The Three Sisters (6)

You're telling me she did nothing wrong? That it was true? Ellensia couldn't accept it.

At that, the duke began to explain step by step.

"The flu you caught has an incubation period for some initial reason, and symptoms start appearing if you feel cold from dawn through morning. The symptoms are dizziness that strikes roughly every two minutes, and it worsens as your body temperature drops gradually."

I already knew that much. It was common knowledge, even in high society.

"The symptoms are surprisingly similar to a common cold. It just lowers your temperature bit by bit, mimicking one. But it's a disease that only afflicts those with enough mana to use magic, so once it takes hold, the magical elements make it hit hard. That's why, at the first sign—the dizziness—you have to prevent further temperature loss from the cold. That's the only way to stop it early."

Her body flinched at the mention of body temperature. But the duke pressed on regardless.

"If it's already set in, the only cure for these symptoms is the morning dew infused with mana from the medicine you took. That's why, if you don't take it in time, you're bedridden for ages... But dew loses its potency from noon onward. So the medicine only works until midday."

And so, the name of this illness was...

"Silver Dew Flower's Clinging Dew."

"..."

"You're wondering why I'm explaining all this, aren't you?"

She swallowed hard, as if he'd read her mind. The duke continued matter-of-factly.

"Do you remember? Before you caught the flu, you'd visited this place."

"Yes..."

Of course. She remembered. That was why she'd come in the first place.

"But you probably don't recall staggering in this room, do you?"

"I... did?"

"Yes."

Had there been such a time?

"You wouldn't remember clearly. In the midst of the flu, you can't recall every little detail. You might not have even realized you were sick. But as a third party, my eyes saw it differently."

The duke pointed to the spot right next to the sofa with his hand.

"You were swaying around there. You showed the first sign of the flu—dizziness—in my room."

"Really...?"

"Unlike you, I'm not the one who's sick. I told you—as a third party, my eyes saw it differently."

"..."

"But on the flip side, I was ignorant. I knew nothing about the symptoms of Silver Dew Flower's Clinging Dew. So even though I could have held you back, I didn't. Therefore, you did nothing wrong. The one at fault was... me. I'm sorry."

He'd meticulously laid out the faults, only to turn it around on himself and even apologize. By his explanation, it wasn't wrong. He'd been ignorant of the flu's symptoms and ignorant of how to respond.

By that logic, neither she nor her sister was at fault. If anyone, it was just the duke.

But... that was a contradiction.

An utterly blatant one.

-Grip.

No.

She clenched her fist tight, shoving the contradiction aside. Even if guilt gnawed at her, she had to shake it off.

"You don't need to apologize. It's something anyone could miss."

She realized she was dumping all the blame on him, but family came first anyway.

"We only learned that specialized knowledge ourselves just now. It's not your fault, Your Grace."

Otherwise... her sister would surely crumble.

"And... thank you. Thanks to you, I got the medicine quickly and recovered."

Everything else was a lie. But this one thing.

The single truth that he'd procured the medicine.

"Thank you again. For getting the medicine."

This gratitude was genuine. So she bowed her head once more in thanks.

After offering her thanks, Ellensia said, "Have a peaceful night, Your Grace," and left.

...Your Grace.

The "peaceful night" farewell was fine enough, but that title lingered.

Your Grace.

Ellensia had always called me that. She'd addressed me as Your Grace every time, never omitting it at the end of her sentences. Her responses matched etiquette perfectly, with flawless honorifics.

It had once felt the most comfortable. Someone drew a line with "Family Head," and another bared her fangs with "old man." So her words, which seemed to acknowledge me as duke in direct opposition, had been gratefully warm. Unlike her eldest sister's icy expression or her little sister's sharp glares, her ever-present smile had been a comfort.

Unlike the other sisters, her consistent "Your Grace, Your Grace" had even made me wonder if we could grow closer.

...That was then.

In the past.

But now, I...

A sudden chime as compliance rose and the tutorial completed.

In this situation?

I was alone in the room. The maid had left ages ago. Nothing had happened, so compliance shouldn't have risen.

Yet this result popped up anyway...

It must have been influenced when Ellensia was here. Someone nearby must have overheard our conversation by chance.

Otherwise, this wouldn't have happened.

And sure enough, as one person opened the door and entered, my guess proved correct.

"My apologies. I unintentionally overheard your conversation."

The risen compliance level. The completed tutorial. It was Tia whose compliance had increased after hearing our talk.

...Not a bad situation, I suppose.

This conversation with Ellensia was inevitable anyway. It had just come a bit sooner. There could be one or two eavesdroppers. Depending on who, I might need to take measures—and I had plans for that.

