“Listen. It’s troublesome if you’re already so shocked. You haven’t even heard yet what your own daughter has done.”

“Rose?”

Marchioness Robepon raised her head in a half-dazed state.

Come to think of it, a little while ago upstairs, Kasallin had mentioned Rose’s name and said something completely incomprehensible.

“Fortunately, my innocence has been revealed.”

Parnes read the doubt and anxiety that appeared on her face and personally provided an answer.

“Your own daughter threw herself from the window to frame Kasallin as a traitor.”

“What did you say?”

“Kasallin, who was there with her, was naturally identified as the prime suspect, and after suffering all kinds of hardships in the underground dungeon while wrongly accused, she has only now safely returned from the threshold of death.”

Although she appeared fine on the outside, by now her insides must have rotted and festered completely.

In a situation where it wouldn’t be strange at all if she collapsed and fainted right away, Kasallin was doing her best to keep her spirits up.

The reason she had deliberately stopped by the main house before leaving the Khan Kingdom entirely was probably not so much to gather necessary belongings, but because she wanted to see Marchioness Robepon’s face.

Although she was a stepmother, from her kind eyes, one could tell that she was inwardly concerned about the mother who would be left alone in this vast mansion.

“Then what will happen to my daughter? What will happen to our Rose now?”

Unaware of such feelings, Marchioness Robepon’s head was filled only with worry about Rose.

People say that blood cannot be deceived, but couldn’t she think even a little about her who had barely escaped from the crisis of being burned alive?

Parnes stopped responding to Marchioness Robepon’s words and rose from his seat.

Of course, for now, since there was a child in Rose’s belly, it would be concluded with appropriate punishment and social disgrace.

The Khan royal family, which had relentlessly pursued the innocent Kasallin as a criminal, would also want to cover up this incident as much as possible.

But even so, there were things that could not be undone.

‘The relationship between Shallen Riche and Rose Riche.’

Even if they made earnest efforts to forgive each other and regain their affection, those two people would never be able to trust each other as they once did.

The seed that began as small distrust would gradually grow into huge stems, and in the end, they would destroy each other.

Parnes intended to clearly watch from a distance as those two people slowly crumbled.

“Excuse me. Marchioness Robepon, are you inside?”

At this moment, someone knocked on the front door with an unfamiliar voice.

Marchioness Robepon, who had been covering her face with both hands and letting out unpleasant moans, hesitantly stood up.

Sophie ran out with quick steps and opened the front door.

“Who…”

“We’ve come from the royal palace. We apologize for the sudden visit, but we’d like to intrude for a moment.”

As Sir Alonzo Laugel said this, Shallen appeared from behind him.

Stubbornness and defiance that he still couldn’t accept this absurd situation were frozen in his eyes.

He saw Parnes standing in the reception room and gasped, drawing in his breath, then finally stepped into the entrance.

Then he said.

“Is Kasallin inside now.”

Kasallin, who had said she would go wash up and left the reception room, slowly looked around as she went up to the third floor where her room was.

A longed-for fragrance filled the house.

The green wallpaper and oak decorative cabinets that were her mother’s taste.

The old portraits of ancestors that densely decorated the walls, and even the antique, paint-peeled stair railings – everything was as it had been.

With a hopeful heart, she tried turning the doorknob of the room her mother had used when she was alive.

Click, with a light metallic sound, the door opened very easily.

‘The room where mother lived wouldn’t have been very welcome to Marchioness Robepon, so why didn’t she keep it locked?’

Kasallin took a deep breath as she entered.

Her mother’s scent was no longer there, but it was neatly organized as if someone had cleaned it frequently.

Since childhood, Kasallin had loved playing in this room.

The windows were made of colored glass like a chapel, so it was beautiful when light came in, and there were various instruments like spinets and cellos, so she naturally learned to play.

She had very faint memories of sitting behind her mother when she wore an elegant dress and played piano, drawing pictures while playing.

‘This house will be the last time now too.’

She wanted to take something with her, but it was the only regret that there were hardly any objects left that could remind her of her father and mother for a long time.

Before being delayed further, Kasallin left the room and hurried to the bathroom.

Betsy, a maid who had now reached middle age, was putting herbs in hot bath water.

She was a woman who was no different from Kasallin’s nanny.

“Thank you, Betsy.”

“Thank me for what. Hurry up and warm your body. Your face has turned blue.”

She was naturally tight-lipped and never said nonsense unless it was absolutely necessary.

Her unique gentle silence that allowed rest without asking anything was so grateful.

“You cleaned mother’s room, didn’t you, Betsy?”

“If not me, who would do it. All the maids who worked then have left, so at least I had to stay and do it.”

Betsy said while wiping Kasallin’s swollen hands with a soft towel.

Kasallin rested her arms on the edge of the bathtub.

