Chapter 110
“Three days is pretty short, isn’t it? It’s already time to leave.”
Kestian let out a voice full of regret.
As he looked at the luggage being loaded onto the carriage, he turned to glance back and forth between Aden and me.
When our eyes met, Kestian smiled slowly.
“Rubyche seemed to be disappointed. She said she wanted to have a deeper conversation with Sierra.”
Since the ball, Rubyche has become my enthusiastic follower.
I knew she was interested in me before, but after the ball, it felt like she was glued to me and wouldn’t let go.
“Do you know how much she bothers me, saying you’re like a big sister she never had?”
Honestly, Rubyche and I weren’t that far apart in age.
But maybe because of my previous memories, she seemed really youthful and cute.
So even her excessive cuteness didn’t make me frown once.
“How does she bother you?”
“Well…”
Kestian briefly rolled his eyes toward Aden.
I raised an eyebrow, wondering why he suddenly turned to look at Aden while talking about me.
Aden was already giving Kestian a disapproving look.
“Well, there are a few things, I guess.”
Kestian seemed reluctant to share what those “few things” were.
As we talked, the back door that had been tightly closed finally opened.
Winston stepped in, looking exhausted.
It had been days since I had last seen him—had he really been stuck in there all this time?
“Are you leaving now?”
“I’m sorry. I meant to tell you yesterday, but everyone said not to disturb you, so I got delayed.”
“It’s fine. I’m not mad.”
Winston waved his hand dismissively, approaching us with tired eyes.
As soon as he arrived, he shot Kestian a nasty look and let out a sigh.
With a resigned expression, he finally spoke.
“By the way, thanks for taking care of Rubyche.”
“What did I even do? She just handled it herself.”
Winston chuckled tiredly and turned away.
Aden briefly nodded at him in greeting.
Winston, as if to say it wasn’t necessary, acknowledged Aden’s greeting and straightened his back.
“I’m dying here, barely getting any sleep after being stuck for two days.”
“Well, you should have kept up with it in the first place, Dad.”
“…”
For a moment, there was a flicker of menace in Winston’s eyes.
It looked like he was considering whether or not to snap at Kestian right then and there.
“…I’ll put up with it since I’m tired.”
Winston pressed his eyelids down.
He looked like he could collapse any second, but he maintained a composed demeanor as he spoke.
“I heard your mother, the Countess, is still unwell.”
Winston pulled out a bottle containing a blue liquid from his pocket and handed it to me.
I carefully took it, and he continued.
“As you know, Palieva is said to be a descendant of the spirits. And the tears of the spirits are known to heal all ailments.”
Winston pointed at the bottle in my hand and smiled slowly.
“Not everything they say is true, but it’s definitely a precious medicine. I don’t know what illness the Countess has, but I hope this helps her.”
I quietly stared at the liquid, shimmering in the sunlight.
There were times when I had requested this medicine directly from Palieva in the past.
But it wasn’t something you could just buy with money. Receiving it now was a complete surprise.
“Thank you so much, really. I didn’t ask for something like this…”
“I know. You can tell what kind of person someone is just by looking in their eyes.”
As Winston spoke, someone behind him reported, “It’s finished.”
Winston glanced back and nodded.
“It’s time to say goodbye. I hope the spirit’s breath lingers in your ear until the very last place you go.”
A cool breeze swept through, brushing against my body before it gradually dispersed.
* * *
“Who’s here?”
Belieta glanced over at the trembling maid, who had just reported while pulling back the bowstring with an unflinching expression.
The maid, aware of Belieta’s sensitivity upon entering the shooting range, knew that every word and glance from her was a symbol of terror.
With trembling lips, the maid finally managed to speak.
“It’s the daughter of the Policia marquis.”
“Policia…”
Belieta murmured slowly, drawing back the bowstring again.
The name was familiar; it belonged to a noble lady she often encountered at social events.
Unlike ordinary or mediocre families, Policia was known for their prestigious status, and their daughter had quite the high opinion of herself.
Moreover, Policia was a key member of the noble alliance led by Bozbourne.
Since their political stances aligned, Belieta and the Policia daughter had crossed paths quite often.
Belieta held her bowstring tight, her thoughts frozen for a moment before she slowly spoke.
“Bring her here.”
“Here?”
The maid questioned hesitantly, but Belieta looked down at her with a cold gaze.
The servant girl flinched, her shoulders trembling, and quickly turned to leave. It wasn’t long before Alisa appeared.
Belieta, who was just knocking an arrow, greeted Alisa with a warm smile as she entered.
“It’s been a while, Alisa.”
“Thank you for seeing me. I thought I wouldn’t be able to catch you since I came so unexpectedly.”
“Of course not. If it’s the Policia family, they’re very important to Bozbourne, so we definitely should meet.”
At Belieta’s words, Alisa’s expression gradually brightened. Belieta, wiping her expression clean, lowered her bow. The arrow flew and struck the target, but the score wasn’t very high.
Belieta turned to Alisa, disappointment written all over her face.
“But what’s with the sudden visit? If you have something to say to me, you could’ve just sent a letter.”
“I… I came because I had something urgent to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Belieta cut her off, and Alisa looked around nervously. Belieta raised an eyebrow at Alisa’s hesitation to answer her question right away. After all the trouble of finding time to talk, this kind of ridiculous attitude was frustrating.
