Done by Alina/Sid
Chapter 18
“……”
All eyes were on Luna, and her eyelids were trembling uncontrollably.
The lies she had told had piled up like a snowball and there seemed to be no way to fix the situation now.
What should she do…? Standing there with an expression that looked like she was about to cry, Aira let out a small sigh.
Then, she looked at Luna with a gaze full of disdain.
As soon as she met Aira’s eyes, her stomach churned violently.
This whole mess was Aira’s fault.
The reason she had to lie to them, and the reason the situation had escalated this far, was all because of her.
If it weren’t for that damned Aira, all of Marceline’s treasures would have been hers by now, without needing to lie at all.
“…Get out of the way!”
Shaking with anger, Luna glared at Aira and spun around.
She pushed through the gathered noblewomen and left the room.
“Luna!”
Reina’s furious shout came from behind, but Luna didn’t look back.
The murmurs of shock from the noblewomen grew louder.
**
In the dimly lit room with the window as the backdrop, Aira sat across from Reina and ate her meal.
The Chesswig mansion, which Reina didn’t even remember when she had last visited, was grander than the Marceline estate.
The Count of Chesswig, who owned a vineyard the size of a city in the central territory, was famous for his wine.
Aira’s glass was filled with high-quality wine.
After a long silence during their meal, Reina finally spoke.
“I think I’ve misunderstood you all this time. I’m sorry.”
Unlike before, when she always made her dislike of Aira known, this apology was calm and sincere.
The reason she had disliked her from the start was because of Luna’s schemes, and the subsequent attempts to sow discord had also been Luna’s doing.
Now, there was no need to continue seeing Aira Marceline, the legitimate daughter of Marceline, as an enemy.
“Looking at it from another angle, I suppose I’ve been at fault as well.”
As she cut into her steak, Aira spoke in a nonchalant tone.
If she had somehow managed to pass on the doll dress through a servant or gone directly to Chesswig to speak with Reina, she could have cleared up her misunderstanding much sooner.
But she had kept putting it off, thinking they could talk about it eventually, and now, the long-standing misunderstanding had reached this point. She knew she shared part of the blame.
“Luna… Why do you think she did something like that?”
At Reina’s question, Aira responded in a calm voice.
“……Well, I suppose… after all, Luna is also part of our Marceline family, so I’d like to apologize for her deception as well.”
“The misdeeds of a half-sister are something even you, my lady, can’t control. Actually, among my brothers, there’s one who lives recklessly and does as he pleases. Sigh.”
Reina, recalling the troublemaker in her family, continued as if she understood Aira’s position.
“As you asked, I’ll make sure my friends don’t speak of what happened today, for the sake of Marceline’s reputation. But Luna, she will never be allowed to join our gatherings again.”
Probably the person most shocked by the situation was Aira herself. It was almost a betrayal by her half-sister, and what’s worse, Luna had even used her mother’s heirlooms without permission.
At that thought, Reina flinched and looked at her wrist.
Come to think of it, the bracelet Luna had given her as a gift was still on her arm.
“Wait a moment. I’ll return this to you.”
“It’s fine, Reina.”
Reina was taken aback at her unexpected words. Aira was refusing the bracelet, which had been unfairly taken from her half-sister and now was in Reina’s possession.
“But…”
“How about considering it a token of our newly formed friendship?”
At Aira’s words, Reina’s gaze wavered. Although she was apologizing now, Reina had never expected her to consider her a friend again. After all, despite being deceived by her half-sister, Reina had expressed excessive hostility toward Aira, even mocking her. She had every reason to harbor ill will toward her, given how petty Reina had behaved.
“Aira…”
As her eyes flickered, Aira smiled faintly.
One of Aira’s goals after her return from the regression was to restore her relationships in high society.
Reina had been one of the people Luna had ruined in Aira’s social circle, and the Chesswig family was set to rise dramatically in the coming years.
Reina was involved in her family’s wine business, and rebuilding their friendship would be beneficial for Aira’s future plans as well.
“……”
Reina lowered her hand, which had been about to remove the bracelet, and nodded.
Then, instead of the usual distrustful and hostile look, she gazed at Aira with an expression full of trust.
She now understood that Aira was not the cold, malicious woman Luna had made her out to be.
“Alright. I really want to be a good friend to you, Aira. From now on.”
The doll dress Aira had belatedly delivered melted away all the long-held resentment, and today, learning the truth about Luna, Reina regained the sense of camaraderie she had once felt as a child when she saw Aira’s doll-like appearance.
“Then, may I give you a small gift as well, Aira?”
Reina gifted her a bottle of the finest quality wine, with only 24 bottles produced. Of these, fifteen were delivered to the Imperial Palace, six went to the Duke’s and Marquis’ houses, and the remaining three were kept at the Chesswig Count’s residence. Reina had a right to dispose of one of these bottles, and she chose to gift it to Aira.
Having spent seven years in the Imperial Palace, Aira could tell that the wine was worth at least 5,000 Berks. Despite her initial reluctance, Aira expressed her discomfort, but Reina insisted that the wine would be sent to the Count’s house under Aira’s name, to make up for her previous impoliteness. They had specialized personnel for luxury wine deliveries.
