The Maid Dreams Of The Sunset - Chapter 25

But Gehern believed Irmina’s wrath would not last long.

It was because he thought that it was a noble thing to be educated in not showing interest in those of lower rank than herself.

Since she was born, she had been a pure-blooded aristocrat, so he expected that she would forget Rene soon.

However, such expectations were splendidly missed.

As soon as he was distracted by the succession of his title, Irmina sent a private soldier to get rid of Renee. Fortunately, the murder was only a failure, but Renee’s whereabouts have been unknown since that day.

‘Do you still want to find that woman? Please keep your dignity. Are you not worried about the name of Eufgenschult?’

‘Whoever sees you will think you’re a Duke. When you have such a good family, you need to take care of them!’

‘If I could do it, I would have done it before! The only thing you have is that blood running inside of you…! Do you think Eufgenschult would fit a man like you? It wasn’t you, but me who supported your father from a long time ago!’

Eufgenschult , Eufgenschult , Eufgenschult !!

What do you mean, wife? There was no other ghost that was possessed by the ghost of the ancestors.

Is it just her? No. This was the case for everyone hovering around Gehern.

However, Gehern also enjoyed a life of brilliance due to the name Eufgenschult. His demeaning attitude towards his family was based on a humble rebellion that sarcastically sneers at him. As Irmina said, all he had was the blood of Eufgenschult.

‘…Renee.’

Renee didn’t see him as an Eufgenschult.

One’s own destiny that exudes an attractive scent.

She was the only one who loved the man named Gehern regardless of the family. The beautiful face that faced him with a surprised face at the opera house had no other way but to explain that it was fate.

Of course, Gehern could not have known that all of that was Renee’s plan. For him, Renee was only a resting place and a woman he loved sincerely, a fate to be by his side forever.

Therefore, as soon as René heard the news that she was found in Ankhsi, which is notorious for being a br*thel, he fell into despair that his fate was rotting away in that br*thel, and she wasn’t able to make a decent living.

“…If I had moved a little faster then.”

If only he had gone to pick up Renee right away when he heard the news.

Sadly, only Isaac was found by Karla, but her traces had already disappeared. Neither Karla nor Isaac had her whereabouts known, and even after that, he tried to find her everywhere, but he couldn’t find Renee.

‘Renee…’

‘Are you somewhere alive?’

With her fragile body, she gave birth to and raised a child by herself…

How hard must it have been for her?

There was no way for her to reach him if she was worried. The only way he could atone for it was to take good care of the bloodline Renee had left behind.

From a beautiful appearance that catches the eye by itself, the habit of touching the index finger at every difficult moment, and the languid eyes that loosen when you are engrossed in it. The child, who left Renee out, spent each day helplessly, unlike his mother, who was ridiculously full of lively charm.

That was really unfortunate.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Gehern, who was staring at the glass of wine, heard a voice and looked all over the place. His daughter was reflected in the black eyes that were wet with his memories.

“…Karla. What brings you to the study?”

“I heard you went to the annex. I’m curious what you were talking about.”

Perhaps she was ready to sleep, Karla approached him in a thin chemise with her long black hair hanging down. Frowned at her unquiet outfit, Gehern picked up the shawl hanging on the sofa and handed it over to his daughter.

“Nothing happened. I want to ask you how you are these days. I heard that the luncheon will be held the day after tomorrow. How is the preparation going?”

“What do I have to prepare? Since Confucius Norte said he would attend, mother would take care of it.”

Gehern let out a terrifying sigh in a gloomy tone. Even in Gehern’s eyes, Confucius of Norte, who was a distracted figure, did not find any place he liked very much other than his family.

However, the support of the Marquis of Norte was needed to build the railway in the east. Instead of marrying his daughter, he could expand trade routes in the East. Although Gehern, her father, was completely dissatisfied with the proposal, Gehern, as the lord of Helman, was in an unavoidable condition.

“It seems you still don’t like Confucius.”

“Is my opinion important to my marriage? If mother and father like him, that’s all that matters.”

Carla, wearing a shawl and enjoying the fire in front of the fireplace, looked back at Gehern with a sour face.

Contrary to her saying that she probably liked it, her face was full of dissatisfaction with her parents’ decision.

“I can’t say it to my mother, so I will tell my father. Engagement is always fine. However, the wedding… Please delay the wedding by at least five years.”

