#34

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A luxurious mansion resembling a palace.

Melissa Linderto was reading a newspaper in front of the softly burning fireplace.

After folding the newspaper and her glasses and placing them on the table, she stared intently at the small velvet box beside them.

When she opened the box, a tulip-shaped brooch decorated with rubies and emeralds was revealed.

The jewel passed down through generations of Linderto women shone brilliantly as if new, despite being hundreds of years old.

Next to the jewelry box was a card decorated with gold leaf, containing a brief note from the jeweler who had delivered it to Melissa.

<At the Duchess’s request, I am delivering this jewel to its owner.>

Seeing that note, Melissa let out a small sigh.

‘So you’re returning it after all? You thought it wasn’t yours from the beginning.’

Melissa recalled the day she had given this brooch to Ellin.

On the day she first departed on a journey with Dominic, she had pinned it to Ellin’s shawl herself while looking at the excited Ellin.

“This is a brooch I inherited from my mother-in-law. I’ve been keeping it safe, but now I’m giving it to you, so keep it safe as well.”

Looking at the brooch pinned to her chest, Ellin had a tense face as if she had been given a grave responsibility.

She still remembered how that face had been so innocent and funny that a smile had involuntarily escaped her lips.

“Mother. I’m sorry. I accidentally dropped the brooch in water. Just in case, I’ll have it cleaned at the jeweler’s.”

She recalled how Ellin had rushed to the jeweler first with the brooch even after returning from an exhausting journey.

That brooch, which had been entrusted then, ultimately returned to her, not Ellin.

Melissa murmured while slowly caressing the brooch.

“Even while leaving, you had the presence of mind to return this.”

Imagining Ellin stopping by the jeweler’s while leaving the Duke’s mansion brought a hollow laugh.

But only momentarily; a dark expression soon clouded Melissa’s face.

Many things seemed to have happened after she had left the capital so suddenly.

The precarious situation between the Nilson family and the ducal couple was evident enough through the newspaper.

And not just through newspapers.

The letter from Jeffrey gave her enough of an idea about how unsettled the mansion currently was.

When she heard that Dominic was drinking alcohol every day and shutting himself in his office, she even snorted, thinking he deserved it.

That he deserved punishment for the fraud he had perpetrated. That he should be punished more.

Far from being worried, she thought her arrogant son should thoroughly pay for his sins.

She thought Ellin would also realize, after leaving the mansion, how absurd their actions had been.

Then her heart softened a bit, and she wondered why Ellin had to leave in this dead of winter.

“Hmph. What do I care.”

As she muttered and snapped the brooch box shut, she heard the living room door open.

Before the butler could announce it, a little one toddled through between his legs.

The butler, wiping sweat with his handkerchief, belatedly announced.

“Marchioness Monchel from next door has arrived.”

No sooner had he spoken than a white, plump middle-aged noblewoman adorned with numerous jewels appeared with a broad smile.

“Madam. I’ve brought the painting I mentioned last time.”

She didn’t need to mention that her grandchild had come along as a bonus; one little rascal had already charged toward Melissa who was sitting on the sofa.

“Hoho. This adorable little rascal. What flavor candy should I give you today?”

“Choco please. I like choco.”

The tiny child, having met her several times before, must have considered her a friend, as he had already climbed onto Melissa’s lap with his short legs.

Melissa, who appeared cold to others, became infinitely soft-hearted before little ones, showering cheek kisses with the kindest smile in the world.

The children’s white, plump cheeks seemed to emit a sweet scent like fresh cream, making them utterly lovable.

Giving him a candy from a small container, Melissa looked at the child with gentle eyes.

‘How nice it would be if I had such a cute grandchild. How adorable would that be.’

Tilting her head slightly, images of a grumpy boy with black hair resembling Dominic and a sunny girl with eyes like Ellin’s appeared simultaneously in her mind.

Either would be madly adorable.

As soon as such imagination arose, an unconscious sigh escaped her lips.

She was imagining the faces of children from two people who had already separated.

Even to herself, it seemed utterly pathetic.

“Here, I’ve brought that painting I mentioned yesterday. I haven’t found a nice frame yet, so I brought it as is.”

The noblewoman handed Melissa a long, narrow tube.

“Hmm. Let’s see……”

Melissa opened the tube with curious eyes and took out the painting.

‘A painting popular among Ephes noblewomen these days. Let’s take a look.’

Unrolling the painting, Melissa let out a small “Ah!”

The noblewoman who had brought the painting opened her fan and smiled, as if she had expected this reaction.

“The colors are vibrant yet warm, aren’t they? For some reason, you just want to keep looking at it.”

Her words weren’t wrong, but Melissa’s surprise had a different reason.

This was definitely painted by Ellin.

But how could Ellin’s painting be so popular in a foreign country?

Melissa looked down at the painting again with fresh appreciation.

Looking at this painting that Ellin must have created somewhere, pleasant memories of their days together at the Duke’s mansion flashed through her mind one by one.

* * *

The scene of the market with white tents fluttering in the wind was full of energy.

Ellin headed straight to a shop in the marketplace to buy brushes and postcards.

Unlike the small general store in the village, this place had a variety of goods, making it fun to browse and choose.

“Oh, many new postcards have come in.”

Ellin happily examined the postcards with interest.

She also visited an art supply store.

