Episode 19
“I understand. If that is what you think, I shall follow your lead. I must admit, I feel somewhat better.”
The Countess tightly gripped Viarte's hand, which enveloped her own. She couldn't help but feel proud of her daughter, who remained composed even in such a situation.
After her husband's death, her daughter must have formulated and agonized over various hypotheses regarding why the Guardian Stone had not manifested for her. Otherwise, she would never have been able to produce a countermeasure so quickly.
To think that it had manifested for that half-baked child instead of this perfect one.
The Countess, who had been thinking that the Guardian Stone must have gone mad, suddenly voiced a question that had come to mind.
“But Viarte. What do you intend to do about the end? Surely you don't mean to do it yourself?”
At the Countess's question, Viarte's deep green eyes curved in arcs like a painting.
“How could I, Mother? I cannot sully the hands of Croisen. That child shall perish at the hands of one who is Croisen, yet not Croisen.”
Though her voice was gentle, the words she uttered were chilling. Viarte's gaze lingered on her mother's hand, which still held her arm.
She softly removed her mother's hand from her arm and whispered.
“Which is why we must show them now. That we are treating that child as the master of the Guardian Stone.”
Contrary to the kind smile upon her lips, Viarte's eyes were cold to the point where no emotion could be felt.
***
As expected, not long after returning to my room, the head maid arrived with maids in tow.
“The Madam has ordered us to move Miss Herna's room.”
“What? The Countess? To where?”
Feigning surprise at the sudden news, I widened my eyes and looked at the head maid.
It was the exact same action I had taken in the past. But the head maid's answer was different from what I remembered.
“The Madam said that originally it should be Elam's room, but since Miss Viarte is already using it, you are to be moved to Lusenne's room.”
“Lusenne's... room?”
This time, I didn't even need to act. Because I was truly surprised.
Among the dozens of rooms in Count Croisen's estate, only four on the second floor had names.
Basil's room, Aracelli's room, Elam's room, and Lusenne's room.
Basil's room, now empty, was the patriarch's bedchamber, used by my father, Count Croisen, during his lifetime.
Aracelli's room had been used by generations of countesses. Naturally, the current Countess was its mistress.
Elam's room was given to the one who would become the successor of the house. My elder half-sister Viarte was its mistress.
Lastly, Lusenne's room, where I was to be moved, was given to one who might possibly become the successor.
In other words, it meant they acknowledged me as the successor.
‘So just showing people that I am the master of the Guardian Stone makes this much of a difference.’
In the past, I had not received Lusenne's room. I had merely been given a passably decent room.
Of course, it had been so much better than my current room that I was satisfied with just that.
I had known my treatment would change from before, but I hadn't expected it to be this much.
“Very well. You may move my things.”
“Thank you, Miss.”
Once I gave my permission, the head maid bowed and signaled to the maids. Immediately, the maids began to work busily.
I sat quietly on the bed and watched them pack my belongings.
I knew it wouldn't take long. Because I truly had very little.
Watching them move diligently, I thought about the true meaning behind the Countess and my half-sister giving me Lusenne's room.
They couldn't possibly have given it to me because they truly thought of me as the successor.
‘What are those two after?’
The only thing different from the past was that people now knew I was the successor.
But why......
‘Wait. People......?’
Once my thoughts latched onto a single keyword, the tangled thread unraveled without snag.
The moment I realized what my half-sister was scheming, I froze in place.
The mother and daughter intended to show off to others. That they were treating and caring for the child who would become the successor.
And that was clearly a ploy to ensure that when they took my life in the future, no one would suspect them.
When my thoughts reached that point, a chill ran down my spine.
The Countess could never have come up with such an idea; it must have come from my half-sister's head.
Surely she couldn't have formulated a plan the very moment she saw me manifest with the Guardian Stone......
‘No, that's impossible.’
I shook my head slightly as if to deny it.
No matter how cunning and meticulous my half-sister was, it made no sense for her to move so calmly and swiftly in a completely unexpected situation.
My half-sister must have considered every possible scenario that could occur from the moment the Guardian Stone failed to manifest for her. And I must have been one of those scenarios.
Thinking so brought relief on one hand, but also made me laugh. Because I could clearly see how frustrated they would be for the next two years.
