episode_0013

That evening. The owner’s symptoms worsened. The fever was so high that it was difficult to stand up, let alone walk properly, and I was coughing all the time.

Until the afternoon, it seemed like he had somehow gotten over it due to the painkilling effect of the opium mixed in with the wine, but as his condition slowly worsened, the users, led by his mother, forbade him to drink wine, saying that alcohol did not help with a cold at all. After that, naturally――

“Your father is not feeling well, so I will go and call a doctor. In the meantime, please take good care of your father.”

“Yes, your mother.”

The mother, who had a special affection for the head of the house, left the mansion late in the evening, saying that she would do the work herself that could have been done by other employees.

During my several regressions, I didn’t have to worry about my mother bringing a doctor because I knew that all the doctors were out looking for medicine during this time.

“Sera. Did you hear? First, we need to cool down your father’s fever, so go and prepare some ice water and a clean cloth to use as a wet towel.”

“Yes! I understand, lady!”

Sarah said that and left immediately. Normally, it would be right to ask a maid to do this kind of chore, but Sarah didn’t seem to care about such things anymore, perhaps because she was happier that she had asked her to do the work instead of Mel.

Well, it’s good because I’m comfortable.

Sarah must have cleaned it up too. If you want to go out, the time is now when the mansion is in disarray. I handed Mel a bag with some gold coins in it, and Mel understood what I meant and immediately threw herself out the window. Now the rest will take care of itself.

I headed to the matriarch’s room with Sarah, who brought a cloth and a bowl full of ice water.

“You wait here.”

“Ah, yes… … .”

After stroking Sarah’s sullen head, he took the porcelain and cloth that Sarah had prepared and went into the matriarch’s room.

In the matriarch’s room, there were already people other than me taking care of the matriarch, but the matriarch couldn’t come to her senses and was suffering due to the severe flu, in addition to the side effects caused by the medicine running out.

It’s in worse condition than I thought. It would be difficult if he died already… … . If the current head of the family dies and the right of succession passes to the mother, the mother will have to be killed as well. no. If the head of the family dies, will you naturally collapse from shock?

I don’t want to risk it either way. Let’s watch for now.

“Lady… … .”

“Please get out of the way… … ? I want to be by my father’s side… … .”

“Then we will take care of the ceramics and wet towels――”

“No, this is. I want to do it for you.”

I pretended to be the saddest daughter in the world and wrung out a wet towel on the matriarch’s forehead. As the night fell, the cool air and the ice water turned my fingertips red, but I didn’t care at all.

Well, the cold was nothing compared to the dungeon of the royal palace, and the tingling in my fingertips was nothing compared to getting stabbed in the back.

Of course, to people around me other than myself, I would look like a dutiful daughter with utmost filial piety. Of course, I was aiming for everything.

“Umm――Wow. Big. hmm… … .”

“Father… … .”

With a worry that wasn’t even in my heart, I held Gaju’s hand as if covering it with both hands and checked the condition of Gaju’s body. In addition to the side effects of the drug, my body was very weak due to non-stop movement during the early stages of the flu, but it wasn’t to the point of death.

He was originally a healthy human being. I can probably get over this quickly. When I made that decision, I felt relieved, but I opened my mouth without showing it.

“Arsien, did you come here?”

“… … .”

The people around me did not respond to my questions. No, I couldn’t. Because there is no way that the story of an unfilial son who never shows his face even when his father falls sick can be told in front of a princess full of filial piety who even does the work that the maids would do.

Even though I knew all that, I decided to ask one more time.

“Please answer. Has my younger brother ever visited here?”

“… … Miss.”

In the end, the head deacon who had served the head of the family the longest spoke, but I made eye contact with him once and smiled bitterly as if he had recognized me.

The head butler and the other employees all fell silent, and I muttered quietly.

“Yes… … . I can tell by looking at that face… … . are you okay. I just have to protect my father’s side… … .”

As I smiled and closed my eyes with the head of the family’s hand on my forehead, I felt a buzz around me. It’s a pity, the utmost filial piety, etc.

It was so funny that I wanted to roll around holding my stomach and laughing. As I suppressed my emotions and held my hands together as if quietly praying, the matriarch’s hand twitched.

“Umm… … .”

“Father… … !”

“Your Excellency!”

The head of the family must have come to her senses as the fever went down. She opened her eyes with difficulty, looked at me, smiled faintly, and placed her hand on my head.

“For being by my side… … . Thank you… … . Charles… … .”

The matriarch who muttered like that must have lost her strength and dropped her arms and closed her eyes. I knew he wasn’t dead because I was holding his hand, but I jumped up and called the head of the house as if I was scared.

“Father!? father!! Please open your eyes, father!!”

As I screamed and shed fake tears, the horrified maid came over and stopped me.

“Lady! Calm down! Your Excellency is not dead!”

“Ah, ah… … . sorry… … . I was so, so surprised… … .”

