Chapter 21

They did have to wait for a little while, but the meal was truly delicious.

When they left the restaurant, the same thing happened when they entered the building. Grandmother said to the shadow which appeared by the window.

“Where is he from?”

“I believe he is a Notlander.”

It was a woman’s husky voice. A creaking sound was heard together with her appearance, she seemed like a knight.

“Break that.”

—Crack

As the shadow moved away, the carriage slowly started.

“Why does he keep taking pictures secretly?”

“It’s nothing.”

Grandmother smiled as if telling her not to pay attention to it.

“Even if I go out quietly, there are people who follow me like this. I would have let it go if it were a normal day but… because you’re here today.”

Following her?

Diana tilted her head. Grandmother continued to talk.

“We are going home now.”

“Home?”

“Yeah. Don’t be surprised and listen. When we get home…  There will be quite a few people who will come to meet you.”

“Is that so?”

“I haven’t prepared your room yet, but there won’t be anything lacking for your stay.”

“It’s alright.”

However, as time went by, Diana’s complexion gradually darkened. Across from her, Grandmother noticed this.

“Is there anything that you’re worried about?”

“Uhm…”

Diana hesitated. However, after sighing, she looked at Grandmother with teary eyes.

“Will the people at home like me?”

“What are you saying?”

As Grandmother stroked Diana’s head, she said in a sweet voice.

“If they don’t like you, of course, they have to leave my house.”

“….”

As the carriage went inside, Diana felt something chilling.

‘But I heard that the price of land in the Imperial Capital was very expensive.’

However, all the mansions they passed were huge. It was similar to the area where the rich people lived in Aachen– no, it was much more luxurious than that.

The vine-shaped iron door opened and the wagon slid in. The stone road that the carriage followed was lined with all kinds of statues and flower bushes as it passed through another iron gate. The carriage kept going inside.

After passing through the elaborately decorated garden and fountain, the carriage finally stopped. A huge mansion came into sight.

The ivory mansion with a green roof gave off a bright yet antique feeling.

‘No, it can’t be. No way…’

The door of the carriage opened and a maid helped Grandmother get off. Diana then grabbed the hand of the person who opened the door of the carriage and got off. And like that, her body stiffened.

Under the stairs at the center of the entrance of the mansion, people who were dressed as maids and servants were lined up.

There were a lot of people, but the only sound heard was the sound of the water from the fountain and the chirping of birds in the distance.

The chilly feeling she felt in the carriage persisted.

Among the employees, a person who looked like a butler stepped out.

“Welcome, Count Ohrid.”

Diana turned her head like a doll with broken clockwork. It seemed like there was a creaking sound coming from her neck.

Making eye contact with Diana, Grandmother smiled softly.

“This is our home.”

“…”

Blink. Blink. Blink.

She repeatedly opened and closed her eyes quickly.

“I’m Liam, the butler. I have heard the explanation in advance from the Little Young Master.”

The eyes of the person who introduced himself as the butler were slightly red. The butler, who cleared his throat, continued.

“Welcome to Ohrid, Young Miss Diana.”

“Welcome to Ohrid, Young Miss.”

The employees lined up behind the butler, followed and bowed their heads.

“G-Grandmother.”

At that time, a middle-aged man came out through the line of employees.

The wrinkled but thick features made her reflect on his youthful appearance.

“Good heavens!”

The man exclaimed as soon as he saw Diana, hugging her.

“I’m your grandfather.”

Pulling herself away from the hug, Diana flinched.

“My… grandfather?”

“Yes! I heard you had a hard time. Really, really….”

Grandfather’s voice dampened little by little.

“Thank you for staying alive.”

Grandfather rubbed his face against her head. Eventually, the butler pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it hard around his eyes as if he couldn’t hold back his tears.

“What is this…”

Diana gasped.

Her eyes were shaking with anxiety, drifting toward the bird-shaped statue of the fountain.

Diana said in a choked voice.

“Count?!”

“Why is your voice like that? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Diana shouted, pressing down her desire to stamp her feet.

“The Count of Ohrid?!”

However, it was impossible for Grandfather, whom she had just met, to understand.

“What are you saying suddenly?”

“Just now the butler said Ohrid, and Count…”

He said that Grandmother is the Count. Of. Ohrid!

“Just what are you saying? Of course. The Count of Ohrid is your grandmother. Is there any problem— Don’t tell me?”

Grandfather squinted his eyes at Diana’s reaction. He then looked back at Grandmother. Before she knew it her Grandfather’s tears stopped.

“Honey. You didn’t tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“Then that must be it. Oh my.”

