I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 101

‘This is Killian, who gave up his love for Lizé to marry me, Count Riegelhoff’s daughter. I, too, could easily be replaced by Leila Sinclair.’

A sigh escaped me.

Killian examined me carefully, then put an arm around my shoulders and said,

“I’m thinking of heading down to Ryzen as soon as the territorial war is over and the situation in the capital stabilizes. What do you think?”

“I’m in favor of it, otherwise we’ll be getting bombarded with gossip if we stay in the capital……”

“It might be a bit boring there, but consider it recuperation for the time being.”

I was looking forward to going to the Ryzen estate, but Killian seemed to think I didn’t want to but had no choice but to go.

I just nodded, not wanting to argue with him about it.

I sincerely hoped that the day would come when I could go down to the estate with Killian.

***

“Count Riegelhoff has rushed things. It’s a nuisance, but it’s for the best. This time he’ll be rooted out,” said Duke Ludwig, skimming the current situation report handed to him by his aide.

Cliff and Killian, seated together in his office, nodded in agreement.

No one was surprised by the sudden declaration of territorial war; it was a little earlier than they had expected, but it was also to be expected, given Count Riegelhoff’s behavior at the National Day ball.

“Is His Majesty angry?” asked Cliff.

Duke Ludwig laughed. “Of course he is. I think he might take this opportunity to strike down Archduke Langston, who is crawling to the end of His rope, or the Empress Dowager, who has never treated His Majesty as an emperor.”

“Finally!” Killian exclaimed in relief. “We’ve been patient for a long time, so long that it’s frustrating for anyone watching from the side.”

“His Majesty must have been waiting for a day like this, too. He’s never had a good reason to purge before, and this time, no one will be able to defy.”

Cliff nodded, and then asked, his voice a little lower this time. “Is the kill list done?”

He was asking if the families involved in the treason had been identified and their level of punishment determined.

“I think it’s roughly done; Archduke Langston, Count Riegelhoff, and Count Eilert will not be spared.”

At the mention of Count Riegelhoff, the Duke and Cliff’s eyes turned to Killian.

“Have you not noticed anything…… strange about Edith?”

Killian’s brow creased momentarily at the Duke’s question.

“Edith believes her ties to the Riegelhoffs have already been severed. In fact, isn’t that true? For the Count has declared war on us without the slightest regard for the well-being of the daughter he has entrusted with us as a hostage.”

“If that’s what she sincerely thinks, I’m glad to hear it……”

Despite nodding, the Duke didn’t seem to like Killian’s answer.

Though frustrated, Killian couldn’t say anything more.

‘I must get down to Ryzen as soon as possible after this territorial war is over. If Count Riegelhoff is disgraced, there’s no telling how much more nasty things will be said about Edith…….’

Killian didn’t want to see Edith suffer any more hurt and pain.

After a few years of living quietly and honorably in Ryzen, people would forget about her past and her last name, Riegelhoff.

People’s curiosity would be piqued, but it would cool just as quickly.

“We’ll be leaving in a week. Cliff, you’ll be in charge of the knights, and Killian, you’ll be in charge of the weapons, so that we can leave in a week.”

“Yes, understood.”

The meeting concluded, and Duke Ludwig headed back to the palace, leaving Cliff and Killian to busily prepare for their respective responsibilities.

It wasn’t until after dark that Killian finally found some time to relax and have dinner with Edith, and he returned to his room, still needing to document what he had learned about the armory today.

But even as he worked on the documentation, he couldn’t get Edith out of his head.

‘She’s been eating a little less…… even if she pretends not to, I know she’s worried.’

Edith, who had always exclaimed while eating happily, started not finishing her food a few days ago.

It was so unusual that Anna, who was clearing the table, asked, “Are you sure you’re done eating?”

‘Edith will have to endure well until the territory war is over……’

Killian sighed lowly and was just finishing organizing the documents.

Then, a knock was heard.

It was too late for anyone to be visiting, but Killian walked slowly to the door, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

‘It can’t be Edith,’ he thought, ‘she never came to me first, except that night when she tried to sneak a kiss on me.’

Killian quietly opened the door.

