Chapter 73

Inside the swaying carriage, I absentmindedly gazed out the window, basking in the lazy sunlight streaming in.

The unnecessarily bright sunlight somehow reminded me of Lillian’s eyes.

‘But things are a bit different now.’

The rumors I secretly spread quickly circulated, and Lillian’s social life hasn’t been smooth since then.

Wherever she attended banquets, criticism and ridicule followed her.

Insults like “She’s not worthy of being a saintess” or “A commoner is just a commoner” surrounded her all day long.

Since most nobles disliked Lillian, a war orphan from an enemy country, the bullying only intensified.

Of course, it wasn’t that there were no people defending her.

But most of them were conservative nobles loyal to the imperial family. The problem was that they weren’t particularly interested in social activities.

They were old-fashioned folks who preferred dedicating themselves to the empire’s safety over wasting time on social gatherings.

Thanks to that, I hadn’t seen Lillian smile brightly at recent banquets.

No matter how positive she was, she couldn’t possibly smile brightly when everyone at the banquet ignored her.

Honestly, I felt guilty.

Because I was the one who made it that way.

But every time, I thought to myself.

No matter what I do, Lillian will eventually awaken as the saintess. After that, she’ll be welcomed wherever she goes.

Whenever I thought that, the guilt that pricked me was soon covered by jealousy.

No matter how despicable and ugly it was, I comforted myself like that and shook off all my guilt toward Lillian.

‘If she suffers from people’s slander and fabrications, Lillian will lose interest in social circles.’

If that happens, I won’t need to pay attention to her anymore.

But things didn’t go as easily as I thought.

Although many nobles despised Lillian, there was always a strong support by her side.

Arien Caltri.

True to her reputation as “Lillian’s bodyguard” in the game, Arien always stood by Lillian, enduring the nobles’ insults and oppression together.

The reason Lillian stubbornly attended every banquet despite knowing she’d be criticized was probably because of Arien’s presence.

She was a thorn in my side.

Coming from a family obsessed with swordsmanship, she should be swinging swords in the training grounds, not constantly attending banquets and interfering with my plans.

‘Well, that ends today.’

The swaying carriage stopped, and soon the coachman opened the carriage door.

I slowly got out of the carriage and stretched my stiff body.

The mansion before me looked quite grand.

It wasn’t as impressive as Mardian’s or Viviana’s mansions, but it was still respectable enough for the family’s reputation.

I slowly walked toward the mansion’s front gate, where a woman was waiting for me.

A woman with blue hair and a well-balanced figure. Her slightly drooping eyebrows gave her a sharp impression, but I knew she was surprisingly tender-hearted.

The NPC with the highest appearance rate when playing the game as Lillian.

Arien Caltri.

“Hello, Lady Caltri.”

“…Welcome, Lady Blanchard.”

Arien’s face was heavily marked with fatigue.

The shadows under her eyes clearly showed her exhausted state.

Looking at her, I smiled faintly.

※

“Here, have some.”

“Ah, thank you.”

In the quiet guest room of the Caltri Marquis Family’s mansion, Arien carefully handed me a cup of steaming black tea.

I took the teacup with both hands and took a small sip. The hot tea’s aroma spread softly in my mouth, leaving a savory aftertaste that smoothly flowed down my throat.

“I was quite surprised when I received your letter saying you’d visit our marquis family.”

“Surprised?”

“It didn’t seem like we had any special connection.”

Arien’s guarded tone carried tension, but I calmly replied with a harmless smile.

“Well, even without a special connection, there are plenty of people who want to get close to Lady Caltri. I’ve always been thrilled by your dignified and strong demeanor.”

“…You don’t have to flatter me.”

“Flatter? You might not know, but many women admire you.”

Arien’s gaze remained sharp, but there was a subtle waver in her eyes.

“May I ask why you visited?”

How cold.

Straight to the point, huh?

I smiled thinly and slowly opened my mouth.

“I came because my heart is heavy.”

“Your heart… is heavy?”

“Yes. I recently heard something about you at a social gathering.”

Arien’s eyes twitched slightly.

She must already know. That the rumors about her aren’t good.

Ever since she stood by Lillian, she’s always been the target of criticism.

“…What did they say?”

“Ah, that’s… it’s a bit hard to say…”

Pretending to be flustered, I glanced around, gauging Arien’s reaction. Arien stared at me intently without saying a word.

