Translator: Nox

Chapter 32

#032. On the Way to My Sister

"My lady, please have a little of this. Won't you?"

In the dark room where sunlight was blocked by curtains, Veronica anxiously offered a bowl of soup. The beef and potato soup, cooled so it wasn't too hot, was Esella's favorite.

But the young lady only shook her head, refusing the bowl. Her face, shadowed by her long hair, looked even paler than usual today.

"My lady, what's really wrong?"

Veronica was on the verge of tears. It was upsetting enough that the young lady, who always smiled like sunshine, had lost her smile, but she had also skipped several meals.

Considering that she hadn't eaten properly since the Grand Duchess left... Veronica swallowed her tears.

"Veronica, I have to go to my sister."

At the faint, fading voice, Veronica finally burst into tears.

"You mustn't say that. The Duke ordered you to stay confined because of those words, my lady."

"My sister, you say!"

A few days ago, the Duke was greatly angered by Esella's words that she wanted to go to her sister. Unable to contain his fury, he had scolded Esella for the first time.

"What business do you have with that child!"

"I have something to say to my sister, Father. I really have something to say to her."

"Absolutely not. Until you change your mind, Esella, you are not to leave this room!"

Despite his reputation for being as cold as ice, the Duke had always been a kind father to Esella.

Even as she faced her father's fiery anger for the first time, Esella did not change her mind.

In the end, the punishment was confinement.

Veronica was ordered to stay by Esella's side during her confinement and to watch over her. In this situation, she couldn't help but feel upset. Veronica unconsciously poured out her feelings in a tearful voice.

"It's all because of the Grand Duchess. If it weren't for the Grand Duchess..."

"No, it's because of me, Veronica."

"Yes?"

It was a firm voice she hadn't heard in a while. Veronica stopped crying and looked at Esella.

Esella took something out from under her pillow. It was the Pink Diamond Necklace, which she had been clutching in her hand whenever she collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep.

"When I was little, I was confined to my room with Jade, too, for playing with my sister, you know?"

Jade, her second older brother, who was five years older than her, always complained whenever he was confined. Even so, the two of them never gave up sneaking off to play with Olivia.

Some days they brought bread, other days soup in a small bowl, and sometimes crayons and paper.

"But one day, Jade said he wouldn't go see my sister anymore."

Jade, who had loved playing with Olivia so much, suddenly changed his attitude. It was when Jade turned ten.

There was longing in Esella's eyes as she told the old story. Her dull, sunken amethyst eyes gradually became clearer.

So Veronica kept silent even at this unexpected story. She had a feeling what this story would lead to, but she didn't want to stop the young lady from being cheerful for the first time in a while.

"So what could I do? I had to go alone."

Esella wrinkled her nose like a mischievous child.

If the reason Esella, who slept so much, first overcame her sleepiness was to secretly play with her sister, that said it all.

"My sister's room was in the attic on the fourth floor of the mansion, you know? Veronica knows. There's a story that the fourth floor..."

"Is haunted by ghosts?"

"Yeah, that one."

Esella chuckled at Veronica's answer. She didn't know who started the rumor, but it was effective for young Esella.

It hadn't been a problem when she went with Jade, but the fourth floor was different when she was alone.

The atmosphere on the fourth floor was so eerie it made her spine tingle. The stairs seemed like they would creak strangely. It felt like a pale ghost would really appear before her eyes.

Five-year-old Esella approached the stairs several times to go play with her sister. Of course, the results were always unsuccessful.

"Then one day, I was standing on the stairs when I heard a creaking sound from above. I thought a ghost was coming down, that it was going to eat me, so I just closed my eyes and cried."

The reason she remembered that day so vividly, when she couldn't even make a sound and just cried, was because of the scene that followed.

"That's when my sister appeared."

Esella murmured dreamily.

"Esella?"

Olivia, appearing with only one flickering candle, looked like a hero. A hero who had appeared confidently on the fourth floor, where ghosts seemed to live.

Was it because of the relief? Or was it because she was seeing her sister's face after so long?

Esella burst into tears. Beyond her blurry vision, she clearly remembered her younger sister being at a loss.

"But even though I was crying so much, my sister didn't hug me or comfort me."

"..."

"I was so sad. So I cried even louder?"

"Esella, don't cry."

In the end, she had won. Her sister, who had been flustered for a while, hugged her again. She wiped away her tears and even invited her to her room.

A place smaller than her own room, but cozy. That was her sister's room.

After that night, an unspoken secret was formed between Esella and Olivia. Late at night, Olivia would secretly sneak down the stairs, and Esella would rub her sleepy eyes and wait for her sister to come and get her.

Esella smiled faintly, as if she was completely immersed in her memories. Then, when she met Veronica's eyes, Esella gave a secret smile that only people who shared secrets would give. And she slowly confessed her secret.

"I was a really bad kid."

"Yes?"

