CHAPTER 49……………………………………………
At the very moment when Raseil and Irenes were failing to resolve through conversation an issue that could have been solved by talking,
there was someone else riding in a carriage, burdened with a problem that could never be solved through conversation at all.
“Miss Direna? Are you all right?”
“I-I’m fine.”
It was Direna Karen, who lately had been surrounded by all sorts of strange rumors.
Of course, there were more than enough reasons for the situation to turn out this way.
I don’t want to die again!
She had regressed after being falsely accused of treason in her previous life and executed together with her family.
When summarized like this, even Direna herself thought it sounded insane.
But it definitely… wasn’t a dream.
Every horrific moment had been far too vivid.
Even now, she would unconsciously touch her neck to check whether there were any wounds left.
I really lived like an idiot.
In her previous life, Direna Karen had been a villain straight out of a painting.
She had earned resentment from all sides, so there was no one willing to help her.
Not even the maid who had served her for over ten years.
Well, that much resentment piling up over that long is only natural!
With her eyes closed, Direna once more整理ed everything that had happened so far.
Just recalling it was horrifying, but she needed to remember it in order to prepare.
I had plenty of things…
Materially, she had never lacked anything.
The marquis was the sort of person who believed affection could be replaced with jewels and money.
And for Direna, that had been half true as well.
“This has nothing to do with us. It was all something that child did on her own!”
She only realized how hollow that affection was after being dragged off to prison.
They didn’t even attempt to clear her name—she had simply been cut off from the family.
She wasn’t given even a moment to protest her innocence.
I can’t repeat the same mistake.
The reason Direna became entangled in the false accusation of treason was a proposal she had accepted by chance.
“Don’t you want to make your father proud?”
Of course, she had thought about that before.
The affection her older brother received and the affection she herself received seemed different.
On top of that, she had never once heard a kind word from her father.
“If I succeed, will Father acknowledge me?”
“Of course. That goes without saying.”
Of all days, it had been the day she’d been severely scolded by her father.
She’d heard that usual line again—about how she had been born after killing her own mother.
It made her feel like she needed to become someone worth the life her mother had lost.
It was the kind of thought that would normally fade in a few days.
That was why Direna’s decision could only be described as impulsive.
“Then I look forward to working with you.”
She doubted she would ever forget that grin, stretched wide in apparent delight.
Who could have guessed it was all a scheme to pin his own crimes on her?
Still, it was fortunate that she had been given another chance to change things.
I can’t fix relationships that are already broken, but…
At the very least, she felt she should make an effort to set things right.
That was why she had gone around offering apologies.
And yet, over something like this, people were making a fuss and trying to perform an exorcism on her.
Idiots.
Perhaps because most of her affection for her family had faded away, she no longer felt any hesitation thinking that way.
“Miss, we’ve arrived.”
As she was silently chewing on curses, the coachman’s voice reached her.
Direna quickly straightened herself and stepped outside.
“Ah.”
And she came face to face with someone she hadn’t expected at all.
“Sir Sieren?”
“It’s been a while, Miss Direna. I’m busy, so I’ll be going.”
You don’t look busy at all.
Hadn’t he just been leisurely taking a walk nearby?
But instead of pointing that out, Direna merely nodded.
She already knew that arguing would only hurt her in the end.
That’s just how he is.
Who on earth started the rumor that Irenes Sieren was kind?
When dealing with others, his default expression was blank, he never exchanged more than three sentences, and if things displeased him, his hand went straight to his sword.
There’s no way they couldn’t tell basic manners from kindness.
Whoever spread that rumor must have been someone close to Irenes.
Close enough to fall within the boundary of people he considered “acquaintances.”
Because to anyone else, he always drew such a rigid line.
Probably someone from the knight order? Or the ducal household?
Those were the people he acted most at ease around.
Anyway, watching how he put on airs in front of Raseil was ridiculous.
How can he not notice that?
At this point, Direna was starting to wonder just how dense Raseil really was.
Did he seriously not realize that someone who slaughtered both humans and monsters without batting an eye acted completely differently only in front of him?
…Maybe he doesn’t.
Recalling the Raseil she had seen at the ball, Direna quickly came to a conclusion.
If he was that dense, it was entirely possible he didn’t notice.
For an onlooker, it was enough to make one’s head explode with frustration.
“Miss Direna? Please come inside.”
A voice spoke from right beside her.
Direna flinched slightly and turned to look.
It was someone she had clashed with at a ball a few years ago.
“Miss Elian?”
“Is there a problem?”
Judging by her sharp tone, she still remembered what had happened back then.
Thinking about it herself, Direna had to admit that what she’d said at the time had been excessive.
She didn’t remember the details, but she thought it involved remarks about Elian’s parents…
“…I wanted to apologize for what happened a few years ago.”
At those words, Elian’s eyes widened.
Then she rushed into the lord’s mansion in a panic.
“She really must be crazy! Or possessed by a ghost!”
Her booming shout echoed from inside.
Direna hadn’t realized before that her voice could be that loud.
“Anyway, come in.”
Only after a long exchange did Elian finally guide her into the drawing room.
Direna sat down quietly and looked at the person in front of her.
No—more precisely, at the person standing beside them.
Sir Jaen.
He was the only one in her previous life who had questioned Direna’s execution.
Just knowing that someone had held such doubts had once made her grateful.
Did he know something?
Without evidence, it wouldn’t have been easy to hold onto such a belief.
Perhaps he had information Direna herself hadn’t known about.
“Then, Miss Direna.”
Before she could continue her thoughts, Yugire’s voice cut in.
“Have you heard the explanation from the marquis?”
“Of course I have. Are you talking about that nonsense?”
A speech pattern she had used for years didn’t change easily.
Because of that, Direna snapped back sharply again and only regretted it afterward.
I said I’d try to speak more politely!
Fortunately, Yugire didn’t seem to mind much.
“In any case, I’m perfectly sane.”
“You do seem that way. Though we’ll need a bit of confirmation.”
“What kind of confirmation?”
“Sir Jaen will explain that. Any questions?”
“What are those handprints on the window?”
It was something she’d wanted to ask from the moment she entered the drawing room.
The inside of the window was covered with marks that looked like handprints pressed against it.
Even now, new handprints were appearing and disappearing in real time.
“Oh dear, don’t worry about that.”
At Yugire’s light gesture, the curtains covered the window.
The tapping sound—tap, tap, tap—didn’t disappear, though.
“They’ll stop eventually. There’s no need to worry too much.”
“Your Grace, that’s a bit—”
Direna hurriedly closed her mouth, having almost said that he seemed insane.
Thankfully, she managed not to make another problematic remark this time.
“…Anyway, what kind of confirmation are you going to do?”
Direna asked Raseil, who had come closer without her noticing.
No matter how she looked at him, he didn’t seem particularly knowledgeable about exorcisms.
And it wasn’t like he could use holy power either.
You can’t exactly drive off ghosts with aura.
It was a thought surprisingly close to the truth, but Direna quickly dismissed it.
Even to her, it sounded far too ridiculous.
“A ghost would know best about ghosts.”
After answering briefly, Raseil quietly turned his head toward empty space.
Direna followed his gaze, but all she saw was a wall polished to a shine.
