Chapter – 16
It was obvious that the reason Grandmother had called Father over was because of that ridiculous collective responsibility again. The lowest-ranked always ends up as the punching bag.
I snorted.
“Teon, are you going to go release that?”
Teon was holding the sack the twins had abandoned, staring at the distant bushes.
“Yeah. I was going to leave it somewhere far from the annex.”
“Let’s go together.”
“I can go alone though.”
“I know a really nice pond. Let’s release it there.”
“Really? Okay.”
I smiled wickedly to myself.
Just how nice was it? My aunt liked that pond so much she took the twins there for walks every single day.
‘Maybe a bullfrog might suddenly jump out during their walk~’
Hehe. Humming to myself, I led the way ahead of Teon.
Then I paused briefly because the path got confusing—and ended up bumping into Teon who was following behind me.
“…Berry.”
“Oh! Sorry for bumping into you.”
“Your head is really round.”
“Huh?”
I thought he was calling my name seriously because he was mad, but instead he was just giving a review of my head shape.
“R-really? Dad says that sometimes too.”
Since I couldn’t see the top of my own head, I wasn’t sure if it was true.
But saying someone’s head is round basically means it looks like a ball… right?
I tilted my head up. Teon’s hand was hesitating in midair. Then it quickly withdrew.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing.”
Nothing? He looked so flustered he even turned his head away.
I narrowed my eyes at him as he awkwardly cleared his throat. Something was definitely up. If he was that embarrassed, maybe—
“There was a leaf stuck in my hair, wasn’t there!”
It must have gotten there earlier when I crawled between the thuja trees to tease the twins.
Dad might scold me. I presented my head to Teon and politely requested:
“Please take it off.”
“…The wind blew it away. It’s gone now.”
Was there wind just now?
I tilted my head in confusion, then suddenly snapped back to my senses. This wasn’t the time. I had plans to go out with Dad.
“Let’s hurry and release the frog before Dad comes!”
I grabbed Teon’s hand and quickly headed toward the pond.
Splash.
The bullfrog was big as it entered the pond. After telling it to send my regards to the twins, we returned to find Dad had already arrived at Stone House.
“Dad! Did you go see Grandma? Did you get scolded?”
“Scolded? For what?”
As he was about to enter his room, Dad caught me as I ran toward him, lifted me up, and looked me in the eyes. After confirming only Sherry was nearby, he whispered:
“You were the one who got scolded yesterday, Berry-Berry. You didn’t even write your reflection letter. Did you finish it? I even gave you time alone.”
Since my competence was a secret, I had to hide the fact I could write well too. Only Sherry knew I had to write a reflection letter.
“I was planning to write it… tonight.”
Caught off guard by Dad’s sudden attack, I laughed awkwardly.
I had forgotten because I was eavesdropping on the maids’ conversation yesterday.
It definitely wasn’t because I didn’t want to write it.
“Write it tomorrow. Sleep at night. We need to prepare to go out. Where’s Teon?”
“Teon’s on the first floor! He went to wash his hands!”
“Really? Sherry, please help the kids get ready.”
“Yes, I will.”
Dad set me down and went to change clothes.
“See you later!”
I waved excitedly—then realized I had fallen for his topic-changing trick.
‘He dodged the topic with my reflection letter…!’
He clearly didn’t want to tell me what happened with Grandmother. Did he hide it from the other me too?
I could guess roughly. The fact he came back so quickly meant he accepted whatever proposal Grandmother made.
‘This is upsetting.’
She couldn’t have asked for compensation equal to the value of pearl earrings, right? If the savings Dad carefully built up got handed over for something like that, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.
What did he give them?
I wouldn’t even give one kona for free.
*
Punishment Room
Locked inside was Anne, recalling yesterday’s events.
She had been accused of stealing earrings without understanding why. Earrings she had never even seen were found in her home.
Why me?
As Anne fell into confusion, the one who explained everything was Marianne—the one who had planted her as a spy in Stone House.
“You’re going to be accused of theft. You’ll keep your life, but you’ll be expelled from Travel.”
“M-Miss Marianne… I can’t leave Travel.”
Servants of the Travel household were given housing within the estate walls where even their families could live.
Only the Count Travel family provided such benefits. Other noble houses would never dream of it.
