Ch#87
“......How long are you going to hold on like this.”
Odellie promptly let go of her hand and spoke calmly, as if she were a physician.
“It’ll take some time until you’ve fully recovered.”
“So you’re going to keep me tied up until then?”
Belloa, as expected, showed hostility first.
Odellie had known from the start what Belloa’s intentions were.
She even knew she had intended to rampage.
That she had tried to ruin her wedding with the rampage.
She had prepared in advance the means to reflect the Mixed Ore Stone outright.
‘And yet she’s nursing me so calmly.’
There had to be some ulterior motive, obviously.
“Tied up?”
At that, Odellie lightly denied it.
“I only wanted you to recover a little faster.”
Belloa scoffed inwardly.
‘She’s been under some delusion since the banquet.’
Does she think I’m so inept that I’d fall for such gentle coaxing….
Belloa thought Odellie, confined underground her whole life, knew nothing about her.
“Cut the ridiculous act and get to the point.”
Belloa snapped coldly.
“You’re planning to interrogate me and use it as evidence, right.”
Reprimanding the Cardell Family was never an easy task.
Not even with suspicions, let alone solid evidence.
Gawin had been humiliated before the nobles….
But that was entirely different from exacting punishment.
‘There were no major casualties this time, and there’s no clear evidence I did anything directly. If I just keep my mouth shut, they can’t do a thing.’
Keeping her confined in the Grand Duchy’s castle must be for that reason.
To somehow wring the full truth from her lips and tarnish the Cardell Family’s honor.
But Belloa was not the type to sell out her family; she’d take all the blame herself if needed.
“Don’t bother. I’m telling you this because you seem clueless, but all your efforts will be in vain. You won’t get anything from me.”
Odellie replied calmly, without a hint of agitation.
“I’ll send you back to your family safely. The carriage and escorts are ready.”
Belloa narrowed her eyes.
“Ha, you’re saying you’ll let me go without interrogation or anything now that I’m awake? Say something believable. If that’s really all you planned, you wouldn’t have brought me here in the first place.”
“You’re right.”
Odellie nodded as she folded a damp cloth and soaked it in cold water.
“Even so, I’ll send you back.”
Belloa clamped her lips shut.
She stopped herself from saying more.
Those eyes held no intent to punish or extract secrets.
She couldn’t read her at all.
That made her seem all the more dangerous.
Saving her like this and quietly sending her off? Why on earth?
……Obvious.
“I see. It’s an extension of that nonsense you spouted at the banquet hall. You’re trying to win me over. To somehow lure me into betraying my brother….”
“If that’s what you want, fine by me. If not, nothing I can do.”
Odellie spoke as she carefully placed the cloth one last time on the back of Belloa’s hand.
“The carriage will arrive soon. You can head straight back to your family; I won’t stop you. Just move slowly since your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
“......”
“The northern winter is quite harsh.”
At those words, Belloa could say nothing more.
She hadn’t expected to be released so anticlimactically.
‘No, that can’t be right.’
Belloa was convinced Odellie wouldn’t let her go like this.
She had thought it was a ploy to pretend kindness and keep her detained.
And yet….
“......”
Now Belloa was in a carriage heading to the Cardell Family.
When she insisted on leaving immediately, Odellie had let her go without any resistance.
‘Some trick in the carriage….’
Belloa never let her guard down until the end.
But soon enough, she arrived safely before the gates of the Cardell Family estate.
* * *
“Belloa!”
Perhaps having seen the carriage pass through the gates.
Gawin approached her first, striding over before she could even remove her coat.
Of course, it wasn’t out of worry for his sister.
“What happened?”
He pressed her urgently before she could even speak.
“Why are you back so soon? Did you let slip that I ordered it? I’m asking if you’re here claiming innocence. Tell me the truth!”
“......”
Even after his sister collapsed from mana rampage and returned, not a word of concern or comfort came from his mouth.
No sympathy, no pity.
Just displeasure.
And that, even though it wasn’t something she had done alone—it was at his behest.
Belloa silently endured his hasty accusations as if accustomed to it, then quietly said.
“I said nothing. They didn’t ask anything. They just treated me and sent me back right away.”
“You expect me to believe that? The imperial delegation was there, and it’s already been reported to the imperial palace! You must have talked, that’s why you’re back.”
“Then you’ll know soon enough. If I’d spilled everything, the palace would dispatch an investigative team right away.”
Belloa’s voice remained calm.
Her tone carried no anger or resentment.
As if she had already braced herself for his interrogation, she was composed.
“......”
Seeing her insist so firmly, maybe it really was nothing.
Gawin narrowed his eyes, then sighed and ran a hand through his bangs.
He began pacing anxiously around Belloa.
“What are we going to do now.”
“No need to worry. If things go wrong, I’ll claim it was my sole decision.”
“Obviously.”
“......”
“This is your fault from the start anyway. Looks like they saw through your plan entirely even before the wedding. So it’s your fault for poor planning.”
“......”
“It’s only natural that the one who messed up pays the price, so why act like it’s anything special?”
Gawin looked down at her with contempt on his face and genuine bewilderment.
He stepped closer to Belloa and leaned down to meet her eyes.
“Until then, I never once doubted you’d pull it off safely. You can’t even comprehend what that means.”
His voice grew icier.
“It’s my command. My pride, my plan. And you ruined it.”
“......”
“Do you know what I went through in front of the nobles while you were passed out? How they mocked me—you can’t even imagine.”
Gawin, unable to contain his rage, was now practically shouting.
In a state where he had to incessantly blame and berate others just to feel better.
Belloa was used to all this and simply hoped he would calm down and this moment would pass.
But….
“I can no longer trust your abilities.”
