Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“I think she still hasn’t fixed that bad habit of hers—she even made a commotion at the charity party.”

“What kind of commotion?”

“Just to get that ominous red diamond, she bid an absurd amount on it.”

“Didn’t someone else win the diamond?”

“Yes, but what drew people’s attention was Lady Tess as she competed for the winning bid.”

Their tone was sarcastic. It was a story that made anyone feel horrible enough, but I continued listening anyway because I might get some decent information.

For example, Wilhelm might have started experiencing scary things like seeing ghosts after taking that diamond home.

“She doesn’t seem to be afraid of the Royal family’s order of not involving oneself with unpleasant things.”

“Don’t you know that just by behaving so strangely, Lady Tess is already drawing the Royal family’s antipathy?”

“I don’t think she cares. She might be relying on the fact that the von Cador name could block it. She doesn’t even consider how this will affect Sir Dalton’s honor just so that she could be protected from the Royal family.”

“She’s a troublesome person in many ways.”

This was new information. I thought that people were just generally against magic and divination, but I didn’t know that the Royal family was directly involved in vilifying such things.

Perhaps that’s why Redcliffe hid his interests. This might make it more difficult to approach him… What a headache.

Then, what would happen to Tess, who happened to see ominous things with her bare eyes?

I heard the light clack of a spoon hitting a cup. Furtively glancing at Dalton who sat in front of me, I supposed that it was uncomfortable for him to listen to it more.

Right now, he was sweeping back his hair slightly with one hand. I couldn’t tell if he was acting this way because it was bothering him or if he just didn’t care.

Come to think of it, was it mentioned that Dalton was under the Royal family’s protection? If it’s like that, then it’s natural to think that his half-sister was doing strange things. Was that why he’s been subjecting me to that near-torturous treatment? Well, whatever his motives were, it still wasn’t good.

When we left the tea house, Donna was waiting nearby. For some reason, she had a sullen expression as she came up to us.

“Milady…”

She looked exactly like a homeless, depressed beaver, and she wasn’t saying anything else.

Dalton’s attendant came back and reported about the work he did. I wasn’t in a good mood at all, and it didn’t seem like there’s anything worthwhile to do here, so I just wanted to go back.

However, I saw the person I’ve been wanting to see all this time. He seemed to be going further away, so I locked my eyes on his retreating figure and hurriedly said—

“You go back first, Brother. I have something to do someplace else. Donna, come on, hurry up!”

“Milady!”

I followed him quickly without even hearing a reply from Dalton. I could see Redcliffe’s red-brown hair.

I ran as fast as I could so as not to miss him. I don’t know why he came to such a small village, but since he’s here now, it was a good opportunity to pretend this was a coincidence and get closer to him.

His red-brown hair headed towards the marketplace in the alley. It was a dark and dangerous alley, so I wasn’t sure why Redcliffe headed there.

It was a marketplace that was filled to the brim with cages, and inside those cages were exotic birds that I’d never seen before. It didn’t seem like they were selling anything else here.

Strangely enough, the owner wasn’t anywhere here. No other people passed by either—only the sound of birds could be heard.

And I also lost sight of Redcliffe.

“Milady, let’s head back. I don’t know what place this is, but the atmosphere isn’t good…”

Donna had yet to catch her breath from running to catch up with me, but this was the first thing she said. Indeed, there was a dangerous air in this place.

I didn’t think I’d lose sight of Redcliffe here. Before I could lament this fact, something caught my eye.

“Milady!”

“This is…”

In front of one cage, there were some instructions written on a palm-sized piece of paper.

「 Give the bird food and water once a day.

Please keep the bird clean so that it doesn’t get sick.

When the bird sings, you can listen to its song to fill your heart with joy.

Lastly, please do not open the cage. We will not compensate for any damages that you may suffer if ever the bird comes out. 」

Evidently, these weren’t ordinary instructions. What’s unusual was that… the cage was empty, and there were thick chains and locks blocking the cage door.

It was a clear message preventing anyone from opening the cage no matter what.

The piece of paper with the instructions written on them wouldn’t look strange to people who didn’t know about it. But because I knew about the instructions hidden deep in Tess’ room, the two felt quite similar.

The difference between them was that the instructions Tess had didn’t have the strange symbol drawn at the end of the bird cage’s instructions.

It was a square overlapped with an inverted triangle with an eye in the middle of it.

The instructions Tess had didn’t have this symbol, but I’m not really sure if it really didn’t have it. The bottom of the instructions had been torn.

Apart from that, I’ve seen this symbol before.

