The Duke took my hand and murmured.
“But we still remember that day vividly as if it were yesterday. It was 20 years ago when we lost you overnight.”
“If it was 20 years ago...”
His green eyes darkened.
“The day you went missing. We thought we had lost everything.”
Missing person?
So does that mean Elizabeth went missing 20 years ago?
It was when my body froze stiffly from the unfamiliar shock.
The Duchess took my hand and spoke in a plaintive voice.
“Ellie, promise me. You will never leave this mother again like that day.”
What answer could I give to the Duchess, whose face looked like it might burst into tears at any moment?
All I could do was nod.
I returned to my room and slowly lay down on the sofa.
“But we still remember that day vividly as if it were yesterday. It was 20 years ago when we lost you overnight.”
“If it was 20 years ago...”
His green eyes darkened.
“The day you went missing. We thought we had lost everything.”
Missing person?
So does that mean Elizabeth went missing 20 years ago?
It was when my body froze stiffly from the unfamiliar shock.
The Duchess took my hand and spoke in a plaintive voice.
“Ellie, promise me. You will never leave this mother again like that day.”
What answer could I give to the Duchess, whose face looked like it might burst into tears at any moment?
All I could do was nod.
***
I returned to my room and slowly lay down on the sofa.
I just stared into space as if lost in deep thought.
“Missing...”
I interrogate May on the way there.
Twenty years ago, I was able to hear about what happened at the Cretian mansion.
"I don’t know the details either. At that time, everyone who worked in the mansion except for the butler and the maid changed. I also came in after that."
But after that, May said she happened to meet a maid who worked at the Cretian mansion and heard about what happened in the past.
When Elizabeth was five, she suddenly disappeared. She returned to the mansion when she was nine. And she did it on her own.
All previous memories were lost.
I tapped the sofa with my fingers.
There was one thing that bothered me about May's words.
"Everyone thought the young lady was dead, but they said you returned to the mansion on your own after four years. They said they remembered it clearly because it was a time when the empire was in an uproar over the Night of Submission."
“What is the night of submission?”
When I listened to May's words, it seemed that there was no one among the people of the empire who did not know about the 'Night of Submission'.
'Is it like Imperial Day?'
Well, I can find out from now on.
It was when I, shrugging my shoulders, got up from my seat to wash up.
Knock knock.
There was a knock at the door, signaling someone's arrival.
"Who is this?"
“It’s Carsis.”
It was late at night and I was wondering what was going on, but since I also had a matter to resolve with Carsis, I told him to come in.
Soon, the door opened with a 'click' and Carsis entered the room.
Carsis also appeared to have been out and was wearing outdoor clothes.
“What’s going on at this hour?”
“I have something to give you, young lady.”
"To me?"
Then he handed what he was holding in his hand to me.
“This is...”
“Miss. It’s a ribbon.”
It was my ribbon that I saw in Carsis' room a few days ago.
The teddy bear disappeared along with the broken one.
I knew it was in Carsis for a long time.
I asked without showing any expression.
“Why do you have this?”
I waited silently for Carsis's answer.
In fact, Carsis' answer was somewhat predictable.
'Whatever the truth is, I'm sure he picked up the ribbon.'
And I had no intention of questioning Carsis, whatever the truth might be.
It was already in the past. I didn't have the energy to care about a broken teddy bear.
“I picked it up.”
Well then, that's right.
It turned out better.
I was wondering how to solve this problem, but you solved it for me like this.
“Really? I was looking for it anyway. Thank you...”
“...I was going to say that, but. That’s a lie. Actually, I had it from the beginning.”
But Carsis's subsequent words left her speechless.
I asked back with a dumbfounded expression, as it was a completely unexpected answer.
"...What?"
“It was I who broke the teddy bear that His Highness the Crown Prince gave you, not the maid. Well, strictly speaking, the maid broke the teddy bear a little, but I broke it even worse.”
“Carsis.”
“Are you upset? Or maybe you’re angry?”
He tilted his head and asked again.
“Was that doll precious to you, young lady?”
I barely managed to move my stiff lips before speaking.
My voice cracked a lot, contrary to my intention.
“You, why?”
And why on earth are you telling me the truth?
