episode_0166

Was the dungeon in the mansion not maintained, or was it deliberately not managed because I was coming? … . Whatever the reason, the conditions in the dungeon were quite poor.

Of course, it was so dark that you couldn’t tell the front and back without a torch because there wasn’t any light coming in, and it was damp because the moisture wasn’t escaping, and because of that, there was mold growing, so there was a strong musty smell that made your nose tingle.

And perhaps because it had been pouring rain not long ago, the bottom of the dungeon was filled with stagnant water, making a sloshing sound and splashing water every time I took a step.

Do I have to stay in a place like this for a month? … . Although I am familiar with the dungeon itself, I don’t really feel like spending all day there.

“… … .”

I sighed softly as I looked at the black dungeon unfolding before my eyes, and the knight who was holding my arm gently pulled my body closer.

“Let go.”

“Please follow me quietly. If you show up uncooperatively like this, it will only have a negative impact on the subsequent trial.”

“I can walk on my own feet. Please let go.”

The driver looked at me for a moment and then quietly let go of my arm. I slowly walked forward, and when I reached the cell in the innermost part of the dungeon, the driver opened the cell door.

The door opened with the sound of rusty metal scraping against the stone floor, and I walked into the cell on my own.

“I’ll be back when it’s meal time.”

The driver, who closed the iron door and locked it with the key, said that and left without hesitation. As the knight carrying the torch left, black darkness naturally began to surround me.

I felt around the wall, looking for a place to sit, until I reached a wooden seat in the left corner of the cell that was just barely enough to sit on…

The wooden seat, which was filled with a lot of water, had thorns floating here and there and it stung, but it was no use sitting on a bare floor filled with water, so I sat down quietly.

“… … .”

Click, click. As I sat down, the restraints on my wrists made a heavy sound and shook.

I slowly blinked and felt the weight pressing down on my wrists, then sat up straight and closed my eyes.

Anyway, all I could do from now on was wait.

* * *

Priscilla, who was riding in a carriage, frowned slightly as she looked at the garden of the Rochelle mansion visible outside the window.

It was a small change in expression that could not be noticed unless you were looking closely, so the driver who was riding with her looked at Priscilla for a moment and then looked elsewhere.

‘Unlike its horribly distorted interior, it has a well-decorated exterior. No, because it was so horribly distorted, it was decorated even more extravagantly. To hide his inner self, to hide the ugly things that happened in the mansion.’

Priscilla, who had been looking at the garden with half-opened eyes, turned her gaze away from the window and closed the curtains to cover the carriage windows.

The man who had tormented my sister and niece was probably already dead, but looking at the garden and the mansion, which were traces of that man, made me feel like my stomach was twisted.

Priscilla, who had been quietly looking at the pattern drawn on the wall of the carriage, came to her senses and blinked as soon as the carriage stopped.

“Arrived.”

After saying that, the driver got out of the carriage and extended his hand towards Priscilla. Priscilla looked at the hand for a moment, then quietly stood up and walked down from the carriage on her own.

The knight did not care at all that his favor was ignored. He just quietly lowered his hand, made sure Priscilla got out of the carriage, and then turned his back.

“I will take you inside.”

“Where did Charlotte go?”

After confirming that there were no carriages nearby, Priscilla was certain that she was the only one who got off here, and looked behind the driver who was about to walk away and said,

The knight stopped for a moment at Priscilla’s words, quietly looked back, bowed his head slightly, and said.

“Lady Charlotte is currently speaking with the Duchess in the main building of the mansion. The Duchess will come to the annex after speaking with the young lady, so please wait a moment.”

“… … .”

Priscilla, who heard the knight’s words, felt a little disappointed because she felt like she had not been included in the family, but she soon thought of her older sister going through great confusion and nodded.

The driver saw Priscilla nodding and led her to a separate building. Priscilla followed the knight into the annex.

Priscilla walked a short distance into the outbuilding and looked around, widening her eyes at the familiar design of the outbuilding.

“Please stay comfortably until the Duchess arrives.”

The driver walked away, leaving Priscilla looking around, but Priscilla didn’t care at all and just focused on looking inside the annex.

‘Those pillars, the arrangement of the furniture, the overall color… … .’

It was like everything remained in his memory. There was no way I could forget it. How could I forget this structure, this form?

It has the same structure as my sister’s room in the Marquis de Erbel.

“As expected… … . It must have been very difficult… … .”

Priscilla slowly walked around the only blue-designed outbuilding in the red mansion, reflecting on the memories of reading books together in her sister’s room, drinking tea together, and laughing together.

Priscilla, who felt heavy after wandering around the inside of the villa for a while, perhaps due to the fatigue of riding the carriage for a long time, sat in front of the tea table in the center of the villa and spent the time quietly.

