Chapter 34
One floor below, knights and footmen were chatting idly, waiting for their masters to finish.
The moment Evina appeared, a familiar face strode toward her from far off, as if he had known she was coming.
“…Sir.”
“Lady Siollier.”
He studied her condition and extended his arm.
She was supposed to rest her hand lightly on top of it, but her strength gave out and she swayed. He quickly excused himself and lifted her into his arms.
“Ah.”
“I’ll get you there quickly.”
True to his word, he scooped her up and raced down the stairs as though she weighed nothing.
Even Evina, cradled in his arms, couldn’t hear a single ragged breath from him as he moved.
It was another moment that made Espers, and the entire Grand Duke’s knight order, feel utterly inhuman.
His cape billowing, the knight commander flew down the Imperial Palace steps as if soaring, and soon reached the main gate.
Evina’s carriage was already waiting there.
“Thank you, Sir. I don’t know what to say.”
Here was a knight commander, a count no less, serving a commoner widow as though she were his liege. Evina felt so ashamed she could barely look him in the face.
“Think nothing of it. I merely obey His Grace’s orders.”
“I know you remain by my side only because of His Grace’s command. But even that, I feel sorry for it. For someone as insignificant as me…”
“The moment His Grace gave me the order, your status became irrelevant. …Now then.”
He carefully set Evina down before the carriage.
She gave a small nod and took his arm as he helped her into the carriage.
Sinking into the plush seat, the kind she could never have even dreamed of when the Viscount was alive, she let out a long sigh.
“Ha…”
She was exhausted.
All she wanted was to hurry back to the estate, wash up, and rest.
That was all she wanted.
The wheels began to turn slowly. The carriage swayed heavily and rolled back down the path it had come.
It passed the Imperial Palace gates where the sentries stood and sped along the open road.
Leaning against the wall and gazing out the window, Evina couldn’t fight her heavy eyelids and drifted off to sleep.
She woke with a start when the vibrations stopped and the carriage slowly came to a halt.
Outside the window, it was pitch dark. They had been traveling for about an hour, so that was only natural.
“…?”
She gathered the hem of her dress, preparing to step out, and glanced up at the large estate before her. Her brow furrowed.
The Derise estate had been large, of course. Oversized, really, considering the Viscount’s station.
But the estate standing before Evina now…
It would be more accurate to call it a castle than an estate.
It couldn’t compare to the Imperial Palace, with its many clustered buildings, but it could easily rival the inner castle where the Emperor himself resided.
“What on earth…”
Just then, the coachman knocked on the door.
“Lady Siollier, will you be getting out?”
Evina quickly opened the door.
“Where… where is this? I was clearly meant to go to my estate…”
“Your estate?”
The coachman looked genuinely puzzled.
“I was ordered to escort you to the Grand Duke’s Castle of Impetraz.”
That was when it happened.
The great doors of the Grand Duke’s castle swung open, and five impeccably dressed maids rushed forward with brisk steps.
They quickly lined up before the carriage, and led by a middle-aged woman, bowed politely to Evina.
“Lady Siollier, welcome to the Grand Duke’s Castle. I am Leona Clioné, Baroness and head maid of the Grand Duke’s household.”
A baroness, no less.
Evina took the coachman’s arm and stepped down from the carriage, quickly bending her knees in return.
“My name is Evina Siollier.”
“You are most welcome.”
“Um… Baroness.”
“Please, call me Leona.”
Evina was so dumbfounded by those words that she was at a loss.
“Shall we go in?”
“Baroness, I apologize, but I believe there’s been some misunderstanding. I am a commoner with no title, and I most certainly wasn’t scheduled to come here today. I have no idea why I’ve arrived at this place…”
She, too, was baffled.
Had the carriage simply headed to the Grand Duke’s castle because it flew his banner? Or had the rumors of the Grand Duke and the young widow made them think that was where she belonged?
Leona simply smiled gently at the confused Evina.
“It is by His Grace the Grand Duke’s command.”
“His Grace… the Grand Duke?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I will explain everything in due course, but please, do come inside first. The hour is late.”
Her golden eyes rose to the pitch black night sky.
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