"You really can do everything, young lady. You must have just started dancing, but how can you dance so well?"
Lisa spoke with a hint of admiration, her hand wrapped around Aila's waist. True to her word, Aila seemed quite adept at ballroom dancing.
Of course, it was because these were movements she had already learned once in her previous life, but Aila smiled faintly and gave the credit to Lisa.
“It’s because my partner is so good at leading.”
“Oh my, you too, young lady...”
Lisa burst into laughter at her joke. It was a very lively time.
Except for one person, Laura.
She allowed Byron to speak directly with Aila, who seemed to be feeling down, but seeing her so proud made her think that she was also a part of Aila's scheme.
Why on earth did she start acting so selfishly?
Laura attributed it to Lisa. Perhaps Lisa's constant verbal tirades, which had been bolstering Aila's spirits, had led to her constant self-indulgence and arrogance.
She forgot to control her expression and glared at Lisa, who was circling around the room with Aila.
'I think it's all because of that girl, Lisa, that you've been secretly ignoring me.'
Laura bit her lower lip. She knew this couldn't go on. She had to get that Lisa away from Aila, no matter what.
And Aila watched Laura from the corner of her eye. Judging by her uneasy expression, it seemed Laura would make the same mistake she had made before her regression.
The next day, Aila told her mother Laura's story during a tea break alone with her.
“So what you’re saying is, Laura, that kid is going to steal your stuff and try to frame Lisa for it?”
Ophelia rubbed her chin as if she was not entirely satisfied with her daughter's words and asked back.
No matter how desperate she felt, she couldn't even imagine how Laura would frame an innocent person and try to drive her out. It was a heinous act beyond her imagination.
“Yes. I’m not sure, but... I think so.”
Aila nodded and answered.
Although she didn't show it on the outside, Aila was actually nervous. She was worried about what she'd have to say if her mother asked how she knew about the plan.
But contrary to her worries, Ophelia didn't ask such questions. She was deeply engrossed in thinking about how to best utilize this opportunity.
"If Laura were caught doing something like that, we could kick her out of this mansion. That would make your life a little easier."
As Ophelia smiled and opened her mouth, Aila shook her head slightly.
"No, we can't kick Laura out of the mansion. She's a spy for Byron, and I could use her to get information about him. A change in contact would be confusing, so Laura needs to stay in the mansion until we catch him."
“Then what do you plan to do?”
Ophelia tilted her head and asked, unable to figure out what Aila was thinking.
"That is..."
Aila lowered her voice and laid out her plan.
When she finished her story, Ophelia winked and smiled as if she saw her daughter again.
"My daughter is quite the woman. You have such wild thoughts."
“So, will you help me carry out my plan?”
At the compliment that didn't sound like a compliment from her mother, Aila asked with a red face.
"Of course. It sounds like a good idea, even to me. I'm sure your father would agree."
Ophelia answered with a big smile.
And that night, she told her husband, Roderick, about Aila's wild plan.
“What do you think? Doesn’t it sound like a great plan?”
But contrary to her expectations, Roderick's face wasn't as bright. He seemed to be deep in thought, his brow furrowed, as if pondering something.
“What’s wrong, Roderick?”
Ophelia pressed her hand to his deeply furrowed brow and asked. Roderick groaned awkwardly and muttered.
“That’s right, um...”
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
She asked, her voice squeezing. She couldn't stand the thought of what on earth was causing her husband to hesitate so much.
Roderick scratched his head as if his mind was complicated, then opened his mouth as if to say, "Let it be."
“...Didn’t you feel something strange about Aila?”
“What do you mean, strange?”
Ophelia tilted her head as if she couldn't understand what her husband was saying.
"That... this time too. How did Aila know about that girl Laura's plans? I'm not sure, but I think she said it was likely."
If Laura had shared her plans with Aila, she wouldn't have said she wasn't sure. Of course, given Laura's personality, it's unlikely she'd share her plans with Aila.
At his words, Ophelia finally felt uncomfortable and grimaced.
"Now that I hear it, that's true. But... you said 'this time too', right? Are you implying there were other strange things besides this?"
“...Yes, there have been a few times.”
Roderick nodded and began to talk about the things that had struck him as odd.
"It happened when I went to the territory... I'm definitely telling this story for the first time, but the child said she'd heard the same thing from me before. Aila said it was just a misunderstanding, but... it bothered me."
Once he started thinking about it, even the words and actions that he had previously ignored began to feel strange.
It was the same when he told her about Suki Insidio. At first, he said he couldn't remember at all because he was so young, but when he told her about the scorpion tattoo, she became confident and said it was definitely Suki Insidio.
Somehow, he felt like it didn't make sense.
Ophelia also thought it was strange after hearing his story.
Something that is too mature for its age, or something that has a neat handwriting that takes a lot of time and effort to achieve.
She knew one reason why these feelings of discomfort might arise. But, like a hazy fog hanging over her mind, the answer felt distant.
Ophelia sighed, pressing her temples. Her head was in a state of confusion.
