Chapter 31. Anette Is a Possessed One?
Top floor of the Grand Duke’s Castle.
A lonely moment arrived as he found himself alone, and a sigh steeped in regret escaped him.
Hertian sat on the window sill, replaying the recent events over and over in his head.
‘Like a fool, I couldn’t say anything.’
He couldn’t even respond to what Anette had said and left the room as if he were fleeing.
“We’re just in a contract, so there’s no need for you to care so much.”
He had known this.
He knew exactly what he meant to Anette now. After losing Lian, she had locked herself away, and it was only natural that it would take time for her to open her heart again.
And Hertian had been confident. That he could wait as long as it took.
But hearing it directly from her lips—
‘It hurts more than I expected.’
Since their reunion, he had never once let her down. And yet, it felt like this was all he amounted to in her eyes. A fear crept in—one that whispered he would be forever stuck in place, making no progress.
“Haah…”
He let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. His thoughts had completely tied him up.
“Pathetic, really.”
Each time, he was reminded how insignificant he seemed before her.
He stood up, shoulders still drooping. There was no time to mope. He was determined to take a proper step forward this time, even if she had drawn a line between them. Besides, the leech who’d hovered around her was gone now, and they were married—there was no need to be impatient.
“Her health comes first, anyway.”
Having calmed himself, Hertian walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out an old tome he had taken from the Emperor’s library. As he opened it, a musty smell of old paper wafted up. The pages fluttered until they landed on a particular spot.
A page he had read many times.
There, written on the aged paper, was a term difficult to describe with words. Though many of the mysteries in this ancient book had been debunked as man-made illusions, one thing remained—something with no conclusive proof of being fake.
“…Possession.”
An absurd word, to say the least.
Beneath it were detailed descriptions of supposed signs: people whose personalities had suddenly and completely changed, who would sometimes speak words that didn’t belong to this world. Most of them were considered genius-level minds—and yet, many also died of strange, inexplicable illnesses.
Despite the fantastical nature of the claim, Hertian couldn’t ignore it. If their relationship was just a contractual one, maybe he would have. But he had watched over her all this time.
In a pristine, dustless box lay a stack of envelopes. Within one yellowed piece of paper, he found unfamiliar letters. Even as someone who had traveled across the empire and the world, a seasoned warrior of war, he had never seen these words before.
And it wasn’t just once. Occasionally, Anette’s letters contained expressions he couldn’t understand.
Much like the people described in this book—as if she were one of the “possessed.”
‘Did I offend him somehow?’
It was the first time Hertian had left without answering and walked out like that.
She had only said it to ease the tension.
Yet his face had hardened, and he had left the dining room without a word. He’d clearly looked upset. Why? She had only made things easier for him. No matter how she turned it over in her head, she couldn’t understand him.
‘Should I apologize?’
That would be weird, wouldn’t it? Like saying, Please care about me again.
Knock, knock.
Just then, Bonisa entered at the perfect moment.
“My lady, I’m back.”
Seeing her helped Anette settle her chaotic thoughts.
She still had important matters to deal with.
“So, did you find out what I asked for?”
“I went down to the village and asked around the bundle traders. They say the temples in Kurcia have been completely closed off.”
“Why?”
“They say there’s going to be a full restructuring of the temple system, so they’re shutting them down for now. You were exactly right, my lady!”
Bonisa answered with suppressed excitement.
‘Even timing is helping me now.’
If the temples in Kurcia were closing, then it would be easier for that man to uncover information. The palace and the temple would now be too busy trying to find alternatives.
“Good work.”
A weight lifted off her chest. If the deal went well, she might be able to help ease some of Hertian’s burdens too.
“Also, my lady, I finished all the tapestries you asked for.”
Bonisa’s words brought even more joy.
“Already? That was a huge amount.”
“I’ve been making tapestries my whole life. A few dozen is nothing.”
She added with a calm expression.
“Still, that’s not easy to do all at once.”
“The other maids at the castle helped. I guess it’s a cold region, so everyone’s had practice making them.”
“I see.”
How admirable.
Anette patted Bonisa’s hair. The neatly tied bun felt satisfying to the touch. She had always wanted to try it—and finally had the chance.
“You worked hard.”
Bonisa blushed and asked shyly,
“My lady… What are you planning to do with the tapestries?”
“I’m taking them to the outlying village. It’s higher up in the mountains than other places, so it’s much colder. Most homes only have thin cloth for insulation, so these tapestries will help block the wind, even if just a little.”
It wasn’t a place fit for people to live.
Even the Grand Duke’s Castle was freezing. The village, perched halfway up the mountain, was worse. Even with piles of firewood, your breath would still come out white.
