Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Bury Her
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At that moment.
Mesis, anxiously guarding the basement entrance, frowned.
Aileen had been inside for quite a while.
"Should I go in and check?"
There couldn't be much left to see in there by now.
He had no idea what she was doing.
Should he go in, or not?
He opened the pocket watch pinned to his clothes.
Fifteen minutes had already passed.
After checking the time, Mesis decided without hesitation to go inside.
It was then.
"What are you doing here, Mesis?"
Basad was walking toward him.
Mesis flinched, his body freezing in surprise.
"Ha, haha. Basad?"
The giant was glaring at him murderously, as if ready to strike him down at any moment.
He was so screwed.
Sensing what was about to happen, Mesis quickly drew on his pheromones.
Despite his massive build, Basad was surprisingly fast.
Mesis broke out in a cold sweat as he blocked an arm aiming swiftly for his solar plexus.
"A sudden attack like this is a problem. You'll wake everyone up at this hour."
"Where is Lady Aileen?"
"......."
"You bastard."
Seeing the door in the wall behind Mesis, Basad's expression hardened menacingly.
"Don't tell me Lady Aileen went in there."
"Haha... It's late. What are you doing up? What brings you all the way here?"
"Answer my question first."
Mesis sighed. Gently pushing back against Basad's aura, he swept his hair back.
"What if the young lady did go into the basement?"
"...Move."
"Sorry, but you can't go in. I was told to stand guard and watch for anyone coming."
Mesis gave a troubled smile. A confrontation with Basad would end badly for him.
He'd have to be prepared for at least a broken arm or leg.
Basad raised an eyebrow at Mesis, who was blocking his way.
"You can look at me like that all you want, but it won't work. I'm under orders myself."
Though, in truth, he was just about to check on her himself out of growing concern.
As if there was nothing more to be said, Basad powerfully drew on his pheromones.
A cold sweat trickled down Mesis's spine as the massive aura swirled around him.
"Hey, are you serious?"
"If you don't want to fight, move."
"Haa. Don't make such a fuss just because she wanted to see the basement. I even gave her a lantern so she wouldn't fall."
"Are you even listening to yourself? 'See' the basement?"
For Basad, who was usually calm about everything, to react so strongly...
Mesis felt something was off.
Could someone actually be imprisoned in there?
"Don't tell me, in there..."
-I wanna see the basemwent. Basad stopped me last time, so I couldn't go.
He remembered their conversation from earlier in the day.
Aileen, who had suddenly said she wanted to see the basement and asked him to take her.
Aileen, who had mentioned Basad stopping her and made him promise over and over to take her.
Aileen, who knew the basement was where prisoners were kept.
-How did you find out about the basement?
-I found out by chance.
-...By chance?
And that nagging feeling that had weighed on his chest the whole way here. Now, he thought he understood why.
Mesis, his face pale, hurriedly opened the door in the wall.
An endless darkness stretched down into the depths below.
"How long has the young lady been in there?"
"...Not long. About fifteen minutes."
"More than enough time to have already checked inside."
He had clearly told her to close her eyes and call for him immediately if anyone was there.
But Aileen hadn't.
She must have intended to go to the basement for a specific reason from the very beginning.
Mesis's hands trembled.
"It was strange from the start. You suddenly asking to switch shifts."
Basad shoved Mesis, who was blocking his path, aside.
"The same guy who always insisted on guarding during the day so he could play with Lady Aileen, and would never trade."
Suddenly, he'd requested to switch, saying he wanted to guard in the early morning.
Finding that suspicious, Basad had gone to Aileen's room, but there was no sign of her.
So he came down to the basement, and just as he'd expected, he ran into Mesis.
Basad took a step toward the basement.
There was no more time to waste here.
Mesis grew paler and paler.
The fact that she hadn't called for him yet could only mean she was talking to someone inside.
Just as the two were about to enter the basement, a cold voice came from behind them.
"I was wondering what rat was scurrying around at this hour."
