Turning

To say that one would not ask for mercy meant they were willing to accept whatever they might lose due to their own choice—no matter what that something might be.

Even if that something was their own life.

‘Saying it is easy. But will he really not regret this choice after watching the father he adored so much, along with his siblings and the rest of the family, be executed or punished right before his eyes?’

In the previous life, Yuder had seen many people who appeared to carry the weight of conviction and responsibility more than anyone else—yet even they had broken down and regretted everything after seeing blood spilled before them.

And the weight of the choice Kiole had just made now was heavier than any Yuder had ever witnessed. A person of average mental strength could never endure it. That was likely why Kishiar had asked again if he truly understood what it meant to follow his words...

‘He seems like the most straightforward guy, yet I can’t predict even a single step ahead.’ freewebnovёl.ƈom

As Yuder thought that, Kishiar gave a faint smile.

“An impressive thing to say. But you still don’t know a lot.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ll only be able to say you’re truly okay after hearing what Madam Bishu has to tell you. Go speak to her first. If after hearing her out you still give me the same answer, then I’ll believe you.”

Kiole blinked rapidly, caught off guard.

‘So when he brought up Madam Bishu’s disappointment earlier... that wasn’t just a passing comment?’

Was hearing old stories about Kiole’s mother, Langretsi, really that important? Important enough that it might change his decision? He didn’t understand, but he nodded anyway.

“A... alright. I’ll go back and hear her out.”

They closed the secret vault and returned to the main residence. Madam Bishu, wearing her black veil, greeted them as if she had been waiting.

“Young Master. It seems your face is a bit swollen... Did something happen during your walk?”

After crying so much, it was only natural for his face to swell. Kiole was momentarily flustered, but recalling Kishiar’s order to act like a proper young lord of Diarca, he straightened his shoulders and replied irritably.

“There were too many nasty bugs in the garden. Looks like the gardener without a left thumbnail didn’t do his job properly.”

“Oh, dear.”

“Still, I happened to run into him and gave him a proper scolding, so he’ll work better now.”

A pleased smile appeared on Madam Bishu’s face.

“Well done, Young Master. That man surely acted negligently even while knowing who you were. Now that he’s been properly disciplined, things should stay quiet for a while. Were you able to visit all the places I mentioned earlier?”

“...Yes. They were very helpful.”

They truly had been. Kiole’s expression darkened, but Madam Bishu interpreted it as noble composure and softened her tone kindly. freewёbnoνel.com

“I’m glad it was helpful, Young Master. Then, as I mentioned before, I shall now show you the traces Lady Langretsi left behind. However...”

She paused mid-smile and tilted her head.

“Why are those guards still following you around? Perhaps it’s time to let them wait outside and move about freely, no?”

In other words, what she was about to say was not for anyone else to hear—not even the guards.

‘She didn’t say anything like this when we were talking about the secret vault... That must mean what she’s about to say is even more important than that.’

Something was off. But Kiole didn’t let it show, keeping his haughty demeanor.

“No. They’re like spare lives to me!”

“Where we’re going now is not dangerous at all. Do you not trust me?”

Yuder thought Kishiar would intervene at this point. But Kiole was someone who grew even stronger when forced to throw a tantrum to achieve his goal without logic.

“What does trust have to do with it?! Isn't it enough that I want it this way?!”

“That wasn’t my intention, but...”

“How offensive! You say you were my mother’s nursemaid, yet you don’t even know the basic principle that one should never twist their master’s words to suit their own will! Are you truly her nursemaid?!”

Madam Bishu narrowed her eyes beneath the veil. Yuder wouldn’t have been surprised if she radiated killing intent—but what rose on her lips was a smile filled with longing.

“...Forgive me. It seems I’ve spent too long guarding this place alone and nearly made the mistake of forgetting the basics. Of course, we shall do exactly as you wish, Young Master.”

Kiole let out a breath of relief inwardly.

“I always thought the Young Master took after His Grace the Duke, but now I see your temperament resembles your maternal lineage even more.”

After saying that, Madam Bishu said nothing further about the guards and began walking ahead.

The first place she took Kiole was a parlor filled with flowers.

“This is where Lady Langretsi spent most of her time. Ever since childhood, she loved to sit by that window and gaze outside.”

