episode_0023

A weapon following the Kelvia allergy.

The effectiveness of the handkerchief was certain.

The bloodstained handkerchief was reflected in Isabella’s eyes.

Her stiff expression turned to surprise, then quickly shifted to confusion.

“This handkerchief…”

The fact that it was stained with blood would likely be from the unhealed wound on Karsen’s cheek, proving an encounter with the owner of the handkerchief.

“Why were you late?” you asked. “I met Harney on the terrace. Then, due to a reopened morning wound, I needed the handkerchief again.”

“…Is that so?”

“But that alone doesn’t explain why you were late, does it?”

Nod.

Of course not.

That’s why I’ve come more prepared.

“So, let me ask you something. Have there been any letters arriving for me recently?”

“No. There haven’t been any.”

“If there were such letters but they were being intercepted, what would you do?”

“…What?”

Not just conventional weapons.

But bombs.

“Harney was puzzled. She sent me letters several times, but received no response. Where do you think those letters might have gone?”

Clatter.

The teacup Isabella held tilted sharply, striking the table.

Wide-eyed, she finally sensed the gravity of the situation.

“What nonsense is this? Explain yourself in detail.”

One bombshell after another.

“Last month, she sent nearly twenty letters. Yet not one arrived, prompting her to seek me out for an explanation.”

“Twenty…? That can’t be. Who at the Vandergrand estate would dare to intercept your letters so brazenly…”

“For your information, I can’t even recall when the last letter I received was. I merely sought the truth.”

With this, all three issues were resolved at once.

Punctuality, inappropriate attire, and even lies were cleared in a single stroke, making my innocence clear.

Even if there were some falsehoods mixed in with my claims, what’s the problem?

“For now, summon Heron for questioning.”

Isabella, still gazing at me with uncertainty, I struck once more. “No, it’s not necessary.” “Karsein?” “I’ll just take the blame. If I’m being suspected to this extent, it seems that’s the treatment I’ve been receiving.” “Why are you speaking like that? I understand you’re upset, but you should choose your words carefully, Karsein.” “I’ll take my leave. I don’t want to talk anymore.” I don’t even want to hear an apology from you. It’s not something that can be allowed. Even if such words were to come out, would this guy really like that? I guarantee he’d find it repulsive. So, without giving him a chance to speak, I quickly got up to leave. Just then, an object on the shelf began to glow brightly. ‘Is this the memorial that appears in this branch?’ Yeah. Whatever crappy thing is there, let’s take a look. As I reached out, everything flashed before my eyes. ‘What? There’s no change at all?’ Just as I thought that. I could see not only Isabella but also Arina sitting here. Isabella’s study. This place itself was where the memorial was illuminating. The two of them were having a very simple conversation. “We can’t just leave Karsein alone like this, Mother.” Just one line gives away the gist of the content. It was all because of Karsein, who caused so many accidents. But the next line was unexpected. With this short conversation, the memorial sent me back to my original place. ‘Damn.’ Curses just came out naturally. This wasn’t just a lack of interest. In the meantime, Isabella’s hand touched my shoulder. “Karsein, sit for a moment. Your attitude just now—” Thud. I roughly brushed her hand off in discomfort. “You…!” Somehow, I can guess what expression I’m making right now. I had a strong intuition that I must not show this expression to Isabella. Calmly. Coolly. Even if I wanted to say something that was choking me up, I had to hold it in and leave. But in the end, a word burst out of my mouth.

“No one would dare to criticize my affair with my fiancée.”

***

The study door, which had been closed with a loud bang, soon reopened, and some time later, it opened once more.

“I have brought what you ordered to investigate.”

“How did it turn out?”

“Well, you see…”

Heron hesitated on how to convey the information and then reluctantly handed over the report as if there was no other choice.

“The quantity of the letters was different. The items sent to other ladies or the madam arrived without any issues, but… ”

“Was there a discrepancy in Karceine’s?”

A nod.

“It seems highly likely that they either leaked or were discarded during the process of passing through the hands of the maids. Since Lord Karceine has never received the letters directly.”

“And the timeframe… when do you estimate this started?”

“Just from a brief examination, it seems to have been going on for several months at least. If we expand the scope beyond just Lady Theresa, it could even stretch into years.”

“Sigh, why does this keep happening… I wish it were all just a lie.”

Isabella sighed deeply, touching her forehead.

“We’ve already conducted a thorough investigation. However, with only internal resources, there’s a chance the matter could be swept under the rug, so we’ve hired external help.”

“I see. Thank you.”

As Heron spoke, expressing his regret, Isabella opened her mouth.

“Heron. If I may speak candidly, we shouldn’t hope for this to be a lie.”

“Heron?”

“It’s because you, Madam, have been indifferent to Lord Karceine. As I mentioned before, there has always been a barrier between you and Lord Karceine.”

“Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?”

“It’s not just once, but twice, isn’t it?”

There had clearly been precedents that she had overlooked, not even knowing about Kelvia Allergy, and yet she had made the same mistake again.

Why had Karceine arrived late?

Why had he lied and come dressed in the conqueror’s attire?

She had never asked for the reasons behind it.

It was no different from the restaurant.

If she had asked just once. If she had inquired whether something was wrong, it would have been better.

But Isabella hadn’t done that.

It was still due to her biased perspective.

Heon had to break this prejudice without fail. To prevent the situation from escalating further and becoming uncontrollable.

“I understand what you mean. It implies conducting a more thorough investigation to clear Karsein’s unfairness, doesn’t it?”

“No, milady.”

“That’s not it? Then… should I impose an appropriate punishment?”

