At Roderick's question, Lisa, who had been hesitating, opened her mouth.
“It’s so sudden, I don’t know... But if you want Laura to stay at the mansion, that’s fine with me.”
Lisa finished her answer in a flustered voice. She looked completely dumbfounded.
Aila gently stroked Lisa's back. She felt unbearably guilty, as if she had done something she shouldn't have done to Lisa because of her own plan.
“...Lisa says so too, Laura. From now on, you will stay in the attic and take care of the mansion’s chores. Still, will you remain in this mansion?”
“Yes, yes! Of course! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry...”
Laura nodded in response to Roderick's words. The attic was far better than being dragged to the authorities for questioning or kicked out of the mansion.
Of course, that doesn't mean there were no complaints at all.
‘While you’re helping, let me help you a little more...’
Laura lay lost in thought on the creaking bed in the attic. Even though Aila's help had saved her from being evicted from the mansion, she felt no gratitude.
'What am I going to do if you don't help me? I don't have any other contacts.'
Laura grumbled and went to sleep. Starting tomorrow, she'd have to wake up at the crack of dawn and do all the dirty work.
“Lisa, I’m so sorry.”
Aila bowed her head to Lisa and apologized.
If she were in her shoes, she would have undoubtedly been deeply offended. The victim was Lisa, but her superiors were turning their backs on Laura, the perpetrator, and begging for leniency.
But Lisa didn't seem to think so at all, and instead comforted Aila with an embarrassed expression.
"You don't need to apologize, Miss. And... I hope you don't think it's your fault. It's not your fault; Laura harbored such ill intentions. You've been very kind to Laura."
When she pretended to take Laura's side, it seemed that she was bothered by the fact that she had said, 'It was my fault for not doing well for Laura to feel that way.'
At Lisa's words, Aila's heart grew heavier. Lisa, such a kind person, would take Laura's side, even lying to her and tormenting her. No matter how justified it may be.
After thinking about it for a while, Aila decided to be honest with Lisa.
“That... wasn’t true. I said that because I had to leave Laura at the mansion... but honestly, I’d rather have her receive a greater punishment.”
“Oh, I see... I said that because I thought you were feeling guilty for no reason, but I’m glad you said no.”
Lisa smiled broadly, as if relieved. It would be easy to blame Aila in this situation, but she didn't seem to feel that way at all.
“Don’t you... Hate Laura? If she had succeeded, you might have been branded as a traitor and kicked out.”
That was actually the case. Aila returned to the past, and the incident was undone, but Laura had once framed Lisa for the crime and sent her back to her hometown.
At first, no one believed that the good Lisa had done such a thing, but as Laura and some of the servants went on to say how poor Baron Herzig was, public opinion gradually changed.
Everyone had prejudices against her because she came from a poor family.
“...That’s right. Maybe they didn’t believe me. My family is poor.”
Lisa, whom I'd always thought was just kind, was surprisingly well-versed in reality. She already knew how terrifying stereotypes can be.
“And... of course I hate it. I’m not broad enough to understand and forgive those who harbor ill will toward me.”
At Lisa's lonely face, Aila held her hand tightly and opened her mouth, hoping her true feelings would be conveyed.
“I would have believed you, Lisa.”
"...Thank you, Miss. I also believe you trusted me. That alone is comforting. So please don't feel sorry for me. I don't know what your circumstances are, Miss, but I want you to do what you want."
When Lisa finally smiled brightly, Aila followed suit and smiled bashfully.
"Lisa, you're such a sweet talker. Is that a talent you're born with? Talking to you always makes me feel good."
Aila spoke with genuine envy. Perhaps she lacked the gift of eloquence, as she could only manage cold, caustic remarks.
"Oh, now that you say that, young lady, I must work harder. To make you happier, to say more kind words than I do now."
Lisa smiled brightly, as if genuinely delighted by Aila's compliment. At that smile, Aila's heavy heart seemed to lighten as if it were a feather.
“What did you just say?”
Capella asked, her red eyes narrowed as if she couldn't believe her ears.
“I heard Laura was kicked out of her position as the Princess’s maid and put in charge of chores, Sister-in-law.”