Words that couldn't come out lingered in my mouth.
“I’m jealous.”
Carsis replied with a look on his face as if asking something so obvious.
Should I call this honest? Or shameless?
I didn't know whether to be angry or laugh at Carsis's confident attitude.
But it wasn't long before I began to vaguely understand why Carsis had done what he had done.
“This ribbon. I gave it to you as a gift.”
The ribbon wrapped around his finger sagged.
'Ah.'
My eyes opened wide at the answer.
That ribbon was a gift from Carsis.
“I guess this ribbon wasn’t precious to you, young lady. You considered it so trivial as to tie it to a cheap teddy bear the Crown Prince gave you.”
Carsis brought the hand holding the ribbon to his lips and muttered.
It was dark so I couldn't see very well.
His expression seemed a little pained.
“I’m angry and jealous. If I could, I’d rather tear the Crown Prince to pieces than that teddy bear. Or.”
Carsis, who had come closer, lifted my chin.
“Or break your ankles.”
So. So that you can't do anything.
Carsis whispered softly enough for only me to hear and kissed me.
A warm and soft texture that covers the lips.
It was an urgent and thirsty mouth.
The next morning.
I was sitting at the table to dine with the Duke and Duchess as usual.
But I, who had lost my appetite because I had been thinking too much, was just rummaging through the salad.
“What’s wrong, Ellie? Don’t you have an appetite?”
The Duchess, who was observing me closely, asked.
“I didn’t sleep well last night, so I don’t have much of an appetite.”
It can't be helped.
Because Carsis suddenly kissed me, I stayed up all night.
I replayed Carsis' words and actions from last night countless times.
'Well, it might have been unpleasant for Carsis.'
I ended up tying the gift he had given to me to a teddy bear that the Crown Prince had given me.
That reaction was somewhat understandable.
Of course.
"Break your ankles."
I couldn't understand why he said such scary things.
'Where did you learn such bad language?'
Thanks to that, I now have one more thing to worry about.
"Ha..."
I let out a short sigh as I picked up my salad with a fork and started eating it.
The Duchess' face suddenly changed as I continued eating, and she threw down her utensils.
“Ellie! Don’t eat it!”
"Yes?"
I froze in shock at the urgent shouts of the Duchess.
“What is it, Ma’am?”
The Duke also seemed surprised and stopped eating and raised his head.
“There are peanuts in the salad dressing!”
"What?!"
The Duke also took a taste and soon slammed the table.
“Amon!”
Then he called the butler in an angry voice.
'What? What? Why the peanuts!'
I, who didn't understand the whole situation, just blinked.
At that moment, the butler who came in hurriedly bowed his head.
“Are you out of your mind?! Did you forget that Ellie has a peanut allergy?!”
Oh. This is it.
“Missing...”
I interrogate May on the way there.
Twenty years ago, I was able to hear about what happened at the Cretian mansion.
"I don’t know the details either. At that time, everyone who worked in the mansion except for the butler and the maid changed. I also came in after that."
But after that, May said she happened to meet a maid who worked at the Cretian mansion and heard about what happened in the past.
When Elizabeth was five, she suddenly disappeared. She returned to the mansion when she was nine. And she did it on her own.
All previous memories were lost.
I tapped the sofa with my fingers.
There was one thing that bothered me about May's words.
"Everyone thought the young lady was dead, but they said you returned to the mansion on your own after four years. They said they remembered it clearly because it was a time when the empire was in an uproar over the Night of Submission."
“What is the night of submission?”
When I listened to May's words, it seemed that there was no one among the people of the empire who did not know about the 'Night of Submission'.
'Is it like Imperial Day?'
Well, I can find out from now on.
It was when I, shrugging my shoulders, got up from my seat to wash up.
Knock knock.
There was a knock at the door, signaling someone's arrival.
"Who is this?"
“It’s Carsis.”
It was late at night and I was wondering what was going on, but since I also had a matter to resolve with Carsis, I told him to come in.
Soon, the door opened with a 'click' and Carsis entered the room.
Carsis also appeared to have been out and was wearing outdoor clothes.
“What’s going on at this hour?”
“I have something to give you, young lady.”
"To me?"
Then he handed what he was holding in his hand to me.
