Chapter 9

“Even though I’m not the one who literally saved him, I was there as well. That counts as saving, too. How could you do that and humiliate me?

“Saving?” I couldn’t help but scoff at her in reply.

“What?”

Daisy widens her eyes at my derisive tone and unexpected response. She must have expected me to quiver before her and say something like ‘I’m sorry, I went crazy for a moment‘. Moreover, her definition of saving was too laughable so I kindly corrected her.

“Forgive me, Daisy. You didn’t do anything, to be honest. I can’t say that your presence was helping him, rather, it’s more of a hindrance.”

“Sienna!”

I don’t have anything to lose by speaking my mind, but I tried to keep my speech under control and said it as gently as I could, thinking of the future. But it seems my response had fanned the flames. Without a word, she stood still while pressing her fingertips on her temples. I noticed her hands were trembling.

If you don’t have anything to say, why don’t you leave? Why are you still here?

But the next moment, Daisy sighed and opened her mouth.

“Sienna…”

Her face was devoid of any feelings as she pointedly said to me, “But I’m your only friend…So, how can you do this to me?”

Oh, my, are you threatening me? I could tell that you emphasized the words “only friend” but I’ll be damned if I couldn’t grasp the meaning behind it.

From that little nuance of Daisy, it seems she finally caught my weakness. I don’t know why I found it difficult to notice these things in the past. Perhaps because I really thought of Daisy as my friend.

By contrast, Daisy was a sociable child who was close to anyone. All the young men who managed to make friends with me were those whom I met through her. Half-hidden behind Daisy, talking with Daisy’s help. Had it not been for her, I would have never spoken a single word.

So, Daisy’s trying to unnerve me with this? Well, now I’ve already seen everything, I’m not too surprised that she would go this far, but how could she be so evil?

I unfolded my arms and looked at Daisy, silently and impassively. This was also beyond Daisy’s expectation. Sure enough, she frowned upon my indifference.

“I didn’t plan to say this, but…… Daisy, you are in Marquisate.”

“What? What are you saying all of a sudden?… You think I don’t know that?”

“I thought you don’t know. Considering I’m always there beside you, and yet you treat Logan to a room and a horse first.”

It was strictly disrespectful for a guest to speak and act on behalf of the hostess, offering all sorts of arrangements. She must have known it, too, looking at her mouth opening and closing like that. It’s quite clear she was thinking of a rebut but nothing comes to mind.

“I……”

“I what?” I urged her to speak because it seems she doesn’t want to continue.

“…I did it because it just sort of happened. And I just wanted to do you a favor.”

“Yes. I know you like to give favors. But there’s a line you cannot cross. I could take care of that myself without your help.” I was speaking in a kind tone one might use to a 5-year-old child.

“Sienna…”

I didn’t say anything cold, good Lord, I was even gentle, but Daisy seemed to look hurt.

If it were the old me, I would be swayed. However, it was a good thing I wasn’t moved by her because I saw it, albeit fleetingly. She was staring viciously at me. How can her expression change so fast?

Threats between friends don’t work anymore. I’m determined to step up for myself, and in no circumstance be misled again.

But I never pointed out what I saw. I calmly met her gaze without avoiding it. Finally, Daisy was the first one to avoid my gaze.

Daisy softened her expression and said in a hurtful tone. “I didn’t know you’d thought of my sincerity in that way. I’ve meddled too much.”

One might think Daisy is the victim here. I would have shown my irritation but still, I didn’t rise to the bait. Then Daisy sighed wistfully.

“I apologize for my behavior. I was just getting excited. Don’t mind it too much about what happened a little while ago. I’m going to go first.”

Daisy smiled tenderly as if telling me that I can’t be helped. Even if I pretend to be so relaxed, my insides were chaotic.

Today, Daisy might be able to come to her senses that life doesn’t always go her way.

But how am I going to deal with Daisy in the future? We have a few more days to go, so we would keep seeing each other quite frequently. For a while, I was lost in thoughts about how to get along with her.

It was the next day that I realized that I had a useless idea.

“Logan, have you heard of the magic fountain?”

I thought Daisy would calm down a bit after yesterday’s argument, but she had been talking to Logan since this morning with her superficial smile.

You aren’t named Daisy for nothing. Always infused with energy and vigor, fresh as a daisy as they say. However, I hadn’t anticipated you would bounce back in a day.

Logan, who was staring at the egg’s benedict in front of him, shook his head at Daisy’s question and replied blandly.

“No, I don’t know.”

“Then why don’t you visit it with me today? You said you were a traveler, so I think you’d be curious about it as well.”

He was not a real traveler, so I doubt he would be curious about it. However, I looked at the two of them with a grain of salt.

At that time, Grandma, who was looking through the documents at the dinner table, suddenly brought up an announcement.

“I must excuse myself first. I’ve had to go around the territory with Paul.”

Paul was the name of the head butler of this castle. Grandma fully manages the Marquisate, so he often goes with her to look around the territory. Also, whenever I go outside to paint when I was young, Paul would always come with me.

“What’s Grandma going to do for today?” Daisy asked her first before I could.

“Why are out this early?”

“Yes, with winter coming, I’ll have to make sure that each house is prepared for the season. I’m going to go deliver the stockpile today.”

“No, Grandma. Take a rest. I’ll go instead.”

I didn’t want to be a granddaughter who makes her grandmother toil around while I’m present and able. This was partly because I became more mature since in spirit I was a thirty-year-old woman, not an eighteen-year-old childish person.

“I just need to go with Paul, right? I’ll take Daisy with me and we’ll finish it quickly.”

“Oh, my…” Daisy uttered in surprise.

I quickly shot her a look of stop-playing-and-do-some-work. Daisy was getting flustered when I also signed her up for it. It would seem that Daisy was unwilling to go.

“Sienna. Do you know you’re going with the servants? I wonder if I need to go as well….”

“No. You both rest here. This old lady will be back—”

“I’ll come with you.”

When my grandmother and I said we’d go together, Logan stepped in.

But why would he want to go to work?

I turned to look at him, so I naturally met his eyes. An expressionless face didn’t seem particularly favorable to me.

Logan soon turned to my grandmother and said calmly. “Because I owe you, madame.”

“I’ll come with your granddaughter.”

“Are you okay with it?”

Grandma asked carefully. When Logan said it was okay, my grandmother was pleased and asked him to take good care of me.

You don’t have to do that…However, having lunch and working outside with the Duke today, I haven’t thought about it to this extent.

I didn’t know anything at this time. What will happen in today’s tour of the territory? Who knew he would come in the end?