To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

Some time later, Liv was able to spot Duke Lartman again at the banquet.

He was standing alone, not mingling with anyone, and observing his surroundings. Liv carefully approached him, making sure not to step on the hem of her voluminous dress.

“Duke Lartman.”

As she called his name with a bright face as if addressing someone she had known for a long time, a look of perplexity crossed Duke Lartman’s face.

“…Miss Hamelsvoort?”

“Yes, you remember my family name. But why don’t you call me Liv?”

“…It would be rude of me to address a lady by her first name so casually.”

“I don’t mind.”

“No, I can’t tolerate committing such rudeness myself.”

‘Looking at the situation, things seem to have gotten a bit tangled. He has no interest in me at all.’

Liv’s mind became complicated, but she maintained a gentle smile without showing it. Well, it’s not bad for him to call her by her family name. It was also a first-time experience for her.

“What are you doing here?”

When Liv asked that in a curious voice, Duke Lartman replied in a gentle tone.

“His Majesty the Emperor will be coming here soon, so I was checking in advance to see if there were any risk factors.”

“Are you very close with His Majesty?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Now Duke Lartman was looking at Liv with questioning eyes. He glanced at Liv for a while as if observing her, then carefully opened his mouth.

“Miss Hamelsvoort, has no one told you about my relationship with His Majesty the Emperor?”

“What?”

“Is there someone who has taught you about the etiquette you should know in noble society?”

“No.”

At those words, Duke Lartman’s eyes trembled as if greatly surprised, and he asked Liv in an even softer tone than before.

“…Why? Did Count and Countess Hamelsvoort not tell you anything?”

“Yes, they said I don’t need to know such difficult things because I’m a Saintess.”

“But now…”

“That’s right, not anymore. But I still don’t have a chance to learn. I understand, actually. After all, I’m a worthless fake Saintess…”

“Miss Hamelsvoort.”

Duke Lartman looked at Liv with a serious face.

“Objectively, you are rude, but I have no intention of blaming you. However, I can’t ignore you.”

“What?”

“Anyway, you are now a daughter of the Hamelsvoort family, and you have an obligation to learn about noble society. Your parents are not fulfilling that obligation.”

When Liv widened her eyes and stared at him, not understanding what he meant, he spoke in an even gentler voice.

“Go to your parents and demand your rightful rights. Ask them to teach you etiquette.”

“Hmm… I’ll do that. Thank you for the advice.”

Liv recalled the noble ladies whispering about her, saying, ‘She was picked up from the streets, so of course she doesn’t know manners.’ It wasn’t that Liv didn’t want to learn those manners, but it was also a sensitive matter to ask something of the Count and Countess who had bestowed upon her the grace of adopting her, so she had kept her mouth shut until now.

However, when Duke Lartman asked as if it were natural, Liv’s thoughts changed a bit.

“Thank you, Your Grace. Can I continue talking to you in the future?”

Liv asked that, gaining some confidence from the conversation with him, but Duke Lartman shook his head resolutely.

“No.”

“…What?”

When Liv asked back in confusion at the content contradicting his gentle tone, Duke Lartman continued in a still kind voice.

“It’s unfortunate, but I have no intention of forming a friendship with anyone. It would be better for you to make friends with other peers, Miss Hamelsvoort.”

“But…”

Liv tried to continue the conversation somehow by bringing up a topic that would catch his interest.

“Why do you protect His Majesty, Duke Lartman? I learned that’s the job of the captain of the imperial guard.”

When Liv asked, drawing upon her limited common sense, Duke Lartman turned his head back to her.

“…Our family has had a close relationship with the current imperial family, the Steinberg family, for generations. I’m just fulfilling my duty as a Duke.”

“Then… then do you do the same job as the captain of the imperial guard?”

“Yes, you could say that. I will protect His Majesty no matter what happens.”

“Even if an earthquake occurs?”

At those words, Duke Lartman paused. He couldn’t understand what the noble lady in front of him was saying at all. In fact, if it were his usual self, he would have cut her off appropriately and left, but this lady seemed genuinely too ignorant, so he couldn’t treat her coldly either.

“An earthquake occurs…?”

“Yes, an earthquake could suddenly occur, right?”

