Paige Lanchester had been the only daughter born to a family whose lineage was famous for producing a number of distinguished knights. The Marquis of Lanchester had long ago been granted a large, rural estate, far from the imperial capital. Paige’s father, Gasparo Lanchester, had had a strong sense of justice and honesty and had been good with the sword—but he hadn’t been very wise. Her mother had been gentle, charitable, and well-liked by her subjects. That said, Paige was her father’s child through and through. Gasparo had been a man who was single-mindedly devoted to the martial arts. He’d been the deputy commander of the Imperial Army, and when war broke out, he had been sent to the front lines, where he’d performed well, receiving numerous medals and rewards for his military deeds.
Paige had idolized her father and wanted to become a knight herself one day. Female knights were quite rare, but Paige had been certain she’d be able to succeed, as a member of Gasparo’s bloodline. But instead of shedding blood on the battlefield like her father, Paige had longed to serve alongside the knights of the Imperial Guard.
However, the peaceful life of the Lanchester family had begun to fall apart when Paige’s mother collapsed one day.
At the time, they were staying at a town house in the imperial capital. Up until that point, the family of three had always eaten together, but now that her mother was bedbound, it was just Paige and her father. Ever since her mother fell ill, Paige’s father had been restless and unfocused, and she’d taken to helping him around the house.
“How was your mother this morning?”
Paige frowned and shook her head. “Not great. The rash has spread and she throws up right away after eating, so she’s not taking in any nutrients.”
“I see. Well, try and get her to eat as much as possible. I’ll get her anything it seems like she might be able to eat.”
“Yeah, I know.”
A dark cloud now hung over the once lively dining table. The truth was that neither Paige nor Gasparo were the type of people who would actively go out of their way to liven up the place. It had been Paige’s mother who always set a vase of flowers on the table and put on a happy face.
Paige was preparing for the entrance exam for the Imperial Guard, but she’d also been taking care of her mother on top of her training. She could have left the care of her mother to the servants, but she wanted to do it herself.
“Speaking of that... Paige, move your mother to a different room.”
“Why? The one she’s in gets the most sun.”
“Just do as I say.”
“Fine! But don’t get mad at me when she starts growing mold and mushrooms from rotting away in the dark,” Paige shot back sarcastically. Her father was always bad with words, and Paige didn’t care for following orders she didn’t understand. However, given her father’s status as the head of their household, she had no choice but to follow his orders—not that it would stop her from complaining about it.
After switching rooms, her mother’s health improved a little. At the time, Paige had thought that the timing of the room change and her mother’s improvement had just been a coincidence. However, the first room she’d been in had been decorated with a very vibrant wallpaper—one that Paige remembered was called Elizabeth Pink. When Gasparo realized his wife’s health was indeed improving, he’d torn down and disposed of all of the Elizabeth Pink wallpaper.
Just when Paige’s mother truly seemed to be on the mend, disaster struck again: Gasparo was involved in a corruption case.
“You didn’t really bribe someone, did you?” Paige asked, shocked. “This is some sort of conspiracy, isn’t it, dad?”
“It’s all Tiberio Reyn’s fault. I’m being framed.”
“Tiberio Reyn? The duke? What did he do? I’ll beat him senseless!” Paige shouted.
Gasparo pinched the space between his eyebrows and replied, sounding aggravated, “I’m sorry... I need to rest.”
“Dad!”
The corruption case had left Paige’s father completely exhausted. Every day, the Lanchesters’ house was harangued by angry crowds, stones and raw eggs thrown at their walls as slanderous, hateful letters poured in. Her father, who had always been a fighter and had always received nothing but praise and envy, was likely not at all accustomed to being criticized by others.
Little by little, her father’s personality changed. Normally, if Paige said something cheeky, he would immediately reply, but now, no matter what she said, he never seemed to be listening. He began to lose vitality and started neglecting his sword training, and his expression was always dark. Paige’s heart ached as she watched this shift in him.
