The place where I stopped was in front of a certain lady. The daughter of the Akon Count family, they said. She, with her gentle impression, blinked in surprise.
“Lady Deiras, those pearl earrings are really pretty.”
“Th-thank you…”
She shyly touched her earlobe. Gazes not understanding the situation focused on me and the lady. I treated Deiras with a soft tone.
“If it’s okay, could I borrow those earrings?”
When I smiled with my eyes curved gently, her cheeks flushed. Not everyone in the theology disliked me. On the contrary, there were many who harbored strange fondness. Deiras seemed to be one of them.
“Here… here.”
The lady, with her head bowed, removed the pearl earrings and handed them over. As a token of gratitude, I placed the ruby necklace I had in her hand. The rubies from the Aventa mine were valuables incomparable to pearls.
“Thank you, please accept this in return.”
Receiving jewelry from a lady of higher status was akin to honor. Deiras, overjoyed and not knowing what to do, fiddled with the necklace I gave her.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
Siena asked, furrowing her brow. It was like saying that since there was no solution, she was coveting someone else’s earrings. Of course, it wasn’t for my use. Ignoring the strange gazes, I approached the lakeside.
[Are you coming to see me?]
He seemed pleased that I was coming closer, puffing his cheeks.
“Mermaids live by eating pearls.”
I placed the borrowed pearl earrings on my palm and held them out. Asylid closed his eyes and licked the surface of the pearl. His tongue lightly touched my skin, creating a ticklish sensation.
[It tastes good.]
The pure white pearl faded in luster with each touch of his tongue, eventually turning into an ordinary stone. Feeling a slight sense of fullness, his playfully nipped my finger like a puppy, acting cute.
“They gave him things like fish to eat, so he had no choice but to starve like this.”
I pulled my hand away and smiled innocently. Just because I hadn’t seen it in person didn’t mean I had no knowledge. Grasping their habits was the basics among basics.
“…I never even thought of that.”
Siena was trembling. It seemed that Asylid acting cute towards me had come as a great shock.
“As expected of the Bennon family.”
Siena forced a smile and fanned herself. A strange feeling came from her wavering hand gesture. I saw the red corner of her mouth rising behind the fan.
“Oh my!”
A short scream came first. The fan fell from Siena’s hand and rolled on the ground.
Thud―!
“Eut!”
At that moment, something sprang up from under the grass, pushed my back, and disappeared into the bushes. From the afterimage, it seemed like a small animal. Since it was inside here, it must be Siena’s pet.
‘So that’s why she brought me to the lake side.’
I bit my lip and had to watch as my view approached the lake. At this rate, I’d fall into the water. The mermaid, too, seemed flustered and reached out his arm. But I was tilting downward faster than that.
Whoosh―!
“……?”
It was then. Suddenly, a black afterimage rose before me. It was a form like mist or burning flames, pushing me from the lake back to the ground.
‘What is it?’
I hurriedly looked around, but it had already disappeared. It felt like I had seen an illusion.
“The mermaid saved Lady Floria!”
“How romantic!”
From behind, it would have looked like Asylid saved me. The ladies clapped with flushed cheeks, as if they had watched a romance play. Among them, only Siena was grimacing.
“That mermaid seems to like me more.”
I pulled up the corner of my mouth, pretending not to be flustered. It was extremely annoying that what was just a show had turned into a big deal.
“I think I’ve helped enough. I should head back to the castle now.”
I had never used the ability of the fire seal on ordinary people. But this level of mischief should be fine. As I passed by Siena, I subtly blew a faint scent into her. Those who succumb to this scent would see hallucinations like dreams for a while.
“…Yes. Take care on your way.”
Siena saw me off with pretty words, as if her soul had left her. But her body was heading in the opposite direction from me.
“Lady Siena!”
At the high-pitched scream, splash! came the sound of something falling into the water. There was no need to look back. As I walked ahead, Shirel trotted after me through the gaps between the maids.
The mission given by Rikael was completed. But I couldn’t figure out the identity of that black flame from earlier. Hiding the strange feeling, I boarded the carriage.
‘Strange.’
Rather than a sense of triumph, a puzzled feeling arose. More than Siena who tried to push me into the water, or the mermaid inside, that black-burning thing kept occupying my mind.
‘Black… flame?’
In the original work, Cartel handled black flames. What I saw in the greenhouse reminded me of the description in the original.
“…No way.”
Cartel was in a state where he couldn’t undo the seal. So he shouldn’t be able to use his innate abilities either. I shook my head to dispel the unnecessary thoughts. But it was a delusion that wouldn’t easily fade.
Upon arriving at the Duke’s castle, the sun had already set. I headed straight to Rikael to report. It was about time he would be in the study. The door to the study was half-open. I slipped my body through the gap. Between the bookshelves packed with ancient books, silver hair was visible. Rikael was reading a book under the fading sunset light.
“Report.”
Rikael said without taking his eyes off the book. I thought I had approached quietly, but it seemed he had noticed the presence. As befitting a hawk’s half-blood, he was sensitive to the flow of the air.
“…The Luga Merchant Guild was involved. It seems they offered the injured mermaid to the Duke’s family and received payment for it.”
I began to recount what I had observed today in a slightly tense state.
“A mermaid, huh. It’s certainly worth spreading rumors about.”
Rikael said, closing the book. I nodded in agreement with his words.
“How to bring it here?”
“It seems tricky since it can’t stay out of water for long. And Belous is away from the Duke’s castle too.”
Belous, the youngest of the family, had gone to the border to contact slave traders. He was in charge of bringing rare magical beasts that the merchants brought to the Duke’s castle. And stealing something from other families was also that child’s role.
‘It should be about time for him to return.’
It had been about two weeks since he left, so he would return within the next week.
Rikael stared at me as I trailed off, then soon gave his answer.
“It won’t die even if it’s a bit late. Bring it along when Belous returns that week.”
“Me too?”
Even to my surprised question, he kept a firm expression as if he would never yield. If I went with Belous, I would have to leave the Duke’s castle for a few days. What might happen during that time was unknown.
“And you.”
Rikael had a subtle expression. It was quite different from his usual expressionless face. Standing before him, my heart pounded as if I had been caught doing something.
“…No. You may go now.”
It was the first time Rikael had trailed off like that. What was he about to say? There were more than one or two things I was curious about, but I decided to ask the most pressing one.
“Is sending me away an order from Father?”
“……”
He only looked at me and ultimately did not give an answer. The silence was long. In the end, I had to leave the study without hearing anything.
It was already past dinner time. But I did not return straight to my room.
‘I should stop by, even if just for a moment.’
Anyone with the family’s blood and magic could enter the underground cave where Cartel was. If my brothers happened to go in and out of there, it would be troublesome. It might ruin the plan. My steps toward the cave quickened. Without even thinking of changing out of my dress, I descended into the cave.
“Cartel?”
I naturally called his name. But the beast inside the iron bars was just curled up. Looking closely, even its breathing was not rising and falling.
“…Cartel!”
It felt like my heart sank. Without hesitation, I pushed my body into the iron bars. Cartel still showed no movement.
No way. Rikael’s declaration that he would kill him echoed in my mind. I hadn’t even thought that the plan might go awry. I couldn’t understand why I felt this way.
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