In the evening, the sky over Heartz Cemetery was painted in deep shades of orange and purple. A quiet wind passed over the wide ground, carrying with it the soft rustle of grass and the low sound of mourning voices. This was the main graveyard where the bodies of high-ranking nobles were buried. The royals of the main branch had their own resting place near the royal palace, but here was where the archdukes and great houses of the kingdom were laid to rest.
At the very front of the cemetery stood a massive stone plate, engraved with the names of all the nobles buried in this sacred ground. Today, another name had been added to the list—Arthur Mariette.
The ground was covered with small green grasses that brushed gently against the feet, soft like tiny pillows. Everyone present wore simple black clothes without any ornaments or jewelry. Even shoes had been taken off, for the tradition here was to stand barefoot before the departed, as a sign of equality and respect before death.
Almost every high authority of the kingdom was present, except the king himself.
At the left side of the crowd, Lilith and Kailith stood together, both wearing black dresses. Their faces carried serious expressions, their eyes heavy with thought. Even though Kailith's dress was plain and simple, her natural beauty made her look alluring, almost out of place among the mourning.
On the right side stood Corin with his father, the duke. Next to them were the Marquis Clandestine and his wife, with their daughter Claus Clandestine standing straight and quiet beside them.
At the middle stood Princess Ravenna, her long pink hair flowing softly in the evening breeze, her face calm but her eyes distant. Beside her was a man with orange hair, a sharp pointy mustache, and an aged, slightly chubby face. He was Alfred Vandris, father of Valen Vandris—the nerdy boy from the academy—and today he stood here as the official representative of the king.
At the very front were those who had been closest to Arthur Mariette.
His death had been announced suddenly the previous night at 9 p.m. Few people knew the truth of what had actually happened. Arthur had been outside, roaming in disguise, enjoying the scenery under another's appearance. When he died, everyone thought it was just an unknown man who passed away. But when the body was left unidentified and, hours later, transformed back into its true form—that of the Archduke—the entire kingdom was shaken. The awakened authorities quickly confirmed it, and by dawn, the news had already spread like wildfire, reaching the press before his family could even be informed properly.
By the time everyone united, it was already evening.
Now, at his grave, his remaining three wives stood weeping, their hands trembling as they wiped tears from their swollen eyes. Their sobs filled the quiet cemetery, echoing in the still evening air.
Cassandra stood just beside them. Her usually cold face was softened by grief, her eyes red, her lips pressed tightly as though holding back the storm inside her. Her gaze never left the open grave in front, a large rectangular hole dug into the earth where Arthur's body rested. In her hand, she held tightly onto a boy's palm.
The boy was Lloyd, the youngest son of Arthur. Barely thirteen, with soft silver hair and striking blue eyes, his face was wet with tears. His small shoulders shook as he tried to hold them back, but the grief was too heavy. Only a few months ago, he had awakened, full of dreams of the future, and now he was here, watching his father being lowered into the ground. His hand clung desperately to Cassandra's, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
A little farther behind stood Esdeath. Her expression was unreadable, but her presence was steady, like a pillar holding the ground. Beside her were Charlotte and Nyx, her parents, their faces quiet with respect. Selene was not here. Lortell and Esdeath had agreed to tell her later and bring her if she wished, since Selene had barely met Arthur before—only once during Esdeath and Lortell's marriage. She had no close bond with him.
And closest of all, just inches from the open grave, was Lortell. She was kneeling on the grass, her black dress brushing the earth, her long hair falling freely over her shoulders. Her hands moved carefully as she performed the final rituals.
There was also a priest standing beside Lortell, helping her perform the final rituals. His calm voice and gentle movements added a heavy yet sacred air to the place.
At the far back, there were still many people who had come to watch quietly. Among them stood Ethan and his group. They actually had no right to be there—Barons and Earls were not invited to this noble funeral. But thanks to Sylvania, who was the daughter of a Count, they were able to attend. Ethan, Violet, and the others stood in silence, keeping their heads lowered out of respect.
Even further behind, a few reporters and cameramen kept their distance, taking pictures from far away. They made sure not to disturb anyone, but the clicking of cameras still broke the silence every now and then.
"This should be it," the priest finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. "Now, every relative or close friends and coworkers should come forward and pour a handful of dirt on the deceased, while saying a few words about him."
It was almost the same as a Christian funeral, where people stepped forward one by one to say something kind about the dead before placing soil into the grave.
Lortell slowly nodded, her eyes still fixed on Arthur's body inside the coffin. She was about to stand up when Lorraine suddenly stepped forward.
"My lady," Lorraine said in a low, respectful voice, "this was the letter Master left with me. He told me to give it to any of his children after his death. Since you are the eldest one present here, I am handing it to you."
Even though Lortell was actually the middle child, her elder siblings, her brother and her sister Lucy Lynn, were not here. So, the letter came into her hands.
Lortell opened the letter slowly. Her face showed no emotion, her eyes cold and blank as she read the words inside. Some of it she had already expected.
If anyone is reading this, then I suppose I am already gone. To be honest, I don't have much to say. This won't be a formal farewell or some riddle hiding treasure. I have left no secret legacy, no hidden fortune. So don't waste time searching for one.
