When Edith narrowed her eyes and smiled, Jeron looked at Deikan, asking what she was talking about.
“Was it a secret?”
Deikan simply widened his eyes as if he knew nothing and asked back.
“W-What?!”
“It was clear to everyone.”
“D-Don’t say useless things. When did I ever say I liked Edith?”
“I never said you liked Lady Edith. You did not say it that way.”
“Deikan…”
Jeron, unable to control his expression at the teasing tone, gritted his teeth and called Deikan’s name.
Knowing that if he kept teasing him, it would turn into another commotion, Deikan hurriedly tried to leave, saying he should go now.
Of course, he was stopped.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Jeron, his eyes sharp, gestured for him to lower his head.
Deikan awkwardly lowered his head, and the two of them muttered something to each other.
It was safe to assume it wasn’t anything nice.
Edith let out a small laugh, but the old memories that resurfaced made her feel a little bitter.
Because they were memories she could no longer share with anyone.
“You look close. I’m jealous.”
“Hm?”
“Are the counseling sessions going well?”
Perhaps that was why she had let her guard down.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked a question she shouldn’t have.
“…Hm?”
“What?”
“Did Deikan say he was counseling me?”
Jeron stared at Edith intently, as if something was strange, while Deikan looked at her with a cold, hardened expression.
“I only introduced myself with my name. How did you know that I provide counseling?”
“…Ah. Well, that is…”
‘I’m screwed.’
Edith’s face turned pale as she stammered.
‘What should I say?’
She frantically tried to think of something, but no excuse seemed like it would work, and she bit her lip.
“My Lady.”
At that moment—
“I told her.”
Someone spoke from behind Edith.
Startled, she turned around and saw Monet standing there with his hands clasped behind his back.
“…You did, Sir?”
Deikan frowned, while Jeron let out a small sigh of relief.
“Ah, why did you tell her that? You startled me.”
“…Indeed.”
Monet was smiling, but his expression was strangely cold as he looked at Edith.
Only then did she realize that Monet hadn’t taken her side.
Seeing Jeron’s relieved expression, she felt certain she was right.
He had only pretended to cover for her so Jeron wouldn’t be hurt, no matter what.
“Then let’s go play now!”
“…Ah, okay…”
Edith avoided Monet’s gaze and followed Jeron, who held out his hand to her, as they passed by Monet.
***
Lisellon realized that someone was investigating him.
They seemed to be careful, but Lisellon always paid close attention to rumors about himself.
He had left matters related to Aisha alone since they served a purpose, but anything related to his own safety wasn’t something he would overlook.
“Who is it?”
“It appears to be Duke Capanteni.”
“What? Why would that man suddenly—”
“We do not know that either….”
House Capanteni had been quiet for years.
No, he knew they had been investigating continuously.
But he also knew they had found nothing.
That was only natural, since there had been far too few clues.
And yet now, they were stirring things up as if they knew something.
“…Could it be that he knows something?”
“Shall we keep watch?”
Of all things, the situation had become complicated because Reminus, a newly appointed divine figure, had intervened.
How shocked he had been when he heard that Edith had awakened.
Still, he believed he had handled her memories properly.
Even if it had been done perfectly, humans were remarkable beings, and sometimes the storehouse of memories reopened.
Something might have triggered her to recall fragments.
It wasn’t certain yet, so he would have to observe for now.
If she weren’t the young lady of a Ducal House, he would have killed her immediately, but he couldn’t do that.
House Capanteni was a hornet’s nest too dangerous to stir carelessly.
“Keep watch.”
Lisellon said, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
“If she shows any suspicious signs, you may eliminate her.”
“Understood.”
No matter how dangerous the hornet’s nest was, it would be better to eliminate it before her memories returned.
That was Lisellon’s judgment.
***
Two days passed in an instant.
It had gone by so quickly that it almost felt too short.
But Edith thought it was time to return.
In truth, Jeron had been very reluctant to see her go, and Duke Capanteni had even given silent permission for her to stay up to four days if she wanted.
His voice had sounded quite sad when he said it, but permission was permission, so she had intended to stay four days if possible.
But it didn’t seem like she could.
If she stayed longer, she felt she might make another mistake like she had when she saw Deikan before.
Thinking of Jeron, who had been downcast all day because she would be leaving tomorrow, she also wanted to stay longer.
Her thoughts tangled, Edith rubbed her face with dry hands and tossed and turned.
It seemed she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on her door.
‘Who is it? Jeron?’
Edith answered for them to come in and looked toward the door, but it was Monet, not Jeron.
“My Lady.”
“…Sir Monet?”
