Episode 13
“…”
Silence lingered for a while.
Jeria’s face seemed astonished, as if questioning what she had just heard.
Her expression barely concealed the urge to exclaim, ‘Has this sister finally lost her mind?’
“Well, you’ve become quite sassy since I last saw you. I was just joking, sis.”
“Why do you think it’s a joke?”
“Well, come on! With your delicate health, how could you go to such a place…!”
Jeria slammed the table as she spoke and then looked directly at my face that moment.
“Wait, now that I look at you, your complexion is quite different, sis. You used to be as pale as a mountain willow leaf…?”
Perhaps caught up in her own pride, Jeria had never properly observed my face until now, scrutinizing me inch by inch.
“You’ve gained weight too… So, was that rumor true? That Lord Selver is helping you…”
In response to Jeria’s mumbling, the other young women started gossiping among themselves.
“If it’s Lord Selver, isn’t he the most exceptional heir with healing abilities?”
“It seems like the rumor about him using the power of healing on Young Lady Sierra every day wasn’t baseless.”
Three years. It had been the time Jeria had been away from the family.
And that was a time that brought a significant turning point for me as well.
Finding memories from past lives, meeting Arzen, and lately, becoming entangled with Ludwig too.
“You did well not to go to the academy. Thanks to Arzen, my condition has improved significantly.”
As I spoke with a bright smile, Jeria’s clenched fist trembled slightly.
As pale as a mountain willow leaf…
It wasn’t an inaccurate description.
Short in stature, small-framed, and unimpressive—a girl with no outstanding qualities.
That’s how Jeria would remember me.
“…”
Jeria, who had been catching her breath for a moment, raised her head and opened her mouth with a mischievous expression.
“Sis, are you seriously trying to weigh your options between the two?”
“Huh?”
What nonsense is that?
“Say it more discreetly. Talking without thinking is the same as when you were excited as a child.”
It was an odd statement, but I knew that if Jeria put her mind to it, she could spread even nonsense like it was true.
Until just before going to the academy, she had been the darling of high society, and she still led numerous groups now.
Jeria laid the groundwork and began speaking earnestly.
“No, that’s not it. We’re family, not strangers. Can’t we speak openly? Sis, you’ve got guys, and not just one!”
It sounded like the voice of an innocent and naive girl who wanted to know her older sister’s love story.
“Who cares about us? Everyone’s like that these days.”
Talking as if it’s just between us.
The young women sitting here were all members of prestigious families, and their influence couldn’t be ignored.
So, in this gathering, I had to address those thoughtless comments.
“Although I am being helped by Lord Selver, it is not good to look at that sublime courtesy through colored glasses.”
Jeria flinched at my words.
Seemed like she wanted to retort, but couldn’t think of anything in particular to say.
No, rather, it seemed like she was asking where I got the nerve to talk back.
“Furthermore, although I’ve received favors from the Grand Duke, and it’s an affair between us… Jeria, what’s the reason for all this back-and-forth from you?”
As I spoke sharply, someone muttered amidst the frozen air.
“…Actually, it’s true that Lady Jeria made a false statement.”
“I, I also think that saying Lady Jeria weighs the two lords is a bit…”
“Shh, everyone, be quiet.”
By making them hear only the murmuring among themselves, I succeeded in preventing them from speaking recklessly.
If I had acted as carefree and nonchalant as my past self here, tomorrow I would have been rumored to be the most audacious temptress in history.
“I think I need an apology, Jeria. Now you’re not young anymore, you have to take responsibility for what you said.”
“Sis, apologizing for suggesting we laugh is a bit…!”
“I didn’t find it funny at all. I was quite displeased. Honestly, weren’t all of you?”
I said nonchalantly to the young woman in front of me.
“Lady Silla, if it had been your situation, would it really have sounded like a funny joke?”
“W-well…”
Earlier, it was Young lady who confidently pointed out Jeria’s false statement.
Even though they chat among themselves, there must be people within the normal range.
“… I think apologizing is the right thing to do, Jeria.”
“Lady Silla!”
Jeria looked at me as if wondering how I could do that to her, wearing a pained expression.
It was when the atmosphere became even more tense.
“Did I come at the wrong time?”
A faint voice came from behind.
Some of the people who turned towards the source of the sound let out natural exclamations.
“Arzen.”
I thought he had returned to the family, so why is he here and not there?
