28.

“…How can I resolve this misunderstanding?”

Yulia disliked Julie becoming the protagonist. To her, Julie was just trash she could treat however she wanted. She wanted to twist this point.

“If you show your feelings toward Miss Julie, it might be possible.”

Serenity put on an innocent face. Yulia didn’t really want Julie to wake up. If Julie woke up, Yulia would feel even greater deprivation and suffering amidst the people who would try to take care of Julie.

‘But she can’t kill Julie either.’

To Yulia, Julie was a thorn in her side, but also an essential paradoxical existence.

“Since I’ve been through a similar situation, I really like Miss Julie.”

I like your bedridden sister more than you. Serenity didn’t need to say it out loud for Yulia to understand the meaning. Yulia’s face showed a mixture of emotions at the unexpected words.

Contempt, shame, embarrassment. It was the first time Serenity had seen Yulia’s emotions so mixed together. But it was only for a moment. Yulia returned to her original self and lifted the corners of her mouth.

“If you visit our residence next time, I will show you what I gave my sister. The letters we exchanged and such……. You saw my sister’s room then, didn’t you?”

Her efforts to manipulate the past were pitiful. Serenity thought Yulia might even write letters to her sister to deceive her.

“I’ll come to see you once I return from Artera.”

She wondered how hard Yulia would prepare.

“It would be an honor if you visit.”

Yulia smiled, but her eyes did not.

* * *

The day to go to Artera arrived.

A line of carriages stood in front of the count’s house. Busy preparing to leave, Serenity noticed a familiar blonde among the people.

“Hello, Miss Serenity.”

As expected, Clagen approached and greeted her.

“What brings you here….”

“I heard you were leaving, so I came personally to help. As a merchant, I can’t miss such an opportunity.”

‘That doesn’t seem to be the only reason.’

Clagen smiled brightly and watched Serenity, as if observing her actions. Serenity knew her sudden departure could be suspicious. Their last conversation had ended on a meaningful note.

But Serenity was confident. She had a legitimate reason to go to Artera.

“Please take care of it. You might already know, but my father has handed Artera over to me. He said it was a wonderful place, so I definitely wanted to visit.”

Clagen nodded as if he already knew.

“Yes, Lord Yustian said he wanted to renovate the castle along with welcoming the new owner of Artera. I will be going down to help with that.”

“Renovate the castle?”

“He plans to install new curtains and replace old furniture with new ones. I’ll be assisting with the orders after receiving the catalog. He wants to decorate it to your liking.”

It felt strange, as if everything in Artera, including the castle, was starting anew.

‘I never had anything of my own,’

Now, she owned both the territory and the castle. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up. After checking the list he was holding, Clagen asked after a pause.

“I heard you decided to talk to Dante about Julie. It seems his sincerity reached you.”

Dante probably said that because he couldn’t explain the reasons to the other heirs. What he said was true as well.

If they believed sincerity had reached them, they would try harder to show their sincerity too. This was a good chance to clear any suspicion about not sharing the story at all.

“The best way to show my sincerity is probably by talking about Julie.”

“Talking about Julie means….”

“It means telling you what I know about her.”

‘Dante likes to observe.’

Clagen was perceptive beyond his observational skills. Serenity wondered how much Clagen had figured out about Julie.

‘I can’t fully trust him.’

Serenity decided to remain cautious of Clagen. If she were Clagen, she would act as if she had dispelled doubts while continuing to observe the situation.

However, there was no need to show hostility towards him. There was nothing he could uncover even if he remained suspicious.

Serenity also wanted to learn about the Earth element by talking with Clagen. She wanted to learn and use the power of Earth if possible. Meeting Clagen under normal circumstances was rare, so it was good to take advantage of the current situation.

“Then I’ll see you then.”

Clagen, still smiling, nodded in satisfaction.

From behind Clagen, Adele could be seen running towards them. Holding a bag almost as big as her torso, she was sprinting at full speed.

“Sorry I’m late!”

Serenity, who hadn’t had time to pay attention to Adele recently, properly saw her face for the first time in a while.

“It seems it’s really time to depart now.”

An attendant was about to guide Serenity to the carriage.

“Goodbye then.”

After bidding farewell to Clagen, Serenity entered the carriage. Inside, her belongings, including soft pillows, were already prepared.