“I was wondering what you were saying… It’s a marriage to do anyway, but even if you delay it, you’ll only have an affair. Stop talking like a child and follow your mother’s will.”

“I’m telling you because I believe you’ll understand.”

Karla, who knelt next to her chair, looked up at Gehern with an earnest expression on her face.

“Can you swear that you love each other, father and mother? After all, for people like us, marriage is just a union with the families. Is it that difficult to enjoy freedom for just 5 years?”

“I’m not saying I won’t get married. I’m asking for more room and time to accept it. And father. I’m the only one in the house who can soothe Max anyway, and my father will be in trouble when I leave the house.”

“…You have a point, though. I hope you don’t think this father doesn’t know what you’re thinking.”

Gehern lowered his voice, holding his only daughter’s hand tightly.

“Hey. If you’re going to be possessed by a strange guy and play with fire, you’d better put it aside early. I heard that you go out through the forest every dawn on weekends, but who are you meeting? “

Her smile escaped from her lips, which had faded away in an instant. Gehern continued his advice with a merciful face to Karla, who was unable to continue her words.

“This father has a criminal record, so I won’t blame you. If you want… Okay, I’ll do what you want. But it’s up to you to persuade your mother.”

“…Father.”

“You’re not a child anymore, so I believe you’ll behave well on your own. Stop going out there.”

Contemplating whether she should be delighted that her offer was accepted, or whether she should be astonished that her father knew her secret, Karla made no choice but stood up from her seat quietly.

Good night, after a formal greeting, a very small voice passed Gehern’s ear.  Gehern said a word as if grumbling with a crooked mouth.

“A daring girl.”

“You must keep it a secret.”

Gehern burst into a bitter smile at her voice, at the cute voice that was not like a daughter, but could be used as a daughter.

***

After a long winter, spring has finally arrived.

With the fresh scent of new shoots and the sound of chirping birds, the annex was full of noise, like the dreary air of winter. Among them, most of the time it was definitely Dahlia who made the noise.

“Master, you said you were going to take management lessons?”

Dahlia, who finished her work early and ran to the annex, suddenly opened the door and spoke. Isaac, who was reading a geology book with the stones hanging down, pushed the book he was reading with a bewildered expression on his face.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“Thelma told me. The instructor was supposed to come next week, and she told me to clean the annex with Mr. Hoover.”

Dalia raised her head sideways with an ambiguous feeling of whether to laugh or not.

“Are you really going to take lessons?”

“Your Excellency asked so earnestly that I had no choice but to do it.”

Dahlia gave a stern expression to the reckless reply.

“Why are you so weak? I hope that you will do your best to learn and receive lessons!”

“I don’t need to learn anything…”

Isaac buried his face between the books and let out a long sigh. Dahlia began to appease him in a tone that seemed to be taunted by her blatant attitude.

“Little master. Do you hate studying so much? You’re much smarter than others, so you’ll learn anything quickly.”

“…I don’t like having other people in my space.”

“You don’t say anything to me.”

“Dahlia is fine. Other than her, I hate it.”

In an unresponsive manner, Isaac rubbed his face at the book.

The little boy buried his face like that for a long time, and when Dahlia didn’t answer, he quietly raised his chin. Dahlia, with her chin resting on the table with a smile in her eyes like a moonless night, was reflected.

In her gentle smile there was the ease of an elder, as if he were looking at his younger brother. Dahlia, who couldn’t even tell if he was seeing a kitten or a tiger cub eating her, was so cute again, Isaac laughed.

“Does Dahlia want me to study?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Despite the curious answer, Dahlia swallowed the words while muttering.

As she was, she couldn’t honestly say ‘because the master told me to encourage little master’. Dahlia desperately squeezed out a witty answer.

“I want the master to become a great person, so that he can be proudly recognized as a member of the duke family.”

The twinkling light in his black eyes faded, and then a sullen expression appeared on Isaac’s face. Dahlia continued, “No, that’s it.”

“Why the… like the master. Everywhere he goes, people bow their heads while he is walking proudly… Even people they don’t know are surprised when they hear his name… That’s so cool. Of course, the little master is cool too, but he really is a figure that everyone can admire.”

“Does Dahlia yearn for that too? Do you want people to bow their heads and support me?”

Dahlia nodded her head as she pondered which answer was the correct answer at his brooding tone.

“Yes. I would have no regrets if you grew up so nicely and took me to a ball or something.”

Dahlia licked her lips as she smiled, gently rolling the corners of her eyes.