II. Someone You Can Trust

Eriendna was in a very bad mood.

‘Did I eat something bad on the debutante ball day? But Mother said she felt the same way too……’

For some time now, whenever she tried to eat, she felt nauseous as if about to vomit, and her stomach wouldn’t accept food. Though she tried to reassure herself that symptoms couldn’t appear so quickly, Eriendna had spent a passionate night with a certain young gentleman on the day of the debutante party, and she even suspected she might be pregnant.

The strange thing was that her mother, the former Countess Hazel, showed the same symptoms. She displayed a positive attitude, saying she had been feeling her waist thickening lately and was planning to diet anyway. Even so, after mother and daughter starved themselves for several days, they both had sunken eyes and became extremely sensitive.

Even after pestering the Hazel family’s physician, they couldn’t determine the cause of the symptoms. Just as they finally subsided, another problem arose for Eriendna.

‘What on earth is this! I need to go watch the equestrian competition with Geoff next week. Ugh, this is so frustrating.’

Overnight, a large boil had appeared on her b*ttocks. She believed it was because the Academy classes were too long, forcing her to sit in a chair for extended periods. Using this excuse, she skipped classes for several days and stayed home, but no matter what medicine she applied, the painfully festering boil made her extremely irritable. Moreover, unable to lie or sit straight, she had to maintain an awkward posture constantly, which was incredibly uncomfortable.

And to make matters worse, the location of the boil was in such an embarrassing place……

After going downstairs to scold the maids, threatening to punish them all if word of this got out, Eriendna encountered Florencia in the second-floor corridor of the Hazel mansion. She was already irritated, and now Florencia, who normally couldn’t even look her in the eye, dared to confront her about her wrongdoing.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Eriendna, you planned it all…… A few days ago in the dormitory, my underwear…… you took them all……”

“Why would I take those? Stop being annoying and get out of my way.”

“……How could you do that? Because of that, I……”

Recalling the harsh punishment she received from Mrs. Burns because of that incident, Florencia’s voice trembled with distress. It was even worse because it happened in front of other ladies who weren’t usually friendly to her. And then, the embarrassing experience she had to endure during treatment with Father……

Just as Ludwig had said, the medicine he inserted as a sacred object was truly effective, and the wounds from the beating healed quickly, but the shock of showing such a place to a man didn’t fade easily. Even if that man was “the kind priest who had been close and supportive since childhood.”

Returning home directly after classes on the day before a holiday without stopping by the Temple was unprecedented. Come to think of it, this was the first time she had stayed away from him for so long.

‘I can never go back to the Temple now, I can’t face Father after showing him such a sight……’

That was truly how she felt right now. Florencia couldn’t even attend mass, feeling unable to face Ludwig. She wanted to cry whenever she remembered his long fingers invading her embarrassing place, and she even found herself resenting him somewhat. In truth, she was the one who went to the Temple, and his only crime was treating her, so how bewildered would he be if he knew her wicked thoughts.

“Edna, why do you hate me so much? Have I done something wrong to you……?”

“You ask what you’ve done wrong?”

At the sharp, mocking voice, Florencia instinctively shrank back. Eriendna approached with her arms crossed, jabbing Florencia with her elbow as she retreated.

“I just wanted to teach you a clear lesson since you seem to feel no guilt while stealing everything from our family. I was originally going to empty your entire wardrobe but only took your underwear. Aren’t you grateful for that?”

“Sob. Really, that’s too much…… Edna……”

“If you’re unhappy with that, leave this house, starting with Hazel Castle and everything that isn’t yours. In that case, you’d have to take off all those pieces of cloth on your body and leave n*ked, wouldn’t you?”

“Sob…… How could you……”

Eriendna drove Florencia away, telling her to leave quickly, even though she knew Florencia had nowhere else to go.

It was then.

“What are you two doing there? I believe I told you both that now that you’re adults, you shouldn’t cause unnecessary commotion.”

