If You Wish to Have Me - Chapter 104

Kisa stood with her mouth agape as she gazed at the secluded manor situated by the lake.

“How do you find it?”

At Seyard’s question from beside her, she voiced her impression of the two-story manor.

“It’s truly a wonderful place. And…”

“More intact than you expected?”

That was correct.

Come to think of it, it was natural for Kisa to be surprised.

Looking at the beautiful scenery alone, it was hard to imagine that just about a year ago, someone had lost their life in a fire at this very manor.

The reason Kisa and Seyard had come here today began three days ago, on the first morning after the two had become one.

[Actually, unlike my parents, my brother’s coffin was buried in the capital.]

The place where Vischer Hillan was buried was a private villa located in the outskirts of the capital. It was a place he had frequented during his lifetime, and simultaneously the place where he had died in an accident.

Being in the outskirts, unlike the Hillan territory, it was a place they could visit anytime if they set their minds to it.

Therefore, Kisa had suggested to Seyard that they visit there together on one of his relatively free days, and he had readily accepted his lover’s proposal.

For this reason, Kisa, having just alighted from the carriage, was currently taking in the overall scenery of the manor for the first time.

‘I did hear from Seyard that renovations were carried out after the fire, but…’

In the spotless building without a trace of soot, the beautifully arranged garden, and the well-maintained paths, there was no sign of the accident to be found anywhere.

“Actually, more than half of the manor burned down at that time, so we just tore it down and built it anew.”

At Seyard’s supplementary explanation, Kisa slowly nodded.

“…I see.”

Just as she was feeling solemn imagining the devastation of that time:

“Your Grace, welcome!”

A middle-aged man of short stature came running from some distance away.

“I received word that you would arrive soon and was preparing a meal. Ah, this must be the one I’ve only heard about…”

As the man’s gaze turned to Kisa, Seyard introduced the two.

The middle-aged man was a caretaker who had been looking after this villa since the time of the previous Duke, and appeared to be appropriately diligent and loyal.

“My goodness, it’s an honor to meet the one who will become the Duchess of Hillan in advance. Seeing you like this, you truly suit His Grace well.”

“Such flattery. I look forward to working with you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

After exchanging greetings with Kisa, the caretaker looked at Seyard and asked:

“Would you like to have lunch first? It will be ready shortly.”

Instead of answering the question, Seyard looked at Kisa.

“Kisa, are you hungry?”

“No, I’m still fine.”

“Then let’s go see my brother first. It’s over there.”

The three of them—Kisa, Seyard, and the caretaker—walked in the direction he indicated.

While heading to the rear garden where Vischer Hillan’s grave was said to be located, Kisa, who had been glancing at the villa building, spoke up.

“The former Duke must have loved this place very much.”

“So it seems. I was quite surprised when his will requesting to be buried here was made public.”

Since Seyard himself didn’t know much about his brother either, the caretaker continued the explanation.

“He didn’t show it outwardly much, but he cherished this place greatly. He would often come here to spend time. One of the first things he did after ascending to the position of Duke was to build this place.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I heard he was deeply involved from the design stage.”

At this unexpected information, Kisa stopped in place for a moment and stared at the side of the manor.

Then Seyard also stopped walking and asked her:

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. It’s just somehow fascinating. I didn’t know the former Duke preferred this type of manor. How should I put it… it’s quite charming, isn’t it?”

In fact, when Kisa first saw the villa earlier, her surprise wasn’t only because the building was intact.

Until arriving here, she had vaguely imagined an elegant, classically beautiful manor like the Hillan ducal residence.

But the Vischer Hillan’s villa she confirmed with her own eyes was a building boasting a modest charm with light pastel tones.

Well, since it was a villa after all, there was no need to build it large, but it was unexpected in many ways.

That cold and aristocratic person’s taste turned out to be surprisingly girlish.

‘Yes, the expression “girlish” fits perfectly.’

Because Kisa herself had dreamed of living in such a manor when she was young.

There was once a time when pastel-toned manors like this were fashionable in the capital.

When she occasionally went out, young Kisa would look at the cute buildings visible through the carriage window and dream of herself living in such places.

She even went so far as to make the bold request to her father, whom she found so difficult to approach, asking to move there.

Of course, it had no effect on Count Vansfelt, and her childhood dream remained just a dream.

But in this world, there were people unlike Kisa who realized their dreams with their own hands.

