“Master!”

As I left the temple, Wit flew down from a tall tree.

I hid Wit in my arms, afraid someone might see and asked.

“Wit, when did you come here? I told you to wait at home.”

“I’ve been waiting for two days! When you didn’t come… how worried Wit was, Master!”

Wit rarely expressed anger, huffing and puffing.

That probably meant he was that worried about me.

“Sorry. I had some things to deal with.”

I whispered quietly and walked quickly.

Everything was in chaos.

It doesn’t matter anymore, whatever happens.

Once I leave this wretched city, it will all be over. I’ll never see any of them again.

I’ll just grab the money and jewels I left at home and leave immediately.

I held Wit tightly and ran toward my home.

However, my house which had been empty for a few days….

“M-Master.”

“……”

Bright red flames filled my vision.

Acrid smoke stung my nose.

“My house….”

It was burning.

“Rosemary Ferial!!”

At the familiar roar, I slowly turned around.

A fierce gaze, as if facing an enemy rather than his own daughter.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you hiding here like a rat?!”

It was Rosemary’s father, Count Ferial.

“…How did you know to come here?”

“Did you think there was anything I wouldn’t know?”

Crack, crack-.

As I barely opened my mouth while listening to the sound of the house burning in the embers, Count Ferial sneered with murderous intent.

“Kekeke. Master, should Wit step in?”

“No, wait.”

While I whispered quietly to Wit who was in my arms, Count Ferial exhaled sharply through his nose, strode over, and grabbed my arm.

“Do you know what you’ve done? Is this how you repay the kindness of being fed and raised?!”

I silently looked at Count Ferial before opening my mouth.

“That’s rich coming from someone who tried to sell his own daughter to a 60-year-old man, isn’t it?”

“What?!”

The enraged Count Ferial raised his thick hand.

I glared at the Count with wide eyes.

Just try to hit me. I’ll show you exactly how frightening someone with nothing to lose can be.

With my house and all my possessions burned to ashes, all I had left was bitterness.

“You, you…!”

As I prepared to be hit, the huffing Count Ferial suddenly clenched his fist and lowered his hand.

“Huff. As the adult, I should be the one to hold back.”

Then he said something not remotely funny.

“The marriage with Count Robert is already off the table, so I’ll find you another match. Until then, reflect on your actions and stay in confinement.”

He had raised his hand but didn’t hit me, apparently because he wanted to sell me off somewhere else.

Can’t damage the merchandise, after all.

I suppressed my anger and asked.

“Did you burn all my belongings inside as well?”

Count Ferial snorted and replied.

“You mean the money and jewels in the bag? Even if I consider the jewels stolen from my house, where did you get all that money?”

Wait. That means….

“Well. I don’t need to hear it. You obviously stole it. I’ve taken all those items back.”

“…!”

I almost screamed.

My babies, they’re safe…!

God. Thank you. Thank you.

“You’re not going to claim innocence, are you? Do you know how much compensation I had to pay Count Robert because you ran away?”

Count Ferial gripped my arm tightly, dragged me along, and shoved me into a carriage that had been parked nearby.

Through the carriage window, I could see my cottage burned black.

So my money is still alive.

With this, my task was set.

First, reclaim my treasure.

“Tsk. This is no appearance for a noble lady. It’s going to be difficult to find you a good match.”

I turned my head to look at Count Ferial.

And after that, I would surely kill him and proudly walk through the gates of hell on my own feet.

***

After returning to the Ferial mansion, I spent each day with eyes like those of a dead fish.

“Look at that swollen face. Seems you slept well despite what you did?”

He must not get tired of this.

Benjamin Ferial, the young count.

A blood relative three years older than me, a man who looks exactly like me except for his eye color.

He really couldn’t be anything but a diligent person.

Every day at the same time, he deliberately visits my room to pick fights like this.

“Well, you need to have something in your head to reflect or whatever.”

You know what, Benjamin?

The Fairy’s Tear you tried to sell at the auction worked really well?

“What a shameless face. You have the nerve to crawl back after staining the family name.”

Your crumpled face as you ran with all your might to catch me was really funny too.

Hundreds of words that would turn Benjamin’s insides out came to mind, but for the sake of the future, I just listlessly picked my ear.

“I’m speaking right now and you dare to pick your ear? Did something happen to your head while you were away from home?”

“Brother.”

“Who’s your brother!”

You’re not my brother?

“Really? Then, hey you.”

When I called him as he wished, Benjamin stood there with his mouth wide open, stunned by the unexpected address.

I asked him:

“I heard you lost our family heirloom?”

“What, what? How did you…”

“How did I know? Your stupid actions are the talk of the empire, how could I not know?”

“What? It’s become a rumor?!”

Benjamin screamed, grabbing his hair.

It seemed the fact that it had become a rumor was more shocking to him than me calling him an idiot.

I shrugged my shoulders and said indifferently.

“You must have been scolded quite a bit by Father? For losing such a precious heirloom.”

I pretended not to know and tested Benjamin.

The Fairy’s Tear had the power to make one speak the truth. Regardless of whether the subject was a fairy or a person.

It was strange, no matter how I thought about it, that they tried to sell a jewel with such an amazing ability at auction.

At my words, Benjamin snorted.

“I was scolded for selling a rock?”

“Rock? How is it a rock?”

“It’s just a hard pebble with a nice color but no abilities. What else would you call it but a rock? Pathetic.”

…Wait a minute.

Could it be that these people don’t even know what the Fairy’s Tear is?

“No, it’s an heirloom after all, so it can’t just be a rock. Aren’t there any records or documents about the heirloom?”

“Why would I read such trivial documents? Unlike you who idles around with nothing to do, Father and I don’t have time for that, you pathetic sister.”

How have these people survived without going bankrupt until now?

I sighed openly and muttered to myself.

“This family is hopeless. Why is someone like you the heir instead of me?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? You’re a woman and I’m a man.”

Benjamin smirked like a cowardly villain.

I replied seriously.

“What kind of unfair reason is that?”

“You deficient sister. Life is inherently unfair.”

I quietly observed Benjamin’s arrogant expression before turning my gaze away.

…Right, let’s stop here. Continuing this meaningless conversation with him will only make me stupid too. Let me think about how to recover my precious money and jewels instead.