You Said You Wanted Us to Break Up - Chapter 106

A few days after being caught rummaging through Iswen’s study, Demian called me out to the garden. It was the same spot where we had parted ways after he helped me escape the study previously. Demian, who had been standing under a flowering tree, strode toward me the moment he spotted me.

“I found out.”

Last time, I had asked Demian to look into the background of how my mother and father came to be married. My mother had a life before she became Lady Rowen. Finding out about that period was one way to discover her real name.

Demian opened his mouth with a beaming smile.

“They say stepmother wasn’t from the South but was a traveler from the North. I don’t know how she got stuck with someone like Father, but…”

Demian, who frowned for a moment, added, “The wedding was in the spring, and they said you were born not long after. She passed away when you were a little less than two years old. The grave was moved.”

If the grave had been relocated, it made sense why my mother’s tombstone wasn’t in the family plot. Unaware of that, I had been searching the family graves when Iswen told me with such conviction:

‘What you are looking for is not here.’

Recalling that confident attitude made my stubbornness rise again.

“Why did they move the grave?”

Demian rolled his eyes as if my question put him in a difficult spot. Today, as usual, only one of his eyes was visible.

“Well… you know the family of Father’s first wife. The family my older brother and I come from.”

“Yes.”

“I heard they opposed using the same cemetery. Because of the succession issue…”

“Ah.”

I understood the context. Although the principle of Imperial Law was primogeniture, the line of succession was sometimes overturned depending on the head of the family’s will.

For example, the current Empress, Beatrice, was the firstborn of the late Emperor, yet it was Aiden who had been invested as the Crown Prince.

Even if Iswen and Demian shared the same bloodline, Iswen’s maternal family likely wanted to block any possible situation where I might gain succession rights. My father probably didn’t have the slightest intention of handing the family over to me, but they must have felt they couldn’t leave even a single spark alive.

It was then that Demian, glancing at my expression, offered an apology.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need for that.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the situation, and it certainly wasn’t a decision Demian had made himself. I had something else on my mind.

“Where did they say the grave was moved to?”

“About that… when I asked, he said I didn’t need to know.”

“Brother is always like that,” Demian grumbled. I wasn’t exactly trying to take Iswen’s side, but that statement seemed accurate.

More importantly, if my mother wasn’t from the South… then my hunch might be true.

Just as I reached that thought, Demian asked, “Can I ask what you were looking for in my brother’s drawer?”

I wasn’t close enough to Demian to pour out my inner secrets, but it felt a bit wrong to stay silent after receiving his help. After a moment of hesitation, I answered.

“My mother’s portrait.”

“…”

“It’s a little larger than a palm, and my mother’s name was written at the bottom in a language I don’t recognize.”

And the person who painted that portrait was, in all likelihood, the Princess of Kaulm.

The mage who was close enough to the princess to go into exile with her to Raslet. The mother whom my father—a man obsessed only with magic—had chosen to remarry.

The thought that the two of them might be the same person would not leave my mind.

However, Kaulm was a fallen kingdom. The king had been killed at the hands of the former Duke of Raslet, and the royal family and their remnants had either been scattered or absorbed into Raslet to such an extent that they could never rise again. To find out about that country, of which almost no traces remained, there was one person I absolutely had to go through.

Sioden.

—

I felt like I could finally solve the problem I had been agonizing over, but what was I supposed to do if I didn’t care for the method?

I was biting my lip with a troubled mind when Ian, who was leading the lesson in front of me, spoke.

“There is no homework today.”

The lesson must have ended already. I nodded at his words and packed my books. Unlike other days, I couldn’t remember a single thing I had learned today. Although I could read documents and ledgers quite well now, it would be a problem if things continued like this.

I should focus more during the next lesson. As I was reflecting on this, Ian, who had almost reached the door, turned around.

“What kind of horse do you prefer, My Lady?”

A horse? As I tilted my head at the sudden question, the man explained with a smile.

“Today is the day I go to see the horses with His Lordship. If the merchant has any pretty horses, I will keep an eye out and let you know, so it might be good for you to send someone to purchase one later.”

“…”

“I could ask His Lordship to buy one with us, but I am mentioning this because I thought you might prefer to purchase one separately.”

Since I didn’t want to ask Iswen to buy me anything, it was a thoughtful suggestion. However, there was a problem with choosing a type of horse.

“I don’t know much about horses.”

