The day the trial notice arrived, Seraphie gathered all the remaining servants in the mansion. After tidying up the office that had been littered with bottles, she sat down, exuding an air of authority that befits the head of a household. Although there were still some rough edges, the butler looked at Seraphie with eyes full of emotion.
“Is everyone here?” Seraphie asked, putting the letter back into its envelope.
“Yes,” the butler replied.
The butler, the head maid, two maids, three male servants, a cook and their assistant, and a silent stableman were all present.
The Vallidus family estate was quite large. The size of a noble’s residence was proportional to the family’s power. If not for the current state of the count, the Vallidus family would have been highly esteemed due to its historical contributions, such as playing a significant role in the empire’s conquest of a neighboring kingdom. But in this large house, only ten servants remained.
“Quite a few stayed,” Seraphie said, lifting the corners of her mouth into a faint smile.
Compared to the size of the mansion, it was a meager number. However, Seraphie was grateful that even this many had stayed.
“Master!”
“To think you would do this for us…!”
The servants looked at Seraphie with expressions of deep gratitude. Some of the more emotional ones even wiped away tears or sniffled. They were already calling her ‘Countess’ and ‘Master’ as if she had already become the countess.
Seraphie simply smiled at them. It’s a good thing that no more stayed…
In truth, Seraphie was deeply frustrated and angry with the count that she had boldly decided to become a scoundrel, even acting on it. But leading a household was a different matter. Still, they stayed with me.
Seraphie had a soft spot for kind-hearted people. She felt that those who had stayed with her despite the count’s behavior deserved her protection. After all, she was set to become the new countess.
“That, Master,” one of the maids hesitantly raised her hand. She was the maid who had always looked after Seraphie. Her lovely yellow hair reminded Seraphie of dandelions. Remembering that maid’s name was Marine, Seraphie asked what was on her mind.
“Do you think we’ll win?”
At that question, the servants all looked at Seraphie simultaneously.
“Master, you’re amazing, so we’ll win, right?”
“Well…” Seraphie hesitated.
The odds were slowly tipping in her favor, but she wasn’t completely confident of victory. In the end, the outcome would be decided by the emperor.
Still, with this much… It wasn’t unreasonable to think they had a chance.
The forced succession trial was, in a sense, a challenge to the emperor’s authority. The right to bestow titles belonged solely to the emperor, so such a trial was often seen as a challenge to the emperor’s power. For that reason, most trials were not even allowed to proceed. Even when they did, there were very few instances where the plaintiff won.
Even if she lost, Seraphie wasn’t too worried. She could always run away, change her name, and start a new life. Over the past month, she had prepared for various situations, just in case, like if Carl didn’t arrive.
…Should I just lose? She was briefly tempted by the thought.
“The trial is in a week.”
But having come this far, she wanted to give her best shot.
Seraphie spoke to the servants who had stuck with her until the end. “It would be great if we won, but we can’t rule out the possibility of losing.”
The servants’ faces visibly darkened at her words. Seraphie couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps the reason they stayed until the end was because their kind hearts couldn’t ignore this place.
“Well, even if we lose,” Seraphie smiled brightly, “let’s all go out and live together. I can at least take care of you all.”
“Master!”
“We will definitely win!”
“Don’t worry too much!”
Fortunately, the servants were deeply moved by Seraphie’s words. To Seraphie, they looked like well-trained puppies.
Am I fit to be a ruler? She thought as she brushed her hand over her face.
Seraphie didn’t mind the way they looked at her, even though it was a bit overwhelming. They seemed determined to stay by her side. Her heart fluttered for no reason. It seemed like she had grown attached to them without realizing it over the past month.
“Firstly,” Seraphie said, clapping her hands together to change the atmosphere, “should I cut my hair?” She grabbed a handful of her light blue hair, trying to decide how much to cut.
“Kyaaaa!” Marine screamed.
* * *
There was no particular reason why Seraphie decided to cut her hair. It’s just annoying and bothersome. Even though the maids took care of washing, drying, and applying oil to it, Seraphie found the long hair cumbersome. So, she cut it.
Despite the maids’ protests, she dramatically snipped her hair with garden shears. In the end, the maids had no choice but to tidy up her uneven hair into a short style. As they did, they cried sorrowfully, and Seraphie began to feel like a terrible sinner.
“It actually suits me quite well,” Seraphie remarked as she inspected her new bob in the mirror.
The gloomy expression that her long hair had always cast a shadow over was now brightened. The hair, cut to just below her jawline, naturally curled inward due to its natural waves.
What a pretty face. For the first time, Seraphie was able to truly appreciate her face. Her large, moist eyes, though her face was still a bit gaunt, now had a hint of color. Her lips were a deep pink, and her nose was cute and slightly upturned.
I looked like a scolded puppy.
Though she preferred cat-like features, Seraphie turned her head from side to side, studying her face in the mirror.
