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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: My Sister, Who Was My Enemy, Cares for Me
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“With a body so small it couldn’t even block anything.”
Callista said, her face blank, staring at the center of the table.
“Children’s faith rarely has a reason, Lady Callista. It seems they believed they could only escape if you were safe.”
At Theon’s words, Callista let out a hollow laugh.
“Are you saying they trusted me because there was no one else? Even risking their own lives…”
She shook her head, an expression of disbelief on her face.
Then, she quietly added once more.
“They tried to save me.”
For a while, the two sat in silence, staring at different points.
“Let me know when the child wakes. I’ll be discussing the Naitra family’s disposition with Aramis.”
“Yes, Lady.”
After seeing Callista off, Theon stood in the reception room for a moment. Soon, he took a few long strides and entered Harper’s bedroom.
Harper was still unconscious, her eyes tightly closed. From the beads of sweat on her forehead, it seemed she wasn’t having a peaceful dream.
“Lady Harper…”
Theon knelt on one knee beside the bed, a worried expression on his face.
“You must wake up soon.”
He whispered softly.
“Just a little more sleep, then wake up… My Lady.”
***
I rubbed my eyes several times to confirm if I was dreaming.
“Lady Harper, would you like me to play an instrument for you?”
“No, you should eat first. We have invigorating soup, a healthy salad, and steak that melts on your tongue.”
“Lady, after you finish your meal, I’ll give you a massage. You wouldn’t believe it, but no one in my village had hands as strong as mine.”
No matter how many times I rubbed and blinked my eyes, nothing changed. There were three maids speaking kindly to me.
But that wasn’t all.
“Lady, please let us know when you’re dining. We’re planning to replace your bed with a larger one. The table is also being replaced with marble.”
Outside the door, strong-looking footmen were waiting, carrying impressive items,
“Lady, we heard you were short on dresses and had to wear a faded one? We’ve brought ten new ones here.”
Unfamiliar ladies carried in glittering things,
“Lady, if you wish for a pet, please write down what you desire here. We’ll even catch a phoenix for you.”
And a man wearing something like tiger skin abruptly popped up and spoke to me.
“What is all this?”
I looked at Jena for an explanation, but she was covering her mouth with both hands, overcome with emotion at the new furniture arriving.
One of the maids explained.
“It’s Lady Callista’s command. She instructed us to provide Lady Harper with everything she needs.”
…What?
Callista?
Instinctively, I suspected the food might be poisoned. Had the assassination been moved up?
But there were too many outsiders near the reception room for that. Killing her sister while all these people watched—that wasn’t Callista’s style, was it?
More importantly, Theon was in the hallway, giving various instructions to the footmen arranging the furniture. He took a few steps towards me, where I stood dumbfounded.
“You’re awake, My Lady. Please, have your meal first. Jena has already finished eating the same food.”
As if to prove his words, Jena was happily chewing something, her mouth full.
Jena, who usually wary of Callista, seemed to have crumbled in the face of such extravagant things.
Dumbfounded, I went to the dining table and put a piece of meat in my mouth. It truly melted on my tongue, sliding down before I even knew if I had chewed it.
“…It’s delicious.”
“Please eat more. You must be weak from sleeping so long. The three maids will follow Jena’s instructions from now on and attend to you, My Lady.”
…My Lady?
Theon’s address had changed. Was this also Callista’s arrangement?
I was confused. Never in my life—no, across both my past and present lives—had I experienced such luxury.
I was still dazed, but my appetite began to return, so I spooned some soup into my mouth. Just as its rich, fragrant flavor was about to spread.
Bang—!
The door, which had been left ajar due to the many people coming and going, burst open with a loud bang. Behind it, a familiar, huffing face appeared.
“Theon! Where did you take Salia… What is all this?”
Clarissa stopped in mid-rant, her eyes wide as she looked around my room.
Her gaze stopped on the maid massaging my shoulders, then moved to the marble table where I was dining.
“How, how dare you assign my maid to that child without permission?”
Clarissa said, her eyes bulging.
What? This person was Clarissa’s personal maid? No wonder her skills were so good.
“And isn’t that table more valuable than the one in my own room? Theon, you must have lost your mind, mistaking the hierarchy of the Ducal House.”
Clarissa extended a long, slender finger, pointing at Theon, trembling.
“Move all those things to my room immediately! All footmen and maids, get out of here!”
Her voice seemed to echo through the room, but no one listened to her.
The massage expert maid, who was still kneading my shoulders with a fork in hand, continued to move her fingers, even in her stunned state.
“Are, are everyone’s ears…”
“Everyone’s hearing is fine. But if they keep listening to your shouts, Madam, their hearing might indeed go awry.”