Heon bowed his head apologetically. “You should have expressed your regret here, milady.”

“Should I have apologized…?”

“If other young ladies were in the same situation, would you have scolded them as sharply as you did to Young Master?”

“Of course. I would have pointed out their mistakes sharply.”

“Milady…”

Heon, with a bitter expression, brought and unfolded a calendar Isabella used last year. Pointing to a date, he asked again, “Do you remember what day this is?”

There was a circle marked on the date Heon indicated, but there was no content written inside.

When Isabella seemed unsure, Heon showed her the current calendar right beside it. “Even now, do you not know, milady?”

This time, his voice carried a weighty tone. It was a sharp reminder from a mere steward to the deputy of the Duke. He, Bagrand’s loyalist, wouldn’t speak so lightly to anyone else.

Isabella, concentrating on both calendars, eventually covered her mouth with both hands.

“Now do you understand, milady? I meant that you don’t receive the same affection, creating a sense of distance. You do not regard Young Master as equal to the young ladies.”

A perfectly drawn circle using a pen reserved for marking important dates, and January 1st, Claire’s birthday. A less distinct circle using a second-tier pen and December 31st with no content at all. The treatment of these two days was distinctly different.

Though she said the words, her gaze was already distorted. Heon clearly pointed out this difference.

“Me… like that…?”

Only then did Isabella’s eyes flicker open.

My daughters would have asked first if it were the same situation. They would have asked if there was a reason, why I acted that way. But because it was Karsein. Because he was not my own child who came from my womb but a child I picked up. Because only a sense of guilt, not affection, remained. That’s why I was already looking at him with blurred eyes.

“Heron. Where is Karsein now… Ah.” Suddenly, in Isabella’s mind, the words Karsein had uttered before leaving the room came to mind. He clearly said he didn’t want to talk more because he felt bad.

“… ” Inevitably, she chose to hold the pen. Heron, who was watching her, inwardly sighed deeply. It would probably be difficult for their relationship to improve.

***

“Of all times, why did I have to see that kind of thing?” Returning to my room, I immediately went into the bathroom to cool off my anger. I couldn’t stand the heat rising inside, so I had to wash my face with cold water. As the cold water splashed, gradually cooling the heat, I began to regain my composure. That last word was definitely a mistake. “Ugh. Why did I overreact just because I saw the engagement discussion?”

It was like the scene from the memorial that I had seen. A conversation between mother and daughter about whether it would be better to marry off Karsein, who was like a beast that wouldn’t be civilized no matter how much he was taught, rather than engage him. So, in a fit of anger, I blurted it out. That he was having an affair with his fiancée. Spilt milk can’t be helped. “Hah. Let’s calm down. It’s time to start getting ready.”

On the day of the conversation, Harney sent a letter through Camilla. The letter contained a desire to meet today, so there was a need to prepare quickly. After finishing washing up, I called Camilla. “Did you call for me, sir?” Camilla looked around cautiously and moved towards the laundry basket. Then she examined my hand. It seemed as if she was wondering if I was holding a mop. Above her head, the intimacy box, which had risen significantly for the third day, was swaying, exceeding 15%.

“Why has it risen so much?”

Dead Trigger management, huh? Lately, Camilla seems to have left her workload untouched. But is it really piling up this much?

I don’t really know.

Anyway, let’s just say it now.

“Stop with the pretense. You won’t do that anymore, so don’t come so early from now on.”

“But…”

“I said I won’t tolerate it. Do you want me to say it a third time?”

“Oh, no! I understand. I’ll be careful.”

It’s more annoying to see her trying to prevent me from working every time she comes into my room by being cautious. If that’s the case, I’d rather just give her the work and be at ease.

“More importantly, Camilla, get ready to go out right away.”

“Go out?”

The first scheduled time is approaching. A natural encounter seemed to be the first step in continuing the engagement relationship.

“You have to meet someone. The other party is a noble, and quite a prestigious one at that.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure to inform the butler right away.”

As Camilla was about to open the door and leave again.

“Master Heron?”

“Excuse me. Your Grace.”

Heron respectfully bowed his head.

Followed by maids and servants trailing behind.

Seeing that sight made me feel sick.

‘Oh, damn.’

Isabella noticed.

About Carsein’s birthday.

Perhaps realizing the birthday itself might be a miracle, but I would have been better off not knowing.

My mother mentioning the belatedly discovered birthday now seems to reflect her true intentions.

No, not even a mention.

“Although it’s late, Madam said she would grant any wish if you have one. She mentioned that if you want a birthday party, she will hold one, if you want clothes, she will call a famous boutique, and if you want jewelry with lots of gems, she plans to call a jeweler.”

Doing this through others without coming herself.

By doing so, she tries to alleviate her guilt by spending money to give me something, even if only a little.

A birthday party? A famous boutique? A jeweler?

None of it is necessary. It’s ridiculous how she imposes the tastes of the three sisters without even knowing what Carsein wants.

How can she be so repulsive as to be exactly the same even in this aspect?

It’s unnecessary.

No matter how belatedly I realize the truth and attempt to apologize, it’s utterly pointless.

However.

-Ding!

▶ Your birthday present has arrived! How will you react?

As expected.

The options won’t just leave me be.

So, I’ve made up my mind here.

“Everything else is fine. I’ll just take what’s here. But you know, these days, the maids and servants seem to be extremely busy, right?”

“…Yes. There have been quite a lot of tasks recently.”

“If that’s the case, there should be a bonus, shouldn’t there? Isn’t that so?”

I’ll go with not taking everything.