I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 62
To think that someone named Estella was the mistress of the house.
I had thought Kaid was more than enough, so I had never felt any kind of void.
Of course, this house must have had a mistress at some point.
That is to say…… Kaid's wife, and the mother who gave birth to Seth and Arvan.
No one had ever mentioned her in front of me, so I simply assumed she didn't exist.
I clamped my wide-open mouth shut.
“……Den where is she now?”
“Ah.”
In an instant, Mesis's complexion darkened.
“The Madam passed away.”
“……Why?”
“She passed away while giving birth to the young masters. It is rare, but not entirely unheard of.”
“I see. Sowy.”
“There is no need to be sorry. It's something the young lady should know, after all.”
Mesis didn't seem to mind much, but a heavy feeling weighed on my chest.
So I decided not to ask anything more about Estella.
Still, a single question lingered.
Why had the Roisar family's visit been permitted just because she was mentioned?
What connection could there possibly be between me and Estella, who had breathed her last before I was even born?
I wanted to ask Kaid directly, but now that I knew who she was, I couldn't easily muster the courage.
As I planted my feet on the ground and stared out at the lawn, Mesis called out to me.
“Um, Young Lady.”
“Huh?”
“……Now that you know who Lady Estella is…… is it possible that you are curious as well?”
“Huh?”
What was this about now?
I blinked slowly.
I couldn't quite understand the intention behind his question.
Mesis was waiting for my answer with an intensely tense expression.
“I don't get it. What do you mean?”
“I mean…… could it be that you, too, are wondering about your mother……?”
Fidgeting nervously and stumbling over his words, Mesis suddenly realized what he was saying and clamped his mouth shut.
I could feel him cautiously gauging my mood.
Why was he acting like this?
“Why did you stop? You have to tell me the rest.”
“No, it was a slip of the tongue. Let's just pretend I didn't say anything.”
“What is it?”
“No, it's really nothing.”
Mesis waved both hands in a flurry.
Watching his back as he scurried away as if fleeing, I tilted my head.
What was he about to say?
Until Mesis vanished into the distance and disappeared completely from sight, I couldn't figure out the meaning behind his question.
* * *
In truth, there was a reason behind Mesis's question.
It stemmed from the overprotective anxiety of the Black Mambas—something Irene alone remained completely oblivious to.
Everyone was feeling uneasy about the Roisar family's upcoming visit.
Namely……
‘What if the young lady meets someone from the Roisar family and says she wants to go to the East?’
……It all began from such silly, fretful worries.
Because of that, the Black Mambas were currently reacting with extreme sensitivity to anything related to the East.
“Who's going to pick them up at the Terra Forest?”
“Is even that on the schedule? Shouldn't they be able to cross the Terra Forest on their own?”
“It's orders from above.”
“*Sigh*.”
Though it would never actually happen, having to extend such courtesies to the evil horde trying to steal their young lady made their chests tight with frustration.
Aria, who had become the intermediate supervisor for this task, stamped the paperwork with a dissatisfied thud.
“Tell them we're short on manpower.”
“As if they'd believe that.”
A long silence followed.
Aria let out a sigh laden with worry.
Anyone would naturally feel drawn to those who were like themselves.
For that reason, not a single day passed without worry for Aria and the other Black Mambas.
From the moment she was born until now, Irene had never once met one of her own kind.
She might run into the office right now and insist she wouldn't go, but there was no telling what would happen when the moment actually arrived.
If she suddenly said she wanted to be with her own kin……
“I heard that this time, we're supposed to prepare meals centered around the foods the Roisar family prefers.”
“Just how long are they planning to stay?”
“I don't know that either.”
Shrugging his shoulders, a Black Mamba tossed down a document.
There were far too many pointless things to worry about when it came to the East.
Aria gripped her pen tightly.
*Snap.*
The pen held in her hand broke cleanly in two.
Yet no one paid it any mind. It was a common enough occurrence around here.
‘I really have no idea what the Head of the family is thinking.’
Aria casually tossed the pen into the trash can. Then, she pulled a new one out of her drawer.
“*Phew*. I want to go home.”
She hadn't been able to go home for several days due to working overtime.
Aria glanced sideways at Eudis, who was handling paperwork beside her.
His complexion looked sickly pale, not in great shape either.
“Um, Lord Eudis.”
“Yes.”
“……What should we do about reporting to Lord Durias today?”