A calm voice came from behind Clarissa. Everyone’s gaze turned to where Callista stood, leaning against the doorframe.
“Lady… what did you just say to me?”
“Everyone out. I have something to discuss with the Duchess.”
While the maids and footmen had merely stood around, looking at Clarissa for a cue, at Callista’s words, they all rushed out the door.
The man in tiger skin even bumped shoulders with Clarissa, disarranging her clothes.
“How rude!”
But the man, who was all muscle, seemed not to have noticed the collision, as he left without an apology.
I, too, put down my spoon and slowly rose, intending to follow Jena out. But Callista shook her head, stopping me.
“You don’t have to leave.”
“But everyone was told to leave…”
“You are the second Lady of Luperne and the mistress of this room. You have no obligation to leave just because someone tells you to.”
Jena, who was leaving the room behind Theon, glanced back and nodded at me. I stood still, in an awkward position.
“Fine. Perhaps it’s for the best. I suspected all of this was your doing anyway.”
Clarissa plopped onto the sofa as Callista suggested, crossing her arms.
“To disregard me so, your mother and the Duchess—it seems I spoiled you too much.”
Her tone was stern, but a hint of tension was visible on her face. Clarissa, who usually couldn’t speak harshly to Callista, seemed to have steeled herself for this confrontation.
“You are greatly mistaken. My mother is alive and well in the Litra Household.”
Callista replied, her face expressionless, raising only one eyebrow.
“You have no children, Madam.”
“You, you rude… So you took my maids as you pleased? Bring the massage girl back here, and where is Salia…”
“Salia submitted her resignation.”
“Wh-what?”
Clarissa froze, her eyes wide. Only then did a barely discernible fear surface on her face.
She seemed to have realized that something was terribly wrong.
“Wh-where did that girl go?”
“She told me not to inform you, Madam.”
“That’s impossible! Unless something happened to her…”
Clarissa challenged in a furious voice, but Callista offered no reply. Looking closely, a faint sneer played on her lips.
As if to say, ‘Yes, something *did* happen to her’.
Clarissa’s complexion paled. She seemed to have understood Callista’s unspoken meaning. She continued in a slightly softer voice.
“You… you’re acting as if you’re already the head of the Luperne household. I am the mistress of this house, not you.”
“Yes, that’s why I searched your room, to see if you were properly fulfilling the mistress’s role.”
Callista said, without batting an eye. Clarissa’s complexion grew even paler.
“How dare you, by whose authority…”
“And I found quite a few ledgers. The growth the Evans family achieved during that time was truly astonishing.”
“…What?”
“Items purchased in the family’s name were transferred one by one to the Evans Viscounty, and before Theon arrived, the Evans Viscounty was making exorbitant profits from fictitious transactions. Oh, I returned the ledgers to you. The originals are with me, only copies were given back.”
Clarissa’s face contorted fully.
“Lady! Are you disregarding the authority of the House established by your father? Do you think I can’t punish you with my authority? I’ll immediately order the footmen to…”
“The authority of a House isn’t established by a single word from a father, Madam. To command employees, you must demonstrate some value. Not by secretly colluding with the Elder Council.”
Callista said, sneering even more openly.
“Try ordering the knights to drag me out. Will the 1st Knight Order, who have trained with me since I was twelve, obey? Or the 2nd Knight Order, whom I personally selected and nurtured?”
“Th-that’s…”
“The commander of the 3rd Knight Order is my childhood sword master, and Aramis Mueller has just been appointed commander of the 4th Knight Order. Vittori Mueller’s twin brother, that is.”
Callista’s eyes, as she added that last remark, were cold enough to freeze Clarissa.
Though not directly stated, the implication was clear.
Callista was convinced that Clarissa was behind the incident at the banquet, and she had no intention of letting her off.
Clarissa leaned back against the sofa, as if all her strength had drained away. Yet, even then, she gritted her teeth and glared at Callista.
“Most of those bearing the Evans name have been dismissed from the mansion. Even if some remain, I wonder who would dare serve you, Madam. And…”
Callista quietly added one more thing to the seemingly dazed Clarissa.
“Don’t come to this room again. If you interrupt the child’s meal one more time, I’ll get rid of all the remaining maids too.”
She didn’t wait for a reply and pulled the bell cord. Then, she pointed to one of the footmen who had rushed back in and gave an order.
“Escort the Madam to her room.”
Unlike their hesitation at Clarissa’s words, he obeyed Callista’s command as swiftly and silently as the wind. Clarissa ground her teeth, disappearing as if being dragged away by his hand.
