Chapter 44

Chapter 44

“Sister! Get up! It’s morning!”

Roti shook her awake as she spoke. She cracked her drowsy eyes halfway open and turned to look at Roti.

“Roti, your sister wants to sleep more…”

“Mmm… okay!”

For once, the child let go of her without much protest. The lively little voice drifted away into a blur almost immediately.

‘But why is Roti here?’

Then it struck her — the situation of the fourth one waking her up suddenly felt strange.

Ah, right. I’m home now, aren’t I?

Come to think of it, I’d gotten leave yesterday and returned to House Highen. And that very night, we’d had burglars.

Fortunately, the thieves were caught right away and handed over to the constabulary. But even so — maybe because of what had happened — it felt uneasy to let the children sleep alone. So I’d taken Lucia to Roti’s room and bedded down with them.

But I hadn’t fallen asleep right away. My heart kept pounding — thud, thud, thud. No matter how many times I took a long breath, I just couldn’t calm down.

I knew it wasn’t just the burglars. It was something else — something devouring me from the inside. And because of it, I’d barely managed to fall asleep only in the dead hours before dawn.

‘Ah. I’m so exhausted…’

My eyelids, fresh from a light sleep, were heavy and stuck together.

But who could I blame? The cause was my own heart…

Wait… my heart…?

…Cause…?

“Aaaah!”

She let out a raw scream and shot up from her spot.

“Eep! Sister, what’s wrong?! You got up screaming!”

Roti flopped forward onto the bed like a recoil, asking.

“Uh… huh? No, it’s nothing…”

God! My goodness! The Duke was still in our house.

She threw herself off the bed and straightened up. Roti stuck to her back like a burr, dragged along as she moved.

“Sister. Sister. Make me some fluffy bread. You know, the kind with eggs.”

The child whined as she followed her.

“Don’t ask me to do annoying things.”

I walked ahead down the corridor, answering the youngest as naturally as breathing. Then I saw him—the duke, approaching from the other end. My heart seized up and I froze mid-step. Roti, following close behind, bumped her forehead into my back with a soft thud.

“Laura.”

The duke spotted me from across the hall and walked over.

“Your Grace! Did you sleep well?!”

Roti craned her neck out from behind me and greeted him.

“Sleep well?”

“Yes!”

The child’s voice rang out bright and clear. Meanwhile, I studied the duke. Thankfully, my heart wasn’t hammering like yesterday.

Hmm… I’m fine now.

That feeling yesterday must have been my imagination. Maybe it was just an arrhythmia or something…

“Your Grace, you’ll stay for breakfast, won’t you?”

I asked him, quietly relieved.

“No. I need to be going.”

He answered.

“Oh…”

My eyes drifted to the window. The rain that had fallen through the night had cleared. Early morning sunlight slanted in, dazzlingly bright. The muddy road, surely soaked just hours ago, must have dried stiff enough for carriage wheels to roll smooth now.

Damn. I really wanted to serve him a proper breakfast…

Disappointment sank in, but he was a busy man. I couldn’t keep him any longer.

“Well… then, Your Grace. If you’ll wait in the drawing room, I’ll tell Ren to call for the carriage. You said the coachman is staying at an inn, right?”

I stumbled over my words. There was no reason for it, but I was acting flustered, oddly dramatic. So before he could even answer, I spun around and hurried off toward Ren’s room, pretending to go fetch him.

“Laura.”

The duke called me back at once. I turned to face him, a bit stiff and slow.

“…Yes?”

“See you at Cuvershaiden. I’ll be waiting.”

His voice was calm, as if to steady me.

“…Huh? Yes, yes! I’ll come soon!”

In that instant, I felt my heart pound—thud-thud-thud. Heat flooded my face. It kept happening now.

‘What the hell?’

I whirled away from the duke, quickened my pace, and fled down the corridor.

“Unnie, wait for me!”

Roti scrambled after me, but I couldn’t slow down.

This wasn’t imagination or some mistake. These sudden surges of emotion—there was only one way to read them.

What do I do?

I ran straight to Ren’s room and threw the door open.

“What the—?! Noona! No knocking?!”

Ren, mid-button on his shirt, turned to glare at me, annoyed.

“……Ren. Get dressed and call for the carriage.”

“Got it… but why are you rushing around like a firecracker? Did something happen?”

“No, it’s just…”

I trailed off, waving a hand vaguely, and pressed both palms to my cheeks. The heat still pulsed against my skin in a dull, burning throb.

* * *

That evening, after the Duke had left, I gathered the children around the head of the table.

“Everyone. I have something to say.”

Now, now. Focus. Second, third, fourth… Fifth, too, I suppose. Focus would be nice.

The children scurried over and settled in a row in front of me, blinking up with bright eyes. Seeing those luminous little faces, I almost found it hard to speak. But it was something I had to do sooner or later — no sense dragging it out.

“Kids. I’ve decided to sell this house.”

“The house? This house? Our house?”

