CHAPTER 11
“Mother? You said you would arrive in a few days… why are you—?”
At the sudden appearance of Madam Rubia, the Duke of Rubia sprang to his feet in shock.
“Grandmother.”
Joshua also jumped up and corrected his posture.
“It’s been a while, all of you. You’ve grown so much since I last saw you. Even my youngest grandson is nearly an adult now.”
“I’ll go gather all the children.”
“No need. I showed up unannounced, so I have no right to scold anyone for not being prepared.”
The Duke and Joshua exchanged wary glances with each other, clearly reading her mood.
“But I would like to hear more details about what just happened.”
“Mother, that’s…”
“I may have declared I wouldn’t interfere in the Rubia household anymore, but this is about my only granddaughter’s marriage. It’s not something I can simply ignore.”
She must have overheard the entire conversation.
There was no way out of it now.
The Duke of Rubia sighed deeply, thinking the timing couldn’t have been worse.
* * *
Back in her room, Seraphine pressed her forehead, overwhelmed with a headache.
She hadn’t even looked in the mirror, but she was sure her complexion was deathly pale.
As she was trying to collect herself, a knock sounded—and the door opened before she could respond.
A clear breach of etiquette.
Without turning around, Seraphine spoke coldly:
“I’ll handle it myself. There’s no need to attend to me. I’ll call when I need you.”
But the maid did not leave.
Annoyed that someone would overstep boundaries like this, Seraphine turned around—
“I told you to— Brother?”
Surprisingly, it was Erez.
He had stood still, thinking she was crying, but upon seeing no tears, he composed himself.
“Brother, can’t you leave me alone for a while?”
“Apologize to Father.”
“…What?”
Seraphine blinked in disbelief.
She had just asked to be left alone—and now an apology?
Erez pushed forward in a voice completely devoid of emotion.
“You insisted on this engagement. Father pleaded on your behalf, and despite your poor condition, the imperial family agreed. And now, you suddenly talk of a breakup—have you considered what this does to the Rubia name?”
“…”
“If a breakup was inevitable, you should have made it seem like the imperial family initiated it. But instead, your actions have embarrassed both the imperial family and our house. Go. Apologize to Father—and to the Crown Prince as well.”
“Are you really telling me to bow before His Highness right now?”
“Yes. Father went easy on you because of your health, but your behavior has crossed the line. It’s no longer acceptable.”
Seraphine laughed bitterly.
“The perfect ending to this engagement you imagine… is my early death, isn’t it?”
“Seraphine von Rubia.”
Erez warned her with a low voice.
But he had stepped on a landmine.
“Since I’m about to die anyway, I should act like I’m already dead, right? Obedient and quiet, following your orders. My fiancé openly courts another woman, and my own brother disrespects me—just like everyone else.”
“Seraphine, that’s not true—”
“Not true? You barge in, blame everything on me, and now say it’s a misunderstanding?”
“I’m not here to argue. Don’t get emotional.”
His voice was like ice.
In that moment, Seraphine saw a glimpse of the first princess, her sister, in Erez’s cold demeanor.
“I’m just the second child—I can’t possibly understand my brilliant brother. And I’m so foolish, too. Unlike you, I can’t instantly calculate political gains and losses.”
The first princess had always prioritized the royal family, even when Seraphine had refused to create the ninth weapon. She and their father had silently agreed to Seraphine’s slow death.
Seraphine took a breath.
“The imperial family demands enormous wealth to keep this engagement under the guise of ‘paying for my life.’”
Erez’s eyes widened slightly in shock. He clearly hadn’t known that.
“Since I started this with stubbornness, let me end it with stubbornness. I don’t want my life or love to be tied to money anymore.”
Her voice trembled with weariness.
“If the imperial family formally brings up the breakup, they’ll stall under the excuse of my ‘life value’—so they can extract more money. Father would have no choice but to agree, unable to bear the guilt of being the father who killed his daughter.”
“…”
“But if I insist on the breakup like a thoughtless child from the beginning, the situation will shift.”
Erez, who thought she was just throwing a tantrum again, was now at a loss.
“You said we’ve embarrassed the Rubia family? No, Brother. You are the one who’s making a mockery of it.”
“…”
“My honor is tied to Rubia’s honor, and yet you told me to bow.”
“…I didn’t know you thought that far.”
Erez muttered like someone who’d been slapped.
Seraphine gave a bitter smile.
“I’ll apologize to Father later for my harsh words. But answer me this: when Joshua mocked me, was I just supposed to sit there and smile? What was I supposed to do?”