Standing in the doorway was Lizé, as he had somehow guessed.

She was dressed in a chemise, as she had been when she came to tell him about the missing maid, but unlike her usual chemise, this one is off-the-shoulder like Edith’s.

‘Is this kind of chemise a trend nowadays, but it doesn’t look right for Lizé…… It looks like a child stole her mother’s chemise.’

When Edith wore it, it was bewitching and dizzying, but when Lizé wore it, he was afraid it would fall off at any moment.

“What brought you here at this hour?” Killian asked, offering Lizé a seat.

“I’ve been having a hard time seeing your face lately, so I was wondering if you were still awake at this hour.”

Lizé smiled, the same sunny smile he’d gotten used to seeing over the past five years.

Killian smiled back and sat down across from her.

“Cliff won’t play with you?”

“Cliff is Cliff, and Killian is Killian. Am I interrupting something you’re doing?”

“No, no, come to think of it, I haven’t been paying attention to you lately.”

“You didn’t mean that. You’re busy, and I know it.”

Wriggling her fingers, Lizé added, “It’s just…… that you’re leaving soon, and I’m worried about you…… I just wanted to say goodbye……”

“I’m not going to die. Both you and Edith worry too much. I guess it’s because you didn’t get to see Cliff and I fight in the war,” said Killian, pretending to be boastful.

Lizé laughed a little but her beautiful light blue eyes looked a little sad.

“Killian, do you remember that? When I first came to the mansion…… and I was running around the garden and my hair got caught on a twig.”

“Ah! Haha! I do. You were so embarrassed.”

“Yeah, I was thrilled to hear that I could explore the garden as I pleased, unlike at Sinclair, so I was embarrassed to get my hair tangled on a twig, and even more embarrassed to get caught by the scary second master. I thought I might get a few spankings.”

Killian and Lizé reminisced about what happened five years ago.

***

It was early summer, and Lizé was just beginning to get a taste of freedom after being rescued from the Sinclair family.

She’d been frolicking in the Ludwig family’s garden, which was bigger and more beautiful than the Sinclair family’s, when the wind had gotten a little too strong and caught her hair on a twig.

“Ouch! Ouch…… how did this happen?”

She reached out and fumbled, but her clumsy little hands found it difficult to release her stuck hair.

As she was wondering if she should shout and call for help, lest she get in trouble for being careless, she heard a rustling behind her.

“What……?”

“Ah, h- hello.”

The cold-looking Killian stood there, a book in his hands.

Twenty-year-old Killian was colder, sharper, and more sensitive than he is now, and Lizé was trying to stay out of his sight as much as possible.

Lizé shuddered and desperately tried to make excuses.

“I- I- I didn’t do this on purpose, it was the wind, I really didn’t think it would be like this…… I’m sorry I didn’t tie my hair up neatly, it was my fault.”

Killian stared at Lizé, who was scared of him for no reason, and then handed her the book he was holding.

When she took it, dumbfounded, he used his free hands to pull her hair away from the twig.

Lizé squirmed in the process, and Killian had to use a knife to cut through some of the more severe tangles.

When he was done, the twig had tangles of dazzling blonde hair here and there.

“The twig must have liked your blonde hair and wanted to touch it a little,” Killian said, sheathing his pocket knife and taking his book from Lizé’s hand.

It was the first time the two had spoken since the Duke and Duchess of Ludwig had introduced Lizé to their sons.

***

“That’s when I realized, ‘Oh, he’s actually a nice guy.'”

Killian smiled at the memory of the past.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

It was true.

Though he didn’t like Count Sinclair’s illegitimate child his parents had taken in out of the blue, he hadn’t meant to intentionally scare her.

It was just an annoying and bothersome situation for him.

He doesn’t know when that turned into love.

At some point, his heart skipped a beat when he heard her clear laugh, and his heart sank when he saw her tears.

He felt jealousy and impatience when she looked at Cliff, and he felt an overwhelming sense of happiness when she looked at him.

It’s all in the past now……

“Actually……”

“Hm?”

“I knew about your heart, Killian.”

Killian’s mouth, which had been smiling, turned rigid in an instant.