A Mad Lady’s Confession - Chapter 51

The woman’s face shone brightly, sparkling like an apple bathed in the autumn sunlight. She sprang up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Th-thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me, thank you…!”

Her face, overwhelmed with emotion, gleamed beautifully.

He received the woman’s fuss with feigned composure, confirming that the choice he had made was the right one.

See, it’s not a loss. Just seeing that face is enough of a return, so this clearly isn’t a loss.

For a moment, he appreciated the feel of her lips against his cheek and the sound of her chattering voice like music. Just as his large hand was about to hook around her waist—

“Um, but….”

“What is it now?”

“Well….”

Is it an even more difficult request than before? When he urged her on with his eyes, the woman pushed out her words with curious eyes.

“Is it true that there’s a sketch… of Your Grace’s naked body?”

“….”

“Y-Yesterday Madam Carnival said… something like that…. Please don’t misunderstand, I absolutely don’t have any other intention! I-I was just surprised that something like that exists….”

The woman glanced at him cautiously.

“Shouldn’t you find it and punish whoever did it?”

“You don’t just want to see it for yourself?”

Eleanor jumped. “Absolutely not. Something like that!”

“…Well. I suppose you wouldn’t need it.”

“….”

“When you can look at the real thing right in front of you anytime, there’s no need for something like a sketch.”

He slipped a hand under Eleanor’s knees and lifted her up in one motion. Ah— she let out a small cry.

“I didn’t realize my wife wanted to see it that badly. Let’s go take a look.”

This wasn’t what he had intended. He hadn’t meant to spend his time this leisurely.

“I-I have to take care of the monthly—”

“That’s why I said you should just look, my wife.”

Murmuring words that somehow sounded frightening in a gentle tone, he headed toward the bedroom. His steps were as light as the weather.

***

If one were to choose the happiest time among the summers Eleanor Brynhill had spent, it would be the days around this period.

Within the tall walls of Nielsen, in the vast estate and gardens, she spent peaceful days without being stirred by anything.

Each time a mark was drawn across her diary, she felt a twinge of sorrow, yet at the same time she was grateful that she had filled those days, as many as the marks, with complete happiness.

Since she was faithfully keeping the promise she had made to herself, she chose to feel joy more than sorrow.

If that time had lasted longer, would her future have changed?

Even long after much time had passed, Eleanor would sometimes think of this period and make such assumptions.

They were all useless assumptions.

Nothing would have changed anyway.

***

Beneath a high ceiling decorated in gold, a meeting was in full swing.

At the long table sat the heads of each noble house, all bearing titles. As always, the monthly noble council passed around ceremonial and predictable topics.

When the tedious meeting ended and everyone began to disperse, Matthias approached a middle-aged man seated near the end.

“Count Düsseldorf.”

The count, whose black hair was beginning to turn gray, turned to look at Matthias.

“Duke Nielsen.”

“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you briefly.”

Count Düsseldorf glanced around, then gathered his belongings and stood. Walking side by side down the long palace corridor, Matthias brought up the matter that had led him to seek him out.

“Since we’re both busy, I won’t speak in circles. I want to know where Young Lady Giela Düsseldorf is currently staying.”

The count’s slow steps came to a halt.

“Why would the Duke be curious about that?”

“….”

“Don’t tell me it’s because of that woman?”

“You’d do well to use the proper title. She is now registered under Nielsen.”

At Matthias’s words, Count Düsseldorf’s face quickly flushed with anger. Letting out a rough breath, he began to walk again with heavy steps.

“I couldn’t care less about titles! That woman ruined our Giela’s life entirely, and you expect me to treat her as the Duchess?”

It wasn’t wrong in the slightest. His eldest daughter, who had nearly become the Crown Princess, had her life destroyed by that damned incident.

“Ha, why do you want to know? Do you intend to offer a belated apology now?”

“So it seems.”

The count stopped and turned back to look up at Matthias. Emotionless eyes met his.

“She says she wants to sincerely apologize to Young Lady Düsseldorf and ask for her forgiveness.”

“Now, after everything’s been ruined? What use would that possibly be!”

“I think the same, but it seems the person concerned feels differently. Count Düsseldorf, I’ll ask again. Where is Young Lady Giela staying now?”

“Do I have any obligation to answer that?”

