Chapter 98
“Please take care of me from now on, Aisha.”
“Yes. Please take care of me as well, Lady Reiana.”
Perhaps sensing the two of us, the Head Priestess tightly held both my hand and Mother’s hand instead.
She didn’t say anything, but the meaning behind that gesture was immense.
It was such a strange experience. How was it that I had never seen my mother before, yet I could recognize her instantly?
“Well then, from now on Reiana will take charge of Aisha’s studies, and let’s head back for today. Aisha.”
“Head Priestess… is it really alright for me to do that?”
I had thought my life was a tragedy. Becoming a nameless, insignificant person in this world was a tragedy from the start. I believed it was fortunate enough just to have survived a life that should have ended early.
The reason I wasn’t hurt at all whenever the Grand Duke first called me an orphan girl and dismissed me at every turn was because, despite everything, I was still alive. No matter how I was treated, I was alive—and I could go on living.
That was the kind of life I had lived. A life where it was enough simply not to die.
And yet… and yet, to think I could achieve everything I wanted like this. It was hard to believe. I had been certain that once the matter concerning the Grand Duchess was finished, I would naturally have to come to the temple. So this moment felt like a dream.
“Of course. The Head Priestess does not speak falsehoods. So you may trust my words.”
I nodded as I looked at her.
“Yes!”
“Enjoy your life.”
Live the life I could not enjoy—you should enjoy it for me.
She hadn’t said it outright, but it felt as if I could hear those words. I could sense that she truly cared for me.
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Come visit often while you study to become a priestess. Tell me about the life you live. What kind of world it is. I won’t remain confined anymore either… but the world an old person can see and the world a young person like you can see are different.”
“Yes.”
“Then hurry along to your friends. They are very precious friends, aren’t they?”
I nodded and left the place. My heart felt strange. When I first came in, I had actually meant to ask a favor—to delay my preparations to become the Head Priestess just a little. Until I became an adult… no, just to let me stay a little longer.
I had intended to say that, but I forced back the tears that threatened to spill.
“Thank you. Next time, I’ll come with the others.”
“Very well.”
That was the end of it.
I bowed deeply in farewell, and at that moment Reiana—Mother—also said goodbye to me.
“See you next time, Aisha.”
“Yes, Lady Reiana.”
That was it.
I left the temple immediately afterward. I was happy that I had met my mother, but even more than that, my heart pounded because I was allowed to live as myself.
Even in the carriage back to the Grand Duke’s residence, I couldn’t contain my excitement.
They won’t suddenly change their minds after all this… right?
But even if they did, it was fine. Just being able to stay with the children was enough.
“I want to go back quickly.”
I wanted to tell them. I wanted to hug the twins tightly. Then Rohen would probably recoil and ask what I was doing. I’d just say, because. I could already picture Rohen’s face. Lari would see me like that and happily hug me too, saying she liked her big sister.
The joy of finally being able to spend time with the twins without any other burden made my heart race uncontrollably. Perhaps because of those feelings, the carriage to the Grand Duke’s residence felt unusually slow. It was quite some time before we arrived.
“We have arrived, Lady Aisha.”
The moment I heard the coachman’s words, I practically sprang out of the carriage.
But the instant I stepped down, my face stiffened.
As if to snap me back to reality, Zephri was standing in front of the carriage.
“Hello, Aisha.”
“……”
The one who pretended to be close to the twins in the novel. Rather than the Grand Duchess, who was an obvious villain, someone like Zephri was far more troublesome.
Still, perhaps because I had been unusually wary this time, things had been quieter than expected. I had even forgotten about him completely. So why was he here now—of all days? I had only just managed to secure a future with the twins. All I needed to do was tell the Grand Duke… so why was he appearing here?
“You won’t return my greeting again today? That’s a bit disappointing.”
I couldn’t help sounding colder than usual. It was as if God were telling me—on the very day I foolishly thought I wouldn’t have to go through what Aisha had suffered in the novel—
That the future had not yet arrived. That it was still too soon to relax.
“Aisha?”
When I simply stared at him without answering, he looked at me with a bright smile. No matter how favorably the Grand Duke treated me, the man standing before me was still a young lord of rank. An ordinary orphan girl couldn’t just ignore someone like that, so I lowered my head.
“Hello, Lord Zephri.”