I lived a long, adventurous life. I had wealth, power, and women. But in the end, all those things mean little. Only in my later years did I realize that family is worth more than all of it. The joy of playing with my young sons and daughters was greater than mountains of gold.
My only regret is that I couldn't spend any time with my grandchildren. That was taken from me. I did get Selene, though—even with her unusual growth condition, she is still my granddaughter. But by the time she came into my life, it was too late. My body was already failing. I chose not to grow too close to her… because I feared if I did, I would start clinging to life, doing things to escape death, and ruining my honor in the process. So instead, I spent my last years quietly, watching nature and letting go.
All in all, I have nothing to leave behind—no legacy, no rivalry, no rules to bind you. My children are free to live as they please. That is the only gift I can leave you.
I was never the best father, but I tried to be a good one. That is enough for me.
So spread your wings, fly high, pierce the heavens if you wish—because my blessings will always be with you.
Lortell's eyes moved over the words, but her face remained unreadable. She neither smiled nor cried. Her grip loosened, and with a sudden gust of wind, the letter slipped from her fingers and flew away.
Before it could drift too far, Esdeath reached out and caught it. Her cold red eyes scanned through the lines quickly.
"So… is that why Lortell was so persistent about having more children?" Esdeath thought, pressing her lips together. "Did she misunderstand… and think Arthur wanted a blood-related grandchild?"
Esdeath glanced at Lortell briefly. Out of Arthur's five children, none of them had children of their own. The oldest was already past twenty-five, yet no one had settled down. Only Lortell had a child—Selene.
Taking a slow breath, Esdeath let the letter slip through her fingers again. The wind carried it higher this time, taking Arthur's last words away into the evening sky.
Everyone watched silently as the paper fluttered until it disappeared. For some, it was a reminder of Arthur's simple but heavy truth. For others, it felt like his spirit itself had left with the letter.
The priest then cleared his throat softly. "Now… let the children and family step forward."
The sound of sobbing grew louder. The wives wiped their faces with trembling hands.
The coffin was finally closed, hiding Arthur's body from everyone's eyes.
"A person with sense of responsibility," Lilith said softly as she poured a handful of dirt into the grave.
"A man of honor and pride," Alfred Vandris spoke firmly as he added his share of dirt.
"A great husband and partner," all three of Arthur's wives said through their tears as they poured the dirt together.
"A great master who respected his servants and always paid on time," Lorraine, the head maid, declared without hesitation, pouring her handful of dirt.
Esdeath lowered her gaze, her lips moving in a quiet mutter as she dropped her dirt into the grave. "Thanks for fucking Mella and giving me Lortell," she thought, grateful in her own way, but she didn't say it out loud only mumbling like she said something that they couldn't able to hear.
One after another, people came forward, leaving their words and their dirt behind. Cassandra finally stepped up with her blank face, holding a calm expression. "Dream giver," she said softly as she let the dirt fall.
In the end, only Lortell remained. She knelt, her red eyes fixed on the coffin. "Not the best, but a good father," she said in a steady tone, pouring the final handful of dirt.
With that, the funeral ended. Murmurs filled the air as people spoke quietly among themselves—some wondering how Arthur had passed so suddenly, others giving comfort to his wives.
"I deeply apologize that my king could not be here," Alfred said, rubbing his palms together nervously. "His health does not allow him to move about much. I hope you all understand."
Lortell only nodded. She didn't bother with words, her gaze already drifting to the darkening sky.
"Let's go back," she said softly to Esdeath.
Esdeath nodded and went to meet her parents first, exchanging warm greetings. Charlotte hugged her tightly with a bright smile. "Well then, we'll come again to visit you both in the future—or you can just come to us!"
Esdeath smiled faintly, thanked them, and after bidding farewell, returned to Lortell's side. Together, they started walking toward the exit.
But just as they reached it, two figures appeared in front of them—a man and a woman whose faces carried the same traces of the Mariette bloodline. Lucy and Lynn, Lortell's elder brother and sister, had finally arrived.
"It seems we are late," Lucy said with a forced smile, trying to open a conversation.
"Whatever," Lortell muttered, not stopping her steps as she brushed past them without a glance.
By the time night came, Lortell sat in her home on the couch, her black funeral dress already replaced by simple clothes. Her face carried a heavy expression, though her red eyes seemed calm.
Esdeath leaned on the couch beside her, stretching the fabric of her own clothes playfully to reveal just enough to tease. "Do you want me to console you, or would you rather suck some blood? It might help you feel better."
Lortell chuckled quietly and gave a small smile. "No need. I'm already in a good mood. It's a good thing he died honorably—as the former archduke and a respected man."
Her lips curved into a sharper smile. "And now, I have no reason to show mercy to any of my family members if they try anything against me."
To be honest, Her family had tried so many time to kill her, Specially her other four mother, One even died while trying.
Specially cassandra's mother Cesser, She was the one lortell hated the most.
At the same time, in her private apartment, Cassandra sat at her desk. She let out a long, heavy breath, her hands resting against the wooden surface.
"With Father's death, the last thing holding me back is gone."
"There's no need to hold back anymore."