As Belieta worked to calm her irritated expression, Alisa finally spoke up.
“A little while ago, I think I saw the Brilloxen lady at the ball.”
“…Sierra?”
Belieta’s annoyance faded as the name Sierra brightened her mood.
Alisa nodded, tilting her head slightly.
“I’m not sure, but I caught a glimpse of her face when her mask slipped. At that moment, I didn’t know who it was, but thinking back, she’s the only one who could look like that.”
“…”
“I think she came to disturb me at the request of Princess Palieva. Thanks to that, I ended up in quite a mess.”
“A mess?” Belieta tilted her head.
What did seeing Sierra have to do with a mess?
Alisa immediately responded to Belieta’s mutter.
“I tried to embarrass the Brilloxen lady by knocking her over while we were dancing… but it didn’t go well, and I ended up looking foolish instead.”
Belieta leaned back in her chair, her interest in Sierra cooling again.
What was Alisa saying?
Belieta stared at her with dry eyes, confused by Alisa’s bizarre words. There was no subject, no meaning, and no purpose.
It seemed that Alisa was merely lamenting her missed opportunity and how it had affected her relationship with her fiancé.
Belieta didn’t like this kind of conversation. She thought it was silly for noblewomen to gossip about each other behind their backs.
Yet here was Alisa, coming to her to complain about Sierra.
If it had been successful, it would have been one thing, but it felt like an excuse for her own mistake wrapped in the guise of regret.
“I thought I would go back and handle the Brilloxen lady again…”
“What’s the point?”
“Huh?”
Alisa, who had been excitedly chatting away, widened her eyes in surprise at Belieta’s interruption.
Belieta narrowed her eyes and spoke softly.
“Lady Policia. Just tell me what you want to say. What you’re saying now is just empty chatter.”
“…”
“Are you saying the point is that you wanted to embarrass Sierra? Or that you wanted to torment her? Or do you want to tell me you were planning to do something terrible to her?”
Belieta eased her expression, lowering the mood in the room.
Alisa, taken aback by the sudden shift in atmosphere, struggled to find words.
Belieta stared down at Alisa, who was frozen in place, before speaking again.
“I have no idea what you want. Do you want me to praise you, sympathize with you, or do you want me to take revenge on Sierra for you?”
“That… that’s…”
“I don’t understand. Why are you suddenly coming to me with all this? And, especially, to mention Sierra.”
Belieta bit back a laugh to herself.
Who would have thought she’d hear Sierra’s name from such a clumsy girl’s mouth?
Belieta waved her finger dismissively.
Alisa, who had been awkwardly sitting, stood up hesitantly and approached Belieta.
Belieta reached out, grabbing Alisa’s chin and cheek in one hand.
“Ow…!”
“Listen carefully, Lady.”
Belieta’s demeanor changed, becoming slender and threatening like a snake filled with poison.
“I’m not your nanny, I’m not your peer, and I’m certainly not your friend. Coming here and saying such things won’t earn you my praise, revenge, or sympathy. And as for Sierra?”
As Belieta continued, her lips twisted.
“That’s out of the question. You really think you could touch her? You might think you’re being clever, but your actions do nothing but interfere with me.”
“What… what are you saying…”
“Do you know how ridiculous Sierra would feel? To have someone so beneath her trying to pick a fight and act childish? If you think I’m behind that, the embarrassment and shame would fall squarely on me, you know?”
Alisa’s face turned pale, and she couldn’t muster a response.
Belieta silently watched the frozen Alisa before letting go of her chin.
“Ha!” With a sound, she stepped back from Alisa.
Alisa, bent over with her chin held, looked up at Belieta with a scared expression.
There was no warmth to be found in those icy blue eyes.
Alisa’s ear was filled with Belieta’s voice.
“I’m warning you, don’t even think about messing with Sierra. She’s not dumb enough to fall for your tricks, and she’s not an easy target.”
“I… I was just trying to help…”
“And don’t you dare imitate me.”
“…”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? That you’re trying to copy me?”
In the absence of a tiger, the rabbits are king.
Belieta had already heard that the daughter of the Policia family was playing queen wherever she went, imitating her.
Belieta, looking down at the terrified Alisa, spoke calmly.
“Just because you’re trying to be like me doesn’t mean you can be like me or defeat Sierra.”
Belieta bent down to whisper in Alisa’s ear, which was still lowered.
Her hot breath tickled Alisa’s ear.
“And Sierra is mine. So, don’t get any silly ideas, just quietly go away.”
“…”
“I absolutely hate it when someone messes with my prey.”
Slowly straightening up, Belieta looked down at Alisa, then signaled to the maid with a flick of her fingers.
She instructed the maid to escort Alisa out.
As Alisa was led out, Belieta turned back to her bow.
She took a moment to glance at Alisa leaving, then knocked another arrow.
Belieta pulled the bowstring taut to the right level.
‘Copying me…’
Suddenly, Sierra popped into her mind.
The last words exchanged with Alisa crept into Belieta’s head.
She felt her mouth turn sour with annoyance.
Frowning, Belieta released the bowstring.
The arrow shot quickly and struck the target, but this time it was even farther off the mark.
The bow hung limply from Belieta’s arm.
As she looked at the arrow embedded in the target, Belieta’s lips slowly parted.
“What a mess.”
Both the arrow and her mood, and her thoughts.
