It was the first time I had spoken to my uncle without feeling intimidated.

“Aren’t you curious about why Louise died?”

As soon as Louise’s name was mentioned, my uncle’s greasy brow furrowed.

“Is that the issue now? Your sister was terminally ill anyway. It wouldn’t have been strange if she died at any time. But we’re not. The living must live!”

“That’s the problem.”

“What?!”

“Even now. Even at this moment. The fact that I don’t know how Louise was doing. How her final moments were. The fact that no one in the Peliesse family is curious about it…”

Yuan whispered in an exhausted voice.

“That’s the problem.”

Count Peliesse stood dazed for a moment and then let go of Yuan’s arm.

Instead of Yuan, whom he had let go of hopelessly, the Count pleaded with Duke Kompani, who had narrowed his eyes trying to eavesdrop on their whispers.

“Duke Kompani! This child cannot go! She’s important to the family! She’s practically the heir! She’s the only link between my late brother and me! My niece must continue to help me with the family business! Is this just for my own benefit? What kind of family is Peliesse? Isn’t it that when Peliesse prospers, the whole country becomes happy! As someone who serves the same First Prince, please consider our circumstances, I beg you!”

Duke Kompani silently offered his arm to Yuan.

He could no longer bear to watch Count Peliesse, who spoke of loyalty to the First Prince after telling lies.

Instead of the cold-hearted Duke Kompani, now a voice of condemnation poured out at Yuan, who was turning her back without even making eye contact.

“You ungrateful, you wench who repays kindness with enmity!”

The uncle’s cracked voice tore through the cold air.

The snow, which had been falling enough to pile up at their feet, had finally stopped.

Duke Kompani hurriedly took Yuan into the carriage, worried she might say something else.

While the knights quickly reorganized the procession, the Peliesse people came out of the mansion with stiff steps to watch.

They all wore faces as if looking at a mortal enemy who had stabbed them in the belly.

The Countess was momentarily taken aback by the size of the knight order waiting outside the mansion, then became irritable watching the servant carrying Yuan’s belongings, which were hardly worth calling luggage.

And between her sensitive voice, Regina, hiding behind her brother, muttered low curses like a refrain.

That crow-like thing is tearing the whole house apart. Does she think there’s a heaven where she’s going, abandoning her family? There’s a limit to disgracing the family. Where is she going when her sister has returned dead? It’ll be too late to regret after she’s dead.

It was a harmony of madness.

‘What a crazy household.’

Duke Kompani frowned at the mother and daughter’s flawless attack and observed Yuan.

She was gazing at the Peliesse people through the carriage window without drawing the curtains. Wondering if she was used to such treatment, he looked her over and saw her small white hands trembling, gripping her skirt so tightly they turned pale.

Duke Kompani closed the carriage door as if to shake off the increasingly intense curses.

At the same time, he pretended not to see the small shoulders that flinched and unfolded a newspaper he wasn’t going to read.

Count Peliesse had deceived the Imperial Family.

Normally, when the Imperial Family wants to arrange a marriage with a family, it’s customary to present all candidates.

When they specifically requested the daughter of the “previous Count Peliesse,” he lied, saying there was only one sickly niece.

Seeing how they’re trying not to let her go, she must be close to the secret of Peliesse that the First Prince has been so eagerly seeking lately.

He had just heard the plea not to take her away because Yuan Peliesse was an important child helping with the family business. But…

Duke Kompani’s eyes narrowed.

‘Family business? She looks even weaker than her sister at first glance.’

The Duke thought, glancing at the face visible beyond the unfolded newspaper.

She was no match for the capital’s noble young ladies who were perfectly groomed and reeking of powder.

But there was undeniably a beauty that couldn’t be concealed by her tired appearance or disheveled hair.

A white, slender face. Raven-black hair. A rounded forehead and neat eyebrows. And large black eyes under long eyelashes.

Yuan Peliesse looked like a monochrome painting by some renowned artist.

‘She’s a beauty.’

The fur cloak hastily thrown on was closer to a maid’s, and the shoes on her neatly placed feet were high-quality but worn.

Of course, even in such worn attire, she exuded an elegant atmosphere that made it clear at a glance that she was a noble.

However, it seemed certain that she had lived in this household being mistreated.

The rough texture of her skin that hadn’t been cared for. Even the plump, prettily shaped lips below her small nose were dry without moisture.

The large, black eyes of unfathomable depth were filled with fear, as if she might burst into tears at the slightest touch, no matter how much she tried to feign calmness.

How could someone who looks so frail have helped with the family business?

What great secret is there that the First Prince has been so fixated on Peliesse since a year ago?

The complex thoughts led to one conclusion.

