1. The Start of a Long Summer  ( Part 1)

The dreadful summer was approaching. Cecilia realized this as she peeled the curly strands of hair clinging to the back of her neck.  

‘It’s already getting hot. I have a bad feeling about this summer.’  

The summers in Belfort were infamous for their brutal heat. While few would welcome the stifling weather, Cecilia was particularly vulnerable to it. She disliked the languid atmosphere and the sticky sensation of her skin.  

With an irritated hand, Cecilia flung open the office window. Yet, outside, there wasn’t even the faintest breeze; it was eerily still. A small crease formed on her porcelain-white forehead.  

Thud.  

As she sat down, a mountain of paperwork greeted her, stacked as high as her chest. No matter how much she worked, it never seemed to decrease. Feeling suffocated, Cecilia fiddled with the top button of her fully fastened blouse.  

‘You’d think I’d be used to this after seven years.’  

Seven years ago, the previous Earl Godwin and his Countess had passed away in a carriage accident, leaving Cecilia, their eldest daughter, to inherit the title. With only three daughters in the family, and the other two being just eleven and five years old at the time, there had been no other choice.  

But Cecilia herself had only been an eighteen-year-old girl back then. At an age where she should have been excited about her debut into society, she was instead burdened with the responsibility of her family and household. Although Cecilia had accepted her fate with a composed demeanor, she couldn’t help but feel weighed down by the responsibilities on her shoulders.  

It was then—  

Knock, knock.  

A knock at the door pulled Cecilia from her thoughts.  

“Madam, it’s Rochester.”  

“Come in.”  

No sooner had Cecilia spoken than the door opened. The elderly butler, with his stern appearance, entered carrying a silver tray.  

“Have you finished reviewing the documents I requested for approval this afternoon?”  

“Oh, I’ve left them stacked over there. You can take them.”  

“Understood. The rest aren’t urgent, so you can send them to me tomorrow.”  

“Alright. Anything else?”  

“It seems Miss Merilyn and Miss Violet have had another big fight.”  

Cecilia’s eyebrows shot up sharply. Her voice rose slightly as she asked,  

“Again? What is it this time?”  

Rochester adjusted his monocle with a troubled expression.  

“It seems Miss Violet was caught playing with Miss Merilyn’s jewelry and dresses without permission. The maids are trying to calm her down, but Miss Violet refuses to stop crying.”  

“Haa, Vivi…”  

“I believe it would be best if you intervened, Madam.”  

Cecilia pressed her fingers to her throbbing temple. Parenting was far more difficult and exhausting than managing the household. It had always been challenging, but with twelve-year-old Violet entering puberty, the difficulty had skyrocketed.  

Compared to Violet, Merilyn was more obedient to Cecilia’s words, but lately, even she had been on edge. With her debutante ball fast approaching, Merilyn was consumed with the pressure to make this once-in-a-lifetime event perfect. She had even been skipping meals to focus entirely on her appearance.  

Recalling her two younger sisters, a deep sense of weariness spread across Cecilia’s face like ripples in water. She felt as though she had aged ten years in just one minute.  

Pointing her chin toward the tray Rochester was holding, Cecilia asked,  

“What’s that?”  

“Oh, it’s a letter from Ethan Hoffman.”  

The unfamiliar name made Cecilia frown.  

“Ethan Hoffman? Do I know someone by that name?”  

“I’ve mentioned him a few times… He’s a student whom the late Earl used to sponsor. Do you not remember?”  

‘A student my father sponsored…’  

As Cecilia searched her memory, she slowly nodded.  

She had first learned about his existence while organizing the ledgers after inheriting the title. Covering the tuition of one boy was hardly a burden for the Godwin Estate, so she had simply instructed them to continue the sponsorship as before. That had been the extent of her involvement.  

“I remember now. But why is he suddenly writing to me?”  

“I’ve been collecting his letters separately since they weren’t urgent, but this time, I thought you should see it.”  

Rochester handed Cecilia a pale envelope. It was rather thick.  

Peeking inside, Cecilia’s eyes narrowed.  

“…Money?”  

Inside the envelope were a folded letter and a bundle of thick banknotes. At a glance, it was a considerable sum.  

“Ethan Hoffman graduated at the top of his class from the military academy and was commissioned as an officer. It’s quite an exceptional achievement for a commoner.”  

Cecilia nodded slowly. It was good news that the boy they had supported had grown into a fine man.  

“That’s great. But what does that have to do with this money?”  