Vischer Hillan was one such person, who not only spent vast amounts of money to build the manor he desired by the beautiful lakeside, but even had himself buried there after death.

“It’s certainly a taste unlike my brother. Still, his affection for this place seems to have been genuine.”

Seyard explained the contents of his brother’s will in more detail.

The content was that if he died after marriage, he should be buried in the Hillan family cemetery where their ancestors were interred, but if he died while unmarried, he wanted to be buried here.

“Is there some important correlation between marriage and the burial site?”

“Who knows.”

At Kisa’s question, Seyard shrugged.

“Who could know the will of the deceased?”

While having such a conversation, the three arrived at Vischer’s grave.

Located in one corner of the rear garden, the place had a simple and restrained form for where the head of the great noble house of Hillan was buried.

The absence of the ornate tomb decorations that would usually be expected was very much like the Vischer Hillan that Kisa had imagined.

Perhaps he had no intention of decorating even his gravesite charmingly.

In any case, the caretaker stepped back, and only Kisa and Seyard stood before the grave.

Vischer Hillan rests here.

A single line of stark epitaph that felt almost desolate greeted the two.

“I’m here again.”

Seyard introduced Kisa as if his brother were truly there.

“This time I’m with the person I love. We’re getting married soon.”

His hand embraced Kisa’s shoulder.

“I really wanted to tell you this news directly. I’m sure… you would have been curious if you were here.”

The reddish-brown eyes looking down at the grave were tinged with a deeper hue.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to become happy.”

Seeing her lover speak of happiness, Kisa’s heart also filled with happiness.

Feeling as though she might cry a little, Kisa addressed the deceased:

“Though I am still lacking, I will do my best for the Hillan family and your younger brother.”

Having said this, she placed the white flowers she had brought from home beside the grave.

Hoping her sincere feelings would be conveyed.

Afterwards, the two stood quietly in that place without words for some time.

She felt regret that she should have had at least one more conversation with Vischer before he died.

Since she and he had similar tastes in manor architecture, there might have been other aspects where they would have gotten along well.

“Well, shall we go have our meal now?”

After about ten minutes had passed, Seyard looked back at Kisa and said.

Thus, as they all headed toward the villa building together, the caretaker spoke in a half-subdued voice:

“Come to think of it, you visited here last month too, didn’t you? Since Your Grace doesn’t forget and visits frequently, Lord Vischer must be pleased too.”

Seyard smiled listlessly.

“I wonder. How would he really feel?”

“There’s no question about it. Today you even came with your bride-to-be. There’s no greater joy than marriage… marriage…”

Suddenly, the caretaker’s complexion darkened.

“If only that accident hadn’t happened, Lord Vischer would have held his ceremony with the Princess too. Why did he dismiss the servants that particular day?”

“He dismissed the servants?”

At this unexpected statement, Kisa found herself asking back without thinking.

In contrast to the caretaker who looked uncomfortable, perhaps thinking he had brought up an unpleasant topic, Seyard readily answered the question.

“That’s right. On the day the fire occurred, my brother dismissed several servants working at the villa, saying he wanted to be alone.”

Perhaps judging that it was fine to speak honestly following Seyard’s words, the caretaker recounted the events of that time in more detail.

“Outside, there were guards standing watch at the entrance and myself spending time in the caretaker’s office, but inside the building, only Lord Vischer was present.”

He lowered his gaze.

“If even one person had been inside, we probably would have discovered the fire much earlier. By the time we outside grasped the situation, it was already…”

Seyard comforted the caretaker, who was hanging his head, telling him not to blame himself too much.

“After all, didn’t the fire start from the scented candle in my brother’s bedroom? Even if someone had been inside, the result likely wouldn’t have changed.”

From what he heard, Vischer Hillan, who suffered from severe insomnia, appeared to have fallen asleep that day with a scented candle lit to aid his sleep.

And unfortunately, the candle fell over and the flame spread to the carpet…

“How cruel fate can be.”

The caretaker squinted and lamented.

“Of all things, Lord Vischer, who had been fine his entire life, began complaining of insomnia just a few months before that incident and met such an end!”

It was a valid point. If only he could have slept peacefully, Vischer Hillan wouldn’t have dismissed people for being noisy, nor would he have needed to burn scented candles.

Moreover, on that particular day, even Gilliam, the Duke’s aide, was away from his master’s side on other business, so there was no one to dissuade Vischer.

Thinking that a person’s future is truly unknowable, Kisa fell into contemplation.