1. The First Letter (59)

After being stabbed, Celine was thrown into the corner of the room. Until that night, she hadn’t come out of her room.

There seemed to be a few lectures left, but it didn’t matter to her. Upon hearing the news, some of her friends knocked on the door and asked how they were doing, but no answer came back.

It was unusual for her gregarious personality. Not welcoming visitors.

However, it was also inevitable for Celine. As much as that, the shock Celine received was large and deep. Covered in a blanket, she constantly recalled images of the past.

The scene played over and over again was Ian witnessing Celine and Seria’s fight.

The angry face, the cold golden eyes, and the annoyed voice pierced her brain like an electric shock. Celine’s body trembled.

I shouldn’t be like that, but I wouldn’t want to fall out with Ian.

Celine was just repeating those thoughts. It’s been like that since childhood. Celine played a confident girl, but deep down she was very dependent on Ian. He had a crush on him for over 10 years.

It had been a long time since the feelings of love had sprouted in her heart. After all the tragedies, he was the boy who willingly held her hand when her life needed a new light.

I couldn’t help but love This was despite the fact that Ian didn’t particularly see her as the opposite s*x. Wasn’t Celine an outstanding one?

On the day the Hastur family collapsed due to a dispute over the interests of high-ranking nobles, Seline had to shoulder a heavy mission.

Still, the father who received the bill and the blood on his neck, and the silver eyes that looked at him indifferently were deeply embedded in his memory.

Alpenhauser, one of the five most prestigious families in the Empire. Like the blind man, silver eyes that could not read focus were unique to the Alpenhauser family. They intervened in the Hastur family’s interest business.

All the tragedies began when a gold mine was discovered in the Hastur estate. The Hastur family had a mine that had been mining iron for a long time, and gold was suddenly discovered in the vein, which had not had any problems for over 100 years.

The news of the discovery of the gold mine rejoiced the Hastur family. Not only the family, but the entire estate was excited. Baron Hastur was a lord loved by the people of the territory, and he was not stingy in sharing the share of the nobility with the people of the region.

It seemed obvious that Yeongji would develop rapidly along with the flow. Until high-ranking nobles, including the Alpenhauser family, intervened.

It was the Alpenhauser family, which produced prime ministers for generations and was said to hold the key to the empire’s treasury. Their methods were meticulous yet covert.

The enormous cost of developing the gold mine was put on debt, and he cut off supplies and mobilized personal connections to encroach upon Hastur’s territory’s market.

There was no way to develop gold mines without the help of capital. When high-ranking aristocrats intervened and began to delay gold mine development in earnest, the end quickly became clear to the point of futility.

It was bankruptcy. Seeing that huge number of debts, Celine’s father collapsed on the spot. Of course, not only the Hastur family, but also the capital market of the territory itself was in the hands of the Alpenhauser family.

It was impossible to secure even the iron that was originally mined there, let alone a gold mine. The economy of Hastur Territory was destroyed that day. It was because the mine was one of the few interests in the small country estate.

To Celine, who chewed her lips and glared at the man handing out the bill with wet eyes, the Alpenhauser family declared in a plain tone.

“A gold coin.”

“… … I beg your pardon?”

Even if it wasn’t, it was the car my father collapsed on, exhaling heavily. Celine, who was extremely sensitive at a young age, had no choice but to respond sharply even though she knew how high-ranking aristocrats were.

The Alpenhauser family man didn’t even seem to care. He fixed his monocle and spoke in a voice that didn’t show even a hint of interest.

“I will buy that grudge for a gold coin. Why don’t you just forget about it? I personally like to put a price on it.”

“What, nonsense… … .”

“If you don’t forget, what will you do? The world is not forgiving enough that a poor young lady from a rural baron would crumble just because she harbored resentment.”

At first, Celine thought it was a mockery. It was a common insult from a winner to a loser, but the man who said that was so calm.

So Celine got a little goosebumps. I heard that there was a huge fight over the gold mine. In the end, it was the Alpenhauser family who eventually took over the gold mine. It was normal to feel joy, to feel empty, or to have a change in emotion anyway.

However, the man was always indifferent. I didn’t even feel the convenience of emotion. It was like a man made of paper.

“This is the world. Even the nobility are divided according to their strength. No matter how hard the Hasturs try, they can’t come close to the Alpenhausers. It’s not just the Alpenhauser family. Any high-ranking noble family… … .”

So the man’s story went on for a long time. Celine, who was not even 10 years old, had to listen blankly to the chain of cruel reality.

His story was too difficult for her to understand. But one thing was certain. The conclusion of that long story was as follows.

The resentment of the Hastur family was meaningless.

A member of the Alpenhauser family. There should have been an abundance of gold coins. The reason why he put up a gold coin among them was probably because it was too cumbersome to take out a copper coin or a silver coin.

Unreasonable. Even at that young age, Celine thought so.

Baron Hastur was a respected lord. The territories also lived a life that was not rich but not hungry under its leadership. Hastur Mansion was such a happy and cozy place.

Make a mess of it all, and not even hold a grudge? is that the world?

At the end of the story, whether it was advice or ridicule, the man offered one last recommendation.

