CH 30

In the clear air of a new day, I could hear the cicadas chirping. Jin, Othello, and I were all riding in the same carriage.

It was late summer, heading into the first days of autumn, and we were on our way to the summer mansion.

It was on the Winchester estate, so it was close by, only an hour’s carriage ride away.

Jin was reading, Othello was napping, and I was gazing out the window at the green landscape passing us by.

I shuddered at the memory of Zestia’s face, which was hostile towards Recardo, but luckily she was away on a business trip to Rosento, so I wouldn’t be seeing her on this visit.

Instead, we will meet with Permetis, the daughter of Zestia, the owner of the summer residence.

And in the Pashurit Mountains, close to Zestia’s mansion, in the hunting grounds of that early season, Jin and Othello will enjoy their summer hunt.

I looked at my inventory, suddenly remembering the status window that had been shown to me not so long ago.

Along with the shoes I’d received as part of my last level-up, I also noticed a Protection Orb I’d received as part of this level-up.

The blue-tinted orb was said to block one incoming attack against me, but is not effective against diseases.

I’ll probably use it someday.

But…… I wonder when Sasha in the original story really started to get sick. She must have been sick before the age of seventeen, which was the peak of her illness.

“Cough.”

I still get sick every now and then, but not nearly as much as Sasha in the original.

‘I have to grow up and find Cassilion and the elixir…….’

Knowing my fate, time seemed to pass more slowly. I hope I don’t get too sick in the meantime.

[Name: Sasha Winchester (LV.3)]

[Occupation: Unemployed]

[Traits: Rattle Master (Strength +3)]

As I grew, I was able to run around quite a bit now.

Fewer people looked at me strangely when I spoke to them, and I could understand them quite well.

I was known to the maids as ‘The Gifted Lady Sasha’.

Tak–

I flinched at the sound of Jin closing his book and looked at him.

“We’ve arrived.”

I heard Jin’s low voice.

~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~

His gaze drifted to the blue-roofed mansion in the distance. The three-story mansion was quite grand, though not as grand as Winchester Castle.

The day was still sunny and clear.

* * *

After the carriage came to a stop and Jin and Othello got out, I stretched out my hands in the air.

“Hug me!”

At my call for a hug, I saw Maya – who had just gotten off the carriage in the back – approaching, but before she could, a black shadow loomed in front of me.

It was Jin.

Not you…… I called for Maya, not you!

My arms, which I had raised with all my might, gradually gave way, but Jin put both hands under my armpits and pulled me into a quick hug.

Maya giggled softly behind him.

My feet touched the ground, and I looked up at Jin.

I could see the lush garden, the leaves rustling behind him, and the sunshine. In the backlight, I couldn’t see his face properly, but I could see the corners of his lips turning up slightly.

“It’s a shame you’re so unhappy,” I heard him say before he turned around.

The wind picked up again, ruffling the hem of my light pink dress. The summer breeze, rather than being humid, felt cool.

And I saw Permetis and her maids coming towards us from the summer house.

She seemed a little taller than the last time I saw her, and she wore a blue frilly dress.

She stood before us.

Although Othello was looking at her with a wary expression, she smiled brightly and said, “Welcome to the summer residence, Brother.”

And then she turned to Jin, placing her hand on her heart in greeting.

Then her gaze fell on me.

“Welcome, as well, baby.”

She was still smiling, but I sensed a strange hostility in her smile. She must be harboring the memory of that fateful day.

Moments later, the maids of the manor, along with the maids and servants we had brought with us, began to carry our luggage, and we followed Permetis into the manor.

With the cool breeze from the Pashurit Mountains, this mansion was a great place to stay in the summer.

The mansion was open and airy.

Maya went up to my room to organize my things, while I joined Jin and Othello for tea.

I wasn’t old enough to drink tea yet, of course, so there was my favorite chai berry juice in front of me.

I reached for it, but someone snatched it away. I glared as hard as I could at Othello, who gulped it down.

