Chapter: 19
It was still before sunrise, the morning dim and gray.
Seria snapped her eyes open and headed straight for the window. Thanks to the heavy snowfall during the night, a decent layer of snow had piled up on the ground.
One by one, servants carrying brooms appeared outside. Among them were Erica and Amy.
Just as Seria had asked the day before, the two girls diligently began clearing the snow starting from the side closest to Seria’s room.
Watching the scene silently, Seria closed the curtains and opened the window.
The cold dawn air brushed against the tip of her nose.
“Shall we begin?”
She extended her hand toward the outside. In an instant, a cold gust of wind swept through the room before gathering at her fingertips.
Holding back her hair as it fluttered wildly, Seria moved one hand as if giving a quiet command.
Whooo—
With a single gesture, a small whirlwind appeared.
“Kyaaak!”
“Sister! W-what is that?!”
The sisters froze in place after noticing the whirlwind pulling snow up behind them.
Hiding her body behind the curtain, Seria peeked out to observe the situation outside.
“If you work diligently, you can go back inside sooner! If you want even a cup of warm water, then move faster!”
A sharp voice pierced Seria’s ears—it was Tilda, the head maid.
Tilda bustled around, scolding the other maids. Judging by the way she behaved, she seemed harsh not only to the Bell sisters but to the others as well.
Seria’s eyes gleamed when she spotted her.
She slowly extended her index finger, guiding the whirlwind.
“Ugh…”
A quiet groan escaped Seria’s lips as she controlled the wind.
Keeping the whirlwind from growing larger required delicate control.
Following her finger, the whirlwind hovered around Erica and Amy, pulling in the surrounding snow.
“S-Sister… what is that? The wind is clearing the snow for us.”
“It’s dangerous—come here, Amy!”
Erica grabbed the dazed Amy and pulled her close.
Standing at a distance, the sisters stared blankly at the swirling wind, unable to believe the strange phenomenon unfolding before their eyes.
“Erica! Amy! What do you think you’re doing just standing around?!”
With an enraged expression, Tilda strode toward them, clearly thinking she had found a perfect excuse to scold them.
At that sight, the corners of Seria’s lips curled upward.
At the same time, the whirlwind—until now quietly gathering snow—began to grow larger.
“Kyaa! Sister!”
“Amy!”
As the whirlwind expanded, the sisters’ hair whipped violently around them.
They dropped their brooms and crouched down.
“Erica, A— huh?!”
Just then, Tilda arrived close enough to notice the whirlwind and widened her eyes. Her startled expression was almost comical.
As if she had been waiting for this moment, Seria flicked her finger, sending the whirlwind straight toward Tilda.
“Kyaaaah!”
Tilda let out a piercing scream and fled, with Seria chasing her using the whirlwind.
Terrified by the wind that stubbornly followed only her, Tilda shrieked loudly enough to shake the entire mansion.
“Hoo…”
Sweat beaded on Seria’s forehead. Maintaining the whirlwind’s size was difficult enough—controlling its movement precisely was even harder.
As annoying as Tilda was, Seria had no intention of actually harming her, so she had to be careful.
Besides, the purpose of using her powers was to draw the Duke of Bellvat’s attention. Letting things escalate into a serious accident would defeat that goal.
Seria heightened her concentration.
“What’s going on?!”
“H-Huh? What is that…?!”
“Head maid!”
Other servants rushed over to Tilda, who was running in circles.
At that moment, Seria lifted the whirlwind high into the empty air, then immediately dispersed it.
The snow the wind had been carrying fell straight down, forming a small mound like a miniature snow mountain.
Once the seemingly endless game of tag ended, Tilda collapsed onto the ground, her legs giving out.
While the surrounding servants tended to Tilda, others gathered around the Bell sisters, who had witnessed everything from the closest distance.
“That should be enough for now.”
Seria closed the window and lay back down on her bed.
Now all that remained was for one of the duke’s confidants to faithfully report what they had seen and heard.
And surely, Erica and Amy would be questioned as well, asked to explain exactly what had happened.
“I feel a little bad…”
Seria murmured softly, covering her eyes with her arm.
What bothered her most was that she had dragged the sisters into this mess.
She hoped that one day she would be able to tell them the truth—but whether that day would ever come was uncertain.
The afternoon wore on, the sun gradually sinking lower in the sky.
From morning until now, Seria had quietly stayed in her room, waiting for the Duke of Bellvat to summon her.
But for some reason, there was no word from him at all.
She had expected him to move quickly, just as he had when informing the emperor.
Frowning, Seria pulled Erica and Amy—who were standing nearby—and had them sit in front of her.
“You said you saw something strange this morning. A whirlwind, right?”
“Yes! I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. Right, sister?”
“Amy’s right…”
Unlike the excited Amy, Erica looked slightly frightened.
“Did anyone ask you in detail about what happened this morning?”
“Yes. So many people came that I can’t remember everyone.”
If that was the case, then surely someone among them would have reported to the duke.
Was this still not enough?
The Duke of Bellvat was more formidable than Seria had expected.
If so, there was no choice but to throw out even stronger bait.
Seria sprang to her feet.
“Erica, Amy. Where is the Glass Garden? Could you show me the way?”
“We could… but…”
“What’s wrong?”
Amy hesitated, lowering her voice as if something troubled her.
“The duke might not like it… It’s a place he cherishes. And people who don’t work in the garden usually aren’t allowed inside.”
“I see. Thank you for telling me, Erica.”
So the answer really was the Glass Garden.
If only certain people were allowed to work there, it meant they were highly trusted by the duke.
However, since it was a place he treasured, using her powers recklessly there could easily backfire.
Still, simply waiting around like this felt like a waste of time.
Even if she didn’t use her abilities, it seemed worth at least taking a look.
With a resolute expression, Seria stood up again.
“You don’t have to go in with me. Could you at least guide me close to it?”
At Seria’s earnest request, Erica and Amy had no choice but to nod.
As they walked toward the Glass Garden under the sisters’ guidance, Seria felt as if someone were watching her.
She checked her surroundings several times, but nothing seemed out of place.
Still, this gaze felt different from the curious looks of passing servants.
It felt as though someone was following her.
Seria abruptly stopped.
“What’s wrong, Miss?”
“Erica, Amy. I think it would be better not to go to the Glass Garden after all. Sorry for bothering you.”
“Not at all. Would you like us to guide you somewhere else instead?”
“Thank you, but I’ll pass. I want to walk around alone for a bit. You two can take a rest.”
Shaking her head, Seria gently turned the sisters back.
If she was truly being followed, it would be easier to confirm it while alone.
Once alone, Seria quickened her pace toward a less crowded area.
She could faintly hear footsteps trailing behind her.
The only person who would assign someone to tail her was the Duke of Bellvat. That meant he was watching her actions—but something felt off.
This entire mansion was already under the duke’s control. Why bother with such an obvious tail?
And the shadowing was so clumsy that it was easy to notice.
What was the point of this?
When Seria deliberately stepped outside the mansion, the footsteps behind her vanished.
It seemed the pursuer had given up.
“I don’t get it.”
Instead of summoning her directly, the duke had sent a half-hearted shadow. She couldn’t understand his intentions at all.
Still, at least she had learned that he wasn’t completely uninterested. That alone counted as some progress.
Taking a deep breath of the cold outdoor air, Seria turned and headed back into the mansion.
