What an insolent act this was.

Even though she was in a position of receiving help, she was still clearly the wife of the young baron.

Lucilia trembled with clenched fists as she scolded the butler.

“What are you doing? Quickly give it to me.”

“Young master expressed his intention to thoroughly examine potential risks for the protection of the estate. Am I mistaken about this?”

“…”

“Wasn’t that why all your possessions were collected?”

Come to think of it, she hadn’t gotten her rosary back yet.

At first, she thought possessions and letters were separate matters, but soon lowered her head.
It was her fault for overlooking Aaron’s intentions because she was too happy about receiving a reply.

Lucilia’s raised eyebrows drooped dejectedly.

“…You remember correctly.”

“Then as ordered, I will bring it to the young master first.”

With a timid nod, she meekly agreed.

Hans bowed respectfully and turned around nimbly as if nothing had happened.

Belatedly anxious, Lucilia followed closely behind him.

“Wait!”

“What is it?”

“Where is the young baron now?”

“He’s in the study.”

“Would it be alright… if I wait outside? I promise not to disturb him until he comes out.”

“I will mention that as well.”

Upon reaching the study, Hans knocked and entered without looking back.

Through the slightly open door, she caught a glimpse of Aaron standing with his back turned, and then he disappeared, leaving her with an unbearable sense of longing.

Lucilia prayed more desperately than ever before.

‘Please let the letter come into my hands.’

If by chance there was content harmful to the estate’s protection, it would be confiscated immediately.

But her father had no reason for that.

Tudra, one of the territories governed by her father, the Marquis, was an important fortress. It also served as a channel to gain the trust of the kingdom’s people by defending the border.
That’s why even the king naturally relied on Marquis Teneri for national defense. Although Aaron handled the practical role, the top of the power structure belonged to the Marquis.

At least as far as she could tell, there seemed to be no reason for a rift between her father and the Artnal family.

The Artnal family had not only sworn loyalty to her father but had even accepted Aaron as a son-in-law.

They were firmly bound by invisible connections.

As she shifted her thoughts in a positive direction, her anxious feelings eased somewhat.

Despite managing to suppress her nervousness, Aaron didn’t appear for a long time.
Hans didn’t come out either, and the door remained closed.

Lucilia leaned against the wall, patting her stiff thighs. Occasionally, she pressed her ear to the door to see if any conversation might leak out.

Then the indistinct murmuring sounds changed into clear language.
Hans’s voice was distinctly audible.

“Understood. I will send the confirmation letter to His Lordship immediately.”

Confirmation letter? What’s that?

As she pressed her ear flat against the door, footsteps approached.

Startled, Lucilia straightened her posture as if nothing had happened. She also composed her expression, which had been full of questions.

Hans finally appeared and, keeping the door open, said to Lucilia:

“He asks you to come in.”

Her heart began to pound violently.

Judging by the fact that he wasn’t giving her the letter directly, some problem seemed to have arisen. The mention of a confirmation letter added weight to her ominous premonition.
Her feet, which had been bouncing with excitement earlier, now felt completely rooted to the floor.

Lucilia forced her legs, which felt as heavy as if they were shackled, to move.

The study was filled with the smell of burning cigars.

She had never smelled cigars on him before. He must have encountered some troubling matter.
Aaron turned around after throwing the windows wide open.

“The acrid smoke must be unpleasant for you.”

“It’s fine. I was waiting because I heard… a letter had arrived.”

He picked up the letter from the desk and went to a long table set up for meetings. Then he gestured with his chin toward the chair opposite him.

“Our conversation might be lengthy, so please sit down.”

Her head was spinning even before receiving the letter.

Her voice trembled through quivering lips.

“Is it a serious matter?”

“It might be for you.”

The situation seemed more extreme than she had anticipated.

She kneaded her trembling hands while staring at the letter Aaron was holding. The broken wax seal was unsettling.

“Sit down and read it carefully.”

She was still tense, probably from waiting outside for so long. Seeing this, Aaron poured tea into a cup and placed it before her.

Eyes fixed solely on the letter without even glancing at the teacup, dry lips being licked, eyelashes trembling precariously.

Aaron quietly sighed as he caught every sign of agitation emanating from Lucilia.

He had read the letter before her to understand the Marquis’s intentions. He couldn’t predict what new sacrifices this thorough opportunist might demand from the baronial family.

Contrary to his preparations, the letter’s contents were truly unexpected.

It contained conditions that couldn’t be better for the baronial family.

On the other hand, Lucilia would lose a great deal.

Her eyes trembled helplessly as she read the steady handwriting that reflected the Duke’s temperament.

To my beloved daughter,

This will likely be my final message to you.

As you may have expected, the Papal Office has excommunicated you. I sought an audience with His Majesty the King to save you, and have decided to fulfill what I can do for neutrality.

The Teneri family intends to erase your name forever.

Though it’s difficult to prove wrongdoing, the reason given is that potential evil cannot be overlooked. Thus, it has been agreed that you will be excommunicated from the family as well as from the Papal Office.

In exchange for taking responsibility for you, the Tudra territory will be completely separated and all authority transferred to the Baron.

“So I’m no longer… a member of the Teneri family. And I was planning to return home…”

Tears that had welled up in her eyes fell heavily, unable to withstand their weight.

One protective fence had disappeared. If Aaron abandoned her, she would fall into the life of an eternal wanderer.

As the faint light of hope that had dimly illuminated her dark path disappeared completely, her mind became foggy as if covered in mist.

Her plan to let Aaron go and leave had turned to nothing. It was already overwhelming to think about how to blend in with these people who considered her an eyesore.

How likely was it that the Baron would reject her father’s offer to hand over Tudra?

Perhaps it might not be the Baron but Aaron, whose ankles were tied for life, who would refuse her father’s wishes.

She felt sorry but couldn’t bear not asking.

“Will you… abandon me?”

“There’s no reason to if you cause no harm. As written in the letter, our family has received compensation from the Marquis, so it’s not a losing deal.”

A deal…

So it’s not a losing business?

Lucilia, now completely isolated, realized that Aaron was the one who held her lifeline.

The reality of letting go of her father’s hand was deeply saddening. Her chest hurt so much that she felt she might lose her mind.

No clever solution came to mind.

Seeing the disastrous outcome clearly, she cowardly gave up everything without even trying to maintain her dignity.

She would immediately become the Pope’s target if she left Tudra’s boundaries, so her only option was to adapt and live within.

Her heart ached so much that she didn’t even realize tears were wetting her cheeks.

“…That’s a relief. So as long as I behave well, I won’t be abandoned.”

The people who had been busy upholding the saint with her noble values, the family that had been proud of her existence in the world.

The string that had touched such a lofty place was finally cut.

Now was the time to tie that string to Aaron.

‘I understand it all too well…’

‘But I simply don’t know how to gather my sense of loss.’

Unaware that her expression showed she might cry at any moment, Lucilia nodded.

“I understand. I fully comprehend your intentions, My Lord.”

Though she outwardly agreed with Aaron’s words, inside she was already cut to pieces and in complete disarray.

* * *

“Don’t let anyone in until I call.”

Returning to her bedroom, Lucilia sat curled up on the bed without moving.

As soon as she hugged her knees and buried her face, heavy teardrops fell.

Even crying was a luxury, so she couldn’t freely express her emotions in front of others. Once alone, the sorrow she had crumpled up and set aside rushed in like a tidal wave.

“Hic, hic…”