Chapter – 13
Theon left the Red Eagle Knights. That meant he couldn’t use the knights’ dormitory starting today.
“Among the remaining rooms, this is the only one with a bed.”
Sister Sherry hurriedly looked for a usable room after the sudden arrival of a guest.
Theon said he would be fine with just a sleeping bag, but Father would never allow someone to sleep on the bare floor.
It wasn’t just because Father was Theon’s guardian and teacher, or because Theon was a noble’s child.
“Sleeping on the floor during your growth period will stunt your height.”
Right. The growth period is important.
The future Crown Prince Theon would become very tall, but Father didn’t know that.
“…Is it really okay if I use this room alone?”
Theon hesitated at the wide-open doorway, unable to step inside easily.
I walked past him and pulled Father into the room.
“It’s right across from my room!”
It was smaller than my room, but it was reasonably spacious and clean.
“Not bad.”
Father seemed satisfied too. When Sherry gestured for him to go inside, Theon cautiously stepped forward. His expression looked awkward, but he didn’t seem to dislike it.
“Theon! Come play anytime if you get bored!”
“Anytime, my foot.”
Father placed his hand on my head.
Then with a stern expression, he said to both of us:
“From morning until 3 PM. After that, no entering each other’s rooms. If you want to be together, the door stays open.”
That sounded exactly like something a father with a daughter would say. But isn’t 3 PM way too early?
“Whaaat. Dad, that’s so old-fashioned—”
“Your allowance depends on it.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Well, if my only source of income was being held hostage, then I had no choice but to live old-fashionedly. I relayed the sad news to Theon too.
“You heard him, right Theon? Our allowance depends on it, so please cooperate.”
“Our allowance?”
Theon reacted like he had just heard something strange.
“Master… do I get an allowance too?”
“You should. How much did you usually get before?”
“I’ve never received one.”
It was common for noble children to receive allowances starting at age seven. Even my commoner friends all received allowances.
If Theon had never received one, it meant Baron Boltman’s finances weren’t good enough to even give his grandson pocket money.
Perhaps sensing the weight of his answer, Sherry glanced around awkwardly.
She grew up in Travel too. For a noble to have less money than commoners must sound absurd.
But to my father, poverty meant nothing. He reacted casually.
“Is that so? Then Baron Boltman must have planned to give it to you later.”
Who was my father? A man who started with nothing and still managed to buy a house in Bonwell Village.
One of his beliefs was that money comes and goes, so you shouldn’t cling to it.
And whenever guests visited our two-story cottage, he always said the same thing.
I removed his hand from my head and said:
“If you come to the Quartz house, you have to follow Quartz Law!”
“…There’s a Quartz Law?”
“Allowance starts at seven, wash your face properly with foam! The first weekend of every month is Overspending Day, and—”
“Thank you for the detailed explanation, Miss Berry-Berry.”
As my explanation grew longer, Father cut me off. Then he raised a finger toward Theon.
“You heard Berry. According to Quartz Law, children over seven must receive an allowance. Allowance day is the first of every month.”
“……”
Theon couldn’t respond easily.
He seemed unsure whether he should be happy or not, unable to find the right words.
“In situations like this, you say ‘thank you.’”
So I gave him the answer.
Theon looked at me, thought for a moment, then nodded.
“I’ll monitor carefully.”
“Huh? My ears must be weird. I think I heard that wrong.”
As I fiddled with my ears, Sherry chuckled and asked:
“I heard you’re going outside the city walls tomorrow?”
“Outside the walls? That’s news to me.”
“Young Master Leitan said so. You, Miss Berry, and Sir Theon are all going together.”
Theon and I both turned toward Father.
“It’s a market trip. Buying summer clothes for Berry and clothes for Theon too.”
“Master, I don’t need—”
Theon quickly waved his hands. As he did, his folded sleeves fell down and covered his hands.
“You need plenty.”
Father coolly pointed out his outfit.
“Your shirt is loose. Your pants are too long.”
Sorry. Mr. Leitan is very particular about clothes…
Even if they weren’t expensive, Father believed clothes should be neat and properly fitted.
He must have wanted to buy clothes for Theon since the first time he saw him.
“…Yes.”
Theon nodded quietly.
Then we planned the next day.
After breakfast, Father would have his first lesson with Theon, and then we would go out to buy clothes.
Even while planning, Theon looked like he was burdened. Maybe he thought staying here under Father’s support was fine, but receiving clothes was too much.
I should lighten his mental burden.
“Theon.”
Before leaving the room, I grabbed his arm and whispered:
“My dad is secretly super rich.”
Starting today, I sleep alone.
Which meant no one would enter my room until morning.
Creeeak—
“No risk of getting caught even if I go into the secret space.”
Humming to myself, I entered the hidden space beside the fireplace. When I pressed the brick beside the door, it closed automatically.
It looked like a classic study. A walnut desk and bookshelves. Dark green wallpaper with gold floral patterns. Yellow lights on the walls illuminated the room.
Since it seemed cool to name it, I decided to call it “The Room of Contemplation.”
“There’s no better place to hide information only I know.”
In fact, my other self had gathered information here about Father’s death.
I placed the tray with the cookies Sherry baked and the water I brought on the floor and sat beside it.
The reason I sat on the floor instead of the perfectly good desk was simple.
The chair was too tall to climb.
“Hmmm.”
I said I’d stay at the bottom, but that didn’t mean I’d stay quiet.
Making Father share responsibility when he did nothing?
I smiled wickedly and picked up my pen.
On the first page of the white notebook, I wrote one name.
Marianne Cornelian Travel
In nice words: a list of interest.
In bad words: a revenge target list.
Aunt Marianne had touched the whiskers of a sleeping lion.
“If Head Butler Cerber wrote it in the log, the achievement must have been huge.”
Using the butler’s journal, I reconstructed the incident.
The pearl earrings were a rare item from across the continent, meant to be the main auction item at Grandmother’s charity auction. Marianne would gain major credit for recovering them.
But—
“Ugh.”
I got stuck.
I couldn’t figure out why Aunt Marianne framed Anne as the culprit of the pearl earring incident.
Since Head Butler Cerber wrote it like a diary rather than a report, there isn’t enough information…
I needed this part to plan revenge.
My plan to ruin Marianne’s achievements while hiding my identity!
“Ugh. What was my other self even doing at seven years old without knowing this stuff?”
My brain overloaded, and I craved something sweet. I grabbed a cookie and took a bite.
The crispy cookie melted in my mouth. Sherry said she used lots of butter and sugar. Expensive ingredients really do taste different.
My eyes sparkled with delight. It was so good my body almost trembled.
“If you drink water when your mouth gets too sweet, you can keep eating cookies like they’re your first bite.”
That was Sherry’s tip. Bringing water was all part of my plan.
I grabbed the large glass with one hand.
That was my mistake.
The tilted glass spilled water all over my clothes.
“Gasp!”
I quickly stood up, but my cotton pajamas were already soaked. My skirt and the bottom of my top were damp.
This… wasn’t part of the plan.
“I messed up.”
Would it dry overnight? I should change clothes first.
I pressed the brick to leave the secret space and waited for the door to open.
[……ts.]
A crackling sound echoed near my ear.
“……”
Did the door always make that sound? It felt scarier hearing it alone.
“Maybe it’s because my skirt is wet. It feels cold and creepy.”
[…tsuu….]
“The door needs to open quickly. I need to dry my clothes—”
[……Quartz!]
“Aaah!”
Still stomping my feet nervously, I ran straight out the moment the door opened.
