Chapter 45
At the end of tea time, Stella sipped her tea, deeply contemplating what to do next.
She didn’t have any quiet hobbies like embroidery or piano, so she considered sword training—but Sophia immediately declined.
Though she had learned swordsmanship in her past life, the experience had been enough to make her realize she had no talent for it. Training or sparring didn’t appeal to her at all.
As she struggled to think of something suitable, Lune spoke up with an idea.
“Hide-and-seek…”
“Oh, right! Hide-and-seek! Let’s play hide-and-seek!”
“That’s a great idea. It’s been so long. Josh is really bad at hiding.”
“Don’t talk about yourself like that.”
Hide-and-seek? While everyone else seemed familiar with the game, Sophia tilted her head in confusion.
She had never played with anyone before, nor had she ever seen others play outside. It was no wonder she didn’t know the game.
Stella, happy to have something to explain to Sophia, eagerly opened her mouth.
“Hide-and-seek is…”
But Peyton raised his hand and butted in tactlessly.
“I know hide-and-seek! Everyone hides except one person, and that person finds the others and hangs them from a tree, right? Isn’t that it?”
…Huh?
As soon as he started talking, Sophia gently covered Stella’s ears. Hanging people from trees? That wasn’t something you said in front of a child.
Sophia wasn’t the only one who found his words strange—Benjamin wore an utterly dumbfounded expression.
Just how did someone grow up playing games like that?
Realizing the stares weren’t exactly friendly, Peyton tilted his head in disbelief.
“Wait, it’s not? I swear that’s how we played it a hundred years ago. I was the only one who survived because I could use healing magic.”
Not really the kind of thing to say while smiling.
So in the end… everyone else in that game died?
“No, Sophie. Hide-and-seek is where everyone hides except for one person called the seeker. After a set time, the seeker has to find the others.”
“Mm, I understand now.”
Sophia, who had her ears covered and couldn’t hear anything properly, opened her wide eyes once she guessed the explanation was over and removed Sophia’s hand.
“Okay, who wants to be the seeker?”
“Me! Peyton wants to be the seeker!”
“Great!”
Though she didn’t want the one who talked about hanging people from trees to be the seeker, the clueless Stella laughed gleefully and assigned Peyton the role.
Everyone else took Peyton’s words as half-joke and didn’t object. Sophia didn’t particularly mind either.
Well, not like I was going to play anyway.
From the explanation, it sounded like a game that required a lot of movement. She had no energy to keep up, especially not if Peyton was the seeker.
“Then let’s go hide now. The seeker has to close their eyes and count to ten, okay?”
“Got it!”
“Oh, I’ll just….”
She was about to say she’d go back to her room when Lune tugged on her sleeve lightly.
“Shall we hide together?”
Gone was the uncomfortable expression from earlier—Lune now wore a relaxed smile full of anticipation, making it hard for Sophia to refuse.
Just this once. Just this once, then I’m really going back.
As she allowed herself to be led by Lune toward the inner part of the castle, Benjamin and Joshua suddenly placed their hands on Lune’s shoulders.
“Lune should hide with us.”
“Yeah. We’ll hide you so well even Sophie won’t know where you are.”
“Uh, okay?”
Before Sophia could even react, Lune was swept away by the two.
What just happened? Still processing what was going on, Stella suddenly clung to Sophia’s arm, her braided hair swaying.
“Then Sophie, you can hide with me! This way!”
“…You’re not going to get us lost again, are you?”
“Of course not! I’m a responsible person who never gets lost anymore!”
With such bold claims, Stella dragged Sophia around here and there. But it didn’t take long before Stella realized they were lost again.
“…Where did we pass through earlier?”
“We crossed a strange passageway. It looked kind of sealed off.”
“We went through something like that…?”
“I knew you wouldn’t notice. That was the passage that connects to the main castle.”
So they were in the main castle now.
It was the passage she had seen with Lucion when they had quietly slipped out to the garden without being spotted by other servants, despite her pain.
The reason they got lost now was that Sophia hadn’t stopped Stella, who had looked so excited.
She’s still a child. Makes you want to let her do what she wants.