“That’s…”

Duke Lartman stumbled over his words, which seemed to be a rare occurrence for him. He was now looking at Liv with a confused face.

Seeing that, Liv giggled as if she found it funny for some reason. She thought of earthquakes because of what the gods usually said.

Child, if you wish, I shall turn this land upside down.

-You don’t have to do that!

Whenever other noble ladies ignored Liv, the gods always said such things. Liv was pouring all her energy into blocking the gods who always acted impulsively and aggressively.

Seeing Liv giggling, Duke Lartman blushed, realizing that he had completely gotten caught up in the conversation.

“…Could you please leave now? I need to check the banquet hall more. Why don’t you have a conversation with your other friends?”

“But I don’t have any friends.”

At those words, Duke Lartman became even more perplexed. Recalling the fact that Liv was always just leaning against the wall, he became even more troubled. It was a well-known fact that Liv Hamelsvoort, the so-called ‘Fake Saintess’, was ostracized in high society, and although he had no interest in social activities with others, he had heard rumors about her.

Realizing that fact, his wariness towards Liv slightly diminished, and he spoke in an even more amiable voice.

“Then how about trying to make friends from now on?”

“But no one understands what I say.”

At those words, Liv blinked a few times and answered in a small voice.

“I’m afraid of dying, but other people don’t know that…”

“Everyone is afraid of dying.”

“That’s what I mean. If I go to the slums or medical centers to do volunteer work, I might catch a contagious disease and die. If I go to the navy’s departure ceremony, I might fall into the sea.”

“…I see.”

Duke Lartman was even more flustered than before and finally gave up on having a conversation with Liv. She seemed like someone with a way of thinking he couldn’t understand, and it felt like he was unilaterally getting caught up in it rather than having a conversation.

“Can you please leave now? His Majesty the Emperor might come soon.”

“Okay… See you next time.”

Liv, satisfied with having a long conversation with him, withdrew from him and returned to Hildegard with a happy face as if she had received a gift she had longed for her entire life.

In the end, the Emperor didn’t come that day, so Duke Lartman left early, but Liv was happy that she had seen his face anyway.

* * *

“Sister, wake up.”

“Mmm?”

Liv, who had been lying in bed until late due to the heavy pressure of the gods pressing down on her, opened her eyes at the sound of someone calling her.

Hildegard, dressed up and wearing a pretty headband with delicate white lace, was looking down at Liv.

“Sister, you have to get ready quickly! The carriage will depart soon!”

“Carriage?”

“Will you dress up Miss Liv?”

While Liv was puzzled, the maids who received Hildegard’s order approached Liv. They sat Liv down, quickly washed her face, changed her clothes, and put makeup on her face.

‘Is there a banquet today?’

But it didn’t seem like there would be a banquet at such an early hour. Then, could it be a tea party like before? No, that wouldn’t be held at such an early hour either. Was there a schedule she had forgotten?

Anyway, it didn’t seem like Hildegard would take Liv to a strange place, so Liv obediently entrusted her body to the maids’ hands.

After Liv finished getting ready, Hildegard lightly clapped her hands and exclaimed.

“Sister, you look really beautiful today!”

“Mmm, thank you…”

“Now, let’s depart quickly!”

Hildegard grabbed Liv’s hand and quickly went down the stairs.

‘Last time, I fell down here, and the butler’s existence was erased from the world.’

Liv was afraid that she might fall down the stairs again and cause harm to someone, but Hildegard didn’t seem to notice Liv’s hesitant attitude.

Finally, when Liv arrived at the garden, led by Hildegard’s hand, a carriage with the Hamelsvoort family crest was already waiting there.

“Get in, sister!”

“Okay…”

Although she didn’t know the destination, the only ones going out today were Liv, Hildegard, and one maid. Judging by the fact that the Count and Countess weren’t going, it seemed like it might be a gathering of young noble ladies after all.

However, as the carriage rode towards somewhere, Liv’s complexion began to turn pale.

“Ugh…”

“Sister, are you alright? Are you getting motion sickness?”

Liv couldn’t answer Hildegard’s question and barely shook her head. She felt an enormous pressure crushing her. It felt like it would swallow her up at any moment and abandon her in a world where nothing existed.

Liv opened the window to hold back the rising nausea, but she ended up seeing a sight outside the window that she should never have seen.