Chapter 225
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Oh my, my dear brother. What is this? I can’t tell you how shocked I was when I heard the news. She was such a beautiful child, and I’m sure she has become the brightest star in the sky.”
Though not a single tear stained her handkerchief, Lady Luther continued the performance seamlessly.
“My niece’s funeral should not be so bleak. I’m sorry I came so late. I’ve had so much going on lately, it couldn’t be helped.”
“…Is that so?”
“And… there’s an unexpected guest here. Did Duke Heinrich help with the funeral?”
“The Duke came just to offer his condolences for the loss of my daughter.”
“I see. It’s truly a strange thing. After all, he was involved in a scandal with Leah, wasn’t he? Wasn’t it because of him that Leah had to flee the capital?”
“It’s better than meeting the sister who refused to even help the desperate Leah. Please leave.”
“The King himself has come, you know. You wouldn’t dare to shut us out, would you? Not in front of everyone.”
“It’s not impossible. The Chevron family has already fallen out of favor with society, so there’s nothing left to lose. Please leave before the noise gets any louder.”
Count Chevron responded firmly.
Adrian placed a white flower on the coffin and then approached the Count to whisper in his ear.
“Uncle, I tried to help Leah. But as you know, your sister wouldn’t even budge. Don’t forget that.”
At those words, Count Chevron’s reddened eyes shifted toward Lady Luther.
“Your Majesty’s mother will never regret or feel sorry for me.”
Adrian shrugged and stepped away from him.
“I have no intention of abandoning my family. So if you need help, come to me anytime.”
Even though he knew it was a sweet lie, Count Chevron tightly clutched the note Adrian had slipped him.
“Mother, let’s leave now.”
Adrian said softly to Lady Luther.
“Wait. Even though we came, we should at least leave a flower.”
Lady Luther threw a flower onto the coffin with an almost dismissive gesture. Afterward, the nobles who had come with her placed flowers one by one and then headed toward the carriage.
After performing the formalities, everyone left without hesitation, as though they had done their part. Soon, the funeral hall was again filled with silence.
After they left, what remained was Count Chevron’s fury.
“Duke, please tell me what I should do.”
Count Chevron immediately approached Mikhail.
Mikhail, who had been quietly observing the situation, finally spoke.
“Count, you should go inside and rest for now. There will be something for you to do soon. Today, just enduring the grief is difficult enough.”
“…I can’t keep watching my sister’s actions in silence.”
“Count, rushing things won’t change anything. They’ve already started to crumble. Soon enough, you’ll see the scene you’ve been hoping for.”
“…I’ll wait for your contact.”
Mikhail nodded. The funeral was only over once Leah’s coffin was completely covered with dirt.
Emilia couldn’t forget the sight of Count Chevron’s reddened eyes. How long would he carry this pain with him?
Of course, Leah had likely made bad choices and harbored ill intentions. But she was still far too young to meet such a hollow end.
It was hard to solely blame her, especially when the adults who had stood behind her and manipulated her were walking around with their heads held high, without taking any responsibility.
At the center of it all was Lady Luther. Emilia clenched her fists as she stared at the spot where the carriage had disappeared.
They were people who should never rise above others. It was up to the two of them to bring them down as soon as possible, and that was their remaining task.
❖ ❖ ❖
Emilia, exhausted, dragged herself to the desk.
After the funeral of Count Chevron’s family, she returned to the Duke’s estate, quickly changed her clothes, and went to sleep.
She woke up an hour before her parents’ funeral was to be held.
As she looked at the newspaper on her desk, she crumpled it and threw it away.
The newspaper was filled with stories about Leah’s death. The Spiegel newspaper seemed to have resumed its activities, openly criticizing the royal family.
Among the nobles, there was growing concern about Lady Luther’s abandonment towards Leah.
“They won’t leave her alone, even after she’s dead.”
Should she have to hear the whispers of people even after becoming a star in the sky? Perhaps, from up high, human voices wouldn’t reach her.
Emilia wished that if she were to die, she would become a faint, distant star, barely visible.
She wanted to shine in the deepening night sky, but instead of making everyone think of her, she wanted to gradually fade away, so that the remaining people wouldn’t be sad and could live their lives without her.
Emilia changed into a black dress and stared blankly out the window.
The sky shimmered with a golden hue, and the purple clouds tangled together like a painting.
‘Time really is moving quickly.’
Had it not been for Leah’s funeral, she wouldn’t have spoken with Mikhail for days.
When she heard that no one was attending the funeral, Emilia took the initiative.
She went to find Mikhail and told him that it would be fine to hold her parents’ funeral tomorrow, but they should go to Leah’s first.
Once he realized that no one was grieving for the death of his daughter, he wouldn’t be able to hold up.
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