Chapter 38
“Please wait~~!”
She came running down the stairs so fast that just watching her made me nervous. I was so shocked that I instinctively shouted,
“Diane, be careful!”
I had heard too many stories of people falling down their stairs and breaking their necks. But Diane, wearing her white nightgown like a fluttering flag, managed to come down without tripping even once. And she was barefoot.
Both the butler and I were stunned. When I glanced at him, he seemed just as shocked as I was.
Diane bent over, gasping for air, before finally managing to speak in a strained voice.
“…Huff… Huff… Butler……”
We had to wait for her to catch her breath. Clutching her side, she finally looked at the butler and said,
“From now on, when I tell you to send guests away… huff… Carmilla is an exception.”
The butler, who had been just as terrified as I was at the thought of witnessing his lady’s broken body, replied in a shaky voice,
“Yes… My Lady. I will do so.”
The butler might have let it go, but I wasn’t going to.
How could she do something so reckless? If she had tripped even once, her slender neck could have snapped like a twig.
Looking at her, still out of breath, I scolded her in shock,
“Diane! What were you thinking? Running down such a long, steep staircase like that! You could have just called me. What if you had gotten hurt or even died?”
I was rarely this serious, but I couldn’t help it.
“Were you trying to turn my visit into a tragic event where I watched my friend die?”
I expected her to be flustered. But instead, Diane glanced up at me—and to my surprise—smiled.
Her unexpected reaction threw me off.
She looked up at me with an almost playful expression, her face blooming like a shy flower.
“I was just so happy that you were here… And I was afraid the butler might send you away…”
Then, with a hesitant, cat-like expression, she gently took my hand.
“Please forgive me just this once. I was just so excited to see you…”
She lightly held my hand with her fingertips, and my heart melted.
If I were a man, I probably wouldn’t have been able to stay mad—I would have just smiled foolishly instead. No wonder she was the Rose of High Society.
Still, I tried to scold her sternly.
“Just because you say that doesn’t mean—”
But she looked up at me with that knowing smile, as if she already knew I would forgive her. My attempt at an angry face failed, and my lips twitched into a smile.
“I… I’m supposed to be mad at you… Pfft.”
I quickly turned my head to hide my laughter, but it was too late. Diane had already won. She beamed at me triumphantly.
In the end, I sighed, unable to resist.
“You’re too clever. You know exactly how to make people unable to stay mad at you.”
Diane wrinkled her nose playfully.
“That’s one of my many charms.”
Then, like an excited child, she eagerly pulled me along.
“But never mind that—come on! I never expected you to visit again so soon. Let’s go to my room!”
With a helpless smile, I followed her.
I had never realized she had such a mischievous side. I had never realized she could be so adorable.
She was truly someone with so many lovable qualities.
Her lively steps.
Her swaying red hair.
The faint scent of flowers lingered around her.
If only she could live like this—happy and free. But I knew what was coming. The future I remembered was too cruel to her.
—
“…So, I found out that the person funding the mine Diane’s family is trying to buy… is Count Donau.”
Diane’s face darkened with worry as she touched her cheek.
“I didn’t know… I knew he loved gambling and lent money to other nobles at high interest, but I never thought he dealt with amounts as large as entire estates.”
I frowned.
“And he’s brutal to those who owe him money. But I’ve never heard much about his bad reputation… That’s strange. If he were that ruthless, there would be rumors.”
Diane seemed deep in thought.
“Rumors, huh…? I heard that he never pressures people to pay back their debts. He’s quite generous when lending money. Of course, the interest is high, but gamblers don’t care about things like that. So I never thought of him as a ruthless moneylender.”
That was strange to me.
“That doesn’t add up. My father isn’t the type to make things up. And when he mentioned Donau, his face was full of disgust. It was as if he had seen something truly horrifying.”
Diane looked thoughtful.
“Now that you mention it… The gambling addicts I know—those kinds of people—seem to be terrified of Count Donau. Whenever his name comes up, they quickly change the subject or leave. It was odd. He doesn’t seem like someone who inspires fear. He looks like a polite, middle-aged gentleman. Other than a few flaws, his reputation isn’t terrible.”
A thought struck me.
“What if… at first, he’s extremely kind, lending small amounts of money at the gambling tables? Then, once people lower their guard, he starts lending them more and more at higher interest rates, until they’re trapped in debt?”
Diane shivered.
“That… that sounds exactly like something he would do. Just thinking about it gives me chills. Even that nightgown gift he sent me felt creepy…”
Just remembering that disgusting gift made my skin crawl. The idea of what he was imagining when he sent me such a flimsy, sheer garment—ugh, it made me want to throw up.
“He’s worse than I thought. A real monster. And on top of that, he carefully manages his reputation, waiting for people to fall into his trap. Like a spider spinning a web, waiting for prey.”
The thought of Diane being forced to marry such a man was unbearable.
“Diane, I’ve been thinking about this. Something is wrong with this mine deal. It’s poisoned bait.”
Diane looked troubled.
“…Now that I know Count Donau is involved, I feel the same way. But I can’t just oppose the deal without evidence. My father won’t listen to me without solid proof.”
So we sat down and tried to figure out what the trap in the deal could be.
Was the rumor about the Mithril deposit a lie? No—the mine had already been thoroughly investigated.
Maybe the mine came with a massive hidden debt? But Diane said the payment was being made in cash, not on credit.
Could Donau be planning to attack the money transport? But Diane’s family had hired a strong security force, and Donau had no knights of his own.
I was stumped. Nothing made sense.
Finally, I looked Diane in the eye and spoke firmly.
“We won’t find the answer by guessing. The only way to know for sure is to investigate the mine ourselves. That’s the key to everything.”
Diane’s expression darkened, but I continued.
“There’s no other way to be sure. I’ll go check it out. Your entire future depends on this. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”
Luckily, I was still on my break. I had a perfect excuse—I could say I was going there for rest and recovery.
Diane looked shocked. She hesitated before asking in a confused voice,
“This is my problem… Why are you going so far for me? I’ve done nothing for you.”
Honestly, I didn’t know myself. But I didn’t want to see Diane trapped in a living nightmare.
So I simply said,
“…If I were in danger like this, I believe you would do the same for me.”
Diane suddenly covered her face with both hands.
“Diane?” I called her name in surprise.
She mumbled,
“Sorry… I just… I feel so emotional right now.”
Then, with a shaking voice, she promised,
“…Carmilla, someday, I’ll repay this kindness. I swear.”
Her eyes were wet when she looked up at me. Taking my hand, she whispered,
“…I won’t be afraid. I’ll do my best. Thank you, Carmilla.”
I gently patted her back.
“It’s okay. That man won’t harm you. We’ll stop him.”
And then I promised,
“If it comes to it… I’ll make sure to get you out of here. No matter what it takes.”
Diane smiled through her tears.
“Yes. I believe you.”
