[CHAPTER 78]
Ariana Granger glared at the count with slightly bloodshot eyes and clenched her fists tightly.
“If you report my sister, I will never stay quiet. I’ve told you so many times already that she was framed.”
“…Ha! Ariana, have you finally lost your mind? How dare you talk back to your father?!”
“If I offended you, I apologize, but I’m not insane. I think selling out a family member who’s in danger is what’s truly insane.”
Both the count and I stared at her with our mouths hanging open.
It was hard to believe that Ariana, who was gentle and soft-hearted and had always obeyed her father, was speaking back so firmly.
“Ariana!”
Bang!
Unable to contain his rage, the count slammed his fist onto the desk.
Ariana’s small shoulders flinched upward, but she did not retreat in fear.
Instead, she became even more resolute.
“Go ahead and report her if you want. But don’t forget that we’ll be punished too for hiding a criminal. I’ll say I protected my sister because Father ordered me to.”
“W-What?”
“I’ll testify that Father secretly saved my sister by smuggling her out.”
Wow, why is my little sister so good at talking like this?
While I admired her inwardly, the Count Granger looked flustered.
He grabbed the back of his neck and groaned.
“Good grief, they say raising daughters is useless! Are you hurt somewhere? You’ve never once raised your voice at me before, so why are you suddenly acting like this?!”
The count ranted and raved.
When Ariana still didn’t apologize, he loosened his cravat as if overheated and snapped at her.
“As it is, I already received word from His Highness the Crown Prince asking why you’ve been refusing to meet him lately. Don’t tell me you’re acting like this toward him too?!”
Oh, our Ariana just became even more admirable.
The count, who failed to notice my pleased smile, continued venting his anger at Ariana.
“You need to earn His Highness’s favor so your life can flourish and our family can gain honor! Tsk, you foolish child!”
What utter nonsense.
He was using Ariana to profit off the Crown Prince while stuffing his own pockets.
How could someone be this shameless?
Ariana must have thought the same, because her round eyes sharpened.
“…Think whatever you like, Father. I’ve decided to become strong to protect someone precious to me now.”
“What did you say?”
“I won’t live the way others want me to anymore. I’ll decide my own life.”
“Hah…!”
“And we’ll handle our own matters, so you don’t need to worry about us.”
After delivering a sharp rebuke, Ariana grabbed my hand with a flushed face.
“Sister, let’s go!”
She dragged me out decisively, leaving the stunned count unable to stop us.
As I obediently followed Ariana, I felt deeply moved.
She was the sister I had always worried about for being too meek.
Had she come to this realization on her own during the half year I was gone?
It almost felt like an awakening.
And then…
“Ariana, are you okay?”
In a corridor far from the office, I quietly asked after feeling the trembling transmitted through our clasped hands.
She had looked brave and impressive in front of the count, but her hand had been shaking violently the whole time.
Ariana finally released the breath she had been holding in.
“S-Sister, I… I did well, right…?”
“Yeah, you did great. You were incredibly reliable.”
“Th-That’s a relief. I was actually so scared, but I held it in…”
Having lived obediently all her life, it was only natural that defying the count terrified her.
I opened my arms and hugged her tightly.
I patted her back to calm her rough breathing and trembling and spoke softly.
“From now on, your sister will protect you.”
“Yeah. I’m counting on you.”
Her small whisper was so cute that I let out a faint smile.
It would have been nice if the count had settled down after this, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
* * *
“Leave the Granger household immediately.”
The next day, the count summoned me in secret without Ariana and ordered me the moment he saw my face.
“If not, I’ll report you to His Highness the Crown Prince right now. If you want to preserve even that pathetic excuse for a life, get out quietly.”
His pitiful threat didn’t even earn a laugh from me.
Standing was tiring, so without asking permission, I sat down on the sofa.
The count’s brow twisted unpleasantly.
I answered calmly.
“Then please give me a few days.”
“What days? I was insane to let the likes of you into my house in the first place!”
“That’s not true. I’m the one who revived the collapsing Granger pharmaceutical guild. Isn’t that right?”
You’d have been crushed under debt without me.
Unable to deny that fact, the count kicked the desk with an irritated expression.
“So what are you trying to say? Our family is about to be ruined because of you!”
“It’s fine. That won’t happen.”
“Enough. Can’t you leave already?!”
“I said I’ll leave, so give me time. Otherwise, I won’t go quietly either. That’s not what you want, is it?”
When I stared straight at him, he flinched and muttered incredulously.
“What’s wrong with everyone all of a sudden since yesterday?”
The rebellion of the two daughters who had always been meek before him seemed to utterly confuse him.
Honestly, Esther should have been like this from the start.
There was no need to cower before a man who was a father in name only.
For Esther, who trusted me and left, I would no longer play the role of the good daughter he exploited.
“Hah… fine, I’ll give it to you. But exactly one week. Not a day more!”
“Yes, understood. Then I’ll be going.”
With the matter settled, I stood up without hesitation.
The count looked like he still had more to say, but it was probably just more venting, so I left without listening.
One week isn’t exactly generous, but…
It’s enough time to set up a move against the count.
I went straight to Ariana’s room.
Taking the hand of my sister who greeted me with a bright smile, I made a request.
“Ariana, could you introduce me to one of your friends?”
“My friend? Who? I don’t really have many friends…”
Ariana drooped the corners of her eyes gloomily.
I knew why.
That mad Crown Prince had already stripped away everyone around her.
“It’s okay. I don’t either.”
After comforting her, I got to the point.
“I want to meet Joshua Green.”
He was Ariana’s childhood friend, a genius mage, and the sub male lead of .
A tragic character who lost both his first love and unrequited love to the Crown Prince, the male lead.
* * *
Thanks to Ariana contacting him right away, we were able to meet him at our usual dessert house.
Vivid, sea-colored hair, drooping eyes paired with a bold impression, and a loosely worn Mage Tower uniform.
He looked exactly as described in the text.
“Oh, Josh! You came?”
When Ariana waved brightly, Joshua’s face turned bright red.
As if trying to hide it, he lowered his head slightly, then stepped closer and ruffled Ariana’s hair.
“You doing well? You never contacted me, so I thought something happened.”
“Sorry, I’ve been busy lately. Were you waiting for my message?”
“Nah. I’m a busy guy too.”
Joshua replied with a playful smile.
Yeah, right.
In the original story, even when his life was in danger, he only thought of Ariana.
There was no way he hadn’t been waiting.
But the Crown Prince turned out to be insane compared to the original. I wonder what Joshua’s true nature is like…
“Wow, you really are the older sister?”
His low voice suddenly cut in, startling me into stepping back.
Joshua, who had leaned in to inspect me with curious eyes, quickly realized his rudeness and apologized.
“Ah, sorry about that. I heard from Ariana that you were alive, but I didn’t realize I was staring.”
“No, it’s fine.”
I waved my hand awkwardly.
He had known Ariana since she was seven, so he and I were acquainted as well.
We had only seen each other a few times from afar, but perhaps due to his natural disposition, he treated me familiarly right away.
I’m friendly too, but this is impressive.
“Still, I’m tight-lipped. I won’t go around saying I saw you, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. But why did you want to see me?”
As Joshua scooped up a large spoonful of the parfait Ariana had ordered in advance, he asked the question.
I clasped my hands together and answered politely.
