Beyond the terrace spread a vast outdoor garden. The scale of the Elios Grand Castle was much larger than the Grand Manor in the capital.

Adel stood by the window, looking far into the direction of the castle gate. She was now in a condition where she could move, having recovered enough strength.

“Lady Viscountess, I will go in for a moment.”

Entering the Viscount’s room, there stood a neat butler in a well-tailored suit with undisturbed silver hair. He extended a formal greeting towards Adel.

“I apologize for the delayed greeting. I am Pierre Delfe, the steward of Elios Grand Castle.”

Pierre had been waiting for the Viscount’s recovery to take action formally. Now that he heard the Viscountess was able to move, he had come to greet her properly.

“Nice to meet you. If you are Count Delfe, then are you by any chance related to Marlene…?”

“I am lacking in my credentials. I always worry whether I am serving Lady Viscountess properly in the Viscount’s residence.”

“Oh, no need to worry. I’m just someone who always relies on and receives help from Marlene.”

“Thank you for saying so. Your words are truly humbling.”

Pierre responded to the Viscountess’s humble words with a smile full of understanding. As the head of the Delfe family, the representative noble family of the former Roman Duke’s territory, and Marlene’s father-in-law, Pierre had been the butler of this castle for a long time.

Although he had received news about the Viscount from Marlene’s letters and newspapers, seeing the Viscountess in person made Pierre feel a new emotion.

While the appearance of Maryelle Sun Empress was different in atmosphere from that of Marlene, Pierre, who Marlene had described as having a similar inner temperament, understood the sentiment.

It must have been emotionally challenging for an ordinary lady to go through such hardships. However, despite that, the Viscountess, who greeted him with a gentle expression and undisturbed demeanor, contrary to appearances, seemed to possess a strong character.

“Fortunately, you have recovered quickly, and now I heard you can move.”

“Yes, I thought of taking a walk and exploring Elios Grand Castle for a bit.”

“Then allow me to guide you personally. I have been associated with this castle for quite a long time in terms of its history.”

Pierre, mixing in a bit of humor, charmingly invited her to accompany him. Adel also accepted his proposal with a gentle smile.

“Sure, should we go now?”

“Yes, please. Since the castle is vast, today I will guide you through nearby places.”

The Grand Castle was divided into separate buildings. Following Pierre’s guidance, Adel began to walk through the corridor connecting the building where the Viscount’s room was located to another building.

As they entered the corridor adorned with golden marble pilasters, a gigantic ceiling painting overwhelmed their sight. It was a fresco symbolizing the Uptar Empire. The deep history of the former Roman Duke’s family, which started from the early days of the empire, could be felt.

“This building is a gallery. It displays precious artworks and portraits collected since the early days of the empire.”

Adel, guided by Pierre, looked around the gallery. Particularly catching Adel’s eyes was a portrait depicting a woman with black hair and a boy.

Even at a glance, it was evident that the two people were related, with their features and atmosphere so gracefully similar.

“Could this portrait be…?”

“As expected, you recognize it. It was painted during the fifty-ninth birthday celebration of His Excellency, the former Duke Roman. You were probably fourteen at the time.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen both of you together. You really resemble each other a lot.”

“You inherit the blood of the Roman family. Prince Karon, or rather, the current Viscount Elios, was often called the essence of Uptar since his childhood.”

“The essence of Uptar?”

“The Roman Duke’s family has been a prominent family established since the early days of the Uptar Empire, as you may know.”
“Yes, I saw it in the history books. The direct descendant of Emperor Uptar, who founded the empire, is the ancestor of the Roman Ducal family.”

“That’s correct. The current Uptar Royal Family and the Roman Ducal family share a common root when traced back to a distant ancestor.”

Pierre said, looking at another portrait next to him. It was a painting of the young Emperor and Empress.

“The roots that had been divided for hundreds of years were reunited through the marriage of the then Crown Prince Emperor and the sole lady of the Roman Ducal family, Empress Maryelle.”

Though Pierre spoke consistently with a delighted face, there seemed to be an unavoidable sadness when mentioning the union of the Emperor and Empress.

“The Duke Viscount inherited such perfect royal blood through the union. The black hair and blue eyes are powerful proofs of the imperial lineage, worthy of being called the manifestation of the first Emperor Uptar.”

“Black hair and blue eyes?”