Cloud spoke again in a calm voice. He had just come back from sharing the news with Byron.
Naturally, his master was furious. He was furious, asking how he could have handled his niece's guard so poorly that she was being kicked out for failing to properly handle such a simple task.
This time, it was clearly Laura's fault, so Cloud couldn't make any excuses and had to bear the full brunt of Byron's wrath.
“How did that happen?”
"...They say she tried to frame another of the Princess's maids for theft, but they were caught. It could have gotten worse, but fortunately, thanks to the girl's pleas to the Duke and Duchess, it was resolved with a disciplinary action within the mansion."
Cloud sighed deeply. Looking at the note she'd sent him, she'd seen no sign of remorse for her mistake.
She said that she had no choice but to do it because the daughter of Baron Herzig kept flirting with Aila.
"I hope this isn't some conspiracy hatched by someone. Maybe that girl, or maybe the Duke and Duchess know Laura's true identity..."
Capella asked, as if her daughter couldn't possibly have made such a stupid mistake. It was a kind of escapism.
"In the letter she sent me, she confessed to the crime herself. She said she did it to get rid of the daughter of the Herzig family, who was interfering with her work."
“You stupid woman... If you’re going to do something, you shouldn’t get caught...!”
Capella gritted his teeth in anger and raised her voice. It was exactly what Byron had said earlier.
“...She’s your daughter. Aren’t you being too harsh?”
"I guess you still have the heart to defend her because she's your niece, Cloud. I thought you only cared about that woman."
She snorted and grumbled. She was not happy with Cloud's attention to Aila.
“...”
Cloud kept his mouth shut. Arguing with Capella, who was already losing her temper over the news of her daughter, would only result in a wasteful argument.
Capella, who had been glaring at Cloud with sharp eyes for a moment, soon opened her mouth in a slightly calmer voice.
"What about other things? Getting weapons from the arms dealer."
Now was the time to start preparing for the move. So that when the doors to the Duke's mansion opened wide, they could move immediately.
And the first step was to buy weapons.
“...It’s going well, Sister-in-law. I’ll be home soon.”
"You've checked the items carefully, right? Even if it's a surprise attack, dealing with the Knights of Weishaffen...."
"Yes, of course it's top quality. My Lord has personally verified it, so don't worry."
Cloud interrupted Capella's nagging and answered. He didn't want to provoke her, but if he let it go, the private conversation would get longer.
Fortunately, Capella's suspicions seemed to have eased a little when Byron, who rarely stepped forward, said he had personally confirmed the situation.
“Then I’ll go and take care of business, sister-in-law.”
Cloud quickly left the place, avoiding Capella.
He's sick of everything.
The niece, who is busy making excuses even after plotting a bad deed, and the sister-in-law, who is only angry that his niece was caught doing the bad deed.
Even Cloud, who had no right to say anything to such a niece and sister-in-law.
“It’s so sudden, I don’t know... But if you want Laura to stay at the mansion, that’s fine with me.”
Lisa finished her answer in a flustered voice. She looked completely dumbfounded.
Aila gently stroked Lisa's back. She felt unbearably guilty, as if she had done something she shouldn't have done to Lisa because of her own plan.
“...Lisa says so too, Laura. From now on, you will stay in the attic and take care of the mansion’s chores. Still, will you remain in this mansion?”
“Yes, yes! Of course! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry...”
Laura nodded in response to Roderick's words. The attic was far better than being dragged to the authorities for questioning or kicked out of the mansion.
Of course, that doesn't mean there were no complaints at all.
‘While you’re helping, let me help you a little more...’
Laura lay lost in thought on the creaking bed in the attic. Even though Aila's help had saved her from being evicted from the mansion, she felt no gratitude.
'What am I going to do if you don't help me? I don't have any other contacts.'
Laura grumbled and went to sleep. Starting tomorrow, she'd have to wake up at the crack of dawn and do all the dirty work.
***
“Lisa, I’m so sorry.”
Aila bowed her head to Lisa and apologized.
