Last Desire

4

The maid shuddered as if terrified she had experienced it first hand.

“It’s horrifying just to hear about it.”

What on earth was going on?

Information that didn’t match up at all swirled in Denisia’s head.

Dietrich? The very Dietrich who cared for and nurtured his people more than anyone?

It was unimaginable. The devilish figure that her mind conjured up wasn’t Dietrich at all.

“Wasn’t the Margrave known for his strong reputation? Why would someone like that…”

“That was only when his wife was alive. Honestly, he wasn’t the gentlest before. Considering his temperament, it’s not surprising now.”

The maid lowered her voice slightly and circled her temple with her finger, indicating madness. It was all very confusing.

‘There’s some misunderstanding here for sure.’

Knowing Dietrich wouldn’t do such things, Denisia found herself speechless. Her tongue was frozen, unable to articulate anything.

‘Ugh, really!’

Frustration filled her throat.

“…Then, did the Margrave remarry?”

“Oh, how could he? Even now, he’s still claiming that his wife hasn’t died, so why would he bring in a new wife?”

The maid dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.

Curses of the deceased wife, surely. Losing his mind over his wife’s death, surely. The maid continued to spill rumors she had heard, but Denisia wasn’t listening.

‘He hasn’t remarried.’

He disliked marriages made to meet others’ excessive expectations and chose a contractual marriage instead. It was natural since he must also father a son to carry on the lineage. There was no need for a wife by his side anymore.

Despite knowing this, the corners of Denisia’s mouth, filled with Grace’s spirit, twitched upwards.

“Truly?”

“Though there are rumors that the imperial family is subtly trying to push him into continuing the lineage, he’s as unyielding as ever.”

The underlying motive was clear. Even five years later, the intention to bind Dietrich through marriage and exploit him remained the same.

“What about the young Haberfeld?”

“Young Haberfeld?”

The maid pondered before tilting her head in confusion.

“I’m not sure… I haven’t heard anything about the young Haberfeld. That place is quite secluded, you know. Unless it’s about someone famous, news doesn’t really spread.”

“Is that so…?”

She was desperate to hear news of her child, and so this was disheartening to hear. Denisia sighed deeply.

“But it’s the first time you’ve shown interest in Margrave Haberfeld.”

“H-Huh?”

“You said you didn’t want to bother with the cold lands of the North.”

So Denisia had said such a thing. She pressed her lips together, trying not to show her dissatisfaction.

Haberfeld was a territory of military and geographical importance. However, its harsh winters and remote location meant it was always struggling with food shortages.

The barren land made farming difficult, and even if crops were sown, they struggled to grow. To survive, the people of the domain had to focus more on hunting than agriculture.

But that was only Haberfeld’s perspective. To others, they appeared barbaric, which was a problem. As a result, Dietrich, who protected that place, was always attached with unfavorable adjectives.

And those adjectives eventually became the conventional view of the public.

“Just… hearing how his wife fell ill and eventually passed made it feel like it wasn’t someone else’s affair.”

“After five years, suddenly?”

Five years. Denisia fell silent at the reminder of the passing time, unable to gauge how much she had missed during those years.

The maid seemed puzzled by Denisia’s question but dismissed it as insignificant.

“Um, Sarah.”

The name of the maid currently attending to Denisia’s hair. She called her warmly, trying to appear more friendly.

“Would it be difficult for me to go to the Haberfeld territory?”

“Pardon?”

Sarah’s eyes widened before she burst out laughing.

“A frail person like you heading to the cold North, Milady? You’d be lucky not to freeze to death.”

“Uh…”

Denisia had forgotten. She looked down at her thinness with dissatisfaction.

Certainly, surviving in the North with this body would mean enduring harsh days.

‘Be thankful just for waking up each day.’

Denisia shivered, recalling the freezing winters of the North. The mere thought gave her chills.

“You know there’s a family dinner tonight, right? Please don’t do anything foolish and stay in bed.”

Sarah nonchalantly pushed Denisia back towards the bed. Denisia stumbled slightly and frowned.

It didn’t seem like Sarah acted with any bad intentions, but Denisia glanced at her briefly.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s nothing.”

If seen in a good light, it was treating her without formality; in a bad light, it was not treating her with proper respect considering her higher standing.

It seemed like they were welcoming when Denisia first woke up. But observing the actions of the family members and servants afterward, it wasn’t entirely so.

But they weren’t completely rude, which led to mixed feelings. Denisia quietly leaned back in bed, pulling the blanket closer.

At least Sarah was better than the rest. Though blunt, she did take care of and look after her.

‘With these fragmented memories, it’s impossible to fully grasp their intentions.’

Though not complete, parts of Denisia’s memories had settled in her mind. Preferences like jasmine tea, favorite scents, and such were mostly bodily memories.

Still, these were memories seen entirely from Denisia’s perspective. It was impossible to say her memories were perfect.

“So, I’m finally going to see my family today, whose faces I haven’t seen once in these three months after I woke up.”

Denisia smiled faintly.