Chapter 199 - 139 : 11 Years Like A Breeze (3)

Chapter 199: Chapter 139 : 11 Years Like A Breeze (3)

The youngest daughter, meanwhile, remained the cherished one of the household.

Her older brothers had begun taking on their responsibilities, while Elisa’s travels often kept her far from home. She was in no hurry to decide what her own future should look like. There were still too many things she enjoyed, and she was happy to spend her days moving between them without feeling the need to choose just one.

The gardens remained her favourite place, and over the years, they had become something she shared with Lucy. Though age had begun to show in her mother’s hair and slowed her steps a little, Lucy still liked to spend time among the flowers whenever her duties allowed. Sometimes she would point out a plant that needed more shade or show her daughter how to care for a stubborn flower. At other times, they simply worked side by side, talking about whatever came to mind. The younger girl had inherited her mother’s love of flowers, though she was often more interested in discovering something new than in following the usual way of doing things. Under their care, the gardens continued to grow and change, with new plants appearing among the familiar ones.

She also liked visiting Sabian’s workshop, where there was always something strange or unfamiliar to catch her attention. Half-finished wooden frames, metal fittings, and drawings covered in strange lines and measurements often lay scattered about. Sabian would warn her not to touch things she did not understand, especially when she shifted something he had carefully arranged. He might look mildly annoyed, but his irritation rarely lasted. The moment she pointed to one of his drawings and asked what it was supposed to do, he would begin explaining, his eyes brightening as he spoke. He could go on for ages, tracing lines on the parchment and describing how one part was meant to work with another. She rarely understood everything he told her, but she enjoyed watching him talk about his work all the same.

She looked forward to Elisa’s letters, too. Whenever a reply arrived with a little packet of unfamiliar flower seeds tucked inside, she would hurry to the garden to decide where to plant them. Elisa sometimes included a few lines about where she had found them, and her younger sister would write back to tell her how the seeds were doing. As the years passed, the variety of flowers in the garden grew, with some of the more unusual ones coming from places the girl had never visited herself.

And whenever her brothers had somewhere to go and could take her along, she was usually eager to join them. She enjoyed seeing other estates and visiting places beyond the castle, but accompanying Trevor to a noble gathering had its own special appeal. The tables were often filled with sweets and pastries she rarely saw at home, and she was happy to sample as many as she could without worrying too much about which was the most proper choice.

Her siblings had each found things they wanted to pursue, but she was still content to follow her interests wherever they led. For now, there were flowers to tend, strange drawings to puzzle over, letters to look forward to, and places to see whenever her brothers could take her along. She had not yet settled on what she wanted to make of her life, she is more like the butterflies she loves so much. A carefree spirit.

Elsewhere, the wider kingdom was changing as well.

Duke Vendettit, one of the four dukes of Enwitra, eventually died. Few deaths in the kingdom could have carried greater weight. He had been one of the most gifted martial artists of his generation, a war hero whose strength and achievements had earned him a place among the kingdom’s most respected figures.

To many, his passing felt like the end of an age. The kingdom had lost not only a duke, but one of its greatest martial artists.

News of his death drew nobles from every corner of Enwitra. The heads of the other three ducal houses attended, along with counts, viscounts, barons, and lesser lords from distant territories. Even those unable to make the journey themselves ensured their families or trusted representatives were present. An occasion of such importance was not one any noble house could afford to overlook.

Many came to honour a man whose name had carried weight for decades, some remembering his deeds in war, others the reputation he had earned through his strength. Yet his death also marked the beginning of a new Chapter for the ducal house.

His successor would now hold the title, lands, and influence that had once belonged to his father, and the gathering offered the kingdom’s nobles an opportunity to meet him, renew old ties, and establish relationships that might prove important in the years ahead. Condolences were exchanged, old acquaintances reunited, and new introductions made.

Beneath the mourning, everyone understood that the balance of relationships among the great houses would continue to develop under a new duke.

The royal capital also sent someone whose presence carried considerable weight: the Crown Prince himself. Rumour had it that the king would have attended in person had his health not deteriorated so badly. He had grown too frail for such a long journey, leaving his son to represent the royal family at the funeral.

The prince’s presence was a mark of respect for the fallen duke, but it also showed how seriously the Crown regarded the passing of one of the kingdom’s four most powerful lords.

His death was more than the loss of a powerful noble. It marked the end of an era for the houses under his authority, and his funeral became an occasion for the living to honour what had ended and face what would follow.

As nobles from across Ewichua travelled to Vandorath, however, one question occupied their minds. The old duke had left behind seven sons, yet he had never openly named a successor.

By tradition, the eldest should have inherited the title, but it was an open secret that the duke had never looked upon his firstborn with particular favour. He had raised his sons in a way that made it seem as though each was being prepared to compete with the others, and he had never made clear which of them he considered worthy of inheriting his seat.

Now, with the old duke dead, the kingdom’s nobles would gather in Vandorath to pay their respects. But when the funeral ended, which of his seven sons would emerge as the new Duke Vendettit?