Chapter : 61
On the fifth day of the relentless monsoon, the day of the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet had finally arrived. At midday, the sun had disappeared without a trace, and only dark clouds covered the sky, pouring down rain. When night fell, the world grew even gloomier under the shadow of those clouds. The heavy rain, as if intent on flooding the ground, struck violently against the windows, rattling them as though trying to force its way inside.
Kinder Toten checked once more that the window was firmly shut, then drew the curtains. The Toten marquisate residence, usually filled with the scent of sunlight, smelled damp and moldy today.
Kinder’s eyes were dark with shadows from having stayed up all night for several days already. Her eyes were also red from how much she had been crying. Sitting all day in the chair beside the bed had made her waist feel as though it would break apart. Yet Kinder soon forgot even her pain at the faint voice that reached her ears.
“Mom….”
“Rider! Yes, Mother is here.”
Kinder rushed to the bedside in a single stride, stroking her son’s hair soaked with sweat as she spoke to him again and again. The warmth she felt from his body was unusually hot.
Five days ago, around the time the monsoon began, Rider’s condition had suddenly worsened. Yesterday, he had been unable to open his eyes all day, suffering from a high fever, and only after a night passed did he finally regain some consciousness.
Rider had always been prone to illness since birth, but this time was the most severe of all. The servants working in the marquisate had even prepared black clothing in advance without the lady’s knowledge. There was only one person in the mansion who could not accept the child’s death.
“Mother. My beloved mother.”
“Don’t speak any more. You must be in great pain, right? Oh, my poor child. Don’t worry. Mother will surely treat you.”
Rider reveled in the overwhelming love and concern directed at him. It felt as though the world was filled entirely with a single person. But time was limited now, so rather than indulging, he needed to convey what he had to say to his mother first.
“Since this might be my last moment, please allow me to leave some final words.”
“No, no! Rider! Why would you die? Why would you—”
Unlike the unusually calm child, Kinder cried out, scratching at her own heart in anguish. The sound of rain outside swallowed her cries, making them even more intense. It was as though the roles of adult and child had been reversed in how they faced death.
“Mother. Please listen.”
Final words. Perhaps because of those words, even while burning with fever, he spoke clearly without coughing, unlike usual—like an elderly person burning their last spark before death.
Kinder did not want to believe it, but instinctively, she realized this was the final moment. So she swallowed her tears and moved closer to the child. It was a gesture to allow Rider to speak quietly and comfortably. A hot breath brushed her ear.
“Please protect the marquisate even without me, Mother.”
“Rider?”
“Even though I may not inherit the title of marquis, you must protect it.”
Rider spoke of a future after his death. His final words were not so much about his own wishes as they were for his mother, who might be left alone and lose everything after he was gone.
If both his father and Rider were gone, the only thing left for his mother would be the marquisate. She could not allow even that to be taken away.
“Don’t trust the steward. Nor the nanny.”
Kinder nodded, as if to show she was listening carefully. Seeing that, Rider coughed violently.
“Please forgive me for leaving you behind.”
Rider fulfilled the duty of an heir. After conveying what he had to say, tears burst forth. Only then did the child begin to cry loudly and act like a child. Kinder wiped away his tears with trembling hands. It felt as though someone had torn her heart apart.
“I… really wanted to become like Father.”
“Rider….”
Even from faint memories, the child wished to grow up like his father. He wanted to become someone like the father whom everyone in the marquisate had loved and missed.
“I wanted to become someone worthy of the heir.”
“No, Rider. You’ve done better than anyone. There is no child in the world as admirable as you.”
Rider was a perceptive child, and he knew very well that in the entire world, there was only one person who would think of him that way.
“I hate this curse too. It wasn’t something I wanted.”
“It’s not a curse. It’s not something like that. Who dared say such a thing? Mother will punish them.”
“Mother… you do love me, don’t you?”
“Of course. I love you more than anything in the world.”
“I love you.” My son. My beloved Rider. Kinder continued speaking until there was no longer any reply. Even the sound of crying faded away. Had the rain stolen the sound of tears?
