Chapter 156 End of the Count of Kataberia
After reading the documents thoroughly, I signed them off.
“A letter for you, milady.”
I looked away from my desk and received the letter from Tanya.
“Ah, who could it be…oh, it’s Father. It’s wrapped up with a letter from the Kataberia family?”
Hearing his name, Tanya reacted slightly. Her brows furrowed in a mild look of annoyance.
The head of the Kataberia family was Dawson’s father.
She was probably worried about what was written in the letter.
Seeing her reaction, I smiled in exasperation and started reading my father’s letter.
“Father says, ‘So this is resolved now…’ Resolved?”
After that, I started reading Count Kataberia’s letter.
“Ah!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim at the contents of the letter.
“Could I know what the letter is about?”
“In short, it’s an apology without regard for dignity. Words written at the end of all ends…Think about it. Father already complained to the Kataberia family about Dawson’s previous actions. Should I say that this is a response from then…in short, he’s given up his position in the knight’s order, removed Dawson’s right as a successor and broken off all contact. Now he’s even asking for his weapon to be revoked, and so on. What kind of complaint did Father make?”
“I remember during that whole incident other than the second prince, Master was especially angry with Dawson.”
I was a bit surprised to hear what Tanya said.
It had already been a while since the whole thing had happened, but this was the first time I was hearing about any of this.
“Is that so?”
“It’s only natural. He hurt a lady, stooping so low as to use violence against milady. No matter what the second prince said, there wasn’t any kind of official announcement at the time, so you were still his fiance at the time…in other words, a future noble.”
“True.”
Not long after that, the palace announced officially that they were abandoning the engagement. Only after Queen Ellia accepted Yuri was an official decision reached.
When Dawson interfered I was still a noble daughter and a future queen.
“In terms of that, Dawson had already committed an unforgivable crime. Count Kataberia had announced that he was going to call him home for discipline. Perhaps it was a sort of kindness…to some degree he was trying to protect Dawson. Your father was outraged at this, and I heard that your mother was even more so.”
“Ah…”
“When she was still unwed she had many discussions with the knights who visited. Because of this, she was so much more furious that Dawson had made use of the knights’ order’s position on the whole affair. ‘He says that he’s obeying the way of the knight, but he’s nothing more than a pest to the whole order. Would a knight use violence against a gentle maiden? Is it the judgement of the head of the knights’ order to claim this man as one of them?…And he dares speak of discipline? After years of education what kind of man did he turn out? Count Kataberia is just doing whatever he wishes after claiming the position he wanted. In the end, nothing of consequence will happen to this so-called knight. Since when have we become so looked down upon?’ Saying that, she announced that we would no longer attend any banquets hosted by the Kataberia family, and that we would be absent from any that invited them.”
“Mother…”
The calm voice Tanya used to describe Mother’s words paradoxically made her fury even more evident.
“Speaking of which, since Kataberia has given up his position in the knights’ order…that means that the successor is the second in command.”
“Just in case, go confirm that. Also, bring this document.”
After Tanya left, I sighed deeply.
I was shocked at learning all this just today.
But at the same time…I was more happy than anything.
Although I wanted to suppress my happiness, the corners of my lips rose on their own.
At the time, Father was angry for my sake.
Even if I was abandoned, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it. I had just brought irreversible damage to the family name, after all.
I worked so hard after being named the substitute leader of the territory. The biggest reason was that even if I couldn’t bring my father hope again, I didn’t want to disappoint him again. Of course my current reason was completely different.
…I’ve become so twisted.
Someone had fallen into deep trouble, yet I felt happy about it.
Because even under these circumstances, I could still feel my family’s love.
I warned myself even as the smile spread over my face. With a click, the sound of the pocket watch that I wore around my neck entered my ears.
This was a gift from Dean in the past when I was touring the territories.
When I separated from him on the streets, to thank him for his help in the Boltique incident and just to give him a gift, I bought him something from a favorite store of mine. To my surprise, he bought one for me too.
There was an incomplete pattern on the outside, since it wasn’t completely collected. If you combined two of them together they would turn into an illustration. Almost like paired watches.
Grasping the watch, I felt my dim excitement and happiness fall away.
Soon enough I decided not to think about it any more.
Although I shouldn’t sympathize with them, I wasn’t sure what it said about me that I was happy to hear the news.
I touched the watch once again. The warmth that flowed from my chest felt different from the smile I had worn on my face.
What was he doing now?
In my excitement I had forgotten to thank him. I kept receiving help from him.
Not just in terms of work, but also spiritually, emotionally. I relied on him, again and again.
When I thought about the heavy duties weighing me down, sometimes being connected me to the futures of all my citizens made me proud, but sometimes it suffocated me. He was the one who was there for me, helping me get back up on my feet again.
That’s why I hoped not to become someone who would embarrass him.
As a woman, I couldn’t be with him.
These were the thoughts floating around in my mind as I took out the documents I had been writing earlier, and started to work again.
Exactly then.
“It’s been a while, milady.”
The door opened. Dean walked in.
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