Episode 38

“Is there any point in voting?”

“Hey, lift your head and take a look.”

At Young Lady’s words, Amy nudged my side. I truly felt like I had become their doll.

I cautiously lifted my face, and when our eyes met, Young Lady exclaimed enthusiastically, “How can we beat such a kid!”

“Did you bring a girl with you?”

As if in disbelief, Young Lady turned her head sharply.

“Harmott, since you dressed him, you should know.”

In response to her question, Harmott smiled and replied, “I checked. He is indeed a boy.”

“What a shame. It would have been better if he were born a lady.”

I suppressed the urge to retort. Then, to moisten my dry throat, I took a careful sip of water.

“You’re absolutely right. But seeing him like this feels a bit creepy…”

Amy added her comment to Young Lady’s words. Frankly, her words were absurd.

It was Amy who had dressed me up like this.

“Porsa, how much has been bet?”

“About 5 billion Raphrin.”

Amy shrugged lightly.

“A considerable amount has been bet. Shall we negotiate our terms once more?”

Amy glanced briefly outside before continuing, “Since the competition has yet to end.”

“Let’s hear her out.”

Disappointed that this year’s Marié had been chosen so easily, the ladies leaned in to listen to her words.

“It’s simple. After the competition ends, we’ll send one Marié to each returning participant.”

“Send them? Are you suggesting they warm their beds?”

At Young Lady’s malicious remark, there were murmurs of disapproval from all around.

“Enough, let’s all maintain our ladylike manners.”

At that moment, Lady Howarth quietly spoke up. Instantly, the laughter subsided. Lady Howarth nodded to Amy, gesturing for her to continue.

“I thought of adding another round by sending handkerchiefs to the Marié’s side. If a gentleman receives a handkerchief, he wins.”

Catherine spoke with a bored expression, seemingly uninterested in her words.

“Then isn’t it inevitable that Miss Amy will win again?”

Amy smiled slyly.

“This time, let’s try changing the Marié’s owners. We’ll draw lots among ourselves and among the Marié’s to see if the sequences match and determine the owner accordingly.”

For example, if I draw number 3 and Catherine also draws number 3, then Catherine becomes my owner.

Amy’s proposal seemed quite intriguing, as voices of approval were heard here and there.

“That sounds fair enough.”

“I think it’ll be fun. I’m in.”

“Well, count me out of this round.”

Thus, out of a total of 8 Mariés, only 5 participated. Of course, I was automatically included.

Amy glanced at the clock and subtly suggested, “Shall we start by drawing our lucky cards from the Chase?”

“Sure.”

She approached me and handed me a box containing numbers. Feeling a sense of unease, I reached into the box.

Inside, there was a piece of paper that clung stubbornly to my hand, refusing to drop.

“What’s this…”

Amy, who had been watching me quietly, gently urged, “You have to take it out.”

She pulled my hand, which was inside the box. Eventually, the paper stuck to my hand came out.

As I remained silent, Amy unfolded the paper.

“…Number 1, you’re the first in line.”

Amy smiled as if she was very pleased with my turn.

* * *

The owners of the Mariés were determined. Each owner left to dress up their Marié, and I was no exception.

However, I didn’t dress up.

“If Young Master doesn’t accept the handkerchief, don’t act all disheartened and just come back without making a scene.”

Lady Howarth spoke with a cigarette holder between her lips.

“Understood.”

My voice trembled slightly as I replied, catching the lady’s gaze. She clicked her tongue softly.

“Tsk, for someone working at Akaruth, you seem quite fragile.”

“… ”

“Well, Marié’s not exactly a cheerful game either.”

I lowered my head. My hand resting on the edge of my dress was trembling with a bluish hue. With this attire, I didn’t expect to feel relaxed going outside.

Lady Howarth muttered as she exhaled smoke, “By the way, where have I seen that face before?”

At her words, I looked up again. She stared at me quietly, narrowing her eyes.

“What’s your name?”

“… Chase.”

Lady Howarth, who had been rolling my name silently in her mouth, suddenly turned her cigarette holder, which had a thorn inserted in it, toward me.