“Rider? My child?”
Even his breathing had ceased. Kinder stared blankly at Rider. Her vision flickered black. The child had fallen into a deep, quiet sleep. His pupils had dilated. Kinder gently closed his eyes with her hand. The child’s body temperature was unusually cold. It seemed the fever had subsided in the meantime. She wiped away the tear stains on his face and carefully covered him with a thick blanket to prevent the temperature from dropping further.
“He just fell asleep… right?”
Her fingertips trembled. Seeing the motionless child made her head spin. Kinder wanted to scream and cry immediately, but for some reason she felt detached from reality and could not even shed tears.
No. Reality? This is nothing but a very unpleasant nightmare.
Smack!
Kinder slapped her own cheek. She struck it so hard that she tasted blood in her mouth.
“Why does it hurt?”
It was strange. It was clearly a dream. Rider was merely asleep and would wake up soon. Behind Kinder, thunder and rain poured down.
In the end, the end had arrived. Rider had drawn his last breath amid the monsoon where even the sun had vanished.
“O God… did you not find my child pitiful?”
Was that why He hid behind the clouds until the day the child died? In the end, Rider had been abandoned by the Sun God until his final moment.
Unable to accept reality, Kinder stroked the child, then burst into tears at his lifeless form, and then laughed hollowly. Yes. Rather than lamenting to a god who could not hear her, she should seek someone else. If she had been abandoned by a god, she had no choice but to turn to another being. It was clear who she needed to find.
“I must go to Lady Rohanson.”
Evangeline Rohanson. Yes, that pure white devil had said that if one made a wish to her, she could bring the child back to life. In return, however, it would require exchanging another living person’s life… Would that life include Kinder’s own?
‘If it’s my life, I can give it without hesitation. But what if it requires someone else’s life?’
Yet her time to hesitate was short. Had she not already made the wrong choice once and regretted it deeply? When the white devil had made her offer, she should not have hesitated but taken her hand.
Kinder erased her distorted expression and put on a calm mask.
Yes. Today happened to be the day of the banquet at the imperial palace. She had agreed to serve as Lady Rohanson’s chaperone. So going to see Lady Rohanson now was not unusual. There was also enough time before the Crown Prince’s banquet began. So she would meet Evangeline early and ask for her help. Since Kinder was her chaperone, perhaps she would spare a little time—just a little.
“Is anyone outside?”
“Yes, Madam.”
A hoarse voice responded. The door opened quietly, and a maid entered. She carried a basin of water and a towel, as if she had just fetched a wet cloth. It seemed she had gone out even in the rain, as traces of dampness still remained on her clothes.
“Rider’s fever has finally gone down.”
Lying came easily. Rider would be revived, so rumors of his death must not spread. Otherwise, his already poor reputation would fall even further—he would be treated like a monster, just like Lady Rohanson.
“Really? That’s a relief.”
The maid saw the young master and, as stated, his face had fallen into a deep sleep with the fever gone. Despite the harsh weather, her efforts of repeatedly changing the wet cloth had paid off.
“Where is the nanny? And who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”
“Oh, I’m Weather. I’ve been here for four years, but I’m still assigned to the laundry room, so it’s only natural that you wouldn’t know me, Madam.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you were newly hired.”
At Kinder’s apology, Weather waved her hands.
“How could any noble apologize to a mere laundry maid?”
“Where is the nanny?”
“The nanny said she went to tidy the room for the young master who will be arriving soon.”
“The young master? The one who will arrive soon…? Is that how the nanny refers to him? Not Dais, but young master?”
“P-pardon?”
Suddenly furious despite her exhaustion, Kinder startled Weather, who wondered if she had said something wrong.
The “young master” she had mentioned referred not to Rider, but to Dais, the marquis’s younger brother. However, she had heard the nanny had raised the marquis’s brothers when they were young. If she had cared for them as children, wasn’t it natural to still call them young masters even as adults?
“So. While my child is dying in illness, she’s gone to attend to Dais instead.”
Only then did Weather realize what was wrong.
‘Ah. I’ve just exposed the nanny’s actions.’