I could roughly tell the difference between a warhorse and a racehorse by their appearance, but that was it. Ian laughed softly upon hearing my answer. It was a pleasant laugh.

“Everyone is like that at first. Once you narrow down the characteristics you like, it becomes your preference.”

I thought about it for a moment before replying to his words.

“I think it would be nice if it had golden hair.”

I figured Ian would handle the other characteristics well. He surely knew that it would be difficult for me to ride a large warhorse.

“Golden hair. Understood.”

Ian nodded and left the study. When I followed him out into the hallway, Apple, who had been waiting for the lesson to end, approached me.

“My Lady.”

Lately, Apple’s expression was incomparably brighter than it had been when my father was alive or when we stayed at Raslet Castle.

The conversation I had with Apple last night suddenly came to mind.

The previous night, Apple had braided my hair while leaving the windows wide open. Unlike the North, the breeze blowing through the large floor-to-ceiling windows was not cold at all, but soft and fragrant. It was the scent of the sweet osmanthus in full bloom beneath the window.

As I took in the scent, a pleasant sigh escaped me involuntarily.

“It’s nice to be back in the South because it’s so warm.”

“It is. But more than that, I like that you are doing well, My Lady.”

Setting down the comb, Apple spoke as she tied a red satin ribbon to the end of my hair.

“I am truly glad that you separated from the Duke of Raslet.”

Judging by that conversation, Apple would surely hate to hear this… but no matter how much I thought about it, there was no other way.

I confessed my resolution to Apple as she walked down the hallway with me.

“I need to write a letter to Sioden.”

It was then that a question suddenly came from behind my back.

“Why?”

Startled, I spun around to find Demian staring at us.

Apple seemed surprised as well, as her gripped hands tightened slightly. Demian looked sheepish after having startled us. I snapped at him sharply.

“What are you doing, appearing so suddenly without a sound?”

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on purpose. I came because I had something to tell you…”

Rolling his eyes as if trying to prove his sincerity, he asked, “Are you going to write a letter to Raslet?”

“I’ll take care of it myself, so I’d prefer if you didn’t worry about it.”

Because my heart hadn’t quite settled from the shock, the words came out harsher than intended. Demian nodded, looking a bit dejected.

“Alright.”

“What was it you wanted to say?”

At my question, Demian swallowed hard and glanced around at his surroundings.

“Since your lesson is over… will you follow me?” he said in a low, hushed voice. “My brother is going to be out today. Let’s raid his office again.”

—

It was a suggestion far too tempting to refuse, so I sent Apple back first and followed Demian.

While it bothered me that I had been sharp with him just a moment ago, it was a level of guilt I could ignore at the thought of searching Iswen’s office again.

Instead of the hallway, Demian used the passages connecting the rooms as before. He seemed conscious of prying eyes.

It felt like a sophisticated move for Demian, but come to think of it, he had always been good at using his wits. Even as a child, hadn’t he slipped past the family knights and servants to go see the festival?

Recalling those times, one memory stands out most vividly.

“I’m the one who forced her to go! I was afraid if I went alone, I’d be the only one getting in trouble!”

But if we were caught this time, Demian wouldn’t be able to use such an excuse.

Right now, to anyone watching, we were clearly entering Iswen’s study to achieve my goal.

Had Demian thought of a different excuse this time?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Demian, who was leading the way, spoke up.

“If we happen to get caught, say I’m the one who made you do it.”

Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

I couldn’t tell what Demian’s intention was in saying such a thing. However, it wasn’t a bad idea to have an escape route prepared just in case. I nodded without contradicting him.

“Alright.”

Iswen’s office hadn’t changed much since the last time I saw it. Closing the door to the room connected to the head of the family’s office, Demian asked, “Where did you look last time?”

“The desk.”

I hadn’t been able to check anywhere else because I had been caught by him.

“Knowing my brother’s personality, I don’t think he would have put it in such an obvious place…”

Muttering softly to himself, Demian scanned the office carefully and spoke.

“Let’s start by looking between the books today.”

Come to think of it, the portrait had been tucked between books last time as well. I nodded to him and pointed to the right side of the bookshelves that were packed so tightly they filled two entire walls.

“I’ll start from this side.”

“Then I’ll search the opposite side.”

After that, we searched specifically between the books in absolute silence. Occasionally Demian asked how I had lived in the North, but I only gave him half-hearted answers.

How much time had passed?