Under that pressure, I finally sighed and spoke.

“…I heard that your family is a cunning one, using the saintess to climb the social ladder.”

Crunch—

Arien’s face twisted. The sound of her grinding teeth filled the quiet room.

“So… you came to mock me?”

Her anger, with no clear target, turned toward me.

However, her blue eyes looked much more tired compared to our first meeting.

Moreover, seeing her dry lips, it seemed she hadn’t been sleeping well.

As expected.

Just like in the game, she acted indifferent on the outside but was deeply hurt inside.

It made sense.

Harsh words can sometimes pierce more sharply than a blade.

No matter how strong one’s body is, the heart isn’t so easily toughened.

Moreover, how many people can keep their sanity intact when everyone around them criticizes and despises them?

Probably only the likes of Mardian, called a crazy woman and villainess, or Viviana, a sociopath.

“Our family… cunning?”

Arien’s fists began to tremble.

“Tell them to stop talking nonsense. No one is as noble as our family head.”

“Lady Caltri…”

“To call our marquis family cunning! Who dares say such things! We…!”

“……”

“Sigh… There’s no point talking to you. Let’s stop.”

Arien’s last words were almost like a sigh.

“…Forgive my rudeness, Lady Caltri.”

I moved closer to Arien, who was consumed by emotion, and sat beside her.

I pulled her into a tight embrace, looking at her bewildered expression.

“Eek?!”

Arien’s body trembled violently.

She immediately placed her hands on my shoulders, but I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her head deep into my chest.

“L-Lady…! What are you…!”

“I know. How sincere and loyal the Caltri Marquis Family is. How they’ve walked the noble path silently all this time.”

“…Huh?”

“That’s why it’s even sadder. I don’t want to see such a noble family being insulted by ignorant people. If I feel this way, how much more must it hurt you, Lady Caltri.”

“…You’re lying.”

“You might not believe it… but I truly came because my heart is heavy. I’ve always admired the Caltri Marquis Family.”

I gently patted Arien’s back.

The trembling in my arms gradually subsided, and soon it completely stopped.

Arien buried her face in my shoulder and remained motionless for a while.

A faint scent of blueberries probably wafted from my body.

Arien’s favorite fruit. I specially spent money at a perfume shop to buy it for her.

Though it’s a secret that I mixed a bit of emotion-stimulating drug into the perfume.

“…You admire our family?”

“Yes, I’ve heard so much from my mother. Even though our families walk different paths, the Caltri Marquis Family has walked the path of integrity without wavering.”

“……”

“A few years ago, your family received a commendation from the imperial family for training the most mana-wielding swordsmen, right? I think that’s truly remarkable.”

“…You know about that?”

“Of course. I also heard last year that the marquis was promoted to master rank.”

“……”

“And I know that the marchioness’s treatise was adopted as a textbook at the academy. How impressive your family is.”

“You even know that…”

“Hehe, when you admire someone, you naturally pay attention.”

“Do you… truly admire our family?”

Of course.

It’s a setting I’ve seen countless times in the game.

“Of course. I told you I admire the Caltri Marquis Family. Though I do have a personal fondness for those skilled with swords.”

I smiled slightly and carefully leaned my head on Arien’s shoulder.

It might seem a bit rude for a first meeting, but Arien just stared at me blankly, without any reproach.

“Lady Caltri, though the social circle is called a battlefield for nobles… I wish everyone could get along more harmoniously.”

“…That’s impossible.”

“Yes, with the clear factions among nobles, conflicts are unavoidable.”

As Arien couldn’t hide her flustered expression, I slowly reached out to her.

When my fingertips gently touched her palm, her body trembled greatly.

It wasn’t like Lillian, who would immediately grab my hand.

Instead, I approached slowly, seeking consent, like a snake carefully coiling around its prey.

I slid my fingers between hers, giving her time to refuse if she wanted.

But Arien didn’t push me away.

As if tickling, my hand overlapped hers.

A subtle tension flowed through the air each time our fingers touched. Yet, Arien still didn’t push me away.

Finally, my fingers fully intertwined with hers. I slowly raised our clasped hands to my chest.

Arien stared blankly at our intertwined hands. Her eyes seemed to hold a quiet confusion.

“I truly came because I was worried. And also because I wanted to get closer to you, Lady Caltri.”

I looked at her with a sorrowful expression.

Hiding the smile writhing inside.

“Are you really okay, Lady Caltri…?”

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