episode_0184

The morning sun rises.

As I stood by the window and watched the morning sun rise, I took in the beautiful world unfolding before my eyes and engraved that scene in my memory.

I was drowsy. Not only did I not sleep well last night, but the fact that one of the paintings I had been drawing was finally completed made me drowsy.

“… … .”

After quietly looking out the window, I drew a thick curtain to block the view outside the window and turned my back.

It was because I felt like I wanted to rest a little. It was because I thought I wanted to rest, even if it was just for a few days.

But that wasn’t the case. You can’t rest. Because I don’t deserve it.

“Phew… … .”

I hung up the dress I wore last night, changed into the pajamas I was wearing, and went into bed.

Then, he sat down with his back against the back of the bed, picked up the small bell that was placed by his bedside, and shook it lightly.

Tinkle tinkle――

The clear sound went around the room and went out, and soon the sound of many people’s footsteps could be heard outside the door.

However, contrary to my expectation that the door would open and come in suddenly, the sound of several footsteps pacing in front of the door disappeared in an instant, followed by a light knock and a polite voice.

[Lady Charlotte. My name is Riev, the head maid. Could you please allow me to enter?]

“… … Please come in.”

After a brief pause, I answered and looked towards the door. As soon as I answered, the head maid and two maids came into the room.

There were other servants waiting behind them, and there seemed to be quite a number of them, but there were too many to come in at once, so they seemed to be waiting outside.

The head maid who entered the room immediately glanced back, and the two maids who followed the head maid nodded and immediately closed the door.

“Lady Charlotte. I’m so glad you’re coughing. Do you feel any discomfort or pain?”

“Umm… … . I feel a little dizzy.”

“The reason you feel dizzy is probably because you were unable to open your eyes for a long time. However, there may be an emergency situation, so we will try to bring in a representative as soon as possible. Are there any other inconveniences?”

Not at all. Actually, I don’t have a headache or anything, but I’m just acting enough to not raise suspicion.

After holding my forehead as if I was thinking for a moment, I sighed and shook my head.

“Right now, I don’t feel anything in particular.”

“Is that so? That’s a real relief. However, until a member of the National Assembly comes and confirms, please do not overdo it.”

The head maid asked in a strong tone, as if asking for advice, and I slowly nodded as I looked at the head maid.

Because he’s a member of the National Assembly… … . It would be enough to give them a few pennies and tell them they are fine. The reason is that you can just pretend that you don’t want to worry others.

I blinked and looked down at my hands, looked at the head maid standing somewhat awkwardly, and asked in a voice that I didn’t understand at all.

“By the way… … . Why did I wake up here? I must have been in the dungeon. By any chance, have you caught the real culprit who harmed your father? What about your mother? You must be very shocked and having a hard time by now… … .”

“Lady Charlotte… … .”

The voice of the head maid calling me was deeply subdued.

Of course, I knew everything about how things worked, so I had a vague idea why the head maid was making that face.

However, from their point of view, it was normal for me, who was unconscious in the room while the incident was happening, to be completely unaware of the situation, so I deliberately made a completely wrong inference while looking at the head maid.

“… … okay. I have a rough idea of what happened. No matter what happened, the fact that I’m here means that the real culprit was revealed in some way, but we just couldn’t catch him.”

“… … .”

“It might be a little strange to say this, but I actually think this situation went well. By now, your mother must have been frantically trying to catch the real culprit. It’s better to have a driving force that moves your body and mind, whether it’s anger, a sense of duty, or anything else, than to be shocked and anxious.”

As I said that, I touched my forehead and sighed.

“This is what I said, but it really seems like the height of unfilial piety… … .”

I laughed bitterly, shook my head, opened my eyes clearly, and spoke.

“But there is no time to sit around thinking about this. We need to catch the real culprit as quickly as possible. So, who was the real culprit? Where did you run away? Who is responsible for tracking? Is this Lord Balderich? Or――”

“――Lady.”

At that time, the head maid, who had stopped the nonsense that was pouring out, came in front of me, knelt down on one knee, and lightly covered my left hand with both hands.

