Chapter – 08
My mother pulled me in for a tight, suffocating hug as I sobbed uncontrollably, pouring out every bit of tears and snot inside me.
It was warm. And deeply reassuring.
Releasing the embrace after a moment, Mother cupped my face with both hands and looked at me intently, examining every detail.
“You’re skin and bones.”
“I’m alright. I didn’t just stand there and take it, either.”
“That’s my girl. As if you’d let anyone walk all over you. Hurry, pack your things. Let’s go home.”
Home.
Of course, I had a home in my past life too. It was a four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a prime location near the station. But there was no one to welcome me when I walked through the door. I would return home after a exhausting day, only to stumble back out at dawn to go to work.
In my previous life, I had lived in a house that was far too lonely and cold. Only after so much time had passed was I able to return and see my parents again.
This life would be different.
I vowed to protect this radiant warmth and love no matter what.
It was right then.
Feeling a gaze on me, I looked toward the entrance.
The butler, the head housekeeper, and the servants who had gathered there quickly ducked their heads the moment our eyes met. Tonya looked red-faced with rage, but intimidated by my parents’ fierce aura, none of them dared to step inside, instead shoving her father’s back.
“Go on in, quickly!”
“Ah, alright! Stop pushing.”
Raymond resisted for a moment before reluctantly stepping inside.
“I’d like to say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but the situation is a bit… ahem.”
He couldn’t even bring himself to meet my father’s eyes. Even upon seeing Josephine collapsed on the floor, he didn’t attempt to help her up, continuously stealing glances at the doorway instead. It was obvious he was hoping Gerard would show up to handle things.
My father raised a hand to silence him.
“I, Serge de Laville, have never treated an unarmed man harshly. However, if you wag your tongue once more, my blade will not stay stayed.”
Raymond’s face turned ghastly white.
Even throughout all this commotion, Gerard and Shia never showed their faces.
‘So, they want a clean break.’
I liked that very much.
In that case, I needed to hurry. Knowing my father’s temperament, he would inevitably call Gerard out for a duel. Why poke a quiet hornet’s nest?
“Mother, please handle Father.”
Understanding my intent instantly, Mother nodded. Sure enough, those exact words slipped out of Father’s mouth.
“I need to face Gerard. That ungrateful bastard…”
However, as soon as Mother fixed him with a stern glare, he quietly avoided her gaze.
Indeed. To my father, Mother was a beloved, yet terrifying wife.
‘Ah, what perfect parents.’
I headed to my quarters to gather my belongings. Surprisingly, the head housekeeper followed behind me. Feeling touched yet sympathetic, I spoke to her.
“I appreciate your heart in taking care of me until the very end. But won’t life here become difficult for you once I leave?”
“No, my lady. It was far more miserable before you arrived. My only regret is that all I can do now is see you off.”
Even if it was a lifelong service contract, it wasn’t as though there were no ways out.
“Would you like to come with me? I’ll help you if you wish.”
The head housekeeper looked at me carefully before giving a deep nod.
“Alright. Trust me.”
I patted her shoulder.
‘I was planning to drop a bomb before leaving, but I’ll use it as a bargaining chip instead.’
Upon arriving at my quarters to pack, the knights of Laville walked in. They were comrades who had crossed battlefields alongside my father.
“Sir Maurin, Sir Hugo!”
“Lady Anais!”
To them, I would always be the young lady. The veteran knights, aged alongside my father, looked as though they were fathers who had just found their long-lost youngest daughter after years apart.
“Let us leave this wretched territory immediately.”
“Do we only need to move these?”
Seeing my luggage, Sir Maurin crumpled his face in dismay. Sir Hugo grit his teeth so hard a grinding noise echoed. It was so sparse that it was hard to believe I had spent three years here.
I quickly offered an explanation.
“These are precious research materials I’ve gathered. I don’t wish to take anything else. As Sir Hugo said, it’s all wretched.”
“You are quite right. If you need anything, we can simply buy new ones.”
Leaving my quarters in their care, I headed toward the area where the soldiers of Laville were stationed.
“There are some belongings in that storage over there.”
“Understood, my lady.”
The soldiers stood in silence for a moment upon seeing the massive, stacked crates.
I urged them on.
“Please load them onto the carriage.”
“Yes, right away!”
“Whoa!”
Perhaps it was heavier than expected, as one of the soldiers staggered.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, do not worry. But what on earth is in here to make it so heavy, my lady?”