The case against Gasparo alleged that he’d taken bribes from numerous soldiers in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. A considerable amount of money had allegedly changed hands, false evidence was submitted, and all those who were accused of being involved in the bribery, including Gasparo, were swiftly disciplined. At first, the members of the army who looked up to the commander protested, but their voices were silenced and soon Gasparo had no allies left.
The corruption incident triggered a suspicious change within the army. All of Gasparo’s close associates left or were demoted, and Paige could tell that they’d been pressured into it. Gasparo was charged as a criminal and his wealth and fiefdom were confiscated. However, he still continued to insist that he’d been framed and that it had all been orchestrated by Tiberio Reyn.
Why is dad so focused on Tiberio? Paige wondered. Her father never confided in her the details, but he told Paige that he’d found something out about the duke that he could use as leverage.
However, despite the loss of their wealth, titles, and lands, the Lanchesters were still being asked to pay an exorbitant amount in compensation. The family was also completely isolated from society thanks to all of the rumors flying around about Gasparo.
Paige was determined to pay her father’s debts as they came due, but the situation made it impossible for the family to make ends meet, so Paige had had to pick up a job. This was the first financial hardship she’d ever faced. Gasparo’s trauma was far deeper than Paige could have expected, and he fell into a deep depression. This meant that Paige had to work to support both of her parents.
“I can’t take this anymore. I can’t keep living like this. I want to die...” her father said suddenly one day, his face grim. He could have slapped Paige in the face and she would have been less shocked.
She didn’t know why her father would say such a thing. He might have lost his position, his honor, and his fortune, but his family was alive. Paige believed they would be able to make a fresh start, and she was working hard at her manual labor job every day to make that happen. So why did her father look like he’d given up on himself?
“What?! Don’t say that!” Paige yelled, unleashing her feelings on him. “We’ll be able to get through this if we work together. It’s hard for me too, but I’m doing my best every day! Don’t ever say that again!” She couldn’t deal with her father’s despair, so she pushed him away.
“I’m sorry, Paige...”
She would never be able to forget the look on his face at that moment. It was the first time her father, a man with a strong sense of justice and a genius with the sword, whom she had always respected, had ever cried in front of his daughter.
Just as Paige’s life was crumbling completely, a man appeared before her. Paige was working a day job, doing housework, and taking care of her parents all at the same time. One day, on her way home from work, a group of middle-aged women approached her.
“You coward!”
“How dare you cheat us!”
The women began throwing stones at her. Exhausted, Paige couldn’t even muster up the energy to avoid the stones, so they all hit her. Not long ago, these women would have respected Gasparo, but the look in their eyes had changed, and they’d begun to slander him after the corruption case had concluded.
Why are they doing this to me? I haven’t done anything wrong... Paige thought. Satisfied after a round of accusations, the women of the fiefdom stuck up their noses and went on their way. Alone again, Paige looked down and touched a wound on her cheek from one of the rocks.
“Here, this is for you,” a gentle voice said.
Paige looked up and was greeted with a high-quality handkerchief. She cautiously took it and wiped the blood from her cheek.
“I can help if you want to do something for your parents.”
“Who are you?” Paige looked up into the face of a handsome, clean-cut aristocratic man. It was the most strikingly beautiful face that Paige had ever seen. The man’s eyes curved gently with his kind smile, and he was very pleasant to look at.
“Paige Lanchester... No, that’s not your last name anymore, is it? I know all about you. I heard your family has fallen on hard times as of late, and you’re working to support both your parents,” the man said.
“How do you—”
“That’s just the rumor I’ve heard. I have a daughter about your age, so I was very moved when I heard about your hardships. I’m sure you’re excellent with the sword and you were promised a great career. I’m sorry you’ve had to endure so much. But it’s all right now. I’m here to help.”
Paige had been working so hard for her family, but no one had praised her for it, and she hadn’t expected them to. When she walked down the street she was greeted with hard glares, ridiculed as the daughter of a criminal, and never offered any sort of helping hand. She was still a young teenager, and her heart was badly broken, but the man in front of her was different from the others.
So there really are kind people in the world, Paige thought. The man’s words penetrated deep into her heart and made the corners of her eyes prick with tears. Little could she have known they were the whispers of a devil.