TINOT 6

Chapter: 6

“…Y-Young Lady, are you all right? Should we turn the carriage around?”

Lysithea woke to Marie’s voice, thick with worry.

Aside from having broken into a light sweat, her body felt no different than usual.

It was a blessing she had taken a painkiller just before losing consciousness.

“No, I’m fine now. Are we there?”

“Yes, we should arrive shortly.”

Marie pulled back the curtain hanging over the carriage window.

Outside, the grand town residence of Duke Spencer loomed into view.

“I see… so that’s how it is.”

The protagonists of this story were there now.

Lysithea waited for Joel Spencer in the second-floor sitting room, as she always did.

She had first met Joel Spencer before she was even ten years old.

As was customary among noble children, the two had initially been introduced as playmates.

Visiting each other’s homes under the pretense of being playmates was one step in the process of sounding each other out before an engagement was formally arranged.

“Hello, Lysithea. I’m Joel Spencer.”

“…All right.”

“That’s it?”

“Celia isn’t at the estate today. Come back another time.”

“Why does that matter? I came to see you, Lysithea.”

That meeting—one Joel Spencer probably didn’t even remember—had been a first for Lysithea.

To think that she herself, not her father, not Edward, not Celia, could be someone’s reason for coming to Aster.

The realization taught her what fulfillment felt like.

Joel Spencer continued to keep in touch with her afterward, and at the strong request of the Spencer ducal house, the two eventually became engaged.

If asked whether she loved Joel Spencer, Lysithea couldn’t answer.

She had never felt love before.

But Joel Spencer was the first person she had ever possessed.

Someone the entire world acknowledged as belonging to her.

Something that was rightfully hers.

Whatever it was, Lysithea couldn’t tolerate having what had come into her hands taken away.

She didn’t mind if it was called the greed of someone who had never had anything to begin with.

She lifted the teapot, intending to pour herself another cup, only to realize it was empty.

Her long fingers lightly shook the bell on the table.

Clink, clink.

At the clear sound of metal, a servant quietly pushed the door open.

“Yes, Young Lady. Would you like more tea?”

“No. How much longer do I have to wait to see my fiancé?”

She hadn’t dragged her unwell body all the way here just to drink tea.

“I–I mean, that is…”

The servant faltered, clearly flustered at being asked so directly.

Had they really intended to leave her sitting in the reception room indefinitely?

They should either drag Joel Spencer here or apologize and send her back.

Annoyed, Lysithea rose from her seat.

No matter how much Joel tried to avoid her, there were plenty of ways to bring him before her.

Just as she was about to leave the sitting room, her eyes caught sight of a man and woman embracing in the garden below.

A cold, unpleasant smile curved her lips.

So she was left waiting inside while he was out there indulging in a passionate affair?

Bang!

Lysithea slammed her fist into the window with all her strength.

Startled by the sudden noise, servants rushed into the room.

“Y-Young Lady, what—”

Instead of answering, Lysithea grabbed a chair and brought it crashing down onto the glass.

Crash—! Shatter!

The sound of breaking glass mixed with screams, and Joel, who had been in the garden, snapped his head up.

When his eyes met Lysithea’s, his face went deathly pale, as if he’d seen a ghost.

Smiling sweetly, Lysithea drew her arm back as though she were about to throw the chair at him.

“—!”

Joel sucked in a sharp breath and urgently pointed upward, clearly begging her to put it down—he’d come up immediately.

Of course, Lysithea had never intended to throw the chair in the first place.

A chair was meant for sitting, after all.

She set it down neatly and sat as elegantly as a painting, waiting for Joel.

The Spencer household servants, faces drained of color, hurriedly swept up the shattered glass.

After some time—

There was the sound of frantic footsteps, and the area grew noisy.

“Lillian! You can’t—!”

“I don’t like it when you hide things from me!”

A woman burst into the sitting room, pink hair flying.

Upon spotting Lysithea, the woman widened her emerald-green eyes and covered her mouth in shock.

Joel, who had rushed after her to stop her, froze and pressed a hand to his forehead when he saw the two women facing each other.

