Chapter 15

The Leonard family had long taken the defense of the kingdom’s borders as their duty. Since Werner’s passing, Henry had inherited his father’s mission and patrolled the frontier without a single day’s rest.

Henry left the castle at dawn to ensure his duties were completed on time. Even with swift movements, it took half a day to inspect the border and return to the castle. If he delayed, he would only return after nightfall, so he had to set out before the sun rose.

Catherine, unaware of these circumstances, felt hurt that Henry always left the bed so early. Henry, unaware of Catherine’s feelings, likewise did not know how she felt about his early departures. A single conversation could have cleared up their misunderstandings, but neither had the courage to take the first step.

While waiting for his subordinates to return from inspecting the last village, Henry looked up at the sky. The overcast clouds suggested rain was imminent. The thought of returning before the rain made him impatient. Turning his head, Henry called to Greg.

“Hurry. Judging by the sky, it looks like it’ll rain.”

“Yes, I’ll order them to move quickly.”

Greg bowed his head and carried out Henry’s command. He was a knight who, along with Alto, served as the deputy commander of the knight order. Greg, responsible for overseeing the junior knights, relayed Henry’s orders to them. Both Greg and Alto were like Henry’s left and right hands. Their primary mission was to ensure Henry’s safety, so whenever he left the castle, either Greg or Alto would always remain by his side.

“Something feels off.” 

Alto murmured, crossing his arms as he scanned the surroundings.

“Someone must have attempted an intrusion at dawn. Otherwise, there’s no reason for the support beam over there to collapse.”

Recently, the movements of neighboring nations near the border had been suspicious. Perhaps because of this, Alto’s face was unusually serious.

“We should report to His Majesty the King that the northern border defenses need reinforcement.”

Greg chimed in, supporting Alto’s words. What might seem trivial at first glance could not be ignored given the proximity to the enemy nation’s border.

Henry nodded. Soon, he would have to report to His Majesty on the state of the border forces and the enemy nation’s activities. Recording every suspicious trace he encountered, Henry remained more vigilant than ever.

“Uh… Commander. May I ask you something?”

Alto hesitated as he called out to Henry. Come to think of it, Alto had been unusually quiet all day. Normally, he was so talkative it could be overwhelming, so Henry raised an eyebrow, curious about what had silenced him.

“What is it?”

“Well… about the Marchioness…”

“The Marchioness? Catherine?”

“Yes. Has the Marchioness said anything to you?”

“What do you mean?”

It was odd to see Alto bring up Catherine with such a downcast expression. Turning fully toward him, Henry scrutinized Alto closely.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Commander. I was just wondering how things are between you and the Marchioness.”

Judging by Henry’s reaction, Alto seemed to conclude that Catherine hadn’t complained about his impertinence. His face brightened instantly.

“My relationship with Catherine? Well, it’s neither particularly good nor bad.”

Suddenly, memories of the previous night surfaced. Henry usually tried to avoid personal thoughts while working, but the mere mention of “Catherine” from Alto’s lips filled his mind with private recollections.

As Catherine’s petite figure came to mind, Henry quickly covered his mouth with his hand, worried he might make an inappropriate expression in front of his subordinates.

“What’s wrong, Commander?”

“It’s nothing.”

Though he dismissed it as nothing, Henry’s face betrayed him. His rapid blinking and the nervous way he rubbed his chin seemed tinged with a faint blush.

“Let’s finish up quickly and return to the castle. Leaving Catherine behind with my mother…”

“You’re worried about her.”

Henry nodded. He couldn’t bring Catherine along while inspecting the border, so he had no choice but to leave her alone in the castle. This decision weighed heavily on his mind, especially since she was with the venomous Richelle. He couldn’t help but worry that Richelle might have lashed out at Catherine with her sharp tongue.

***

Catherine’s hands were still trembling. Unable to endure Richelle’s insults any longer, she had fled the castle as if running for her life.

“Phew…”

She thought she had finally escaped the things that hurt her. Yet, even after fleeing so far from the Ducal House, Catherine found herself still ensnared by her family’s chains.