“If you had said that during the banquet, I wouldn’t have misunderstood.”
“You wouldn’t have believed me.”
“What?”
“You would’ve assumed I had some hidden motive. That I was scheming to gain attention.”
And she was right.
Erez wouldn’t have believed her. He would’ve doubted everything she said.
“Not long ago, the maids whispered I reeked of sewage. When I yelled back, they tried to retaliate.”
She’d had them dismissed recently—but no one knew the reason.
Even though it had all happened inside this very house.
“You’re no better than those maids. Actually, you’re worse. You give me hope, even though you never intended to listen.”
Erez flinched at the harsh comparison, but couldn’t refute it.
“I don’t want to die. But I don’t want to live like this either.”
Her honesty shook him more than anything.
“That was unnecessary, wasn’t it? After all, you never cared about me.”
“Seraphine.”
“Leave.”
Without giving him a chance to make excuses, she pointed firmly at the door.
“Pretend you didn’t hear a thing—just like always. That’s what you’re good at, right?”
Erez hesitated.
Looking at Seraphine, who looked like she might collapse at any moment, he felt a bitter realization.
That he had offloaded all responsibility onto her.
And that it had been an incredibly cruel thing to do.
Realizing there were no words that could comfort her now, Erez quietly turned to leave.
Only after he disappeared did Seraphine slump into the nearest chair.
Not long after, she heard a knock again.
She stiffened—thinking Erez had returned—but relaxed when she heard the voice.
It was her maid.
“You want to be alone, my lady, but there’s something you should know. I’ll tell you through the door.”
“Something I need to know?”
There had to be a reason for the urgency. Seraphine allowed the maid in.
“What? Grandmother has returned?”
“Yes.”
“Then I must go greet her.”
She had just made a dramatic statement not long ago, so she didn’t feel ready—but she couldn’t ignore it either.
When she tried to rise, her legs gave out slightly.
The maid rushed to support her.
“You don’t need to push yourself, my lady. Madam said she’d come to you once you felt better.”
“But she’s my elder—I should be the one to visit her.”
“Well…”
The maid hesitated.
“What is it?”
“Madam knows what happened at the dining hall.”
Of course.
That changed everything.
Realizing she was likely about to be scolded, Seraphine sighed.
“Very well. I’ll do as Grandmother wishes.”
The next day.
The estate was filled with a heavy tension—like the calm before a storm.
Seraphine, waiting quietly for her grandmother to summon her, began to grow anxious.
Sometimes, it’s better to get the scolding over with quickly.
“I’ll take a walk. Just around the garden—no need to come with me.”
“Understood, my lady.”
Wrapped in a light shawl, Seraphine stepped into the garden.
The maids who saw her leave soon started whispering.
“What? Madam is also in the garden?”
“Shouldn’t we tell the lady?”
Panicked, they rushed out to look for Seraphine.
Meanwhile, Seraphine was strolling in peace when she came across a plain little flower among the glamorous blooms.
It was small and so unremarkable she nearly missed it.
She crouched to look closer.
Then—she sensed someone nearby and looked up.
Their eyes met.
“A gardener?”
The elderly man in simple clothes seemed to be a gardener.
But as he approached, Seraphine stepped aside, thinking she might be in his way.
The man looked at the flower she’d been admiring.
“Are you planning to pull it out?”
He remained silent.
Seraphine interpreted that as a yes.
“Please don’t. But if you must, don’t throw it away. Replant it somewhere with more sunlight.”
“Why should I?”
The tone was far too blunt for a servant.
But Seraphine didn’t want to get angry.
She sensed no malice from him.
“I used to believe sacrificing the small for the greater good was always right.”
“And now?”
Seraphine nodded softly.
“This flower may not look nice, but that doesn’t mean it should be discarded.”
“Others might call it a weed.”
“‘Weed’ is just a human label. Not all plants need to be useful or beautiful to us.”
“…”
“That flower exists for a reason. Even if its life is brief, it deserves respect, not contempt.”
Lowering her gaze, she murmured:
“And somewhere in this world, someone must have given it a name. From that moment on, it ceased to be a weed.”
She smiled sheepishly, not realizing the old man was staring at her in surprise.
“I’ve gotten used to talking to myself. I’ll leave now—I must’ve interrupted your work.”
Just then, her maid ran up.
“My lady! There you are.”
“What is it?”
“Madam wishes to— Ah.”
Locking eyes with the “gardener,” the maid turned pale and immediately bowed low.
“I—I greet you, Madam Rubia!”
