The Somnium House was so huge that it would be more fitting to call it a castle rather than a house.

With the main building at the center, there were two annexes standing guard on either side.

Besides the vast garden spread out in front of the main building, there was also a backyard and a glass greenhouse.

Despite its scale, it was named a ‘house’ to distinguish it from the castle where the queen resided.

Jane looked at the tightly closed iron gate through the slightly opened window.

‘To think that I would come back here again…’

Jane gazed at the Somnium House with a dull look.

Seven years ago, the gates that had seemed impenetrable to Jane opened wide. The straight path leading to Somnium House became visible.

Well-maintained gardens lined both sides of the path. On the left was a fountain centered around a statue of the goddess symbolizing abundance, while on the right was a walking trail.

Over the image of gardeners diligently tending to the gardens, the figures of young Jane and Cain overlapped.

It was when she was about 7 years old.

When Jane complained of boredom, Cain showed her around the garden, demonstrating various things she couldn’t do.

For example, climbing trees.

However, his attempts were barely successful two out of ten times. This was because the Hastings’ servants were diligent.

They followed Jane and Cain around, making constant efforts to prevent any potentially dangerous situations.

Cain grabbed Jane’s wrist and ran all over the garden. It was hide-and-seek with the nannies.

Cain hid Jane behind the goddess statue and hid himself behind the lion statue across from it.

Perhaps due to the goddess’s protection, Jane was able to stay hidden for quite a while even after Cain was caught.

The memory of Cain’s smile as he put a finger to his lips and giggled while evading the nanny’s eyes came to mind.

It was such a refreshing smile. Would she be able to see that smile again?

“Are the lion statue and Goddess Luke statue still there?”

Perhaps due to the memories of the past, Jane asked in a more relaxed voice.

Cain, who had been reading documents incessantly with Jane in front of him, lifted his head.

Jane unconsciously hunched her shoulders at his cold gaze.

Cain’s expression turned chilly.

“You seem very interested. That’s not a good attitude, Jane. I’ll explain just this once. Things that didn’t suit the house were cleared out long ago. They were donated to the Veritas Museum. Augustre’s paintings, Bierstatt’s first editions, everything.”

The smile that had spread across Jane’s face slowly faded.

Augustre’s paintings and Bierstatt’s first edition novels were things Jane particularly enjoyed at Somnium House.

Cain and Jane would imitate the people in Augustre’s paintings, and sometimes they would pretend to be Augustre and draw each other.

And they would whisper words of love quoting from Bierstatt’s novels.

All of that had disappeared from Somnium. He said those things didn’t suit Somnium House.

Jane wasn’t foolish enough not to understand what that meant.

‘It’s not the things he dislikes, it’s me. He’s completely cut out the past with me.’

Jane clenched her hands on her lap.

“…You did well.”

Her voice trembled miserably as she spoke, feeling she had to say something.

Cain glanced at her indifferently and drew the curtains on the window.

As if even her reminiscing about the past while looking at Somnium House was unpleasant. Like a warning to never recall the past again.

Jane slowly inhaled.

The air in the carriage grew heavy. Jane felt stifled, but she didn’t pull back the curtains or open the window until the end.

Just when she thought she might suffocate, the carriage stopped and the door opened.

“You’ve arrived, Your Excellency.”

The gray-haired butler, Norbert, greeted the two.

“The guest is…”

Norbert glanced at the carriage behind Cain, as if he had been informed in advance.

Jane’s eyes met Norbert’s as she was getting out of the carriage. A smile spread across Jane’s face like ink diffusing in water.

“Norbert!”

Jane called out cheerfully.

Norbert, who turned 60 this year, was the butler overseeing Somnium House and had deep ties with Jane.

“It’s been a long time, Miss.”

Norbert approached to greet Jane with a bright smile.

Cain watched the scene with distaste before going inside. It felt as if a cold wind blew with each of his steps.

The servants hurriedly followed him in, leaving only Norbert and Jane at the entrance.

“You’ve grown up beautifully.”

Norbert received the luggage Jane was holding. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened with his smile.

“Norbert, you’re still as dashing as ever.”

“And you still know how to say pretty things.”

“I only speak the truth.”

When Jane grinned, Norbert’s eyes became moist.

When she first got out of the carriage, she looked so withdrawn that she seemed like a different person, but seeing her bright smile now, she was exactly Jane.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Seeing you healthy…”

“It’s so good to see you too, Norbert.”

Jane pretended not to notice Norbert’s tears and asked.

“Where will I be staying?”

For a moment, Norbert’s face clouded over.

* * *

“Wow, you spent a lot of money today. I guess you went to the slums again.”

Nathan, who had finished balancing the books, clicked his tongue. He put the ledger aside and looked out the window.

After seeing Jane and Norbert talking, Nathan turned to Cain.

“Will you be alright?”

Cain was calmly perusing documents, looking as if he hadn’t just been out.

His remarkable achievements came from his consistent diligence and sense of responsibility.

He would complete his work even with a high fever, even the day after his parents died.