“It seems to be a gesture of gratitude. He’s sent all the money he earned from his deployment.”  

“Hmm. That wasn’t necessary. Are we so destitute that we’d need this?”  

Cecilia chuckled and placed the envelope on her desk.  

“He’s unnecessarily upright and conscientious. I suppose that’s fitting for a career soldier.”  

Rochester nodded in agreement, his tone warm as he added a few words.  

“He is indeed. Hoffman began receiving sponsorship at the age of ten and has sent thank-you letters diligently every quarter since. Not once did he miss one. He’s a fine young man.”  

Cecilia tilted her head slightly.  

“Thank-you letters? I’ve never seen any of them.”  

“I brought them to you once. At the time, you instructed me to handle unimportant correspondence myself.”  

Though she didn’t remember, it sounded like something she would have said. Cecilia replied, hiding her embarrassment.  

“This time, I suppose I should send a reply. It would be awkward if he kept sending money.”  

“I’m sure Mr. Hoffman would be delighted.”  

Cecilia nodded lightly.  

“So, bring all the letters he’s sent to my room. I can’t write a reply without reading them first.”  

***

“Vivi, wipe your tears. A grown young lady shouldn’t cry all day like this. You’ll lose your voice.”  

Violet was sobbing under the covers, her head buried completely. It was more of a dramatic protest against her sisters than genuine heartbreak. Cecilia began to soothe her, gently patting the lump under the blanket.  

Standing by the door with her arms crossed, Merilyn snorted as if it were ridiculous. With her honey-blonde hair swept back, she looked angelically beautiful. In a cynical tone, she addressed Cecilia.  

“Cecil, just leave her be. Let her cry until her voice is gone.”  

“Mer.”  

“She thinks crying will fix everything after she’s done something wrong. You always coddle her, and that’s why she acts like this.” 

Cecilia responded in a soft voice, as if trying to soothe her sister.  

“Vivi is still young.”  

“Twelve isn’t young anymore. She needs to start learning about responsibility.”  

“To me, you’re still a child too, Mer.”  

“And how much of an adult are you, dear sister? At her age, I wasn’t nearly as immature as she is.”  

At that, Violet threw off the blanket and shouted angrily.  

“Mind your own business and take care of yourself!”  

“You little—!”  

Round two of the argument between Merilyn and Violet erupted. Listening to their childish bickering, Cecilia finally lost her patience and yelled.  

“Both of you, stop!”  

What followed was a lengthy lecture from Cecilia. The gist of it was that the only true support they had in the world was each other, and that sisters should not fight amongst themselves.  

Deep down, Merilyn and Violet knew Cecilia was right, so they reluctantly backed down.  

Later, as if they had never fought at all, the two sisters fell asleep side by side on the same bed. Watching them, Cecilia shook her head. As much as they exhausted her, they were still precious, beloved girls she couldn’t bear to part with. Carefully, she pulled the blanket up over them to ensure they wouldn’t get cold.  

‘I’d do anything to protect you two.’  

Cecilia’s devotion as a guardian was so well-known that there wasn’t a single person in Belfort’s social circles unaware of it. With her two sisters being the only family she had left, it was only natural that her affection for them was extraordinary.  

Cecilia wished for her sisters to live lives different from her own—lives where they could freely whine, be greedy, and receive love. She wanted Merilyn and Violet to enjoy the ordinary lives that young noblewomen of their age often took for granted.  

To make that possible, Cecilia had to stay sharp and vigilant.  

As a young female Earl of a wealthy household, Cecilia was well aware that she made a prime target for those with greedy intentions.  

As the head of the family, Cecilia handled her responsibilities with almost obsessive perfection, leaving no room for criticism. Publicly, she maintained a sharp and composed image. Her tightly pinned light-brown hair and her extremely practical dresses had become her trademarks.  

Of course, living a life without showing any vulnerabilities was exhausting. Yet Cecilia didn’t feel bitter about it. She knew that to gain something, one had to sacrifice something else in return.  

“Haa. I’m so tired.”  

Returning to her room, Cecilia let out a deep sigh. Her throat felt slightly hoarse, likely from talking too much while mediating Merilyn and Violet’s fight. As she massaged her throbbing temples with her fingers, Cecilia noticed a pile of yellowed envelopes stacked on the coffee table. They seemed to be the letters from Ethan Hoffman that she had asked Rochester to bring earlier.  

“There are so many.”  

How long would it take to read them all?  

Sinking into the sofa, Cecilia picked up the most recent letter, which had arrived today.