58.

“It won’t take long. If you’re so worried, you can come along too.”

“My lord.”

Before Cardier could react, the elderly butler standing beside him stepped in with a hazy expression. The duchess and Cardier both turned their gazes sharply toward the butler, as if startled by a nail suddenly popping out. The butler, as though entirely without intent to intrude, quietly lowered his deeply wrinkled eyes.

“My apologies, but the admiral left orders that the young marquis is to report to the naval headquarters immediately upon arrival.”

“Perfect! How fortunate!”

Unlike Cardier, who frowned, the duchess clapped her hands in delight. There was no escaping this command. Cardier belonged to the navy, and before being his father, the admiral was the supreme commander of the fleet. Moreover, this wasn’t a mere suggestion—it was an order, and disobedience would be met with military discipline.

Duke Montrosa’s wife smiled contentedly and gently pushed her son’s back.

“Go on, then. He seems busy.”

Cardier let out a deep sigh. It was now inevitable to expose Ro to the clutches of his mother. Yet he couldn’t possibly allow an outsider into the Eastern Naval Headquarters.

Reluctantly, he adjusted the robe half-draped over Ro’s shoulders. The brush against her nape felt ticklish.

“I’ll return as quickly as I can.”

“No, really… there’s no need.”

“Whatever it is, don’t do anything you don’t want to.”

Duchess Montrosa asked, slightly irritated and tilting her head.

“Aren’t you going?”

Cardier gently took Ro’s face in both hands and placed a brief kiss on her forehead.

“…I’ll go.”

The warmth passed by and quickly faded. Ro watched his retreating figure, her cheeks flushed. She felt uneasy about missing his warmth, yet habitually found herself recalling the previous night.

Suddenly, the duchess’s gentle hand nudged her toward a long corridor.

“Let’s be off now.”

Ro had assumed they’d simply head to the newlyweds’ assigned bedroom, but the duchess led her in a completely different direction from the main hall. The growing distance from her expected destination was deeply disconcerting. Ro cautiously tested the waters and spoke up.

“Um, Your Grace…”

“Call me Louise.”

“May I really?”

“Of course.”

Ro awkwardly nodded. Louise remained unfailingly gentle. Even after being openly rejected by her own son, she showed no bitterness. That sense of betrayal seemed directed solely at Cardier; whenever her gaze returned to Ro, it softened once more. Her true feelings were impossible to guess.

“I didn’t mean to keep you waiting. The boy was right—I was simply too overjoyed to consider you might be tired.”

“…I’m fine.”

Distracted by other thoughts, Ro answered a beat too late.

“Nervous?”

“…A little.”

“Oh, not about that.”

Ro stiffly turned to the right. This inexplicable kindness made her deeply uncomfortable. She was so tense that her left hand and left foot nearly moved in sync. Louise let out a light chuckle and tightened her grip on Ro’s arm.

“We’ve prepared the estate’s annex as a gift so you two can enjoy your honeymoon. It’s quite a distance from the main hall, so it’ll be perfect for building your own life. And it’s quite romantic, too.”

True to Louise’s confident words, Ro nearly whistled upon seeing the annex. Though a modest two-story building, it resembled a perfectly scaled-down version of Montrosa Castle.

A small fountain, flower beds, a fence, a garden swing, and white curtains fluttering from open windows—it was a scene straight out of a painting. Louise asked, with mild concern:

“Do you like it?”

She did, from a purely aesthetic standpoint. But being so deeply secluded from the outside meant that every departure from the estate would likely double the inconvenience. Besides, architectural beauty that couldn’t be exchanged for material value wasn’t particularly important to Ro.

Still, it was undeniable that Louise had clearly poured great thought into every detail—from the curtains to each decorative stone in the garden—for her son and daughter-in-law. Ro smiled smoothly.

“Of course I do.”

“If anything doesn’t suit your taste, feel free to change it. Just because I like it doesn’t mean it’ll please your eyes.”

“I will.”

