Chapter 4

That remark made Flora’s heart pound as if it would burst.

“Emeric Blois shows no mercy when it comes to killing.”

“He… has he killed many people?”

“And if something displeases him, he’ll remove it right before his eyes.”

“Oh, my.”

“But for a man of Devilleon, bravery is essential. The west faces the sea, but the east borders the neighboring country Solata, so being merciless is the highest praise for a man. It’s an expression of valor.”

So, was it that he ruthlessly killed those he disliked, or that he killed enemy soldiers from Solata at the border? The answer was ambiguous.

“Yvonne, have you ever seen him in person?”

“Was it two years ago? Mikael and Emeric attended the royal palace music concert.”

“Yes, it was two years ago. I attended that concert, too.”

“That time, I happened to overhear the two of them talking in the garden.”

“What did they say?”

At Flora’s curious question, Yvonne hesitated, closing her mouth for a moment as if weighing whether she should share this with Flora.

“Hurry and tell me, Yvonne. Don’t worry about how I’ll take it.”

“It’s better that you know.”

“Know what?”

“Emeric said… Charllon has filthy blood. Mikael warned him to be careful what he said, since there are many listening ears in the palace.”

“So you heard that, Yvonne.”

With Yvonne’s words, Flora felt even the last one percent of hope inside her vanish.

“How could he insult all of Charllon like that?”

“From Emeric’s point of view, his aunt married into Charllon and met a mysterious death.”

“Still, there’s no need for such cruel and insulting words.”

“In the environment he grew up in, maybe that was normal.”

“So, what you’re saying is, when I go to Blois, I’ll be treated as someone with filthy blood.”

“Oh, Flora.”

“You’re not denying it.”

Flora, once again, realized why this marriage should never happen.

At the same time, she thought, Charllon always insults Blois as having tainted blood, so of course Blois would insult Charllon. She could understand their criticism to some extent.

A few days later, after the evening banquet, Flora returned to her room and stared at the small letter opener on her vanity.

‘Should I make a decision before things went any further?’

Whether she died here or died there, the end would be the same, and at least no one would blame her.

At the dinner held to congratulate Flora’s marriage and send her off from Charllon, her father had emphasized—so much that her ears rang—how quiet she must be when she goes to Blois.

Her mother gave tearful advice: once Flora left Charllon, she should devote her entire life to Emeric, and consider Emeric’s word as law.

She also gave the practical advice that to survive there, Flora should bear an heir as soon as possible.

Her brother Julien bragged to his wife about how lucky she was to marry into Charllon, and how great a husband he was.

Flora, in just two weeks, was experiencing firsthand how one could lose all affection for the family they’d lived with their whole life.

It was a sad reality, but they were preparing to cut her off.

They were preparing to push her out.

Moreover, among her family, it was already assumed Flora would fail to adapt in Blois and meet a tragic end.

At that dinner, Flora could do nothing but pick at her soup.

No food would go down her throat.

So, hours later, in her room, she stared at the faintly flickering candle, thinking how it resembled her own dwindling life, stubbornly gazing at the knife.

Then she noticed a strange letter on the side of her vanity.

It was Emeric’s second letter, delivered earlier by a maid.

The first letter she’d received from him, she’d opened immediately, hoping—however absurdly—that it might say he would change the groom or cancel the marriage.

But the second letter left her completely unmoved.

She hadn’t even wanted to open it, so it lay tossed aside on her vanity.

She tried to recall what she’d written in her second letter.

-To the dear and respected wisdom of the east, Sir Emeric,

I committed many offenses in my previous letter.

Please forget it as the foolishness and ignorance of a childish person.

I hope this marriage will bring harmony and peace to Charllon and Blois.

I hear many people are working hard for this marriage.

I will wait for the wedding day.

From Flora Charllon.

It was just a formal greeting, signaling her last letter before the wedding.

She could barely remember exactly what she’d written—it was that ordinary.

Suddenly curious about what kind of insincere, formal reply Emeric had sent, Flora belatedly opened the envelope.

-To my future wife, Lady Flora.

