CH 81

“Wow, really?”

In the first place, Keira never enjoyed drinking that much. Without regrets, she stood up.

Keira: “It’s late, so I think I should go to bed now. I’ll go in first.”

“Oh, then we’ll go back to our quarters, too.”

“Good night!”

Except for Rose, the two maids left the room with the bottle of wine. The sound of footsteps walking down the hallway was pleasant and light.

Keira was only able to lie down after sending Rose back. However, it has been a long time since sleep escaped her.

It was because of the speculation she just came up with.

‘Cosette’s purpose may be to destroy the spirit stone…’

If her guess was true, why would Cosette aim for it?

Her eyes staring at the dark ceiling became complicated.

As soon as lunch was over the next day, the maids started preparing to return to the mansion.

And so, while the maids were busy getting ready, Keira drank tea with Johanna. If it weren’t for last night, Cosette would have intervened.

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Fortunately, she was able to have a pleasant tea time without Cosette getting in the way. 

The scent of the tea seemed to be more fragrant today.

Johanna: “By the way.”

Johanna put down her teacup and broke the silence.

Johanna: “Did Cosette apologize to you?”

Keira: “I haven’t even seen her face yet.”

Breakfast was served in their rooms, and Cosette didn’t show up for lunch. Apparently, she hasn’t come out of the room since last night.

Johanna: “If the misunderstanding is resolved, she should at least apologize. Tsk.”

Keira: “She’s probably just embarrassed. I think she’ll apologize first when she calms down.”

She didn’t speak empty words. She knew Cosette would apologize to her. 

‘And in public.’

She would never come and apologize personally to Keira. But, hmm, maybe she’d have a waterworks performance in front of the gathered crowd right before they leave the mansion? 

Rather than wanting to apologize sincerely to Keira, Cosette would do it all for show. So the more onlookers, the better.

Johanna: “I still don’t know how to treat her. However, it doesn’t sit right with me to ignore what she did wrong. That’s for sure.”

Keira: “Well, whether we can make a judgment for the family’s sake, we’ll probably know within the day.”

Johanna continued to frown. Her tone was harsher than Keira’s calm response. 

Johanna: “How did she hear about Beatrice’s spirit stone anyway…”

Keira: “She talked about it yesterday. It’s Beatrice’s spirit stone, so maybe there’s something special about it.”

Johanna: “I’ve never heard of such a story before. Spirit stones are nothing more than proof of a contract with a spirit.”

Keira: “It’s the same for me. It was absurd, and I asked where she heard about that, but I guess she misunderstood and thought I was interested.”

Keira smoothly lied. There was no need to feel guilty because she only returned what she received.

Johanna: “Who would even tell her about the spirit tone? I don’t think it’s the old couple who raised her in the mountains…”

Keira: “Count Weinberg, he must be the only one.”

The employees working for the Grand Duchy would have not recklessly spoken false rumors about the spirit stone. 

Johanna: “There’s a saying that only pigs recognize pigs. To think they thought you were aiming for Beatrice’s spirit stone because you were ‘sneaking to the basement’…”

Keira: “It must mean she was thinking the same thing.” 

Johanna: “I think so, too.”

Since it wasn’t just Johanna with her, but the maids as well, Keira deliberately didn’t lower her voice. 

It’s just a pity this didn’t happen at the grand duchy. 

‘I hope Emily talks.’

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Keira had no choice but to trust Emily, who had the tendency to run her mouth. 

Putting down the teacup, Keira continued.

Keira: “If it was Count Weinberg who spread the rumor that Beatrice’s spirit stone could be used to gain power, I’m worried about his intensions.”

Johanna: “That’s what I think, too.”

Keira: “And it’s not like we didn’t do a background check on Cosette. It was really clean.”

Johanna nodded as if she had heard of the results of the investigation.

Johanna: “She’s like a blank slate.”

Keira: “Well, it’s not strange that there aren’t records about her since she grew up with an old couple in the mountains.”

Johanna: “Then how did the Count find Cosette?”

Keira: “That’s the problem. I’m more suspicious of Count Weinberg than Cosette.”

Of course, she didn’t really mean that. Both were equally suspicious.

Keira: “Maybe that girl is also being deceived by the Count?”

