Chapter 48 : It’s not myself, but you that I believe in, which is why I can move forward

After that, the military police stormed in, uncovering the fact that there had been contact between Creed and Dawn’s Eye, confiscating all related documents, effectively bringing the case to an end.

The previous day, Kyle had detained a member of Dawn’s Eye, Hecate, whose custody was also taken over by them.

Since it was an act orchestrated by the head of the Eleonore family, both Marianne and Sylvia were also considered quasi-suspects and underwent investigation.

However, their innocence was quickly proven.

More than anything, the fact that the two had cooperated with Kyle in exposing Creed’s crimes was the strongest evidence supporting their innocence.

As a result, the actual management rights of the Eleonore family were transferred to Marianne, his wife.

However, Marianne had no desire for the authority she gained at the cost of abandoning her husband, despite his wrongdoings, and thus she relinquished it.

Naturally, the rights were then passed down to her eldest daughter, Sylvia, which left her feeling conflicted even after successfully resolving the case.

“You seem very troubled, Lady.”

“Ah, Lord Lyard…”

Sitting on a chair in the garden, lost in thought, she turned her head at the voice coming from behind.

There stood Kyle, handing her a mug.

Curious, she carefully accepted it and took a sip, her eyes widening at the tangy taste in her mouth.

“It’s lemon tea. The lady asked me to bring it to you.”

“Hehe, thank you. Whenever my father scolded me harshly, my mother would often bring me this tea when I locked myself in my room.”

“So, there was a story behind it.”

Kyle had initially found the choice of lemon tea a bit random, but now he realized that it was something Sylvia drank when she was troubled.

This made him acutely aware that there was still much he didn’t know about her, prompting him to carefully move closer.

At that, Sylvia’s expression turned sullen.

“You could at least sit beside me and offer some comfort at times like this.”

“I thought you might not want to show your face right now.”

“Ugh.”

Normally, she would have clicked her tongue with a ‘You sure know how to talk,’ but this time, that wasn’t the meaning behind her reaction.

Why was he so perceptive only in moments like these?

That was the thought behind her reaction.

Truthfully, she didn’t really want to see his face right now.

Of course, his presence was comforting, but she preferred to show only her bright and energetic side in front of him.

She had practically resolved this major incident on her own, and in front of him—who had played such a significant role—she didn’t want to appear powerless, struggling with a mere personal dilemma.

“…Thank you, Lord Lyard. Now that I think about it, I never got the chance to properly thank you.”

“It’s not something you need to thank me for. If you think about it, I was the one who brought down your father with my own hands.”

“Even so, thanks to you, I was able to set many things right before it was too late. My mother was saddened, but she never resented you for it, Lord Lyard. Rather, she was grateful.”

“That’s a relief.”

Honestly, Kyle had assumed that Marianne or even Sylvia might resent him at least a little.

While Sylvia was less likely to feel that way, he thought Marianne—who had tried to believe in her husband until the very end—might have strong feelings about it.

So, he was a little surprised at Sylvia’s words.

At the very least, he was relieved to know that he hadn’t done anything that would make him outright hated by the people of this household.

It wasn’t about avoiding resentment itself.

What mattered was that his actions weren’t just a source of pain for them but also provided an opportunity for them to heal and move forward.

“You must have a lot on your mind about taking over as the head of the family.”

“…Yes, a little. Although my father did commit wrongful deeds, I’m essentially taking his place after bringing him down with my own hands. As his daughter, it feels complicated.”

“That’s completely understandable. That must be why your mother is also trying to relinquish her authority.”

Kyle nodded, believing that the emotions of the mother and daughter were likely quite similar.

That’s just how family relationships work.

Even if a parent hasn’t left the best memories for their child or if a parent has had to deal with a troublesome child, actually severing that connection and moving forward is something that always feels strange.

Especially for a child who has to sever ties with their parent and take over the position they once held—it must feel incredibly complicated.

So Kyle didn’t think she needed to make a decision right away.

But that didn’t mean she had all the time in the world, either.

After all, because of the major incident yesterday, the atmosphere in the county was still quite unstable.

A new leader needed to step up quickly to restore public order.

“And to be honest, I’m also afraid. Even if I do inherit the position and lead the family, will the family members and, beyond that, the people of the county truly accept me?”

“Are you still afraid because of the fact that you’re a witch?”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of being a witch. I’m afraid of facing people who fear me.”

While it might have sounded like mere wordplay, Kyle instantly grasped the deeper meaning behind her words.

In other words, Sylvia’s hesitation wasn’t due to a lack of self-worth.

Rather, it was the fear of the unknown—how the world would perceive her—that was holding her back.

If that was the case, the solution was simple.

Even if she had to face rejection, she had to confront it head-on to find out.

“…Lady Sylvia, do you have some time later?”

“Huh? Ah, yes, I do. But why…?”

“Then, allow me to borrow some of your time. Come with me.”

“Wait, hold on…! Lord Lyard!”

Gripping her wrist firmly—something he had never done before—he suddenly dragged her out of the castle without any explanation.