‘I might have to go there often in the future, so I need to make sure they can survive.’
She couldn’t repair the whole village, so making tapestries was a stopgap.
“But that fabric was from your dowry when you got married…”
Bonisa had a point.
It was originally meant for new clothes for the duchy. But she already had more dresses than she could wear.
And this felt like a better use for it.
“Better than wasting it on a few dresses, right?”
“Still… shouldn’t you keep some for yourself?”
“There are good enough tapestries already in the castle.”
Once the business deal succeeded and she made some money, she could renovate the castle too. No need to cling to material things.
“Even so…”
Bonisa looked unconvinced, pouting. Then she suddenly perked up.
“There’s some fabric left over! I’ll make you a dress with it!”
Clearly, she was still reluctant to part with the material.
“No. I’ll use that to make warm outerwear for the other maids.”
“Huh…? That precious cloth?”
“Yup. And Bonisa, make two for yourself. Look at what you’re wearing—you’ll catch a cold.”
It always bothered her that the maids were dressed so thinly.
Just watching made her cold.
Even if they protested, she was going to make them wear it.
Bonisa stood in a daze, staring at her.
“Still, I can’t…”
“Refuse, and I’ll give you my clothes. How do you feel about rabbit fur?”
Anette pretended to open the wardrobe. Bonisa rushed over in panic.
“N-No! I’ll wear it!”
Watching her give in so quickly, Anette turned away, pretending to be disappointed. Then, remembering something from the wedding—
“By the way, have you still not heard from Cassian? I sent him a reply after the wedding. It should’ve arrived by now.”
The reply was taking longer than expected.
Even considering they were in the north, not the capital.
“The only letter that arrived for you was from the Count.”
Bonisa answered, her expression mirroring Anette’s disappointment.
‘Did he get cold feet after all?’
In her last letter, she’d suggested a meeting date.
She had deliberately left plenty of time, not to pressure him. If there was still no reply, maybe he wasn’t ready yet.
“It’ll come soon. Still, just in case Lucky forgot, contact the Count’s estate.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Lately, Bonisa had been glowing with energy.
‘My lady is truly a good person.’
From their first meeting to now, Anette had been a source of hope.
Bonisa had followed her on impulse—but not once did she regret it. In fact, life in the north even reminded her of home, which made her happy.
“I’ve got to finish this outfit and show it to my lady!”
She headed to the other maids’ quarters, heart swelling with excitement.
Surely, the other maids would come to appreciate how wonderful Anette was.
But before she could open the door, voices from inside shattered her hopes.
“Apparently, her ladyship is obsessed with going out these days.”
“Yeah, they say she roams the castle for fun and doesn’t even bother with the household work.”
“I knew it. What good is being nice if she doesn’t care about us or the people in the domain?”
She had known they were gossipy. But she didn’t expect this kind of ignorant slander.
“Typical capital noblewoman—probably just enjoys showing off her jewels.”
Bang!
Bonisa kicked the door open. The two maids barely looked at her and continued their conversation, louder now.
“She’s probably here to waste our duchy’s money.”
“Exactly. How could she, a capital noble, understand our lives?”
“She doesn’t know the first thing about—Agh!”
Suddenly, a pile of heavy cloth came crashing down on their heads. Bonisa had thrown it.
She couldn’t stand hearing people talk nonsense about Anette anymore.
“What the hell is your problem?!”
One maid glared irritably.
“Hey, let it go. She’s the one the lady brought in.”
The other maid whispered while eyeing Bonisa.
“Must be nice, being cozy and pampered next to her ladyship.”
“She was the one who asked us to make the tapestries, right? I heard she’s so frail she can’t even stand the cold. Wonder if she’ll be able to bear an heir with that constitution.”
Bonisa’s neck turned red.
She wanted to rip their hair out. But she restrained herself—because she didn’t want her own actions to reflect poorly on Anette.
Grinding her teeth, she simply glared.
“Why are you staring at us like that? We’re just worried about her ladyship. You’re not going to go running to her and tattle, are you?”
“Just get to work.”
She swallowed her tears and muttered.
“Unless she’s asking for another new dress?”
In truth, Anette hadn’t gotten a single new dress aside from Hertian’s gift. She had simply patched up old ones.
But to the maids, she was just another spoiled noblewoman.
‘Miss Lili was right. She came here just to live comfortably as the Grand Duchess.’
No one would blame her for relaxing—especially with a loving husband.
The maids thought, At least Lili was around.
“So how many do we have to make?”
At the gruff question, Bonisa swallowed her frustration and replied:
“Fifty.”
They’d better not regret it later.
