Chapter 14 – Part 2

When Kristin returned to the Edith residence from the boutique, it was very quiet.

A little later, Vernon returned home after finishing all his duties with a subtle smile on his face.

Kristin deliberately opened today’s newspaper to gauge her father’s reaction and spoke.

“Finn Declan? Who is Finn Declan, whose obituary is so prominently featured in the Imperial newspaper? ”

At Kristin’s question, Vernon casually took off his jacket and answered.

“Finn Declan? That’s a name I’ve never heard before. I have no idea who that is.”

When Vernon spoke with a completely expressionless face, Kristin had to suppress her anger.

How much longer did her father intend to deceive his daughter? His expression was so shameless.

“What’s the matter? Who is Finn Declan? ”

Rose, who had been mocking Kristin, asked nonchalantly, prompting Kristin to respond.

“The obituary was almost front-page news in the Jamir newspaper. Normally, if it’s a noble, their title would be mentioned alongside their name, but there’s no title in sight.

If it’s not noble, it’s rare for an obituary to be published this way. It’s really strange.”

“Really? Neither the count nor I know who that person is at all. But still, it’s a shame he’s dead.”

Rose smiled at Vernon, her eyes twinkling.

It signified that the secret they had to hide together had become a complete secret only between the two of them.

It seemed that Kristin’s father and stepmother were pleased that Finn Declan, who knew the truth about her mother’s death, was no longer in this world.

Moreover, Kristin felt that Rose would look down on her even more.

There was no longer anything to hold them back.

“Hudson Mausoleum is where my mother is buried. It says he’ll be buried there too.”

“R-Really?”

Rose’s face turned bright red at Kristin’s words.

The reason was evident in Vernon’s actions.

As soon as his daughter mentioned his former wife, Vernon’s expression showed that he was lost in thought.

Although it was brief, Rose could no longer bear seeing Vernon recall Elesia and tried to change the subject.

“That’s not important, is it? By the way, my Lord, do you know that Elena’s embroidery skills have improved lately?”

As she spoke, Rose showed the count a handkerchief with lily flowers embroidered on it, which was placed on the side table next to the sofa.

Kristin knew it was Elena’s embroidery because it was rather clumsy and messy.

“Pfft.”

Kristin couldn’t help but laugh.

It was laughable to claim that such clumsy work showed improvement.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I laughed without thinking. Anyway, it’s impressive that she can embroider this much.”

Kristin spoke dismissively of Elena’s skills, prompting Rose to respond to Kristin.

“She might not be as good as you, but laughing at your sister’s embroidery is too much, don’t you think?”

Kristin shrugged her shoulders and replied nonchalantly.

“Me? I wouldn’t do something my mother hated the most. Well, I’ll be going up now. Seeing Elena’s embroidery made me want to do some myself.”

Kristin stood up and, as she spoke, patted Elena’s shoulder, who was blocking her way.

“Move aside. I need to go up.”

Elena, feeling humiliated, glared at Kristin as she climbed the stairs to the second floor, muttering under her breath.

“How dare she laugh at me? Just wait. She won’t end up with either Duke Raphael Rodney or Marquis Winston Zenon.”

—

Kristin needed to plan her actions if she were to meet Finn Declan at Hudson Mausoleum.

If she were Finn Declan, the first thing she’d want to confirm would be her grave.

Being declared dead out of nowhere would make her want to verify the truth.

Moreover, she’d recheck the family name engraved on the tombstone.

In the Union Empire, similar family names were discouraged to prevent confusion arising from them. Thus, Finn Declan would likely realize that his death had been manipulated by someone.

He would seek out who had requested the obituary to be published in the Jamir newspaper while also asking for a correction of the misinformation.

People who knew him might mistakenly believe he was dead.

Thus, the people coming to Hudson Mausoleum would be Finn Declan himself and those who knew him.

However, Kristin was confident she could find him, thanks to the information Beatrice Charlotte provided about Finn Declan.

Her only concern was not yet confirming his life or death.

If he had already passed away, she’d have no chance to uncover the truth.

Though Beatrice Charlotte had met him, it was a few years ago, so there was no guarantee he was still alive.

Kristin packed her mother’s medical records and his handwritten letters, given by Beatrice Charlotte, in her bag and descended the stairs.

