Balancing the Scales
“Be careful from now on, Lady Elise. If you get dirty again... it might not end so easily next time.”
I instinctively swallowed hard at Lilliana's warning.
“Ugh, yeah. Got it. I'll be careful.”
Satisfied with my response, Lilliana reverted to her usual radiant smile.
“Such a good girl.”
She treated me like a puppy who'd done a trick worth praising.
Her hand gently stroking my hair was affectionate, but I couldn't move a muscle.
“Well then, I'll be going now.”
Lilliana rose reluctantly, picking up the empty basket. She scanned the prison one last time.
More precisely, her gaze locked on Leoness, who was crouched in the corner, munching on bread.
“...”
A cold silence fell.
Leoness flinched mid-bite, shoulders hunching.
Lilliana stared at her wordlessly before murmuring softly.
“Know your place.”
“...What did you say?”
“It means think carefully about your current situation and who you have to thank for still being alive.”
Lilliana sneered coldly.
“Don't mistake Lady Elise's pity for kindness.”
“Y-You insolent...!”
Leoness started to rise in fury, but Lilliana had already turned away.
“I'll come again tomorrow, Lady Elise. With something even tastier next time.”
She waved at me and vanished beyond the iron door.
-Creak, slam.
The heavy door shut, leaving only silence in the cell.
I finally exhaled the breath I'd been holding.
“Haa...”
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
The original Lilliana from the game wasn't this aggressive.
Her condition had worsened even more since our last meeting.
What the hell went wrong?
She'd never acted like this when I played.
My head throbbed.
“Th-That... that pink-haired wench!”
Then Leoness's pent-up rage erupted.
She slammed the remaining bread crumbs to the floor, shouting.
“How dare she tell this lady to know her place! To a princess of Austria!”
She paced the cell, fuming, then stamped her feet in frustration. It was almost pitiful.
I sighed and called to her.
“Leoness. Calm down.”
“Calm down? Can you stay calm right now! After that pink-haired wench hurt your finger like that!”
Leoness stormed over and snatched my hand.
She stared intently at the index finger Lilliana had just healed.
“Look! She scrubbed it like she was trying to peel the skin off! And yet... why is it fine now? Doesn't it hurt?”
“Uh... it's okay now. She healed it.”
A saintess is a saintess, after all.
One heal, and fresh skin grew back in seconds.
“Healed? Giving poison then the antidote—what kind of nonsense is this?”
Leoness gently caressed my finger.
“But... it's still like that.”
She murmured.
The tip of my finger, blackened and discolored.
The heal hadn't touched that mark.
As if it had seeped out from the bone itself, not the skin.
“Hmph. That pink-haired wench's power isn't much after all.”
Leoness dropped my hand and pouted.
“It was better when this lady licked it clean.”
“What?”
“N-No, nothing! Forget it!”
Her face flushed as she whipped her head away.
I chuckled and picked up the fallen bread crumbs, brushing off the dust.
“Save the anger for later. Let's eat what's left first. You're hungry, right?”
“Hmph. This lady has no appetite. You eat it all.”
“For real? There's sausage here too?”
“...”
“Strawberry jam bread too?”
“...Give me half.”
In the end, we sat side by side and polished off the remaining breakfast.
///
“My lady, this one has resolved.”
An unexpected declaration from Leoness after the meal.
She clenched her fist with a grave expression.
“Once we escape this place, this one will deal with that pink-haired wench first. Not content with framing this one and throwing her in prison, she heaps this humiliation too. I will have revenge. Will you help?”
Leoness von Austria proposes a deal.
Requirement: Revenge on Lilliana, who framed Leoness von Austria
Offering: None
Warning: The scales are heavily tipped toward the requirement
Hah...
Killing intent poured from her eyes.
She meant it.
But no.
It was a bit scary, but Lilliana was still my favorite.
And after sharing life-and-death with Leoness, we'd grown close. I couldn't bear to see them fight.
