“Memory loss?”

“That’s the hypothesis I came up with. Who on earth would do such a thing?”

“If I knew that, do you think I’d be sitting here like this?”

“Ah…… Right……”

“Isn’t it a drug you made? Didn’t you do this to me without my knowledge?”

“I, I didn’t! I definitely disposed of the drug I made!”

“……You said you could purify it. Hurry up and try it.”

“Once won’t be enough. Keep that in mind.”

When Yuena nodded, Ranil grasped both her hands. Incomprehensible murmurs flowed from the priest’s mouth, and a faint light formed at their fingertips. Yuena, whose hands were clasped with his, felt pain.

‘What. This hur—ts. It hurts…… It hurts……’

Between her fading consciousness, she saw the Pope wearing his mitre. The Pope’s hands. Those were the same hands she’d seen on her birthday last year. The dark, murky part she’d felt when recalling memories of last birthday. The part that felt like spilled black paint was starting to surface slightly. The memory that had briefly become clear soon grew hazy again. But…… was her consciousness growing hazy along with the memory?

Thud.

Darkness again.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Ugh……”

When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the priest anxiously pacing back and forth before her. Seeing me open my eyes, Ranil hurried over.

“I didn’t know you’d collapse!”

“How long has it been?”

“A, about two hours…… I was going to wait just a bit longer before alerting those outside!”

Ranil said he’d stopped the purification ritual when he saw me fall backward. If I’d lain there any longer, this time Ranil’s head really might have rolled. I gathered my limbs that were sprawled about and sat up.

“The Pope disposed of the drug, right?”

“Yes! But how did you……”

“I think he stole the drug and did this to me.”

“What?!”

I’d bet anything this was Seian’s doing. Memory loss caused by Ranil’s drug. I’d known well enough that I wasn’t exempt from Seian’s madness either. But I was angry.

‘Why would you do this to me.’

But Seian, who could have answered, was already dead. Without letting me even confront her.

‘Then what’s left is the Pope’s side……’

I recalled the slick face that had brazenly lied to me when I went to the temple last time. I looked at Ranil again.

“How much longer until the purification is complete?”

“J, judging by your current state, it’ll take at least several more months—”

Bang!

Why is your entrance always timed like this? Since I’d sent away all the servants saying I’d do a confession, there was only one person who would burst through my door like this. Naturally, both Ranil’s and my heads turned toward the door simultaneously.

“While I was gone, again……!”

Iophe crossed the room with his long strides.

“What is the meaning of this?”

He strode over and shoved Ranil, who was standing in front of me, into a corner. Fortunately, this time I could be honest. Even Iophe was fed up with Seian.

“Seian did something strange to me.”

“Something strange?”

“To me……”

I’ll keep the Pope part hidden since screwing him over is my job.

“She put some strange spell on me. The priest agreed to help me undo it.”

Iophe looked back at Ranil with displeasure.

“Only Priest Ranil can do this, so don’t touch him. The House of Idebald will employ the priest.”

“You expect me to just stand by and watch?”

Iophe asked if I really thought he’d just watch. Probably not……

“What did Seian do to you?”

“……I can’t remember my childhood at all.”

“It’s normal for anyone to not remember their childhood properly.”

As expected, he didn’t buy it. It was a lie mixed with a spoonful of truth. Or maybe two spoonfuls. It was true that I couldn’t properly remember my childhood. Whether that was entirely because of Ranil’s drug remained to be seen, so I couldn’t be certain yet. But besides that, I had another reason to convince him.

“I need to remember. You remember properly that I’m not Seian’s biological daughter, right?”

“……”

“Think of it as an orphan’s effort to find her real parents.”

Iophe furrowed his brow as if pondering for a moment, then said,

“That doesn’t explain everything.”

“It’s true.”

I had no choice but to insist here. He was probably recalling how I stupidly swallowed that poisonous plant, which even I had to admit couldn’t be seen as an effort to find my parents.

“It really is. If you want, come watch the next purification ritual.”

“I need to confirm it now.”

“Not now. I just passed out doing that.”

“……You collapsed again.”

“I’m warning you in advance so you won’t be surprised. It seems I lose consciousness for at least a few hours when undergoing this purification ritual.”

He stepped back from me with his jaw clenched. Seeing him exhale deeply and stare into space, he seemed to be suppressing his rising anger. Or maybe extremely frustrated. Or was it trauma? He even looked somewhat anxious. I’d been seeing that expression often lately, and when Iophe made that face, he was quite unreadable. I wasn’t sure.