‘Father will probably like this.’
As Aira walked away, escorted by Reina, she thought of Count Marceline’s excited face. The Count was a wine enthusiast, and the wine that would arrive at the Count’s house the next day would likely be the most precious in his collection.
Anyway, today’s objective had been thoroughly accomplished, and it seemed even more successful than expected.
Smiling, Aira was descending the long outdoor stairs with ivory-colored railings, rounding a corner when suddenly—
“……!”
Aira’s forehead collided with a man’s chest.
Startled, Aira slowly looked up to see who she had bumped into. The man standing with the soft moonlight at his back was someone she hadn’t expected.
A black cloak fluttering in the night breeze, black hair swaying gently, and sharp, pale gray eyes.
She had met him not long ago in the Imperial Palace—Valter, the Crown Prince of the Empire, also known as the White Ghost of the Snowfield.
As Aira quickly tried to pay her respects to the royal, Valter moved before she could. He bent at the waist and gracefully extended his hand toward her.
Aira flinched as he reached out, but his hand came to a stop right before her feet. Then, he picked something up and straightened himself.
Once he stood up, the difference in their statures became evident, the imposing height and presence making an impact.
Valter slowly raised his hand and took her left hand, lifting it. He gazed into her trembling eyes and slid something onto her ring finger.
“……You dropped this.”
His cold voice came through as Aira finally regained her composure. She saw what he had placed on her finger—it was a ring with a woman’s engraving. The very ring Luna had tried to auction earlier, the heirloom of the Countess.
“Ah… thank you.”
A cool night breeze swept between them, and Aira could feel her heart racing with nervousness. Though she had always handled things calmly and logically, in his presence, it felt as if even the aura of sacred objects couldn’t serve as a shield.
As she prepared to walk away, his voice whispered in her ear.
“Within that delicate body…”
Aira froze, and Valter added, his tone cryptic.
“A storm has begun…”
A chilling feeling ran through her, but Aira focused and took a step forward. Was this comment meant for her? Maybe it was just something he said to himself.
“You’ll need to remain quiet. For survival,” he said as she walked down the stairs.
Aira’s face had hardened, and her heart continued to race.
Valter—did he perhaps know something?
“Miss!”
Just then, Gemma, who had been waiting nearby, rushed toward Aira as she spotted her. Hearing the noise of the crowd, Gemma’s eyebrows curled into a mischievous smile.
“They say you gave Luna a good scolding today,” Gemma said, then added in a whisper, standing on tiptoe.
“I saw her running out, pale as a ghost.”
“……”
All eyes were on Luna, and her eyelids were trembling uncontrollably.
The lies she had told had piled up like a snowball and there seemed to be no way to fix the situation now.
What should she do…? Standing there with an expression that looked like she was about to cry, Aira let out a small sigh.
Then, she looked at Luna with a gaze full of disdain.
As soon as she met Aira’s eyes, her stomach churned violently.
This whole mess was Aira’s fault.
The reason she had to lie to them, and the reason the situation had escalated this far, was all because of her.
If it weren’t for that damned Aira, all of Marceline’s treasures would have been hers by now, without needing to lie at all.
“…Get out of the way!”
Shaking with anger, Luna glared at Aira and spun around.
She pushed through the gathered noblewomen and left the room.
“Luna!”
Reina’s furious shout came from behind, but Luna didn’t look back.
The murmurs of shock from the noblewomen grew louder.
**
In the dimly lit room with the window as the backdrop, Aira sat across from Reina and ate her meal.
The Chesswig mansion, which Reina didn’t even remember when she had last visited, was grander than the Marceline estate.
The Count of Chesswig, who owned a vineyard the size of a city in the central territory, was famous for his wine.
Aira’s glass was filled with high-quality wine.
After a long silence during their meal, Reina finally spoke.
“I think I’ve misunderstood you all this time. I’m sorry.”
Unlike before, when she always made her dislike of Aira known, this apology was calm and sincere.
The reason she had disliked her from the start was because of Luna’s schemes, and the subsequent attempts to sow discord had also been Luna’s doing.
Now, there was no need to continue seeing Aira Marceline, the legitimate daughter of Marceline, as an enemy.
“Looking at it from another angle, I suppose I’ve been at fault as well.”
As she cut into her steak, Aira spoke in a nonchalant tone.
If she had somehow managed to pass on the doll dress through a servant or gone directly to Chesswig to speak with Reina, she could have cleared up her misunderstanding much sooner.
But she had kept putting it off, thinking they could talk about it eventually, and now, the long-standing misunderstanding had reached this point. She knew she shared part of the blame.
“Luna… Why do you think she did something like that?”
At Reina’s question, Aira responded in a calm voice.
“……Well, I suppose… after all, Luna is also part of our Marceline family, so I’d like to apologize for her deception as well.”
“The misdeeds of a half-sister are something even you, my lady, can’t control. Actually, among my brothers, there’s one who lives recklessly and does as he pleases. Sigh.”
Reina, recalling the troublemaker in her family, continued as if she understood Aira’s position.
