FTA Ch 26

<Episode 26>

 

… Property?

Even after seeing it with her own eyes, Gloria found Erhardt’s words increasingly baffling.

 

“Lord Erhardt, are you seriously planning to give all of this to me?”

“There’s more I’ve prepared beyond this. But for now, yes.”

“Why?”

 

Gloria couldn’t easily comprehend the situation.

She couldn’t guess why Erhardt would transfer property under his name to her.

 

“It’s a gift to sincerely congratulate you on reaching adulthood.”

 

Erhardt didn’t seem to understand what the issue was. Watching his nonchalant response, Gloria felt utterly dumbfounded.

 

“This amount of money could buy an entire country.”

“Is there a specific country you have in mind?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

 

It felt like she was talking to a wall—talking to herself rather than him.

Had Erhardt always been this unyielding and incomprehensible? She wasn’t sure.

After all, opportunities to sit and talk with him for extended periods had been few and far between.

 

“Now that you mention it, relocating to another country might not be such a bad idea. What are your thoughts, Saintess?”

 

‘Did he know what she was thinking? Or not?’

Erhardt spoke with a serious expression that bordered on somber.

 

“You may already know, but just to be certain…”

 

His slow, calm tone carried a deep concern for her.

 

“Everyone is aware of where you are. It wouldn’t be strange for someone to come looking for you at any time.”

 

His voice, filled with emotion, was unfamiliar to her. Gloria silently observed Erhardt for a moment, unsure what she was searching for in his darkened expression.

After a pause, she lowered her gaze and let out a quiet, bitter chuckle.

 

“But I’d faint if I even approached the border.”

“Erasing your Saint’s Mark would solve that problem.”

 

Erhardt’s response was startling.

 

“I’ll find a way to erase your Saint’s Mark.”

 

His unwavering and direct gaze met hers. His ocean-blue eyes, clear and steady, reminded her of the fifteen-year-old boy who had once been her sole source of solace.

Though time had changed his outward appearance significantly, his unshakable resolve from back then still shone through in his eyes.

And perhaps that was why Gloria felt ashamed.

Because she had changed so much, standing before someone who remained the same made her painfully aware of how far she’d strayed.

She was no longer the naive nine-year-old girl who had been oblivious and taken advantage of.

Slowly, Gloria lifted her head. She met Erhardt’s gaze directly, her own voice steady as she spoke.

 

* * *

 

Gloria returned home late at night.

 

“You’re back late.”

“Yeah, I was meeting someone.”

 

As Gloria removed her robe, Leonard naturally took it and hung it in the wardrobe. She sank onto the sofa, reclining back and pressing her tired eyes.

While she rested, Leonard changed her shoes to slippers.

His hands were so familiar that she didn’t even notice until she suddenly gasped.

 

“Why are you so good at attending to others?”

 

It wasn’t a question that needed an answer—Gloria had a sense of why.

For over five years, Leonard had been confined to this mansion, accompanied by only five servants, handpicked and sent by the Imperial Household.

But they served the Emperor, not Leonard.

Perhaps out of fear that they might contract his curse, the servants hadn’t done their job properly.

Leonard had likely adapted by managing everything on his own—cleaning and tending to minor chores.

In contrast, Gloria had grown up accustomed to being served, first as the Oracle’s child and then as the adopted daughter of the Marquis.

 

“You do everything so naturally that I didn’t even realize it.”

 

Leonard’s Actions of Serving Gloria Without Hesitation Were Problematic.

Though it hadn’t been an issue until now, it would become one in the future.

He was born and raised as a prince, and currently held the title of Grand Duke.

A man destined to become the head of the “Grand Duchy of Iverc,” a powerful house unrivaled in influence.

Such a man should not be handling mundane chores with such ease.

 

“This has to stop.”

 

Gloria declared firmly.

 

“What exactly do you mean by ‘this’?”

“I mean tending to me, preparing my meals, and cleaning my house.”

 

Leonard tilted his head slightly, glancing up at her before replying with a casual tone.

 

“Didn’t you once praise me for being good at physical tasks? And now this?”

“…”

 

Gloria rubbed her forehead, unable to retort.

She sighed, stood abruptly, and gestured for him to rise.

 

“Get up. You can’t just kneel anywhere like this anymore.”

 

Taking Leonard’s hand, she pulled him to his feet.

He complied without resistance, standing with her help.

 

“I don’t see why this is suddenly an issue,” Leonard remarked.

 

He brought up the conversation they had shared when he first arrived.

 

“As I recall, we agreed that you’d earn the money, and I’d take care of managing the estate.”

 

Ever since learning that Gloria earned money by hunting monsters, Leonard had wanted to assist her.

However, he wasn’t free to leave the estate yet, as his recovery from the curse’s affliction was a secret that needed to be kept.

Once his people arrived at the estate, they would discuss the right time for him to reveal his presence to the imperial court and nobles. Gloria had originally suggested this plan, cautioning against a premature reveal.

Thus, domestic tasks had become his compromise. Until now, he had assumed things were fine—only for her to suddenly forbid him from handling chores.

It was a baffling change for him.

 

“Besides, if we set that aside, I’m better at cleaning than you. So logically, I should be the one doing it.”

 

Leonard was genuinely puzzled by her sudden shift in stance.

 

“Did something happen while you were out today?”

“…”

 

Gloria found herself speechless in the face of Leonard’s logical reasoning.

After all, she had been the one to accept his efforts so naturally.

 

“Don’t just make that face—explain it to me.”

 

Leonard said in a gentle, coaxing tone.

 

“How am I supposed to understand if you don’t tell me?”

“…I hired a steward.”

 

Gloria finally opened her mouth but avoided the full truth, concealing her meeting with Erhardt.

Her words left Leonard momentarily dumbfounded.

 

“I’ll also hire a cook and staff to assist us around the house.”

 

Leonard immediately understood why she wanted to bring people in.

Soon, Leonard’s people would visit the estate, and some might end up living there permanently.

She was hiring staff for his sake.

 

“…Do you even have the money for that?”

“Didn’t you tell me not to worry about money?”

 

Gloria replied confidently, regaining her usual assertiveness.

 

“Anyway, the steward will arrive tomorrow. Just so you know.”

 

Faced with her resolute tone and unwavering gaze, Leonard could only nod.

 

* * *

 

The items Erhardt had brought were treasures of immense value, enough to tempt even someone like Gloria, who rarely cared for material possessions.

For a fleeting moment, she felt the urge to accept them without hesitation.

But she quickly suppressed that desire, reminded of how risky such indulgence could be.

She refused his generosity outright.

While Erhardt was undoubtedly a good person, he was still Gebrion’s only son.

The son of her adoptive father, Gebrion, and a woman who had temporarily been her step-sister on paper.

It was obvious which side Erhardt would take in the end.

Past ties needed to be severed completely.

To ensure that, she couldn’t accept anything from him.

 

‘Yes, that was the right decision.’

Nodding lightly, Gloria moved forward.

The warm breeze of an almost-spring season greeted her.

As she instinctively turned her head, she noticed a window in the hallway had been left open.

Outside, the clear midday sky held the bright, radiant sun.

 

‘To think I could live with such tranquility.’

With no need to hurry, Gloria leisurely descended the stairs.

The soft murmur of conversation from the first floor became clearer as she approached, carrying faint echoes to her ears.

The presence below felt like three people—one familiar and two strangers.

 

‘Who could it be?’

The spring breeze that had lightened her mood moments a go now felt like a sudden chill freezing her heart.