Chapter 55: Three Siblings, Business as Usual

Supported by the servants, Ludmila returned to her private room.
She was seated on the couch by the servants, and they were instructed to leave the room until she calmed down.
Though worried, the servants bowed with a “Please excuse us” and withdrew.
Still deathly pale, Ludmila recalled Ciel’s merciless expression from moments ago, and her trembling worsened.

Faustina had been kidnapped, and Ciel had rescued her.
If she had known Ciel would bring Faustina back to the ducal house himself, she would never have gone outside.
Even now, Citrine was desperately resisting Ciel, trying not to have Faustina taken from them, while she herself could do nothing.
How utterly useless she was.

“Faustina is my daughter… my daughter…”

Eight years ago, her husband Citrine had consulted her about taking in the daughter of his cousin, Arva.
Citrine wished to raise their own children with their own hands, and he was also worried about Ludmila, whose recovery after childbirth had not been very good.
Soon after Cain was born, they had lived in the countryside on their territory.
Though rural and quiet, the slow, gentle passage of time helped Ludmila recover faster than expected.
Normally, a wet nurse would handle childcare, but at Citrine’s request, Ludmila herself helped care for Cain with the nurse’s assistance.

She had not been told the detailed circumstances.
Arva, who had disappeared after leaving the noble academy, had given birth to a baby girl half a year earlier and passed away at the same time.
The fact that the father was Ciel, the king’s brother, caused complications, and so it was decided that their relative Citrine would take the child in.
Grateful for her husband’s sincerity in explaining everything beforehand, Ludmila agreed that it would be better for both Cain and the baby girl to take her in while she was still an infant and unaware of anything.
At the time, Elvira was already growing in her womb.

At that time—

“Lumy.
I want you to think of Arva’s child as your own.
Love her as your child, just like Cain, just like the child who will be born next.”

Given the circumstances, if it became known that the girl was the daughter of Ciel, the king’s brother, countless complications would arise.
Ludmila repeatedly told herself never to speak of her as Ciel and Arva’s child, convincing herself that the girl was born between herself and her husband.

She believed she had raised Faustina with care, in her own way.
The reincarnation of a goddess was destined to marry into royalty.
To protect that radiant future, and to be the mother who raised a future queen, she treated Faustina with excessive strictness.

Cain was the heir, and Faustina was destined to become queen.
Unlike them, the youngest, Elvira, was someone whose future she wished to decide more leisurely.
If possible, she wanted Elvira to marry someone she herself wished to be with, provided that person was worthy of her.

All the strictness toward Faustina was for Faustina’s sake.
She wanted to be kind to her, to indulge her, but she suppressed those feelings.
What she could not give Faustina, she poured into Elvira instead.
After all, Elvira was also her precious daughter.

There was no reason to fear Ciel.
As Faustina’s mother, and with Citrine as her father, they were raising her properly.

Repeating this to herself, Ludmila’s complexion improved slightly.
The discussion was probably still ongoing.
Yet she still lacked the strength to stand.
She clasped her hands tightly to her chest.

—……Ahh…!
—…E…Elvira!

“Elvira…?
Cain…?”

She could not hear clearly, but from afar she heard the voices of Elvira and Cain.
Wondering what was happening, Ludmila forced her trembling legs to move and left the room.

Meanwhile, while their parents were in discussion with Ciel, Faustina was led by Cain to a guest room.
Bernhard was there as well.
Once inside, Faustina and Cain guided Bernhard to a seat first.
After he sat down, they seated themselves across from him.

Cain rang the bell, and Trisha, Elvira’s maid, entered.
When she saw Faustina, she rushed over.

“You’re safe…!”

“Yeah.
I’m back, Trisha.”

“Yes.
Welcome home.”

“Trisha.
Please prepare some tea for His Highness.”

“Yes.”

With tearful eyes, Trisha stroked Faustina’s cheek, then left the room to prepare the tea.

‘I caused Trisha trouble before too…’

In her previous life, Elvira’s maids had been conspicuously indulgent toward her.
Whenever something happened, they would immediately run crying to Ludmila.
Among them, Trisha had been somewhat lenient, but she never spoiled Elvira.
Her scolding was mild, but still present.
In her previous life, Faustina had been treated like something fragile by everyone except Rinsu.
Among Elvira’s attendants, who served the greatest victim, she had been treated like an enemy.
Yet Trisha had—

“Miss.
Faustina-sama says such things because you are also at fault,”
implying that approaching Bernhard was the reason things turned out that way.