With his silver hair reflecting the sunlight in the greenhouse, he seemed even more unreal just by his presence.
Seeing him as a friend, he was undeniably charismatic.
“Sorry to interrupt while you’re in the middle of a conversation, but there’s something involving Sierra that we should take her with us for.”
Arzen’s eyes might have hinted at amusement, but his lips showed no signs of a smile.
“Lord Serkan is looking for you, Sierra.”
“Father? Why all of a sudden… First, I think I should go, so let’s talk about this later.”
At my words, Jeria bit her lip.
Even if she came back from the dead, it would be hard to hear an apology from those lips.
I wasn’t truly seeking an apology, either.
My original intention was to set the mood in a way that prevents any further discussion.
Arzen reached out his hand to me.
“Sierra, let’s go. The scent here is too overpowering, and it might not be good to stay here for long.”
Whether he meant the scent of the flowers or the perfumes of the young women, I wasn’t sure, but Arzen frowned slightly as he spoke.
Amidst the young women who were still absentmindedly looking at Arzen, I locked eyes with Jeria, who seemed to be glaring at me as if she could pierce through.
I raised the corner of my mouth and said, “Yeah, I was just thinking it’s a waste of time.”
I grabbed Arzen’s hand and turned around.
I could feel icy glares, but I didn’t look back until I exited the greenhouse.
“…”
During that time, no sound leaked out from Jeria’s group.
As I stepped outside, I could feel the refreshing air, as if it would revitalize me.
“Like you said, the scent was overpowering. I had no idea while I was in there.”
Being so easily ignored by Jeria, as if it were second nature, made me forget that it was something I never experienced when I was young.
“Thank you, Arzen.”
I smiled pleasantly and expressed my gratitude to Arzen for coming all the way here for me.
“Where were you listening from?”
“Since Young Lady Jeria started spouting nonsense.”
“Ah.”
Even thinking about it now made my blood pressure rise.
I was fortunate that I managed to remain patient and resolve the situation just now, but I was worried that next time, I might lose my temper.
“It was nonsense.”
“Yeah, it was. You never liked me from the start.”
Arzen chuckled lightly.
“Why wouldn’t I like you? I really like you a lot.”
He’s one of the few people who mean so much to me.
“Not in that way… Well, forget it. Let’s hurry. Lord Serkan is asking for us.”
Following behind Arzen, I went without understanding anything.
* * *
“Father, I heard you were looking for me.”
“You’ve come, Sierra. They said you were at Jeria’s tea party.”
“Yeah, that’s right. It wasn’t very enjoyable.”
I frowned, recalling the recent events.
“More importantly, why did you summon me?”
“That… they’ve caught the culprit.”
“What?”
My father spoke with a serious tone.
“It’s the person who sprinkled Dragerus powder in the carriage.”
“Who… is it?”
It was hard to believe that they had caught the criminal.
And rightly so, because if the person I suspect is really the culprit, they would never be caught so easily.
“A maid named Hilda confessed directly. She admitted to putting Dragerus powder in the wine.”
However, an unexpected name came out of my father’s mouth.
“… What was the motive?”
“She had a lot of conflicts with you in the past. Accumulated resentment led to impulsive actions, they say.”
Hilda. She was practically a confidante of my Aunt and Jeria.
She was one of the personnel brought in from the Countess Crea’s family, my Aunt’s family.
Considering the strained relationship between Arzen, my father, and the recent disputes over the heir issue, it was natural that conflicts would frequently arise between the people from Countess Crea’s family and my attendants over trivial matters.
Among them, Hilda was particularly close to my Aunt and Jeria, so she was often involved in these incidents.
It seemed quiet for a while, but now that I’ve heard that Jeria is returning from the academy, is she starting trouble again?
‘No, something’s off.’
With a motive for the crime and having worked in the family for a long time, she must know that I’m not immune to Dragerus.
It wouldn’t be surprising if she were the culprit, but…
“It’s suspicious.”
“Even after administering the truth serum, her answers remained the same.”
The truth serum was a substance that compelled the person to speak only the truth, regardless of their intentions.
It rendered them unable to speak falsehoods.
“What’s going to happen to Hilda?”
“For now, we’ll interrogate her further in the underground prison to see if we can extract more information. Once everything becomes clear, appropriate punishment will be given.”
“… Is there no connection to my Aunt?”
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