Misfortune ss5

Side story 5

***

Upon returning to the Barthez mansion, an unexpected scene unfolded.

Suitcases were piled high before the door, and the servants were busily carrying the luggage outside under the butler's instructions.

"What on earth is this..."

Delnia, overwhelmed by the urgency of their imminent departure, struggled to find words.

"Count!"

Margaret, who had spotted Delnia from the second-floor balcony, came running down the stairs in a single bound.

For some reason, Margaret was dressed in her going-out clothes. But before Delnia could even question that fact, Margaret blurted out something incomprehensible.

"I was wondering if I could see you before leaving, but you're here early."

"Leave? Where to?"

"To Blois, of course."

Margaret replied calmly, as if surprised she'd even ask. Delnia's expression, still utterly baffled, only grew more bewildered.

"Margaret! We must depart."

"Ah, yes! Count, then we'll meet in Belfort. I'll take good care of Leticia, so don't worry."

Margaret finished her words quickly, urged on by the coachman, and brushed past Delnia.

Only then did Delnia roughly grasp what was happening and shot a glance at Roan.

"We plan to depart for Belfort at dawn tomorrow, so I recommend you rest as soon as possible."

Roan spoke smoothly, seemingly oblivious to the sharp glare, as if he had anticipated it.

"What about the rest of the banquet?"

At Delnia's question, he silently curled the corners of his mouth upward. It was a smile that spoke volumes about what he had been up to while briefly absent from the banquet hall.

"Is Lena coming with us tomorrow too?"

"No. I asked, but she has merchant business left and can't join immediately. She said she'll come to Belfort according to the original schedule. Milan will be in command."

So, only the two of them were leaving tomorrow.

Perhaps even asking Lena's opinion was a lie. This seemed entirely Roan Barthez's scheme.

"So this was the plan all along."

Delnia let out a hollow laugh and shook her head, as if to say there was no stopping it.

It had been quite some time since she was elevated to Count of Eperne and granted Belfort as her fief. Yet, Delnia had never once visited Belfort during that time.

The reason was unclear. She kept telling herself she should go, she really should, yet somehow her feet refused to move.

But the moment came when she could delay no longer. Coincidentally, Roan invited people to Belfort, suggesting they stay together.

Delnia gladly accepted. If she went with others, she wouldn't have time to get lost in her thoughts.

So, they decided to depart together once Leticia, who had stayed behind in Blois to handle the aftermath, arrived at the capital, timing their departure for when the banquet ended.

And just like that, the large group vanished in an instant, leaving only the two of them to depart.

"When will we depart tomorrow?"

But instead of prying into his reasons, Delnia expressed her intent to join him by asking about the schedule.

It was only a schedule to arrive three days earlier, after all. Roan surely had his reasons for this.

"As soon as the Count finishes her preparations."

He answered as if he had been waiting for the question. Delnia opened her mouth to ask about his preparation time but closed it.

No matter when she woke, Roan would already be ready. He wouldn't sleep tonight either.

Delnia knew Roan was spending sleepless nights. Leticia was constantly busy finding all sorts of foods and items said to aid sleep.

But he never showed her any sign of hardship. He never once complained.

He surely didn't think Delnia was unaware of his insomnia. It was more like he wanted her to pretend not to notice.

"Well then, have a good night."

That's why, even to his deceptive farewells that neatly excluded himself, Delnia could find no words to return and could only nod her head.

***

The monotonous scenery changed when pointed spires began appearing over the ridge.

The carriage slowed, moving leisurely through the forest path thick with early summer greenery. Delnia opened the small carriage window and took a deep breath. The air, refreshingly crisp and invigorating, unlike the now familiar salty scent of the sea, felt like it washed over her lungs.

After traversing the rugged, bumpy mountain road, the carriage finally reached its destination.

"Step down."

Escorted by Roan, Delnia slowly stepped onto the ground.

True to Belfort's reputation, the weather was overcast. Sunlight, unable to pierce the clouds, scattered in the sky, while spires soared high, as if piercing through the gloom.

Delnia stood still, taking in the scene carefully, one detail at a time.

A monotonous gray stone fortress. At its very center, a green banner fluttered, embroidered with the family crest.

The cradle of Eperne, where she was born and raised.

"………………It remains unchanged."

The obvious truth spread quietly through her heart. When would she be able to return here again? Regret she thought she had forgotten washed over her like white foam.

"Welcome, Count Eperne."

Then, a calm and courteous voice broke her reverie.

Delnia turned her head toward the sound. A stranger was bowing toward her.

"I am Claude, the steward of Belfort Castle."

Roan, who already knew him, stepped forward to introduce him. It seemed rather ridiculous when he remembered that she was actually the owner of this place.

"Pleased to meet you."

"The honor is mine to meet my lord."

A faint, awkward smile touched Delnia's lips. It suddenly hit her how much she had neglected Belfort all this time.

"Thank you for looking after the castle so well, even though I haven't been able to pay proper attention."

"Not at all. I only worry whether it meets your lordship's expectations."

Despite the awkward pleasantries, Claude never lost his consistently respectful demeanor.

"Would you like to tour the castle now? I'll show you around."

"It's alright. I have somewhere I need to go first."

Declining the steward's offer, Roan extended his hand to her.

"Let's go."

Though he hadn't revealed their destination, Delnia grasped his hand without hesitation. They walked on, passing people who stepped aside for them.

Continuing along the path leading behind the castle walls, a small iron gate soon appeared through the bars entwined with gray ivy.

Roan opened the gate without hesitation. The rusty screech of the old hinges trailed behind like a long tail.

Delnia knew well where the path beyond this gate led.

Beyond the gate lay a narrow stone staircase descending the hill. Dry thorn bushes thickened on either side, and moss-covered steps made it clear few souls ever passed this way.

Neither spoke much as they descended the slope. Only Delnia's gaze, fixed on the back of Roan's head as he cleared the undergrowth ahead, held a strangely subdued look.

In the silence where neither spoke, they finally reached their destination.

The place where all bearing the Eperne surname came last. A place severed from all living things. Yet ultimately, a place meant to comfort the hearts of the living.

It was the family burial ground.

"...."

The sound of crows cawing drifted in from somewhere, along with the damp, earthy scent of un-dried soil.

Located in the most remote corner of the castle, the cemetery held tombstones of every kind: some so ancient the inscriptions were illegible, others perfectly intact, their edges still sharp.

And on the cleanest, most pristine new one among them would be inscribed a name she knew well.

"The late Countess's grave is over there."

Delnia turned her head at Roan's guidance.

How could he know something she herself didn't? Such questions were unnecessary. For it was Roan who had ordered Marian's reinterment.

She moved slowly forward. She sensed Roan following behind, but she didn't bother to look back.

Soon standing before Marian's grave, Delnia imprinted each word on the tombstone into her eyes. She gently traced the surface of the stone bearing the cherished name.

"..."

Her heart felt lighter, as if an old weight had been lifted. Yet, perhaps it also felt hollow.

Though she hadn't intended to come to Belfort, the only thing she had thought of was Marian's reburial.

It was the one thing she hadn't forgotten, even in her dazed state after Roan's disappearance. But she would later learn that even that had come a step too late.