‘It never reached Elvira though…’

Ending her recollection, Faustina returned her awareness to the present.

“Your Highness, let us wait here until the discussion between the priest and my parents concludes.”

“Okay.”

“Hey, Fana, are you really all right?”
“I mean, you were sleeping?”
“All the time?”

“U… y-yes.”

Cain’s concern was genuine, and Faustina could feel it.
That was precisely why it was awkward.
While everyone was desperately searching for her, she herself had been dreaming of being chased by a corlduck.
At least it had left her alone while she was tiredly eating pie.
It had only stared at her intently.

While gently patting Faustina’s head, Cain asked one more thing.

“By the way, why is the priest here?”
“And His Highness too… is it because you went to the castle first?”

“Ah… now that you mention it.”

It was strange that she had forgotten such an important point.
Faustina asked Bernhard how Ciel had managed to find her location.

“I don’t know either.”

Bernhard smiled wryly at the two of them.

“Yesterday, after breakfast, I was about to return to my room when Uncle was there.”
“He seemed in a great hurry to leave, so I wondered if something had happened.”
“When I spoke to him, he told me he’d found where Faustina was…”

“The queen said the same thing.”
“How did he know…?”

The reason Ciel alone had been able to find Faustina’s whereabouts when no one else could.
As Faustina and Bernhard exchanged puzzled looks, Cain muttered softly, “She would have been saved even without telling Ciel,” but fortunately, the two were too absorbed in thought to hear him.

Knock knock.

The door opened with the sound of knocking.
Trisha returned, pushing a cart with tea prepared.
She placed the drinks in order: Bernhard, Cain, then Faustina.
Bernhard and Cain received tea, while Faustina was given orange juice.

“Do you like orange juice, Faustina?”

“Yes.
Very much.”

“I see… orange juice…”

“?”

As Faustina watched Bernhard muttering something under his breath, he noticed her gaze and hastily said it was nothing, then took a sip of his tea.

Still watching him with concern, Faustina reached for her orange juice.
Trisha placed strawberry tarts for all three, along with a pitcher of orange juice and a teapot, then left the room again.

“By the way,” Bernhard suddenly said.

“It seems Elvira isn’t here.”

‘Here it comes…!’

At the mention of Elvira, Faustina’s eyes gleamed.
Before she could speak, Cain cut in.

“Elvira is staying in her room.”

“After Faustina’s kidnapping, it was decided that Elvira might also be in danger.”
“She’s been told to remain in her room unless necessary.”

“Hm?”
“But Brother, you’re freely leaving your room.”

“Did you know, Fana?”
“Daughters are more likely to be targeted than sons.”
“Noble young ladies tend to be pretty, after all.”

Suddenly, Faustina recalled what Vered had said during her captivity—

“They’re usually sold off to old men with a thing for little girls.”

‘A thing for little girls…’

Meaning men with that kind of perverted taste.
A shiver ran through her.

“Faustina?”

“I-It’s nothing.”

Though Bernhard looked worried, she pretended to be calm.

Faustina turned on Cain.

“But that doesn’t apply only to nobles!”
“That man would’ve been threatened too because of his looks!”

“That man… the one with the priest?”

“Yes!”
“Being good-looking causes trouble too!”

“…You’re awfully fixated on looks.”

“I’m a girl too.”
“I like handsome people.”

“Looks…”

To be clear, in her previous life Faustina had not fallen for Bernhard solely because of his face.
If it were only about looks, she would have moved on long ago from someone who never looked her way.
Love was not something that could be summed up in a single word.
Liking his face may have been part of it, but there had been something more that drew her to Bernhard.

Cain seemed slightly put off by her admission of being shallow.
Meanwhile, Bernhard, seated across from her, had sunk into a different line of thought.

“Looks… Uncle is even more so than that man…
He resembles Father…”

“Brother, for someone with your personality, you have a good face too, so it wouldn’t be strange if you were targeted—ow!”

“Sorry for having a good face despite my personality.”
“And for someone so clumsy and expressive, you’re pretty cute, Fana.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?!”

