Arabella leisurely went out into the hallway and looked around the second floor, pretending not to be interested.
'There is no one!'
Isabella was nowhere to be seen. No signs of presence could be heard from Isabella's room, and the room on the first floor that Lucrezia was temporarily using was also quiet. She glanced at the girls' living room and in front of her mother's original bedroom on the second floor, but neither her older sister nor her mother were there either.
'Okay then, let's go in.'
Arabella checked carefully to see if any maids were present and then entered Isabella's room. Isabella has been wearing only simple dresses and light makeup, but her style has not gone anywhere. Her dressing table was still filled with expensive cosmetics and strange makeup tools.
'Really pretty!'
Arabella forgot the purpose of sneaking into Isabella's room and picked up the roses on Isabella's dressing table. Arabella dabbed the cheek rouge onto her lips and admired the delicate color. She liked the fact that her reflection in the mirror looked a bit like Isabella's older sister, and she looked like a grown-up young lady.
'No no, not this.'
Arabella, who had been intoxicated by her reflection in the mirror for a long time, suddenly came to her senses. Then she diligently began searching near Isabella's dressing table. She had a knack for remembering the order in which she removed items so that she could easily put them back.
‘Let me see, I think it was around here...'
Isabella's partial wig was caught in Arabella's hands as she rummaged through the boxes piled up under the dressing table one by one.
'Found it!'
The bright flaxen human hair wig, the exact same color as Isabella and Arabella's hair, had a soft iron buckle at the end that held the wig close to the scalp. Arabella held the iron clamp up to the light. It was a dark color, but the part that received the light was unusually white. Arabella bent the iron clamp and straightened it again.
'I mainly use silver... Is it mixed with lead?'
For a piece of metal of that size, it was extremely heavy. This was the characteristic when lead was added. The softness of the metal was almost the same as what was seen in Ariadne's room.
‘I think this is right. I have to take it to Ari!'
Arabella even felt good when she thought about Ariadne who would be happy to see the iron buckle. Her indoor dresses, worn by the noble ladies, had no pockets, so she held in the palm of her hand a piece of Isabella's human-hair wig with an iron fastener, and with quick movements, she was putting Isabella's things back in their place. At that time, a high-pitched oriole-like voice rang loudly through the ceiling from behind.
“What are you doing here now?”
"Ahh!"
Arabella looked back in surprise. Isabella stood there, looking down at the kneeling Arabella, looking down on her intimidatingly.
“The traitor. If you went and got stuck on a rock that rolled around, you would just stick to that place. Now, are you crawling into my room like a rat and searching through my things?”
Arabella lowered her body, feeling cold sweat running down her back. She tried to make excuses, but they would be of no use to her. When Isabella lost her temper like this, the best thing to do was to run away quickly.
“I-I’m sorry... I won’t look back again.”
It was an apology that she would never have made under normal circumstances. Because it will definitely be lost again. There is no need to lie to each other in the family. But now that the distance from Isabella has grown, her older sister feels a bit like a stranger.
Searching through other people's things is objectively a bad thing. So Arabella felt like she owed an apology. Isabella must have sensed something strange about Arabella's apple, which was different from usual, and she looked Arabella up and down with the persistence of a snake.
“You were searching to steal something.”
Arabella usually swept the cosmetics shelves when Isabella entered her room. Color cosmetics were Arabella's top priority. Isabella's cosmetics shelf was relatively clean today. Nothing was touched except the rose rouge, which opened and closed the lid.
“Oh, nothing.”
Arabella pointed to Isabella's cosmetics shelf with her chin.
“It’s clean.”
Isabella looked at the cosmetics shelf and then at Arabella with suspicious eyes. Arabella took advantage of Isabella's distress and decided to quickly run away.
“I’ll just go now. I’m sorry, sister!”
As Arabella quickly got up and ran towards Isabella's door, Isabella's voice full of doubt pierced her ears.
“Wait a minute, what is that thing you’re holding in your hand?”
Three or four strands of hair were sticking out of Arabella's tightly clenched left fist. The bright gold hair shimmered brilliantly in the light. Arabella's pupils dilated with tension.
'Just give me this?'
Arabella thought for a moment and then shook her head. If she left like this today, there was no way she would sneak into Isabella's room again. Besides, Isabella wouldn't obediently let Isabella Arabella go if she gave this away. Even if she can't do it, she will set up a punishment for several hours and show her mischief before releasing her. Rather...
