Chapter 18: Pity?
Lately, there have been small pleasures at the library. It meant being able to meet Henrietta. With brown hair and green eyes, she was a very soft person. The ribbon she wore on her chest is blue, and she is one grade above Bianca.
The encounter was gratifying for Bianca, who was approached while she was groaning and thinking about a part of the textbook she didn’t understand.
Since then, they have met occasionally to say hello and talk a little. Sometimes Henrietta would help her with her studies.
Then one day, Henrietta said to Bianca.
“Bianca-sama, I don’t mean to be rude, but are you completely devoid of memory? You have the perfect manners and etiquette of an aristocrat. I was just wondering.”
She was right.
“I wonder too. I don’t know why it comes so naturally to me. I still cannot even remember the faces of my family.”
“Then it must be very discouraging for you, isn’t it?”
Henrietta looked at Bianca with sympathy.
“By the way, although we are in different grades, did you know me before,Henrietta-sama?”
“What, now? Is that the first thing you care about?” Henrietta giggled.
For some reason, Bianca does. She doesn’t actively want to remember the past. Truly, her mother is right; sometimes it is more comfortable not knowing.
“We have met, you know. I know your brother. We are on the same student council.”
Okay, as I thought. That was why Henrietta was so pleasant and kind from the start.
♢
The whole family was unusually present for dinner that night. Their father had called the meeting.
In the Kesslers’ spacious dining room, Irene talked, Julien answered, and occasionally their father interrupted. There was no sound of laughter but rather a stilted, empty atmosphere.
The usual tasteless food seemed even worse. It would have been better to eat alone. Bianca glanced at her eldest brother, who silently brought his fork to his mouth.
Satias was not an extremely quiet person, he just never spoke at these gatherings.
“We have been invited to a ball at the royal palace.”
Their father suddenly announced during the after-dinner tea break. Bianca was not interested in balls.
“Well, I’m looking forward to it.”
Bianca idly listened to the conversation between her father and mother. Satias had hardly said a word since a few minutes ago, and Bianca was getting sleepy from boredom. She wanted to go back to her room.
“Julian, you’re in charge of escorting Bianca.”
Bianca’s drowsiness flew away at her father’s words.
“Will I be joining you?”
“That’s right. There have been whispers lately about your health concerns. This time, It’s your unveiling.”
Bianca panicked.
“Father, I do not remember their faces. Is it not possible to be rude with a late greeting? And why is it Brother Julian, not Brother Satias?”
She didn’t want to go to the ball and thought it would be easier for her escort to be Satias, who was with her at school.
“Bianca, your escort is Julian.”
Satias answered before father could. I don’t know, but I guess that was the family custom.
With that, their father left the room.
She didn’t want to go but she couldn’t disobey her father’s order. Bianca sighed softly.
♢
Although the decision was made regardless of Bianca’s will, Bianca had been too busy with her studies to have her dress tailored.
However, she had her old dress altered because it was too baggy and she could not wear it. The seamstresses are surprised at how much weight Bianca had lost.
“My lady, you have become so beautiful.”
Bianca did not feel bad being praised. Yes, she wanted to show off her new dress to her brother. She wore the altered dress and went to the fourth floor.
She knocked on her older brother’s door, and Satias came out shortly after.
“What are you doing here, Bianca?”
Satias looked surprised. She remembers he had told her not to come to his room too often. But he was the only one in the house who wanted to see her in her dress.
“Look, look, onii-sama! I had my dress altered. What do you think?”
Satias, on the other hand, was taken aback by his sister, who must have come up the stairs gasping and wearing a heavy dress.
“Did you come to show it to me?”
“Yes.”
Her cheeks were upturned. She wanted a compliment. It was easy to see. Since she lost her memory, she kept wanting to see him.
Bianca must be feeling lonely in this house. I wish mother would at least accompany her to fix her dress.
“Bianca, you look great. It’s lovely.”
Bianca smiled happily and left like a storm, satisfied with the praise she was given. His sister seems to have become a bit foolish now that she has become so beautiful.
At first, he thought she was playing cat and mouse but after seeing her being scolded for saying one unnecessary word or occasionally engaging in low-level arguments with their father, he realized he was mistaken. That was just her being herself. It was too bad.
He suddenly remembered when she was a child.
“Brother, are you going to the garden? Can you take me with you?”
“Hey, hey, read this book.”
“Where are you going, big brother? Don’t leave me.”
She would follow him wherever he went. Their father used to get angry with her.
He would be lying if he said she was not cute as a child. But all of a sudden, she stopped coming to Satias.
Irene is not short of money, so she should at least have a new dress made for her…Yet it was Irene who was getting a new dress.
He had not noticed this because he hadn’t interacted with Bianca before, but he pitied her.
Their father had asked him to keep him updated on Bianca’s condition, but often these days, he was not reporting back.