“Of course.”
“I’m praising you.”

“It really doesn’t feel like it…!”

He had flicked her forehead before saying that.
Though his words were sharp, Cain said them with a smile, making it even more terrifying.

Her exchange with Cain felt no different from their everyday life.
At this rate, normalcy would soon return.

Just as Faustina thought that, there was a cautious knock at the door.
Cain answered, “Come in.”

“Elvira…?”

She had expected someone to announce that the discussion was over, but instead it was Elvira.

She wore a lovely pale-pink dress with frills, and her half-twin hairstyle tied with ribbons of the same color emphasized her cuteness.
Her ruby-red eyes widened in an instant.

“Bernhard-sama…?”

Of course.
Faustina wanted to say that.
She had no reaction to Faustina, who had been kidnapped and just returned.
In a way, that was reassuringly normal.

Before Cain could say anything, Elvira’s eyes filled with tears and she ran straight to Bernhard.
She hugged him tightly as he sat on the sofa.
Ignoring his confusion, she pressed herself against him even more.
Taken aback by her boldness, Faustina stared with her mouth agape, while Cain immediately moved to pull Elvira away.

Pulled back by Cain, Elvira protested loudly, her face full of discontent.

“What are you doing, Brother?!”

“That’s my line.”
“Elvira, leaping onto the Crown Prince without warning is extremely rude.”
“Fana is one thing, but—”

Because she’s his fiancée.

“Sister…?”

Only then did Elvira notice Faustina.
Her eyes widened, but she immediately snapped back at Cain.

“My sister was kidnapped by criminals, and I was terrified the whole time…!”

“And how does that connect to jumping on His Highness?”

“The moment I saw Bernhard-sama, I felt so relieved!”
“Only Bernhard-sama can make my fear of being kidnapped disappear…!”

“……”

Bernhard and Faustina could only blink in stunned silence at Elvira’s impassioned explanation.
Cain let out a deep sigh.

Faustina felt a chill, as her earlier thought—that Elvira might now possess her former personality—suddenly seemed frighteningly plausible.

If that were true, could she stop her former self now?

‘Impossible…!’

She had no confidence.

“Elvira.”
“The kidnappers were only targeting Fana.”
“If they were after the Wittgenstein sisters, you would have been taken too.”
“The culprit was skilled enough to take Fana without anyone noticing or leaving a trace.”
“The fact that you’re safe after three days just means you were never a target.”
“It’s natural to be scared.”
“But forcing that fear onto His Highness is far too familiar.”

“C-Calm down, Brother.”

“Cain, I’m fine.”

Faustina timidly tried to stop Cain, who was scolding Elvira with rare, undisguised irritation.
Bernhard also tried to calm him down, flustered.

“Apologize to His Highness and return to your room.”

“~~~!!”

Pouting in frustration and sadness, Elvira burst into tears and ran out of the room, crying loudly.

“Mother…!”

Letting out another sigh, Cain apologized to Bernhard and went after Elvira.

The room was filled with the quiet of a storm having passed.

“……”
“……”

Neither knew what to say.
Determined to speak, Faustina turned to Bernhard.

“Your Highness, please forgive my sister’s rudeness.”

As her elder sister, she could only apologize in her stead.

“Ah, it’s fine.”
“Faustina doesn’t need to worry.”
“Elvira was just overwhelmed with anxiety.”

“Even so, toward Your Highness—”

“I was surprised, but Cain scolded her properly.”
“I have nothing more to say.”
“Though—”

“Though?”

“You three are siblings, but your personalities are completely different.”

“Even if you share blood, that doesn’t mean your personalities will be the same.”
“Though their looks are very similar.”
“My brother and Elvira.”

With their black hair and ruby-red eyes inherited from Ludmila, they looked unmistakably like siblings when standing together.
Faustina, with her sky-blue hair and pale yellow eyes inherited from Citrine, did not resemble them at a glance.

“You and Prince Neige look very alike.”

“…Do we?”

“Yes.”

When she mentioned Neige, Bernhard turned away with a dissatisfied expression.
Just as Faustina tilted her head in confusion—

“—Hey.”

Vered, who had been present during the discussion, was leaning against the open doorway.
…Why was he grinning like that?