Veronica, who had been listening to the story, widened her eyes at the sudden confession. Esella being a bad kid? It was an absurd story.

Everyone loved Esella. A young lady as bright as sunshine, as lovely and kind as a fully bloomed tulip. But Esella shook her head.

"The truth is."

Veronica held her breath at Esella's deepening voice. After taking a moment to catch her breath, Esella spoke slowly.

"I knew that my sister was scolded every time after she played with me."

At first, it had felt like a vague shape. Things like her sister's dark expression and her father's clicking tongue.

But the hazy things gradually became clearer. She heard a sharp voice calling her sister's name, saw her brother hiding her sister's books, and saw her sister standing alone in the distance at warm family dinners.

In the midst of all that, Esella realized. That these things were happening every time after she played with her sister.

"...But I couldn't give up playing with my sister because of my own greed."

Esella's voice, which had been trying to act bright, gradually softened. Veronica's nose also tingled.

"My sister always told me to sleep well at night. Even though I forced her to play with me."

Veronica hated the Grand Duchess.

The Duke had always told her to be wary of the Grand Duchess corrupting Esella. That one day, the Grand Duchess might hurt Esella.

"My sister didn't tell on me at all and was scolded alone."

But suddenly, Veronica had a thought.

"I couldn't say it back then. Neither thank you nor sorry. Because I was young."

"Esella must never know."

Even though she knew everything, the young lady loved her sister like this.

"But now I'm all grown up. I am."

What more should she be watching for?

Veronica's eyes trembled. Esella raised her head. Her face, a mess of tears, looked at Veronica desperately.

"Now I have to tell my sister. Veronica."

Her voice, clearly marked by tears, was firm. Because that was like Esella, Veronica thought her prediction was right. She shouldn't have listened to the story at all. She grumbled inwardly, but Veronica's heart had already been won over.

"So, just help me once."

In fact, Veronica, who seemed so stern, had never completely won against Esella. Veronica had always been helplessly on Esella's side.

So it was the same this time.

"...Finish your soup. And, and let's go."

As if unable to bear it, Veronica turned her head away. Esella smiled brightly with a tear-stained face.

* * *

Inside the carriage returning from the Imperial Palace to the Grand Duke's Residence.

Olivia stared out the window as the scenery changed rapidly. As soon as she realized she had left the Imperial Palace, her tension quickly dissipated. Her body was tired, but she didn't want to lean back in the carriage. Rather, she wanted to straighten her posture even more.

It was because of Edwin, who was sitting right in front of her. Meeting his worried face, Olivia shrugged as if it was nothing.

"I'm not tired anymore."

"Really? Your face looks whiter than usual."

Edwin muttered to himself. His languid voice somehow sounded better than usual.

"Maybe it's because of the dress."

"The dress?"

Olivia looked at her dark navy dress and said.

"Yes. Since it's a dark navy color, my face might look whiter than usual."

Why did she remember the taunt she had heard at a boutique before her Debutante ball? Back then, she didn't know how to ignore other people's words, so her heart ached quite a bit.

She thought she would be upset again. It was strange.

The words that had been hurtful back then had now been transformed into a great answer, but she didn't feel upset or have a sore heart.

It was a strange feeling. Had she heard it so often that it couldn't even hurt her anymore? Or else.

Olivia naturally raised her head. If not that, then.

"...Then the dress is at fault."

"Yes. Yes?"

Olivia, who had answered unconsciously, widened her eyes. The dress was at fault? What nonsense was that? But Edwin shrugged as if it was nothing.

"Let's blame the dress for making me keep asking you if you're tired."

Olivia chuckled and then cleared her throat. She was embarrassed that she had found those words funny.

"...I guess you like jokes."

"I do like them, but. That was the truth, though?"

"That the dress is at fault?"

When she looked at him with a doubtful face, Edwin nodded as if it was obvious.

"Yes. In that sense, would it be okay to stop by Ruheirn Street for a moment? Fortunately, you're not tired, and the dress is at fault. Let's take this opportunity to have a few dresses made for you."

A sense of unease crept up her back. She had already seen the dresses in her closet and confirmed what "a few" meant to that sweetly smiling man.

But before Olivia could protest, Edwin knocked on the driver's seat.

"Head to Ruheirn Street."

"Yes!"

The driver's energetic reply followed. Edwin smiled brightly.

"Sobel said she wanted to decorate a new dressing room next to your room anyway. This is really great."

Olivia, who had been staring at Edwin in disbelief, slowly raised the corners of her lips.

"I'm only going to pick out really good things, you know?"

"That's exactly what I want, though?"

Olivia chuckled. It felt like those sharp gazes and harsh words turned soft and harmless whenever she was next to that man, who acted so nonchalantly as if it was obvious.

That must be why. Why she wasn't upset today even after facing Conrad.

Before she knew it, her fatigue had disappeared. Olivia smiled, fully enjoying this pleasant excitement.