“Something that might just save our territory. Please handle them carefully, as they might break.”
The soldiers lifted the crates with extreme caution.
The mercenaries I had hired did arrive on time, after all. They simply hadn’t been able to enter because Gerard’s side had blocked the castle gate. My parents, of course, had just barged right in. Their fierce aura was one thing, but Gerard’s side seemed hesitant to offer resistance precisely because they were my parents.
Gerard’s subordinates remained docile even as the luggage was being loaded.
‘Wow, Shia’s influence really is strong.’
Then again, it was the same in my past life. Gerard would indulge any request from Shia, no matter how unreasonable it was.
Josephine held her swollen chin as she headed toward Gerard’s quarters.
“What on earth is your brother doing?!”
Tonya, who was following behind her, sulked with a pouting lip. Josephine’s eyes also welled with tears from sheer indignation.
Up until now, Valdif didn’t really possess notable military strength. They had been too busy just trying to survive. On the other hand, Laville was a traditional martial family. Thus, even as they trampled all over the castle at will, there was no power to stop them.
But now, she had her son.
Gerard had always shown talent with the sword, and through the war, he had awakened as a Sword Master. Serge might be a battle-hardened veteran, but he was no match for him!
“Those worthless pests are no match for my son!”
She was determined to teach them a lesson before they left the castle.
“Mom, listen closely,” Tonya said, gritting her teeth. “Make sure Brother sees your swollen chin. It’ll be far more effective than just words.”
Josephine nodded in agreement.
However, things didn’t go as planned. The moment Josephine and Tonya appeared, the knights guarding the front of Gerard’s quarters blocked their path.
“We have strict orders not to let anyone inside.”
“What? Do you not know who I am?!”
“Of course we do, but so what?”
They spoke in a playful, mocking tone, lacking even a shred of respect.
“Whose men are you supposed to be?! The enemy has invaded and is roaming all over the castle, yet instead of driving them out, you won’t even let us see my son?!”
“Whose side are you even on?!” Tonya shrieked shrilly.
At that, the knights stopped smirking and their expressions hardened. Their glares locked onto Josephine and Tonya with a dark glint. It was frightening enough to make them instinctively shrink back.
‘Come to think of it… all of their eyes are black.’
The subordinates had diverse hair and skin tones, but without exception, every single one of them had jet-black eyes.
Josephine and Tonya involuntarily took a few steps back. Surely Gerard’s men wouldn’t harm his own family… right?
Right then, the door to the quarters opened.
“What is going on?”
The person who stepped out from inside was Shia. Josephine welcomed her as if she were a saint descending into hell.
“Oh, Princess!” Josephine said, stealing a glance past the doorway. “I must see Gerard right away. That wretched Anais actually brought her parents here!”
Shia giggled softly in response.
“Whatever shall we do, Mother?”
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“Jerome is fast asleep.”
“What?!”
Shia shrugged her shoulders slightly and stepped to the side.
Through the opened door, Gerard came into view.
Only a few candles were lit inside, making it pitch-black. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see a figure lying slouched on a long couch. Gerard lay limp, completely motionless.
Tonya unconsciously muttered, “Is he dead?”
It wasn’t an exaggeration. It was as if an incomprehensible aura was enveloping Gerard.
Josephine glared at Tonya and nudged her with an elbow. “Stop talking nonsense and move.”
At that moment, one of the knights stepped forward to block them. With him looking ready to draw his sword at any second, Josephine and Tonya had no choice but to retreat.
Shia shrugged and went back inside, walking toward Gerard.
He remained lying there as if dead, but his shoulders rose and fell faintly. A single line of tears streamed down from between his closed eyes.
“My, you really must have loved her.” Shia chuckled softly. “I felt that way too. So I know very well how much your heart aches.”
Muttering words that were difficult to decipher, Shia laid her head against his chest. She then gently stroked his chest, which seemed on the verge of bursting.
“Shh, shh. Calm down now.”
By the time I finished preparing to leave, the dawn was gradually breaking. To the point where my earlier tension felt pointless, Gerard never showed up.
Father spat out bitterly, “That wretched bastard!”
To think he wouldn’t even show his face when the wife he had shared three years of hardships with was leaving. While it was exactly what I had hoped for, Father seemed unable to let the insult go.
Raymond, Josephine, and Tonya watched us with glare-filled eyes. I almost worried their eyes might pop out.
‘Though it’d be even better if they did.’
