«Chapter 1»

56 hours earlier, Seoul.

“……This is all.”

Attorney Hwang placed a small envelope on the desk as he spoke.

“Just this one thing?”

“……Yes.”

Attorney Hwang had called me to his office a week after my father’s funeral.

The shares of Myeongseong Group were divided between the main house madam and her children, and the affiliated companies were also meticulously split up.

Land and various real estate properties, as well as assets scattered overseas, all went to the remaining three family members.

I heard that the young actress who was my father’s last lover was left with some luxury real estate and a little cash.

There was nothing for me.

The daughter of a concubine, child of darkness, a half-sibling more than twenty years younger—there was no obligation to provide for someone who had to be kept hidden for life.

Just the result of the chairman’s reckless pleasure-seeking, not some grand love of the century.

“You can keep the house you’re living in now. That’s really fortunate.”

Ah, yes. Extremely fortunate indeed.

“First, you should sell that and get a small house in the outskirts, and then divide the rest for investment. If you need, we can broker—”

“I’ll handle it myself. It’s fine.”

I stood up abruptly.

That was enough.

Exactly one month ago, I was diagnosed with a tumor the size of an egg in my brain.

With at most 3 months left, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about funeral expenses.

That was all I could think.

No one knew about this fact, and I had no intention of telling anyone.

After my mother passed away 10 years ago, I’ve been living alone, with no one I could call family.

Since I’ve been someone’s burden from birth, I should leave quietly by myself.

“Is that all? Then, I’ll—”

“Ah, wait!”

As I nodded slightly and turned to leave, I heard an urgent call from behind.

“You…… need to take this.”

Attorney Hwang picked up the envelope and called out.

“Whatever it is, dispose of it as you see fit!”

“But my duty—”

Well, what fault is it of his?

I sighed and came back to receive the sealed envelope.

It was bulging as if something small and hard was inside.

I immediately tore open the envelope, and something fell out with a thud.

An elongated, heavy brass key.

One end was intricately curved into a round crown shape, while the opposite end had a serrated key attached.

An old, discolored antique item you might find at a European flea market stall.

I couldn’t help but laugh. What is this?

“Is this…… some kind of antique? Worth selling?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

Attorney Hwang also tilted his head.

“Are you kidding me? What am I supposed to do with this……”

I tossed it onto the desk.

“Just keep it, ma’am. Sell it and pocket the small change or something.”

“But still……”

“Look, I really don’t need it. I don’t even have the confidence to sell it. Where on earth would I take such a troublesome item……”

That’s when I noticed it.

Through the torn envelope, I could see something that looked like a piece of paper with writing on it peeking out.

I carefully picked up the envelope and slowly pulled out the paper inside.

It looked like an address written in English.

[111 Clairfield Court, Clairfield, Restria]

“What is this?”

When I held out the paper, Attorney Hwang hurriedly put his glasses back on and stared at it for a while.

Then he opened his laptop and started searching for something.

I blankly watched as Attorney Hwang’s expression gradually hardened.

After a moment, he took off his glasses, turned the laptop toward me, and showed me the screen.

“Clairfield.”

“What is that?”

“Have you heard of ‘Restria’?”

“Restria? You mean that small country between the Netherlands and Belgium? I had a few friends who went there  to study a language.”

“Well, this seems to be an address for a house in Restria.”

“What?”

“It appears the chairman left you real estate in that country.”

***

“Never thought you’d suddenly come to see the house in this weather after disappearing for eight years.”

The caretaker who came to greet me with an umbrella as black as death was a fat man named McNally.

His bulging belly protruded over his tightly cinched belt, and his crimson face was full of spite.

Judging by how he kept pouting and grumbling, he seemed angry that I was quite late.

After getting off the plane, I diligently boarded a train on my own, which was fine.

The problem was that the moment I got off at the station, it suddenly started pouring rain, which messed up my entire schedule.

It was a strange, unfamiliar route where I couldn’t see ahead because of the rain, the rental car’s navigation kept stuttering—it was absolutely miserable.

Still, after making it through the rain, I found that Clairfield was a quaint and pretty city.

It had its own square and cafes, and facilities like bakeries and libraries.

But as I followed the clumsy navigation, the populated areas gradually disappeared, and open fields emerged.

Just as I was regretting not going to the town’s tourist information center, a sign saying “Private Property” appeared before me.

I thought I was coming to see just a small house, but why is everything so grandiose?

“The descendants couldn’t afford the maintenance costs and put it up for auction, but it was passed over several times. Even so, to think they’d sell it outright to some Asian nouveau riche, I swear!”

His attitude is as unpleasant as his first impression.

I glared at the back of the man who was walking ahead, selfishly using the large umbrella alone, as I followed him.

The world inside the magnificent gate was a complete mess.

The grounds were as vast as a park, filled with weeds, withered plants, and garbage.

The old trees were so thick it would be difficult to wrap two arms around them, but they didn’t seem to have been properly pruned.

When is the house going to appear!

As I followed the caretaker, soaking my feet in mud, I turned a corner and my mouth fell open.

This is…… not a house.

The enormous building I was looking up at was a “castle.”

Of course, it was a very small castle that might belong in an amusement park.

But still, it was a real old castle with countless windows and even a pointed tower.

Beyond the gravel path, I could see four stone steps leading up to the main entrance of the castle. On either side stood large stone lion statues.

The entrance door of the mansion appeared to be more than twice my height, with a door handle carved in the shape of a lion’s head with its mouth wide open.

I stared blankly up at the castle.

The old man left me something like this? To me? Why on earth?

“A building this large and old is a money-eating monster. It’s no small matter. Your father probably gave up trying to repair this place. Both the money and the procedures are not something a foreigner can casually tackle.”

McNally’s voice sounded somewhat gleeful.

“If I were you, I’d just hand it over to the mayor.”

“The mayor?”

“Mayor Feldwell wants to buy this place and use it as the Clairfield City Hall and mayoral residence.”

McNally said with a servile expression.

“As you can see, it’s falling apart, and no one except the Feldwell family would be interested. Selling it cheaply would be the wisest course.”

“Well, if you had managed it properly, it wouldn’t be in this state, would it?”

“What did you say?”

It seems the expensive English education I received while living in England with my mother for a few years as a child paid off.

McNally’s face turned bright red as he immediately understood what I said.

“What did you expect for just three thousand euros a month? That I’d sweep, clean, and polish this huge place all by myself? That’s too much!”

Well, well! Taking three thousand euros a month and leaving it in this state? You have no conscience!

Just then, the rain began to pour more heavily, and a rumbling boom could be heard from far away in the sky.

Thanks to that, his grumbling was completely drowned out by the thunder and rain.

Pretending not to hear, I turned around and was just climbing the entrance steps when McNally shouted from behind.

“Anyway, take a quick look around and come out soon! Staying outside too long in this weather will give you arthritis!”

I stopped on the steps and looked back.

“You want me to look around quickly and leave?”

“It’s the off-season now, but still, if you want to go down to the village and find a hotel……”

“Why would I need a hotel when I’m going to stay here?”

“What?”

McNally, who had been whining, gaped.

“You’re saying…… you’re going to sleep here?”

“Yes, I’m going to stay here.”

Forever.