# Chapter 14
Judith sent the letter to the servant of the Maius estate. Since she mentioned the garden, the Duchess would probably prepare tea time there.
After the servant left, Judith turned to the master and asked him:
“Sir, is there a secret passage in the garden?”
“There isn't one.”
As you expected, the secret passage is only found inside the palace. Judith nodded slowly, while the Master crossed his arms and said:
“However, I can sneak and hide behind trees or in an unnoticeable place.”
“Oh?”
“But only by myf. It is impossible for me to take you with me.”
Before Judith could reply, “I didn’t ask you to,” the master spoke in a cold voice:
“I thought about it last night. Killing Sarah might be a good solution.”
Judith almost opened her mouth to speak, but the master shook his head firmly.
“Don't think I'm exaggerating.”
“Ah, not that...”
“If we don’t stop it, Carl might die.”
“What I meant was...”
“Anyone who hurts a child so cruelly deserves to die.”
His voice was firm as if he was preparing for battle. While Judith remained silent, she finally shouted:
“Enough! I know you don't care much about life, but…!”
She stared at him directly and continued:
“Do you think killing Sarah will free Lord Karl from her influence?”
"…What?"
“What Lord Karl needs is to believe that ‘Sarah was wrong.’ Even if Sara dies, if Karl continues to act on her words, what’s the point?”
The master convulsed as if he realized the truth of her words.
After a moment of silence, as he stared at Judith, he began to speak slowly.
“Judith.”
"Yes?"
“You...”
The master rested his chin on his hand above his mask. Judith found herf staring at his elegant movement, as if enchanted.
She hadn't noticed it before, but after they were close together in the secret passage, she became aware that he was human too, with warmth and blood.
She also began to notice how sophisticated his movements and words were, and for the first time, she felt curious about the face hidden behind the mask.
“...You're right.”
Judith quickly looked away when the master spoke in a cracked voice.
“I was overly emotional. I acted stupidly.”
“Ah, yes.”
Judith cleared her throat, fiddling with her fingers. Even though he said he acted stupidly, she felt that his display of emotion made him seem closer.
“Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing, but I feel like we've gotten closer since we crossed the secret passage together. I don't know his face or even his name, but...”
Sharing the same anger and thinking together about a solution made them feel like best friends or comrades-in-arms. For Judith, who had lived alone since her father's death, it was a rare warmth she had not felt for a long time.
While she was lost in her thoughts, the master suddenly spoke:
“I will follow your lead, Judith, no matter the plan.”
"Yes."
Her lukewarm response was met with a light, joking nudge on the arm from the master.
“Judith, you have to understand the weight of my words.”
“What weight?”
“I don't usually follow anyone's orders. I don't trust anyone, so I always act on my own. But I'm telling you now that I'll step back and let you take over this time.”
Judith burst out laughing at his exaggeratedly serious words.
“So, what exactly are you going to do if you don’t just stand back and watch me?”
Although she was clearly joking, the master did not laugh. Instead, he added slowly:
“I'm saying I trust you, Judith, mentally and emotionally.”
“Ah… isn’t that obvious? Haven’t we worked together with such confidence for the past three years?”
"exactly."
The master crossed his legs comfortably as he agreed with her. Although his mask always hid his expression, Judith felt an intense gaze from behind him.
“Just a reminder.”
“Is that so? Then I will make sure to live up to that confidence.”
Judith smiled gently as she looked at the mask that had always been a barrier between them.
“By this evening, everything will be resolved. Don’t worry.”
"Yes."
As the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds, light streamed through the window.
Between the master's brief response and the sunlight penetrating the place, there was a feeling of calm, familiar but somehow different.
“Let's watch.”
Although his voice, as always, seemed to fade from memory instantly, the rays of sunlight that fell between them remained with a strange weight.
“I wanted to have lunch with her.”
Isabella sighed as she had lunch with Karl.
“I know I was harsh on her, but still...”
She wanted to show Judith that living on the Maios estate was worth it.
Inviting her to lunch was just a ploy on her part.
She loved Judith. She liked her firm tone, the elegance she gained from her noble upbringing, and even her just principles. After all, what Judith was doing was ling herf for money, but she did it with dignity, and that was amazing.
“If Ekyan comes back, she is exactly the kind of daughter-in-law I want.”
However, she couldn't help but sigh again. That girl, who was dreaming of the future, was sure that Ekian would not come back, no matter what they did.
But Isabella wanted to go ahead with this play.
“She's so thin... It must have been difficult for her to survive on her own for these three years.”
It was a miracle that Judith endured that suffering. In fact, Isabella was amazed that a noble girl who had been raised so comfortably could live so powerfully on her own. She wanted to see Judith's reaction to a good meal as soon as possible.
“Karl, you eat well.”
She smiled as she looked at her eight-year-old son.
“Yes, you have to eat well to grow.”
"Yes."
Her words a few days ago seemed to have affected him, as he was eating seriously now. His spoon was moving steadily between his plate and his mouth.
As she watched her son eat as if for the first time in a long time, she finally felt some relief. He didn't look completely healthy yet, but if he continued to eat and rest, he would get better with time.
Carl was considered a genius from a young age. He learned to read at the age of two, and showed adult-level intelligence by the age of three. So, even though he was only three years old at the time, he remembered Ekyan.
Because Ekian was very attached to Karl, his disappearance had a traumatic effect on the boy. Even now, at the age of eight, he has not forgotten his older brother.
The Duke and Duchess allowed him to take his time and gradually accept it.
While Karl was quickly finishing his food, Isabella cautiously spoke of a new topic.
“I heard that you dismissed the teacher recently, and you didn't go to the knight training either...”
Karl, who was lowering his head, put a piece of meat in his mouth before muttering:
“I don't feel excited.”
Isabella nodded without pressing him further.
Her second son was always developing rapidly. It wouldn't surprise her if he was going through early adolescence. However, she couldn't help but wonder if it would have been different if Ikian was still around.
“Well, at least Sarah's still here...”
Carl, who was the family's darling, began to withdraw from everything. Isabella couldn't help but think that Ekian's absence was the reason.
At least, Sarah was still there. Sarah, Ekian and Karl spent a lot of time together when they were young. Karl had always been fond of Sarah, and if her presence gave him some comfort, that was enough for Isabella.
“Yes, don't worry too much, Mom,” Karl replied with maturity beyond his years.
"That's right. I don't know what we would do without Sarah."
Isabella wasn't the type to care much for maids, so she didn't have any special feelings for Sarah. But she appreciated that Karl was particularly attached to her, and she heard from the head butler that Sarah was unusually intelligent for a maid.
“If Judith had not come, I might have asked Sarah to become a temporary daughter-in-law for our family.”
Although she hasn't mentioned it to anyone yet, Sarah was her first choice for the role.
Sarah has been close to Ekian since childhood, and her beautiful face makes her perfect for deceiving others.
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