They would have to care for and support me outwardly as the master of the Guardian Stone and the future successor of the house, while inwardly hating and loathing me—how infuriating that must be.
Moreover, before, no one knew I had manifested with the Guardian Stone, so deceiving me alone had been enough. But now, they had to deceive everyone.
I had to barely suppress a laugh that threatened to spill out at the mere thought.
Above all, the current situation was not bad for me. No, it was advantageous. Because more opportunities and more authority would be given to me.
‘With things like this, moving around will be much easier? Anyway, I still have two years.’
Two years remaining until I reached adulthood.
Originally, after absorbing the Guardian Stone's power, I would have had to hide that fact and build strength that they couldn't touch.
But the first button had been misaligned.
I barely swallowed down a clicking sound that tried to escape.
Since I couldn't harmonize with the Guardian Stone's power, finding out the reason was my top priority.
‘Is this a race against time from now on?’
I had to properly absorb the Guardian Stone's power and build the strength to survive within the shortest possible time.
To do that, what should I......
Just then, I heard the head maid's voice.
“The moving preparations are all complete, Miss.”
“Ah......”
I hurriedly pushed my thoughts to a corner of my head and raised my head.
As the head maid said, I saw one neatly wrapped bundle placed on the floor, a maid with dresses draped over one arm, and other maids waiting beside her for orders.
In the past, I had been too excited about moving rooms to notice anything beyond the bundle, but now I saw that they all looked extremely bewildered.
And no wonder. All they had to move was one bundle and a mere few dresses. A noble young lady should have dozens of cosmetics and accessories prepared, yet I had none.
‘It really is meager.’
After glancing at my sole bundle for a moment, I turned my gaze to the head maid. Meeting my eyes, she bowed her head slightly.
“We intend to move your belongings right away, but will you come with us? The room you are moving to has a different structure and furniture arrangement than your current one, so we may need your direction.”
Unlike the maids, the head maid maintained a composed expression despite the small amount of luggage.
She had always been someone who didn't show her emotions easily, but she had probably expected this.
Because more than anyone else, the head maid and the head butler knew best what kind of treatment I had received.
“Yes. I'll come with you.”
At my ready reply, one maid quickly picked up the luggage as I got down from the bed.
Another maid who had missed the luggage by a hair's breadth, perhaps because she had nothing to carry, stepped back quickly with an embarrassed look in her eyes.
“Then I shall lead the way.”
While the head maid and maids exited the room first, I took one last look around.
In the past, I had been too excited about moving to even look back, but now I wanted to.
It was small and shabby, but it was where I had stayed for ten years after my father's death.
That must be why my steps had slowed.
“Miss?”
“Yes, I'm coming.”
Perhaps concerned that I wasn't following, I hurriedly left the room at the head maid's call.
As I followed them, I recalled memories from that room I would never visit again.
There were only enough to count on one hand, but they existed nonetheless.
Come to think of it, what was the last memory from that room......
As I mulled over my memories, a familiar voice rang through my mind and faded away.
“Does it hurt so much, yet no one tends to you?”
“......”
Why had Lakein Hekeus suddenly come to mind?
It was merely a dream I had on a day when I was in pain from failing to properly harmonize with the Guardian Stone.
What was maddening was that as soon as one thing came to mind, the rest followed in succession. Like links in a chain.
The cool hand on my forehead, the rough texture of fabric against my cheek, the water that flowed into my mouth through a teaspoon like sweet rain on parched land.
“Please drink slowly.”
That water quenched the flames burning within me and pulled me into sleep. Together with the large, cold hand that covered my eyes.
“This is all a dream, Miss. So please sleep more.”
His voice, which had resonated beside my ear, still seemed to remain vividly in my memory.
‘What am I thinking? That was just a dream.’
I shook my head urgently. There was no way that was reality. Even if not a dream, it must have been a hallucination born from the sorrow of suffering alone.
‘Forget it. Forget it. Forget it...... Hmm?’
Just as I was muttering to myself internally as if trying to brainwash myself.
Suddenly, I felt a gaze from the first floor. It was intense enough that I couldn't simply brush it off as someone looking.
Drawn by that gaze, I looked down at the first floor and froze.
Lakein Hekeus. He was there.