Chapter 19
Yuliana looked Jared straight in the eyes.
If Kallion really had ordered someone to kill Denian…
And if the same tragedy from the past was about to repeat…
Then it was possible that he might try to use Jared again to hurt Denian.
Or if it wasn’t Kallion, someone else might try to contact Jared on behalf of the real culprit.
Yuliana was planning to use this to find out who was behind it all.
“If anyone—Kallion or not—tries to contact you, I want you to tell me.”
Jared, though confused, nodded at her serious expression.
“I’ll do that.”
Then he hesitated a little before continuing.
“If I really do end up speaking with Lord Kallion…”
Sensing his hesitation, Yuliana answered right away.
“Follow his orders. Just make sure no one finds out that you’re working with me. And report everything he says to me.”
She was telling him to act as if he was on Kallion’s side—but secretly stay loyal to her.
Jared didn’t fully understand why, but he still nodded.
“If that is your command, I’ll obey.”
Hearing his answer, Yuliana quickly picked up a quill and paper from the table and began writing.
Then she handed the paper to Jared.
“Use this address to contact me—not the Valdormer estate.”
It was the address of the Bas Trading Company.
If she communicated with him directly from the mansion, she might be caught.
Jared took the note, still looking a bit stunned at how carefully Yuliana had thought this through.
“No matter what, don’t mention my name,” she warned.
Her tone was so serious that Jared hesitated only briefly before kneeling on one knee.
“No matter what happens, I will keep my promise to you.”
Her eyes, once full of confusion and pain, were now clear and filled with purpose.
✧ ✧ ✧
Yuliana’s eyes widened when she saw the workers already building the new orphanage.
Hiring workers and starting construction in just one day? That was fast—even if the workers were from nearby villages.
While the orphanage was being rebuilt, Kallion had even paid for the kids to stay at an inn.
She glanced over at Kallion, who was speaking with the orphanage director about the new building.
She still couldn’t understand why he was doing so much for the orphanage now. Before, he had only sent money out of duty.
Yuliana quietly walked toward the trees surrounding the orphanage grounds.
She remembered seeing a man in a black robe between the trees after the fire.
Who was he…?
While touching the trees, something caught her attention.
These weren’t just any trees—they were Bendel pine trees, usually found only in the coldest northern regions.
They were small and too weak to be used for construction, but Yuliana knew they had another use.
In the future, the royal family would discover that the bark of the Bendel pine had valuable properties and start controlling its trade.
Yuliana had seen these trees back when she was the lady of the Silversel family, but even then, the royal family restricted their use.
The imperial family had claimed all Bendel pine land and collected the bark with little compensation to the landowners.
But right now, no one knew how valuable this bark would become.
This was the perfect time to secretly buy and store it before the royal family stepped in.
If she could buy the bark cheaply now, it would be worth a fortune in a few months.
Even better, she could pay the local villagers a fair price—something they wouldn’t get once the imperial family took control.
It would help both the village and herself.
If she was going to leave Valdormer someday and live peacefully with Denian, she needed savings. This was her chance.
Of course, she had no intention of buying the bark under the Valdormer name.
“I’ll have to go back to the Bas Trading Company.”
As that thought crossed her mind, a knowing smile formed on her lips.
✧ ✧ ✧
“Sniff… please come again!”
“Travel safely!”
“C-Can I write to you?”
The children crowded around her, teary-eyed, as Yuliana gently patted their heads with a warm smile.
It had only been a short time, but after the fire, they had become deeply attached to her. Saying goodbye was hard.
“Of course. Write to me at the Valdormer estate.”
She then motioned toward Diaz, who was standing quietly in the back.
His cheeks were puffed up, clearly trying hard not to cry.
Yuliana laughed softly and patted his head.
“You’ll write to me too, right?”
At her words, Diaz’s tears finally burst out, and he nodded enthusiastically.
Holding that memory in her heart, Yuliana stepped into the carriage.
“Let’s go,” Kallion said.
The carriage began moving, leaving behind the waving villagers and children.
Inside the carriage, Kallion, Yuliana, and Layla sat silently, spaced apart.
Each of them was deep in thought, so the quiet didn’t feel awkward.
Yuliana was focused entirely on figuring out who was behind Denian’s death.
She glanced toward Kallion.
In her past life, Jared had likely been involved—but he was loyal to Valdormer.
In fact, he had belonged to Valdormer’s secret knight division, part of their vassal families.
Only a few people had the authority to command someone like Jared:
Kallion, his father (the current head of Valdormer), and the leader of Jared’s vassal house.
She couldn’t be sure it was Kallion. As much as she hated him, it was hard to believe the father of her child would be so heartless.
Maybe it was a betrayal from one of the vassal families, or perhaps there was something else she didn’t know.
Either way, if she wanted to protect Denian, she needed to get closer to the truth.
Thanks to her conversation with Jared, he would contact her if anything happened.
Still, she couldn’t rely on him alone. Too much had changed since the past.
She had to become the true lady of Valdormer as soon as possible, so she could gather more information.
As Yuliana made up her mind, Kallion was watching her reflection in the window.
What were the chances someone could survive such a huge fire?
Logically, it was almost impossible.
Unless…
What if, like Layla had said, she had an ability?
But that was even more unlikely than surviving the fire.
In the 2,000-year history of the five great houses, no woman had ever been recorded as having a supernatural ability.
Even the current head of Heister (a family known for fire-based abilities) only had a weak flame.
Heisters could create fire—but they couldn’t control or extinguish it. The same was true for other abilities.
Yet reports said the fire at the orphanage was so massive that no one could have survived by normal means. And not only did Yuliana survive—she protected the children so completely that they weren’t even scratched.
That kind of ability… could be the strongest ever seen from a Heister.
Kallion’s deep purple eyes darkened.
‘This is impossible…’
He looked out the window, where the grand Valdormer estate was coming into view.
‘It shouldn’t be possible. And it must never be.’
