Chapter 7 (Part 5)

Sellakia couldn’t move for a long time, even after being left alone. Her mind worked slowly. The resentment she had received from him belatedly became real.  

“Why are you looking at me like that? What did I do wrong?”

It wasn’t the first or second time Sellakia had spoken words similar to curses to him, but it was the first time Tenus had lost his composure like this.  

For a moment, he even looked like a wounded young beast.  

That Tenus Seidon, just because of my words?  

Even knowing it was an absurd thought, Sellakia felt a slight sense of guilt.  

“Was calling him unscrupulous a bit too much?”  

But Tenus was a person who didn’t even blink an eye when a sword was held to his neck. There was no way he would react like that just because of the word ‘unscrupulous.’  

There must have been another reason. Sellakia racked her brain.  

Even when Nancy had neatly brushed her hair into a mess, no clear reason came to mind. It was only natural.  

She had never once succeeded in deciphering Tenus’s mind.  

Sellakia, who had been pacing the spacious bedroom, eventually gave up and lay down on the bed. The bed, where she had fallen asleep and woken up alone every day, looked particularly empty today.  

Sellakia turned her gaze away from the large bed that seemed like it could fit five more people. Tenus’s statue-like face, looking weary, floated in the air.  

Even covering her eyes with her hands was of no use. It was the same even if she covered herself with a blanket or buried her head in a pillow. Tenus’s face, floating like a buoy, disturbed her peace of mind wherever she went.  

That night, Sellakia didn’t sleep a wink.  

Tenus never returned.  

* * *

“Do you know what the connection is between the first head of Seidon and the Sea Serpent symbol of Seidon?”

“…….”  

“You don’t know even though you’re the Duchess? I know! Long ago, a Sea Serpent fell in love with a human woman. Unable to take physical form, the Sea Serpent borrowed the power of a mermaid, a servant of the sea god, to become a human man and bear the fruit of love with the woman. That descendant is Seidon’s first head!”  

“…….”  

“The festival ‘Day the Mermaid Listens to Wishes’ also originated from this story. You didn’t know this either, did you?”  

Lashley, who visited Sellakia as soon as noon passed, suddenly started talking about Seidon’s traditional legend.  

The child’s eyes were dreamy, as if she were in a trance. It seemed she was deeply immersed in her own world while telling the story.  

“The fruit of love that transcends species, that’s the spirit of Seidon. So overcoming the age gap is nothing!”  

Sellakia also knew the famous legend of Seidon from books. Any prestigious family would have at least one legend to proclaim their uniqueness.  

But she was too preoccupied to respond appropriately.  

Lashley, unaware that Sellakia across from her was distracted, continued to talk to herself.  

“It’s true that the breakup with the Duke and I was the shortest record, but don’t misunderstand. The longest record didn’t even last ten days. Exactly nine days. It was the eldest daughter of Viscount Bartol.”  

“…….”  

“Even if it wasn’t Lady Bartol, most of them lasted three or four days. I wasn’t particularly fast.”

“Oh. Is that so?”  

Sellakia could finally focus a little on the conversation when the person who had been bothering her since last night was mentioned.  

Sellakia awkwardly smiled, pulling up her stiff lips.  

“Hmm. But, Lady Sov, Tenus said the marriage proposal sent to you was a mistake. Didn’t Countess Sov tell you?”  

“That’s a lie to make me give up.”  

“Why do you think that?”  

Lashley’s rosy cheeks puffed up in dissatisfaction.  

“My sister, no, the Countess finds talking to me bothersome. When I talk about other things, she doesn’t even pretend to listen, but when I mention the Duke, she at least responds. She’s clearly doing it to kick me out right away.”  

Lashley looked more sorrowful than when she mentioned being broken up with in the shortest time.  

She looked like she wanted to be comforted immediately, but doing so might make their relationship irreversibly close. Sellakia turned her gaze out the window.

“Well, the Countess Sov I saw didn’t seem like someone who would avoid the situation with cowardly lies.”  

“Well… that’s true, but! She turns cold and scary in the office, but when she’s working, she’s the coolest in the world. Even if she doesn’t play with me well… I can forgive her for that.”  

“You really like Countess Sov, don’t you, Lady Sov?”  

Perhaps more than Tenus. 

She swallowed the latter part of the sentence with a smile.

Feeling embarrassed at having hit the mark, Lashley spoke more haughtily than ever.  

“Of course. She’s my only sister.”  

The child seemed unaware that not all family relationships were affectionate and kind. It was an aspect of the world she would be better off never knowing.  

Sellakia thought she finally understood why Lashley couldn’t give up on Tenus. She had assumed it was because Lashley was completely smitten with Tenus’s face. Boldly, the child seemed to be using Tenus as the only subject she could discuss with her sister.  

Well, it’s still a time when family is more important than boys. Sellakia was the same at nine years old. Of course, back then, she was clumsier than Lashley and failed miserably at gaining her stepbrother’s attention and favor.  