“Ah, Lysithea, it’s just that—”

“So this is where you were. Finally, I get to see that expensive face of yours. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

Lysithea slowly scanned Joel from head to toe.

There were no signs of broken bones or torn flesh.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine… b-but, um…”

Joel glanced at the shattered window, his pale face filled with indecision.

Lysithea jerked her chin toward the chair she’d broken the glass with.

Without a word, he shuffled over and sat down.

Creak.

With one leg broken, the chair tilted awkwardly.

Joel frowned in irritation but quickly shut his mouth when he met Lysithea’s icy gaze.

“Well, you do look perfectly fine. That’s what I heard, too.”

Lysithea already knew Joel and Lillian would meet.

To prevent it, she had devised several plans.

In the story she’d read, Joel got drunk and passed through the Black Forest north of the capital, where he encountered a magical beast.

Using unfamiliar combat magic, he exhausted his mana and nearly died—only to be saved by Lillian, who happened to pass by.

First, Lysithea hired mercenaries to wipe out the beasts in the Black Forest.

Next, she created work in the Spencer territory to keep Joel from going there.

Finally, she stationed mercenaries at the forest entrance to block his access.

The cost: a staggering 5,000 gold.

She even hired the most famous mercenary on the continent—one who had never failed a mission.

Yet the result was the same.

A predetermined story couldn’t be changed.

What Lysithea had read would always be reenacted.

Like fate, the protagonists of this world now stood side by side before her.

“She’s a stranger. Who is this woman? Why is she here?”

At her question, the dazed Joel finally came to his senses and spoke awkwardly.

“This is Lady Lillian Rose of House Rose. She’s my lifesaver—the one who rescued me when I passed through the Black Forest a few days ago.”

“….”

Was he stupid, or just naïve?

The capital’s social scene was in an uproar over the two of them—had he truly not understood what she was asking?

What Lysithea meant was simple: Why hadn’t he sent Lillian Rose out of the house already?

He should have excused Lillian, explained the situation to Lysithea, or at the very least sincerely apologized for leaving her waiting while the two of them embraced in the garden.

When Lysithea said nothing and simply stared at him, an awkward silence filled the room.

“I’m Lillian Rose. May I ask who you are, my lady?”

Lillian sat down beside Lysithea and asked casually.

Lysithea knew well that she wasn’t someone easy to approach.

On top of that, this woman had just witnessed her smashing a window with a chair.

Yet Lillian showed no sign of fear at all.

Was the female protagonist of this world simply unusually friendly?

Or was there something wrong with her head?

“Lysithea Aster.”

“Oh! So you’re Lady Aster.”

Lillian clapped her hands dramatically.

With all this commotion, it was absurd to claim she hadn’t guessed who Lysithea was.

The provocation was transparent—and laughable.

Looking away from her, Lysithea added coolly,

“And Joel Spencer’s fiancée.”

“My goodness! To think you’re engaged to someone so beautiful! Joel, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Lillian grabbed onto Joel’s sleeve.

Joel repeatedly glanced at Lysithea as he tried to pry her hand away.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t loosen even one of her fingers.

“Lillian, let’s talk later. Right now—”

“No. I finally met someone my age here. I want to spend more time together.”

In the end, Joel practically begged her.

Offended by his repeated attempts to stop her, Lillian turned away with a pout.

Joel let out a sigh and rubbed his face.

Judging by how natural it was, this kind of exchange clearly wasn’t new.

Lillian Rose was quite different from the girl Lysithea had imagined while reading the story.

Perhaps the female protagonist wasn’t simply innocent and kind after all.

Then again, the male protagonist wasn’t exactly sharp, either.

Was this world really all right with protagonists like these?

Well—worrying about the protagonists was laughable for a villain destined for ruin.

“Lillian Rose. We’re about to have a very private conversation, so I’d like you to excuse us.”

“…What? Why?”

Lillian, who had already settled in and was diligently eating dessert, asked in confusion.

Had she expected the three of them to enjoy tea together?

“Joel, have some refreshments sent up for Lady Rose.”

“Joel, I wanted to eat together with everyone.”

As Joel corrected his form of address while nervously watching Lysithea, Lillian stubbornly continued to call him by name.