Chapter 50: The Woman Who Refuses to Give Up

The weather was pleasant today, so I spent the morning reading on the terrace. The tea Anna brewed had an elegant reddish-brown hue, its fragrance drifting gently even without lifting the cup. It was a rather peaceful start to the day—until Kishutaria appeared, his expression far too grave for such a bright sky. Sebas stood behind him, looking faintly apologetic.

“Albel, I’m sorry.”

“What is it, all of a sudden…?”

“…We’ve had to arrange a tea party at the estate. There was pressure from the royal family and the other ducal houses, and we couldn’t refuse. No matter how refined they look, they’re all monsters wrapped in schemes and ambition, so could you stay in one of the annexes for the day?”

“I don’t mind, but wouldn’t staying in my room be enough?”

“Just being nearby is enough for fools to try to summon you. They’ll take advantage of Father’s absence to probe for weaknesses in the Latiche household. I hate to say it, but you’re the easiest target.”

So that was it. While they were already dealing with the slave trafficking crackdown, this situation had arisen as well. With Father still away, people were trying to exploit the duchy. Kishutaria looked genuinely troubled, but the estate grounds were vast enough to contain entire villages, so relocating within them was hardly inconvenient.

“And there’s more… One of the invited nobles is on the worst possible terms with Father. Not just hostile—something far worse. It’s like dancing on thin ice while swinging iron weights. There’s no doubt they’ll try something, so absolutely do not go near the main residence that day. This tea party is also meant to celebrate the successful crackdown… though we’re still overwhelmed dealing with its aftermath.”

Kishutaria spoke earnestly, but I had no intention of walking into danger. If such troublesome nobles were coming, I would stay far away.

“Come to think of it, is this the first time we’ve held a tea party here?”

“His Grace has always disliked exposing Lady Albertina to public attention,” Sebas replied calmly. “That tendency became even stronger after the incident. The main residence has not hosted social gatherings since then. A few were held at the capital residence, especially after Lady Latine began attending society in earnest.”

“Even then,” Kishutaria added, “there were always fools trying to find her anyway. This time it’s inside the estate, though… I can’t even remember the last time we used the main residence for something like this.”

“The last time was when Lady Christina was still alive.”

That said enough about Father’s devotion. Even Sebas seemed to drift into distant thoughts, likely recalling more than just nostalgia. Serving someone like Father for decades must have been exhausting.

“After the academy incident, your appearance has spread,” Kishutaria continued. “Even if most only saw you from afar, a noble lady of your standing and age without a fiancé is extremely unusual. Some reckless fool might do something stupid, so don’t be alone under any circumstances.”

Sebas’s expression darkened slightly, though I didn’t understand why.

“You worry too much, Kishutaria. I’ll behave myself.”

“…Ideally, I’d assign Julius and more guards, but we can’t weaken security at the main residence with so many guests. I’m sorry, Albel. This makes things uncomfortable for you.”

“It’s alright. Don’t push yourself too hard either.”

I cupped his face gently, and though he looked surprised, he soon lowered his gaze and smiled.

After that, not only Kishutaria but also Lady Latine, Anna, and even Julius came to warn me repeatedly.

…Was I really that untrustworthy?

On the day of the tea party, I spent my time leisurely in the annex. From a distance, I could see carriages arriving one after another at the main residence. While Kishutaria and Lady Latine were surely busy, I sipped tea like a carefree noble, observing the scene from afar. For safety, I wore my disguise earrings, changing my appearance to ash-brown hair and aqua-blue eyes.

The long procession of people and carriages reminded me of a line of ants. When I was a child, I once became so absorbed watching ants in the greenhouse that I fell asleep there, causing a massive search throughout the estate.

Thinking of that, I suddenly felt like visiting the greenhouse again.

“Would that be alright?”

“With an escort, there should be no issue.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“You do love flowers, my lady.”

Anna’s expression softened slightly. I told her I liked her smile, and though she tried to remain composed, her face turned bright red as she lowered her head in thanks.

With guards accompanying us, we headed to the greenhouse. It was smaller than the main one but well maintained, filled with modest plants and fragrant herbs rather than showy flowers.

“What a lovely scent…”

It was refreshing—perhaps mint. I wondered if it could be used for something like mint chocolate. At Anna’s suggestion, she prepared herbal tea using the plants there.

As I sat and enjoyed the tea, completely at ease, a sudden metallic sound echoed. Before I could react, a guard stepped in front of me—only to be blown away in the next instant.

“…Finally found you. Don’t make me search so much, you fake.”

A blonde girl with blue eyes stood there, her smile twisted with malice. She tore off a wig, revealing dark brown hair beneath.

“Who are you…?”

“Why should I tell you? Fake Albertina. You’ve been acting all high and mighty just because you’re pretty and favored by Lord Grail. If you’d just done your job, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble!”

Her words made no sense. Guards emerged from all sides, yet she remained unfazed.

“Do you all realize it? This woman you’re protecting is a fake! She’s not Albertina! Look at her hair and eyes!”

The atmosphere turned sharply hostile—not toward me, but toward her.

“Well, whatever. Albertina is going to disappear from the Latiche house anyway. That’s how it goes in every route where she interferes. Changing the order a little won’t matter.”

She raised her hand, gathering dark magic into a sphere.

“Before you die, at least be useful. Fake or not, Albertina has to die. Vivian wasn’t good enough as a substitute. Once I expose everything, I’ll be the savior of the nation!”

…What was she talking about?

“I am the heroine of this world, Renaria Daches. Goodbye, background characters!”

…You have to be kidding me.

She hurled the sphere.

“Stop!”

The attack struck a barrier with a sharp crack and rebounded, exploding beside her instead. The greenhouse shook, and she was thrown into the dirt, injured and covered in mud.

“My greenhouse…”

“Which bastard dared lay a hand on our lady?!”

The elderly gardener charged in with a massive axe, destroying part of the greenhouse in the process. Despite the chaos, he immediately softened his expression upon seeing me safe.

“What about that person…?”

“A stray dog wandered in, it seems. Don’t worry, we’ll deal with it.”

A stray dog…

Before I could process it, Renaria rose again, her expression twisted with hatred.

“Why are you the one who’s loved? This is my world!”

No, everyone here clearly had their own lives and will.

She began throwing magic wildly, her demeanor like something out of a horror scene. I reinforced barriers around everyone, but in doing so I accidentally disrupted the guards trying to capture her.

Ah—no.

I’d gotten in the way again.