MPO

CHAPTER Clll-104

⭑. ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭

“Are you done with your meal? Then I’ll clean up right away, so please prepare to depart.”

At Anna’s urging, the knights got up with pleasant smiles. The older knights liked her as if she were their own daughter, watching her move diligently.

Sitting under a tree and resting, Jonas observed his subordinates preparing to leave and then focused on Anna, who was moving swiftly among them. Seeing her, he thought of his only niece, Leila. The only image he had of her was a small portrait in the locket his sister had sent him. His sister, who married against the family’s wishes, hadn’t been able to keep in touch much.

“Such fools.”

His father had opposed his sister’s marriage out of concern, yet neither she nor his father would relent and keep in touch. Jonas had been under the misconception that Leila was living well.

“If you took her because you loved her, you shouldn’t have had a change of heart.”

Jonas now felt a deep sense of guilt. It was late, but if his niece needed help, he was determined to give it. He was even considering formally adopting her into his family if necessary.

“Count Keller! We’re ready to leave.”

Anna, who had run over, couldn’t bring herself to urge the count to leave but looked at him with a desperately earnest expression. Jonas glanced at her and asked gently.

“You said you had a dream about my sister?”

When Anna first approached him, he had wondered why his niece hadn’t come along. At first, he didn’t trust Anna, fearing she might have stolen the Keller family locket to exploit them or intentionally approached his niece to use their family.

But after observing Anna, he realized she wasn’t cunning. He had to repeatedly dissuade her from returning to Leila, as she kept collecting news from the capital, intending to go back to her.

If what Anna said was true, there must have been a reason Leila sent her to the Keller family.

“A week ago, I had a dream where the madam appeared. She never visited me after passing away, but she suddenly appeared, holding onto me with such a sorrowful face and crying.”

Answering his question quietly, Anna continued with an anxious expression, fidgeting with her hands as if she couldn’t bear the worry.

“So, I’m very worried about the young lady. I know she’s at the Bavenberg ducal residence, but… Count, you don’t know how vicious the people of the Este County can be. They’re surely tormenting her in any way they can.”

As Anna’s voice became increasingly agitated, she reflected on her stay at the Keller family. Unlike at the Este County, where she was constantly busy, she had time to think and realized that Leila had sent her there not just for an errand but hoping she would settle there.

How did she make such a decision? Anna pondered until she reached one conclusion. Leila had never intended to marry Count Wagner or escape from the marriage.

Reluctantly, Anna concluded that the young lady never planned to escape her marriage but sent Anna away to avoid dragging her into her own suffering.

“I always thought the young lady was enduring it bravely because she always smiled at me. But what if that smile wasn’t genuine? What if she had to force herself to smile to survive? What if…”

Unable to voice her fear that Leila might be planning to end her own life, Anna bit her lip stubbornly. Watching her quietly, Jonas rose to his feet and spoke.