Then, she lifted my chin with the cigarette holder.

It felt like being thrown in front of a lion naked. I swallowed nervously due to the tension.

Soon, she chuckled.

“I was wondering where I’d seen you… You’re from Seville.”

How does she know I’m from Seville?

I gathered some courage.

“Do you know me?”

“I recognize you. I was quite surprised when I heard that gloomy magician was sponsoring you.”

It was quite a radical statement to refer to a Marquis of the kingdom. I was taken aback.

However, she seemed to find my reaction amusing and exhaled smoke with a slight smirk.

“It was common for noble families to sponsor former orphans after the war.”

It was already known. After the war, the royal family fully supported the sponsorship system to cope with the rapidly increasing number of orphans.

However, Abel and I went to Seville four years after the war ended. Lady Howarth continued to speak as she exhaled smoke.

“But I didn’t expect that gloomy Marquis to step up for sponsorship. At that time, how surprised he must have been. He even went to Seville, thinking you brought a hidden magician to the kingdom.”

As my eyes widened upon hearing her words, Lady Howarth quietly continued.

“You’ve grown quite well for someone who grew up under that gloomy Marquis. I didn’t expect to encounter you in such a comical situation.”

“… ”

“Why did you become a servant at Akaruth?”

Lady Howarth’s gaze on me was heavy. I judged that there was no point in lying.

“They provided a recommendation letter. After Isis was injured…”

“Tsk, how stingy… But then again… I remember hearing about the Marquis’s daughter bringing you.”

Lady Howarth chewed on the end of the cigarette holder, lost in thought.

“But sent to Akaruth…?”

Lady Howarth muttered, observing me carefully. Then she suddenly burst into a self-deprecating laughter.

I couldn’t understand what her laughter implied. As I stared at her, unable to hide my confusion, she slowly spoke up.

“What do you think your chances of winning in this round are?”

“… I think it’s fifty-fifty.”

“In that case, my chances of giving you a prize are also fifty-fifty.”

She adjusted her posture as she sat.

“Seems like you don’t know much, so I’ll give you a suitable prize.”

There was a knock from outside the tent. It meant it was time.

However, Lady Howarth continued speaking, seemingly unconcerned.

“If I win this round, tell me about the mastermind behind the Marquis’s daughter losing her memory.”

Did I hear wrong? I fiddled nervously with my trembling hands, trying to sound unaffected as I asked, “Um… Did you say… the mastermind?”

The lady nodded.

Unable to lift my head, I hung it low. It felt like everything was spinning.

A mastermind behind Isis losing her memory? Not an accidental and inevitable event, but something orchestrated by someone?

My mind became clouded.

The day of the accident was rainy. The rain-soaked streets were very slippery, and the carriage was speeding, relying on just one streetlight.

In an attempt to avoid a passerby, the coachman turned the wheel, resulting in both of them getting severely injured.

…Was the incident I knew false?

Breathing became increasingly difficult, and my mouth felt dry. My eyelids trembled.

“Take it.”

At Lady Howarth’s words, I raised my head. She handed me a handkerchief embroidered with a purple ‘H’.

The initial of the Howarth family. I looked at her with labored breaths.

“Good luck, then.”

* * *

Does Abel know about this?

Should I tell him?

But for some reason, I felt like Abel already knew about this important fact.

Abel, who was practically the master of this world, wouldn’t likely miss such a crucial detail.

If there’s something bothering me…

As soon as Isis lost her memory, the Marquis recommended us to Akaruth. He handed us the letter of recommendation.

Why recommend us to the duke’s estate?

If it was to separate Isis and Abel, there could have been places further away. Why the duke’s estate in Ruman, the capital?

“Is it an excessive thought to suspect that Isis’s accident might be related to Akaruth?”

I immediately shook my head. I shouldn’t dwell on it.

Besides, there’s a possibility that Lady Howarth lied to me to win the game.

Thinking so eased my anxiety a bit. I slapped my cheeks with my hands and cautiously took steps forward.