ADLQ 05

Chapter 5

“What is going on?”

Allen’s strong hand, which had been holding the teacup, tightened.

“You know as well, don’t you, Duke? About the customs of the West.”

Rudiana spoke, her expression full of somber restraint.

“A child who cannot be heir is nothing but a commodity for the marriage market. And to someone like Nürenbern, who already sits at the center of power, that commodity is of no use. If it sells well, good. If not, it doesn’t matter.”

Her voice turned more mournful.

“For Nürenbern, a legitimate wife who bore such a daughter is far less important than the heir. Soon, my mother will be discarded.”

Lifting the head she had bowed, Rudiana stared sharply in the direction of Nürenbern’s estate beyond the terrace.

“But usually the heir is adopted under the legitimate wife, is he not?”

Originally divided between two realms, the West and the East had very different customs. The East was relatively free, but the West was notoriously conservative toward women.

To think they would discard the legitimate wife?

Even in the West, taking concubines was common, but casting off the lawful wife was almost unheard of. A bitter, mocking smile—unbefitting of a teenage girl—spread across Rudiana’s face.

“Hah. My father doesn’t want the heir raised under a stepmother. And if my mother dies, there’s no need to divide property either.”

“……”

To an outsider, it may have looked like a simple young girl pleading for help from an adult. But to Allen, it felt like he was being courted for a transaction by a shrewd merchant.

“Roseline…”

At that instant, his chest burned hot. Jonas Nürenbern’s treatment of Roseline—the woman who had been, and still was, the most precious person in his life—ignited furious anger within him.

So… you still care for Mother.

Rudiana observed Allen closely. The tightening of his jaw, the bulging veins of his clenched fist—he was restraining his rage. And surely, it was not directed at her, but at Nürenbern.

Still, even a duke would find it burdensome to take in a woman once bound to another house. She needed to win both his heart and his reason.

I’ve succeeded in stirring his heart. Now I must convince his mind.

“If you save us, I’ll tell you how to resolve the plague that has begun spreading in the East.”

At that, Pianus’s sharp jaw moved ever so slightly, his eyes widening in surprise. His face, despite being in his thirties, still retained an almost delicate beauty.

“…Is it Jonas Nürenbern?”

Then his gaze flared with icy steel.

“I know about the plague. But he doesn’t know the cure.”

Even if he did, he wouldn’t bother. Rudiana muttered softly.

In truth, the plague in the East was still in its infancy, unknown to most in the West. She only knew of it because she remembered the future. Soon, countless victims would fall, and Allen Pianus would struggle desperately to find a cure. Years later, a solution would be discovered—but only after great loss of life.

“It will spread quickly.”

Rudiana spoke calmly, yet her eyes blazed with determination.

“……”

Allen fell silent in thought. He had intended only to see Roseline one last time, to make sure she was all right. He had no intention of coveting another man’s wife. But rumors of Nürenbern’s mistreatment of her had troubled him.

And yet…

Now an unforeseen situation unfolded before him. This girl—Roseline’s daughter—not only bore her mother’s lovely features but also her intelligence.

Every word from her small, resolute lips shook him with shock, outrage, and awe. He took a sip of tea to steady his racing mind.

So the rumors of neglect were true…

As his thoughts cleared, her shabby attire finally caught his eye. So unlike the dignity of the Nürenbern name, her clothing testified to her words. The sight of this girl—so like Roseline, yet clothed in such meanness—pierced his heart with sorrow.

And his gaze hardened. If her words were true, then he could not leave Roseline in that household.

“Very well. I will help you.”

“Thank you.”

I did it!

Rudiana could barely contain her joy.

“Do you have a plan, Lady Nürenbern?”

Though a strange question for a teenage girl, neither of them seemed to find it odd.

“Yes. After the coronation, I’ll persuade Mother to demand a divorce. Please assist us then.”

“Do you think divorce is possible?”

Nürenbern had absorbed Roseline’s former family, the Roembeck, and risen to power in the West. But if divorced, he would lose all rights to the Roembeck businesses.

“…Nothing is more important to him than wealth.”

But Rudiana had no intention of surrendering everything like a fool.

“My father only cares about holding business rights. If he can keep them, he’ll accept divorce.”

Normally, even if a daughter couldn’t be heir, she was still raised with care to make her valuable in the marriage market. But Jonas Nürenbern valued a healthy heir above all else. So he allowed Lea Berter, the heir’s mother, free rein in the household, neglecting everything else.

“Hah! Jonas Nürenbern…”

The veins stood out on Allen’s jaw and forehead.

“And I will repay whatever it costs to take us in.”

Rudiana bowed deeply.

“…That is not something you need to worry about.”

Allen’s lips trembled slightly.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

“I’ll lend you my family’s carriage.”

“No, Duke. I’ve already drawn too much attention.”

It had been unavoidable if she wanted to meet Allen, but many nobles in the clubhouse had seen them together.

Of course, as she was unknown in society, they wouldn’t recognize her identity.

Still, it’s best to be cautious…

“And besides, I cannot ride a Pianus carriage all the way back to Nürenbern.”

With a reassuring smile, Rudiana followed the servant’s guidance to the carriage she had arranged beforehand. Allen watched as her carriage departed, scanning the surroundings.

“I only chose this place to make the meeting look natural, to avoid rumors about Roseline…”

But that choice might come back to haunt him.

It was one thing for a duke to ‘happen’ to encounter a countess he knew at a clubhouse. But to be seen with a teenage girl was another matter.

A noble clubhouse was for adults. If a young noble entered, it meant someone had invited her.

* * *

“Mother, I have something to tell you.”

Back at the mansion, Rudiana hurried toward the annex. To avoid notice, she had gotten off some distance away and walked the rest. She had nearly been stopped by guards, but another guard who recognized her allowed her through.

“Rudi, where have you been to get your clothes in such a state?”

“I went to meet Duke Allen Pianus.”

Roseline froze mid-step, her body hunched in shock.

“What… did you say?”

“Duke Allen Pianus.”

Rudiana pulled two letters from her breast pocket.

“I opened one of them. I’m sorry.”

“H-how did you…?”

Roseline could not believe her daughter had spoken the name of her former lover. She had never wanted this marriage, but once bound, she had tried to be faithful. After Rudi’s birth, she had tried even harder to forget him. But to hear his name now, from her daughter’s lips, left her mind blank.

“Mother, I cannot live like this anymore.”

Rudiana’s eyes drifted to Irene, asleep on the bed. At just twelve years old, she was small and frail for her age. As was Rudiana herself.

“That’s why I went to see Duke Pianus. He will save us.”

Silence filled the room, heavy enough that the sound of Rudiana swallowing could be heard. Roseline’s eyes wavered violently as she looked at her determined daughter. And Rudiana spoke with an even firmer voice:

“Please, divorce him, Mother.”

She placed sharp emphasis on the word divorce. Her fierce gaze pierced the heart of Roseline, who had long been weighed down by guilt and sorrow toward her children.