Until our Hatred Turns into Love - Chapter 4

“…Friends?”

At Daisy’s inexplicable words, Adelheid’s voice sharpened with urgency. It was only natural; she had never laid eyes on a man named Klaus in her entire life.

She had been slightly surprised when he called her by name, but in truth, there were no nobles with such deep black hair and violet eyes other than the House of Raines. Among them, her own as the eldest daughter were the most distinct. Therefore, it might not have been so shocking that a Grand Duke recognized her. If he had ever visited the capital even once, he would have heard more than enough about the Raines family.

“I only arrived here a few years ago, so I didn’t know, but they say that reticent man often spoke of you when he was younger.”

“…”

Whatever wordplay he had spun, calling him “reticent” was a stretch. Adelheid bit her lip to keep a scoff from escaping.

“Even the veteran butler probably didn’t expect to actually host that lady here,” Daisy added, letting out a soft laugh.

In that instant, something flashed through Adelheid’s mind.

“Wait. If you are Daisy could you be Lady Daisy of the House of Ruben?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The ‘Vanished Woman,’ Daisy Ruben, gave a bright smile.

The incident of her disappearance right before an arranged marriage had been a hot topic that scorched the social circles right around the time Adelheid made her debut. At first, rumors of elopement and kidnapping surfaced one after another. However, as years passed without a single sighting despite the entire Empire knowing of her disappearance, she had been presumed dead.

Adelheid’s face turned as pale as paper.

“…Did the Grand Duke of Reichardt kidnap you?”

“That wouldn’t be entirely incorrect.”

Even though this was hardly a conversation to be had with a smile, Daisy’s face remained beaming. Adelheid reflexively covered her mouth. Horrific hypotheses began to queue in her mind.

Perhaps after being kidnapped by the Grand Duke, she was mentally brainwashed over several years…

Klaus was a dangerous man. She had known that the moment their eyes met. How could she not? The chilling pressure that enveloped his entire being was overwhelming, and the authority embedded in that languid baritone was not something easily defied.

And his kiss.

It felt as if he were stealing my very soul.

Perhaps this woman had simply surrendered to it. There was no guarantee that Daisy’s state would not be her own future. Were there more victims like this woman in this castle? If so, how many? Adelheid grew infinitely heavy-hearted.

The Daisy Ruben before her did not look broken or unhappy. But if what made her smile was a ruinous love that forced her to turn her back on her family and embrace a living death, then Adelheid would certainly refuse it.

“Did he suddenly appear before you as well, saying nonsense about taking you away or saving you? And then kissing you as he pleased? Haa.”

As Adelheid panted with a flushed face, Daisy answered kindly.

“It is true that I was saved by him, but I was the one who made the request.”

“A request?”

“And a kiss? I am merely a servant who serves him. It seems the two of you aren’t actually ‘friends’ after all.”

“…”

“Friends who press their lips together? His Grace told a lie that was bound to be caught quite quickly.”

Daisy giggled as if she understood perfectly. Adelheid, who was about to answer that they were definitely not friends, clamped her lips shut as the memory of the kiss flooded back.

“I will help you bathe and change your clothes. The Grand Duke will return by sunset.”

“My family has been destroyed. I am no longer… the Lady of Raines,” Adelheid replied, her lips trembling. Even though months had passed, the nightmare of that day still scratched at her heart like sharp claws.

Daisy was still smiling.

“It is the same for me, My Lady. I am simply Daisy. The noble lady Daisy Ruben died years ago.”

“…”

“And I am not serving you because I think of you as a noble lady. You are my master’s precious woman, and therefore, you are precious to me as well.”

Following Daisy out of the room, Adelheid muttered in confusion.

“I don’t know him.”

“Think carefully, My Lady. Perhaps you lost your memory due to a great shock.”

“My memory?”

“Yes. It’s been… about half a year since the House of Raines was laid to waste.”

Instead of answering, Adelheid squeezed her eyes shut. Her lashes, like dark night waves, trembled slightly.

That event—the accusation of an absurd treason and the execution of her entire family—was more than enough to turn Adelheid, who had lived her whole life as the pillar of Raines, into a “madwoman.” It was an event that easily crushed every ounce of will and conviction she had ever held. But losing her memory? That was a story too sudden to believe.