She bought the thin brushes she needed and several paints that were running low.

After filling her basket with various items, she strolled happily through the busy market streets.

She also selected candy sticks for the neighborhood kids from a stall.

She looked very natural and happy even alone in an unfamiliar place.

Ellin sparkled as if she were bringing the first signs of spring to Napas, the southernmost part of the kingdom.

The white blouse and yellow skirt she wore under her coat fluttered in the breeze, making her look even more refreshing.

Dominic watched her from a few steps away, as if savoring the sight of her.

Not wanting to disturb her personal time, he quietly followed her.

His footsteps stopped in front of an open-air café.

In the old café with a view of the train station across the street, gentle piano melodies flowed, and elderly men and women sat separately, leisurely enjoying tea.

Ellin also sat down at an outdoor table and began writing something on the postcards she had just bought.

He also pulled his coat collar up to his chin, ordered a cup of tea, and sat inside the café.

In a spot where he could see Ellin well, but where she would find it difficult to recognize him.

After writing greetings to Eddie and Charlotte, Ellin put the postcard aside and rested her chin on her hand.

She fell into deep thought while watching people laughing and chatting as they passed by on the street.

‘I wonder how the Duke is doing. I miss the people at the mansion. The old duchess must still be angry.’

Her heart, which had been as light as a feather while exploring the market until just now, quickly became as heavy as a water-soaked cotton.

Though she thought leaving quickly was the right thing to do, she felt a pang in her chest, feeling like she had run away irresponsibly.

‘Disappearing overnight with just one bag.’

She had nothing to say if they felt disappointed and let down by her.

Ellin placed her arms on the table and pressed her forehead, looking troubled.

It seemed like everything was over. Like she had returned to the beginning.

No, the situation had actually improved since the beginning.

Eddie had regained his health, and she had enough money.

Her stepmother, who had tried to oppress her and Eddie, and her father, who had ignored his children, were now gone.

Yet she couldn’t understand this feeling, like several screws inside her heart had come loose.

‘I could probably buy a small two-story brick house in Castia. I can’t stay here forever. Eddie will eventually have to return home. And for that, he needs a place to return to.’

Isabella’s previous words seemed true—her paintings were selling quite well in Ephes.

Surprisingly, orders kept coming in.

With that level of income, she didn’t expect any difficulties supporting herself and Eddie in the future.

Now she could freely paint what she loved and earn a living on her own.

Yet she wasn’t completely happy.

Even when she saw beautiful flowers or magnificent scenery, her heart no longer fluttered as before.

She felt empty, as if she were missing something truly important.

‘I should head back now.’

With a short sigh, Ellin rose from her seat and left the café.

She seemed to have left all her gloomy feelings behind as she quickly set off again.

‘The sun is already setting.’

The sunset spread through every street, and the market became much quieter than before.

Both merchants and customers seemed to have returned home to prepare for dinner.

She felt hurried to return to the stagecoach station where she had gotten off earlier.

But before she could walk even one block, Ellin’s steps gradually slowed.

She looked back anxiously several times.

Walking a few steps and looking back again, she eventually began to walk almost at a running pace.

She felt a strange sensation, as if someone was following her.

When there were many people, she had naturally followed the flow of the crowd, but the now-quiet market streets seemed more like a complicated maze.

‘Was it this road? All the roads look similar.’

She quickly tried to retrace her steps using her memory, but stopped at a certain alley.

It was a dead end, and all the shop shutters were down.

Feeling dismayed, she turned to go back, but a suspicious person blocked her way.

“Who are you, following me around?”

Not one person, but two.

With their hats worn askew and their beards unkempt, they looked like sailors from out of town.

She had recently heard that vicious criminals sometimes worked on ships to hide their crimes.

She didn’t know if these men were such people, but she was certainly in a difficult situation.

“Pretty miss. If it’s still before dinner, we’ll treat you. We’d like to have a drink together.”

When the man grinned, the scar near his eye deepened.

Though it was troublesome to encounter such men in a place like this, Ellin tried to act calm.

Fortunately, there was still daylight, and she could see other people.

She could see the art supply store where she had bought brushes and paints earlier, so she planned to scream for help from the store owner if necessary.

“Thanks, but I have someone waiting for me.”

Ellin tried to ignore them and walk past.

Then one of them instantly blocked her way again.

“Hey, miss. We’re not such strange people. If the person waiting is a woman, how about all of us together? Two lonely men, two women. Perfect.”

Ellin was dumbfounded by the man’s unfunny words, but she didn’t get excited.

“What can I do? It’s my husband.”

She thought they would leave when they knew she was married, but the men were persistent.

“Ha. What’s this? If you had a husband, he wouldn’t have left you alone like this. You’ll really get in trouble if you’re lying.”

Ellin’s face turned cold at the disgusting man’s words.

Just before she felt the urge to kick him between his legs with all her might—

“Honey. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Why are you here?”

Dominic approached Ellin with those words.

When he appeared, the two men standing in front of Ellin looked at him with surprised faces.

“Do you have business with my wife?”

When the young nobleman who clearly looked wealthy asked, they exchanged glances.

“Ellin.”

He extended his hand to her, suggesting they leave.

But her face was more frozen than when she had just encountered the thugs.

“Ellin.”

He called her name once more.

Ellin slowly looked back and forth between his outstretched hand and his face, wondering if this was real.