Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Forgotten Juliet
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Early in the morning, Juliet sat in the dim room.
'...Not surprising.'
Juliet stared endlessly at a single sheet of thin paper.
'I never thought I'd see this contract again.'
It was the very same contract she had returned to him months ago.
Only one paragraph had been added, but the content was essentially the same.
The term was six months.
In exchange for extending the contract by six months, Lennox would tell her what she wanted to know.
But Juliet couldn't figure out what he wanted from this contract.
It wasn't a bad deal, nor was it surprising.
In truth, she had little expectation for what he promised to give.
She now knew that 'Snowdrop' was the name of the silver key that summoned the butterflies.
Even though no matter how much she pressed the information guild, they couldn't uncover anything more.
But so what?
What concerned her more was the timeframe Lennox had mentioned.
'Six months.'
Juliet quietly counted the remaining days.
By the time his promised period ended, she would be welcoming late summer or early autumn at the age of twenty-five.
Flutter.
As Juliet gazed at the contract, a couple of familiar butterflies appeared from somewhere.
She watched silently as one that had been fluttering around the mirror landed on the paper.
As if to disrupt her reading, it settled on the paper and flapped its wings.
(Will you do it? Sign.)
Juliet, who had widened her eyes in surprise, let out a chuckle.
"You're talking to me again now?"
It was the first time the butterflies had spoken to her since returning from the snow-covered forest.
(We're smart.)
(We remember. Everything.)
(Human man. Bad.)
(Contractor. Cried. A lot.)
(Yeah.)
The butterflies poured out words as if tired of their silent vow, competing with each other. Juliet's eyes narrowed as she listened quietly.
"He says if we live like before for half a year, he'll tell me your secrets."
(.....)
"Lennox knew your names. Does it make sense that I didn't?"
Juliet coaxed them slyly.
"If you'd told me from the beginning, I wouldn't have needed this contract."
(.......)
"Don't want to talk to me again?"
After a long pause, this was what the butterflies finally said.
(Contractor. Didn't. Ask.)
(Didn't.)
It was absurd.
Even a five-year-old child's lie would be better than this.
"Then why did you come back?"
(Didn't. Leave!)
(From the beginning!)
(We were here!)
Their voices even sounded unjustly indignant.
Juliet was a little surprised. Though the butterflies whined, it was rare for them to raise their voices like this.
(Bad! That necklace!)
"Necklace?"
Were they referring to Zenobia's soulstone?
(That human man too! Wolf too!)
(Contractor.)
(Contractor.)
(That thing is after you.)
(We can protect you.)
(I won't, but human man and wolf can't.)
(They just get in the way!)
Juliet held her breath.
It wasn't a good sign that the butterflies were speaking so fluently.
(We're smart!)
(So. Remember.)
One butterfly landed on the back of her hand and whispered.
(Six months, half a year later.)
(The day you die.)
Juliet flinched.
She jumped up from her seat as if doused with cold water.
"...How do you know that?"
It was the very question Juliet had been pondering endlessly.
Late summer, six months from now.
That was the season when her past life's self had died.
But in her life before regression, Juliet had never met the butterflies. So these spirit creatures couldn't know about her previous life.
A chill ran down her neck.
(.......)
"Answer me!"
As she shouted sharply, the butterflies' voices grew urgent.
(We know!)
(But we can't tell!)
(That's what 'that thing' made...)
Their fluent speech gradually faded, reverting to stammering words.
(Contractor. Don't get mad.)
(Don't.)
(We. Didn't lie.)
(Didn't lie. Us.)
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the butterflies were enveloped in blue flames all at once and vanished as if it were a lie.
Juliet knew what this phenomenon meant.
It was reverse summoning.
The butterflies, beings from beyond dimensions, would end up like this if they interfered too much in her world.
They would reappear fine after some time, so Juliet wasn't too worried about them.
Clutching her skirt, Juliet mulled over what the butterflies had just said.
They hadn't lied?
Then who, or what, had deceived her?
*
Descending to the reception room on the lower floor, Juliet encountered familiar faces.
