a week with barely any sleep.

Kaemon’s gaze swept over Edin’s face.
He looked exhausted.

If Edin was like this, then the knights undergoing intense training must be completely worn out.

Kaemon decided it was time to end the inspection.

“This should be enough. Let’s head back. I can’t leave the estate unattended any longer.”

“Yes, sir. Shall I dismiss the knights?”

“Do so.”

“I’ll prepare the carriage for our return.”

Edin quickly hurried off.

Left alone, Kaemon took a deep breath of the cold morning air and rubbed his eyes.

Even he was reaching his limits this time.

Moments later, Edin returned and, seeing Kaemon’s state, wore a worried expression.

“My lord, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Since the inspection ended earlier than expected… perhaps you should rest a few days once we return.”

Kaemon gave no reply and began walking toward the carriage.

Edin followed behind with a sigh, shaking his head.

There was no breaking his lord’s stubbornness.

He would probably jump straight into his schedule the moment they arrived.

Which meant Edin was doomed as well.

‘Still, at least we’re returning two days early!’

Edin’s face brightened—if only slightly—as he climbed into the carriage.

Completely unaware of who was waiting for them at the estate.