Anne knelt before Marianne and begged.
She didn’t even know what she had done wrong. As she pleaded not to be expelled, Marianne tossed a small pouch of gold coins in front of her.
Anne’s eyes trembled as she judged the amount by the size of the pouch. It was enough money to survive without working as a maid.
But—
“You’ll need more money than that. Won’t you?”
As if she knew Anne’s situation perfectly, Marianne gently waved her fan.
Anne asked:
“What… do you want from me…?”
“One of the doctrines the Auvbau Order values is mercy. The heart to forgive those weaker than yourself.”
“……”
“I’ll get you into a gathering of high nobles. There, you will confess what Raytan did to you. Then you’ll get the money you want.”
Anne couldn’t understand.
What had Raytan done to her? What was she supposed to confess?
Marianne lowered her brows and spoke in a sympathetic tone:
“It would be such a tragedy if my younger brother couldn’t return as Grand Master because of such a scandal.”
*
We rode a carriage and arrived at the shopping district of a town called Hisport next to the Travel estate.
After a simple lunch, we stopped at a clothing shop.
“Good.”
“Perfect.”
Dad and I nodded and clapped from the sofa. In front of us stood Teon, who had just come out wearing new clothes.
Teon had already looked tall and handsome even in hand-me-downs.
Now, dressed in stylish clothes perfectly suited to his build and image, he looked flawless.
“So cute. Just a moment. I think a ribbon tie here would suit you even better.”
“……”
An employee stopped Teon, who was trying to come back toward us.
“Dad, Teon is embarrassed.”
I whispered while watching him.
His mouth was pressed into a straight line, but the tips of his ears were red.
And when Dad and I saw that kind of reaction, we couldn’t resist teasing a little.
“Dad, should we adopt Teon?”
“The Baron Boltman couple are alive. That would be rude.”
“Then there’s another way. We could get adopted by the Boltman family.”
“Not a bad idea.”
As Dad and I said this with serious faces, Teon—now wearing the ribbon tie—came over.
“…Should I ask my grandfather?”
His cheeks were red as he said it, yet he went even further than we did.
Was he serious? If that was a joke, he was a genius comedian.
“Thanks for the thought, but Baron Boltman would be troubled, so that’s not necessary.”
Dad, clearly satisfied with Teon’s navy and white outfit, raised his hand and called the shop owner.
“The outfit he’s wearing now is the best. He’ll wear that.”
“Thank you. Since my master bought it, I’ll treasure it.”
Teon bowed deeply. Dad seemed pleased with his first disciple’s gratitude.
“But Teon.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll have to treasure those clothes too.”
I turned my head so he could see.
Employees were busily carrying the clothes Teon and I had tried on.
“Dad already paid for them.”
Teon’s eyes widened.
“One set is enough—”
“Lord Raytan, could you sign the receipt?”
“Give it here.”
The shop owner approached with a gold tray holding the receipt and a fountain pen.
Since Teon looked flustered, I made him sit next to me and pointed at the orange juice on the table.
“The juice is good.”
“Okay.”
Teon picked up the glass and placed it into my hands.
…Why give it to me?
He even put the straw to my mouth. It felt awkward to object.
So I just quietly drank while watching Dad and the shop owner.
“By the way, Lord Raytan, Lord Yosel’s clothing shop is also in Hisport. Are you sure it’s alright not to go there? We’re their competitor…”
“I don’t like their style.”
“It’s an honor that our shop suits your taste.”
Dad handed back the signed receipt.
But the shop owner didn’t leave. He stood there like he had something else to do.
Did he have another matter?
The orange juice was good.
Dad, Teon, and I all looked at him. Since the tray was at my eye level, I was the first to notice the familiar paper.
Sip sip.
As I coughed lightly through the straw, small bubbles formed on the juice surface and popped.
Th-that is…
The shop owner’s fingers were fidgeting under the tray. A familiar handsome face drawn on a sheet of paper was slowly revealing itself from beneath the tray.
I don’t know what he’s trying to do… but this doesn’t seem like a good idea…
Cold sweat formed on my forehead.
The blue eyes in the picture looked displeased with the situation.
It was a wanted poster of Raytan Quartz Travel.