Goodness, I should have flaunted it a bit more. If you’re born pretty, you should at least spit on the street once and live boldly.
Poor thing. Sympathizing with the previous owner of this body, Seraphie twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.
“Such a waste…”
“What should we do with it?”
The maids were still reluctant to part with Seraphie’s cut hair, and Marine spoke up again.
“Master, for noblewomen, hair is very precious.”
“Then make soup with it.”
“‘Soup’?”
Ah, they don’t call it ‘soup’ here.
“Make a stew with it. If it’s that precious, it must taste good.”
“Milady! No, Master!”
Seraphie quickly ran off to avoid more scolding from Marine. Her short hair made her feel lighter, and her steps were much easier.
“…She’s changed a lot, hasn’t she?” the head maid whispered to the butler as they watched Seraphie from behind.
“Are you worried about something?” the butler asked. He was pleased with Seraphie’s transformation.
Honestly, the old Seraphie had been so bleak that just looking at her made others sad. She had seemed to have no future.
“Perhaps she has given up on the expectations she had for the count, her father.”
The butler had already accepted Seraphie as his master, as the new countess. Even if Seraphie lost the trial, he was ready to serve her.
“Of course, I’m also grateful that the young lady has become so reliable.” The head maid said, but she still felt a lingering unease. While the change was welcome, it was also bittersweet because the old Seraphie still lingered in her heart.
Everyone welcomed the new Seraphie as if the old Seraphie had never existed. The head maid felt a twinge of sadness.
The person who must have suffered the most was Seraphie. What had caused her to change so drastically? Had she ever truly found peace of mind before this?
But the head maid, too, felt relieved thanks to the new Seraphie. She knew she had no right to judge and kept her thoughts to herself.
Meanwhile…
“Mother.”
Seraphie went to see the countess.
“Mother, it’s me.”
She knocked politely and then entered, sitting on the edge of the bed. The room was dim, with the curtains partially drawn, letting in just a sliver of sunlight that fell on the bed where the countess lay, half-reclined.
“How are you feeling?” Seraphie asked with a smile.
“…”
The countess simply looked at Seraphie in silence. Ever since she had been tormented by the count, she had stopped speaking, and her expressions had dried up. But today was a little different.
“Ah, how does my hair look?” Seraphie pointed to her shortened hair.
The countess’s eyes trembled slightly but noticeably.
“Does it suit me?”
“…”
“I cut it to change things up. But the maids wouldn’t stop fussing.” Seraphie chattered on. “They had a point, though.”
Long hair was a symbol of nobility. Women with short hair were either commoners who did rough work or illegal slaves from the back alleys. Seraphie had willingly cut her hair short, knowing it would be seen as lowly. But she didn’t care. It’s not like being noble can feed me.
From what Seraphie had experienced, nobility was one of the most hypocritical statuses. It was like two sides of a coin. They claimed to value honor but acted without it. They spoke of the responsibilities of the privileged but wouldn’t lift a finger to help someone in need right in front of them. So, she felt somewhat cynical about the status of nobility.
But you can’t force goodwill.
Now that Seraphie had more perspective, she tried to understand them. After all, she was about to become a noble herself through the upcoming trial.
Not every noble was obligated to help others. Goodwill was ultimately a choice. If I think of it that way…
Could she understand them?
…No.
Seraphie frowned.
They could have helped.
If they knew, they could have helped, why had everyone ignored this poor mother and daughter? Or at least they shouldn’t have boasted about honor. Every time she opened a newspaper, there was something about the honor and duty of the nobility.
As her irritation rose, Seraphie let out a short sigh.
“…Sera.” Countess Vallidus spoke.
Seraphie was so startled that she almost jumped off the bed. It was the first time she had heard the countess’s voice. It took her a moment to realize that ‘Sera’ was a nickname for this name.
What a beautiful voice. Though it was weak from not being used for so long, the countess’s voice was truly lovely.
Seraphie suddenly felt a wave of sadness. The thought that this beautiful voice had been suppressed all this time, hidden by suffering, filled her with anger. Seraphie vowed that once she became the countess, she would make sure that wretched man would never raise his voice again.
“Sera….”
Sera, Sera.
The countess called her daughter’s name weakly, tears spilling from her eyes.
“…It’s going to be okay,” Seraphie said as she carefully embraced the countess, gently stroking her back, which was even thinner than her own. Thinking of her real mother in the other world, her eyes stung with unshed tears.
“Everything will be okay.”
Though the trial’s outcome was still uncertain, Seraphie kept repeating the words, trying to soothe the countess. It was to comfort herself in the face of her uncertain goals.
I will go back. Seraphie steeled herself once more. She would return to her original world, and to do that, she needed to secure the countess title. Even if it meant she would disappear, she wanted to ensure that those she left behind could live safely.
There was only one reason Seraphie was being so meddlesome. She didn’t want to be someone who turned a blind eye when she could help.
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