Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

Chapter 17



‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I missed this.’

 

It’s been a little over three months since Lady Theresia left. Between caring for Theresia after she collapsed shortly after the festival, losing her, and getting back to normal after the accident, Eileen was frankly distraught. There were so many things to take care of, and it was hard to calm down emotionally.

 

So, when she heard an old woman calling for the duke, it sent a shiver down her spine.

 “Lady Theresia is dead. No, no, no. I’ve come all the way here, please let me see the duke, it’s a matter of life and death for my Master Felix. Please!” 

Eileen’s eyes trembled as she saw the old woman, who hadn’t been to the Outer Botanical Gardens for a long time, huddled and crying. The name Felix stuck in her ears and wouldn’t go away. The staff who had been soothing the old woman came running up to Eileen.

 “Miss, it’s a bit messy, isn’t it? Let me clean it up and you can go in.” “Where are you from?” “She says she’s a maid to a relative of Lady Theresia’s, but the circumstances are vague.” “Circumstances?” “Lady Theresia isolated herself from his father, the Marquis of Eldium.” 

Lucian walked over. His sweaty hair and thin shirt made him look like he’d just come from the barracks.

 “Lucian.” “This isn’t the place to talk about it, so why don’t we walk alone for a while?” 

Just then, the old woman, who had spotted Eileen and Lucian, rushed towards them, but was stopped by the knights.

 “Duke, Duke, you are the duke, aren’t you? Please listen to me! It’s about Lady Katarina!” 

Lucian frowned slightly as Eileen’s light arm wrapped around him and hid him behind her.

 “Take her into the parlor for now. Don’t let her come out.” 

The knight nodded. The old woman, still weeping, was picked up by the two knights and disappeared toward the mansion. Eileen and Lucian walked through the gardens instead of going straight back to the mansion.

 “So, what happened?” 

Lucian grinned sheepishly.

 “Hmm, not much to brag about.” 

His mouth opened cautiously.

 

Theresia and Gladius had been engaged at a very young age, and though it had been an arranged marriage, they had been lucky enough to fall in love at first sight. They were very good friends, their families got along well, and everything had gone smoothly. Until Theresia fell ill during her first year at the Academy.

 

“There is no way she can produce an heir with her illness.”

 

“The next minor duke must come from the womb of our Marquis of Eldium.”

 

In the Duchy of Gaudium, no one had a problem with this, although some did. They were afraid of Gladius, who already had the swordmaster in his sights, and they didn’t want to change his mind.

 

The problem was the Marquis of Eldium. 

 

They wanted the heir to the dukedom to come from the Marquis of Eldium, and Theresia’s incurable illness was an obstacle in their way.

 

They grounded her, exaggerated her illness, forced her to drop out of the academy in her second year, and sent her to live in a country house for convalescence. Once she was out of the picture, they planned to take a girl two years younger than Theresia to be Gladius’s wife.

 

Gladius was furious at this cruelty, as he doubted that Theresia was their real daughter.

 

The situation was resolved when he realized what was happening and insisted that he would not marry her, but the betrayal Theresia felt from her family was something she would never forget.

 

After the ceremony, Theresia cut off all contact with the Marquis of Eldium.

 “So that’s what happened…” “It’s a grim story, isn’t it, but I’m so glad my mother got out of that house.” “And the Lady.” “Probably the woman who was brought in to take my mother’s place, her nanny.” 

The Marquis of Eldium, who had become a dog chasing chickens shortly after Theresia broke off their connection, quickly disposed of his adopted daughter, who was left in the dust.

 

The heiress of an earl who had gold mines and produced several wizards. She was younger than Theresia at the time, so she was sold to a man well into his forties.

 “Her name was Katarina, I think. My mother always felt sorry for her, she had no choice in the matter, but I thought they got along well, having a child the same year as my mother.” 

Eileen felt a puzzle begin to form in her head.

 

The earl’s second wife. Half-sister. The abuse. Felix. Katarina’s nanny. A desperate request for help.

 

The Felix the old woman was talking about must be the same child from the festival.

 “You want to help him, don’t you?” “…….” 

Lucian turned to face Eileen. His pale green eyes, so much like Theresia’s, shone in the sunlight.

 “You always wear a heavy face when something bothers you, and this time I’m not going to let you do something so recklessly on your own, or Cordelia will be really upset.” 

Lucian held up his fingers, forming them into horns, and smiled brightly, imitating Cordelia. At the sight of him, so innocent and sweet, Eileen felt her heart lighten for the first time in a long time.

 

Felix.

 

‘Could you be like that?’

 

Eileen followed Lucian back to the mansion, time to erase another sad ending.

  

* * * 

  

The old woman’s visit had reached the duke’s ears, too, for she had declared,

 

Katarina had died giving birth to Felix, the third son of the Count of Forss, and that Felix was being horribly mistreated and discriminated against by his half-brother, who was a bastard.

 

Fearing that she would lose Felix as well, she turned to the Marquis of Eldium for help, only to be shunned and sent away.

 “My poor boy has no one to turn to, neither her parents nor Eldium, they have all taken advantage of him. Please have mercy on him for once. It was only the Duchess who had any compassion for Lady Katarina!” 

The old woman slumped to the floor. Her trembling body showed how desperate she was.

 

How she must have felt to turn around and beg for Theresia’s mercy, and how she must have despaired when she realized that her last ally was dead.

 

‘In the original story, Theresia is long dead, so she wouldn’t have had a chance to ask for help.’

 

Even if she had, it’s hard to imagine that the duke would have listened to her, having already closed his mind and gone mad.

 

When the old woman finished speaking, the duke tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, as if deep in thought.

 

Eileen swallowed hard.

 

She wanted to tell him that they should take the child, but she wasn’t sure what to say.

 

Katarina would be a bad memory for the duke.

 

Lucian turned to the duke first, taking in Eileen’s sullen expression.

 “This woman. I want her to bring Felix to us.” “Why?” “Because that’s what my mother would have done.” 

The duke’s fingers paused on the desk. His eyes, slightly widened, studied Lucian. He had grown so proud since meeting Eileen and Cordelia. The duke studied the child with newfound interest, then nodded.

 “You’re not wrong.” 

It hadn’t been a big deal to steal a child. Whatever the circumstances surrounding Regia’s feast day, Eileen’s kidnapping had reached the duke’s ears, and he already knew that Felix, Forss’s third son, was being held there with her.

 

Oslo was too busy with Theresia’s affairs to find out for himself, but from what he could gather, it was clear that Forss was involved in the slave trade of the day and the illegal auctions taking place across the empire.

 

‘He’s back safely, and he’s distraught, so I’m letting it go for now.’

 

There was no way Forss, who would put out a fire at the slightest threat, was going to hold onto his late wife’s child.

 

‘He can’t hide that look.’

 

Eileen’s face flushed as the duke made as if he were going to bring the child. She didn’t show it, but the potted plants behind her back were stirring. The duke smiled slyly, pretending to cover his mouth, and nodded.

 “Raise your head. In the name of the Duke of Gaudium, I promise to protect Felix Aen Forss.” 

The old woman wept with emotion. If Theresia were here, she would have held the old woman’s trembling body gently in her arms, and as he watched the tears with dry eyes for a moment, the duke felt an unexpected warmth in his hand.

 “Thank you.” 

Eileen placed her hand in his and smiled. Impulsively, the Duke raised his large hand and ruffled the child’s hair. Lucian and the Duke burst out laughing at the same time as Eileen stepped back in horror.

 

Eileen pouted her lips and straightened her hair.

 

‘At least I can see now.’

 

It was time to end this tiresome game.

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