Sylvia, feeling like a cow being led to slaughter, had no choice but to follow him.

Even amidst her bewilderment, she briefly blushed at the firm touch of his hand on her wrist, feeling a moment of self-consciousness.

But what could she do?

A woman in love is always like that.

The place Kyle abruptly brought her to was none other than the busiest market district in the Eleonore County.

Still confused about why she had been dragged here, Sylvia got out of the carriage and looked around in a daze.

“Isn’t that Lady Sylvia?”

“It looks like her.”

“After what happened yesterday, what brings her here?”

Because of the Eleonore family’s twin eagle emblem engraved on the carriage, it had naturally drawn attention early on.

As she stepped out of the carriage, murmurs quickly spread among the onlookers, and Kyle, who had been listening indifferently, looked down at Sylvia, who was practically hiding behind him, and spoke.

“You came all the way to the market, so what are you doing? You should at least take a look around.”

He had thought she had come for some special reason, but now she was just sightseeing?

At Kyle’s unexpected words, Sylvia, like a frightened cat, peeked out her head and puffed up her cheeks as she looked up at him.

“I-I just twisted my ankle for a moment, that’s all. More importantly, Lord Lyard, don’t you think your tone is rather sharp?”

“It’s just your imagination.”

“…Surely, you’re not holding a grudge against me just because I’ve played a few pranks before, are you?”

“I don’t think so, probably.”

“You’re so mean…!”

After their brief exchange, Sylvia nervously glanced around before hesitantly stepping out from behind him.

Honestly, wandering around this county where she was born and raised made her feel much more anxious and tense than walking through Lyard County, where fewer people recognized her.

However, since Kyle seemed to have his own thoughts, she had no choice but to follow him for now.

“Oh dear, just look at how haggard she is. She must have suffered so much…”

“Indeed, sigh.”

“They say that wretched man locked her up in solitary confinement for her whole life. How could he be so cruel?”

“That Maran or whatever… Anyone would think he was born because he wanted to be. What’s the big deal about a single eye? How could he treat his own flesh and blood so horribly?”

As she wandered through the market, Sylvia started to feel strange hearing the whispers around her.

She had already expected to hear people cursing her father, Creed.

Since it had been revealed that he had imposed excessively high taxes to fill his own pockets, she knew there would be many people happy to see him face justice.

But what felt truly strange was that, even as people talked about him, there were frequent murmurs of sympathy and pity directed at her.

She had assumed people would be too afraid to approach her, so their reaction was unexpected.

Rather than looking at her like a wild beast, their gazes felt more like they were looking at an abandoned kitten.

It was a kind of gaze she had almost never experienced before, so Sylvia, a bit dazed, continued looking around the market.

Then, suddenly—

“My Lady! Thank you so much! I heard the news!”

“Huh? What news…?”

A plump-looking woman from a fruit stall suddenly approached and bowed deeply, offering her gratitude, leaving Sylvia utterly bewildered.

Had she done something?

No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind.

Seeing her confusion, the woman continued in an excited voice.

“I heard that you lowered the taxes for us and even used your own wealth to help! Thank you so much, truly!”

“Huh? What do you mean… Ah!”

At first, Sylvia had no idea what the woman was talking about, but then she suddenly recalled her conversation with her mother the previous night and let out a gasp.

During the recent investigation into Creed, discussions had taken place about resolving the hidden funds he had embezzled and the excessive tax burdens he had imposed.

As a result, Marianne and Sylvia had decided that all the wealth Creed had secretly amassed outside of the family’s official funds would be returned to its rightful place.

At the same time, the family’s resources would be used to aid the commoners who had suffered under the heavy taxes, and the tax rates would be restored to their original levels.

Sylvia had not expected this news to spread so quickly, but it seemed Marianne had deliberately announced it under her daughter’s name, ensuring the goodwill was directed toward Sylvia.

It was a strategic move to solidify Sylvia’s reputation.

Kyle had also tried to inform her of this earlier when he brought her the lemon tea, but after overhearing her worries, he had decided to let her experience it this way instead—like a shock therapy session.

“My Lady, you’ve been through so much all this time. Oh dear…!”

“Oh, come now, she’s the head of the household now!”

“Please take good care of us in the future!”

Starting with the fruit vendor, people who had been waiting for a chance to speak with Sylvia soon gathered around, quickly surrounding her.

“Ah, no, I haven’t…

Sylvia, who had never actually decided to inherit the family headship, hurriedly waved her hands, trying to correct them.

But then—

“Ah….”

She suddenly met Kyle’s gaze.

He shook his head at her, his usually sharp eyes softened in a way she had never seen before, as if telling her, ‘You can do this.’

Honestly, he was such a terrible man.

If he looked at her like that—like he truly believed in her—even if she had no intention of doing it before, how could she turn away now?

“…Alright. I’ll do my best.”

In the end, Sylvia firmly nodded, as if returning Kyle’s trust, and grabbed hold of him just as he was about to sneak away.

Where do you think you’re going?

You’re staying by my side from now on.

After all, you were the one who brought this light into my life.