“Don’t overwork yourself. Levania practically belongs to you now anyway. You have Landers and me.”

“Landers…… Ha, I can’t understand what happened. Who would dare do that to Landers? When I catch them, I’ll cut off their limbs and throw them in the gutter.”

Hearing the anger in Schultz’s voice, Maria quickly agreed in her nightingale-like voice.

“Such nerve they had, not enough to pickle their liver into sauce. Who could it be? I want to catch them quickly and see their face.”

“I’ve made inquiries, catching them is just a matter of time. This Karien is already in the palm of my hand.”

“Father always works so hard. I’m forever grateful for your grace.”

Though Maria typically acted sweet enough with her father, today she seemed somewhat excessive.

Schultz raised his white eyebrows and stared at Maria.

“You must want something from me. Well, what is it? What do you want that makes you act so unlike yourself?”

Maria looked startled for a moment before breaking into a smile.

She swallowed once and carefully said.

“This Tuesday, I want to invite Karl Winger for lunch.”

“……What?”

Schultz’s face instantly contorted.

“Invite who?”

“Karl Winger. Father, couldn’t we invite him just one more time? Actually, he said he wanted to meet you again too!”

Maria desperately grabbed Schultz’s hands.

“Please! Maybe he wants to improve relations with you too! And, and he might want me now!”

“Maria!”

Schultz’s angry voice echoed through the study.

Maria quickly hung tears from her eyes and pressed her cheek to her father’s hand while speaking.

“I said I would marry that monster of a king for the family. Once I leave this house, I’ll live a hellish life in that gloomy palace with a king who reeks of death, right? But Father, I hate the thought of sleeping with the king. I’ll endure it for the family, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy to go there!”

Maria’s passionate voice filled the study.

Her emotional storm was so fierce it startled Schultz.

Maria pressed on with even more emotion in her voice.

“Until my child — no, House Tartien’s child becomes this country’s king! I’ll endure. But that child doesn’t have to be the king’s child. Right, Father? I want to have a child with someone I love too. I want that man, Karl Winger.”

Schultz looked at Maria with bewildered eyes.

Maria was Schultz’s only daughter whom he had raised like a flower.

Though somewhat unlearned and frivolous, Maria remained House Tartien’s flower and the queen of society.

He had never demanded unreasonable things from her.

Maria only needed to obey the family.

That was all.

And Maria had always kept that well.

This marked her first such fierce rebellion against him.

Being rather timid, she would quickly lower her eyes and close her mouth whenever Schultz raised his voice.

“……”

“……And Father, he already knew about Landers’ card meetings.”

“What?”

Schultz’s face contorted as he struck the sofa armrest.

Where could that have leaked from?

It served as a special event for those loyal to House Tartien.

Like capturing the old priests of the temple, they had gathered certain noble houses under their control this way.

“How did he know about that? There must be a traitor in the house!”

“Or maybe he’s that interested in our family! Maybe he wants to become part of ‘Tars’ too!”

“……Still, not him.”

They had already invited and tested Karl Winger before.

He had a ‘special constitution.’

Such constitutions appeared occasionally.

Being completely immune to exius.

Even in the garden, while Maria fainted, he walked out perfectly fine.

He could never become part of ‘Tars.’

How could they include someone immune among the addicts!

Schultz rubbed his forehead.

Knowing about the card game yet unable to be included — he proved a troublesome existence.

Moreover, he ranked among the wealthiest in the country.

Though politically weak, his money flowed everywhere.

“……Instead, let’s invite him once more like Maria suggests, Father.”

Just then, Landers limped into Schultz’s study.

“Landers! Why aren’t you resting?”

“Lying down all day made me restless. I’m fine now.”

One of his eyes remained covered in bandages, and his lips below were torn beyond recognition.

Three ribs broken and thigh muscles ruptured.

Even during his military service, Landers had never been injured this badly.

Since that humiliating dawn, he had grown somewhat more gloomy and dark than usual.

He walked slowly and slumped onto Schultz’s sofa.

Having taken to constantly smoking since his injury, he immediately pulled out a cigar from his pocket, rolled the paper, and lit it.

“……So? When is he coming?”

He exhaled a long stream of smoke while asking.

“……Tuesday.”

When Maria hesitantly answered, Schultz frowned.

“Don’t tell me you’ve already invited him?”

“……Well.”

“Ha, this thoughtless child.”

Schultz rubbed his forehead like he had a headache.

Maria quickly offered him the cooled tea and added.

“Why not think of it as just having lunch together? Just a meal. Or think of him as my guest. He’ll spend time with me and leave. That’s even better!”

Maria spoke fervently while clutching Schultz’s clothes.

Fortunately, Landers took Maria’s side.

“Let’s do that, Father.”

“……Landers, what are you thinking?”

Landers took a deep drag of his tobacco and mumbled in a low voice.

“Just…… there’s something I want to confirm.”

His eyes wandered somewhere in empty space.

That bitter dawn.

Though just a moment, even while his consciousness faded to black, he had clearly seen it.

Those golden eyes that devoured light even in that deep, cold darkness.

* * *

“Waaaaaah!!”

When one child cried,

“……Hueeeeeh!”

Another child started crying too.

And when two cried together, even the big brothers and sisters playing fine soon had tears welling up.

“Now, now! Everyone be good! Food is coming right away. Right away!”

Laurel frantically filled glass bottles with baby formula and ran.

Lala and Grosch, who had just turned one, had such big appetites that they would cry loud enough to bring down the orphanage whenever they were slightly hungry.

“My, you must have been very hungry?”

Laurel gave the n*pple to Lala first while sweating, then gave another to Grosch who crawled over demanding his share.

The children seemed to calm down immediately upon getting their bottles and gulped down the milk hurriedly.

Laurel watched them drink from their bottles while laying them at an angle on soft cushions.

The babies, gentle except when hungry, drank their milk while looking at Laurel with clear eyes.

“Really, you’re so cute.”

Laurel gently played with the babies’ tiny fingers while smiling softly.

About ten days had passed since she left the Lashantia mansion.

During that time, Laurel hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep.

She had become the live-in nanny at an orphanage where about fourteen children lived together.

The children ranged from one, two, four and six years old, to as old as twelve and fourteen.

The ones who could walk, run, and speak managed their assigned tasks well enough to need no extra attention, but the younger ones proved problematic.

The babies reached out their hands whenever they saw Laurel, perhaps realizing they had found someone to hold them.

Because of this, Laurel had to carry these soft, warm babies all day, and she rarely got proper sleep.

Her shoulder stung with pain since her injury hadn’t fully healed yet.

But strangely, her heart felt no burden at all.

She preferred staying busy.

She had no time to dwell on guilt.

However, inevitably, that child came to mind whenever she looked at the children.

“……”

Several times a day, her heart cycled between growing cold and warm.

But since this was all her punishment, she would endure it.

What true punishment would leave one’s heart at ease?

Laurel tempered her soul every day without fail, trying to accept this heartache.