Wasn’t it a similar pattern engraved on the pendant that the blue-faced woman had at the charity party? Obviously, this was a clue.

“Lady Tess?”

At that moment, I heard someone’s voice, so I hastily put back the piece of paper to its original place and looked behind me.

Redcliffe, who I had been chasing after, was standing behind me with a surprised look on his face.

“What brings you here…?”

He asked me with a startled tone. I couldn’t say that I followed him here of course, so I had to wrack my head about what to answer.

“I’m… I’m looking around the village to buy a gift for my brother.”

“Are you giving him a bird as a present?”

Only birds were being sold here, however, I didn’t intend to buy any at all. I continued talking calmly anyway.

“I want to give him a unique gift…”

“Oh! I see… I never thought that I’d see you again, and here of all places, Lady Tess. I’m so happy to meet you here…”

Redcliffe’s face was flushed as he lowered his eyes.

I didn’t gain a lot at the charity party, and I thought there was no progress at all because we parted so suddenly like that.

However, based on Redcliffe’s actions now, that didn’t seem to be the case. It was clear that he started seeing me in a favorable light to some extent.

“I’m glad to meet you again, too. I was really sad when we had to part ways like that.”

I feel the same way, Redcliffe! We parted ways like that, so I was at a loss about what to do. If I couldn’t get in touch with him again, I’d have missed my only lead on the rituals during the Crimson Moon.

“I don’t want to leave our next meeting to fate, so Lord Redcliffe…”

“Lady Tess…”

There’s no time to waste. The Crimson Moon comes once a month. I don’t know if I’ll be alive next month.

“I also had a hard time falling asleep just thinking about the day we met again, but I… I wasn’t sure if it was right to approach you, Lady Tess…”

“Lord Redcliffe… Please don’t say that.”

It seemed like the situation was going a different direction from what I had foreseen. I tried to plan a meeting so that I could ask him the things I needed to ask, but the conversation turned into one that lovers had…?

This wasn’t going anywhere. But anyway, I briefly mentioned my intentions with my next words.

“Every day, I thought of wanting to see you, Lord Redcliffe. There was something I really wanted to ask you when I met you again.

“Lady…”

Redcliffe was flustered by my words, his cheeks remaining bright red as he hesitated to answer right away.

“I shall send you an invitation for dinner as soon as possible so that no one else may disturb us… Is this alright?”

“Of course.”

It sounded exactly like a date, but that’s fine. The fact that I had to meet Redcliffe again remained unchanged.

“Tess.”

The rather shy atmosphere between Redcliffe and I was instantly broken due to the cold voice that froze the air. Eyes, which usually expressed aloof disinterest, were showing an unfamiliar spark of light.

I hadn’t seen him since I left the tea house, but my left hand was suddenly grabbed and I was dragged away, separating me from Redcliffe.

Judging from his expression, it was like Dalton was looking at a pest as he hid me behind him.

“Who are you?”

It hadn’t even been that long since the charity party, yet it seemed like he asked this question on purpose just to say that Dalton didn’t think that Redcliffe wasn’t someone worth remembering.

Dalton really had a talent for looking down on other people despite his languid attitude as though he didn’t care at all.

He was clearly the younger one between the two guys, as Redcliffe looked more like an adult, but Dalton treated him like someone equal or even of a lower stature. It was the attitude of someone who had been brought up with the mindset of having a prominent position in society.

“I am Redcliffe of the Andersen family. We met at the charity party.”

“Yes. I thought you were presumptuous then, too.”

“…I am aware that it’s unreasonable for someone like me to dare be acquainted with Lady Tess.”

Seeing Redcliffe’s courteous attitude, I somehow felt sorry for him. The only reason he’s being treated this way was because I showed even a little interest in him.

Right now, it’s like we’d been caught having a secret rendezvous. Even so, Redcliffe continued to be calm and unperturbed.

“It was an inevitable encounter because I found Lady Tess without her companion by her side.”

Redcliffe’s tone was determined as he sought fault in my companion during the charity party instead. Perhaps… he didn’t know that the person in front of him was the same companion I had during the party.

It quickly subsided, but it seemed like Dalton suddenly had a flash of anger pass through his expression. It’s like he couldn’t bear acknowledging that he felt anything at all, so he had to erase his emotions right away.

I guess he thought it wasn’t even worth getting angry about since it’s something related to me.

Dalton, who was calm again, turned to face me, blocking me from Redcliffe completely.

So it’s my turn. I didn’t feel the extent of the heavy atmosphere earlier because it wasn’t directed at me, but as I felt his oncoming admonishment, my body shrank down.