‘That’s not what matters right now.’
Someone who hadn’t even existed in my previous life had suddenly appeared, and yet I had memories of him in my head.
‘Or rather, it feels closer to memories that didn’t exist suddenly surfacing.’
These unfamiliar memories were from when I was around six or seven years old up until the year I turned twelve.
Before House Krone had completely fallen, Father had exchanges with Marquis Pavel, Ifrit’s grandfather.
The Ifrit I met at the Marquis’s estate was a dazzlingly pretty boy, but he would sometimes surprise me with strange behavior.
It wasn’t long after we had first come to know each other.
“Huh? Ifrit, what are you doing there by yourself?”
I approached him as he crouched down, absorbed in something, and then let out a startled scream.
“Kyaaah!!!”
In his hands was a rabbit, limp and soaked in blood.
It was the white rabbit that lived in their garden, the one I had just called cute a moment before.
“W-why is that rabbit… like that…?”
I was so shocked that I couldn’t bring myself to look at the rabbit and turned my head away. My heart was pounding so hard that I could barely get the words out.
Ifrit just stood there, silently watching me, a rabbit in one hand and a dagger in the other. After a moment like that, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Sorry. I thought you’d like it.”
“W-what? Who would like a blood-soaked corpse like that…?!”
At that, he slowly lowered his gaze as he replied. His large, pretty eyes sank with a crestfallen look.
“When I used to live alone with my mother, we didn’t have anything to eat. So when I brought back animals like this, she praised me. I thought you’d like it too. I’m sorry if you’re angry…”
“Ah.”
He was an illegitimate child. I’d heard that he had been driven out of the Marquis’s House as a child and lived a hard life alone with his mother.
Later, after his father and two half-brothers all died young, his grandfather brought him back and formally accepted him into the House.
If that was the case, then this must have been behavior he’d learned in order to survive in the slums. Even so, it felt like I should tell him that such behavior wasn’t normal.
Still not looking at the rabbit, I spoke carefully.
“I see. But nobles don’t need to hunt their own food. And I like seeing rabbits alive. I don’t want to see blood or dead bodies. They scare me.”
Back then, I was young too, so I couldn’t properly explain why it was a problem. But at least, the message that I didn’t want cute rabbits to be killed must have gotten across.
The pretty boy lifted his eyes slightly to check my expression, then nodded quietly.
“Alright. I won’t kill rabbits anymore.”
That day, we carefully buried the rabbit in a corner of the garden.
However, even after that, he would sometimes do things I couldn’t understand. And I tried to make sense of those actions by recalling his unfortunate past.
Whether it was thanks to my advice or his grandfather’s education, as time passed, those behaviors gradually disappeared.
‘Around then, our exchanges with the Marquis’s House were cut off.’
From about the age when the possibility of my ability manifesting became nearly nonexistent.
After that, as Father fell completely into gambling, our family’s fortunes declined rapidly. Naturally, not only with House Pavel but with other noble Houses as well, our interactions grew fewer and fewer.
It had been about eight years since contact was cut off like that.
We had both been in our early teens back then, and we had changed a lot in the meantime. So, just as I had done, he might not have recognized me right away.
Having not seen me for so long, he might have forgotten me altogether.
‘Since I even showed him the pathetic sight of selling jewelry because I had no money, I kind of hope he never remembers who I am.’
Even if everyone knew our House had fallen, it wasn’t a sight I wanted someone I knew to see.
With a bitter expression, I continued on my way. After looking back on these unfamiliar yet somehow mine memories, doubt rose again.
‘Did I really regress, or did I come to a different life that’s quite similar to my previous one?’
Could there be something else that had changed as well?
***
After returning home and putting away the money from selling the jewelry, I called Sally.
“Sally, I will be blunt. On the day I leave this House, you’re leaving with me.”
If Sally were to leave even a single day later than I did, she might suffer the same tragedy as in my previous life. Not understanding what I meant, Sally just widened her eyes.