But openly stopping her here?
With her fiery temper, she'd explode: “Are you on that wench's side too?!”
Think, Elise. Use your head.
I propped my chin, feigning seriousness.
“Leoness.”
“Don't try to stop me. Even this one won't hold back this time.”
“No, I'm not stopping you. I'm trying to help.”
“Help? Truly?”
Her ears perked up eagerly.
I leaned in and whispered.
“Remember our contract?”
“Of course. Helping this one's revenge.”
“Right. But who exactly is the target of that revenge?”
“Obviously Karihim, the Black Moon cult, and that pink-haired wench who framed me...”
“Hold on.”
I pressed my index finger to her lips.
“That's the problem.”
“Mmph? What problem?”
“Think carefully. Can you be sure Lilliana framed you?”
“What nonsense. She hid the forged documents in this one's room!”
“Did you see it yourself?”
“Mmm... No, but...”
“See? You didn't. And think about it. Seducing the imperial crown prince, trapping Austria's princess, preparing perfect forgeries? All by a mere commoner academy student?”
Leoness blinked blankly.
“That... is suspicious...”
I lowered my voice further.
“What if Lilliana was being used too? What if the real mastermind is someone else, and she's just a pawn?”
“Hmm...”
Her eyes wavered.
The word “mastermind” could shake anyone sane.
“If you revenge on her, only to learn the true culprit was elsewhere? Wouldn't that play right into the real villain's hands?”
“R-Right! While I vent on the wrong person, the true one escapes!”
“Exactly.”
I smiled triumphantly, driving it home.
“So let's revise the revenge target.”
“How?”
“Not ‘Lilliana,’ but ‘the true culprit who framed you.’”
I smoothly omitted Lilliana's name.
“You want revenge on whoever sent you to prison, right? Find the real one and get them. Whether it's Lilliana or someone else.”
Leoness crossed her arms, pondering deeply.
“The true framer... Yes, that's more precise.”
She nodded.
“Very well! Your words have merit. The goal is revised. This one will find the true culprit and have revenge!”
Got her.
I cheered inwardly.
I was the one who framed her in this game loop, but...
I'd smooth that over later.
For now, I'd averted bloodshed.
She wouldn't try to kill me if she learned it was me, right?
I trusted our bond.
“And one more request.”
“What?”
“Don't hate Lilliana too much.”
“What? Why...”
As Leoness frowned again, I quickly continued.
“I know you'll want to, but just... don't.”
“...”
A long silence stretched.
Then Leoness burst out laughing, unable to hold back.
“Fine. I won't hate the pink-haired wench.”
With those words, golden light poured from the now-balanced scales hovering before my eyes.
Requirement: Revenge on the one who framed Leoness von Austria
Offering: Not hating Lilliana
///
Three days passed since then.
Prison life was more peaceful than expected.
Or rather, a bizarre tension permeated the daily routine.
“Lady Elise, say ahh.”
“Ah, ahh...”
Morning, noon, evening.
Lilliana visited without fail—every mealtime—to feed me by hand.
The food was delicious, sure,
but the atmosphere during meals was the issue.
“Is it tasty?”
“Yeah, really good.”
Lilliana beamed as she fed me,
but when her gaze flicked to Leoness in the corner, her face hardened.
She tossed the leftovers like trash.
“Eat it or don't.”
“...”
Leoness, who would've raged before, held back—thanks to our contract on day one of this loop.
“Thank you. I'll eat well.”
“...Pardon?”
“? Was there a problem with this lady's words?”
Leoness ate with a clear “I'm enduring” expression.
Lilliana seemed about to retort, then dismissed her as worthless and turned back to me with a smile.
That routine repeated.
Five days in, Esilla and even the crown prince were nowhere to be seen under Lilliana's tight watch.
“Elise de Bellaph.”
Several knights arrived at the cell.
“Your trial.”
It had finally come.