'Let's run away!'
After Ariadne returned home, Isabella could not touch Arabella. She only has until then to kill time, whether by locking the door and hiding in a corner of the mansion or by locking herself in a corner of the mansion. If she can kill the time, Arabella wins.
“You were searching to steal something.”
Arabella usually swept the cosmetics shelves when Isabella entered her room. Color cosmetics were Arabella's top priority. Isabella's cosmetics shelf was relatively clean today. Nothing was touched except the rose rouge, which opened and closed the lid.
“Oh, nothing.”
Arabella pointed to Isabella's cosmetics shelf with her chin.
“It’s clean.”
Isabella looked at the cosmetics shelf and then at Arabella with suspicious eyes. Arabella took advantage of Isabella's distress and decided to quickly run away.
“I’ll just go now. I’m sorry, sister!”
As Arabella quickly got up and ran towards Isabella's door, Isabella's voice full of doubt pierced her ears.
“Wait a minute, what is that thing you’re holding in your hand?”
Three or four strands of hair were sticking out of Arabella's tightly clenched left fist. The bright gold hair shimmered brilliantly in the light. Arabella's pupils dilated with tension.
'Just give me this?'
Arabella thought for a moment and then shook her head. If she left like this today, there was no way she would sneak into Isabella's room again. Besides, Isabella wouldn't obediently let Isabella Arabella go if she gave this away. Even if she can't do it, she will set up a punishment for several hours and show her mischief before releasing her. Rather...
'Let's run away!'
After Ariadne returned home, Isabella could not touch Arabella. She only has until then to kill time, whether by locking the door and hiding in a corner of the mansion or by locking herself in a corner of the mansion. If she can kill the time, Arabella wins.
Arabella immediately ran towards the door. Isabella shouted harshly.
“Aren’t you standing there? I won’t leave you alone!”
Arabella ran as quickly as a squirrel into the hallway of the west wing on the second floor. But Isabella followed Arabella with the agility of a wild cat. Isabella chased after Arabella and repeatedly saw Arabella's hair shining in her grasp, only then did she realize what her sister had stolen from her.
“Aren’t you standing there? I won’t leave you alone!”
Arabella ran as quickly as a squirrel into the hallway of the west wing on the second floor. But Isabella followed Arabella with the agility of a wild cat. Isabella chased after Arabella and repeatedly saw Arabella's hair shining in her grasp, only then did she realize what her sister had stolen from her.
When Isabella saw the hair, at first she thought she had picked up a jeweled hairpin or something. But looking at the amount of the hair flowing out, she realized that it was a human hair wig.
'Wait a minute, why is she carrying that?'
It wasn't even a whole human hair wig, it was just one piece of human hair wig. A single wig cannot be used for decoration. Doesn't this seem like she is taking it to give someone a sample or evidence?
'Wait a minute, why is she carrying that?'
It wasn't even a whole human hair wig, it was just one piece of human hair wig. A single wig cannot be used for decoration. Doesn't this seem like she is taking it to give someone a sample or evidence?
As it turned out, the direction Arabella was running was towards Ariadne's residence. Isabella finally realized why Arabella was taking that human hair wig. She must have been trying to find evidence of the iron buckle that had been used on Ariadne's dress at the Debutante Ball. The hook attached to Ariadne's clothes was inspired by the decoration of human hair wigs and was made of the same metal with increased lead content.
“You rat!”
If that item is discovered, it will be a big problem. Cardinal de Mare had already suspended Isabella for three months for trying to ruin Ariadne's reputation at the masquerade ball. In the end, she did this even though nothing much happened to Ariadne. By that standard, ripping the breast of Ariadne's dress at her debutante ball would have been unforgivable.
‘I can’t even die! If I get caught, I'll be in big trouble!'
Isabella was only able to catch up with her youngest sister near the central staircase of the de Mare mansion.
"Hey there!"
Grab!
“You rat!”
If that item is discovered, it will be a big problem. Cardinal de Mare had already suspended Isabella for three months for trying to ruin Ariadne's reputation at the masquerade ball. In the end, she did this even though nothing much happened to Ariadne. By that standard, ripping the breast of Ariadne's dress at her debutante ball would have been unforgivable.
‘I can’t even die! If I get caught, I'll be in big trouble!'