They were people she hadn't seen until the previous evening.
"Eek!"
The people, who had been creeping along stealthily like thieves, panicked at the sight of Juliet coming down the stairs.
Juliet narrowed her eyes and greeted them first.
"Long time no see, Elliot."
It was Elliot, the secretary of the ducal family.
"Ah, have you been well, Lady Juliet?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
"His Highness has urgent matters requiring his approval, so we just..."
Elliot said by way of excuse.
"We absolutely won't bother His Highness for long! Of course not!"
Aha.
Only after seeing Elliot's desperate excuse did Juliet realize the situation.
With the lord of the North away, the entire administrative staff of the ducal residence had apparently followed him down here.
But Juliet didn't care if Lennox was buried in work or not. She was used to spending time alone anyway.
"Is His Highness inside?"
"Ah, yes. He's in the study."
"Then I'll go see Lady Ilena Lindberg."
Since she was in the South, she was indebted to the lady dowager, so Juliet thought it best to explain yesterday's events to her.
"I'll be back before lunch."
Without waiting for a reply, Juliet left the villa.
"I'll see you off, Lady."
Elliot chased after her and opened the carriage door.
Gazing at him steadily, Juliet suddenly said,
"Elliot."
"Yes, Lady."
"The fountain in the garden was pretty."
"Isn't it? As expected, I thought you'd like..."
Oops.
Elliot, who had casually greeted her warmly, clamped his mouth shut. He hastily checked Juliet's expression.
But Juliet smiled brightly and boarded the carriage.
"Now that I think about it, it looks exactly like the one in the summer villa."
"Y-yes, it does."
She wondered why she hadn't noticed sooner.
"Then I'll be off."
"Ah... Yes!"
The carriage carrying Juliet exited the villa's driveway.
On the way to the lady dowager's residence, Juliet cautiously tried summoning the butterflies.
The small summoned butterflies flitted about fine, but just like before, they kept their mouths firmly shut and said nothing.
It was a short ride to Lady Ilena Lindberg's residence.
Getting out of the carriage, Juliet glanced at a luggage wagon parked in front of the mansion.
It seemed one of the lady dowager's guests was preparing to depart.
"Juliet!"
Emma, with a bright face, came running out to greet her. Emma was wearing a strikingly yellow dress.
"Come in! I was just about to go fetch you."
"Me?"
Juliet was a bit flustered by Emma's warm welcome.
"Yes!"
But Emma linked arms with Juliet without warning and dragged her to the greenhouse in the rear garden.
Lady Ilena Lindberg's greenhouse was three times larger and more splendid than the one at Count Monad's estate. It was filled with the South's vibrant flowering trees, exuding an exotic charm.
"Grandma has something to tell you, Juliet."
Emma seemed strangely excited.
"You're here."
"Good morning, Lady Dowager."
Lady Ilena Lindberg, sitting alone at a large tea table in the center of the greenhouse, acknowledged Juliet.
"Sit."
As Juliet and Emma took their seats, Lady Ilena Lindberg grunted and said curtly,
"What happened yesterday... I'm sorry, Juliet."
Juliet was a bit surprised.
In fact, she had thought Lady Ilena Lindberg would be angry because of Duke Carlisle, who had suddenly drawn his sword.
Of course, the situation had arisen purely because of Viscount Fusili's filthy hands.
But the Lady Ilena Lindberg that Juliet knew was an old-fashioned person who might side with Viscount Fusili.
"It's fine. It's not the Lady Dowager's fault."
"Still, I should apologize. I let that filthy scum into my house as a guest."
Juliet now understood why the lady dowager wasn't scolding Emma despite her flashy dress.
"I've dealt firmly with Viscount Fusili. He won't set foot in Southern high society again."
"You banished the viscount?"
"Indeed."
Banished. It was a decisive measure. But wasn't it a light punishment compared to his crime?
As Juliet thought that, Lady Ilena Lindberg cautiously said,
"But Duke Carlisle asked for custody of the viscount."
This was the main point.
Juliet smiled brightly.