She had already said goodbye to the Zeros family and Cordelia. For a week before leaving, she had been having meals with the Zeros family, hearing hundreds of times that health was the most important thing.

Cordelia had gone even further, bringing all kinds of medicine from the doctor. Medicine for sore throats, headaches, and more….

Cordelia’s thoroughness was evident. She carefully placed the medicines into Serenity’s bag. Now, her bag was filled with neatly packed medicines.

‘It’s only for a short while….’

Serenity thought she might miss the Zeros family. As she thought about each member’s face, she climbed into the prepared carriage.

Goodbye. Serenity said a temporary farewell to the Zeros family.

* * *

It took a full two weeks to travel from the capital to Artera. The closer Serenity got to Artera, the more she was filled with eager anticipation.

The journey was smooth. Plenty of food had been prepared, and everyone enjoyed comfortable accommodations. Adele took great care of Serenity, keeping her company with stories to ensure she wasn’t bored. During their conversations, Serenity learned that Adele was originally from Artera.

‘My younger sister is attending the academy in Artera.’

True to its reputation as a city of artists, Artera had an academy established for them. Adele’s younger sister was a student there.

“We’ve arrived in Artera!”

The coachman’s shout reached inside the carriage. Serenity peeked outside through the window in the carriage door. People were gathered along the street, watching the procession of carriages.

The colorful roofs were impressive. The walls were covered with works by unknown artists. It was a completely different atmosphere from the capital’s residences.

There were spaces throughout the streets where people could play musical instruments. As the carriages passed by, those playing instruments paused to watch the procession. Children cheered as they saw the carriages pass by.

‘I’ll have to explore later.’

With an excited heart, Serenity entered the castle.

The castle looked quite old, but the traces of time were minimal. It must have been well-maintained.

Servants from the castle and those Serenity brought with her started unloading the luggage from the carriages. As Serenity watched them for a moment, she felt someone’s gaze on her and turned her head.

“Hello.”

A woman who looked to be in her sixties stood there. She approached Serenity with a kind smile and bowed.

“I am Anna Usher, the caretaker of Artera Castle. It’s a great honor to finally meet you, Miss Serenity.”

Though her voice was gentle, it held strength. What Serenity liked most was Anna’s smile. It was a genuine, kind smile that reflected wisdom accumulated over many years.

It was intriguing to see a female caretaker. Serenity had always thought caretakers were men, and she reflected on her own prejudices.

“You must be tired. Shall I show you to your room? Would you like to have dinner afterward?”

Anna naturally led Serenity into the castle. Serenity shook her head.

“I’d like to rest first. I want to be alone in my room for a while.”

“Understood.”

Though she had spent time alone in the carriage, it wasn’t the same as being in her own room. Adele often followed her, and her room was assigned just five minutes away from Serenity’s.

Serenity’s room was at the far left end of the hallway. Anna opened the door for her. Serenity followed her into the room.

“It’s been cleaned thoroughly.”

The first thing that caught her eye was the large window covering the wall. Sunlight poured through the window, illuminating the bed. The plain, white bedding looked simple but plush. There was a table and a sofa next to the bed. What intrigued Serenity most was the grand piano occupying one side of the room.

“Lady Jane loved the piano. She placed it here, hoping that one day, when you awoke, you would return and learn to play.”

It was an instrument she had never known.

Serenity pressed a key on the piano and marveled at the clear sound.

“It has been well-maintained. I will take my leave now. If you need anything, please ring the bell.”

Anna pointed to a bell placed by the bedside before closing the door and leaving.

Serenity took another look around the room and approached the window.

“Wow…”

Through the window, she could see the castle, mountains, and forests in the distance. She was in awe of the natural scenery she had never seen before. Lost in the view, Serenity shook her head.

Enjoying the view was good, but it wasn’t the reason she had made time to be alone.

“…Can it work?”

Serenity gazed at the water emblem engraved on the back of her hand and closed her eyes.

She recalled a moment when she desperately wanted water.

It felt like she was digging into a very old memory.

The desire for water.

Feelings of helplessness and wretchedness.

Serenity wanted to forget the painful times that Julie had experienced, but it was a time so agonizing it was hard to forget.

The pain she felt back then vividly came back to her.

Biting her lip, Serenity opened her eyes again.

She clenched and unclenched her fist.

‘Water.’