“What about me?”

Grandfather shook his head in despair. Grandfather put his hand on Diana’s shoulder and made eye contact.

“Diana, this is the County of Ohrid.”

At that moment, her legs became weak, and she almost collapsed. Grandfather quickly grabbed her forearm.

“Diana!”

“I-I’m alright. For a moment, my legs became weak.”

“Yeah.”

She stood up again on her knees.

“I’m Spencer Ohrid, the Count of Ohrid’s husband.”

“Ah. I see. I haven’t told her.”

“How can you forget that?”

“Since I’ve never needed to introduce myself before, I forgot to introduce myself.”

“To forget…”

It could hardly be called a reason. Grandfather stared at Grandmother for a while before continuing to talk again.

“And your grandmother is Clement Ohrid, the Count of Ohrid.”

Grandfather, who was coughing, said with a kind smile, trying to look as harmless as possible.

“So, you’ll be Diana Ohrid.”

***

Diana buried her face in a fluffy feather pillow. Two turns to the left and two turns to the right. The bed was so wide that there was no need to worry about falling down even if she rolled around as much as she wanted.

But soon she stopped rolling and got up. This was because her hair strangled herself. She then unravelled her hair and stroked Sky, who was sleeping near the pillow.

The same day she met her grandmother, Diana returned to Aachen to pack. She also explained the situation to Sophie and Donatella.

She told them that she met her maternal grandmother and that she was now going to enter her grandmother’s house.

Sophie and Donatella rejoiced as if it were them who reunited with their own grandmothers. At first, they were very suspicious, but after talking to the person Grandmother sent, they went back to Count Norvan.

Fifteen days after entering the mansion, she also met the Esteemed Mother of Ohrid.

The unhealthy Esteemed Mother greeted Diana in bed. The Esteemed Mother also welcomed her warmly, completely overshadowing her worries.

[Philippa gave us a present.]

Diana felt a desperate sincerity. The way she held Diana’s hand and swallowed her tears looked exactly like Grandmother.

‘And also… Hermann.’

If he had known Mother, of course he would have known that Grandmother was alive.

‘But why didn’t he tell me that I had a Grandmother?’

Just why?

She knew Hermann was extremely stingy with his words to her. But did he have to be stingy with his words about her family? Or was there a reason why he couldn’t say it?

She thought about asking Grandmother for the reason. But she stopped.

‘I want to hear it directly from Hermann.’

Even if he kept her grandmother’s existence a secret, he was her savior. He tried to become her guardian, and even gave her the inheritance. If he hadn’t saved her, she wouldn’t have met Grandmother.

‘Since Hermann said that even if it took a long time, it would only take three months…’

It has now been a month. The longest time before Hermann returned.

Walking by the canopy, Diana wore velvet slippers. She was a little tired, but she didn’t think she could fall asleep anymore.

She unsteadily got up and picked up a glass on the table. The water she drank from the cup was cold as if it had been newly placed.

She walked to the terrace and pulled up the curtains. The dawn light of the morning shone. In the still quiet mansion, only the sound of fountains and the chirping of birds were sparsely heard. The chilly dawn air filled her lungs.

At the end of the garden, she saw a gardener watering some plants. She heard the sound of the iron door opening from afar. The main gate seen from Diana’s terrace was tightly closed, so it was probably the sound of the back door where the employees came in and out.

Soon, the sound of a cart rolling got closer. It was probably the person who delivered the ingredients. She could hear the servants carrying fresh ingredients for breakfast. The gardener walked again, shaking the empty water bottle.

Soon she would hear a knocking sound in her room.

—Tok. Tok.

It was a very small sound. It was so weak that it wouldn’t wake Diana up if she was still asleep.

“I’m already up.”

Diana entered the room from the terrace.

“Hello, Young Miss. It’s a good morning, right? You always get up early.”

“It’s a good morning.”

It was Michelle, the person who was assigned as her personal maid.

Michelle familiarly picked up and held a shawl. She put the shawl on Diana’s shoulders, that got cold from standing on the terrace.

Warm milk, honey, and sugar were seen on the tray on the table.

“Shall I only place a spoon as well today?”

“Yes. Please do.”

Michelle wasn’t like a friend like Sophie. She was also older than Donatella and much more mature.

After Diana emptied half a cup of milk, Michelle asked.

“Do you want more milk? Or do you want to wash up?”

“I’ll wash up.”

“Then I’ll prepare an ice pack as well.”

After she entered the County, she cried every night before going to bed, perhaps because she had more tears. There was no big reason. One day she cried because she was so happy, and one day she cried because she missed her Mom.