Chapter 30

‘It’s only been a week since I met Kadenic?’

Unable to believe it, she folded and counted her fingers again, but the count wasn’t wrong.

‘I thought at least a month had passed.’

Considering the many big and small incidents that had happened in between, even a month didn’t feel like enough.

She attended the wedding reception of the original protagonists, met Kadenic—the second male lead—and on top of that received a ridiculous proposal from him, and then had clothes made at Siedel Dressmaking Shop, an old enemy of hers.

She even held a family council for the first time in a while, and although it was a gathering full of only children, she also had her first high-society outing at the Bilder Marquistae’s tea party. And then her father’s matter erupted…….

For Lachesis, who had lived in seclusion for eight years, all of these were events with enormous ripple effects. She couldn’t believe all of it had happened within just one week.

Muttering awe to herself with her mouth slightly open, Lachesis snapped out of her thoughts at the stares prickling at her face.

‘……Stares?’

Her head whipped around. In front of the temple’s main gate where she stood, there was a fair flow of people coming and going. Among them, a few nobles dressed in fine clothes were glancing at her and whispering.

“Isn’t that Duke Marutia? Then that blond young lady must be the Deate Earldom’s second daughter, right? Indeed. She’s beautiful enough for rumors to spread wildly from just appearing once at the Crown Prince’s wedding reception.”

“So the rumor that there’s marriage talk with the Deate family must be true. I thought it was nonsense……. My goodness.”

“But they’ve already spent the night together? And she’s saying that in a place like this, in such a loud voice. Lady Deate is no ordinary person.”

“Exactly. She’s quite different from that innocent-looking face. It seems His Grace’s taste was women like that.”

“They do look like a well-matched pair when you see them like this, but……. Isn’t the difference in standing between the houses too great?”

As she pretended not to listen while pricking up her ears, their voices came through clearly. To begin with, they weren’t being careful with their gossip at all. It was as if it didn’t matter if she heard.

Realizing her mistake, Lachesis hurriedly spoke.

“O-of course other people were with us too! We spent a very fine night with everyone, right? Hahaha.”

Her forced laughter cut emptily through the air. Somehow, the murmuring only grew louder.

With pitiful brows arched, Lachesis turned to Kadenic. It was a distress signal asking for help. But the blue eyes that met hers held, for some reason, a teasing gleam.

“Chessie. That sounds as if you’re rather upset that other people were with us.”

“……Pardon?”

“I failed to read your intent. It’s my fault. From now on, I’ll try to make more time for just the two of us.”

Then he bent at the waist and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. He looked like the very model of an elegant gentleman apologizing to a lady.

Eek—there was a small commotion behind them. Then she heard voices softly calling Kadenic’s name. Quite a few ladies, keeping their composure with lips tightly closed, were fanning themselves with flushed cheeks.

“What……. W-what is this…….”

Lachesis’s situation was no different from theirs. The hot heat rising into her cheeks felt too blatant. It was all because of Kadenic.

‘With that face, doing something like this!’

Kadenic clearly had not the slightest awareness of his own face. For no reason, Lachesis narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

“Let’s go separately to the Marutia ducal residence!”

Her movement as she spun around was urgent—so her heated face wouldn’t be discovered.

Watching the small back hurrying away, Kadenic swallowed a laugh. She, who had stated the obvious out loud, looked like she had no idea what her words implied.

“So she wanted to go together. That would’ve been nice, too.”

Soothing a touch of regret, Kadenic watched Lachesis climb into the Deate’s carriage.

Once the two left separately for the same destination, the mouths of the people still left behind became very busy. It was a level of commotion hard to believe in front of a solemn temple.

***

Katrin’s expression was subtle as she handed over the documents Lachesis had requested. Sitting at her office desk, she watched her younger sister across from her, stacking and organizing a tall mountain of paperwork.

“What on earth are you trying to do with those materials……. Ha. I truly can’t understand why you’re going this far, Chessie.”

