Chapter 46

After wrapping up her greetings, Harriet moved toward another guest. The fierce anger that had been evident earlier had vanished from her bright, smiling face.

While it was a relief to see her looking fine, Bleria was preoccupied with something else.

Eos’s face lingered in her mind. She glanced at the spot where Eos had been standing, which was now vacant.

Had she left?

No, that couldn’t be it.

Bleria shook her head.

Don’t dwell on it. She’s just a fraud, anyway.

More importantly, there were other matters to focus on. As Bleria raised her head, she noticed Gopher, seemingly watching her the whole time. Their eyes met the moment she looked up.

She lowered her voice as she spoke.

“That pendant…”

Gopher lightly pressed his index finger to his lips and gestured toward a quieter area.

The two moved to a less crowded spot to continue their conversation.

“It’s true that I returned it. I swapped out the contents with a forgery.”

“…”

“I hoped it would land her in an interrogation room, but this is good enough. At this point, no one will believe she’s the real deal.”

That was likely true.

Although Mixel claimed responsibility for the act, Eos had been wearing the pendant.

No one knew the truth—that Bleria Heaven had picked up the pendant Eos had lost and that Gopher Allnight had replaced its contents with a counterfeit.

Eos and Mixel, the main perpetrators of the scam, might have some inkling. But at least this meant there was no more cause for concern.

Still, for some reason, Bleria couldn’t shake a lingering unease.

“…Why?”

Gopher placed his hand beneath her chin, lifting her lowered head to meet his gaze.

“Are you dissatisfied with this, too?”

As she looked at him, she rested her face against his palm.

“No.“

“Then why the gloomy expression?“

“You know my face always looks the same, Gopher.“

“Yeah… always the same.”

A peculiar light flickered in Gopher’s eyes, but it vanished just as quickly.

“As long as you’re okay with it, that’s all that matters.”

As if suggesting they return to the banquet hall, he extended his arm to her. Just as she was about to accept his escort, she paused and glanced behind her.

“What is it?“

“No, it’s just… from behind…”

She thought she heard the sound of someone crying.

Bleria intended to voice this but quickly shook her head and began walking again. Whether it was real or imagined, she had no desire to confirm it.

Even so, the sound clung to her ears for a long time, following her like a shadow.

***

As the banquet officially commenced, the Duke and Damian joined the guests to greet them.

Around sunset, as scheduled, Stella Allnight also made an appearance. However, rather than enjoying the festivities, she summoned the Duke aside, likely to discuss Mixel’s actions.

If one were to guess, the conversation wouldn’t unfold in Mixel’s favor. Despite being ordered to remain under house arrest, he had reportedly stormed out and caused trouble.

Gopher, as a result, seemed to be in relatively high spirits. He stayed until late, departing only when Stella left.

“I need to handle some things related to Mixel,“ he remarked.

Though the pendant forgery had been entirely his doing, he blamed Mixel without batting an eye.

Meanwhile, Eos Liche, who had been absent all evening, finally appeared after sunset.

I thought she had already left…

Eos sat quietly in a chair by the pond. No one approached her, and she didn’t seem inclined to converse with anyone either.

Yet, her pale eyes trailed after several people—the Duke, Damian, and Harriet—all of whom belonged to the Heaven family.

Bleria pretended not to notice, but the sight unsettled her more and more as time passed. By the time darkness fell, she could not endure it any longer.

As she was about to approach Eos, Damian stepped in her way.

“What are you planning to do?”

Although his presence made her tense momentarily, the fatigue and irritation on his face eased her nerves.

“I was going to send her home.“

“I’ve already asked through the steward multiple times if she wanted to leave. She insisted on staying.”

A crease formed on Damian’s brow.

“Did Gopher Allnight really have to use this event to stage a test of credibility?“

“Well, that’s—”

“I know. It’s not your fault. Handle it quietly. If she causes a scene, I’ll have the knights remove her.“

“I will, brother.”

Though Bleria answered obediently, Damian crossed his arms and didn’t leave. Previously, she might have interpreted his unwavering gaze as watchfulness, but their relationship had softened since Harriet’s pregnancy.

She had even prepared his tea to help him quit smoking, so now his stare didn’t seem so intimidating.

Bleria approached Eos. The moment she stood before her, Eos spoke.