He emptied my chai berry juice and looked up.

“It’s hot, I’d rather have juice than tea.”

I glared at him in irritation, and Jin spoke up.

“Othello,” Jin chided as he leaned his head back against the couch and pursed his lips. “Give her another cup. It doesn’t even look like she drank it.”

He shook his head, and the maid quickly returned with two glasses of chai berry juice.

One was for me, and the other was a reorder for Othello.

As I reached for the chai berry juice in front of me, Othello snatched my glass from me again.

“Otenno!” 

I shouted, and with a nonchalant expression, Othello placed my glass in front of him and gave me his own.

I blinked, not knowing his intentions.

But he didn’t say anything, just drank the juice that would’ve been mine in front of me.

Looking at Permetis, whose mouth was smiling but whose eyebrows were furrowed, I drank Othello’s juice.

* * *

We made our way to the entrance of the hunting grounds where the cabin was located.

“It’s not good to be so openly suspicious, Othello.”

Jin and Othello were riding black horses, and I was listening to their conversation from the carriage behind them.

“Well. I don’t know what you mean?”

When Jin spoke, he shrugged it off, and Othello remained silent.

Soon, however, Othello’s horse was leading the way, followed a moment later by a white horse ridden by Permetis. She had changed out of her dress and was wearing a navy-blue hunting outfit.

“I’ll go first, brother,” Permetis smiled brightly at Jin and followed after Othello.

Watching their backs, Jin pressed his lips together.

“Maya.”

Maya, who had let me sit on her lap, answered immediately when Jin called out.

“Yes, Young Master?”

“You’re watching Sasha at the cabin. I’ll be back before sunset.”

It was just past noon.

“Understood.”

Hearing Maya’s answer, Jin urged his horse into a trot. Behind him, about ten knights followed on horseback.

Our carriage came to a halt at the entrance to the village, and Maya dismounted, carrying me.

The summer house looked small below, and we were at the beginning of a mountain range.

No dangerous monsters lived in the Pashurit mountains, and there were plenty of herbivores to hunt. So, when the Winchester children were young, they would hunt here with the permission of their elders.

This was the time of year when the white deer were most abundant.

The large, well-shaded, cabin-like structure seemed like a good place to pass the time until the brothers returned from their hunt.

“Juice.”

“No, Miss. Chai berry juice gives you an upset stomach if you drink too much.”

“Otenno, drank two,” I protested, holding up two fingers, but it was no use to Maya, who was concerned about my health.

~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~

“Have some water,” Maya insisted.

Ha, I’m running out of sugar.

I gulped down the water I was forced to take.

Even though we were at the beginning of the mountain range, we were still at a fairly high level, so the scenery was quite nice.

Enjoying the scenery under the mountain and thinking about the quiet Winchester mansion today, I was bored and decided to look at the ‘View People’ feature for the first time in a while.

[1. Recardo Winchester

Title: Master of the Black Flame

Causality: 6%]

I scrolled down.

[2. Jin Winchester

Title: None

Causality: 7%]

[3. Othello Winchester

Title: None

Causality: 6%]

[4. Chenoa Taylors

Title: Ruler of Blue Light

Causality: N/A]

[5. #@$% , #$%%, $#$%^^$$#@

The following information cannot be displayed:]

[6. Permetis Winchester

Title: N/A

Causality: n/a].

Number 5 still had broken letters.

By the way, Permetis…….

If I were better at self-expression, I wouldn’t have followed this girl to the summer mansion.

My name was on the invitation she sent, so I had no choice but to come. It’s polite to go when invited.

But no matter how much I thought about it…… there was something that seemed different from the original.

In the original, it seemed that Othello was extremely possessive of Permetis and her attention…….

For some reason, it feels like she’s now the one following him around.

I was lost in thought.

“Miss, did you just feel……?” Maya asked me with a serious expression on her face. 

Just as I noticed the floor rattling.

“Huh?”