“I… I remember my entire childhood. The faces of the servants, the names, even the names of the cats we raised…”

Her speech quickened, unlike her usual self. She caught her breath and continued.

“I even clearly remember the rumors about Lady Daisy from years ago. Memory loss? That’s impossible.”

“I understand your confusion. Though it cannot compare to your experience, I too have had the experience of my entire life being denied. It was a truly painful time. To the point where death would have been welcome.”

As she spoke, Daisy led Adelheid into a spacious bathroom. Steam rose in soft clouds from a bathtub filled with warm water.

“If you rest comfortably here at the castle and gather your heart, perhaps your memories will return bit by bit. You’ve had nothing but difficult days since leaving the capital, haven’t you?”

As the maid began to undress her, Adelheid obediently raised her arms. Her expression, however, remained unsettled.

“But I really…”

“You can hear the details directly from the Grand Duke when he returns, My Lady.”

Soon, as her thin, white body sank beneath the surface of the water, Daisy began to carefully scrub her pale arms. Adelheid gnawed on her lip. Come to think of it, that man had acted as if he knew her. As if they had been close for a long time.

To Adelheid, who was skilled in social maneuvering after suffering through years of pretension and flattery in high society, it hadn’t felt like an act. That only made it more of a mystery.

Did I really lose my memory? Then what was our relationship?

If they had known each other since childhood, her family or servants would have known of the friendship. He was, after all, the son of the House of Reichardt. Yet, Adelheid had no memory of Klaus, nor any memory of discussing him with her family.

Is it possible we were close without my family knowing?

Klaus had been too composed when he kissed her that day. Could someone be that natural with a person they were kissing for the first time? There had been no gap, no hesitation in the way their lips met.

…Were we secret lovers?

It was her own thought, but it was such an absurd delusion. Suddenly embarrassed, she slid further down into the water until she was submerged.

“My Lady!”

A startled Daisy quickly pulled her back up. Beneath her soaked hair, her once pale face was flushed red like a summer peach.

“Are you alright? Is the water too hot?”

“As if I would do something so audacious…”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

There’s no way, she muttered to herself, letting out a low sigh.

Whether he was mistaken or whether his knowledge of her was one-sided didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Klaus had pulled her out of a cold, single room filled only with deep sorrow, and away from the wretched streets where her tears never dried. At the very least, given the magnificent room and the maid he provided, it was clear he held some goodwill toward her.

“I couldn’t just stand by and watch the once-noble you go mad like this.”

That goodwill might simply stem from pity. The sudden downfall of the noble House of Raines would have resonated more with a Grand Duke like him than with commoners. Furthermore, the House of Reichardt was a family that was, for all intents and purposes, at odds with the Imperial family.

The Emperor openly ignored and discriminated against the North, claiming the region was ominous, and that sentiment naturally spread throughout the Empire. The Grand Duchy of Reichardt was the northernmost part of that very North. Like a separate kingdom, it was a place with a massive divide from the rest of the Empire.

If they were on good terms with the Imperial family, he would have visited the capital often. He is, after all, a Grand Duke of the Lagerk Empire.

Being coldly ignored by everyone and surrounded by rumors of monsters—could they have possibly enjoyed that? It must have been their pride that kept them guarding their territory so staunchly. Adelheid knew well the pride and self-respect of high-ranking nobles.

Their resentment toward the Imperial family must be immense.

Suddenly, her transparent violet eyes sharpened. A thought occurred to her: what if the Grand Duke was secretly preparing for a rebellion? The North was known for being home to tough, bellicose people. While that perception fueled discrimination, what if they united their strong wills?

Perhaps they could overthrow the throne. Is that too much of a leap?

Of course, their military strength wouldn’t compare to the Emperor’s. But wasn’t it always the case that a small spark becomes a great flame in an instant? From that perspective, bringing her here might be an attempt to recruit the House of Raines to expand his power…

“Hoo.”

A low, self-mocking laugh escaped Adelheid. Even if he were truly plotting treason, she was not the Duke, but his daughter and no longer even a noble. How could she possibly help him?

She hugged her weary shoulders in the water. She couldn’t know the Grand Duke’s intentions, but all her questions would be answered once she met him after his inspection. And she would surely be able to extract an apology for the insolence of taking a lady’s lips at his whim.

And so, evening arrived at the Grand Castle.

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