“Do you think I’m also an audacious fraud, Lady Bleria?“

Her voice was hoarse and raspy. She didn’t appear to have been crying out loud, but could the earlier sobbing sound be hers?

Why would she feign crying where no one could see?

Bleria felt a chill and a sense of incongruity at the calculated display. She swallowed her unease with a dry gulp.

“I don’t wish to take your place, my lady. I simply want to find my family. I have no family left in this world.“

“It’s best for you to leave now.“

“How can you be so sure, Lady Bleria? How do you know the Heavens are your family? How can you be certain when you have no memories?“

As Eos’s words grew longer, the smell of alcohol wafted over. It wasn’t a scent Bleria liked.

She did not want to seriously engage with someone inebriated, so she merely looked down at her.

Eos would never return to the Heaven estate again, nor would anyone associate with her. It should have been satisfying, yet a strange discomfort lingered. Even so, an end was an end.

After a moment, Eos lowered her head.

“I’m sorry.“

“Yes.“

“I don’t have a carriage to return in. I came with the young lord, but he had already left.“

“I’ll arrange for a Heaven carriage.“

“Thank you. You’re so kind, Lady Bleria.”

Eos rose to her feet. Perhaps due to the alcohol or sitting for too long, she struggled to steady herself, gripping the chair’s back for support.

Though she seemed to try clearing her head with abrupt movements, Bleria didn’t offer any assistance.

She appeared lucid enough; indeed, she wouldn’t collapse. But then, just as expected, it happened.

“Ah.”

Eos lost her balance and tilted over—straight toward the pond. Bleria instinctively reached out, but it was too late.

Eos, flailing, tried to grab Bleria’s arm reflexively. Yet, just before making contact, she pulled her hand back as if reconsidering.

SPLASH! The loud sound of water erupted.

“E-Eos!”

Bleria cried out in alarm. Though the garden pond wasn’t bottomless, it could be dangerous for someone as intoxicated as Eos.

Just as Bleria was about to call for help, Damian rushed to the scene. At first sight of him, she felt relieved. But her composure cracked when she heard the second SPLASH.

Instead of summoning a servant, he jumped in himself?

Why?

From that moment, Bleria’s senses began to feel off-kilter. The surrounding sounds stretched unnaturally, like a broken music box, and her vision was awash with a flood of yellow, like spilled paint.

Time seemed to slow as confused murmurs from approaching onlookers blended into a distorted cacophony.

A hand broke through the surface of the water. Pale, thin, and bony. Damian pulled Eos out first and climbed onto the ground after her.

Even then, his gaze remained fixated on Eos Liche, desperate as though apprehensive something might happen to her.

Why, though?

Hadn’t he just been indifferent toward her moments ago?

“Cough! Hack! Splutter!”

Eos, fortunately conscious, began retching and coughing up water noisily.

She didn’t present a flattering image. Her face was already a mess from crying, and her soaked clothes added to the disarray. The once pristine, airy fabric had absorbed the water, becoming translucent and clinging to her body.

The lace accents and petticoat obscured certain parts, but her arms and waist portions were plainly visible.

“Bleria, your shawl.“

“Yes, brother.”

Bleria moved instinctively, unwrapping the shawl from her shoulders and kneeling to cover Eos. While her body was shielded from others’ eyes, Bleria could see clearly.

This…

The murmurs of onlookers swirled around her.

“What on earth happened?“

“She’s been sitting there crying all day, and now this… Honestly.“

“I heard she ruined the tea party at the Violet estate last time, too. Unbelievable.“

“Did you see her stomach just now?”

Thicker dresses would have concealed it in an era where corsets were the norm. If her current dress had been a darker shade or fate had taken a different turn, it might not have been visible.

But none of those ifs came to pass. A large scar stretched across her abdomen, clear for all to see.

Even Bleria, unfamiliar with such things, could tell this was the kind of wound one barely survived. Though hidden behind a single layer of fabric, it was evident that the scar had long since healed, suggesting the injury was sustained years ago.

And on closer inspection—

“That was a blade wound, wasn’t it?”

The scar bore the unmistakable marks of having been caused by a blade. Someone had deliberately harmed her. But why would Eos Liche bear such a wound?

This doesn’t make sense.

Bleria had never heard of Bleria Heaven having such a scar. And yet, why would someone choose to impersonate her with a person bearing such a distinctive mark?