Just as I had almost forgotten my surroundings while focusing on skimming through the books and sliding them back in, a voice like a bolt from the blue rang out from behind us.

“Demian Rowen, Iella Rowen, what exactly are you doing right now?”

—

Turning around with a stiffened body, I saw Iswen looking at us with a terrifying scowl.

Glancing sideways, I saw Demian facing Iswen in a state not much different from mine.

“B-Brother?”

“Yes, it’s your brother.”

Iswen replied to Demian in a voice dripping with coldness and irritation as he stepped toward him. The tap, tap of his cane echoed threateningly.

“Do you still have enough of your wits about you to recognize who I am?”

Demian couldn’t muster a response. I would have been the same in his position. An angry Iswen was truly terrifying.

Still scowling deeply, Iswen cast a sharp glance around the room.

“What is the meaning of this nonsense?”

It was then that Demian urgently raised his voice.

“I’m the one who suggested it! I had something to find and asked Iella to help me!”

I nodded frantically at his words.

“That’s right.”

Though I felt a pang of guilt, I had Apple to think about, who looked only to me. I had to avoid a situation where Apple might get dragged into the mess if I were caught by the scruff of the neck by Iswen.

Iswen didn’t seem to believe Demian much, but he didn’t press the matter further. He turned to me and gave a cold command.

“Iella Rowen, go back to your room. Demian Rowen, you stay here.”

My feet wouldn’t move easily because of my guilty conscience, but Demian, standing behind Iswen, mouthed the word: Go.

I forced my trembling legs to move and stepped out into the hallway, where Apple—who had been waiting for me out of sight—approached.

“My Lady.”

I spoke to her, knowing she must have already sensed the situation while keeping watch.

“Iswen caught us.”

Why didn’t I anticipate that Iswen could return at any moment?

Was it because Demian had led me in so confidently that I simply trusted him to decide when it was time to leave?

Dammit, come to think of it, Demian used to get caught by Iswen all the time when we were kids, too.

‘Demian Rowen, Iella Rowen. What are you doing here?’

Even back then, Iswen’s attitude had been remarkably similar. He had shown up with a swarm of family knights, rounded us up, and dragged Demian off to the training grounds.

And then…

“Iella, watch.”

While Father had placed a hand on my shoulder and threatened me in a gentle tone, Demian was being beaten by Iswen.

Surely the same thing wouldn’t happen this time? Demian was a full-grown adult now. Even if only for the sake of his dignity, Iswen wouldn’t just lash out at him blindly.

But as soon as that thought crossed my mind, a memory surfaced: the sight of Demian being dragged to the training grounds yet again after getting on Iswen’s nerves at the dinner table, right after my marriage to Sioden had been decided.

However—however, isn’t it different now compared to then? Iswen had recently injured his leg. So, dragging someone to the training grounds would be…

Just as my thoughts began to spiral again, a family knight approached from the opposite direction.

“My Lady.”

He bowed politely and spoke.

“If you have the time, I ask that you visit the stables.”

“…”

“The Second Young Master has brought a golden-haired horse and instructed that it be given to you.”

Not Iswen, but Demian?

The fact that I had chosen a horse with golden hair was something only Ian, Iswen’s aide, knew.

When I didn’t respond, the knight continued, looking somewhat awkward.

“He told me to bring it in secret because you might not like it if you knew in advance, but if you do not want it, I will inform the young master separately.”

Behind the knight’s words, Demian’s voice seemed to echo in my mind.

‘If we happen to get caught, say I’m the one who made you do it.’

‘I’m the one who forced her to go! I was afraid if I went alone, I’d be the only one getting in trouble!’

Dammit, dammit Demian Rowen.

How could he do something like this behind my back just to make me feel guilty?

I took a deep breath and spoke to Apple.

“Go back first.”

Apple looked back at me with startled eyes.

“Where are you going?”

“To Iswen. I’ll probably get scolded, so just stay in the room.”

Apple looked worried, but she didn’t talk back. As always in important moments, she respected my wishes.

After sending Apple back to the room, I headed back toward Iswen’s office.

I would go there and tell him exactly the truth: that while Demian planned the task, I was the one who actively went along with it. Then, Iswen would judge the rest for himself.

Repeating this to myself, I forced my heavy feet forward.

Just as I arrived at the office and was about to knock, I heard Demian shouting from inside.

“Why can’t we just tell the truth—that it was all because of Father?!”