“As you asked, I’ll make sure my friends don’t speak of what happened today, for the sake of Marceline’s reputation. But Luna, she will never be allowed to join our gatherings again.”
Probably the person most shocked by the situation was Aira herself. It was almost a betrayal by her half-sister, and what’s worse, Luna had even used her mother’s heirlooms without permission.
At that thought, Reina flinched and looked at her wrist.
Come to think of it, the bracelet Luna had given her as a gift was still on her arm.
“Wait a moment. I’ll return this to you.”
“It’s fine, Reina.”
Reina was taken aback at her unexpected words. Aira was refusing the bracelet, which had been unfairly taken from her half-sister and now was in Reina’s possession.
“But…”
“How about considering it a token of our newly formed friendship?”
At Aira’s words, Reina’s gaze wavered. Although she was apologizing now, Reina had never expected her to consider her a friend again. After all, despite being deceived by her half-sister, Reina had expressed excessive hostility toward Aira, even mocking her. She had every reason to harbor ill will toward her, given how petty Reina had behaved.
“Aira…”
As her eyes flickered, Aira smiled faintly.
One of Aira’s goals after her return from the regression was to restore her relationships in high society.
Reina had been one of the people Luna had ruined in Aira’s social circle, and the Chesswig family was set to rise dramatically in the coming years.
Reina was involved in her family’s wine business, and rebuilding their friendship would be beneficial for Aira’s future plans as well.
“……”
Reina lowered her hand, which had been about to remove the bracelet, and nodded.
Then, instead of the usual distrustful and hostile look, she gazed at Aira with an expression full of trust.
She now understood that Aira was not the cold, malicious woman Luna had made her out to be.
“Alright. I really want to be a good friend to you, Aira. From now on.”
The doll dress Aira had belatedly delivered melted away all the long-held resentment, and today, learning the truth about Luna, Reina regained the sense of camaraderie she had once felt as a child when she saw Aira’s doll-like appearance.
“Then, may I give you a small gift as well, Aira?”
Reina gifted her a bottle of the finest quality wine, with only 24 bottles produced. Of these, fifteen were delivered to the Imperial Palace, six went to the Duke’s and Marquis’ houses, and the remaining three were kept at the Chesswig Count’s residence. Reina had a right to dispose of one of these bottles, and she chose to gift it to Aira.
Having spent seven years in the Imperial Palace, Aira could tell that the wine was worth at least 5,000 Berks. Despite her initial reluctance, Aira expressed her discomfort, but Reina insisted that the wine would be sent to the Count’s house under Aira’s name, to make up for her previous impoliteness. They had specialized personnel for luxury wine deliveries.
‘Father will probably like this.’
As Aira walked away, escorted by Reina, she thought of Count Marceline’s excited face. The Count was a wine enthusiast, and the wine that would arrive at the Count’s house the next day would likely be the most precious in his collection.
Anyway, today’s objective had been thoroughly accomplished, and it seemed even more successful than expected.
Smiling, Aira was descending the long outdoor stairs with ivory-colored railings, rounding a corner when suddenly—
“……!”
Aira’s forehead collided with a man’s chest.
Startled, Aira slowly looked up to see who she had bumped into. The man standing with the soft moonlight at his back was someone she hadn’t expected.
A black cloak fluttering in the night breeze, black hair swaying gently, and sharp, pale gray eyes.
She had met him not long ago in the Imperial Palace—Valter, the Crown Prince of the Empire, also known as the White Ghost of the Snowfield.
As Aira quickly tried to pay her respects to the royal, Valter moved before she could. He bent at the waist and gracefully extended his hand toward her.
Aira flinched as he reached out, but his hand came to a stop right before her feet. Then, he picked something up and straightened himself.
Once he stood up, the difference in their statures became evident, the imposing height and presence making an impact.
Valter slowly raised his hand and took her left hand, lifting it. He gazed into her trembling eyes and slid something onto her ring finger.
“……You dropped this.”
His cold voice came through as Aira finally regained her composure. She saw what he had placed on her finger—it was a ring with a woman’s engraving. The very ring Luna had tried to auction earlier, the heirloom of the Countess.
“Ah… thank you.”
A cool night breeze swept between them, and Aira could feel her heart racing with nervousness. Though she had always handled things calmly and logically, in his presence, it felt as if even the aura of sacred objects couldn’t serve as a shield.
As she prepared to walk away, his voice whispered in her ear.
“Within that delicate body…”
Aira froze, and Valter added, his tone cryptic.
“A storm has begun…”
A chilling feeling ran through her, but Aira focused and took a step forward. Was this comment meant for her? Maybe it was just something he said to himself.
“You’ll need to remain quiet. For survival,” he said as she walked down the stairs.
Aira’s face had hardened, and her heart continued to race.
Valter—did he perhaps know something?
“Miss!”
Just then, Gemma, who had been waiting nearby, rushed toward Aira as she spotted her. Hearing the noise of the crowd, Gemma’s eyebrows curled into a mischievous smile.
“They say you gave Luna a good scolding today,” Gemma said, then added in a whisper, standing on tiptoe.
“I saw her running out, pale as a ghost.”
Thank you for the translation and your hard work ❤️