Priscilla, who was sitting there waiting for her sister to come to her, perked up her ears at the sound of shoes coming from afar and suddenly turned her head in that direction.

“Eon――You… … ?”

I missed you, sister. It’s been very difficult so far, right? It’ll be okay now. It’s been a while, how have you been?

The moment Priscilla caught the sight of Genea walking into the annex, all the words she wanted to say crumbled like a heap of ashes.

“Sister… … .”

“Ah… … . Priscilla, it’s been a while… … .”

How did it end up like that?

The moment Priscilla laid eyes on her sister, the first thing that came to mind was those words.

“Ah, ah… … . sister… … !!”

Priscilla immediately got up from her seat, ran to Genea, who was smiling faintly, and hugged her.

Priscilla felt like her heart would break as she felt a body so fragile and thin in her arms. I felt as if all the worries I had had up to now had suddenly become reality, and my legs felt like they were going to lose strength.

“How… … . How did this happen… … !! No pain anywhere!? Can you walk by yourself!? It’s okay, it’s okay!”

“Hehe… … . As soon as he saw me, he started telling me he was worried about me… … . As expected, Priscilla is nice.”

Priscilla, who felt Genea’s weak laughter and a hand stroking her back, was overcome with emotion and shouted in a watery voice.

“What makes me good? … !! My sister, I didn’t know anything until she became like this… … . I was comfortably teaching at the academy… … !”

“Priscilla… … .”

Genea smiled faintly at the sight of Priscilla almost crying and hugged her tightly.

However, the strength in her arms was similar to that of a child. Priscilla, who felt this, sobbed as she felt a nail being driven into her chest again, and tightened her arms around Genea.

“Thank you so much, Priscilla. My cute little brother… … .”

“Hmm, hmm, sister… … . sister… … !”

After hugging each other and comforting each other and crying for a while, Priscilla quickly gathered her emotions and took a step back.

Genea saw Priscilla’s messed up face, took out a handkerchief from her pocket, and wiped away Priscilla’s tears.

And only then were they able to look at each other face to face.

“You’ve really become very gaunt, my little brother. I guess you’ve been through a lot of hardships.”

“I’m more worried about my sister than myself… … . How did it happen, how did it become so scrawny… … .”

“Hehe, you’re about to cry again.”

Genea smiled sweetly and wiped Priscilla’s tears again.

Priscilla, who was embarrassed that she continued to cry, took Genea’s handkerchief and wiped away her tears herself.

Priscilla, who took a few deep breaths to control her emotions, let out a long sigh and raised her head. Genea, who saw her face, smiled faintly as before and opened her mouth.

“Okay… … . I need to talk about it soon. About why I called you here.”

“Sister’s husband… … . Is it because of this?”

“… … huh. That’s right.”

Genea smiled bitterly and nodded, and Priscilla lowered her eyes as she looked at her older sister.

“I’m really sorry, sister… … .”

“What do you have to apologize for… … . It’s not your fault.”

“No… … . If I had contacted you a little earlier, my sister wouldn’t have had this much trouble… … .”

“You just said that story. This isn’t your fault, so it’s okay to not apologize Priscilla.”

Genea shook her head as she said that and stretched out her hand on the tea table, but when she realized that there was nothing on the table, she was shocked and put her hand down on the table.

Priscilla, who saw this, realized that Genea was currently in danger not only physically but also mentally, and her face became sad again.

Priscilla, who had lowered her eyes for a moment, thought that in situations like this, she had to be her sister’s support, so she closed her eyes tightly and opened them to look at Genea.

“… … Sister.”

“Yes… … ?”

“It’ll be okay now.”

Genea, who had blinked at Priscilla’s words that had a lot of meaning, smiled faintly and said.

“You think of me this much… … . I wish I had contacted you a little earlier.”

“Me too. If only I had contacted my sister a little earlier… … . It would have been nice.”

Genea smiled weakly at Priscilla’s words.

“Still, I think it’s really fortunate that I can see you again now… … .”

“Yes. i think so too. It’s a lot late, but… … . From now on, I will be by your side and help you.”

“Thank you, Priscilla. really… … . I’m glad I have you.”

Genea smiled faintly as she said that and held Priscilla’s hand. Priscilla smiled slightly, firmly believing that her actions could have saved her sister.

And that trust was cracked in an instant.

“So… … . It may be sudden, but I have something I would like to ask of you. Can you listen?”

“I will listen to anything you ask me to do.”

“Then… … . Priscilla.”

I want you to make me a confession.

“… … What?”

“Make a confession for Charlotte.”

Priscilla then realized that something was very wrong.