Johanna: “Well, considering what happened last night…”

Keira lifted her teacup again, not because she was thirsty, but because she needed something to hide the corners of her lips that were slowly rising. 

Keira: “Well, one day, the truth will come out.”

Johanna nodded as if she agreed. 

It was then that Keira’s maid came to announce that they had finished preparing for her departure. 

Rose: “Milady, the carriage is in front of the main gate. If you want to talk more, I will wait for you.”

Keira: “No, it’s alright.” 

She said everything she had to say anyway. Keira got up from her seat and said. 

Keira: It’s cold outside; I don’t want to make you wait for no reason. I’ll go ahead. I’ll contact you soon, Great-aunt.”

Johanna: “Yes, I’m not good at being alone, so you’re welcome anytime.”

Keira left only after telling Johanna to take care of herself.

As Keira went downstairs, Rose followed closely behind. She whispered to Keira.

Rose: “She’s waiting outside the carriage.”

Keira: “As expected.”

Rose: “Pardon? Did you say anything?”

Keira: “No, I was just talking to myself.”

Whenever superiors leave, the staff usually come out to see them off.

Unsurprisingly, several people, including the butler, were waiting for her at the front door.

And Cosette was standing a step away from the carriage. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

But Keira has suffered too much so far to be deceived by this.

Cosette: “Hey. Keira, I’m sorry.”

“…”

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Cosette: “I should’ve spoken to you earlier… It took me so long because I’ve been thinking about how to apologize. I must have misunderstood. What we talked about during the day, about Beatrice’s spirit stone. So, I thought you were interested in it. That’s why I thought you were secretly going to find the spirit stone–”

Keira cut her off.

Keira: “You brought that up first, didn’t you? You said Beatrice’s spirit stone might give abilities to ordinary people. So, I thought you were rather interested in it.”

“…”

Keira:” Oh, well. Some people tend to think that others are also interested in their interests. It’s okay. It happens.”

Looking closely, she could see that Cosette’s mouth subtly tightened, an invisible change to maids a few steps away.

Keira: “People make mistakes. I understand.”

Cosette: “T-thank you.”

Keira: “Let’s go back now.”

After Keira said that, she got on the carriage first. Then after Cosette settled across from her, the carriage went off.

All the way back home, Cosette didn’t say a word.

It was a dramatic change to the time she chattered like a sparrow on the way to Johanna’s mansion.

Keira vaguely predicted that the other side would lay low for a few days because Cosette took a blow from her own shot.

However, in three days, her prediction was proven wrong.

A letter of protest came from the Weinberg family.

‘It was just around this time in the past.’

Since there’s a tradition that the Grand Duke’s children served as temporary captains for two to three years after they’ve reached adulthood, Keira held the temporary captain position of the Knights of Parvis.

It was why Count Weinberg sent the letter of protest– only the ‘Grand Duke’s children’ could carry on the tradition.

He argued that it wasn’t right for her to serve as the Captain when her authenticity hadn’t been proven yet.

Zeke: “These cheeky things…!”

Keira: “Zeke, you’re wrinkling the letter.”

Zeke: “So what? It’s a miracle it’s not in shreds.”

As there was a truce with the Demon Realm, the Imperial Knights Test was very strict. They didn’t bestow knighthood so carelessly.

As a result, Zichhardt had not yet been knighted.

Even if he was the Grand Duke’s only son, it was absurd that a person who wasn’t even a knight would serve as the temporary Captain.

Therefore, when Keira resigns, the position will naturally go to Joseph, the Vice-Captain. 

‘That’s why I simply returned my position in the past.’

Before Keira regressed, she and Joseph had a very delicate relationship.

For Keira, Joseph was an opponent with a fair amount of qualifications, and she didn’t want to show her embarrassment from the Weinbergs’ protests.

So, when Joseph came to her to discuss the issue, she threw him out after speaking her mind.

Keira: “Even if I don’t have the position, the fact that I am the daughter of this family does not change!”

And she went straight to Ludwig and announced her intention to resign.

She said she would take back her position as soon as it was revealed that Cosette was an impostor. 

‘I wanted to look cool…’

It’s childish, but that’s how she felt at the time.