But if it was Tia who'd heard, no need.

She was... more devoted to Freyvelric than anyone here.

"I don't mind. I merely conveyed the facts as they are."

Indeed. That was the truth revealed here.

I knew nothing, and Ellensia had come to express thanks. That was all.

Yet Tia seemed dissatisfied.

"You're lying, Your Grace."

"...I haven't the faintest idea what you mean."

I played dumb, but Tia called me out directly.

"From what I just heard, Lady Ellensia visited your room early in the morning. Because you knew nothing of the flu, you saw the precursor symptoms but took no action, leading to her illness—or so it seems confirmed. But you did take action then, didn't you?"

"...How can you be sure?"

"Because I visited that room right after. How could I not recognize the apple-scented incense Lady Rozalin lit for Lady Ellensia, the pre-ventilated freshness, and the room kept warm in advance?"

"Well, it was probably coincidence."

"Your Grace. I'm not a fool."

Tia narrowed her eyes.

"Lady Ellensia shows great maturity for her age. She came to see you for a reason, so please tell me the truth."

The lies ended here. She was too sharp to fool.

She'd already pieced it together. That Ellensia hadn't come just to say thanks.

Her years tending the young ladies as maid gave her deep insight into Ellensia.

No helping it.

"...Lying would only prolong the argument."

"Pardon?"

"Those girls suspected me. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠They had it recorded in their heads that Ellensia visited my room, through whatever channel. So no matter what I deny here, wouldn't it just drag the story out?"

Her narrowed eyes relaxed.

"Rather than lie, you prioritized her recovery by having her take the medicine even a minute sooner."

"Yes. Considering the flu's nature, it would only extend pointless suffering."

"Then how did you procure the medicine so quickly? I judged you lacked specialized knowledge."

"Her first stagger raised questions. That led me to recall ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a newspaper page I'd read recently. I got the flu info quickly from that."

Her slightly sharpened brows eased. She seemed to have fully dropped her suspicions, asking no more questions.

"...I didn't realize you'd thought that far, Your Grace. More sincere than I expected."

"Having ascended to duke, I must be sincere, mustn't I?"

"Pardon? No, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meant sincere toward the young ladies."

"...What?"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't show such concern for Lady Ellensia, would you?"

Did... it come across that way?

I hadn't thought of that.

"In any case, thank you as well. Your role was greatest in her full recovery. What's left is... explaining it to the servants. Leave that to me—"

I grabbed Tia's arm as she turned.

"No. Don't tell them that."

"Pardon?"

"It would reveal even the one secret I'm hiding."

"...The secret—is it about that medicine? The timing never quite matched, I felt."

She'd latched onto something entirely different, but it didn't matter. It wasn't wrong.

Her figuring it out helped me.

"Tia. You haven't forgotten the contract's terms, have you?"

There was one more thing to hide.

That Ellensia had acted for Veronica's sake.

If the truth came out, Veronica would suffer even more.

That... couldn't happen like before.

So I'll carry this burden.

The girls hating me wouldn't change anyway. Better a stranger like me bear it than family.

"...Understood."

Tia tilted her head in confusion before nodding in acceptance.

That was enough. This was for Veronica and Ellensia—and for me.

Maid Esil.

As a maid of House Freyvelric, her deft hands made her handle the young ladies' dressing and errands, occasionally including the duke's.

But now, she was doing something different.

She held parchment in one hand, scribbling something.

"Lady Ellensia's flu and recovery are easy to write... Ngh. How to sort the rest?"

Odd things weren't just one or two.

Ellensia catching the flu at the ducal house was plausible enough, but rumors said the duke took no action despite her illness, causing issues.

Yet... suddenly Ellensia visited the duke's room, and soon after, maid Tia went to him too.

It wasn't as simple as the duke harming Ellensia. Something else was hidden for sure.

"But this... no matter how I think..."

From what she'd overheard, the duke was innocent. He truly hadn't been at fault.

Yet covering for it meant he was intentionally taking the blame.

"...No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠certainty, so I can't write it."

She hadn't entered the room, couldn't just assume from snippets. Ask the duke or Tia? Ridiculous. Not some self-sabotage stunt.

She couldn't organize it.

Then Tia emerged, opening the door.

Startled by the sound, panicked Esil ducked into the hallway corner.

"Have a peaceful night, Your Grace."

After Tia passed, Esil peeked out, sighing in relief.

"Whew... No pay today."

Failed the task, no money.

"But I patched it somehow."

The hair dye secretly swapped for the duke's. Selling it would help.

Toward her mother's treatment costs.

"Sorry. Someday... I'll tell all and repay with my wages."

For that, she didn't mind starving like now.