４　Forgotten Heirloom

“Miss, I’m so sorry!”

Annie, her eyes reddened, desperately apologizes.

It seems she was severely scolded by Roger for independently conveying the news of Eva’s marriage to Nick.

“It’s okay. It was something to be told eventually. Besides, Aunt will probably start spreading it soon.”

“Ugh… I couldn’t keep it to myself. I’m sorry for being an inexperienced maid.”

After hearing about her marriage to Earl Burke from her uncle, Eva returns to her room and tells Annie, who came to check on her, about what happened.

“What do you think of the young lady! Of all people, count Burke!”

“Does Annie know Count Burke?”

Surprised by Annie’s indignation, Eva couldn’t help but ask.

When urged to speak, Annie reluctantly began, “I have relatives who work as maids in the mansions of nobles in the capital. When I met them before, I heard various rumors about the nobles in the capital… and Count Burke left the strongest impression.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“…He’s over 40 years old. And… it seems he has had several wives, but they all died rather than divorce.”

It’s similar to the rumors Matilda had mentioned.

“I’m sorry! Even if you hear such rumors, it will only make the young lady feel worse!”

Annie began to cry bitterly.

“It’s okay. I’ll just listen to it as a rumor.”

“……Lady”

“I know best that rumors are unreliable.”

“I know how my aunts and cousins are spreading rumors about me to other nobles. Surely, they’ve heard stories about me being a witch or being unattractive.

“If the person I marry allows me to continue tending to the garden even after our marriage, I won’t have any complaints. Well, let’s put an end to this conversation. After I finish reading my book, I’ll take a stroll around the garden. Annie, you should get back to work soon after washing your face, or you’ll be scolded.”

Having said that, Eva was caught by Nick as she stepped outside.

“Well, Annie, don’t cry anymore. I know you’re worried about me. Thank you for crying in my place.”

She patted Annie’s teary head.

“More importantly, I want you to help me think about the dress I’ll wear at the ball.”

“Isn’t Madam going to prepare it for you?”

“I can’t imagine my aunt preparing it for me. And even if she did, it would probably turn out to be something awful. The dresses I have are mostly hand-me-downs from my cousins, but with some alterations, they might work.”

When Eva’s uncle’s family inherited the title and moved into this mansion, her mother’s dresses and accessories were mostly taken away by her aunt.

The only thing left in Eva’s possession is the garnet pendant that was her mother’s keepsake, which she still wears around her neck.

Annie, whose nose had turned red from crying too much, unexpectedly revealed something to Eva.

“Actually… when Master moved into this mansion, my mother secretly hid the dresses that Madam instructed to be disposed of.”

“Huh?”

“It seems they didn’t fit with Madam, and my mother, without telling her, secretly kept them. She was afraid that Madam would find out and take them away. My mother told me to tell you at the right time. I believe now is that time.”

“You don’t need to apologize. In fact, thank you for protecting my mother’s dresses. Just as Natalie said, if I had known, I wouldn’t have been confident enough to hide it from Aunt .Can you thank Natalie for me?”

Annie, who had started sniffling again, cried while saying, “Thank you! My mother will be happy to hear that.”

“Annie, can you bring my mother’s dresses here without telling my aunt?”

“Yes, I’ll bring them right away.”

The condition of the dresses hidden by her mother was unexpectedly good, perhaps due to proper storage.

“You left so many dresses for me. Thank you. With their good condition and a little alteration, they’ll be perfect to wear.”

“I’m glad you say that.”

“Annie, will you help me choose a dress?”

“Of course!”

Annie beamed happily.

“Miss, which one would you like to try on?”

Annie asked, standing in front of a row of dresses.

Oh… I remember this dress.

“I like the green dress.”

“It’s a simple design, so it still works well even now.”

As Eva, dressed in the green gown, looked into the mirror, she felt like her mother was there… or so she thought.

“Oh my! It suits you so well!! It reminds me of Lady Elizabeth. It complements the color of the young lady’s hair and eyes and looks wonderful.”

“I heard that this dress was the first gift from Father to Mother.”

“What a wonderful memory attached to the dress! I’m really glad it wasn’t disposed of.”

──Back when Father and Mother were there, those were good times.

Eva reminisced about the happy times.

“Hey, Mother, Did you ever go to a party?”

“Yes, when we got married, Father and I went to a ball in the capital together.”

Mother answered Eva with her clear, beautiful voice.

“Mother must have looked beautiful in a dress. What kind of dress did you wear?”

“Father gave me a green dress.”

