Inside the swaying carriage, I stared blankly out the window, basking in the drowsy sunlight pouring in.
The unnecessarily bright sunlight somehow reminded me of Lilian’s eyes.
‘Well, things are a bit different now.’
The whispers I had secretly let slip spread like wildfire, and Lilian’s life in high society has since been anything but smooth.
No matter what banquet she attended, criticism and mockery followed.
She was bombarded all day with insults like “You don’t deserve to be a Saint,” or “Commoners are just commoners.”
The nobles, who mostly looked down on Lilian, a war orphan from the enemy nation, only intensified their bullying.
Of course, there were those who defended her, but they were mostly conservative nobles loyal to the royal family. The problem was that they showed little interest in social activities.
Rather than waste time socializing, they preferred to devote themselves to the stability of the Empire—such boring old fogies.
Thanks to them, I hadn’t seen Lilian smile brightly at any banquets recently.
No matter how positive she might be, she couldn’t possibly smile in a situation where everyone was looking down on her.
Honestly, I felt a pang of guilt.
It was almost entirely my doing.
Yet, every time I felt that way, I thought to myself.
No matter what I did, Lilian would ultimately awaken as a Saint. After that, she would surely be welcomed wherever she went.
Every time I had that thought, the guilt that had been pricking at me soon turned into jealousy.
It may be petty and ugly, but I comforted myself by shaking off all guilt towards Lilian.
‘As she endures people’s slanders and fabrications, Lilian will surely lose interest in high society.’
If that happened, I wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore.
But things didn’t unfold as easily as I had hoped.
While numerous nobles despised Lilian, she always had a reliable support by her side.
Arien Kaltree.
True to her title as ‘Lilian’s bodyguard’ in the game, Arien was always beside Lilian, enduring the scorn and oppression from the nobles together with her.
Even knowing Lilian would be criticized at every banquet, her continued attendance was likely primarily due to Arien’s presence.
She was a thorn in my side.
As a family devoted to mastering the sword, why was she always meddling in my plans by attending these banquets when she could just be wielding her sword in the training hall?
‘Well, that ends today, though.’
The swaying carriage came to a halt, and soon the coachman opened the carriage door.
I slowly got out of the carriage, stretching my stiff limbs.
The mansion that unfolded before me appeared quite grand.
Compared to Mardian’s or Viviana’s mansions, it wasn’t particularly impressive, but it was still on par with the family’s reputation.
I took slow steps towards the front gate of the mansion, where a woman was waiting for me.
She was a woman with blue hair, tall but well-proportioned. Her slightly furrowed brows gave her a sharp appearance, but I knew that inside, she was surprisingly gentle.
Arien Kaltree.
“Hello, Lady Kaltree.”
“…Welcome, Lady Blanc.”
Fatigue was evidently etched on Arien’s face.
The shadows under her eyes clearly revealed her tired state.
Seeing her like that, a subtle smile crept onto my lips.
“Here you go.”
“Oh, thank you.”
A silence filled the guestroom of the Kaltree Marquis family. Arien cautiously handed me a steaming cup of tea.
I held the teacup with both hands and took a gentle sip. The fragrant warmth of the hot tea spread subtly across my mouth, the rich aftertaste flowing smoothly down my throat.
“I was quite surprised to receive your letter requesting a visit to our Marquis family.”
“Surprised, were you?”
“Since it didn’t seem like you had any special ties with me.”
Arien’s somewhat cautious tone held a hint of tension, but I simply responded calmly with an innocent smile.
“Well, even without a special connection, how could there not be people wanting to get closer to Lady Kaltree? I can’t even explain how thrilled I felt seeing you always looking dignified and strong.”
“…You don’t need to flatter me.”
“Flatter? You probably don’t realize it, but countless women admire you, Lady Kaltree.”
Arien’s gaze remained sharp. Yet, within it lingered the slightest hint of wavering.
“May I ask why you’ve come to visit me?”
How ruthless.
Was she signaling to get right to the point?
I slowly opened my mouth with a thin smile.
“I came because my heart felt heavy.”
“Heavy… you say?”
“Yes. Recently, I happened to hear some things about you in the high society.”
Arien’s eyes twitched ever so slightly.
She likely already knew it wasn’t good news about her.
Ever since she had stood by Lilian’s side, she had always been the target of criticism.
“…What were they saying?”
“Oh, that’s a bit… awkward to say…”
Feigning embarrassment, I glanced around, gauging Arien’s reaction. She stared at me intently without uttering a single word.
Under that pressure, I finally sighed and spoke up.
