Chapter 5

Reminiscence Of A Cruel, Lonely Land

Translated by Gina
Edited by Kent-Gina

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In the summer of 498, evil creatures raided Whitefall.

Although the estate’s people were unharmed, most of Duchess Rihan’s maids were murdered or badly injured.

Since there were few nobles in the north, it was difficult to quickly fill the empty positions.

The Duchess of Rihan reluctantly requested that the Imperial Family employ a maid. But, because it was a land of severe, harsh winters, no one volunteered.

It was only when the Imperial Family promised enormous compensation that a few noble ladies made the journey to the Duchy of Rihan. Izzlet, the daughter of Baron Winterglass, was one of them.

“Thank you for coming to this cold and cruel land. My name is Elizabeth Rihan.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Izzlet, from Winterglass.”

Did she not like her greeting? Or was it because she was merely a Baron’s daughter? Izzlet felt nervous as Elizabeth gazed at her silently.

Fortunately, the Duchess opened her mouth again.

“Don’t worry, Miss Winterglass; you already know I’m sick. This life will end shortly, and the lady will be able to return home in a few years.”

“Thank you for your kind words, but it’s all right. I am ready to commit myself for a lifetime.”

“I’m sorry to say, but after I die, the young lady will be considered a worthless workforce. It’s a given that you’ll be sent back.”

The Duchess’s words, pouring coldly from her mouth, were resolute.

“Words won’t be enough. Yes, I’ll write you a contract. It’s for twenty-two years, but that will be enough.”

Murmuring to herself, Elizabeth Rihan took something out of the drawer. It was a contract with the Wizard’s Tower seal pressed into the corner. Izzlet recognized it even though it was the first time she saw it. It was a magical contract that might endanger someone’s life if they did not follow the terms after signing it.

Absentmindedly, she read the contents of the contract.

-As of the death of Elizabeth Hazel Rihan, Izzlet Mei Winterglass is no longer bound to the North. The Rihans would not pursue her.

Then, just as the Duchess was ready to sign the contract, the door burst open without a knock, and a man walked in. It was Elizabeth’s son and the lord of the Castle, Rashed Rihan.

“Mother, I told you not to write a magic contract for this.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, Rashed. This person has come to the north at the risk of her life. Disrespecting those that came for me is the same as disrespecting me.”

“Don’t lie to me. You didn’t write one with the other maids.”

“Are you implying that I’m biased with someone I’ve never met before?”

“I would understand it better if you told me straight out that you did it out of remorse since she looks like a dead maid.”

After those cold words, she flinched and sighed. It was a remorseful exhalation.

“That’s correct, this lady resembles Abby. The kid who died at the hands of a beast instead of me.”

Izzlet gazed at mother and son alternately, unsure what to do, while the voice of the grieving Duchess rang in her ears.

“If you don’t want me to sign it, sign it yourself. Isn’t it because of you, Lord of the Castle, that all my maids became food for the evil beasts?”

“I understand.”

After a casual conversation that could make anyone swoon, Rashed Rihan took the contract from his mother. Only then did Izzlet came to her senses and grasped his hand to dissuade him.

A contract where someone’s life was at stake; there was no need for such scary thing.

“N, no, Your Highness. What you’ve said is enough for me to trust you.”

“You trust someone you’ve never met just after a few words? You, what’s your name?”

“My name is Izzlet Mei Winterglass.”

“All right, Izzlet,” Rashed removed Izzlet’s hand gently and finished signing.

“Let me offer you some advice. Don’t trust people lightly.”

This was Izzlet and Rashed’s first encounter.

Elizabeth kept Izzlet near to her at all times, so she ran into Rashed frequently. In contrast to his chilly attitude and rough speech, he was quite friendly.

The two got along well enough to become friends despite the huge difference in their social standing. Truthfully, even if they were friends, Izzlet’s feelings were more than friendship.

She couldn’t get used to the harsh cold of the north and often suffered from it. While her body was weakened by the illness, she felt a rising sense of loneliness in her heart.

Rashed’s warmth colored her emotions into different hues. It was the same for him, but Izzlet, who didn’t know his heart, suffered alone.

‘However, Rashed has someone in mind to marry.’

He had someone to call his fiancée even if they didn’t hold an engagement ceremony. It seemed ridiculous to hold dear in her heart a man who already had a partner. And even if he didn’t have a fiancée, she wasn’t a woman he could freely embrace. Because he was the master of the Castle, and Izzlet was just a maid who would leave the north once her job was done. She struggled to keep her in check.

But, unexpectedly, Izzlet’s worries vanished in an instant. When a man visiting the Duchy flirted with Izzlet, Rashed’s eyes distorted and he hurled him off the second-floor balcony.

“You’d rather choose me than give him a chance.”

Izzlet got what she wanted in the most astounding way.

However, this didn’t imply that all of the troubles had vanished. Rihan’s elders were still attempting to exert control over the young Duke, and Rashed was continually pressured to marry. Finally, unable to bear the coercion any longer, he forcibly dissolved the council of elders and held an engagement with Izzlet. And on the day that was supposed to be the happiest, Rashed said something she could never have imagined.

“I’m asking just in case. You don’t want anything like a child, do you?”

“…What?”

“I don’t need such troublesome things.”

In his eyes, Izzlet was utterly frail. She had a cold practically every day and struggled if she couldn’t sleep. He didn’t know what might go wrong if she had a child with that sort of stamina.  In reality, several foreign women in the North died after childbirth. However, his explanation was omitted, and Rashed’s remarks only served to make Izzlet believe that he was not considering a future with her.

With a smile, she replied.

“Yes, I’ll be cautious.”

And something much worse happened to Izzlet about that time. Pregnancy symptoms started to develop. She prayed it wasn’t true, but the facts grew clearer by the day. Anxiously, Izzlet continued to inquire about the importance of a son to know the meaning of Rashed’s words, and the more she did, the more determined he became.

‘I have to choose between Rashed and a child.’

Izzlet decided to give up the man who wouldn’t give her a future.

By chance, someone noticed that Izzlet was pregnant and was able to help her. And, ironically, Elizabeth died around the same time. She died peacefully as if sleeping.

During the funeral, Izzlet wholeheartedly consoled Rashed, who was going through a hard time, and on the second day, she left the north. She was already on her way to the capital by the time he realized what was going on.

Since he was bound by a magical contract, he couldn’t go after her. He snatched the paper, which still had twenty years of validity.

“Fine, only twenty years. I will wait for you for as long as you want.”

Rashed murmured quietly, his eyes bloodshot.