“Weather.”
“Y-yes!”
“I need to go meet Lady Rohanson for a moment. I am her chaperone. So I cannot stay here.”
Kinder firmly grabbed the maid’s shoulders. Weather let out a pained sound but did not dare complain.
“While I am away, you must guard this room. The child is deeply asleep—do not wake him or approach him. If anyone enters or causes a disturbance, tell them I will punish them when I return. Even if the nanny or Dais comes, do not let them in.”
“M-me?”
“If you do well, I will grant any wish of yours. Please. You are the only one I can trust with this.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Weather clenched the wet cloth tightly in determination. She gripped it so hard that droplets formed and gathered on it.
Kinder entrusted her beloved son to a maid she had just met that day and left the room. It was barely two hours before the banquet began. Though she wanted to rush to the Rohanson estate immediately, she summoned the maids to quickly prepare her as usual.
“Just tie my hair up. Apply enough powder to my face so the rain won’t wash it away. As for accessories… bring my ceremonial gifts.”
The maids moved quickly according to Kinder’s instructions. Normally, preparations for going out would take half a day, but today her directions were so minimal that her appearance ended up more modest than usual.
One maid, recalling the perfection of the marquis’s lady, asked:
“Madam, since it’s a banquet at the imperial palace, won’t this be too plain?”
“I’m already exhausted from caring for Rider. It’s better to keep things simple. Or would you prefer I dress extravagantly while my son is gravely ill?”
Today, the usually gentle marquis’s lady spoke sharply. It must all be due to Rider’s illness. The maid instead blamed the young master. The other maids, who had nothing to say, quickly understood the mood and kept silent, even glaring at the one who had spoken out of turn.
After taking a deep breath, Kinder spoke with a resolute voice, as though she had made up her mind.
“That’s fine. I’m not the main character, after all.”
As long as she could stand beside Evangeline Rohanson, it did not matter whether she was dressed in splendor or in rags.
Quickly finishing her preparations, Kinder hurried down the stairs. At the entrance, the butler was preparing the carriage.
“Madam.”
Kinder silently looked at the butler, who had served the Toten marquisate faithfully all his life. Since her husband’s death, he had always treated Kinder with respect. She had been grateful and trusted him deeply.
It was only now that she realized his loyalty did not extend to her child. If she had not been warned by Lady Rohanson and her son, she might never have noticed.
Kinder’s mind kept returning to what Evangeline had said. The devil who had revived someone. It felt like a sliver of hope. Even if Rider died, there was hope he could live again.
“When is Dais said to arrive?”
“This evening, I’ve been told. Though he may arrive earlier.”
The butler, while saying this, seemed oddly pleased.
Yes. He must be very pleased. Kinder ground her teeth. The timing of his long-absent visit was too perfect. The butler must have given prior notice. Perhaps he assumed Rider would die since he had fallen gravely ill. He had understood the situation far more quickly than Kinder. Or perhaps he simply had good instincts.
If Rider’s death became known, the title of marquis would pass to Dais, the late marquis’s brother. For Kinder, who bore the Toten name but not its bloodline, there was no rightful claim to inherit the title. And that would mean she could not fulfill Rider’s final wish. She could never allow that.
“Madam will go directly to the imperial palace, correct? I will inform the coachman.”
Kinder, who had been quietly looking at the carriage, instead requested a horse.
“I will go to the Rohanson estate. Prepare just a single horse.”
“Madam, with this heavy rain, why not take a carriage?”
“Butler. Since when did you begin to question my decisions? I will stop by the Rohanson estate and borrow a carriage there, so it’s fine.”
Perhaps because she now knew the truth, her tone had become less gentle. Without realizing it, Kinder spoke sharply, then mounted the horse that had been hurriedly brought, without offering an apology.
She needed an opportunity to speak with Evangeline. At the imperial palace, there would be too many ears listening. A carriage from the Rohanson count’s household would be more appropriate. Of course, Evangeline might have already departed for the palace or might refuse to allow her into the carriage.
“Goodness.”