“I know what you mean. But she said she'd tell me everything someday.”
“...That’s what it was.”
“So... wait, we. Be patient.”
She smiled weakly and said to her husband.
Let's wait.
That was all they could do.
"Laura, what's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere? You don't look well."
Lisa asked with concern. Laura seemed unmotivated all day today.
“Oh, I’m just not feeling well. My stomach feels a little sore...”
Laura answered weakly, rubbing her lower abdomen. It wasn't really painful; it was just a show to buy time to figure things out.
But Lisa, who had no way of knowing Laura's dark intentions, lowered her eyebrows and opened her mouth as if she was sorry.
"Oh my, what should I do? How about going to your room and resting today? Is that okay with you, Miss?"
“Yes? Yeah, of course. Laura, go home early today and get some rest.”
When Lisa mentioned her, Aila nodded and allowed Laura to leave early.
Of course, Aila knew that Laura was faking it, but she allowed it to happen to lure her into a trap.
How exhilarating it would be to fall into the trap you set yourself to bring down Lisa.
“...Then, I’m sorry, but I’ll go in first, miss.”
Laura left the room, pretending to be in pain until the very end. She planned to sneak into Aila's closet, avoiding everyone's attention, and steal her valuables.
And Aila, who was looking at her back like that, smiled and said to Lisa.
"Lisa, could you run an errand for me? Go to my mother and tell her that what I told you about is ready."
“Oh, yes, of course. I’ll be back, miss.”
She left the room without delay at Aila's command.
As Lisa left the room, Aila, left alone, smiled broadly. All she had to do now was wait.
And at that moment, Laura, who had left the room under the pretense of being sick, was hiding behind a pillar in the hallway near Aila's closet.
Because it was a place where many precious jewels were stored, the knights guarding the mansion patrolled frequently.
As expected, she peeked out and looked in front of the closet, and noticed a knight looking around the hallway.
'Why are you patrolling now, of all times? The timing is...'
Laura bit her lip and waited for the knight to move on.
And then, Lester, the butler, appeared in the hallway.
She frowned and stared at the sight. It was hard enough to get through without even shaking off a single knight, and now a butler showed up. She even wondered if today was the day.
But the butler wasn't a hindrance to her, but rather a help. Of course, he didn't intend to do that.
“Her Excellency is looking for you, Sir Sionel.”
“The Duchess?”
He disappeared, taking the knight guarding the corridor in front of the wardrobe with him. It was a golden opportunity for Laura.
She checked several times to make sure no eyes were watching her and slowly moved to the closet.
Lisa spoke with a hint of admiration, her hand wrapped around Aila's waist. True to her word, Aila seemed quite adept at ballroom dancing.
Of course, it was because these were movements she had already learned once in her previous life, but Aila smiled faintly and gave the credit to Lisa.
“It’s because my partner is so good at leading.”
“Oh my, you too, young lady...”
Lisa burst into laughter at her joke. It was a very lively time.
Except for one person, Laura.
She allowed Byron to speak directly with Aila, who seemed to be feeling down, but seeing her so proud made her think that she was also a part of Aila's scheme.
Why on earth did she start acting so selfishly?
Laura attributed it to Lisa. Perhaps Lisa's constant verbal tirades, which had been bolstering Aila's spirits, had led to her constant self-indulgence and arrogance.
She forgot to control her expression and glared at Lisa, who was circling around the room with Aila.
'I think it's all because of that girl, Lisa, that you've been secretly ignoring me.'
Laura bit her lower lip. She knew this couldn't go on. She had to get that Lisa away from Aila, no matter what.
And Aila watched Laura from the corner of her eye. Judging by her uneasy expression, it seemed Laura would make the same mistake she had made before her regression.
***
The next day, Aila told her mother Laura's story during a tea break alone with her.
“So what you’re saying is, Laura, that kid is going to steal your stuff and try to frame Lisa for it?”
Ophelia rubbed her chin as if she was not entirely satisfied with her daughter's words and asked back.
No matter how desperate she felt, she couldn't even imagine how Laura would frame an innocent person and try to drive her out. It was a heinous act beyond her imagination.
“Yes. I’m not sure, but... I think so.”
Aila nodded and answered.
Although she didn't show it on the outside, Aila was actually nervous. She was worried about what she'd have to say if her mother asked how she knew about the plan.
But contrary to her worries, Ophelia didn't ask such questions. She was deeply engrossed in thinking about how to best utilize this opportunity.
"If Laura were caught doing something like that, we could kick her out of this mansion. That would make your life a little easier."
As Ophelia smiled and opened her mouth, Aila shook her head slightly.
"No, we can't kick Laura out of the mansion. She's a spy for Byron, and I could use her to get information about him. A change in contact would be confusing, so Laura needs to stay in the mansion until we catch him."
“Then what do you plan to do?”
Ophelia tilted her head and asked, unable to figure out what Aila was thinking.
"That is..."
Aila lowered her voice and laid out her plan.
When she finished her story, Ophelia winked and smiled as if she saw her daughter again.