“… … So, in other words, it is said that it is to the lady’s benefit to forget grudges with a single gold coin. They say it’s a reasonable choice, and I love that word. ‘Reasonable’, haha.”

Even the sound of laughter was an empty human being. A laugh came out of his mouth, but his eyes and mouth did not even move. Celine suddenly came to her senses.

A gold coin? No matter how noble he was, it was a lot of money for Celine, who was not even 10 years old. Still, she was not in the slightest attracted to the offer.

Shivering, Celine shed a tear. Her father was gasping for breath with bloodshot eyes and annoyance.

Perhaps because the knight of the Alpenhauser family was guarding the door, the servants did not dare to enter the room even after hearing the commotion.

It was only Celine who entered because she was an aristocrat. Celine’s tawny eyes filled with original poison. and tears.

“… … I will never, never forget.”

Hmmm, the man swallowed his saliva as if he was sorry. Then, as if it was okay, he got up from his seat. A white suit like those eyes, and a white bowler hat.

He was an all-white human. He was about to leave the room without even saying goodbye.

“Celine Haster.”

Until the little girl’s voice caught his footsteps.

He hesitated, but did not look back. It didn’t matter though. Celine warned him with seething hatred.

“My name is Celine Haster… Remember, skinny. I will get revenge someday.”

Only then did the man’s silver eyes glance at Celine. He suppressed his tears and smiled faintly at the lovely girl glaring at him.

It was the first expression on his face.

“Okay, three gold coins… Oh, and my name is Dalton. If you ever feel like making a deal later, find Dalton from the Alpenhauser family.”

From that day on, Celine tried desperately. The Hastur family collapsed and the territory was ruined. Unable to provide adequate support, Mrs. Hastur decided to send Celine to her sister.

That older sister was Mrs. Ainstern, and it was the opportunity that Leto and Celine grew up like real siblings from childhood.

However, despite the devoted efforts of the Ainstern family, Celine never regained her smile. He just gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

It was a time when I lived as if I had forgotten all about the joy of life, although my body somehow managed to withstand it because I had the amount of magical power I was born with.

It was Ian that I met then.

Celine still treasured the memory of that blooming flower garden.

I loved you, I love you, and I will always love you. I wanted to share the future. I wanted to date, get married, and have a family.

About three to four children, including sons and daughters? The first was that he would like a dependable son, and he was lost in such a delusion and wandered around.

Even so, the reason Celine couldn’t confess to Ian was because of Ian’s attitude.

Ian thought that Celine should find a good wife and revive the Hastur family. Without Ian, Celine might have been contemplating such a future as well.

But not now. Even so, Celine has been patient for a long time. Years of thinking that even Ian would have no choice but to look after her as time passed.

Suddenly, an annoying woman clung to Ian’s side. Even the opponent was a high-ranking aristocrat. Celine grinds her teeth every night until they wear out.

You took away your father and Yeongji’s future, but now Ian’s brother?

It couldn’t be. Maybe that’s why he was so excited. The result was, above all, disastrous.

Tears welled up in Celine’s tan eyes. She buried her face between her knees. The pain of being hated by the man she loved was indescribably great.

And it was sad. The figure of Ian who recklessly took Seria’s side without asking about the details.

It was then that the note arrived to her, sobbing alone in her room. The note that came under the door like the wind said to come out to the clearing in the forest by what time at night.

Read at readwn

Judging by the handwriting, it was clear that it was from Ian. So, Celine hurriedly washed herself, dressed up, used plenty of face wash with the scent that Ian had praised, and then went out in a huff.

Let’s ask for forgiveness. For now, that was a priority.

If I didn’t repair my relationship with Ian, nothing could start. I’d rather have simple friends like before. Celine only had Ian.

As I ran to the clearing in the forest, I saw Ian’s back. The dim moonlight illuminated the man’s back.

“I-Ian brother… … ?”

In a trembling voice, he called Ian, but there was no answer. Celine was terrified.

Are you very angry? So I called for a conversation, but no words came out. Maybe after thinking about it, what should I do if I say to cut off the kite?

Disappointed, yes. Because I’m disappointed.

Celine could have gotten down on her knees and begged. As long as I could be forgiven, I was confident that I would do anything.

A watery voice escaped from her mouth.

“That, oh, today… My, I was wrong, huh? No, I’ll take any punishment. Now, wait a minute, look what happened to me! It was never meant to be, Brother Ian… please, huh?”

There were so many things I wanted to say, such as being sad about blindly taking Seria’s side, or that I also felt unfair, but when I stood in front of Ian, the only words that came out were a request for forgiveness.

It is not too late to make excuses after being forgiven. It was when Celine was begging for forgiveness in a mournful tone.

“… … Celine.”

Then, looking back, Ian’s heavy mouth opened. A blush came over Celine’s face.

It’s okay if you can communicate. After that, it was enough for Ian to forgive me somehow, even if I begged and begged. Celine was confident that her heart would explode with happiness just for that.

But what Ian said was more than what she had imagined.

“Let’s open a plate.”

Her tawny eyes dimmed. Regardless, the scabbard that Ian threw out as he drew out the sword just rolled on the ground.

Celine muttered to herself involuntarily.

Are you crazy?

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