Isabella was only able to catch up with her youngest sister near the central staircase of the de Mare mansion.
"Hey there!"
Grab!
Isabella succeeded in grabbing Arabella's wrist at the top of the central staircase.
“Give it to me.”
“I hate it!”
“Give it to me now, you rat!”
“I don’t like it!”
Isabella could not hold back her rising anger. She screamed, grabbing Arabella's left fist and tearing it open with her fingernails.
“Whose younger sister are you? Are you trying to ruin your sister’s life by sticking to a rolling stone?”
Arabella also had something to say. From Arabella's point of view, who had no idea why Isabella was freaked out, the current situation was nothing more than a situation where Isabella, in her greed and fierceness, did not want to share her only piece of human hair wig.
“If you are my real sister, then act like my real sister! Is sister nice to me? Play with me? If you scream and swear all the time and even His Majesty the King behaves like that, you’re a tyrant!”
Arabella tried inserting difficult words she had learned from her tutor in political science class. That made Isabella angry.
“Where did something as small as a rat get broken?!”
Isabella gave up trying to forcefully take away the iron buckle, raised her right hand that was holding Arabella's wrist, and raised it high to hit Arabella.
This was the stance Lucrezia always took when hitting her subordinates.
“Uh, huh?”
Arabella, who was applying as much force as she could to free her wrist from Isabella's grasp, suddenly felt that Isabella's hand holding her disappeared and she lost her balance. Arabella instinctively flailed her arms to keep from falling behind her. They were standing at the start of the central staircase of the de Mare mansion. These were the same stairs that Arabella had pushed Isabella down on the first day Ariadne had come to the Cardinal's residence in San Carlo.
“Aaaah!”
Arabella's hand gestures were becoming increasingly more intense. Arabella flailed her arms and desperately tried to balance her weight as she tried to fall behind her. Arabella's left fist loosened as she struggled to keep her balance, and the iron clamp attached to her golden hair sparkled inside her fist. Arabella's gaze met Isabella's. Isabella had two options. Will she hold Arabella down as she tries to fall behind her, or will she take away that iron buckle?
“Give it to me.”
“I hate it!”
“Give it to me now, you rat!”
“I don’t like it!”
Isabella could not hold back her rising anger. She screamed, grabbing Arabella's left fist and tearing it open with her fingernails.
“Whose younger sister are you? Are you trying to ruin your sister’s life by sticking to a rolling stone?”
Arabella also had something to say. From Arabella's point of view, who had no idea why Isabella was freaked out, the current situation was nothing more than a situation where Isabella, in her greed and fierceness, did not want to share her only piece of human hair wig.
“If you are my real sister, then act like my real sister! Is sister nice to me? Play with me? If you scream and swear all the time and even His Majesty the King behaves like that, you’re a tyrant!”
Arabella tried inserting difficult words she had learned from her tutor in political science class. That made Isabella angry.
“Where did something as small as a rat get broken?!”
Isabella gave up trying to forcefully take away the iron buckle, raised her right hand that was holding Arabella's wrist, and raised it high to hit Arabella.
This was the stance Lucrezia always took when hitting her subordinates.
“Uh, huh?”
Arabella, who was applying as much force as she could to free her wrist from Isabella's grasp, suddenly felt that Isabella's hand holding her disappeared and she lost her balance. Arabella instinctively flailed her arms to keep from falling behind her. They were standing at the start of the central staircase of the de Mare mansion. These were the same stairs that Arabella had pushed Isabella down on the first day Ariadne had come to the Cardinal's residence in San Carlo.
“Aaaah!”
Arabella's hand gestures were becoming increasingly more intense. Arabella flailed her arms and desperately tried to balance her weight as she tried to fall behind her. Arabella's left fist loosened as she struggled to keep her balance, and the iron clamp attached to her golden hair sparkled inside her fist. Arabella's gaze met Isabella's. Isabella had two options. Will she hold Arabella down as she tries to fall behind her, or will she take away that iron buckle?
Isabella's choice was simple.
Gran!
Isabella instinctively snatched the iron buckle from her hold on Arabella.
“Uh, huh?!”
Arabella barely maintained the center of gravity due to Isabella rushing towards her, and she fell behind the stairs while making direct eye contact with Isabella.
“Aaaahhh!”
Boom!
“Uh, huh?!”
