“Verbo… I mean, His Grace, the late Duke’s younger brother, is not the real son of the late Duchess, is that what you’re saying?”

“Yeah, that’s right. But it’s certain that he’s my father’s child. So, Verbo… In fact, to tell the truth, he’s my half-brother. But he never knew that fact until the end.”

He may be the son of the late Duke of Bautemont, but he is not the child of the Duchess. That much was within the realm of understanding for Meiana.

Hadn’t she witnessed nobles having affairs or lovers once or twice? There weren’t many people who flirted to the point of causing a stir. Except for someone like Lady Povik, perhaps.

But… Meiana murmured inwardly. Why is this story coming up now? What were we talking about just a moment ago?

Suddenly, there was a thought that passed through her mind like a lightning bolt. It was a thought she desperately didn’t want to believe… A strong desire not even to confirm whether the thought that came to her was true or not.

Knowing that there were maggots and centipedes in a bucket, no one in the world would want to open the lid to see.

“Your Grace, surely…”

Cedreloi looked at Meiana without saying a word. It was an eye that seemed to say, “Do you understand now?”

Meiana said, “It would be better if you didn’t say that.”

“What are you saying? Are you suggesting that Jocelyn, who gave birth to Verbo, the woman who was my younger brother’s mother, is not Head Steward Jocelyn?”

A sound of inhaling and exhaling could be heard. Although Meiana was not easily surprised by ordinary events, this time, she couldn’t bear it.

Cedreloi gave a bitter smile.

“Unfortunately, that can’t be. Because that’s the truth.”

Meiana couldn’t take it anymore and stood up from her seat. Then, she wandered around the chair like a nervously sensitive patient. Cedreloi didn’t tell her to calm down or sit again. He just watched quietly.

“Is Head Steward Jocelyn really his mother?”

“Yes.”

“But you said she resented her.”

“That’s right.”
Meiana let out a brief groan.

“Why is that? Was the child not born willingly?”

A distinct sound followed. Cedreloi made a light clicking noise with the tip of his tongue. He ran his lips while contemplating the intention behind Meiana’s words. The statement that the child wasn’t born willingly… It was partly true and partly not.

“If you’re curious whether my father assaulted Jocelyn, I can probably answer that it wasn’t likely.”

“Do you think it’s appropriate to say that now? ‘Probably wasn’t likely’?”

Meiana interjected, her words pointed.

“Nobles mistreating female employees is a common occurrence. Even speaking like this is as abhorrent as the action itself, but yes, it’s a common thing. But why, Lord, do you say ‘probably wasn’t likely’? Do you have evidence?”

“If you think I’m saying anything to defend my father, that’s a misunderstanding. If my father had forcibly assaulted Jocelyn, I would never have forgiven him. But Meiana, you’ve said something similar before regarding Ariante. Children can see, hear, and understand more than you think.”

“Yes, I have.”

Meiana deliberately lowered her voice to regain composure. Then she sat back down and took a deep breath.

Cedreloi’s perplexed gaze turned towards the distant wall on the opposite side. It lingered briefly on the elegant decorations, then quickly dropped. It was a fleeting look, like that of a helpless bird flailing in the air, eventually colliding with a spire and perishing.

“I knew my father loved Jocelyn. Jocelyn also knew she was loved by my father. They were close in age and both had no other siblings, so they grew up together like siblings. Even if such feelings sprouted between them, it wouldn’t be strange.”

His voice slowed, then quickened, and then slowed again, as if he were humming an old song. Like those songs, it felt extravagant and lacked a sense of reality. Cedreloi himself was aware of such thoughts.

Meiana felt the same perplexity as Cedreloi. The silence was thick and heavy. It was stifling, like slowly suffocating under wet velvet curtains.
“Father used to look at Jocelyn with a pitiful gaze. He probably thought I wouldn’t know, but… around the age of eighteen, I became more certain. It’s not that he didn’t love Mother, but the person my father truly held in his heart was Jocelyn.”

“Then he should have married her instead.”

Meiana, who had been quietly listening, spoke in a somewhat sharp tone. However, Cedreloi responded with a wry smile instead of getting angry.

“In my opinion, Father must have proposed to Jocelyn. Before meeting Mother, I mean. But they couldn’t get married. I’m curious to hear what you think. Why did Father end up marrying my mother instead of Jocelyn?”