“This is...”
“Miss. It’s a ribbon.”
It was my ribbon that I saw in Carsis' room a few days ago.
The teddy bear disappeared along with the broken one.
I knew it was in Carsis for a long time.
I asked without showing any expression.
“Why do you have this?”
I waited silently for Carsis's answer.
In fact, Carsis' answer was somewhat predictable.
'Whatever the truth is, I'm sure he picked up the ribbon.'
And I had no intention of questioning Carsis, whatever the truth might be.
It was already in the past. I didn't have the energy to care about a broken teddy bear.
“I picked it up.”
Well then, that's right.
It turned out better.
I was wondering how to solve this problem, but you solved it for me like this.
“Really? I was looking for it anyway. Thank you...”
“...I was going to say that, but. That’s a lie. Actually, I had it from the beginning.”
But Carsis's subsequent words left her speechless.
I asked back with a dumbfounded expression, as it was a completely unexpected answer.
"...What?"
“It was I who broke the teddy bear that His Highness the Crown Prince gave you, not the maid. Well, strictly speaking, the maid broke the teddy bear a little, but I broke it even worse.”
“Carsis.”
“Are you upset? Or maybe you’re angry?”
He tilted his head and asked again.
“Was that doll precious to you, young lady?”
I barely managed to move my stiff lips before speaking.
My voice cracked a lot, contrary to my intention.
“You, why?”
And why on earth are you telling me the truth?
Words that couldn't come out lingered in my mouth.
“I’m jealous.”
Carsis replied with a look on his face as if asking something so obvious.
Should I call this honest? Or shameless?
I didn't know whether to be angry or laugh at Carsis's confident attitude.
But it wasn't long before I began to vaguely understand why Carsis had done what he had done.
“This ribbon. I gave it to you as a gift.”
The ribbon wrapped around his finger sagged.
'Ah.'
My eyes opened wide at the answer.
That ribbon was a gift from Carsis.
“I guess this ribbon wasn’t precious to you, young lady. You considered it so trivial as to tie it to a cheap teddy bear the Crown Prince gave you.”
Carsis brought the hand holding the ribbon to his lips and muttered.
It was dark so I couldn't see very well.
His expression seemed a little pained.
“I’m angry and jealous. If I could, I’d rather tear the Crown Prince to pieces than that teddy bear. Or.”
Carsis, who had come closer, lifted my chin.
“Or break your ankles.”
So. So that you can't do anything.
Carsis whispered softly enough for only me to hear and kissed me.
A warm and soft texture that covers the lips.
It was an urgent and thirsty mouth.
***
The next morning.
I was sitting at the table to dine with the Duke and Duchess as usual.
But I, who had lost my appetite because I had been thinking too much, was just rummaging through the salad.
“What’s wrong, Ellie? Don’t you have an appetite?”
The Duchess, who was observing me closely, asked.
“I didn’t sleep well last night, so I don’t have much of an appetite.”
It can't be helped.
Because Carsis suddenly kissed me, I stayed up all night.
I replayed Carsis' words and actions from last night countless times.
'Well, it might have been unpleasant for Carsis.'
I ended up tying the gift he had given to me to a teddy bear that the Crown Prince had given me.
That reaction was somewhat understandable.
Of course.
"Break your ankles."
I couldn't understand why he said such scary things.
'Where did you learn such bad language?'
Thanks to that, I now have one more thing to worry about.
"Ha..."
I let out a short sigh as I picked up my salad with a fork and started eating it.
The Duchess' face suddenly changed as I continued eating, and she threw down her utensils.
“Ellie! Don’t eat it!”
"Yes?"
I froze in shock at the urgent shouts of the Duchess.
“What is it, Ma’am?”
The Duke also seemed surprised and stopped eating and raised his head.
“There are peanuts in the salad dressing!”
"What?!"
The Duke also took a taste and soon slammed the table.
“Amon!”
Then he called the butler in an angry voice.
'What? What? Why the peanuts!'
I, who didn't understand the whole situation, just blinked.
At that moment, the butler who came in hurriedly bowed his head.
“Are you out of your mind?! Did you forget that Ellie has a peanut allergy?!”
Oh. This is it.
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