“I heard about Mother. She put up a fight until the very end, didn’t she?”
“Yes. It’s a shame.”
“I feel the same. However, I can’t say I don’t understand Mother’s feelings. She must have… crossed a line she couldn’t retreat from. Even if, deep down, she wanted to stop, she might have become stubborn because she’d gone too far to turn back.”
Emilia had once resented Olivier more and more the more she was compared to her. Because she had a capable Older Sister, her efforts were never praised. Though she knew there was no malice, she hated being told “Be like Olivier” after every two sentences. She took out her frustration by spreading bad rumors about her Older Sister, and in the end, she even incited a student to hurt her Older Sister’s Fiancé, who was the same age. However, everything ended in failure. Worse yet, Emilia herself became interested in her Older Sister’s Fiancé.
Jared Murphy. He was her Older Sister’s Fiancé, ten years her senior, and a Boy who remained unfazed by the notoriously bad rumors surrounding her Older Sister. Nobles, rich or poor, tended to care about public perception, but he didn’t care at all. Perhaps that was why she became interested in him—and drawn to him.
“It seems Lord Jared has been active again.”
“I feel terrible that Jared is always the one who gets troubled. I’ve put him in danger many times. If he hadn’t gotten involved with me, he would have had a brilliant future as a Court Mage, but his future has been narrowed because of me.”
Olivier recalled what Jared’s Master, Almeida, had told her before. No, she had never forgotten it for even a moment. By meeting Olivier and becoming her Fiancé, Jared’s numerous choices for his future had been limited. There was a future where he could live as a Magician, as himself, without becoming a Court Mage. He could have returned to his Master and diligently studied magic from scratch. However, as a condition for Olivier’s engagement, which he faithfully kept, he had been involved in incidents he didn’t need to be. It wasn’t entirely Olivier’s fault. But perhaps the catalyst was Olivier. Thinking about it made her heart ache.
“I’ve only spoken with Lord Jared a little, but I’m sure he doesn’t mind. At least, that’s what I believe.”
“I hope so…”
Olivier lacked confidence. Jared had never once complained to her. Of course, Olivier had no complaints about him either. Well, she wished he wouldn’t get seriously injured every time he fought, but there was nothing wrong with him himself. However, she worried that he might be harboring dissatisfaction somewhere she didn’t know.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t come here today to burden you with my anxieties. I wanted to talk about what happens from now on.”
Perhaps it was because they knew a common person, but the conversation had strayed, so she hurried to get back to the original topic. Emilia seemed to take a slight breath, and Olivier noticed.
“Father mentioned that you wished to speak with me, Olivier. But what do you intend to do by talking?”
“That’s what we need to figure out together.”
“—Huh?”
“Mother forgave your mother, who tried to kill her. Therefore, I’ve decided to forgive you too. For that matter, I’m not that angry with you. I even used the rumors to my advantage. However, I do have feelings about you involving Jared and Yeny. But since they themselves don’t care at all, and you yourself are taking responsibility, I have nothing to say.”
Emilia had already taken responsibility for her actions. She had told her Father about her mother’s misdeeds, and she herself was placed under house arrest. Emilia’s disclosure of information was a major reason Cornelia was captured; otherwise, it would have taken longer. Jared was furious when Yeny was kidnapped, but he was grateful to Emilia for providing the information to help rescue her, and it was Rosa Roen who had kidnapped her. Yeny had also conveyed to Olivier and the others Emilia’s concern while she was captured, and this had reached their father’s ears. She wasn’t inherently a bad person. It started with jealousy towards her Older Sister, and she had the perfect Aristocratic Title to vent her frustrations on. It was nothing more. It was said that since being confined, she had become calm as if a demon had left her. Emilia herself could be said to be a victim of Cornelia Alway.
“Then… why are you meeting me like this?”
“Like I said, I want to discuss the future. Emilia, what do you plan to do from now on?”
Emilia couldn’t answer immediately when asked. She had been permitted to attend the Academy again, and although she was escorted, she had resumed attending classes. However, when she returned to the mansion, it was a repetitive cycle of being confined to her room. Her Free Older Brother visiting her every day, and her youngest Brother showing his face, were her only comforts. She had spoken openly with her Older Brother. She apologized repeatedly for her and their Mother’s selfish actions. She had ruined the chance to become the head of the family, and she felt immensely sorry for it, apologizing over and over. However, he said it was for the best. Although he had been studying territory management to become the head of the Ducal Family as Cornelia wished, Tobias didn’t want to be the head. He believed he wasn’t suited to be the head of the Ducal Family and had other aspirations. But he couldn’t voice his dreams because of his Mother. Emilia had lived too freely. And Older Brother Tobias had endured too much. She remembered crying and laughing recently, wishing they had confessed their true feelings to each other sooner.
“I haven’t thought about anything. I don’t even know what I should be thinking about.”
While she had reconciled with her Older Brother and restored their previous close relationship, her future remained unclear. She had also spoken extensively with her youngest Brother, Conrad. She apologized for being mean to him, and he forgave her. Learning from Conrad that he was studying under Jared as a Magician was a source of comfort. Being able to know about the person she might never see again, her … first love, was one of Emilia’s few joys. She felt disgusted with herself for being unable to think about the future, seeing how dazzlingly Conrad was working to utilize his talent as a Magician. She wondered if she’d be married off to someone who wanted ties with the Ducal Family, or perhaps live out her remaining years somewhere like her Mother. She thought it would be decided by Father’s decision alone. Just the thought brought her thinking to a halt. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t envision her future.
“Olivier, Older Sister… What should I do?”