I hope we meet in Blois while you’re still alive.

May the tiresome news of your suicide not reach this place.

From Emeric Blois.

Flora read the letter and could only let out a scoffing “Ha!” in disbelief.

A reply that made her feel as if she was being observed from above, sitting in the palm of his hand.

Her pride was deeply wounded.

In the end, Flora glared at the letter opener beside the envelope, then threw it with all her strength somewhere in her room.

Only the faint sound of metal clattering was heard—nothing dramatic happened.

No family member or maid came running to her room, awakened by this weak noise.

The knife felt just like her situation.

Flora had always believed she could do anything, that she was clever and exceptional, growing up thinking she was different from others.

But in reality, she was just like the letter opener.

In the face of this powerless marriage, she was destined to make only a faint noise and roll into some corner.

Morning arrived.

From early dawn, the maids were busy packing Flora’s belongings into large trunks.

Flora only watched the scene with an indifferent face.

According to what she’d read as a child, the clothing in the eastern region was very different from the west.

Among them, the area where the Blois Duchy was located was, even in the cold and barren east, considered relatively fertile and warm. The size of their estate was huge.

Thus, the power of the Duke of Blois was said to be the strongest in Devilleon.

While the east was tightly wrapped up, the west, with its mild weather, was more open and free.

Flora herself had never experienced cold weather, so she had no idea how she’d survive in the chilly east.

Well, people live everywhere, so it probably wouldn’t be that different.

“My Lady, how do you feel about finally leaving today?”

“I’m trying not to think about anything.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to expect anything or be disappointed.”

“I’m so excited, you know.”

For the maid who would accompany Flora to Blois, she chose Ellie, a 14-year-old girl.

She thought it might be less miserable to bring along someone who knew nothing.

Both for herself, and for the girl.

“I’ve been asking around these past few days, and in the east, they really hate women showing skin. Not just dislike—they’re really repulsed by it.”

“Really? If I wear the clothes I usually wear here, they’ll be shocked.”

“So we’ll probably need to get clothes as soon as we arrive. I’m sure Blois has prepared something for you.”

“Don’t worry too much, Ellie.”

No one knew how long they’d last there, anyway.

* * *

As dawn broke and Flora climbed into the carriage, her father and mother gave her a brief hug.

“You’re now a person of Blois.”

Trying to detach themselves from her so quickly—it was heartbreaking.

“Of course. Even in death, I’ll be buried in Blois.”

“Flora!”

Her self-mocking reply made her father Pascal call out her name loudly.

She seemed to have annoyed him.

“You’ll live happily there for a long, long time.”

“I’m not sure those words—‘for a long, long time’ and ‘happily’—can coexist in Blois.”

“I’ve asked Duke Christophe to take good care of you.”

“That was unnecessary.”

“Flora! Why have you become so pessimistic?”

Unable to stand it, her mother Ellen scolded her from the side.

Did they really not know why she’d become so negative?

“I’ll be going now. I hope to see you at the wedding.”

Flora got into the carriage without looking back.

Her parents were trying to detach themselves, so she couldn’t cling to a broken bond. She just had to focus on surviving.

The journey east by carriage was very rough.

Was it after a full day had passed?

To rest the horses and dine and sleep, Flora stopped in the central city of Bjorn, where she finally felt she could breathe again.

Until now, she’d barely left Etoile Castle because of bridal lessons.

Her entire daily life had been bridal lessons scheduled to the minute.

Now, there was no nanny or mother supervising her.

Only Ellie, the 14-year-old maid she could easily command, was by her side.

“Ellie. Shall we go look around outside for a bit?”

“Can we?”

“Why not?”

In the slightly chilly weather compared to Etoile, Flora wrapped herself in a shawl over her usual dress and wore a hat to hide herself as much as possible.

There was no one she knew, but she just didn’t want to stand out.

She’d always liked attention, but now she didn’t.

The bustling street and sunset sky stirred her emotions.

She was lost in the mysterious orange sky when a sharp pain in her shoulder made Flora scream without thinking.