Unlike other days, she set out early in the morning to avoid missing him.

“My Lady, the destination has been set.”

“Good job, Lenci. Let’s go. I just hope everything goes well today.”

Kristin and Lenci climbed into the carriage, looking at each other.

Lenci’s face was full of concern.

She worried about encountering a bad situation like when they met Liam Morrison.

They had managed to escape safely with Winston’s help, but Hudson Mausoleum, known for its dense morning fog and towering trees that obscured the path, had a dark and foreboding reputation.

People working there had gloomy expressions, adding to its eerie and ominous atmosphere, making Lenci fear it might appear in her nightmares.

Beatrice Charlotte said she would assign escort knights, but that was only once Kristin had arrived. Until then, she was effectively alone and extremely anxious about what dangers might lie ahead.

Sensing Lenci’s anxiety, Kristin spoke to her calmly.

“Are you worried, Lenci?”

“Yes, my lady. I’m very worried. If I had known it would be like this, I would have at least brought some pepper spray. My brother had given me one.”

At that moment, the coachman called out to Kristin in a loud voice.

“My lady, there’s been a carriage following us for a while now. Are you expecting someone to join you?”

Bothered by the trailing carriage, the coachman slowed their carriage to a stop, and the carriage behind them also gradually halted.

Kristin used a small mirror to look outside, but with the thick fog of the early morning, she could only see the vague shape of the other carriage.

“Could it be that Lady Rose has noticed something?”

Lenci asked nervously, to which Kristin shook her head.

“That’s unlikely. Stepmother dislikes wasting time. She would have come directly to confront me rather than trailing us. And she doesn’t know that I know the truth about Mother’s death. If she were following us, it might be a good thing. I could confront her directly.”

“But the fact that someone is following us bothers me.”

Lenci opened the window and leaned out to get a better look at the trailing carriage, but the thickening fog obscured it completely. She sighed softly and returned to her seat.

“I don’t mind if something happens to me, but I’m worried something might happen to you, my lady.”

“I’ll be fine, Lenci.”

“I don’t see the carriage following us anymore, so I’ll resume driving.”

“Yes, please proceed.”

Kristin nodded to the coachman and reassured Lenci once more.

“Don’t worry. No matter who follows us, I won’t be caught off guard, Lenci.”

* * *

After a few minutes of riding in the carriage, Kristin finally saw a signpost through the window. Though they weren’t far from the city’s shopping district, the road to the Mausoleum was unpaved, resembling a country path. This made the ride particularly bumpy.

“We’re almost there. The road isn’t in good condition, so be careful.”

Hearing the coachman’s warning, Kristin gripped the safety handle beside her seat. After several jolts and bumps, the coachman’s voice rang out again.

“We’ve arrived. This is Hudson Mausoleum.”

Lenci, catching her breath, looked at Kristin.

“Are you okay? Next time, I should bring a cushion for you. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must have been. The road isn’t great either.”

“It wasn’t that bad, Lenci. I’ll be fine. Can you wait here for me?”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own? I may not be much help, but I’d feel better being with you.”

Kristin shook her head, showing her disapproval.

“No, you stay here. This has nothing to do with you.”

“Alright. I’ll be waiting here. If anything happens, call out and I’ll come running.”

“I have something to ask of you.”

Kristin handed some money to the coachman.

“If my stepmother asks about my whereabouts, tell her I went for a walk.”

“A walk, my lady?”

“Yes. I think I’d be in quite a bit of trouble if my mother found out I was here.”

“I understand. I’ll handle it.”

Though the coachman was puzzled, he accepted the money, nodding in thanks.

“I’ll be back soon. It might take a while.”

Kristin slowly walked through the gates of the Hudson Mausoleum. The mid-October chill bit at her, but it was nothing compared to the cold of the sea she had once been thrown into. As she walked, knights discreetly approached her.

“Good day, Lady Kristin Edith. We are the escort knights sent by Lady Beatrice Charlotte.”

There were three knights in total. Kristin nodded and one of them spoke again.

“We’ll keep our distance and stay unobtrusive. If you need any assistance, just signal us.”

“Thank you.”

Remembering the coachman’s earlier remark, Kristin asked the knights.

“Have you been escorting me since I left the Edith estate?”