The farewell to the estate of the Duchy of Cassius took place the next morning.
The Duke himself came out to see us off, and I took advantage of this to thank him once again for his hospitality. Rachel just silently got into the carriage and did not even bother to say goodbye to her father before a long separation of six months.
The man only smiled bitterly at this, because he did not expect anything else. Instead, he turned to me:
— Take care of yourself.
I nodded.
«You too, Father.»
After exchanging a mutual handshake, I also got into the salon and we set off. From the window I saw the snow-covered terrain and the black castle, which, most likely, I will not see for a long time. Or maybe never again.
It was a little sad to realize this, but at the same time I was glad that I was able to meet Rachel's father. This helped me dispel many improbable rumors and look at this family with different eyes. In the end, my short days in this place turned out to be quite pleasant.
