Regentera and Vladin (1)
* * *
A single carriage arrived at the Lilche Marquisate, where flowers of brilliant hues bloomed in full splendor. Yulian, who had been standing at the entrance of the mansion, stepped closer to the carriage. Yet even after the door opened, the guest did not descend.
With a puzzled expression, Yulian peered inside. A hand suddenly thrust out right before his eyes.
“Escort me, Lord Lilche.”
A clear, resonant voice flowed from within the carriage. After a brief moment of hesitation, Yulian took the offered hand as one would when greeting a lady. Only then did Ebony Vladin step out with a light, cheerful stride.
“It’s been a while, Lord Lilche.”
Dressed impeccably in a deep wine-red coat, black trousers, and a shirt adorned with sparkling jewels, Ebony flashed a bright smile at Yulian.
“Seeing you outside the imperial palace makes you look even more handsome.”
“You must have had a tiring journey. Thank you for coming.”
“Under the sunlight, your eyes aren’t green at all—they’re teal. How lovely.”
“The Marchioness is waiting inside. The weather is rather chilly, so let’s head in quickly.”
The two exchanged only the words they wished to say and entered the marquisate together.
The servants of the Lilche Marquisate all stared at Ebony with open curiosity. The Marchioness of Lilche had a deep and bitter grudge against the Vladin family. For the head of House Vladin to set foot in the marquisate was an event so extraordinary that the servants whispered among themselves, saying they had lived to see everything.
Yet Ebony behaved as if she were visiting an old friend’s home, showing not the slightest trace of awkwardness. She admired the antique elegance of the mansion, examining the decorations and portraits that hung throughout the halls.
Naturally, her greatest interest was Yulian himself. Her purple eyes sparkled with mischief as she asked in a playful tone.
“Aren’t you going to get married?”
“And why is the Countess of Vladin still alone?”
“Ah, I have no interest in men.”
“How fortunate. In that case, I would appreciate it if you refrained from asking me any more personal questions.”
At Yulian’s blunt response, Ebony’s face puckered in displeasure.
“I simply like pretty and beautiful things, just like you. Why do all beautiful things have to come with thorns? Your relative was the same way…….”
Realizing she was speaking about Ishtel, Yulian shot her a sharp glare. Taking it as a sign of interest, Ebony’s face lit up with excitement as she launched into a lengthy monologue about Ishtel.
“I really like your relative. Ishtel Regentera—she’s as beautiful as if she were painted and as elegant as if she were sculpted. I also like that she isn’t purely kind and good-natured.”
“I had no idea the Countess of Vladin took such an interest in Ishtel.”
“Oh my, of course I’m interested. She’s that beautiful, after all. From the moment I open my eyes until I fall asleep at night, she’s all I think about.”
Seeing Ebony cackle with laughter, Yulian couldn’t hide the expression that clearly said, ‘Is this woman in her right mind?’ But Ebony paid him no mind and continued speaking.
“I like your other relative too. She’s incredibly pretty as well. I quite like that slightly twisted side of her.”
Yulian wondered if she was talking about Zar, but he had no desire to continue the conversation with Ebony and remained silent.
“This is the room.”
Having arrived at the Marchioness’s chambers, Yulian knocked on the door.
—Let her in.
The sharp voice of the Marchioness of Lilche came from beyond the door.
“Please, go in.”
“Thank you for escorting me.”
Ebony gave a slight bow, then took Yulian’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“See you next time, Lord Lilche.”
She winked at him once before opening the door and disappearing inside.
“Ha…….”
Yulian let out a sigh as he stared at the faint lipstick mark left on the back of his hand.
“Ishtel has been bitten by a strange one.”
* * *
“It’s been a long time, Marchioness Lilche.”
Ebony greeted the elderly woman seated in the chair with a bright expression.
“Thank you for inviting me like this.”
“It wasn’t an invitation. You pestered me so persistently about wanting to come that I simply opened the door.”
“Still, here we are, sitting face to face and conversing. All’s well that ends well.”
Ebony, seated across from the Marchioness, lifted the teacup placed before her. As she took a sip to moisten her throat, the Marchioness spoke.
“You really are an amusing child. What would you have done if I had put poison in the tea?”
“If I were to die by poison given by the respected Marchioness, that would be quite a magnificent end in itself. If I perish here, please do not contact my siblings. Hold the funeral at the Lilche Marquisate. And if possible, I would like Lord Lilche to handle the arrangements. Would that be acceptable?”
“You talk too much. Enough with the jokes. That won’t happen.”
The Marchioness of Lilche cut Ebony off with a firm voice. Even so, Ebony showed not a hint of embarrassment and continued to grin from ear to ear.
“So, what is the reason you insisted on seeing me?”
“Ah, I’ve brought a story that I believe the Marchioness will find quite interesting.”