Arabella barely maintained the center of gravity due to Isabella rushing towards her, and she fell behind the stairs while making direct eye contact with Isabella.
“Aaaahhh!”
Boom!
Isabella thought there would be a crunching sound first, followed by a thudding sound of falling to the floor. She did that the other day when she fell down her stairs. But she heard only one impact after Arabella fell, very loud and hard to hear on the marble floor.
Isabella quickly hung on the railing and looked down at the situation downstairs. Arabella was lying in a picturesque position with the back of her head against the marble floor of the first floor. After being hit, she couldn't even cry out a word. She didn't even move a muscle.
'Blood? Are you bleeding?'
A frightened Isabella looked down from the railing on the second floor, but there was no sign of fresh blood from where Isabella stood.
'She's not dead, is she?'
Isabella looked around hastily. The first thing Isabella checked was whether she had seen anyone. Fortunately for her, no one saw Arabella fall. Isabella had barely escaped her imprisonment. She was in no position to risk any more trouble now.
'If someone accuses me of pushing Arabella, my father will believe it!'
A chill ran down her spine. This time it was a trip to a convent. In a noble family, sending a female daughter to a convent was the equivalent of a death sentence. If he had a crippled or idiot daughter, if there was a scandal he couldn't handle, or if he didn't have the money to pay a dowry and had too many daughters, he sent the daughter to a convent.
'Blood? Are you bleeding?'
A frightened Isabella looked down from the railing on the second floor, but there was no sign of fresh blood from where Isabella stood.
'She's not dead, is she?'
Isabella looked around hastily. The first thing Isabella checked was whether she had seen anyone. Fortunately for her, no one saw Arabella fall. Isabella had barely escaped her imprisonment. She was in no position to risk any more trouble now.
'If someone accuses me of pushing Arabella, my father will believe it!'
A chill ran down her spine. This time it was a trip to a convent. In a noble family, sending a female daughter to a convent was the equivalent of a death sentence. If he had a crippled or idiot daughter, if there was a scandal he couldn't handle, or if he didn't have the money to pay a dowry and had too many daughters, he sent the daughter to a convent.
In many cases, once a nun entered a convent, not even her family came to visit her, and she never came out again. In it, women who were abandoned by their families worked for wages to earn food and firewood for themselves.
'No, I can't live like that.'
Even if there were no witnesses, if anyone heard Isabella and Arabella fighting, it would be over. The two fought. Arabella fell from the top of the stairs to the first floor. Why did she fall?
'No, I can't live like that.'
Even if there were no witnesses, if anyone heard Isabella and Arabella fighting, it would be over. The two fought. Arabella fell from the top of the stairs to the first floor. Why did she fall?
Isabella's palms began to sweat profusely. She hurriedly checked her appearance. There were no signs of a fight, such as Arabella scratching herself. Isabella smoothed out her crumpled clothes and quickly tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear.
“It’s time to mop the second floor, let’s go up.”
“I’m in charge of the east room today, right?”
She heard the maids coming out of the kitchen on the first floor, talking loudly. Isabella's eyes widened. She shouldn't have been caught standing here in this situation. She straightened her back and walked back to her room on the second floor with as casual a step as possible. Her posture was good, but her steps were very slow. Isabella hurried back to her room and closed the door with a bang.
“It’s time to mop the second floor, let’s go up.”
“I’m in charge of the east room today, right?”
She heard the maids coming out of the kitchen on the first floor, talking loudly. Isabella's eyes widened. She shouldn't have been caught standing here in this situation. She straightened her back and walked back to her room on the second floor with as casual a step as possible. Her posture was good, but her steps were very slow. Isabella hurried back to her room and closed the door with a bang.
In any case, when Cardinal de Mare was at the house, Isabella always locked herself in her room, locking the door.
Yeah, nothing happened. It's just the same afternoon as any other. Nothing happened. I didn't do anything.
Isabella ran to the dresser, picked up the box containing her human hair wig, and threw the entire box into the fireplace in her room. The paper box caught fire in the fireplace and burned brightly. Isabella threw on top of a piece of her human hair wig that she had taken from Arabella's hand. The hair caught fire and the pungent smell of burning squid spread throughout the room. When it's all burned down, Isabella will scrape up the ashes and bury them in one corner of the yard.
Isabella stood there staring at the blazing fireplace without even thinking about ventilating herself.
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