"...My lord?"
It was Kaide.
"Aileen is in there."
He sighed at the unfortunate situation.
She'd been so curious, even following him around, and now she'd finally gone and done it.
"Your duty was to protect Aileen."
Kaide's red eyes turned to Mesis.
"Surely you didn't think that duty was limited to her physical body?"
"...I apologize. It was my mistake. I will accept any punishment."
Kaide looked away from Mesis.
"I suppose I'll hear your explanation later, Mesis."
Kaide walked past the two and descended into the basement.
* * *
It seemed Ella wanted me to feel guilty and leave this house.
Her golden eyes, riddled with jealousy, held a deep, subtle sense of victory.
In that moment, I realized why Ella had so readily told me everything.
"Are you jealous of me?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"It's true, isn't it? You don't like seeing me happy here?"
"Shut up."
Ella, who had been smiling, flinched. Her expression began to distort.
Come to think of it, it made sense. Why was Ella chosen for such a task?
How could she have gotten the opportunity to steal the family heir?
An outsider wouldn't have even been able to attempt it.
That meant Ella had been inside the family.
And just from the similarity between the names Estella and Ella, I could guess they had some kind of relationship.
I felt much more at ease.
"You're a bad person."
"I told you to shut up!"
"Everyone's going to be sad because of you."
Ella burst out, shouting.
"You think it'll be any different for you?! How do you think people here will look at you when they find out the truth? Will they still love you then? You're such a fool!"
Of course, there would surely be people whose attitudes would change once the truth came out.
Even I felt a heavy weight on my heart after hearing the story.
There would probably be people who would say I should be sent back.
But I had to make one thing clear.
"I'm a victim too."
"...What?"
"The bad ones are you and the person who made you do it."
"......."
"That must be why Daddy didn't tell me either."
Even after learning all the facts, Kaide's attitude toward me hadn't changed at all.
Even though his emotions must have been in turmoil.
That's because it's not my fault.
And Ella couldn't stand the fact that I was born here, being treated like a young lady.
The order to swap the heir was a life-threatening mission.
That must have been her position in the clan.
A being so insignificant that no one would care if she disappeared.
That's why Ella looked at me with such hatred, envy, and jealousy.
Because unlike her, I was doing so well.
"Don't compare me to you."
"......."
"I'm different from you. I'm Aileen Astrofel."
"......."
"And you're just Ella."
In truth, I was as good as abandoned by my clan too, but here, I was acknowledged as Kaide's daughter.
And Ella, who had committed a crime, would receive her just punishment here.
"I'm so happy right now."
"Shut up, shut up!"
"If you keep scweaming at me, I'm gonna tell Daddy everything."
I grinned and pointed at the floor.
"I'll even ask Gwanny to bury you!"
My voice echoed loudly through the basement.
Ella, looking dumbfounded, shut her mouth.
This time, I had won. I puffed out my chest triumphantly, looking down at her, when the basement door burst open.
"...Hic!"
"So you finally went and did it."
My eyes met Kaide's. He was holding the doorknob, looking at me crookedly.
I shuffled backward.
What do I do? I'm caught. Where did Mesis go? Don't tell me Kaide got rid of him.
As I stealthily avoided his gaze, Kaide spoke in a fearsome tone.
"You seem to know you've done something wrong."
"...I-I'm sowwy..."
"What did you do wrong?"
"C-Coming here in secret..."
And... and also...
I wracked my brain, trying to remember everything I did wrong, and began to confess one by one.
"Twicking Mesis... and making Daddy worry..."
"You know well enough."
I'm going to get a huge scolding.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart pounding, but surprisingly, Kaide was very quiet.
Why is he so quiet?
"So."
"Huh?"
"You want to bury that thing?"
Kaide pointed at Ella.
I couldn't tell what he meant by that question.
But one thing was certain: my feelings toward Ella hadn't been resolved.
So, I nodded with all my might.
"Yeah. Bury her."