She had thought he wasn’t planning to dig any further, since he had remained quiet, so she was relieved—but she hadn’t expected him to come suddenly.
Unable to hide her flustered expression, she saw Monet’s eyes narrow further.
Gulp.
Edith swallowed dryly and, pretending to be calm, steadied her voice and asked.
“W-What brings you here?”
“You approached on purpose, did you not? No matter how I think about it, it is strange. I even spoke with Dr. Deikan, and he said he only told you his name. It is strange.”
She had hoped it wasn’t the case, but Monet had indeed come because he was suspicious of what happened that day.
If she had known this would happen, she should have pretended to be asleep.
Well, if she were in his place, she would have been suspicious too.
Still, Edith decided to act shamelessly.
After all, he only had suspicion, no concrete evidence.
“No, I did not.”
“Ha. Well, if you say so, there is nothing I can do.”
“So please do not tire me out with baseless suspicion—”
“But tell me this. What do you think would happen if I reported this to His Grace?”
“…”
She would never be able to see Jeron again.
And Luzbel as well.
“I do not think that is what you want, my Lady.”
She should have tried to understand Monet better when she had lived in the ducal manor before.
Back then, she had never spoken with him like this, so she hadn’t known what kind of person he was.
“Tell me. I will listen and decide. Whether you are someone who should be allowed to stay by our Young Master’s side.”
He was someone who didn’t hesitate to use any means necessary.
Just seeing him threaten her with a smile made that clear.
Well, he did seem quite capable, which made it understandable why Luzbel kept him close.
Edith let out a small laugh, as if she had lost.
Monet looked at her with surprise.
He must have expected her to explode in anger.
“What do you want me to say?”
Edith asked calmly.
“The truth.”
The truth.
Who would believe something so absurd?
Edith wondered how much of the truth she should reveal.
In any case, it seemed impossible to deceive him completely.
“I did approach on purpose. There was something I was curious about.”
“Ha!”
Monet laughed, as if he had expected that answer.
“What could a young lady like you possibly have been curious about?”
“…How much a Saint is needed in this territory.”
“Hm? What did you say?”
Monet blinked, as if wondering why the topic of a Saint had suddenly come up.
Edith decided it would be better to reveal that she was a Saint, even if it was only a partial truth, rather than the truth that she had originally been Aisha.
It seemed more believable than saying she had been Aisha.
“I am a Saint.”
“Huh? What? No, that cannot be?”
But Monet, as if he still hadn’t given up on linking her with Luzbel, awkwardly raised and lowered the corners of his mouth, clearly flustered.
“Meeting Jeron at first was really just a coincidence.”
“N-No, how am I supposed to believe that? A Saint? Does that even make sense?”
“The rain stopped. When I came here.”
“…Gasp.”
Monet widened his eyes in shock and covered his mouth with both hands.
He let out hollow laughs again and again, fidgeting in disbelief.
But he had no choice but to believe it.
After all, the rain that hadn’t stopped no matter what anyone did had miraculously stopped when she arrived.
“It is true? Really? This… why…?”
“Is it not a relief that I did not approach with bad intentions?”
“That is true, but this is something I never expected at all. I thought you had really fallen for His Grace!”
“I told you, that is not it.”
Still, sometimes it did feel strange.
Because she kept feeling a flutter she had never felt when she was Aisha.
Of course, she tried her best not to show it.
She thought Luzbel would feel uncomfortable if she did.
Honestly, wasn’t it strange?
Why was she feeling something she had never felt as Aisha only now that she was Edith?
She had even gone to see a physician, wondering if it was an arrhythmia, but she had only been told she was healthy.
After ruling that out, she wondered what else could make her heart race.
No matter how she thought about it, the feeling resembled nothing but excitement, which made it even stranger.
Why was she feeling excited?
Luzbel hadn’t done anything to her.
Certain there must be another reason, Edith firmly denied that she had fallen for Luzbel.
“…Should I be happy about this…?”
Monet muttered with a somewhat hollow expression.
Still, it was a relief that this truth could conceal the other truth.
Even if she had told him, he probably would have accused her of lying and insisted she had fallen for him anyway.
“What will you do now?”
“About what?”
“You say you do not want to become a Saint. Then why did you tell me? What if I reveal everything? No, but is it not strange that I even believe this? Why did the rain really stop?”
Still confused and rambling, Monet spoke incoherently, and Edith continued calmly.
“I do not know yet. Honestly, I was surprised too when the rain stopped after I came here. But… I do not want to reveal that I am a Saint. You know I am already in a very exhausting position.”
“…”
Monet looked at Edith with a very complicated expression.