“I’m not just saying that. I truly hope you’ll be comfortable here. If it’s truly inconvenient, you may even move out and live in a separate estate.”

“…”

“You’ve done me a great kindness.”

Louise’s words settled heavily into Ro’s otherwise materialistic mind. Confused, Ro echoed:

“Me?”

“Except for failing to dissuade my son from following in his father’s footsteps, Cardier has never once troubled me.”

For a fleeting moment, her face softened with nostalgic fondness.

“At first, I even blamed my marriage to Persen when he insisted on boarding a warship and following his father. But these past few years… I don’t know what changed, but he completely shut himself off.”

Despite claiming ignorance, the duchess’s tone turned sharp as she recalled that period.

“His attitude toward his parents remained unchanged, and since he’s always kept his distance from the ladies, many didn’t notice much difference on the surface… but a mother sees far more than others realize.”

“…”

“It’s both amusing and deeply relieving to see that wretch, who seemed determined to bury his life in the mud, finally come to his senses now that he’s about to marry you.”

Though her elegant tone grew slightly intense, the hand stroking Ro’s arm carried unmistakable gratitude and tenderness.

“For years, I never imagined Cardier would actually get married.”

“…”

“So lately, I sometimes wonder… if I’m dreaming.”

Ro’s insides twisted uncomfortably. If Louise’s unconditional kindness stemmed from Ro ‘saving’ Cardier, then the very thing that had buried him in the mud in the first place was Rosetta’s death itself.

Unsure how to interpret Ro’s dazed smile, Louise gently guided her toward the garden. The moment they turned the corner, a rich floral scent brushed against their noses.

“This is…”

“This garden was prepared for you. I wanted you to see it before that unfeeling boy.”

A gasp of awe escaped before Ro could suppress it. A garden bursting with white flowers, a bench facing the cliffside, and below it, the white-capped sea. Ro stood frozen in place, and Louise gently placed both hands on her shoulders from behind.

“I heard you like white ranunculus.”

Ranunculus was the flower Rosetta, not Lea, had loved—at least, that’s what Cardier believed. Ro cleared her throat and managed a reply.

“It’s beautiful.”

Though Louise didn’t elaborate, the circumstances suggested she had been the one who ‘buried’ Cardier in the mud. To have a mother so carefully cultivate a garden for such a hateful woman made Ro feel like a terrible deceiver—whether intentional or not.

* * *

Rosetta, led by Louise’s hand, toured the annex room by room. Externally, it resembled Montrosa Castle in many ways, but internally, it was nearly a miniature replica of Valdemore Manor. Of course, there were physical limitations—she couldn’t recreate every single one of the countless rooms—but from the wallpaper hues, carpets, curtains, to the landscape paintings on the walls, everything seemed faithfully reproduced.

“I consulted your mother from Valdemore extensively. I thought you might get homesick if you suddenly moved far away.”

The only new additions were the newly furnished ivory-colored pieces, clearly meant to symbolize a fresh start. Louise continued as she flung open the dining room door.

“No servants or maids have been hired yet—I thought it best you choose them yourself. There’s a separate kitchen too, so you may hire your own head cook if you wish.”

Each time a door opened or closed, a fresh round of explanations and exclamations poured forth like a textile loom in motion. Louise dragged Rosetta from place to place, seemingly ready to explain even the stonework of the garden walls, until she finally noticed Ro’s exhausted expression and looked up in surprise, as if suddenly aware of her own excess. She hurriedly pushed Rosetta onto the bed, fussing over her.

Ro lay quietly on the bed until Louise’s footsteps faded away. Only when she was certain she was alone did she rise. Opening the half-closed terrace door, she stepped outside and took it all in at once.

The white buildings atop the towers and cliffs, the low green rooftops. From above, the city resembled a finely crafted trinket. The lighthouse was already lit, its beam visible from afar, as the sun began to set. The harbor brimmed with schooners, the air thick with tar, and seabirds flitted overhead… Ro took a deep breath of the salty air.

Finally.

Ro clenched her fist tightly.

It had begun.