North x Northwest

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Lil first looked at Ed’s back that was blocking her, and then at the staggering Venua. The Regent’s alcohol-soaked lips were tightly shut, but the sound of grinding teeth could even be heard by Lil.

“…Marquess of Roahn.”

“When the Duke of Mireille issued a public apology, somehow you remained mum. But I see now that you were busy drowning yourself in alcohol here.”

“How rude! Know your place! You crept into my house, indulged yourself in my wine, and now dare to mock me!”

“As you know, the reputation about my temper is not the best, and with Roahn having so much evidence for a trial, consider this my last act of mercy to personally come here to tell you this.”

Venua, who seemed to be quietly listening to Ed’s words, slowly burst into laughter. His slow and intermittent laughter that started like sobs gradually became louder. He looked around the confused audience and screamed.

“Now! Stop this!”

The banquet hall’s noise immediately died down like everyone was actually gathered for a funeral.

“This damned bastard does not even know who the owner of this castle is!”

Marguerite, who had been frozen like a stone statue behind Lil’s back, sighed. But rather than out of fear, her sigh was out of pity for Venua. After looking around the banquet hall where people were starting to gather, Marguerite spoke up.

“I have to go now.”

Lil grabbed Marguerite’s arm.

“If you need help…”

“No, it is okay.”

“Has my brother ever hit you?”

“Do not worry. He just needs someone to comfort him and cry to.”

For a moment, Lil thought she had heard her wrong.

‘No, does that mean he’s like that when it’s just the two of them? I can’t imagine Venua shedding tears in someone’s arms like a child.’

“…Crying? My brother?”

“It is a relief that he only does that in front of me.”

“…”

Lil couldn’t read Marguerite’s emotions properly. After so many years, resignation, scorn, pity, and disgust appeared to have blended all together, so Lil didn’t dare to argue.

“The one to be pitied is not me, but Venua. You know that, right?”

Marguerite passed by Lil and looked up at Ed.

“Please excuse his manners, Marquess. May you and Liloa be happy.”

Marguerite stood next to Venua after her brief exchange of greetings with Ed. Meanwhile, Venua glared at Marguerite as if he were going to devour her. Everyone else had retreated and left a spacious circle around Venua, watching the scene with bated breath. It wasn’t hard to understand that this was a complicated situation. However, when Marguerite whispered something to Venua while lowering her head, Venua quickly turned around and stopped complaining. People hurriedly cleared the way until Venua and Marguerite vanished from the gallery.

Soon the guests forgot about the uproar Venua had caused. No, rather than forgetting, it was more like they pretended not to remember out of courtesy. It didn’t take long for the banquet to wrap up. By then, the sun was just starting to set, so the sunset was still deep outside the window.

After the banquet, Lil sent Ed to Joseph. The fact that Ed was an excellent doctor was widely known, so Dr. Limue was more than eager to discuss a variety of matters with Ed. Leaving the servants behind as well, Lil alone climbed one flight of stairs and walked down the hallway leading to the main building.

The Obernyu Castle has expanded over hundreds of years and formed multiple structures that surround the castle. The main building, located in the innermost part, housed private bedrooms and rooms used for personal purposes. Lil noticed that the marble floor she had walked all her life had been replaced with a wooden one. The wooden surface was still shiny as if the floor had only recently been installed.

Lil stopped in front of a door.

This was her bedroom before she went to Sesbron.

Grabbing the handle, she gave it a gentle push. She simply remained standing in the doorway after opening it. Inside, all of the curtains were open, allowing yellowish sunlight to stream in at regular intervals. It was as normal as any other boudoir.

Eventually stepping inside, Lil sat on the bed and swept the blanket. The thick winter blanket rustled beneath her hand.

‘I remember the time when I was overcome with fear. I trembled under this very blanket for so long… I even remember exactly where I had thrown that horrifying book containing Mortu’s tales.’

Of course, no marks remained on the soft carpet material, but Lil found herself staring at the floor for quite some time.

‘My hellish hallucinations started here.’

But now, the sunset’s bright silence felt warm, mixed with the refreshing sky-blue lambris with light green accents. Lil glanced at the furniture she had used since she was very young, as well as the furniture she used right before departing for Sesbron. The chairs and furniture made for little Liloa were small and dainty, with an old wooden horse standing in one corner.

Lil opened the drawer opposite the fireplace, revealing shells and pieces of coral she had gathered in Malus. The drawer also contained a pendant with a small portrait of Henrietta and Lil’s hair tie, a dark blue beryl she had received as a gift for her eighth birthday. She touched the items one by one with her fingertips before closing the drawer again.