Sellakia pondered for a moment. Lashley, with her pride and stubbornness, didn’t seem likely to welcome advice based on Sellakia’s own melancholic past. A different approach was needed.  

Unfortunately, only one method came to mind immediately.  

“Sigh……”  

It was a direction so unwelcome that a sigh escaped involuntarily. But Sellakia decided to sacrifice herself. She hoped Lashley wouldn’t spend her life regretting like she did.  

“Lady, I am from the Viscount Lensch family. Do you perhaps know the legend of Lensch?”  

Lashley didn’t answer as if uninterested, but her small ears perked up visibly. With a voice tinged with laughter, Sellakia began to recount the story her mother told her at bedtime when she was young.  

“The first head of the Viscount Lensch family is said to be the first human blessed and loved by a mermaid. The Linoche pearl, a specialty of the Viscount Lensch territory, is the first gift a mermaid gave to a human.”  

“The ‘Farewell Pearl Necklace,’ right?”  

“You know it, Lady. Yes, it’s a precious necklace given by a mermaid with her blessing, wishing for the well-being of the only human she cherished on land. It’s kept in the treasury of the Viscount Lensch family.”  

“I read about it in a book! Is it true that wearing that necklace allows you to use abilities? Can you walk on water? Is it true that a mermaid protects you in any situation?”  

Lashley, who had been pretending to be indifferent, now had sparkling eyes.  

Sellakia recalled the pearl necklace she saw while holding her parents’ hands as a child. It was an exceptionally luxurious necklace made of five strands, and even though she saw it ages ago, she vividly remembered its beauty.  

“Unfortunately, when I saw it as a child, it seemed the abilities had faded with time. But its uniqueness, incomparable to pearls from other regions, remained.”  

Its mysterious color and intricate design were unmatched by any jewel.  

Sellakia wanted to boast a bit more about the Linoche pearl, but remembering the main purpose of the conversation, she naturally shifted the topic.  

“Come to think of it, doesn’t it seem like Tenus and I are destined? Seeing as even our family’s legends connect.”  

“What? That’s a stretch. A mermaid and a sea serpent are completely different!”  

“Isn’t it a matter of perspective? While you focused on love transcending species in the Seidon legend, I was impressed by the part about receiving help from a mermaid. It might have been the same mermaid who helped the first head of Lensch.”  

“Ugh……”  

Whether the hastily concocted sophistry worked or not, Lashley couldn’t refute and wore a sulky face. It felt strange to talk about her relationship with Tenus as destined, but Sellakia steadfastly continued.  

“Lady Sov, you’re still young. In a little while, you’ll also meet a fateful connection like I did.”  

“Hmph. You said that yesterday too. I don’t want to hear such things.”  

“Alright. Then shall we talk about something else? Have you ever seen a fairy, Lady?”  

For a moment, Lashley’s expression changed twice quickly. She widened her eyes involuntarily, showing transparent interest, then lowered them coyly, as if not wanting to reveal her curiosity.  

“Do you think I’m a child? I don’t believe in fairies.”  

“Is that so? I believe in them. I’ve seen one myself.”  

“Really?”  

“Of course. It was a very small and cute sea fairy.”  

“How did you meet it? When? I often go to the sea, but I’ve never seen one.”  

“Well……”  

The smile on Sellakia’s lips faded.  

It wasn’t a story suitable for a child, so it needed a fairytale-like adaptation, but no good ideas came to mind.  

Just before Lashley could cast a suspicious glance, Sellakia fortunately managed to think quickly.  

“It’s a secret between the fairy and me, so I can’t tell you. We promised not to tell anyone. ……Unless I receive something in return.”  

It was pure fabrication. Sellakia planned to use this as an excuse to demand a price from Lashley for breaking her promise with the fairy, like giving up on Tenus or meeting various young masters.  

If not, she intended to subtly suggest that another conversation topic might be better for improving relations with Countess Sov. But Lashley, who was frowning in serious contemplation, rummaged through her handbag.  

“Would you tell me if I give you this?”  

In the child’s hands was a small glass jar filled with luscious red fruits. As Sellakia’s gaze was drawn to the jar like a spell, Lashley proudly held it out.  

“Lingonberry jam. Our Sov family’s lingonberry jam is very famous. Haven’t you heard of it?”  

“How did you……. It’s not the season for lingonberries.”  

“It was made last year. The Duke asked for lingonberry jam, so I brought a lot, including my own. I’ll give one to you too, Duchess.”  

Sellakia looked down at the glass jar she received. It was a gift she couldn’t possibly refuse.  

Lingonberry jam was one of Sellakia’s favorite foods, laden with memories of her father.  

While lost in sentiment, fiddling with the jar, Sellakia forgot her original purpose and unknowingly opened her mouth.  

“Alright. I met the fairy when I was eleven.”  

Lashley leaned forward, fully concentrating on Sellakia’s voice.  

Their quiet conversation continued for a long time.