Chapter 17: The Duchess of Carniel
“Welcome back, Master.”
The middle-aged woman spoke warmly with a gentle smile.
Her eyes were clearly looking at Kylus.
Eleanor was confused for a moment.
Her memory was like a curse, but she had never forgotten anything important.
And she was sure—this woman had never appeared in her past life.
“Marie, did my mother try to stop you?”
“I’m sorry, Master. As you know, the madam’s maids don’t listen to me.”
Kylus sighed as he replied, and his voice sounded unusually kind.
That soft voice didn’t match the cold and stone-like man Eleanor knew as her husband.
Eleanor didn’t know how to react.
Marie… Could it be that Marie?
“Kylus’… nanny?”
The woman looked old enough to match the age.
But in Eleanor’s past life, on the day she became the Duchess, Marie had not existed.
She had been told Marie had died long ago.
She remembered hearing that Kylus, despite being so cold, had once grieved deeply for his nanny—more than for his own mother.
And now, that woman was right in front of her.
When their eyes met, Marie’s warm brown eyes crinkled as she smiled.
Eleanor was startled.
She never imagined someone would smile at her so kindly in this Carniel estate.
“Madam, welcome to the Carniel duchy. I deeply apologize for the chaos at the gates. We should have welcomed you properly, but emotions were running high…”
Eleanor’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Marie—the nanny who once had influence over Kylus.
Even the duchess couldn’t treat her carelessly.
After the former duke and his eldest son died, the duchess had lost her mind and said terrible things to Kylus.
Their mother-son relationship turned bitter.
The only one who helped heal that rift was his nanny.
She had even warned Kylus about the sudden appearance of Katrina Blanche, telling him to be careful.
If Eleanor could win Marie’s favor…
Eleanor smiled softly.
“No, thank you for the warm welcome. You’re Marie, right? I hope you’ll help me a lot from now on.”
“Oh my, Madam! That would be an honor! Now, shall we go inside the manor?”
Kylus, walking beside them, sighed as he watched Marie smile at Eleanor.
But Eleanor ignored it.
‘Bringing the wedding forward really was the right choice.’
Eleanor followed Marie into the Carniel estate.
It was the place where she had died miserably in the past.
The place where she buried her love and gave up.
The home of the man who never loved her—her emotional grave.
Creeeak. The large gates opened, and cold, sharp stares poured in from all directions.
‘Let them be angry. Let them hate me. I don’t care anymore.’
Her golden hair shone beautifully in the wind.
This was her new beginning—as a different kind of Duchess of Carniel.
* * *
Meanwhile…
Bang!
“The current emperor is far too weak!”
Someone shouted in anger.
“Hiding behind the Duke of Carniel like a scared child. How can that be a ruler?”
They were powerful nobles—leaders of the noble faction.
Their red faces showed how little loyalty they had to the imperial family.
The empire was growing weaker, and they blamed the soft-hearted emperor.
“The Count, why did you choose that family for a marriage alliance?”
“Exactly! Our two houses have never gotten along. Many fear this might shake the noble faction.”
Even though they knew Count Grace was a stubborn man, they dared to question him.
Their bond was more equal than with the emperor’s allies.
But the Count just smiled.
“So that’s why you sent assassins to the Duke of Carniel without my permission?”
“T-that was…”
“I heard two of the three assassin guilds in the capital were destroyed because of you.”
“B-but it was for the noble faction!”
“I’ve always said it—The Carniel family is full of monsters. Especially that young duke. He’s the worst of them.”
His eyes grew cold—not kind at all.
Some nobles went silent.
These were wealthy, powerful people who could pay any assassin.
Count Grace tapped his cane on the floor to break the tension.
All eyes turned to him.
He smiled and stroked his beard.
“Don’t get so worked up. Did you really think I sent my daughter there for peace? She’s just… a useful piece.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Count Grace quickly changed the topic.
He wasn’t foolish enough to expose Eleanor’s sharp memory.
“You’ll understand later. For now, let’s talk about the main topic—choosing the next Empress.”
His words brought anger back to the nobles’ faces.
They were frustrated because the Emperor couldn’t make decisions.
It had been years since he took the throne.
After the first Empress was poisoned, it was long past time to bring in a new one.
“Everyone knows the Emperor doesn’t want a noble faction woman as Empress! He only favors the Duke of Carniel and the families in his territory!”
“Count Grace, wouldn’t it have been better if you had used the promise made by the former Emperor?”
Finally, someone said it.
Most nobles couldn’t understand why Count Grace gave up such a valuable promise just to connect with the Carniel family.
Only Count Grace remained calm.
“I have everything planned. Just keep pushing pressure on the royal family. What’s the update on the surviving royals?”
Someone coughed.
“We’re spending money generously.”
“No rats remain in the east, Count.”
“I’m in charge of the south. There’s only one left, but we’ll catch them soon.”
“I can’t wait until we wipe out the whole bloodline and only the Emperor is left.”
Their talk became dangerously close to treason.
They all knew it—but their hearts pounded with excitement.
They dreamed of breaking past the wall that separated high nobility from the rest.
To them, Count Grace was that one noble who could make it happen.
Smiling secretly, Count Grace snapped his fingers.
“Well then, let’s end today’s meeting.”
Just like magic, the setting changed.
The nobles vanished like a mirage behind a black curtain.
In this empire, anything was possible with money and power.
With his wealth, Count Grace had taken control of the mage tower.
He used magic to create things for himself—like this secret meeting place no one could track.
Or…
“Master, I have a report.”
A servant girl with blank eyes appeared in a crystal orb.
“Go ahead.”
“The fake duchess has safely entered the Carniel estate. There were protests from the people, but she got in without trouble. The Duke’s nanny came out to greet her.”
“Hmph.”
So it was the nanny who raised the Duke.
Even the Duchess couldn’t get rid of her.
If she personally welcomed Eleanor, it must have been on the Duke’s orders.
“Maybe that girl wasn’t just bluffing.”
He remembered how confidently Eleanor spoke—like she planned to seduce the Duke.
A nasty smile spread across his face.
He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he believed he held the upper hand.
Eleanor was a cold, tough girl.
On the day her parents died, even while crying blood tears, she refused to beg.
She was dragged away, locked up, starved, and forced into harsh training.
She never made things easy.
But when death came close, she changed.
She wanted to survive—so she clung to him.
Even if she really had saved Kylus as a child, Count Grace believed she would never risk her life for such a past memory.
He trusted that.
He believed the real Eleanor was cruel—and would never let go of his hand.