*Flinch.*
Eudis's shoulders hunched so pitifully it was painful to watch. Things weren't going well on that end either, it seemed.
“……I'll postpone the report until next time.”
“I would be truly grateful if you did.”
It seemed Durias was still walking around smiling.
Aria flashed a subtle ‘no reporting today’ gesture to her colleagues nearby.
“We can't be late with this report, though. What do we do?”
“Who cares. If we're going to get scolded, it's better to get scolded when he's in a good mood. Put it away.”
“……I'm seriously scared to death.”
That was the shared sentiment among the Black Mambas working under Durias lately.
The fact that Durias was smiling was an omen of sheer dread.
Because of that, everyone prayed fervently each day to encounter a completely expressionless Durias as soon as possible.
Yet, as if their prayers hadn't reached the heavens, Durias had frequently been spotted wandering around with a smile on his face lately.
The corners of Aria's eyes grew moist.
And that simmering fury was directed entirely toward the East.
*Thud!*
Just let them try some underhanded trick to drag the young lady to the East.
If they dared……
“I won't let it slide. *Phew*. First, I need to capture the young lady's heart. Everyone, gather around.”
Aria decided to devise a small plan.
Operation name: ‘Capturing the Young Lady's Heart.’
* * *
“Lady Irene! Hello, my name is Aria!”
“……Huh?”
……Who is this?
I came to a dead halt and looked up at her.
While walking back to my room by myself, a woman who had suddenly appeared approached me with eyes that gleamed to a slightly frightening degree.
The woman, who introduced herself as Aria, caught her breath slightly before beaming with a smile.
“It looks like you're heading somewhere.”
“I was going to my room.”
“I see! Shall I escort you?”
“No, it's otay. I'll go by myself.”
Why was she suddenly offering to walk me back? Highly suspicious.
Without letting my guard down, I looked at Aria suspiciously.
In fact, bizarre things had been happening around me for the past few days.
Just like right now, unfamiliar Black Mambas had increasingly been coming up to me, acting friendly and striking up conversations.
Despite my firm refusal, Aria kept smiling cheerfully, showing no intention of backing off.
“The weather is quite lovely today, isn't it?”
……A tough opponent this time, huh?
I decided to just answer Aria's question for now.
“Yeah. The weader is super nice today.”
Meanwhile, my brain worked tirelessly.
The conclusion I reached was that while Aria was a bit suspicious, she probably wasn't a bad person.
Since she was inside the mansion, she must be someone who worked here, right?
“By de way, why did you call me?”
“I was just passing by and saw you, Young Lady, and I was so delighted that I couldn't help calling out!”
“Weally?”
I had clearly checked that the hallway was completely empty while walking earlier, though.
Aria's suspicion score went up by +1 point.
Completely unaware of that fact, Aria continued speaking with a radiant smile.
“Did you know? The South is famous for having very distinct seasons.”
Not again. Listing the virtues of the South for no reason. Flinching slightly, I gave a nod.
“I see.”
“There's nowhere else with four seasons as distinct as ours. The South even has festivals for every single season!”
“I see.”
I already knew that, so it wasn't particularly surprising.
I had already heard it several times from the Black Mambas who had passed by over the last few days.
At my calm reaction, which was indifferent enough to be embarrassing, Aria's expression crumbled.
It looked strikingly like a face that said, ‘This isn't how it was supposed to go.’
I looked up at Aria with a sulky expression.
“Is dat all?”
I had to hurry back to my room, so I didn't have time to stay here any longer.
“I have class now, so I have to go.”
“W-Well…… not only that, but the South also has the best security of all the territories. Were you aware of that?”
“Yeah. Is dat all?”
At my second question, Aria bit her lip tightly.
She seemed to want to hold me back and say something more, but nothing came to mind.
“Den I'm gonna go.”
“A-Ah, Lady Irene!”
“……Huh?”
I really didn't have time now, so why was she calling me again?
Stamping my feet impatiently, I turned around, only for Aria, wearing a tearful expression, to desperately grab hold of my hand.
“You still like the South better, right, Young Lady?”
“……Huh?”
“The South is far more beautiful than the East, after all. There are so many sights to see, and it's peaceful……!”
Somehow, the atmosphere felt as though I would be in big trouble if I didn't nod.
On top of that, people who had peeked out from goodness-knows-where had gathered behind Aria, creating a mood that made it feel as if they were all cheering her on.
What on earth is this?
It feels like everyone's on the same team right now except for me!