“What? Does that mean you will be able to take me with you to House Lansval?”
“No, that’s not it.”
I took out the money pouch and handed it to Sally. When a clinking sound came from the heavy pouch, Sally looked back and forth between it and me in surprise.
“You’re going to take this and go back to your hometown. With this, you should be able to open a small restaurant in the countryside, just like you said. It’s money from selling my accessories, so there’s no need for you to feel indebted to House Krone.”
In truth, with just my accessories, it wouldn’t have been nearly enough to buy a building to open a restaurant, even in the countryside.
This was all thanks to Ifrit giving me a good price for the jewelry. Once again, I felt grateful to him.
“But, my Lady…!”
“You were basically my personal maid. Once I’m gone, you could be assigned to much harder work. And I’ve been watching for a while now, and the way my brother looks at you is suspicious. I don’t know what might happen after I leave.”
It seemed Sally knew that look too, because she lowered her gaze, at a loss for what to do.
“I want you to live safely and happily. So leave with me on the day I go. Please.”
I clasped Sally’s hand tightly with both of mine and spoke earnestly. Soon, a teardrop fell onto the back of my hand.
“Alright, my Lady. Thank you. Truly…”
“Don’t tell the butler that you’re leaving yet. I’ll tell him when the date is close.”
If word got to Huan ahead of time that Sally was quitting and going back to her hometown, there was no telling what he might scheme.
‘A maid quitting isn’t some kind of covert operation, for goodness’ sake.’
Why was sending a single personal maid away safely this difficult?
***
A few days later, the day came for me to visit the Blake estate.
My ankle had improved quite a bit, but I was still walking slowly, so it looked like I would arrive at the meeting place just in time.
I hurried to finish getting ready and was about to head down to the entrance hall when a servant came rushing in through the doorway, pale-faced.
‘Did something happen outside?’
A moment later, Father and Huan came running out of their respective rooms in a flurry. The moment I saw them, I panicked and quickly hid myself behind a large pillar in the second-floor corridor.
‘What is this? I was trying to slip out quietly, and of all times, now…!’
I bit down on my lower lip in frustration.
Father and Huan ran over, hurriedly straightening their clothes and hair as they went, then lined up in front of the front door.
Even from a distance, it was obvious how tense they were, their whole bodies rigid. Of course, whether they were tense or not, whoever had arrived was none of my concern.
‘Even if I try to go out the back door, I still have to go down to the first-floor hall. What am I supposed to do…?’
As I was wondering if there was any way to sneak out without them noticing, the hurried footsteps in front of the entrance suddenly stopped. Silence fell.
‘What’s going on?’
Just as I was about to peek out, I heard the sound of someone walking in. Heavy, unhurried footsteps, a presence that alone was enough to put people on edge.
A moment later, Father’s trembling voice echoed through the hall.
“W-Welcome, Your Grace… Duke Blake!”
‘What?’
For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard.
‘Why is he here?’
Did a hurricane really make landfall at our home? Flustered, I broke out in a cold sweat.
‘Wasn’t he supposed to just have the carriage sent to that spot in the city?’
I slightly leaned my head out from beside the pillar and looked toward the entrance. For a moment, I wondered if he had an appointment with Father, but one look at Father’s face told me everything.
‘Judging by that ghost-seeing expression, that’s definitely not it.’
Seeing the Duke’s imposing figure together with the two men of House Krone, shriveled up in front of him, the contrast was stark.
‘Standing next to those squids, the Duke looks even bigger and more refined than usual.’
Forgetting that I was hiding, I let out a small snort of laughter.
Just then, a faint smile appeared on the Duke’s face as he faced Father.
It felt completely different from the smile he usually showed me.
‘Right now, it’s like a cold plaster statue barely lifting the corners of its lips.’
As I was thinking it was an inorganic smile, the Duke spoke.
“Good afternoon, Count Krone. I am not here today as a guest.”
Then, suddenly, he lifted his gaze and met my eyes, as I peeked out from behind the pillar with only my face showing.