“Betsy, I’m getting married soon.”

“Is that so? That’s good.”

“Don’t you ask who I’m marrying or where I’ll go to live?”

“I have that much sense. With the Renel Empire carriage sitting there boldly, it would be stranger not to notice.”

“What a boring reaction. I wanted to surprise you.”

Betsy nodded and playfully pretended to apologize.

“Yes. I’m sorry for having a personality that isn’t surprised by most things.”

“Come with me. To the Renel Empire.”

Kasallin rested her chin and silently waited to hear an answer from her lips.

Betsy stopped her hands there for a moment, then picked up the cream again with a calm appearance.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll decline.”

“Why?”

“I’m just an old maid. There’s nothing I can do even if I follow you.”

“Don’t say such things, Betsy.”

“I’ve made it my job to sweep, clean, and guard this mansion. So don’t worry and go to a good country and live well enough to show them. Do you understand?”

Kasallin silently nodded and finally exchanged a polite handshake with Betsy.

That series of actions somehow felt like a solemn ceremony bidding farewell to the young Kasallin she had been until now.

The bath after several days washed away not only her body but also the stress that had settled on her heart.

With Betsy’s attendance, Kasallin combed her hair and changed into a calm yet active cobalt-colored dress.

Looking out the window, the sun was already setting slowly between the ridges.

It seemed unreasonable to depart today immediately.

“Betsy. There are many rooms left in the house, right? Could you prepare so the coachman and knights can stay overnight?”

“Yes. I was going to do that even without you saying so.”

“Thank you. I should go downstairs now. His Majesty will be waiting for me.”

Kasallin did a final neat appearance check and headed to the first-floor reception room.

As soon as she crossed the threshold, she saw a somehow familiar back figure.

Kasallin felt that the heavy worry-like feeling that had been somewhat relieved by the pleasant bath just moments ago was pressing down on her chest once more.

“Your Majesty?”

Marchioness Robepon was nowhere to be seen, and Shallen and Parnes were sitting maintaining a distant gap.

Whatever conversation they had been having, Shallen’s face was excited as if it might burst at any moment, while Parnes, as always, was unreadable.

Shallen, who rose from his seat, surveyed Kasallin’s slightly wet hair and her cheeks flushed with rising heat with a strange look.

“…You’ve come. Kasallin.”

“I hoped it wasn’t true, but did you really come all the way here? What about Rose? What about the confused people?”

Shallen roughly swept his bangs while taking a deep breath with a troubled expression.

Then he spoke to Kasallin in a persuasive tone as if earnestly seeking understanding.

“Rose is completely out of her mind and still can’t be reasoned with. The people also need some time to calm their confusion. Like them, I also need time. Time to have a calm conversation with you.”

Kasallin hardened her face and shook her head.

“I thought you might feel a little guilt, but you really don’t have even a speck of sorry feelings toward me.”

“Who said I don’t feel sorry?”

“If you felt even a little sorry toward me, you couldn’t have come with your eyes wide open like this. And I said everything I had to say at the execution ground. As I told you, Your Majesty can no longer interfere with me.”

“I know! I’m just saying let’s have a conversation, so why do you keep…!”

“Hey.”

Parnes spoke in a deadly low voice like crawling on the bottom of the deep sea.

“Who are you shouting in front of?”

Shallen was about to raise his voice out of old habit, but forcibly shut his trembling lips.

He repeatedly rubbed his face dry while speaking to Parnes.

“Please, could you step aside for a moment. Just very briefly.”

“If you have something to say, say it where I am. I’ll tactfully keep my mouth shut.”

“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? I have something I must say to her.”

“So say it here and now. What. Are you going to spout nonsense that I shouldn’t hear?”

In the precarious atmosphere where they seemed ready to point swords at each other’s throats at any moment, Kasallin picked up a fan that was placed on the console and struck it down with tapping sounds.

Then Shallen reluctantly stepped back one step, reading her mood.

Kasallin gave Parnes a serene smile.

“Your Majesty. I’m fine. If you go get some fresh air for a moment, everything will be settled.”

Parnes watched Shallen for a while with sharply edged eyes, then nodded as if he had no choice.

“…Call me immediately if anything happens.”

“Yes. I will.”

Parnes gently stroked Kasallin’s cheek once and left the reception room.

Kasallin probably thought nothing of it, but Parnes’s gesture just now was nothing short of a silent warning to Shallen.

This child is now as good as mine, so don’t try any foolish tricks.

When only the two remained in the reception room, Kasallin let out a troubled sigh like someone facing a difficult ordeal.

“I don’t know what you’re going to say at this point, but I’ll listen once.”

She naturally sat in the seat of honor and added one more comment.

“At least I’m not despicable enough to coldly abandon and leave people like you did then.”