It was the duty of the one shouldering the glory of the Hastings.

“I asked if you’ll be alright.”

“I’d appreciate it if you could ask your questions more precisely.”

Nathan, Cain’s assistant, closed the window. His face was full of fatigue.

“I heard you were quite close with that Jane woman.”

“Close, huh…”

Cain lifted his pen from the paper. He muttered while staring at some point in the air.

“I suppose we were.”

He spun the pen in his hand once, speaking as if it were no big deal.

“What? What kind of answer is that? Like it’s someone else’s business.”

“It is someone else’s business. Because I’m different from back then. So what are you worried about?”

Nathan approached Cain’s desk.

“You’ve repeatedly told me not to mix emotions with work.”

“Are you worried I might do that?”

Nathan almost said he already seemed to be doing so, but managed to hold back. Instead, he stared at Cain intently.

He hadn’t been assisting him for very long. But Nathan prided himself on knowing Cain better than anyone else.

While he couldn’t guess the distant future Cain was envisioning, he could at least predict the direction of his next step.

However, matters related to this woman Jane were quite unpredictable.

He didn’t expect Cain to seek out this woman when he advised that it would be better to take a wife as soon as possible for Joseph’s sake.

Especially when there were mountains of marriage proposals.

And to bring her right away on top of that?

Moreover, he even used the Black Hawk to investigate her background, and suddenly settled debts he had been planning to repay when the time was right. It was an impulsive action.

“If you say you’re not, then I guess you’re not, but…”

“Nathan, if you have something to say, say it quickly.”

Although Cain seemed annoyed, he engaged in the conversation with Nathan.

‘He seems the same as always.’

Cain appeared unkind at first glance, but was surprisingly kind to everyone. That’s why he was often misunderstood due to his inconsistent kindness.

But thanks to that, Nathan was able to work with Cain. Nathan briefly reminisced about his connection with Cain.

Six years ago, it was Nathan and Cain’s first meeting. Nathan had been working as a pickpocket and cheating others in gambling dens when he met Cain.

Cain reached out his hand after seeing Nathan’s dexterity and quick wit.

For the next year, Nathan received education.

It was such intense training that he begged to be sent back to the back alleys, saying death would be better.

And then he became Cain’s assistant.

From that point on, Nathan’s life was smooth sailing. It only moved forward as if riding on a favorable wind.

Nathan believed Cain was a god, and he could do anything for him except dying.

‘There’s one more thing I can’t do. I can’t give up the woman I love either.’

The secretly romantic Nathan muttered to himself.

In any case, he hoped Cain would achieve what he aimed for. Only then would the shadows he occasionally showed be completely swept away.

Light suited Cain. Light without a single shadow.

“Please explain a little. What’s the reason for suddenly deciding to get married, and why this woman?”

“Did you forget already? If you’re starting to have memory lapses this early, what should we do? I’m worried about entrusting you with work. How about taking some time off for a while?”

It wasn’t a vacation, but a request to submit a resignation letter.

Seeing the conversation dragging on, it seemed Cain was in a bad mood, but Nathan couldn’t resist his curiosity either, so the dialogue continued.

“Young master does need a mother, but why her specifically?”

Cain tapped the table. After contemplating whether to speak or not, he crossed his legs the other way and said,

“The old raccoon told me to get married. To Princess Cleo.”

“What? When?”

Nathan frowned.

“A month ago.”

Nathan gasped and held his breath. Then he shook his head.

“You’re not going to do it, right?”

“That’s why I brought her.”

Cain’s long fingers pointed out the window.

“Why did the old raccoon…”

The old raccoon was the nickname Cain and Nathan used for Helena Royal Strain, the Queen of the Emblun Kingdom.

She had a daughter named Cleo, who was slightly less capable than others but had so much that she lived by disguising herself as innocent.

Helena wanted the Emblun Kingdom to remain strong even after her death, so she wanted a son-in-law who could properly empower Cleo.

“She should bring in some foreign prince or something. That raccoon’s greed knows no bounds.”

“She’s not called a raccoon for nothing.”

“But that doesn’t mean it has to be Miss Jane.”

Cain’s explanation was very insufficient. If it was simply to avoid marriage to the princess, there were many alternatives.

He was confident that if he gathered women who would stand by his side even as scarecrows, they would fill the square and more.

With his almond-shaped eyes, prominent and straight nose, cool demeanor that overwhelmed people, tall stature and impressive physique, he was a man admired even by other men.

Moreover, a duke, and rich!

A renewed sense of admiration for Cain welled up from deep within Nathan’s heart.

So there was no need for it to be Jane specifically. Moreover, her status was also an issue.

Seven years ago, thanks to Cain’s earnest plea to the Queen, she was punished but maintained her noble status. However, the title she held was not hereditary, and she could not exercise any authority as a noble.

It was a status in name only.

‘Even if she’s called a noble, she doesn’t match up.’

Even Nathan, who was of commoner origin, thought this, so what would others think?

“Is there really no other reason?”

“I made a deal with the Queen.”

“What kind of deal?”

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.