‘Count Peliesse committed the sin, and it seems to have been roughly settled anyway, so let’s just do as we’re told.’

The Duke quickly read through the article that wasn’t sinking in and heard through the briefly opened carriage door that preparations were complete.

It was time to leave this senseless household.

Yuan endured the urge to cover her ears while bearing Duke Kompani’s gaze.

She wanted to ask why he was staring at her like that, but she was afraid that if she spoke carelessly, he might change his mind and leave her behind, which would be even more terrifying.

She could see Frederick shouting at the top of his lungs, his Adam’s apple visible, as he protested while being blocked by the knights.

He was a fool who didn’t even know why he was protesting, but his booming voice was enough to increase Yuan’s anxiety.

Hurry up. Drive the carriage. Please. Please get away from here quickly.

Yuan silently prayed, continuously wiping her sweaty palms on her skirt.

Soon, news came that preparations for departure were complete.

Duke Kompani asked her, looking at her.

“Any farewells?”

“I want to take my sister with me.”

Yuan said, taking one last look at the Peliesse people.

When the Duke didn’t respond for a while, she turned her gaze to him.

Duke Kompani’s eyes, gleaming in his gaunt face, were like those of a snake.

Her pale lips hesitated for a moment before gathering courage again.

“I don’t want those people to see Louise’s body. I want to bury my sister with my own hands.”

“I’m sorry, but Your Highness.”

An unfamiliar title. An unfamiliar voice. There was no time to pay attention to such things.

She had to leave Peliesse. She had to leave with Louise, anywhere. Such thoughts dominated her entire mind.

“If we don’t bury her here, we’ll have to cremate her.”

“Cremate?”

For a moment, her whole body turned cold.

Yuan asked urgently.

“Please answer me. You’re going to cremate her? Why?”

“It’s the imperial protocol.”

The mouth speaking of protocol seemed quite firm.

Yuan looked at Louise’s coffin still standing alone beyond the Peliesse people, then pleaded with Duke Kompani again.

If necessary, she could even kneel before him.

“Then, then cremate her where I am. Don’t leave her there. Whether you burn or bury her, don’t let those people have the body. Please. I’m begging you.”

It was no different from begging.

Her hands, which had been neatly placed on her knees, came together as if in prayer.

“You got into the carriage without a word, so please cooperate this much.”

When Duke Kompani didn’t budge, her words came out sharply.

She didn’t know where such courage came from.

Seeing the Duke’s stiffened face, blood rushed to her head.

If begging doesn’t work and getting angry doesn’t work, what should she do?

What if he tells her to stay in this mansion with the body even now?

But contrary to Yuan’s worries, the Duke narrowed his eyes, sighed, and gave some instructions to the servants.

Yuan only let down the curtain of the window after seeing Louise’s coffin being loaded onto the luggage carriage of this procession.

She had wanted to lower it for a while now.

What Yuan had been staring at wasn’t her suffocating relatives.

It was the Peliesse mansion, her wish and her everything.

She had only been taking in that mansion with her eyes for a long time.

Yuan leaned against the window and closed her eyes.

Goodbye, our home.

Goodbye, Mom and Dad.

Yuan bid farewell to the mansion she had lived in for 20 years, keeping her mouth firmly shut.

The beautiful mansion. The perfect family.

Acknowledging that it was ultimately a wish not granted to her.

“That’s right! Go away! You crazy crow! Just try coming back! I’ll half kill you!”

Regina’s cursing voice was the last thing from that mansion.

The carriage traveled like that for three days straight.

Even during the intermittent rest periods, Yuan just existed like a puppet with broken strings, creaking.

Yuan silently looked out at the winter forest.

Fir trees shooting up endlessly. Snow piled on top of them.

The world continued to be white due to the snow that kept falling and stopping repeatedly.

Snow.

Damned snow.

Damned winter.

Even as she rubbed her dry eyes and inwardly mumbled, the snow kept turning the world white as if mocking her.

It was after passing through one huge castle gate that the Duke, who had been minding his own business for three days, spoke to her.

“There won’t be a wedding ceremony. Probably.”

He folded the newspaper he had been reading for hours twice, placed it neatly beside him, and said.

“You can live just as you did at home. You won’t have any activities in social circles or visits to the palace anyway.”

Yuan was tired, but she nodded, straining her ears not to miss a single word he said.

“Any more scandals wouldn’t be good for the Deposed Prince either.”

Yuan tensed up, straightening her back at the mention of the Deposed Prince, whose existence she had momentarily forgotten.

“Welcome to the Black Mansion.”

The Duke smiled as he drew back the stuffy curtains on his side.

Through the red curtains, a massive, pitch-black mansion like a mountain could be seen in the distance.