"My daughter is quite the woman. You have such wild thoughts."
“So, will you help me carry out my plan?”
At the compliment that didn't sound like a compliment from her mother, Aila asked with a red face.
"Of course. It sounds like a good idea, even to me. I'm sure your father would agree."
Ophelia answered with a big smile.
And that night, she told her husband, Roderick, about Aila's wild plan.
“What do you think? Doesn’t it sound like a great plan?”
But contrary to her expectations, Roderick's face wasn't as bright. He seemed to be deep in thought, his brow furrowed, as if pondering something.
“What’s wrong, Roderick?”
Ophelia pressed her hand to his deeply furrowed brow and asked. Roderick groaned awkwardly and muttered.
“That’s right, um...”
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
She asked, her voice squeezing. She couldn't stand the thought of what on earth was causing her husband to hesitate so much.
Roderick scratched his head as if his mind was complicated, then opened his mouth as if to say, "Let it be."
“...Didn’t you feel something strange about Aila?”
“What do you mean, strange?”
Ophelia tilted her head as if she couldn't understand what her husband was saying.
"That... this time too. How did Aila know about that girl Laura's plans? I'm not sure, but I think she said it was likely."
If Laura had shared her plans with Aila, she wouldn't have said she wasn't sure. Of course, given Laura's personality, it's unlikely she'd share her plans with Aila.
At his words, Ophelia finally felt uncomfortable and grimaced.
"Now that I hear it, that's true. But... you said 'this time too', right? Are you implying there were other strange things besides this?"
“...Yes, there have been a few times.”
Roderick nodded and began to talk about the things that had struck him as odd.
"It happened when I went to the territory... I'm definitely telling this story for the first time, but the child said she'd heard the same thing from me before. Aila said it was just a misunderstanding, but... it bothered me."
Once he started thinking about it, even the words and actions that he had previously ignored began to feel strange.
It was the same when he told her about Suki Insidio. At first, he said he couldn't remember at all because he was so young, but when he told her about the scorpion tattoo, she became confident and said it was definitely Suki Insidio.
Somehow, he felt like it didn't make sense.
Ophelia also thought it was strange after hearing his story.
Something that is too mature for its age, or something that has a neat handwriting that takes a lot of time and effort to achieve.
She knew one reason why these feelings of discomfort might arise. But, like a hazy fog hanging over her mind, the answer felt distant.
Ophelia sighed, pressing her temples. Her head was in a state of confusion.
“I know what you mean. But she said she'd tell me everything someday.”
“...That’s what it was.”
“So... wait, we. Be patient.”
She smiled weakly and said to her husband.
Let's wait.
That was all they could do.
***
"Laura, what's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere? You don't look well."
Lisa asked with concern. Laura seemed unmotivated all day today.
“Oh, I’m just not feeling well. My stomach feels a little sore...”
Laura answered weakly, rubbing her lower abdomen. It wasn't really painful; it was just a show to buy time to figure things out.
But Lisa, who had no way of knowing Laura's dark intentions, lowered her eyebrows and opened her mouth as if she was sorry.
"Oh my, what should I do? How about going to your room and resting today? Is that okay with you, Miss?"
“Yes? Yeah, of course. Laura, go home early today and get some rest.”
When Lisa mentioned her, Aila nodded and allowed Laura to leave early.
Of course, Aila knew that Laura was faking it, but she allowed it to happen to lure her into a trap.
How exhilarating it would be to fall into the trap you set yourself to bring down Lisa.
“...Then, I’m sorry, but I’ll go in first, miss.”
Laura left the room, pretending to be in pain until the very end. She planned to sneak into Aila's closet, avoiding everyone's attention, and steal her valuables.
And Aila, who was looking at her back like that, smiled and said to Lisa.
"Lisa, could you run an errand for me? Go to my mother and tell her that what I told you about is ready."
“Oh, yes, of course. I’ll be back, miss.”
She left the room without delay at Aila's command.
As Lisa left the room, Aila, left alone, smiled broadly. All she had to do now was wait.
And at that moment, Laura, who had left the room under the pretense of being sick, was hiding behind a pillar in the hallway near Aila's closet.
Because it was a place where many precious jewels were stored, the knights guarding the mansion patrolled frequently.
As expected, she peeked out and looked in front of the closet, and noticed a knight looking around the hallway.
'Why are you patrolling now, of all times? The timing is...'
Laura bit her lip and waited for the knight to move on.
And then, Lester, the butler, appeared in the hallway.
She frowned and stared at the sight. It was hard enough to get through without even shaking off a single knight, and now a butler showed up. She even wondered if today was the day.
But the butler wasn't a hindrance to her, but rather a help. Of course, he didn't intend to do that.
“Her Excellency is looking for you, Sir Sionel.”
“The Duchess?”
He disappeared, taking the knight guarding the corridor in front of the wardrobe with him. It was a golden opportunity for Laura.
She checked several times to make sure no eyes were watching her and slowly moved to the closet.
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