If she were in her shoes, she would have undoubtedly been deeply offended. The victim was Lisa, but her superiors were turning their backs on Laura, the perpetrator, and begging for leniency.
But Lisa didn't seem to think so at all, and instead comforted Aila with an embarrassed expression.
"You don't need to apologize, Miss. And... I hope you don't think it's your fault. It's not your fault; Laura harbored such ill intentions. You've been very kind to Laura."
When she pretended to take Laura's side, it seemed that she was bothered by the fact that she had said, 'It was my fault for not doing well for Laura to feel that way.'
At Lisa's words, Aila's heart grew heavier. Lisa, such a kind person, would take Laura's side, even lying to her and tormenting her. No matter how justified it may be.
After thinking about it for a while, Aila decided to be honest with Lisa.
“That... wasn’t true. I said that because I had to leave Laura at the mansion... but honestly, I’d rather have her receive a greater punishment.”
“Oh, I see... I said that because I thought you were feeling guilty for no reason, but I’m glad you said no.”
Lisa smiled broadly, as if relieved. It would be easy to blame Aila in this situation, but she didn't seem to feel that way at all.
“Don’t you... Hate Laura? If she had succeeded, you might have been branded as a traitor and kicked out.”
That was actually the case. Aila returned to the past, and the incident was undone, but Laura had once framed Lisa for the crime and sent her back to her hometown.
At first, no one believed that the good Lisa had done such a thing, but as Laura and some of the servants went on to say how poor Baron Herzig was, public opinion gradually changed.
Everyone had prejudices against her because she came from a poor family.
“...That’s right. Maybe they didn’t believe me. My family is poor.”
Lisa, whom I'd always thought was just kind, was surprisingly well-versed in reality. She already knew how terrifying stereotypes can be.
“And... of course I hate it. I’m not broad enough to understand and forgive those who harbor ill will toward me.”
At Lisa's lonely face, Aila held her hand tightly and opened her mouth, hoping her true feelings would be conveyed.
“I would have believed you, Lisa.”
"...Thank you, Miss. I also believe you trusted me. That alone is comforting. So please don't feel sorry for me. I don't know what your circumstances are, Miss, but I want you to do what you want."
When Lisa finally smiled brightly, Aila followed suit and smiled bashfully.
"Lisa, you're such a sweet talker. Is that a talent you're born with? Talking to you always makes me feel good."
Aila spoke with genuine envy. Perhaps she lacked the gift of eloquence, as she could only manage cold, caustic remarks.
"Oh, now that you say that, young lady, I must work harder. To make you happier, to say more kind words than I do now."
Lisa smiled brightly, as if genuinely delighted by Aila's compliment. At that smile, Aila's heavy heart seemed to lighten as if it were a feather.
***
“What did you just say?”
Capella asked, her red eyes narrowed as if she couldn't believe her ears.
“I heard Laura was kicked out of her position as the Princess’s maid and put in charge of chores, Sister-in-law.”
Cloud spoke again in a calm voice. He had just come back from sharing the news with Byron.
Naturally, his master was furious. He was furious, asking how he could have handled his niece's guard so poorly that she was being kicked out for failing to properly handle such a simple task.
This time, it was clearly Laura's fault, so Cloud couldn't make any excuses and had to bear the full brunt of Byron's wrath.
“How did that happen?”
"...They say she tried to frame another of the Princess's maids for theft, but they were caught. It could have gotten worse, but fortunately, thanks to the girl's pleas to the Duke and Duchess, it was resolved with a disciplinary action within the mansion."
Cloud sighed deeply. Looking at the note she'd sent him, she'd seen no sign of remorse for her mistake.
She said that she had no choice but to do it because the daughter of Baron Herzig kept flirting with Aila.
"I hope this isn't some conspiracy hatched by someone. Maybe that girl, or maybe the Duke and Duchess know Laura's true identity..."
Capella asked, as if her daughter couldn't possibly have made such a stupid mistake. It was a kind of escapism.
"In the letter she sent me, she confessed to the crime herself. She said she did it to get rid of the daughter of the Herzig family, who was interfering with her work."
“You stupid woman... If you’re going to do something, you shouldn’t get caught...!”