I remember feeling captivated by Mother, who blushed and shyly told me about it.

“Elizabeth was more beautiful than anyone. I was proud to escort her.”

Father gazed lovingly at Mother.

“Klaus…”

Mother also narrowed her eyes as she looked at Father.

Marquise Klaus Stahl, the borderland lord, usually didn’t show much expression like a knight, but in front of Mother and Eva, he had a gentle, soft expression.

“When I go to a ball, I want Father to escort me.”

Looking up with sparkling eyes, Eva, whom Klaus observed with narrowed eyes, said, “Oh, I’d be honored to receive that privilege. Our little princess.”

“Hey, Father, why did you choose a green dress for Mother?”

“Elizabeth was good at growing plants. People like her are called ‘green-hands.’ So, I chose green. Besides, green looks good on Elizabeth’s silver hair, shining like a star.”

Father’s gaze, sweet and melting gaze always landed on the beautiful mother.

“Green-hands… I wonder if I can become someone like that too.”

“Yes, I’m sure you can, Eva. You’re the daughter of Mother, after all. That power is within you.”

“I’m happy!! I want to become like Mother, nurturing plants and making beautiful flowers bloom.”

As the affectionate Eva plunged into Elizabeth’s chest, she was tightly embraced. Eva deeply breathed in her mother’s scent.

“Mother always smells like flowers. It’s a lovely fragrance.”

While gently stroking Eva’s head, who clung to her, Elizabeth smiled kindly.

Watching the mother and daughter laugh together with joy, Klaus, as if cherishing them, dropped a kiss on Elizabeth’s cheek.

“Would you like me to give you the dress for your social debut as a present?”

“Thank you, father! I like the same green color as mother.”

Klaus narrowed his eyes gently and nodded.

“Oh, I’m sure green suits Eva too. She has the same beautiful hair color and eye color as Elizabeth.”

Klaus smiled gently and nodded.

“Oh, I’m sure green will suit Eva too. After all, she has the same beautiful hair and eye color as Elizabeth.”

I miss those days when I laughed without knowing about the hidden malice lurking outside and the impending misfortunes that would befall us.

The Stahl Borderland, part of Marquis Klaus’s territory, shares its borders with the neighboring Dacian Empire, including rugged mountain ranges.

The Tifris Kingdom is not actively receptive to other nations. They maintain minimal trade relations, even with the neighboring Dacian Empire. The Stahl Borderland Knights are mainly responsible for border security, pest control, and guarding the territory’s trade caravans that cross the borders.

While it was a time of peace, Klaus never neglected the training of the knights. The core of Klaus’s teachings was simple: “Training in peacetime ensures readiness in times of crisis.” Emphasizing that there is no difference between wartime and peacetime duties for the Stahl Borderland Knights, he advocated continuous training in peacetime. He believed that those who neglected training in times of peace would quickly become losers. Thanks to this philosophy, the training of the Stahl Borderland Knights was considered the most rigorous in the kingdom.

Eva’s father, Klaus, who leads the Stahl Borderland Knights responsible for border security, is a sturdy and imposing man with a large, well-built physique. His daily training has sculpted a firm physique, and his short hair complements his handsome face. While single, he garnered attention from noble daughters throughout the kingdom.

Eva’s mother, Elizabeth, hails from the neighboring Dacian Empire. She possesses flowing silver threads of hair and transparent sky-blue eyes, exuding a beauty and fragility that could be mistaken for that of a fairy.

Eva doesn’t know how her parents met and eventually married. She only heard that it was a chance encounter, both coincidental and fated, in the mountains along the border.

As Eva reaches the age when her mother met her father, she wonders how her mother came to marry into such a secluded country. Perhaps there was a deep affection for her father.

Eva contemplates whether her mother faced any hardships in her appearance.

Admiring the love her parents found despite challenges, Eva can’t help but feel envious.

The Dacian Empire is the complete opposite of the Tifris Kingdom. Tifris is a human-ruled nation with almost exclusively human citizens. They are not open to accepting anyone other than pureblood humans, maintaining a closed-off mindset.

On the other hand, the Dacian Empire is a diverse nation with citizens of various races—beastmen, dragonkin, elves, and dwarves—and the emperor is chosen from a lineage of vampires.

Though Eva has heard stories and rumors from merchants traveling between the two nations, she has developed an admiration for the diversity in appearance found in the Dacian Empire.

She dreams of living freely in the neighboring country rather than spending her entire life in this restrictive nation. It’s a dream and a hope that she hasn’t voiced since losing her parents.