Chapter: 18
Seria threw the door open herself and greeted the sisters with a bright smile.
After changing their clothes, the two of them looked noticeably better.
“Welcome!”
“W-wait a moment…”
“Ah—uh…”
When Seria grabbed their hands and shook them enthusiastically, the sisters flushed red, clearly at a loss for how to react.
It seemed this kind of treatment was completely new to them.
“So these are the maids assigned exclusively to you?”
Theodore turned his head from where he was seated and looked at Erica and Amy.
The moment their eyes met his, the sisters froze.
They were visibly frightened, yet unable to look away from him.
“They look about the same age as you, Seria. That’s good.”
After silently observing them, Theodore finally withdrew his gaze.
Had he already read their hearts?
Judging by his lack of comment, he must not have sensed anything suspicious.
That meant it was time to seriously bring the sisters onto her side.
“Theo, I want to talk with Erica and Amy for a bit.”
“Go ahead.”
Theodore replied as if there were no issue at all.
Was he truly oblivious, or pretending not to know?
With Theodore—one of the most feared figures in the mansion—present, there was no way the Bell sisters could speak freely.
Which means I want you to leave.
Instead of saying it aloud, Seria stared intently at Theodore, hoping he would somehow read her thoughts.
Of course, there was no way he could.
Instead, Theodore studied her expression carefully and, as if understanding, stood up from his seat.
The unspoken message on Seria’s face—Please get out—was impossible to miss.
“I’ll be going now, Seria. You’re better off spending time with people your own age than with me.”
“Yeah. Yes.”
Seria nodded brightly, relieved that he finally seemed to understand.
Seeing her reaction, Theodore smiled as well and leaned closer to whisper,
“Moderation in all things. You know that too, don’t you, Seria?”
Was he warning her not to trust the Bell sisters completely?
It was a very Theodore-like remark—and not without merit.
For now, she desperately needed their help, but in the end, they were still third parties with no direct involvement in the plan to assassinate the Crown Prince.
There was no reason to let them know too much, and revealing more than necessary could lead to trouble if someone within the Bellvart ducal household caught wind of it.
Seria nodded faintly.
After seeing Theodore out of the room, Seria turned back to the sisters with a gentle, friendly smile.
Let’s start with something light.
She gestured for them to sit on the sofa.
Erica and Amy hesitated, still sweating nervously and fidgeting.
In response, Seria took each of their hands and gently pulled them down to sit.
“You don’t need to be so tense. There’s no one here who’ll hurt you.”
“Y-yes…”
Erica nodded, but still clutched Amy’s hand tightly while anxiously watching Seria’s expression.
Seria spoke in as soft and careful a voice as possible, so as not to startle them.
“So… how old are you?”
“I’m seventeen, and Amy is fifteen.”
“Oh… younger than I thought.”
They looked even younger because of their small frames. Was it because they hadn’t been properly fed?
When Seria’s expression darkened, the sisters instinctively flinched.
Seeing them shrink at the slightest change broke her heart.
At this point, she had no choice but to be careful with every action.
Seria’s eyes softened.
“How long have you been working at the mansion?”
“About… five years.”
“Five years? Then you’ve been here since you were very young…”
That meant they had been treated poorly at the Bellvart mansion since they were only twelve and ten years old.
Were their parents not with them?
Knowing how sensitive the topic could be, Seria hesitated before asking.
“Do you… have any other family?”
“Our mother was with us, but she passed away last year.”
“I see…”
Erica spoke calmly, as if it didn’t bother her, but Seria saw through it.
She was deliberately hiding her grief.
Being forced to keep one’s sorrow buried inside—Seria understood that better than anyone.
The gloomy atmosphere made it hard for her to continue speaking.
“Um… you’re from Argenta, right, Young Lady?”
Erica asked cautiously.
Seria hadn’t expected her to speak up first. Had they relaxed a little?
Color returned to Seria’s face.
“Yes. That’s right.”
“I thought so…”
“Then you’re from Taras?”
At Seria’s question, the sisters exchanged a brief glance before nodding together.
Just as expected.
Taras was an island nation in the southern sea, famous for producing high-quality pearls and often called the Island of Treasures.
And until it was destroyed by Antithesia ten years ago, it had been one of the countries that maintained long-standing relations with Argenta.
To the people of Antithesia, Argentans and Tarasians probably looked equally detestable.
That was likely why the sisters were treated this way.
A quiet sigh escaped Seria’s lips.
“It’s a little late, but thank you for helping us earlier. We really thought we’d be thrown out this time… Amy, you should thank her too.”
“Th-thank you, Young Lady.”
The more Seria looked at them, the more she could tell how kind-hearted they were.
Despite being in a similar situation, Seria occupied a completely different position as a noblewoman—yet the sisters didn’t seem to resent her at all.
Seria shook her head lightly, indicating it was nothing.
“I should’ve said this sooner too, but I’m really happy you’ll be in charge of me. I look forward to working with you.”
“W-we’ll do our best…”
Amy replied softly, having stayed quiet until Erica spoke first.
Her face was bright red, as if she were shy. Watching her, Seria was suddenly reminded of Daisy back at the convent.
When Daisy had first met Seria, she too had blushed deeply while nervously speaking to her.
Seria let out a small laugh without realizing it.
“Erica, you’re lucky. You have such a cute little sister.”
“…Sometimes she’s not so cute.”
“Sister!”
At Erica’s honest reply, Amy raised her voice, her face turning red all the way to her neck.
Seeing the close-knit sisters, Seria laughed again—and soon, her laughter spread to them, filling the room.
Now Erica and Amy were bickering lightly in front of Seria.
They looked completely different from just moments ago, when they had been anxiously watching her every move.
As the atmosphere relaxed, satisfaction spread across Seria’s face.
“Erica, Amy. There’s something I’m curious about.”
When Seria spoke up, the sisters widened their eyes and looked at her together.
“Where do the most people usually gather in the mansion? Or is there a time when many people are around?”
“Hmm… I think it’s when we clear the snow in the morning. Most of the servants gather then.”
“I see. Anything else?”
At Seria’s follow-up question, Erica fell into thought.
“I know! The laundry room and the glass garden! There are usually lots of people there.”
“That’s right. Especially the glass garden—it’s a place the Duke cherishes, so there are always many gardeners.”
Erica agreed with Amy.
Seria nodded quietly, smiling.
The plan Seria had devised to draw out the Duke of Bellvart wasn’t particularly complicated.
She simply needed to use her ability where many people could see.
Surely, among them would be one of the Duke’s trusted aides, who would report what they saw back to him.
The important thing was making sure no one realized she was the one using the ability.
The only reason the Duke tolerated Seria’s presence was because her power might one day benefit the Emperor.
If her ability became widely known, it would only provoke the Duke’s displeasure.
That was why she needed Erica and Amy.
“Erica, Amy. Do you also go out every morning to clear the snow?”
“Yes.”
Erica answered, looking puzzled.
That made things easier. With just a little help from them, the plan could proceed smoothly.
“Then… could you do me one small favor?”
“Of course.”
“Absolutely!”
At the sisters’ eager acceptance, Seria’s eyes sparkled as she lowered her voice.
“Tomorrow morning, could you start clearing the snow from the area near my room?”