Ebony set down her teacup and pulled her chair closer to the table.
“You know of Karina Linton, yes?”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that woman?”
“Then I shall speak of someone the Marchioness knows well.”
Ebony paused for a moment, as if anticipating the Marchioness’s reaction, and studied her face. However, the elderly woman remained perfectly upright, not moving her head in the slightest. Only her eyes blinked occasionally.
“That woman is a descendant of Faviel Regentera. One of the children Faviel left behind that the Regentera ducal house failed to catch. She is that child’s offspring.”
Having delivered the shocking statement, Ebony bared her teeth in a sly grin.
She was looking forward to this. The old woman who had devoted her entire life to eradicating the remnants of the past—what kind of reaction would she show upon learning that the descendant of the Faviel she had missed was now destroying her own people?
“I see.”
Yet the Marchioness of Lilche’s reaction was colder than expected. She set her teacup down.
“Now that I know, you may leave.”
“Was my voice too quiet?”
“No matter how old I may be, my ears are still perfectly fine. I heard every word clearly.”
Ebony’s eyebrows twitched in confusion.
“You don’t believe me.”
“Whether I believe you or not isn’t particularly important. What I’m curious about is something else.”
The Marchioness stared directly into Ebony’s purple eyes.
“Where exactly did you hear that information?”
“As expected, the Marchioness already knew everything.”
What a cunning old fox. She had brought what she thought was her trump card, only to risk wasting it with no gain at all.
‘Or perhaps… since she already knows, we might actually be able to speak more openly?’
Ebony barely managed to suppress the hardening of her expression and forced a smile.
“There’s no need to smile so desperately. We both know this situation isn’t the least bit amusing.”
The Marchioness’s gaze toward Ebony was utterly cold. Only then did Ebony wipe the smile from her lips and straighten her face.
“Are you pretending to know in order to test me?”
“How impertinent. No one knows the affairs of Regentera better than I, Bellona Regentera. Who are you to meddle in matters that are not your concern and flap your tongue?”
As the Marchioness’s voice grew sharp, Ebony flinched and tightened her grip on the chair.
“You haven’t answered the question I asked earlier, have you? Speak quickly. Where did you hear those words?”
“I conducted my own investigation based on information I received from a trustworthy source.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose I’ll have to find the person who leaked that information to you and crush them.”
“You won’t be able to.”
Rather than confidence, Ebony’s voice carried stubborn defiance. The Marchioness, who could not have missed it, spoke coldly.
“Young Countess of Vladin, it seems you are under some misconception.”
“…….”
“There is nothing in this empire that I cannot do. Even His Majesty the Emperor, who is old enough to be your uncle, cannot carry out his will if I utter a single word. I am the one who can keep people awake at night, burning with resentment. Do you understand?”
Noticing how deathly pale Ebony’s hands had become, the Marchioness clicked her tongue softly.
“Ebony Blair Vladin. I have known about you for a very long time. I knew long ago that you would push aside your siblings and inherit the Vladin family.”
“……What are you saying?”
“Didn’t your father tell you? Ah, I see. He must have been too ashamed to tell his own child everything.”
The Marchioness left Ebony with nothing but questions as she lifted her teacup once more. Ebony had no choice but to wait silently until the elderly woman finished drinking.
Cold sweat trickled down her back, and memories from the past decade flashed through her mind.
‘What in the world happened between that old woman and me?’
But no matter how hard she thought, Ebony could not find any point of connection between herself and the Marchioness of Lilche.
“Your aged father sided with Faviel and opposed us, which led to his demotion from the ducal house to a countship. At the time, your siblings were still young children and were confined to the Vladin estate, unable to live like other nobles.”
The Marchioness continued in a voice completely devoid of remorse.
“I remember clearly the day a letter arrived saying that Ebony—you—had been born at the Vladin estate. The Countess, who was already quite advanced in age, had given birth? It was strange, but what could I do? If that’s what they claimed, then so be it.”
The more the Marchioness spoke, the more violently Ebony’s purple eyes trembled. Yet she lacked both the power to stop the Marchioness’s words and the reckless courage to storm out of the room.
“When you reached your teenage years, a letter came from the Vladin family. It was from your father. He wished to send his youngest daughter to an academy in the east to study and asked me to please ease the confinement order.”
“…….”
“At first, I refused. I told him I would select scholars from the capital and send them to the estate periodically. Even after that, your father wrote to me several more times, begging me to send you east, and each time I refused. Finally, when he realized it was hopeless, he confessed everything?”
Sunlight streaming through the window made the necklace around the Marchioness of Lilche’s neck sparkle.
Without realizing it, Ebony averted her gaze from the Marchioness. She wasn’t sure whether it was because of the light reflecting off the Regentera Rose Necklace or because of the words that were about to come from the Marchioness’s mouth.