Has it finally come? I blinked as I looked at the head maid who suddenly stopped speaking.

“Why are you doing that?”

When I asked hesitantly, the head maid chewed her lips and spoke with a sad face.

“Lady Charlotte… … . I know it’s difficult, but I’d like to ask you at the risk of being rude. Please listen without being too shocked.”

The head maid closed her eyes tightly and took a shallow breath, looking at me with hard eyes and seeing a very terrible and cruel reality.

It gave me the final piece of the puzzle I had been waiting for for so long.

“Now, the head of the Rochelle family is Lady Charlotte――No. This is Duke Charlotte.”

Of course, I was not shocked at all because I already knew this.

“You want me to go? No, my mother… … . no way. no… … . No way… … .”

“Charlotte. I know that all of this is difficult to accept. However, for the sake of the family, the previous head of the family, the previous head of the family, and… … . For Madame Genea’s sake, you must be strong-minded.”

I chewed my lip at those words and covered my face with both hands.

“… … I have to wake up.”

“Charlotte?”

I slowly got out of bed and tried to go out in my pajamas.

“Charlotte! It’s not possible! You need to rest now… … !”

“Get out of the way.”

At my words, the head maid took a step back, startled and trembling. I passed by the head maid and opened the door, and came face to face with the maids and knights who were walking around in front of the door pretending not to be there.

They were startled when they saw me suddenly pop out, turned around and pretended not to see me, or ran to me in panic and tried to throw clothes on me.

But I ignored them all and just walked forward.

“… … .”

To the restaurant where Sarah and her younger brother were falsely accused and arrested.

“Ha… … .”

To the office of the head of the family who drank poison and died without any reason or understanding.

“Haha… … .”

And then, to the room of the matriarch, who hanged herself out of regret for raising a monster and guilt for doubting her family.

I walked around the scene of the devastation I had created. To put into perspective the sins I had committed.

“… … .”

Rather than having all these sins told to me through a familiar, I went there and confirmed them with my own eyes. That’s right. It was terrible. It was twisted. I was persistent.

How on earth is it that he is such a corrupted human being that he can calmly plan such a terrible act, do such a twisted thing that even uses himself as bait, and be persistent enough to do the same thing over and over again?

It is clear that he is a broken human being whose mind is not properly established. Yes, I guess that’s why he was able to do such things so calmly because he was that kind of person.

I was laughing at myself in my heart, then lowered my head and massaged my eyebrows.

“Charlotte… … .”

“Wait a minute, give me time to gather my thoughts.”

I said that to the head maid standing behind me and closed the door without giving her any time to respond.

As I slowly entered the room, I looked at the sticky, unpleasant-smelling liquid left where my mother had hanged herself and the traces of friction left on the pillar where the rope was hung, and remembered what I had seen the previous evening.

‘no… … . no… … !! Ahhh… … !!’

I thought of Priscilla screaming while hugging her mother’s corpse. I thought of her who couldn’t bear it in the end and went crazy.

‘Ahaha, haha… … . no… … . Probably not. yes?’

Priscilla, half out of her mind, dragged Genea’s body away with her own feet and was eventually captured by knights on night patrol.

In this way, Priscilla lost the love she so desperately wanted and the way to become the trustworthy person she longed for. She is completely broken and will never be loved or loved by anyone again.

“Phew… … .”

The story ended with the younger brother and Sarah not loving each other, but hating each other to the point of death. In addition, since one party died, there was no longer any way to resolve the misunderstanding.

My mother actually didn’t intend to kill her, but she couldn’t cope with what had happened and ended up committing suicide. Of course, I used it because it was a situation where I couldn’t not use it.

And the head of the family… … . The prosperity and maintenance of the family that the head of the family wanted was completely ended because of me.

My younger brother will be executed, and I have no intention of getting married. Even if, just by chance, I change my mind, lose all my memories, and end up marrying a man.

Since I am already unable to have children, no matter what happens, I will not continue to be the Duke of Rochelle.

“Is this the end of the mansion’s affairs…? … .”

okay. The Rochelle family is my final downfall.

Totally.