“Even Nielsen’s intelligence network could find out, but is there any need to go that far? If I ask and you answer, it can be resolved easily. I will ask for the young lady’s wishes, and if she does not want it, we will not seek her out.”

The count’s entire face turned red. The vein rising at his brow made it clear his anger could burst at any moment.

But Matthias only watched in silence. Patiently, persistently, he pressed for an answer with nothing but that silence. Realizing it, the count suppressed his anger and asked in a low, cold voice.

“Does that woman remember?”

“….”

“When she insisted she remembered nothing about that night, was that all a lie? Has everything suddenly come back to her now? Has she finally started to feel guilt she didn’t feel back then?”

I don’t know, I don’t remember. If she had at least explained why she did it, would it have felt a little less unjust?

It was clearly something she had done, yet the woman calmly confessed it was her doing even while claiming she didn’t remember. Could she possibly understand that suffocating frustration of having to endure it without even knowing the reason?

Like a seasoned noble, the count quickly calmed his emotions.

“If she remembers that night, then I’ll consider it. One must know one’s wrongdoing for an apology to have meaning, don’t you think?”

The count’s words were reasonable. As Matthias stood listening in quiet acknowledgment, the count, who had been about to leave, approached him once more and spoke again.

“I’ve watched how hard the previous Duke, your father, worked to preserve the family. He was never lacking, never excessive. A wise man. A model for the nobles of Römern. With such a man as its head, it was only natural that Nielsen would continue its line among the great noble houses. But now, you know as well, don’t you, Duke?”

“What are you referring to?”

“That even the head of a great noble house, even one who holds a high title, is not without personal desires. …I have never once seen the previous Duke be swayed by such desires. Not even a speck of scandal clung to him. You must now understand how difficult that is, how much one must restrain and diminish oneself to achieve it.”

Matthias already knew what Count Düsseldorf was trying to say. Lowering his voice further, the count continued as if offering advice to the son of an old friend.

“You can’t let Nielsen fall into ruin in your generation, can you?”

“….”

“You must think carefully. I am not reproaching that woman merely because of what happened to my daughter. …Do you know that the previous Count Brynhill suffered from mental illness for a long time? Of course you wouldn’t. He was a recluse.”

Count Düsseldorf glanced at Matthias with a look of pity and forced out the rest of his words.

“They say there’s a filthy disease embedded in that family’s blood. Perhaps….”

The count did not continue. He judged that Matthias would understand enough from that alone.

“Think carefully. Consider how Nielsen has been preserved, more than your personal desires.”

After giving advice that was not quite advice, Count Düsseldorf turned and walked toward the end of the corridor. Even as he watched the figure receding into the distance, Matthias could not speak, nor could he think of anything.

***

The rumor that the Emperor’s mistress, Lady Charlotte, had given birth to a healthy son began to spread here and there through unofficial channels. Along with it, the Crown Prince’s crumpled expression and his increasingly sharp temperament in recent days served as convincing proof.

Some even began to speculate prematurely that the line of succession might be overturned, and as details of the Imperial family’s second summer event became known, those rumors gained even more momentum.

“Not a hunt, but a fishing tournament?”

Editor-in-Chief Albern scratched his head as he looked at the imperial invitation Matthias had brought.

“Wasn’t the second event always about offering hunted game every year?”

Traditionally, the second event was held as a hunting competition each year to pray for the Imperial family’s prosperity and well-being.

The idea was to demonstrate the strength of the Imperial family by cutting off the breath of fierce beasts and presenting them, yet this year, for some reason, it had been changed into a fishing tournament.

“It must be because of Lady Charlotte’s childbirth.”

“Ah… so the rumor is true? Wow….”

Since hunting involves killing, it was clear the intention was to instead release the fish that were caught, praying for the safety and good fortune of the newly born little prince without inviting ill omen.

The Emperor, who always took only what benefited him, had even altered a traditional event that had been passed down for decades for the sake of the newborn prince. It seemed the speculation that the Crown Prince might be replaced was not entirely unfounded.

“Has there been any further mention of it in The Paper?”

“No. After Madam Carnival’s gossip, things have quieted down again. They already stirred the Imperial family once with the illegitimate child issue, so trying again would carry risks.”

Matthias nodded as if in agreement. Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, his expression hardened.

“Perhaps….”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

He parted his lips to speak but could not continue for a moment. Seeing Albern’s puzzled look, Matthias finally spoke.

“Could you look into that incident?”