“Get to bed for now. I’ll call a doctor.”

I obediently returned to bed. Ranil glanced around nervously before scurrying out of the room.

“Give the priest a room. It would truly be disastrous for me if you don’t.”

“Yuena, you really are…… I can’t take my eyes off you. It was like that before, but even more so lately.”

Buried under the blankets, I giggled. Can’t take his eyes off me.

“Don’t say such funny things.”

“What…… What exactly is funny about it?”

“Haha. It’s just, it sounds exactly like a confession. ‘I can’t take my eyes off you.'”

“……”

“I know. You mean I cause trouble, or something like that.”

“At least you know.”

Iophe said this while properly covering me with the rumpled blanket. After that, Ravenna entered the room to examine me, and late at night, Tilla returned from the village. Tilla had been busy lately searching for the witch while evading the surveillance Iophe had attached to her.

‘Good thing Tilla’s been shaking them off well.’

If it were me, I’d rather confine her. Seeing him let her wander around like this while trying to catch her tail, I could even feel his determination to definitely uncover what I was hiding. I waited silently for Tilla to speak. When the hands tending to my bed finished, she opened her mouth.

“I found her.”

Finally. This was the news I’d been waiting for.

❀ ❀ ❀

I sat on the terrace, deep in thought. About what excuse I should make to go out. While Tilla alone might manage, it would be difficult for me to shake off Iophe’s surveillance.

‘He’ll probably attach that knight Philip or whatever again.’

I’d been sitting there for a while looking toward the garden when Juan brought a tray with snacks and an envelope on it. Looking closely, it was definitely a letter envelope.

“A letter came for me?”

“It was sent by His Grace the Duke.”

“Ah.”

I’d wondered who at Hertus Castle had written a letter addressed to me. It was Father. I took the letter from Juan. A thick, ornate yet somehow neat handwriting befitting the title of Duke Hertus caught my eye.

……You said you’d send a letter if you thought of a gift you wanted, but there’s been no word for over a month. Haven’t you decided yet? Take this for now. I heard from Edith that your birthday recently passed. If you’d told me earlier it was your birthday, I would have prepared something better……

Oh dear, it seemed the date known as my birthday had passed while I was lying down after eating the poisonous plant.

‘He said he’d show me fireworks.’

But the opportunity had already passed. Ah, what a shame. I turned to the paper Father had attached saying “take this for now.”

[Certificate of Gem Mine Transfer]

……I should leave this behind when I go……?

But when I looked down, my name was stamped right on the certificate. I couldn’t refuse this, could I? Can’t be helped. The corners of my mouth rose on their own. Without taking my eyes off the mine certificate, I said to Juan,

“I need to go out to the village.”

“I’ll prepare it right away.”

Juan immediately bowed. I gathered Tilla and Dana and left the room.

“Where are you going……?”

Philip, who’d been waiting at the door, followed and asked. As expected, the surveillance Iophe had attached to me was definitely Philip. I answered him nonchalantly.

“To pick out a gift for Father.”

I’d look around today and either shake them off when I saw an opportunity, or go out again tomorrow saying I was picking out a gift and watch for a chance. And of course, actually pick out a gift for Father!

❀ ❀ ❀

At my request, our entire party pulled robes over their heads. We also chose a carriage without the House of Hertus’s crest.

“It would be less dangerous to display Hertus……”

Philip, perhaps having been severely punished for the crime of delivering Ranil to my room recently, was wary of my every action.

“It’s still before the succession ceremony, so I don’t want my face known to the territory’s people as much as possible.”

“……I see.”

But at best, he wasn’t in a position to force anything on me. I offered a plausible reason and climbed into the carriage.

The carriage began running along the Hiaru riverbank. In the square of Hertus Territory, there was a large bridge crossing the Hiaru River, and we got off there.

“It would be more comfortable to ride all the way to the shopping district.”

Philip said with a puzzled face. I answered shamelessly.

“I want to look around where the territory’s people live.”

‘I need to walk the crowded streets to shake you off.’

“As expected……!”

Juan, wearing a robe, brought his hand to his chest with a moved expression. His heart seemed to be pounding wildly from the misunderstanding.

Just then, someone shouting could be heard from the middle of the bridge.

“You there! You hit me first!”