Chapter 31: Distant Eyes

After finishing breakfast, Faustina returned to her private room with Rinsy, who was carrying the presents, to prepare for going out.
She had Rinsy place them on the table one by one, then untied the ribbon and opened the wrapping on the gift she had requested from Citrine.
When she lifted the lid of the large, pure white box—

“Wow!
It’s so cute!”

Faustina lifted out a round, fluffy white call duck plush with both hands.
It had an orange beak and feet, round black eyes, and an irresistibly charming look.
Its cuteness was obvious even without seeing it in person.
Rinsy watched Faustina twirl around, scattering imaginary sunflowers as she danced, her gaze warm and gentle.
There was another reason for her joy besides receiving the plush she wanted.
The hair ornament swaying in Faustina’s hair testified to that.

How long must Lady Ludmila have agonized over choosing a hair ornament that would not get in the way of Faustina, who loved to move around.

“It’s completely different from Madam’s usual tastes, so it must have taken her quite a while……”

“Hm?
Did you say something?”

“No, nothing.”

Is that so?
Thinking it strange, Faustina began dancing again with the call duck plush.
She was supposed to be getting ready to go out, but it was her birthday.
Even if the main character got carried away, that was fine.
Rinsy decided to let her be for a little longer, but suddenly felt a gaze from behind.
She glanced back and nearly cried out, barely managing to hold it in.

From the gap in the slightly open door, Ludmila was watching Faustina with a worried expression.
From her reaction in the dining hall, it was obvious she had been pleased, but perhaps she was still concerned.
She looked relieved as she watched Faustina happily dancing with the plush.
If she called out now, it felt like things might become awkward somehow, at least for Rinsy, so she pretended not to notice.

“All right, my lady.
It’s time to prepare to go to the church.”

“You’re right.”

At Rinsy’s prompting, Faustina placed the call duck plush on the sofa.
In the kingdom, it was customary for everyone—commoners, nobles, and royalty alike—to receive a blessing at the church dedicated to the sister goddesses on their birthday.

“What shall you wear today?”

“The weather is so nice, so I want a light blue dress!”

“Very well.
I’ll prepare it right away.”

Before heading to the wardrobe, Rinsy glanced toward the entrance again.
Ludmila was no longer there.
She must have returned to her room, reassured.
But then there was a knock at the door.
Before Rinsy could answer, the visitor entered.

It was Elvira, who had not been present at breakfast, standing there in her nightclothes.

“Elvira?”

Faustina’s eyes widened at the sudden visit.
Her black hair, inherited from their mother, stuck out in places.
Her appearance made it obvious she had not done any morning preparations.

“Sister.”

Elvira entered the room with a slightly sullen expression, and her gaze fell upon the lapis-dyed ribbon carefully stored inside the box.

“That ribbon is?”

“This?
A messenger delivered it this morning.”

She deliberately did not say it was a present from Bernhard.

“I see……”

“So, what is it?”

“Lord Bernhard will be coming today, won’t he?”

“I didn’t receive any letter saying he would, so he won’t be coming.”

“Even though today is your birthday?”

“His Highness is very busy.
Even if I can’t see him, it’s enough for me that he sent a present like this.
(I really want to say that line to my former self.)”

She had read the letter that came with the present on the way back to her room.
It contained birthday wishes for Faustina’s eighth birthday, an apology for not being able to visit, and concern for her health.
She felt perfectly fine, but with two prior incidents, she could not confidently say she was all right.

Elvira had probably been looking forward to seeing Bernhard today.
Now that expectation had been dashed, she looked dejected.

“More importantly, stop walking around in your sleepwear and go call Tricia to help you change.
Your breakfast is properly prepared.”

“……Yes.”

“Rinsy, go with her.”

“Understood.
This way, Lady Elvira.”

Faustina watched Elvira shuffle away as Rinsy led her to Tricia, then let out a sigh.
Among the presents on the table, she had not yet unwrapped the book from Cain, but decided to save it for later that night.
She closed the lid on the box with the lapis ribbon and placed it on the desk.

A present different from her memories.
Faustina could not see what that meant, but even if one thing changed, most things would probably remain the same.

Rinsy returned with the light blue dress, and Faustina changed into it.
Next, she sat before the vanity.
Her hair ornament was removed for the moment as Rinsy combed her hair.

“How would you like your hair styled?”

“Just leave it down.”

“Will you not use the ribbon from His Highness?”

“I’ll use it the next time we meet.
Today, this is enough.”

By this, she meant the hair ornament.
Rinsy said nothing more, finished combing her hair, and placed the ornament above her right ear.

“All set.”

“Please relax until it’s time.”

“Okay.
I’ll call if I need anything.”

After Rinsy left, Faustina opened the notebook hidden beneath her bed, titled “All About Faustina.”
She had gone to the church before.
Nothing in particular had happened.
There had been no problematic behavior on Cain’s or Elvira’s birthdays either.
She had behaved properly.
So what was the next event?
She folded her arms, thinking.