“……Big brother……!”

A man who had just entered through the front door on the first floor glared at them through cold silver-rimmed glasses. Joseph, the eldest son of the former Count of Hazel and the current Count, appeared to have just returned from an outing. Beside him was his wife Charlotte, holding their young son Benjamin.

He was a man who valued the authority of the family head above all else, but Eriendna, who wasn’t intimidated by anyone in the family, was no exception with Joseph.

“Brother, we were just having a conversation.”

As the youngest of the three legitimate siblings of the Hazel family, she had monopolized everyone’s affection since childhood, so it couldn’t be helped. Even the strict Joseph usually granted whatever his immature youngest sister wanted.

“Big brother……”

Though Florencia’s face seemed to be asking for help, just then, the child in his mother’s arms burst into tears amid the commotion, causing Joseph to harden his expression. His movements were quite careful as he took the child from his wife. He felt displeased that this perfect moment with his family had been disrupted.

As the head of the family, he had a duty to maintain peace in the household, but honestly, he found his half-sister, who was always the source of conflict, annoying. The current situation was no different. He wished she would cause less trouble.

Since today’s incident didn’t seem particularly serious to him, Joseph decided not to get involved. However, as the family head, he couldn’t say nothing, so before entering his room, he added one remark.

“Don’t fight and play nicely as sisters.”

Charlotte, who followed Joseph, felt the same way. In the early days of their marriage, she occasionally felt sorry for Florencia, but now her newborn son and family circle were most precious to her. She had no desire to interfere in matters her husband overlooked and cause conflict.

They heard the sound of the couple’s door firmly closing, shutting out the noise from outside. Eriendna smiled triumphantly.

“What will you do? Are you going to leave?”

“……W-why should I leave? I’m also a family member of this house.”

“Family, how nice. Get out of my way.”

Rolling her eyes as if Florencia wasn’t worth her time, Eriendna lightly pushed her aside. Unfortunately, they were at the end of the second-floor corridor. Momentarily losing her balance, Florencia tumbled down the steep stairs.

“Ahhh!”

Though it was Florencia who screamed and fell down the stairs, Eriendna, who hadn’t intended to go that far, also screamed in surprise.

“W-what?”

“……Ah, sob…… Help me, Edna……”

Seeing Florencia clutching her left ankle and sobbing, the very flustered Eriendna hesitated, wondering whether to call someone, then shouted defensively:

“I-I didn’t do it! You stupidly misstepped!”

Eriendna forgot the elegant walk she had practiced all night before her debutante and ran down the corridor, dashing into her room. Her heart pounded incessantly as she recalled Florencia lying at the bottom of the stairs, appearing seriously injured.

‘She seemed unable to get up, but surely nothing serious happened……? I’ll tell Mother before dinner, and she’ll take some measures…… Besides, it wasn’t my fault anyway!’

She tried to erase the scene from her mind by rationalizing it.

Florencia, who had fallen down the stairs, fortunately wasn’t seriously injured, but she had twisted her left leg. At the time, she somehow managed to get up and return to her room, but after a day, her ankle became swollen and extremely painful. The bluish bruise and unbearable pain suggested that something inside was broken or sprained.

“……sob……”

She also had a wound on her face, as if she had been stabbed by something while tumbling down the stairs. It was right above her eye, a spot that could have been dangerous.

“……M-Mother……”

“Were you at home?”

Florencia, who had barely made it downstairs with the help of a long cleaning rod, encountered Lady Hazel, her stepmother. The woman, who always maintained perfect makeup and attire even at home, frowned at Florencia’s appearance.

“What is this disheveled look? So untidy.”

“……I’m sorry, because I hurt my leg…… Um, Mother. Could I possibly see Dr. Allen? My ankle is too…… painful……”

Allen was the Hazel family physician, but Florencia wasn’t included among those he was supposed to care for. Though she could already predict the answer from the cold expression that showed not even a hint of compassion, she desperately asked anyway.