From the day Catherine Monvoisin was sentenced to exile beyond the kingdom's borders, the Monvoisin Marquisate fell into a silence so deep it felt as though all fire had been extinguished.
Normally, during the summer recess, the marquis's estate would be filled with life. Catherine would return from the royal capital, and alongside her, the Marquis of Monvoisin—who also served as the kingdom's Minister of Finance. The mansion should have been lively.
Instead, it was eerily quiet.
House Monvoisin was a great noble family that had amassed vast wealth through maritime trade. Their port in the southwest connected the kingdom to foreign continents, and their household staff were trained to the highest standards—every one of them fiercely loyal to the family they served.
That was why Catherine's exile was utterly intolerable to them.
And then came the rumors of her death.
Not only the family, but every servant within the estate had been forced to suppress the boiling rage in their chests.
To be precise, the fire had not gone out.
Rather, the flame that should have burned brightly had been sealed within, transformed into a smoldering inferno of fury.
Revenge burned quietly in their hearts.
And yet, at the same time, they understood Catherine's feelings.
Because they understood her, they restrained themselves—using reason to keep the fire from spreading.
At a glance, the Monvoisin estate looked like a place where the fire had died.
In truth, it was a powder keg on the brink of explosion—one that continued, day after day, to suppress its inner blaze with sheer will.
Until a single Mail Bird arrived.
"Someone—bring Flora and Cedric. At once!"
The man who burst open the door to the study was Lucian von Monvoisin, master of the estate.
The same blue eyes as his daughter.The same carefully styled golden-brown hair—now disheveled.
It was the first time he had lost his composure since Catherine accepted her exile.
The silent estate instantly erupted into chaos.
Soon after, Lucian's wife Flora and their son—Catherine's elder brother and heir—Cedric were escorted into the study, confusion clear on their faces.
"Dear…?""Father?"
Without a word, Lucian handed them the letter that had just arrived.
The moment they read it, both froze.
Then—tears welled up.
"Liz—Catherine… she's alive…""Thank the gods… just for this moment."
Lady Flora broke into tears, and Cedric gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
After all, once they had heard Catherine vanished in the Forest of Demons, they had prepared themselves for the worst. Only recently had they begun to crawl out of grief.
And now—a letter declaring that she lived.
It was enough to make them thank even the gods they resented.
Normally, they would never speak words of gratitude toward the church—or the so-called Saint—who had played a role in Catherine's exile.
But now—
"First, we impose strict secrecy."
Lucian's voice was calm, but iron-hard.
"A person who was meant to die is alive.If that becomes known, it will bring danger not only to Catherine, but also to those who protected her."
Cedric and Flora stiffened.
They remembered the details written in the letter.
If I may speak plainly—it was a situation where death would not have raised eyebrows.In fact, it looked more like an attempt at murder.
Catherine's exile had been pushed through at terrifying speed.
And the Marquis knew exactly why.
She had willingly accepted all blame—to protect her family.
There was no way Lucian von Monvoisin could fail to see that.
House Monvoisin had been framed.
That conclusion came quickly.
And then came the rumors of Catherine's death.
If the attempt to weaken the marquisate had failed, this was the second strike.
Kill Catherine.Shake House Monvoisin.
Those suspicions had been simmering for days.
The letter turned suspicion into certainty.
Those who exiled Catherine had schemed deliberately to undermine House Monvoisin.
In reality, it was nothing more than Cassie's thoughtless cruelty—and the reckless indulgence of Crown Prince Edgar.
But House Monvoisin did not know that.
What they did know was that a massive canister of fuel had just been dumped onto their barely restrained rage.
"It seems the central faction truly wishes to make us their enemy."
Lucian spoke quietly—but the fury in his eyes was unmistakable.
Still, he reined it in at once.
"For now, they don't matter."
He exhaled deeply.
Lady Flora looked up at him.
"We're going to see her… aren't we?"
"Yes. Revenge against the capital can wait.Right now, only Catherine matters."
Lucian nodded—then frowned slightly.
"But we must be cautious.I want to go to her immediately… but it's a foreign land.If we visit the territory where she disappeared, rumors will spread."
They needed to prevent her survival from becoming public.
Cedric and Flora nodded in agreement.
"Still, we must establish contact first."
From the moment the letter arrived, their priority had shifted completely.
The royal family.The capital.The Saint.
None of that mattered anymore.
"Fortunately, Catherine's actions relieved me of my post as Minister of Finance.I have time to spare."
Lucian smiled thinly—but his thoughts remained razor-sharp.
"Sebas!"
The head steward waiting by the door straightened.
"Prepare a two-way Mail Bird immediately."
Sebas bowed and left at once.
"A duchy, huh…"
As Lucian muttered, Cedric—clearly prepared—handed him a map of the continent.
Spreading it across the desk, Lucian began calculating routes under his breath.
Once he had a rough plan, he took up his pen and wrote with decisive strokes.
By the time the letter was finished, Sebas had returned, holding a Mail Bird.
Lucian personally placed the letter onto its back and released it through the window.
"In secrecy.Without haste—but with speed."
The three of them watched the Mail Bird's trail fade into the sky.
The rebellion House Monvoisin was destined to lead in the original history ended here—before it ever began.
But no one yet knew—
That the fire they had once suppressed would change form,And someday rain down as embers upon the kingdom—
And upon Catherine, the Saint, and those around her.
That realization lay still in the future.