Episode 39
The butler kept talking to me as we walked down the hallway. He said I looked thinner, asked if there was anything I wanted to eat for breakfast, and told me I could stay in the same room as before. Fides whispered to me with her hand over her mouth.
“The butler seems really excited, huh?”
So he was the usual butler. If even Fides said that, he must normally be pretty quiet.
“Yeah, I think so.”
The drawing room wasn’t far. It was cozy and simple, which made me feel calm. On the table was a thick book that looked very worn out. The leather cover was smooth from so much use.
Since I grew up in a country full of churches, I could tell right away—it was a Bible.
Carla’s parents sat across from each other, hands together with the Bible between them. The butler knocked again softly on the open door.
“The eldest daughter has returned.”
They both looked up. Their dark eyes filled with tears. The Duchess—Carla’s mother—stood up and ran toward me. But she couldn’t bring herself to hug me or cry.
Her pupils were shaking badly. Was I feeling their emotions too? I carefully took her hand and spoke.
“I’m home, Mother.”
“Carla… my baby, is it really you?”
“Yes. It’s me.”
Thinking about how long they must’ve waited made my nose sting. I held back tears. I suddenly remembered a time I ran out after a fight with my own mom.
She ran around the neighborhood barefoot looking for me. When she finally found me sitting on the stairs, she cried and said she thought she’d lost me. Of course, she still scolded me hard the next day. I missed her.
Once Carla’s revenge is done… could I go back home too?
No, this wasn’t the time for that. I had something important to say. If Carla couldn’t say it, then I had to.
“I’m sorry.”
At my words, the Duchess collapsed. She cried in a voice that sounded just like Carla’s. I hugged her gently and patted her back.
The Duke stood far away, watching us. He raised and lowered his hand a few times before finally speaking.
“You said you wouldn’t come back unless you were dead.”
That showed how blinded by love Carla must’ve been. No matter how much she loved the Count, she’d said something no child should say to their parents.
Still hugging the Duchess, I looked at the Duke. His fists were clenched. Fides grabbed his arm.
“I brought her here. You said you missed her.”
“I missed the heir of the Duchy, not the Countess.”
Even as he said that, his face twisted like he might cry. He looked angry, but the tears in his eyes and his tightly shut mouth said otherwise. He wasn’t mad at Carla—he was just trying to protect his pride.
What kind of daughter analyzes her parents’ faces like this? But I had to study them carefully. Whether they would become enemies or allies depended on my next words.
‘I can think like this only because I’m not really Carla.’
The Duke didn’t hate his first daughter, even after she gave up being heir. Fides always joked around, but she never lied.
Parents can never truly win against their children. But if you try to beat your parents seriously, you’ll never win. I gently patted the Duchess’s back and said:
“Today, I didn’t come here as the former heir or the Countess. I just came as Carla, your daughter.”
At that, the Duke’s expression finally softened. He wiped his face with his big hands and nodded. Then he looked at the butler, not me.
“What are you doing?”
“Sir?”
The butler looked confused. The Duke clicked his tongue.
“My daughter brought a guest. Shouldn’t you show him to the guest room?”
Only then did the butler glance at Theodore, who had been standing near the door. I guess they had completely forgotten about him because of the emotional reunion. The butler quickly apologized.
“I’ll take you to the guest room right away.”
“There’s no need to be so formal. I’m not a guest. I’m Lady Carla’s guard.”
“Carla’s guard? Then… could it be…”
The Duchess suddenly stopped crying and her eyes sparkled. She looked up at Theodore with a graceful smile.
Theodore politely bowed.
“Sorry for the late greeting. My name is Theodore. I’m a holy knight from the temple, sent by His Majesty to protect Lady Carla.”
“Oh my, did you hear that, dear? He’s Sir Theodore!”
“Yes, I heard. A holy knight, he says.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed strangely. The Duchess stood up like she hadn’t been crying just moments ago, smiling elegantly.
“The Great One always has a plan.”
“That’s right. We, mere beings, can’t know the Great One’s plans…”
“We only walk the path prepared for us.”
They started saying things I didn’t understand—stuff about a “Great One.” It sounded like religious talk. Even the butler nodded along. I slowly stepped closer to Fides.
“Since I became the heir, she didn’t get knighted. So now she acts like this whenever she sees a holy knight. I think she was looking forward to being officially knighted.”
Fides explained while watching Theodore. Maybe she wanted to become a knight more than anything. Her clothes, which looked like a knight’s, now seemed like a sign of that lost dream.
I suddenly felt sorry for Fides. She had to carry a heavy burden she never wanted, and yet she never blamed Carla. She even reached out first.
Carla had more people to apologize to than just her parents.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Just… for being a terrible big sister.”
“You’re being dramatic.”
Fides replied coolly.
“This conversation is going to drag on. What do you want to do?”
She pointed to the three people still chatting about mysterious things. Just as she said, they didn’t look like they’d stop anytime soon.
But even while they talked to Theodore, the Duke and Duchess kept glancing at me. I didn’t want to leave them just yet.
“I’ll stay a little longer. It’s nice seeing them again.”
“You can say things like that?”
Fides gave me a suspicious look. I tensed up for a moment, but then she leaned on my shoulder and whispered.
“I really missed you.”
I hugged my shy little sister. She struggled for a bit, then gave in and hugged me tightly too.
“I missed you too.”
Carla must have missed this loving family as well.
The strange talk between the Duke, Duchess, and Theodore ended with them thanking the “Great One.” It didn’t take that long, but they acted like I had been standing forever.
“That took a while. Aren’t you tired?”
“I was just so happy. The Great One brought you back to us.”
The Duke kissed my forehead. The Duchess kissed my cheek. I almost teared up again.
They walked me all the way to Carla’s room, still not wanting to let go of my hands.
“It’s late. You should rest now.”
“Yes. Sleep well.”
“If you need anything, call the nanny.”
“May the Great One protect you.”
The Duke and Duchess reluctantly left. Carla’s room was spotless, not a speck of dust anywhere. It looked like it had been cleaned regularly, not just suddenly.
I peeked down the hall, then waved Theodore into the room before closing the door.
“Sir Theodore, come in for a second.”
He hesitated, then stepped inside. Carla’s room wasn’t flashy, but it was much bigger than the Count’s house. It was too big for me to search alone.
“We need to find her secret diary or something like it.”
“A diary?”
“It doesn’t have to be a diary. Anything that could help me understand things.”
I was being vague because I didn’t even know what I was looking for. It was frustrating not knowing what might be important.
If only this were like a game, where the system tells you: this item is important! But Theodore nodded politely.
“I’m not sure I can be of help, but I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you. Could you check the bookshelf?”
While Theodore searched the bookshelf, I started looking around the vanity. It was a lot like the one at the Count’s house. There were no earrings, only a few neatly arranged rings and bracelets.
In the bottom drawer, I found a bundle of letters. At first glance, they looked clean, but the edges were worn from age.
‘Who sent these?’