Roti asked.

“Yes. Our house.”

“Why?!”

“It’s too hard to keep it going anymore. And I can’t guarantee there won’t be another break-in when I’m gone.”

“I don’t want to!”

Just as I’d expected, Roti dug in her heels.

“Roti, your sister’s right. Listen to her.”

Ren pressed her, but gently.

“Why not? It’s been fine so far! There was only that one burglary, just one!”

“It’s not that simple. How can I be sure once won’t become twice? And we’ll need more money for you two to go to the Academy.”

I added a brief explanation, but the fourth one didn’t seem to follow.

“I’m not going to the Academy!”

“That still doesn’t change things.”

“I hate it!”

She pouted furiously, then whirled around to face Lucia. She must have wanted her to back her up, but Lucia gave her no such comfort.

“Unnie…”

Roti reached out with her small hand and tugged Lucia’s sleeve pleadingly.

“……Rotera. Don’t be childish. I can’t take your side on this. Listen to her.”

Lucia said quietly. Roti’s face fell, then she shoved herself up from the table.

“I said I don’t want to!”

And with that, she stormed out of the dining room.

“I’m not leaving this house!”

Her voice echoed, shrill and defiant, down the hall. Watching my youngest sister react like that — it was only natural that my heart felt heavy. But even so, I couldn’t chase after her.

“Don’t worry too much, Noona. We’ve spoiled her too much as it is. She needs to learn that not everything goes her way.”

Ren glanced sideways at me and spoke.

“Yeah… I suppose so.”

Besides, this wasn’t something I could compromise on. For me, keeping the children safe came before keeping this house.

A few days later, exactly as the Duke had said, someone from a noble house came calling. He glanced around the interior briefly, then proposed purchasing the manor at a quite favorable price.

“Excuse me… but may I ask what you intend to use this house for?”

I was about to sign the contract on the spot, but paused to ask him. The truth was, this was an aging neighborhood. For all that, the streets were well-paved and a large market ran nearby — but that was the extent of its virtues. Most nobles and well-off commoners had long since abandoned this backwater for greener districts.

So I couldn’t quite understand it. In my mind, there was no reason for the Duke’s acquaintance to specifically want this house.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the details myself. I’m merely here on my master’s errand.”

The man answered.

“Ah… is that so?”

A flicker of puzzlement ran through me as I set the pen nib back to the bottom of the contract.

‘So, they’re probably planning to build an inn here or something? The house is too rundown to use as-is… They’ll either renovate or just tear it all down and start fresh.’

If that were the case, then even if I ever returned to this place, the house where I’d shared hardship and joy with my siblings would no longer exist — not even its shape. Though I’d put it up for sale, the thought stirred a real pang of regret.

Well… there’s no helping it now… This house won’t be ours anymore anyway…

“Here.”

I handed the signed contract to the man. And so, the house that had been with me since birth slipped from my hands.

After that, I moved at lightning speed to secure a new home for my siblings. I couldn’t get a place right next to the Imperial Castle as planned — too expensive — but I did manage to find one near Cuvershaiden territory. Right by the ducal compound, so safety wouldn’t be an issue. And it was close enough that I could go check on the children whenever I wanted — a fairly satisfying compromise, even for me.

But on moving day itself, Roti’s tears just wouldn’t stop. While we loaded our belongings onto the hired cart, she clung to Mother’s jewelry box and sobbed her heart out.

“Roti. Time to go. Get in the carriage.”

“…….”

At my words, the child shuffled over and climbed aboard. I let my gaze drift to the wooden jewelry box cradled in Roti’s arms.

‘She had to bring that thing as a keepsake, didn’t she. It won’t even open…’

After our house fell on hard times, we’d sold off every valuable thing inside it. Even the pretty, ornate jewelry boxes had been replaced by rough wooden ones like that. So that was the whole story behind it — nothing more. But because it was nearly the only keepsake left from our mother, Roti carried that wooden jewelry box with her everywhere.

The child soon settled into the seat beside me. Then she held out one hand toward me, palm open.

“What? You want me to hold your hand?”

“…….”

The child nodded without a word, so I gripped the youngest’s hand tight. One hand clutching the jewelry box, the other holding onto me, Roti sniffled with a wet, ragged sound every few steps.

“Roti.”

“……”

“Don’t cry.”

“……”

If telling her not to cry actually stopped her, she wouldn’t be a child her age. Roti just clamped her mouth shut, tears and snot streaming like a faucet that wouldn’t turn off.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

“I couldn’t protect this house—but you can be someone who does.”

I truly hoped so.

I lightly stroked her hair. Then, the view outside the window caught my eye. At the edge of my gaze stood Highen Mansion, abandoned and alone.

A house so old its roof had blown off, a rookery for crows, bearing the name of a minor house’s castle. The place that had been my refuge since childhood. Where I’d lived with my siblings.

The carriage lurched forward. Our home—maybe for the last time—was slowly receding before my eyes.