“Hello. Thanks to you, there’s been quite a stir in the Grand Duke’s house lately. It’s been rather entertaining.”
“I see.”
“But your reaction is disappointing. Why do you hate me that much?”
He tilted his head as he looked at me.
Because with that pretty face and gentle smile, you bewitched the twins and tried to use them to take the Grand Duke’s position.
A person’s essence doesn’t change. They merely hide their claws to suit the situation.
“I’ve never particularly disliked you. Nor have I liked you. If I neither like nor dislike someone, I think it’s best to simply lose interest and not associate with them.”
“You say things that could really hurt someone so casually.”
The ever-smiling expression on his face began to shift.
“Because it’s the truth.”
“Compared to that, you seemed to get along quite well with Her Grace the Grand Duchess.”
“I disliked her. That’s why I interacted with her. That’s all. Do I need to say more? Is there some rule that I have to get along with you to stay in this household?”
I stared at him blankly.
“That’s still a little disappointing. I thought I’d helped you quite a bit.”
What was he talking about all of a sudden?
“Well, perhaps only a little. When Her Grace the Grand Duchess ignored the Grand Duke’s household and diverted money elsewhere, or when she suddenly started hating you and tried to kill you, I lent a bit of help behind the scenes…”
“Praise loses its power when you say it yourself. If you did help, then thank you—but I doubt you did it without a reason, so I’m not overwhelmingly grateful.”
I rejected him in a firm voice. Honestly, I was a bit puzzled. Things had gone so smoothly that it had felt almost too easy. And now he was saying it was because he’d been pulling strings behind the scenes.
Even if that were true, I still disliked him.
“Haha. Are you really eight years old? Now I see why His Grace the Grand Duke favors you.”
“I’m just a bit exceptional.”
“Being around His Grace must have rubbed off on you—you’ve even picked up his shamelessness. I like that very much.”
“I don’t like it at all. Lord Zephri, I mean.”
“Don’t hate me so much. Honestly, the two of us are like impurities in this family, aren’t we? I like that. I’m glad I’m not the only one. It gives me a sense of kinship. In that sense, we’d get along quite well.”
“Not really. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going.”
Zephri placed a hand on my head.
“What are you doing?”
“A compliment. And perhaps a sign that we should get along from now on.”
“Let go.”
“A storm is coming soon. Her Grace the Grand Duchess will never be driven out of here. If what you want is her downfall… you’d be better off taking my hand.”
“……”
I grabbed his hand, trying to shake him off. But he was far older and stronger than me, so there was no way I could break free. Instead, it ended up looking like I was the one clinging to him.
“Let go.”
“I’ll help you. I’ll give you what you want. So give me a little of your attention as well.”
“…That will never happen. I dislike you.”
“Why do you hate me that much? Since the very first time we met?”
Because you’re someone who will harm my precious children.
“Do you need a reason to dislike someone? I just don’t like this side of you.”
“…Alright. I understand. It can’t be helped.”
Only then did he lower his hand.
“You’re going to hate me even more now.”
“Yes.”
“But I’m kind.”
“Kind people don’t say it. They show it.”
“I’ll show you. That I’m kind.”
I didn’t believe him at all. In the novel, the twins also thought Zephri was a good person. There weren’t many people here whom the children had opened their hearts to. That was why I disliked him even more—people who used that kind of trust. I would never let the children be manipulated by him this time.
Just then—
“What are you doing?”
A sudden voice cut in. Startled, I turned toward the source of the sound.
It was Rohen.
“Rohen….”
“What were you two doing?”
Rohen looked back and forth between us with a very displeased expression.
“We weren’t doing anything.”
“…Not doing anything? I saw you.”
“Don’t misunderstand, Rohen. Nothing really happened. I was just talking with Lord Zephri for a moment.”
“If you were just talking, why was he patting your head?”
Rohen’s expression had already hardened with misunderstanding.
It was a look I had never seen on him before. For a moment, I even felt as though ominous black smoke was rising from his body.
“Nothing happened, Rohen.”
No matter what I said, it didn’t seem like he would let go of the misunderstanding. Fortunately, Zephri spoke up.
“…Nothing happened?”
“I was just clinging to her, asking to be friends.”
“…Why would you cling to her?”
“Because I took a liking to Aisha. So I asked to be friends.”
At that moment, Rohen pulled me toward his side.