“…I heard that your family is cunningly trying to rise in status using the Saint.”
*Crack—*
Arien’s face contorted. The sound of her grinding teeth filled the quiet room.
“So… you came here to mock me?”
Without a clear target, her anger had turned towards me.
However, her blue eyes bore signs of exhaustion compared to our first meeting.
Moreover, seeing her dried lips indicated she was probably not getting enough sleep.
As expected.
Like the game’s setting, she was pretending to be aloof while secretly hurt deep inside.
And rightly so.
Barbed words can sometimes pierce sharper than a sharp sword.
No matter how strong one’s physique, the inner self cannot be easily trained.
Moreover, in a situation where not just a few, but everyone was vilifying and despising her, how many could maintain their sanity?
Probably just the legendary madwoman and villainess, Mardian, or the sociopath, Viviana.
“My family is cunning, you say…”
Arien’s fists started trembling.
“Tell them not to be ridiculous. There is no one as noble as our Head Lady.”
“Lady Kaltree…”
“Our Marquis family being cunning! Which fool said such things? We…!”
“……”
“Sigh… It’s pointless to talk to you. Let’s stop.”
Arien’s last words came out as a near-sigh.
“…Forgive my rudeness, Lady Kaltree.”
I moved closer to the emotionally affected Arien and sat beside her.
I wrapped my arms around her, who was looking at me with a perplexed expression, pulling her tightly to my chest.
“Ugh?!”
Arien’s body jolted.
She immediately placed her hands on my shoulders, but I first wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her head deep into my chest.
“L-Lady…! What’s this…!”
“I know. How diligent and loyal the Kaltree Marquis family is. I also know you’ve been walking the noble path silently all this time.”
“…What?”
“And that’s why it saddens me even more. I don’t want to see those ignorant people dishonor such a noble family. If I feel this way, then how must you feel, Lady Kaltree?”
“…Flattery.”
“You might not believe it, but… I came here genuinely troubled. I’ve truly admired the Kaltree Marquis family.”
I gently patted her back.
As Arien trembled in my embrace, she eventually calmed down completely.
With her face buried against my shoulder, she stayed still for a while.
There was probably a faint blueberry scent lingering on my body.
Arien’s favorite fruit. I had spent precious money to buy it at a perfume shop just for her.
It was a secret that the perfume contained a slightly intoxicating substance that excites human emotions.
“…You say you admire our family.”
“Yes, I’ve heard a lot from my mother. Although our families walk different paths, the Kaltree Marquis family has walked a noble and unshaken path.”
“……”
“A few years back, you received a medal from the royal family for being the family that trained the most mana-wielding swordsmen, right? I think that’s truly remarkable.”
“…You know about that too?”
“Of course. I heard last year that the Marquis was promoted to Master rank.”
“……”
“And I know that the book written by the Marchioness was adopted as a textbook in the academy. What remarkable people you are.”
“You know all this…?”
“Hehe, when you admire someone, it’s only natural to take an interest, right?”
“Are you really saying you admire our family?”
Of course.
It had been a setup I’d seen far too often in the game.
“Of course. I mentioned I look up to the Kaltree Marquis family. I do have a personal bias towards those who handle swords well, but still.”
I gently leaned my head on Arien’s shoulder with a slight smile.
It was an action that could seem somewhat rude in our first meeting. But Arien just stared at me blankly, offering no rebuke.
“Lady Kaltree, although the high society is said to be a battlefield for nobles… I hope everyone can get along a bit more harmoniously.”
“…That’s unlikely.”
“Yes, as long as the factions among the nobility are distinctly divided, conflicts are unavoidable.”
In the moment Arien couldn’t hide her surprise, I slowly reached out to her.
As my fingertips softly rested on her palm, her body jolted once more.
It wasn’t like Lilian who would boldly grab hands.
Instead, I approached slowly, as if seeking her consent, like a snake cautiously wrapping around its prey.
I slid each finger between hers, giving her time to reject me if she felt so inclined.
However, Arien did not push me away.
Like a gentle caress, my hand settled on hers.
With each touch of our fingers, a subtle tension filled the air. Yet still, Arien did not withdraw her hand.
Finally, my fingers interlocked completely with hers. I slowly placed our warm clasp of hands over my heart.
Arien stared at our interlocked fingers with dazed eyes. In that gaze, there seemed to be a trace of serene confusion.
“I truly came because I was worried. There’s a bit of a desire to get closer to you, Lady Kaltree, mixed in as well.”
I made a sorrowful face towards her.
Inside, I was desperately hiding a joyful smile.
“Are you really alright, Lady Kaltree…?”