Sophia had remembered the way back, so she called Stella to return.
“Stella.”
“Sophie, wait—come look at this.”
Stella, who had been wandering around, opened the door to a room and beckoned her over with a serious expression. Curious, Sophia stepped inside.
It was a modest room with minimal furniture.
There had to be a reason she was called in here. As Sophia glanced around, her eyes landed on the portraits hanging on the wall.
Two portraits.
“That’s Lady Chase… right?”
Stella pointed to the portrait on the left.
A woman with long sapphire hair flowing over one shoulder, sitting elegantly while cradling a red rose.
Chase Sevice Roberti. It was her portrait.
And next to it…
“…Mother.”
Red eyes. Hair like a twilight sky, just brushing her shoulders. Scattered with jewel-like gems, shimmering like pearls.
In her arms, she cradled a yellow rose.
It was both unfamiliar and, paradoxically, incredibly familiar.
The moment Sophia laid eyes on the portrait, she instinctively knew.
It was her mother—Beni Ro Lansel.
Sophia stood there, staring blankly at her mother’s beautiful smiling face.
“She’s your mother? She’s really beautiful!” Stella said cautiously.
“…She really is.”
Memories began to sharpen—blurry recollections turning vivid.
She hadn’t been able to miss her before because she hadn’t remembered her. But now, seeing her face so clearly, memories of the time they spent together flooded back.
The warm hand that had stroked her hair, their strolls in the garden, feeding each other madeleines while laughing.
Her only blood relative. Sophia gently placed her hand on the portrait, softly brushing the fingers that held the rose.
How many years had it been? Even after returning in time, her mother had already passed and couldn’t be seen again.
“…I didn’t know this portrait existed.”
There was a special room in the Roberti mansion where only portraits of those bearing the Roberti name were hung.
Since Beni Ro Lansel wasn’t a member of the Roberti family, she had assumed there wouldn’t be a portrait of her.
And Chase—who had died in disgrace—was said to have had her portrait removed.
Yet here they were, together.
The room was clean, though not perfectly so—more like someone unskilled had dusted it lightly.
In front of the portraits sat a luxurious sofa, positioned just right to view them, especially Chase’s.
If someone were to visit this room often… it would be Bled.
Why…?
It made sense to hang Beni’s portrait—but why Chase’s? He was essentially the one who killed her. He hadn’t even mourned her death.
So why… was this painting here?
While Sophia remained absorbed in the portraits, Stella heard footsteps approaching and quietly slipped out into the hallway.
Bled was approaching. Before she could react, he spotted her and glanced toward the room, frowning.
“What are you doing here? This area should be off-limits.”
“I’m sorry… I got lost….”
“…Did you go inside that room?”
“No, I was just curious and about to check what it was. I’m sorry for the disrespect.”
“I hope you’ll be more careful in the future.”
His reaction confirmed it: this room was not meant for just anyone. Stella bowed deeply.
Bled said nothing more and stared at the door. He had come here to enjoy a rare moment of rest from work, but now…
He clearly wanted to enter, but Stella was in the way.
She considered stepping aside—until she remembered Sophia was still inside. It would be enough if she alone got scolded.
Stella knocked lightly on the door, then smiled awkwardly.
“Um… could you help guide me back? I think I’ll get lost again if I go alone… I’m really sorry…!”
“…Come with me.”
There were no servants nearby since the area was off-limits, and rather than calling one over, Bled decided it would be quicker to escort her himself.
“Thank you!”
And so, Stella left with Bled.
Inside the room, Sophia had moved away from the portrait toward the door.
She listened closely—hearing Stella’s voice, speaking with Bled.
Realizing Stella alone was being scolded, Sophia reached for the doorknob—until she heard a gentle knock from Stella.
A signal not to come out.
Then, she heard the sound of Stella and Bled walking away.
If she revealed herself now, it would expose Stella’s lie—and the fact that she had hidden Sophia’s behavior from the lord of the castle.
…She did it for me.
Feeling grateful, Sophia waited quietly for all signs of life outside to vanish.
“…Vitrea, was it?”
The Montblanc shop that Stella liked…