It felt like being caught in a thicket of thorns from which there was no escape. The harder she struggled, the more entangled she became.

Catherine knew little about her mother Stella’s death. Her maternal grandfather always darkened and fell silent whenever Stella was mentioned. Fearing her grandfather’s wrath, Catherine never dared to ask him about her mother.

Instead, she pieced together her mother’s story from whispers among the maids. Stella, it was said, already had a lover when the Duke of Orleans forced her into marriage with another man. Desperate to avoid being sold into a loveless marriage, she had run away with her lover, only to meet the tragic fate Richelle had described.

Catherine never expected to hear about her mother in a place so far removed from her. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm her trembling body.

Still, the sight of flowers shining beautifully under the sunlight lifted her spirits bit by bit. The fragrant scent of grass seemed to soothe her nerves. Slowly, Catherine unclenched her tightly balled fists. Whenever she experienced something traumatic, she would clench her fists without realizing it. She had squeezed so hard that her nails had dug into her palms.

“Ouch.”

Only now did she seem to notice the pain in her palm, letting out a belated cry of discomfort. Yet, despite her words, her face remained calm.

“…It hurts.”

Red marks, shaped like nail imprints, filled with blood on her palm. Catherine blinked as she looked at the beads of blood pooling in her hand.

Behind her serene expression lay a profound sadness. Catherine, skilled only at hiding her emotions, didn’t know how to express her pain or sorrow. As a result, her palms bore numerous scars shaped like crescent moons.

She had thought no one could be as cruel as her grandfather. But thinking of Richelle’s venomous eyes, Catherine shook her head.

Henry’s fate, having such a woman as his mother, seemed equally tragic. Catherine found herself drawing parallels between her own abuse at her grandfather’s hands and Henry’s neglect by his mother.

She never imagined she would feel a sense of kinship with Henry, who had always seemed so distant. Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, Catherine wiped away the blood. She disliked herself for feeling relieved to find someone else’s misfortune.

After cleaning her wound, Catherine, still holding the handkerchief, began to wander the garden. The vibrant flowers in a variety of colors captivated her attention.

It didn’t seem like Henry’s taste.

A garden often reflected how well a house was managed. Observing the neatly trimmed vines and trees, Catherine realized just how much work Marina must do in the castle.

Everything in the castle revolved around Henry’s schedule. If that were the case, Marina must also begin her day as soon as Henry rose. Catherine recalled how Marina would patrol the castle even after everyone else had gone to bed. Marina’s pride in her work likely stemmed from this.

The pride of managing the entire castle.

Marina had the confidence of someone who knew the castle far better than Catherine, who had only just arrived. Before Catherine’s appearance, Marina had essentially played the role of the castle’s lady.

As the new lady of Leonard Castle, Catherine began to see her responsibilities more clearly. Though her marriage would end once she bore Henry’s child, she wanted to fulfill her role as a lady while she was here.

First, the number of servants was woefully inadequate for the castle’s size. With so few maids dividing the work, all reports likely went through Marina. That needed to change.

Catherine moved deeper into the garden, her gaze fixed on the ground as she became lost in thought.

“I need to hire more staff.”

She needed people who would follow her orders. Muttering to herself, Catherine raised her head. Where could she find new staff? There were no settlements near Leonard Castle, situated on the border. To recruit people, she would have to ride far into the city.

As Catherine’s busy steps suddenly halted, she muttered, 

“…Huh?”

Looking up, she spotted a window. Judging by its height, it was a second-floor corridor window. Someone was watching her from there.

Sensing her gaze, the figure quickly retreated behind the curtain. Though it was only for a moment, Catherine felt a chill run down her spine.

It must be her nerves, frayed from dealing with Richelle. Catherine reassured herself with this thought.

She wished Henry would return soon.

In his broad embrace, she could forget her troubles, even if only briefly. But Henry wouldn’t return for some time. After glancing at the window again, Catherine sighed softly. Even though she confirmed no one was there, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shivered at the eerie sensation.