Next was a hallway filled with portraits. From her youth as a young lady of House Dilejian to her marriage, portraits of Langretsi had been painted and hung in chronological order. Madam Bishu explained in detail when and how each was painted. As she spoke, it was as if she had returned to that era—her expression full of life and joy.

Kiole couldn’t fully empathize with Madam Bishu’s emotion, but since it was his first time hearing about his mother, he listened intently.

Then suddenly, one painting caught his eye.

‘...Huh? That one...’

He stopped in front of a portrait of a young girl in a white dress, eyes wide, and Madam Bishu began explaining as if she had been waiting for that moment.

“This was painted for Lady Langretsi’s thirteenth birthday. Isn’t the white dress she’s wearing beautiful? It was a birthday gift—specially made so she could feel like she was part of a debutante even though her health kept her from attending. The dress is still in the wardrobe, so if you wish to see it...”

But the reason Kiole was shocked wasn’t because of the dress’s splendor.

‘It’s the same portrait I saw in the secret vault. Exactly the same. But...’

His gaze moved to the girl’s hands. Sitting with her hands folded on her lap, Langretsi was wearing delicate lace gloves. In the secret vault portrait, her hands were bare—and wore a red ruby flower-petal ring. The one Kiole had believed was the Empress Dowager Inella’s ring.

The ring had been replaced by lace gloves. Other than that, there was no difference between the two portraits.

A chill ran down Kiole’s spine once again, just like when he first saw it.

Madam Bishu continued introducing the other portraits, but nothing entered Kiole’s mind after that.

They then visited a small dining room where Langretsi had loved to eat, a wardrobe overflowing with clothes without an owner, a mirror room she used to put on makeup—room after room.

It was astonishing how perfectly everything had been preserved. The Duke of Diarca’s claim that Madam Bishu was the best person to preserve Langretsi’s memory no longer seemed like a mere excuse.

Kiole appeared too preoccupied with the portrait to notice anything else—but not Yuder.

‘Even if this house was wealthy at the time... isn’t this going beyond that? Some of these items are downright extravagant.’

People have tastes. From what they had seen, Langretsi la Diarca did not seem the type to indulge in luxury. Her everyday clothing looked simple and comfortable, and the paintings she liked were mostly of natural scenery. Even her cosmetics collection was sparse for a noblewoman.

Yet scattered among them were dresses heavily adorned with jewels and lace—so lavish they made one sigh. Likewise, there were a few accessories, garish in color or intricately crafted, that stood out like bent nails.

And Madam Bishu subtly treated only those items with more pride and reverence.

‘It wouldn’t be a stretch to say she cared more for the person who gave those items than for Langretsi herself.’

That thought, surprisingly, began to make sense.

The extravagant items were likely gifts. While it was possible they came from the Duke of Diarca, Madam Bishu’s attitude suggested she didn’t genuinely revere him.

‘Which means the remaining candidate is... Langretsi’s biological parents.’

After reasoning that far, the expression Madam Bishu had made earlier—full of longing when Kiole behaved arrogantly—began to seem different.

‘I used to think Langretsi la Diarca was arrogant and haughty... but maybe that wasn’t the whole truth.’

“This is the bedroom where Lady Langretsi spent her final days.”

Madam Bishu led them to the top floor. The room where Langretsi la Diarca had returned after giving birth to Kiole and remained until her death.

When the door opened, the room looked as though someone still lived there.

Yuder’s eyes moved to a vase by the bed filled with ruby ellaria flowers.

“Lady Langretsi dearly wished to see Young Master Kiole again once she recovered. Sadly, that dream never came true... but I’m sure she’d be overjoyed to see her grown son here now.”

Kiole silently stared at the bed where his mother had once lain, then asked,

“So. Is that all you have to say to me?”

“Of course not.”

Madam Bishu smiled beneath her veil.

Her voice trembled with joy, as if she had been waiting a very long time for this moment.

“Young Master. By now, you’ve probably guessed... but no matter what people said about Lady Langretsi’s origins, none of it is true.”

“......”

“She was born of noble blood—descended from the noble Empress Dowager herself! And you, Young Master Kiole, are someone truly, truly special... a man who bears only the most exalted blood this world has to offer!”