“First of all, you may catch the flu, so I think it would be better for you to go back to your room. We are fully capable of assisting Your Excellency.”

I hesitate for a moment, as if about to say something. He nodded slowly and came out of the head’s room.

I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes with a handkerchief and put it back into my arms.

“Lady… … . Are you okay… … ?”

“Ah, Sarah… … . Yes, I’m fine.”

I was really saying that I was fine, but the end of my words was trembling, perhaps because I had shed fake tears earlier.

Sarah’s eyes fluttered and she fidgeted, saying that she needed to make me feel better, but that there was nothing she could do. I smiled at Sarah like that and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you Sarah. I feel so fortunate to have you by my side.”

“Ah, ah. Ehehe… … .”

It’s really easy to handle. I felt Sarah’s hand trying to hug me, so I immediately pulled away and smiled a little.

“It’s rude to do this in front of your father’s room, so let’s go back to our room.”

“Ah, yes… … .”

I returned to my room, looked blankly at the night sky on the balcony, and then headed to bed.

“Sera, I want to sleep early today. Could you change me into pajamas?”

“Yes… … .”

After changing into my pajamas and lying down on the bed, Sarah closed the curtains, looked at me for a moment, bowed down, and left my room.

The sound of Sarah’s shoes faded away, and soon the only sound remaining in the room was my breathing and the sound of my clothes and blankets brushing against each other.

I quietly covered my head with the blanket and covered my body with the thick blanket.

“Fuhu… … . Ahahahaha!”

What a dutiful daughter. The kindest princess in the world. It’s funny. It’s ridiculous. I burst out laughing that I had been holding back. I laughed like crazy, hoping the blanket would bury my laughter.

Who do you think started drugging the matriarch? Who do you think is secretly working behind the scenes to push your younger brother into the abyss of destruction?

grow. I did it all. When they see me like that, they praise me and clap their hands. Isn’t this ridiculous? Isn’t it so thrilling that the hair on your entire body stands up and your limbs tremble?

“Haaa… … . It’s been a while since I laughed like this… … .”

I lowered the blanket covering my face and sank down. How long has it been since I laughed so refreshingly? I can’t even remember much anymore. Every day, if I didn’t have a smile that looked like a drawing, I could only let out a twisted laugh.

Well done for being a bitch after all. If only it had been like this from the beginning… … . I wouldn’t have suffered as much.

As soon as I took a wrong turn in my thoughts, I kept my mouth shut, feeling like I was falling into the abyss in an instant. I just thought about it. You just feel dirty.

I took a deep breath and blinked my eyes blankly. When I heard the sound of the locked balcony opening, I slowly got up and saw a figure wearing a robe.

“I’ve been there, lady.”

The person who woke me up late at night was none other than Mel.

“Did you do well with what I asked you to do?”

“Yes. It was decided to deliver the drugs to the drugstore you mentioned as soon as they were ready, and the young man at the drugstore received the letter from the ‘master’ and 30 gold coins.”

“Okay. Good job Mel.”

“Thank you. Well then, I’ll just leave. Have a good night.”

After saying that, Mel secretly hid the robe somewhere out of sight and tried to go out to the balcony again.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“I never said it was okay to go yet. Mel is quite self-indulgent, isn’t he?”

I grinned and lowered my legs down the bed and looked at Mel.

Mel, who was shocked by my gaze, closed her eyes tightly and lowered her head.

“Sorry, miss. I thought the lady was trying to sleep… … .”

“Shhh.”

I got up from my seat and slowly approached Mel. Every time I took a step closer, Mel trembled and then showed signs of taking a step back.

“Wait.”

“Yes… … ?”

“If you move even one step from there, I will get angry.”

Mel swallowed dry saliva at my words and stood upright with her hands neatly together. The moment I saw that, I started to feel better, albeit little by little.

I lightly approached Mel, as if dancing, and placed my hand on her cheek.

“Mel. Actually, I was in a really bad mood today. Because your father’s condition is getting worse? no. Because the disease your father had was not fatal? That’s not it either. I just, for some reason, felt bad today.”

“… … .”

Mel looked down at me nervously, and I smiled and placed my hand on her stomach.

“Your eyes are high, Mel.”

The moment I press Mel’s lower abdomen――

“Hiik!”

“Aha, you know how to scream like that?”

Mel fell down in place and looked up at me with eyes filled with fear.

“When we are alone together, always be at this eye level. It’s a promise, okay?”

“… … Ah.”

“What is the answer?”

As I said that, I touched Mel’s stomach with the tip of my toe, and Mel shivered and clung to my leg.

“Yes… … ! Okay… … is! So, please stop eating… … !!”

Feeling indescribable pleasure and joy, and feeling a startling tingling sensation in my perineum, I bit my lip and bent down to whisper in Mel’s ear.

“Then make me happy. Then I won’t touch you anymore today.”

got it?

I smiled and quietly lifted my skirt in front of Mel’s face.

It was too warm for a change of season, and it was the beginning of a long night.