She Gave Up
“Oh my, Kevin, Brian—both the former and current lords of Southcourt present at once. Even though this was at Caroline’s invitation, I must apologize for your coming here while we were away,” Grandmother said as she approached the two men and began greeting them.
Wait—so these two are the former and current lords of Southcourt?
Lady Caroline’s husband, Kevin, had tanned skin and a strong build—he looked every bit a seafaring man.
On the other hand, Lady Caroline’s son—Diana’s father—had a similar build to Kevin, but showed almost no sign of sun exposure. However, his eyes were a striking blue, just like Lady Caroline and Young Miss Diana.
They’d said they were staying in the royal capital, so maybe they didn’t do much pirate-hunting. But really, people from Southcourt always seem to show up out of nowhere—maybe it runs in the family?
“My apologies for surprising you. I’ve just returned from sea, where I’ve been engaged in anti-pirate operations. My son has also been in the royal capital frequently, procuring trade goods. I regret that we had to greet you in such a way,” Lord Kevin said.
“We’ve benefited from the magic tools, stationery, and teabag business developed in Westland. When we heard that Lady Sophia and her companions were staying here, we rushed back to express our gratitude,” Lord Brian added.
They didn’t seem like bad people—but then, what exactly is the issue within the Southcourt family?
Grandmother introduced us to the two of them. But their eyes were fixed on Brother Gerald.
Ah, I see. They must have rushed back upon hearing that Brother Gerald was here.
At that moment, Caroline entered the dining room.
“Oh? Both of you returned? And why are you here, I wonder? You’re not supposed to come to this detached wing without my permission,” she said bluntly, not even trying to be polite despite our presence.
Then, turning to us, she added,
“I’m sorry. But Gerald ought to see the true state of our household.”
“Caroline…” Grandmother began, but Lady Caroline interrupted her.
“These two have always lived as they please, without consulting me. So I decided to live as I please too. Of course, I still fulfill my duties as a member of Southcourt. But I’ve stopped devoting myself to these two,” she said coldly, glaring at them.
At that moment, Diana entered the room, elegantly dressed. She glanced at her grandmother, whose face was stern, then at her grandfather and father, who both looked awkward.
“Grandfather, Father, it’s been a while. When did you return?” she asked stiffly.
“Ah, just a short while ago. Diana, it’s been too long. I heard you took part in a pirate suppression mission. A fine act, befitting the next head of Southcourt,” said Lord Brian.
“I’ve just reviewed the state of the territory. It looks like you’ve been managing things well,” added Lord Kevin.
Wait a minute—your daughter, your granddaughter, went on a dangerous mission, and there’s no ‘I’m glad you’re safe’? No familial warmth at all?
Coddling her too much wouldn’t be good either, but this is too harsh… What a strained family relationship.
In the end, the two men were driven out by Lady Caroline, and we had dinner with the usual group. But the mood was tense and the table was quiet throughout the meal.
After dinner, Lady Caroline invited us to the sitting room.
“Forgive me for showing such an ugly scene earlier. But that is the reality of Southcourt—this family is broken. I tried hard to fix it, I really did… but it was hopeless. I just want to make sure Diana doesn’t get hurt any further,” she said, holding Miss Diana’s hand.
Apparently, because Miss Diana is the only heir, they treated her harshly—but never with warmth as a family member. Lady Caroline said she repeatedly asked them to change, but they never did.
They were often absent even on Miss Diana’s birthdays.
Miss Diana sat beside Lady Caroline, her head lowered the entire time.
“Diana’s mother as well—she left for her family’s estate and never returned. She hasn’t sent any letters or birthday presents either. Even when we write, there’s no reply,” Lady Caroline said.
It seems Miss Diana’s mother lost her parents and her brother’s family in a natural disaster at her family estate when Miss Diana was three. Ever since, she’s been busy rebuilding and taking care of her late brother’s child, and never came back.
Given how much burden Miss Diana was carrying as a girl, Lady Caroline suggested Lord Brian divorce and remarry to produce a new heir. But he refused, saying Miss Diana was enough, and instead imposed a harsher education on her.
“Southcourt is always at risk with pirate suppression duties. Still, Diana endured it all through sheer effort. I wanted to let her have a normal childhood, but I couldn’t. Even when I told them to make time for her, they wouldn’t. And putting the entire responsibility of a lord on someone who isn’t even an adult—that’s not right.”
After listening quietly for a while, Grandmother finally spoke.
“You two should come to Westland. Soak in the hot springs and let your hearts recover. It may not have much compared to here, but there are plenty of things that’ll bring you peace.”
Lady Caroline must have been holding all this in for a long time. Now, with Grandmother here, it was like the dam burst.
Miss Diana said nothing—but what must she be feeling?
What do you think about this chapter?