‘I never expected my room to be this bright and spacious…’

When she was so peacefully lost in her thoughts, her vision caught someone’s shadow pacing in front of the boudoir. She tried to ignore it at first, but its presence was persistent. Lil eventually walked to the door and pulled the doorknob herself. The other person must’ve been holding the doorknob as well because when the door was finally opened, a small person was dragged inside.

“…Oh!”

Lil didn’t open it with too much force, but the other person had to quickly correct her posture. It was a girl whose height barely reached Lil’s waist. Lil tilted her head to look at the child shrugging her shoulders.

“Who are you?”

“I am…”

The stiff child lifted her head and looked up at her. For a moment, Lil thought that an afterimage from her past had come to visit her. But the next moment, she realised who the child was.

Relaxing her muscles, Lil let go of the doorknob.

“Constance.”

Constance Obernyu was the current Archduchess’ daughter and Lil’s half-sister. She looked strikingly similar to Lil when she was a child. Her curly black hair was neatly tied down, and a blue ribbon tied her hair’s thin braid. Her light blue dress suited her, as it always did Lil as well.

Constance soon came to her senses and bowed to Lil in courtesy.

“Miss Liloa.”

The child was doing her best to act like an adult. She tried not to show any embarrassment and kept her back straight to avoid being intimidated. Constance’s hesitation to approach the doorway and her choice to watch Lil from a distance reminded Lil of how she must’ve acted more than ten years ago.

Lil laughed at the thought.

‘She was watching me without daring to approach me. It’s funny when I think about how I must’ve been like this a decade or so ago.’

Lil gently gestured as she headed to the tea table.

“Come in.”

“…Yes? Oh, yes!”

“Did you come here because you were curious about me?”

‘She must indeed be quite curious. She probably doesn’t know much about her half-sister who went missing or had been presumably dead, so it must be a surprise for Constance to see that I’m actually alive and well. Even the castle’s courtiers and servants shed tears and loudly expressed gratitude upon seeing me, so what else could Constance, my own flesh and blood, do?’

“Yes, please forgive me. Even though I know it is rude…”

“Rude?”

The two sat across the tea table. Steam rose from the teapot’s body as a maid brewed the tea briefly.

For a while, Constance and Lil were just fiddling with their teacup.

“You look very… healthy and intelligent.”

Meeting Constance was a bit awkward for Lil. She knew it shouldn’t be much different from meeting the Archduchess, but it was. Because Lil was actually curious about how Constance usually lived and what concerns she had.

“What do you do in your free time? No, do you have free time?”

“These days, Madam Marguerite is teaching me embroidery.”

‘What kind of conversation should I have with my younger sister, whom I didn’t even know existed until just a few months ago?’

Only the typical advice, such as not neglecting studying, reading books, and living intentionally, sat on the tip of her tongue.

While Lil was struggling, Constance looked at her and asked.

“Will you be leaving again?”

“…Yes.”

The child’s mouth tightly shut in disappointment. She seemed to be choosing her words for a moment, then she asked again.

“What are you going to do when you leave Obernyu this time?”

“Well…”

“..?”

After considering various complicated options, Lil decided to just be honest.

“I am going to learn more about the world. If I want to pursue research, I have to study first.”

“So, are you going on an adventure?”

“You could call it an adventure.”

Like any other child, Constance’s eyes glimmered upon hearing the word ‘adventure’. The look on her face, with her eyes wide and her mouth pursed out of genuine admiration, looked very cute. When Lil smiled, Constance finally mustered the courage to ask.

“…Would you write me a letter? Or, can I write to you?”

The child’s tone remained cautious, but her eyes were passionate. The little one appeared to have already formed a bond with her, and Lil felt the same. Although she hadn’t spoken much with Constance yet, Lil felt so close to her sister that she wondered if this was the mystery of being made with the same flesh and blood.

“My address may change frequently, but I will make sure to reply.”

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Constance gave an ambiguous expression as if she wasn’t satisfied with Lil’s answer. So, Lil added more carefully.

“If you do not know where I am, just send it to the Retiro’s residence in Roahn or Sesbron. Write a letter whenever you want to. I will read it in droves every time I come to the Central Continent. Okay? Is that okay? No, will that be all right… with you?”

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Lil was confused about what tone to use and tried to recall how Annette did it.

‘It’s because I rarely ever talk to a child, and it’s hard to remember how Annette talked to me when I was younger.’

But when Constance finally laughed, Lil felt she must’ve done at least something right in her effort to try to make her words a bit softer.

***

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