Carnford's newly built Lord's Residence stood in a quiet, secluded area of the inner city. Unlike the old castle, it was neither dark nor damp, nor did it carry the cold, hardened air of a military fortress.
The new residence featured more floor-to-ceiling windows and an open layout. Sunlight streamed indoors without obstruction, casting patches of warm light across the floors and driving away the chill of late autumn.
Though it was already winter in the garden, gardeners still tended the hardy evergreens and late chrysanthemums with care, lending a touch of gentle life to the gray-white building. A few sparrows occasionally hopped along the windowsills, pecking at food and chirping crisply, making the entire residence seem especially quiet and peaceful.
Charlotte no longer lived in the castle. Though that ancient fortress was sturdy, it truly was not suitable for long-term living—cold, damp, filled everywhere with icy stone. Water droplets hung on the walls year-round, while the corridors always echoed with the eerie howl of the wind.
For a mistress who needed to raise a young child while carrying another, it was by no means an ideal choice. Thus, once the new Lord's Residence had been completed, she moved here with Klein.
The new home had fireplaces, soft blankets, wide and bright windows, and warm floors for Klein to crawl all over—this was what a home ought to be.
At this moment, Charlotte sat before the desk in the study, a quill in hand and a thick ledger spread open before her.
Her brows were tightly furrowed. The hands that had once held a sword now clumsily gripped a pen, and her face bore a complicated expression of frustration and concentration—like a warrior forced to confront a field in which she had absolutely no talent, unwilling to admit defeat yet