Chapter 82: The Good, The Bad, and The Traitor 4

“Hah…”

Deep within the Lepsodia lord’s castle…

There sat a woman, letting out a heavy sigh as she set aside the documents she had been perusing.

Estel Bertina Fernandes.

Holding the reins of power in the Lepsodia territory, her workload was never-ending. As always, she swiftly processed tasks one after another.

However, of late, moments like this would arise…

Where unbidden memories would suddenly surface, forcing her to pause her duties.

Memories of that person whose image, try as she might, refused to leave her thoughts since returning from Bohemia…

Her fiancé, Santana Andreas.

‘Honestly… Why am I dwelling on this so much? My relationship with him is merely formal. Ours is… just a contract engagement, nothing more…’

Whenever his face appeared in her mind, recalling their arrangement, Estel would admonish herself anew.

Yet the more she tried, the more stifled and restless she felt, an inexplicable sense of unease only intensifying the harder she strove for detachment.

Engrossed in such contemplations, a knock sounded at that very moment:

“Sister!”

“Ah, my lord.”

Greeted by her brother’s voice, Estel rose with a warm smile to welcome him.

“What brings you here at this hour, my lord? Have you finished your studies?”

“Yes, I’ve completed my lessons for today, sister. And you, are you done with your work?”

“Yes, I’ve just finished as well.”

A white lie, as some tasks remained, but nothing urgent that couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

As ever, Estel embraced her younger sibling.

Nearly twenty years her junior, he felt more like a son than a mere brother.

And indeed, that was her role – his sole remaining family and the one he perpetually relied upon since their parents’ passing.

Gazing upon him, Estel once more strove to recompose herself.

‘That’s right… All of this is for his sake, after all. My relationship with that man Santana… Everything was undertaken for this child. I cannot keep dwelling on such peripherals…’

With that thought, she tightened her embrace slightly.

Yet observing her, the young Lord Johan’s face harbored a hint of puzzlement.

“…? Sister? Is something troubling you?”

“…Hm? Ah… No… Nothing of the sort. Why do you ask?”

“Well… Your complexion seems rather unwell today.”

“…”

Momentarily taken aback that her turbulent emotions were so evident, Estel fell silent.

Noting his sister’s demeanor, the youthful Lord Johan voiced concern:

“Are you worried about something? If so, please tell me. I am the lord, after all? If my sister is troubled, I shall resolve it for you.”

Though speaking with an endearing, childlike desire to reassure his sister, to Estel, it merely sounded like a naive child claiming to handle adult affairs – which, truthfully, was precisely the case.

Yet, despite his inability to truly help, Estel found her brother’s adorable gesture somewhat heartwarming.

“…Haha, is that so? If my lord insists, then I cannot withhold it from you.”

With a lighthearted air of humoring her sibling, Estel casually broached her innermost thoughts:

“My lord, do you recall when your sister became engaged to the Bohemian heir some time ago?”

“Yes. That… Santana person, right?”

“Indeed, Lord Santana. Truth be told, his face has been occupying my mind quite frequently of late… For reasons I cannot fathom, despite our limited interactions. He troubles my thoughts incessantly.”

Though likely insignificant, Estel openly confided, as if venting.

In response, Lord Johan gazed up at her with wide, bewildered eyes – clearly unable to comprehend her words.

An expression Estel had anticipated, prompting her to simply smile gently at his innocent incomprehension.

Yet, then…

“Sister, could it be… you really like that Santana person?”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by her brother’s unexpected remark, a fleeting look of surprise crossed Estel’s face.

Observing this, Johan continued with childlike candor:

“It’s just… I feel the same way, you know? When you’re not around, sister, I constantly think of you and miss you terribly, because I really, really like you. So perhaps you keep thinking of Santana because you like him too?”

“!… That… That is…”

Her brother’s words struck an unanticipated chord within Estel, leaving her flustered yet simultaneously experiencing a flash of profound realization.

In the days following her brother’s departure, Estel spent her time in a profound daze.

A daze induced by the heart’s truth her sibling had inadvertently revealed to her:

Her harboring affections for the man named Santana Andreas.

‘Like him?… Me?… Little old me… having feelings for Santana…?’

Upon initially recognizing this fact, Estel’s instinctive reaction was one of denial.

‘No… No way… There’s just no way… How could I, after merely meeting him briefly?… Ah, but… If Johan’s words ring true…’

The more she denied it, the more palpable her feelings for that man seemed to become.

A realization that brought with it a tinge of self-disappointment.

‘Really? Have I truly fallen so easily for someone? How could someone like me succumb to such simple infatuation…?’

It felt like her self-pride was crumbling.

She had always considered herself different from ordinary women.

Ever level-headed, unshakable in any situation barring her brother’s welfare – a sense of composure and dignity she had prided herself on.

Yet her current turmoil thoroughly undermined that pride, gradually transforming into vexation tinged with outrage.

Then, after some time had passed, Estel began internally rationalizing her predicament:

‘…No… But perhaps this was inevitable, in hindsight?… Though it began as a contract, I am his fiancée. Moreover… truthfully, finding a man of his caliber is no easy feat…’

Yet even this compromise brought a sense of dejection.

Estel could easily discern Santana’s reasons for stipulating a mere ‘contract’ arrangement.

He simply lacked genuine interest in her.

His sole desire was to secure an alliance with Lepsodia for Bohemia’s benefit, with no intention of pursuing anything deeper with her.

‘Of all people, why did I have to develop feelings for someone like that?… As if my ill-fated life needed this added misfortune…’

Thus engulfed in melancholy over her circumstances, Estel despaired.

However, her dejection did not last.

Though her ‘love’ was entangled from its very inception, Estel was not one to wallow in resignation.

‘That’s right… I cannot deny these feelings I’ve developed for him. So from now on, I must actively strive to attain them. I am Estel. The woman who wields true power in Lepsodia. I cannot allow myself to pine hopelessly for one man.’

Having fully embraced her emotions, Estel resolved to ardently pursue her desires.

Immediately thereafter, she began meticulously formulating plans to achieve her goal – avenues she could readily envision.

Estel’s keen grasp of continental affairs surpassed most in power.

She perceived with crystalline clarity the massive maelstrom swirling around Bohemia and the heretical forces. And within this vortex, methods to forge a bond with Santana far deeper than their superficial ‘contract’ began taking shape.

‘Just you wait, Santana Andreas… The heart you have claimed will undoubtedly become mine alone!’