Capella gritted his teeth in anger and raised her voice. It was exactly what Byron had said earlier.
“...She’s your daughter. Aren’t you being too harsh?”
"I guess you still have the heart to defend her because she's your niece, Cloud. I thought you only cared about that woman."
She snorted and grumbled. She was not happy with Cloud's attention to Aila.
“...”
Cloud kept his mouth shut. Arguing with Capella, who was already losing her temper over the news of her daughter, would only result in a wasteful argument.
Capella, who had been glaring at Cloud with sharp eyes for a moment, soon opened her mouth in a slightly calmer voice.
"What about other things? Getting weapons from the arms dealer."
Now was the time to start preparing for the move. So that when the doors to the Duke's mansion opened wide, they could move immediately.
And the first step was to buy weapons.
“...It’s going well, Sister-in-law. I’ll be home soon.”
"You've checked the items carefully, right? Even if it's a surprise attack, dealing with the Knights of Weishaffen...."
"Yes, of course it's top quality. My Lord has personally verified it, so don't worry."
Cloud interrupted Capella's nagging and answered. He didn't want to provoke her, but if he let it go, the private conversation would get longer.
Fortunately, Capella's suspicions seemed to have eased a little when Byron, who rarely stepped forward, said he had personally confirmed the situation.
“Then I’ll go and take care of business, sister-in-law.”
Cloud quickly left the place, avoiding Capella.
He's sick of everything.
The niece, who is busy making excuses even after plotting a bad deed, and the sister-in-law, who is only angry that his niece was caught doing the bad deed.
Even Cloud, who had no right to say anything to such a niece and sister-in-law.
He just hated it so much that it made him sick.
“I think it’s really genius, haha.”
Hiram put down his teacup with a cheerful smile.
“Yes, you are truly wise, Your Majesty.”
And Roderick nodded happily as if he agreed with him.
The curse on Aila, which had been a cause for concern, was lifted, and Laura, who had been closely watching over her daughter, was also able to be removed.
Moreover, laying a trap to capture Byron was a breeze. There was absolutely no reason to feel bad.
“...Of course, I haven't forgotten that this is all thanks to my daughter. It was thanks to the information she provided that I was able to come up with this plan.”
Hiram laughed heartily and slapped Roderick on the back.
Based on the names of the assistants that Aila had given him, he had figured out where their weapons were supplied and had used that information to send them old, dull weapons.
Of course, on the outside, it looks normal, or rather, it's a good weapon, so they used magic to make it look like one.
“When I think about them being surprised when they pull out their weapons on the day of the operation, I can’t help but roll over in laughter even when I’m lying down to sleep.”
Hiram spoke as if he were a mischievous boy, but in fact his meaning was much deeper than that.
Even if you prepare for a surprise attack in advance, friendly casualties are bound to increase once combat breaks out. However, by prioritizing weapons, you can mitigate this damage.
***
“I think it’s really genius, haha.”
Hiram put down his teacup with a cheerful smile.
“Yes, you are truly wise, Your Majesty.”
And Roderick nodded happily as if he agreed with him.
The curse on Aila, which had been a cause for concern, was lifted, and Laura, who had been closely watching over her daughter, was also able to be removed.
Moreover, laying a trap to capture Byron was a breeze. There was absolutely no reason to feel bad.
“...Of course, I haven't forgotten that this is all thanks to my daughter. It was thanks to the information she provided that I was able to come up with this plan.”
Hiram laughed heartily and slapped Roderick on the back.
Based on the names of the assistants that Aila had given him, he had figured out where their weapons were supplied and had used that information to send them old, dull weapons.
Of course, on the outside, it looks normal, or rather, it's a good weapon, so they used magic to make it look like one.
“When I think about them being surprised when they pull out their weapons on the day of the operation, I can’t help but roll over in laughter even when I’m lying down to sleep.”
Hiram spoke as if he were a mischievous boy, but in fact his meaning was much deeper than that.
Even if you prepare for a surprise attack in advance, friendly casualties are bound to increase once combat breaks out. However, by prioritizing weapons, you can mitigate this damage.
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