Lorelai never saw Carlyle again. Not in the next two and a half years. 

Not that she’ll have time to, anyway. Barely a year after being named heir, the empire seemed to be going through a crisis. The economy is struggling a bit due to the famine that occurred in some parts of the empire. In addition, the neighboring lands start acting up at the empire’s borders. 

From what she heard from the rumors, Carlyle convinced the emperor to let him enter the Tower of Mages, which was a rather unpopular move according to the citizens of the Argent Empire.

Lorelai had to work hard to keep the Ashburn Duchy strong, and on top of that, she had been sending aid to the territories that were suffering from the famine.

As for the border conflicts, Lorelai debated whether she should lead an army to put a quick end to any ill-intended ideas the neighboring lands had. Maybe Lorenzo could take over her duties while she headed to battle. 

However, Lorelai was worried about her lack of experience. If only Carlyle hadn’t gotten her application rejected. That jerk.

Ironically, Carlyle somehow made up for it by taking care of the border conflicts himself. From what she heard from rumors, Carlyle had gone out to suppress the border skirmishes between the Argent Empire and Veridonia Empire and returned victorious. He had stopped the possibility of a war between the two empires and returned as a hero.

Good for him, Lorelai supposed. 

Then, Lorelai’s luck took a turn for the worse. Shortly after her twentieth birthday, she noticed her body getting weaker despite keeping up with her training and exercises.

Lorelai assumed it to be due to the stress of keeping the Ashburn Duchy afloat in a fracturing empire. That was, until she collapsed one day. That’s when she found out that it wasn’t due to stress. Her heart was failing.

It came as a surprise to her. It didn’t make any sense. She had been healthy and robust all her life. She was stronger and faster than Lorenzo, and had much better stamina too. Did it occur because she had been overworking herself recently?

The physicians informed her that it was due to a genetic condition. Her mother, the late Duchess Lorencia Ashburn, also had a weak heart. From what they told her, giving birth to twins was too much for the Duchess’s heart and she passed away from heart failure not long after.

And now, Lorelai was going to suffer the same ending, but at a much younger age. 

The physicians also check Lorenzo’s health, but he was fortunate to have been spared from their mother’s condition. Lorelai envied him, but also pitied him. Lorenzo would have to spend the rest of his life without his sister. If Lorelai was in Lorenzo’s position, she would have been devastated at the thought.

Bessie, her closest maid, wept day and night for weeks following Lorelai’s terminal diagnosis. Duke Ashburn was desperate to find a way to save her, but nothing worked. Not the priests from the Church of Solarius with their healing powers nor the physicians with their medicines. 

Lorelai simply grew weaker and weaker. She was angry at first, for having her life cut short by a terminal illness. After a few more months, Lorelai finally accepted her pending end and made arrangements to prepare Lorenzo for his upcoming role as the new heir.

During the final months of her life, Lorelai was placed on a permanent bed rest.

Now that she had hours to herself in bed, she started thinking over her short but accomplished life. To her surprise, she started thinking of Carlyle more and more often.

For some reason, Lorelai found herself thinking of Carlyle again as she grew weaker. She wasn’t sure why. She hadn’t seen him in over two years.

Maybe it was because she wanted closure. Why did he do the things he did? Was it just a coincidence? Then why did his actions seem deliberately targeted at the people around her. Why did he come into her life like that then left without a word of explanation?

“Lorenzo,” she spoke to her brother one day. “When I am gone, you will become heir to the duchy.”

Lorenzo’s eyes welled up with tears. “Don’t say that, Lorelai. I’m sure you’ll pull through just fine. Nothing has ever taken you down before.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Lorenzo.” Lorelai scolded him. “Listen to me. Remember when I told you I made preparations to prepare you for my role if anything happens to me? I compiled a series of notes on how to take care of the Ashburn Duchy. I’ll have Bessie bring it to you later. It’s coded, though. I didn’t want any sensitive information falling into the wrong hands, so I took precaution.”

“What makes you think I’ll be able to decipher your codes?”

Lorelai smiled. “There's a note telling you how to decode my cipher inside my locket. It’s in my jewelry box. You can’t miss it. The locket is our mother’s keepsake.”

“You’re always taking care of me.” Lorenzo was crying now. “I’m sorry for being such a weak brother.”

Lorelai squeezed his hand. “Nonsense. I couldn’t ask for a better brother.”

“You talk as if you’re dying soon.”

“I am. I can’t even get out of bed anymore. I can barely force myself to eat. There is not a single medicine that improved my condition. The physicians say that I won’t live to see my twenty-first birthday.”

“I don’t understand. You were so healthy just several months ago. You didn’t get sick or anything. Why is your health failing now?”

“We won’t always understand Solarius’s will.” Lorelai answered. “You need to stay strong. Do it for Ashburn’s sake. For our father’s sake. Promise me, Lorenzo.”

“I promise.”

Lorelai smiled.

Less than a week later, Lorelai closed her eyes and never woke up again. At the age of twenty, the heiress of the Ashburn Duchy passed away from heart failure just two and a half years after being named heir to the Ashburn Dukedom.