“Oh.”

As if recalling something, Faustina spoke aloud, dipped her quill in ink, and began writing in the notebook.

“This is it……”

After finishing writing about what she had done next, she slumped forward.

“I really was someone with way too much initiative……”

Feeling fed up with her past self, Faustina continued writing in detail.
There was the tea party at the Fwahrin Ducal House, the family of Queen Sierra.
The Fwahrin family was headed by Sierra’s brother, and his children included Cloud, who had stained Elvira’s dress at the queen’s tea party, and a younger sister.
The three siblings of the Vitkenshtein family were invited, and the princes attended incognito.

“My past self got so carried away and stuck to His Highness the entire time, like a total pest, and he was so annoyed……”

Then Elvira said His Highness looked pitiful, and as usual, Faustina dumped the contents of a nearby glass over Elvira.

“Ahaha, so predictable……
But of course it was me…… sigh……”

Doing all that in the very year the engagement was announced was truly beyond saving.
Should she write about what happened after she turned eight as well?
As Faustina picked up the quill, her hand suddenly froze.

When she tried to start writing about what happened around the time she turned eleven, a sharp headache struck.
Unable to withstand the squeezing pain, she stopped recalling and set the quill down.
The pain vanished almost instantly.

“Huh?”

Tilting her head, she picked up the quill again and tried to remember, only to suffer the same pain.

“Why……?”

Had there been some major event when she was eleven?
If eleven was no good, she tried to recall what happened from twelve onward.
The result was the same.

“……”

She then tried recalling the period around her eventual disownment.
That, she remembered clearly.
Even as graduation approached, Bernhard continued to look only at Elvira and never at her.
Unable to bear it, Faustina ran wild with the belief that if Elvira were gone, she would receive his affection, and plotted to harm her.
Bernhard noticed the plot and stopped it.
In the end, due to the queen’s plea and her father’s mercy, Faustina was disowned from the ducal house.

“Not remembering such a long stretch of time is really bad……”

For a moment, she considered writing to Aelia to ask, but Aelia only became closely involved with her after they entered the Noble Academy.
Before that, they barely interacted.

What on earth had she done during the blank years after eleven?

Unable to recall the memories she would need going forward, Faustina remained slumped over until Rinsy came to call her.

Faustina’s preferred clothing favored simple designs that prioritized ease of movement.
The light blue dress she wore today was no exception.
Though made from fine fabric befitting a high-ranking noble, it lacked flashy decorations.
Her shoes were brown short boots with small ribbons at the heels.

Called by Rinsy and escorted to the front gate, Faustina was lifted into the carriage by Citrine, who had been waiting.
Citrine turned to the gathered servants, told the head butler they would return before noon, and boarded the carriage.
Inside were Faustina and Ludmila.
Cain and Elvira stayed behind.

Since birthdays were the only occasion to visit the church, Faustina knelt on the seat, pressing her hands to the window and eagerly watching the scenery, hoping they would arrive soon.

“Faustina.
Sit properly.”

“I’m fine.
It’s barely shaking.”

“Fana.
It’s dangerous, so listen to Ludmila and sit down.”

“Yes……”

When both parents spoke, she had no choice but to comply.
She sat properly again, but her gaze remained fixed outside.
Citrine watched Faustina stare intently at the passing scenery with a nostalgic expression.

“My lord?”

“Yes?”

“What is it?
You seem lost in thought.”

“Ah, well.
I was just thinking that she used to look outside like that too.”

“Lady Lionie?”

“No, Aava.”

“Lady Aava……”

The name they spoke belonged to Citrine’s cousin.
Narrowing his pale yellow eyes in nostalgia, Citrine watched over Faustina with a hint of loneliness.
While Faustina was absorbed in the view outside, the two continued their conversation.

“I spoke with His Majesty once more after that, but he still said that Bernhard’s fiancée must be Fana.
He said the ancient vow cannot be broken.”

“But if Faustina collapses again……”

“In that case, he said they would simply change the fiancée to Prince Neige.
What matters is leaving the goddess’s blood within the royal family.
Because of what happened with Aava, we cannot press the matter strongly.”

“……”

“As a last resort, I told him we could call back Lionie, His Majesty’s natural enemy.
Let’s believe he won’t resort to force.”

A girl born with the same hair and eye color as the sister goddesses—
the reincarnation of Linnamorat, sister of Fortuna.
When Ludmila married in, Citrine did not explain the details, wanting to spare her daughter from being deeply entangled with the royal family, the Vitkenshteins, and the sister goddesses.
He had only told her that if the reincarnation of Linnamorat were born, she would inevitably be married into the royal family.

Citrine gazed at Faustina, who was eagerly awaiting their arrival, with distant eyes, as if overlapping her with someone else.