“Is there any reason needed to bring Father home?”

“It’s not like Father is in some cold underground prison. And him staying there doesn’t newly damage the Deate family’s dignity, either.”

As she said, staying at the temple probably wouldn’t be so bad. It wouldn’t be like home, but he would still receive a warm bed and simple yet nutritious meals.

In fact, if one considered only their father’s health, it might have been better to leave him at the temple. There, he would have to stop drinking—if only by force.

So, truthfully, Lachesis trying to bring their Father back was a very selfish choice.

“I have two dreams I want to achieve, Sister.”

At the abrupt preface, Katrin looked puzzled. But Lachesis continued without caring.

“One is to marry a good person.”

“Not someone you like?”

Lachesis gave a small laugh.

“I decided not to put much romance into marriage. And the other is…….”

“…….”

“To see all five of our family staying in this house. Even for a single moment. In my memories, there’s never been a scene like that.”

“……Chessie.”

At words she hadn’t expected, Katrin let out a voice as if her throat had tightened. Pity lay in her ash-gray eyes.

Come to think of it, among the family, the only one who had never seen the whole family together was Lachesis. Or rather, precisely speaking, she might have seen it, but she could never remember it. Their mother had erased every trace and left the house when Lachesis was only two.

Katrin and Robert, with quite an age gap from Lachesis, did remember the time when the family was together. The memories were faded now, but that was clearly different from having no memory at all.

As if to say not to worry, Lachesis put a brave smile at her lips.

“But if Father devotes himself to the temple, it becomes impossible for me to achieve my dream forever, doesn’t it? So really, this isn’t for Father—it’s for me.”

It was the same that Robert stayed with the temple, but their father’s position—unable to leave when he wished—was very different from Robert’s, who could leave the temple if he wanted.

“But Chessie. Mother might not come back.”

“Liar.”

“What?”

“You don’t think that either, Sister. That’s why, unlike Father, you’re searching for Mother on your own.”

Katrin’s eyes widened in surprise.

The fact that Katrin was searching for their mother wasn’t something that needed hiding, but since she hired people unconnected to the Earldom, it wasn’t something anyone would normally know.

“How……. No, that’s not it. Considering your talent for business, this level of information-gathering isn’t surprising.”

Having convinced herself, Katrin slowly nodded.

“Yes, I’ve been looking. Because…… I wondered if Mother had some unavoidable reason for leaving……. I  truly want to know that reason.”

“So do I. We have the right to know. That reason—we’ll hear it in this house.”

Lachesis’s smiling face looked dependable. That little baby who had once wriggled about no bigger than a fist—when had she grown up like this? Katrin weakly laughed along with her.

Judging the conversation had calmed down enough, Lachesis lifted the luggage she had brought, as if she were about to leave the office. Her face disappeared behind the mountain of papers.

“I told you to have servants carry heavy things.”

Startled, Katrin reached for the bell used to summon attendants, but Lachesis shook her head.

“This much is fine. Then wish me good fortune, Sister!”

The way she walked carefully so the papers wouldn’t slip looked exactly like a little duckling. Watching Lachesis waddle out, Katrin finally let out a small laugh.

“As if you need me to.”

Always the type to seize what she wants, yet she talks weakly.

Katrin didn’t doubt Lachesis. She would achieve what she wanted. As she always did. No matter how long it took.

Then could she succeed in the thing she shared an aim with her on, too—finding their mother? Katrin pulled out the most recent letter from the deepest part of her drawer.

The short few lines contained information about their mother’s trace—the first and last that had ever been found.

“Brunhald Kingdom, huh…….”

Why had their mother gone to Brunhald as soon as she left home? As always when she held the letter, Katrin’s gaze deepened. It still felt like she might know the reason, and yet not know it at all.

That place was significant in many ways. It was where Lachesis had been born, and a place of memories where the Deate family had spent a few happy years.