Elia's eyes widened as she looked at the books.
Most of them were books on land administration, politics, and diplomacy.
There was even a book on the arts of war.
‘These are the books that my brother Erhan read when he was receiving heir training.’
She had seen these books before when she went to the classroom where her twin brother Erhan was receiving heir training.
'Why does Lavinia read these books?'
While Elijah was wondering, Lavinia opened her mouth.
“You're thinking: Why would a little girl read this?
Right?”
A mysterious smile appeared on Lavinia's lips.
Then she quietly looked at the grandiose Ducal Palace building visible from the window.
“I am the only descendant of this family, but I cannot inherit the family.
All of this will be inherited by the person I marry, not me.”
Her golden eyes sunk slightly.
“Don't you think that's unfair?
I'm the family bloodline, right?”
Illya calmly responded to her words.
“The Empire's law stipulates this, so we have no help.”
Currently, Baron Trengen's family, after Erhan's death, was in a similar situation.
Daughter Elia was the only child, and if she returned safely to the barony lands after completing her service in the unit here, the lands would later be bequeathed to her husband.
Lavinia clenched her fist tightly and continued speaking.
“This family has been my world and my identity for almost 18 years.
I will inherit this family no matter what.”
It was a soft but firm voice.
"I don't care if I don't get the position of Lord or Duke.
My husband can have that as much as he wants.
But this place, my family…"
Then she turned her head towards Elijah.
Her golden eyes were boiling with powerful energy.
It was completely different from the intensity she had shown when she was seducing her.
“…I will protect and manage it.”
Elijah stared at Lavinia in amazement.
'I thought she was just a duchess's daughter who grew up spoiled.'
She never knew that Lavinia, who in the original novel seemed to be walking along a path paved with roses without knowing suffering, had such feelings in her heart.
‘There was a reason for all her unusual actions and bold personality.’
It wasn't just that her personality was like that, it was possible because she had that ambition.
'But, how much effort did you put in during that period?'
Elijah stared at Lavinia calmly.
In this world, family inheritance and rule were the domain of men only.
She did not want to divide the domains by gender, but this was the reality of the empire.
It has never been easy for a woman to enter the field of men and decide to work on an equal footing with them.
‘She has to work twice as hard and endure much greater hardship than the average man.’
Illya knew this truth better than anyone.
Because she was like that in her previous life.
In order to survive as a soldier in a world known as the military, a field dominated by men, she worked much harder than the men, and she gritted her teeth.
Unlike her, who was forced to choose the army due to her family's humble circumstances, Lavinia, as the duke's daughter, could have chosen to live in complete comfort.
But she decided to take this thorny and difficult path, driven by her own convictions alone.
Elijah felt a little respect for this Lavinia.
Then Lavinia opened her mouth with a bitter smile on her lips.
“Of course, Erhan, being a man, wouldn’t understand such concerns, right?”
“No, miss.
I understand very well, better than anyone else.”
Elia answered in a soft voice, feeling sympathetic.
Lavinia's eyes twitched.
She quickly turned around and picked up the glasses she had taken off and placed them on the desk.
“……Thank you for saying that.”
Then she wiped the lenses of the glasses with a small silk cloth, put on the glasses, and looked directly at Elijah.
“Erhan, listen carefully, talking from now on is important.”
Her voice was so serious that Illya involuntarily listened.
“Because I have such a goal, I must choose my marriage partner carefully.”
She took a wide step towards Elijah.
"I'm not just looking for a handsome, rich, powerful man like other young women.
I'm not looking for the violent, passionate love that appears in romance novels."
A slight smile appeared on her face as she looked at Elijah.
“I want someone with a decent personality, who can help me and cooperate with me in achieving my goal of running the family.”
Lavinia went on with an apologetic face.
“Erhan, when I visited you last time, I was a little rude and mean to you, wasn’t I?
And even now too.
I’m really sorry.”
“No, it's okay.”
But Lavinia continued her speech, bowing respectfully to her in apology.
“I wanted to test if I was a decent human being.
Because I absolutely hate superficial people.”
'That was a kind of test.'
“But you seem like a more worthy person than I thought.
In fact, I should have realized that since you saved me in the city.”
She laughed out loud, and Elijah's eyes widened.
"What?"
“You saved me, didn't you?
From the hobo gang.”
Just then, Illya remembered the image of the girl who was wearing a headdress.
'That was Lavinia!'
“Why on earth were you in town?”
“To get this.”
Lavinia pointed to the string of the necklace that was hanging from her neck.
She pulled the necklace string up, took out the pendant hanging from the collar of her dress, and said.
“Erhan, you of course know very well what this is, don’t you?”
Elijah's eyes widened.
The necklace was studded with beads as clear as dew, and crafted exquisitely.
“It is the tear of the Sword God.”
"correct."
Lavinia murmured as she looked at the teardrop pendant.
“Men of the Empire, including you, receive this encrusted heir’s sword when they reach their birthday of majority.”
Her golden eyes sunk slightly.
"But I can't have that sword, right?
That's why I went to town to get this and make it into a necklace for my birthday this year I come of age.
To give myself a birthday present."
She gripped the necklace tightly in her hand.
“This is my heir’s sword.”
Illya stared at her with admiration.
'She really looked cool that she made her heir's sword herself.'
“What's wrong?”
“You are so wonderful.”
Hearing those words, Lavinia smiled broadly.
“This is much better than hearing compliments like ‘beautiful’ or ‘cute’.”
She put the necklace back inside her dress.
“But this is a bit strange.”
"What do you mean?"
Lavinia was silent for a moment before opening her mouth.
“I talk to Erhan and I feel very comfortable.
Nothing else, but I talk seriously about the things in my heart.”
She clapped her hands and continued talking.
“I feel like I'm talking to a friend of the same gender that my soul is compatible with, not a man.
This also applies to when you said a moment ago that you understood me.”
Hearing those words, Illya felt ashamed and quickly defended herself.
“Maybe because I have a twin sister!”
“I understand.”
Lavinia pointed her eyes to the window.
“Now that night has fallen, it's gradually time to leave.
I have piles of books to read.”
From what she said, it seemed like Lavinia always studied until late at night.
"Okay.
Good night!"
Elia saluted enthusiastically, then quickly jumped out the window.
“Oh, that's right, Erhan.”
“?”
Lavinia called out to Elijah, and the latter turned around.
“So far, Erhan is the most suitable marriage partner for me has not changed.
So, goodbye.”
•
As soon as she arrived at the annex barracks, Yusar quickly approached her.
"Did you do the job well?
Has Lavinia lost interest in you?"
“Hmm...”
At Yusar's question, Ilya stuttered in her answer.
“It seems like it will take some time… but in return, there has been a harvest as well.
I have discovered Lavinia’s perfect type!”
“Is that true?
Tell me quickly.”
Yusar's eyes widened.
His eyes urged her to speak quickly.
Elijah relayed what Lavinia said.
"What an interesting girl.
She doesn't care about position, but she wants to actually run the family.
She doesn't need love for that."
He laughed sarcastically and continued talking.
“Strange.
On the contrary, it is enough for me to obtain the status of the Grand Duke’s son-in-law.”
Upon hearing those words, strange questions opened in Elijah's heart.
“Yousar, are you really just settling for that?
It might just be a hollow prestige, right?”