The butler sighed. There was no time to stop her. Kinder pulled up her hood and spurred the horse forward.
“Can a wife abandon her beloved Rachel and rely on a devil? Even if the price is a human life instead of the marquisate?”
Evangeline Rohanson’s words still echoed clearly in her mind. A devil. A devil… Kinder could now give her an answer.
She regretted her hesitation from before. Kinder urged the horse onward. The rain made the horse slip dangerously, nearly causing an accident, but she did not care. The rain soaking her cheeks was not tears. Kinder increased her speed further. Hurry—hurry to the place where the devil was.
After Kinder left on horseback, the servants remaining in the marquisate whispered among themselves, unsettled by the lady’s unusual behavior.
“Why did the madam leave in such a rush?”
“She said she would serve as Lady Rohanson’s chaperone.”
“So even though young Master Rider is ill, she left to act as chaperone? And even rode a horse, which she rarely does?”
“Is Lady Rohanson that frightening?”
Rather than cautioning the lower servants, the butler chose instead to decide what to report to the noble who would arrive soon. That would be more advantageous.
Shortly afterward, another carriage arrived at the marquisate.
“Ah, my beloved home. It’s been so long! This is wonderful!”
The man stepping out of the carriage stretched his chest and inhaled deeply. He was Dais, the younger brother of the late marquis. Perhaps because of the rain, even the damp, slightly rotten, fishy smell of the Toten estate felt unusually refreshing.
“What’s this? Did everyone come out to greet me? Oh dear, no need to prepare all this.”
In truth, the people had come out to see off the marquis’s lady, but the butler corrected nothing and did not reveal the truth. He bowed deeply.
“Welcome, young master. You have arrived early.”
“Yes, well. I just wanted to see my sister-in-law’s face early. Is she in that carriage over there? Then why didn’t she come out to greet me?”
Dais tilted his head, looking at the carriage in front of the mansion.
“No. She left on horseback.”
“What! You should have said so properly!”
Dais kicked the carriage in frustration, causing a loosely fitted wheel to rattle.
“What is this? Why is it so worn out?”
“I’m not sure.”
Dais coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
“I hope my sister-in-law enjoys her outing. This might be the last banquet, after all. If I become the marquis of Toten, she won’t have a reason to attend such events. She wouldn’t be planning to remarry me just for a title, would she? Ugh.”
Seeing Dais already acting like the master of the marquisate, Rack reconsidered his choice. But the dice had already been cast. At this point, all he could do was hope for a favorable outcome.
“Since it’s raining, please come inside. Shion will have prepared the room for you.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the nanny.”
Rack led Dais into the house. Dais, who had been swaggering as though returning to his own home, suddenly stopped.
“Right. What about that one? Did my sister-in-law take him as well?”
The person Dais referred to was Rider.
“No. Young Master Rider is ill and resting in his room. Since the madam attended the banquet, it seems his condition has improved somewhat after a few days of illness.”
The butler, unaware of the child’s death, offered his own assumption. Since his condition had improved, the mother must have left the child behind. Unaware that the marquis’s lady had left the child behind under the pretense that he was sleeping, the butler’s conclusion was perfectly reasonable.
“Tch. If he’s going to die, he should hurry up and die. He’s stubborn.”
Dais clicked his tongue mockingly. Rack agreed inwardly. Rider had originally been said not to live past five, yet he had survived well beyond that age. His life, like a thin thread, showed no signs of breaking.
Moreover, an unexpected precedent had emerged of someone escaping the curse. Originally, they would have waited patiently until the child died, but circumstances had changed. Rack’s impatience stemmed from the sudden appearance of Evangeline. He feared that Evangeline might actually improve Rider’s condition. That would not do. A cursed child could not be placed in the position of marquis.
What had helped Rack in his deliberation was a stranger. Of course, that person was not the foolish Dais.
“So? My uncle has arrived, and no one even greets him? Well, I suppose I’ll forgive it since he’s ill. Let me go see his face after such a long time.”
Dais smirked as he climbed the stairs. From the butler’s perspective, he looked like a child about to throw a stone at a frog.
