Cethia was worried about the two of us. After all, we were the ones who would get hurt by a hasty love.
“Theo is twisted. He grew up that way. ……Shasha, I brought up this topic because I want you to know everything and make your choice. I don’t want you to get hurt. Even though he’s my brother, I wonder if Theo can truly love….”
“Cethia.”
Cethia stopped speaking. Her furrowed brow looked quite painful. It must be hard for her to say that her brother has never been loved, even as a sister. But she must care for me just as much to tell me this.
“But there’s a contradiction in what you’re saying. Cethia, you mentioned that Theo grew up without being loved.”
“…….”
“I heard that he was loved quite sufficiently. Even when he was locked in the warehouse during his childhood, or when he was struggling after the death of his parents, or when the things he cherished and loved were dying.”
“…….”
“You, who remember every detail of your brother’s childhood and were always by his side. ……Cethia, you loved Theo.”
Cethia’s eyes wandered, lost. Her red eyes became moist.
“It’s not just you. Theo’s deceased older brother, Gloria, and Phineas, they all loved Theo.”
Tears threatened to spill from the corners of Cethia’s eyes as she tried to hold them back.
“Theo has made great efforts to catch the person who poisoned me and to protect me from harm. His participation in the war, which he detests, was also to protect the Laphireon family as its head.”
Cethia closed her eyes, trying to suppress the overwhelming emotions.
“……Is that really true, Shasha?”
“Yes, Theo can love and care for others sufficiently.”
……Of course, he doesn’t care for himself. Cethia’s voice trembled pitifully. She tried hard to control her emotions.
“Do you really think Theo has been loved?”
I tightly held Cethia’s hand.
“Cethia, Theo didn’t kill a single animal during the hunting competition. He said he didn’t want to kill even a small animal for mere amusement.”
“…….”
“He has been loved and has given love sufficiently.”
With my confident answer, the tension in Cethia’s body seemed to melt away. She smiled, a mix of relief and frustration, and ran her hand through her hair.
“You know Theo better than I do, Shasha.”
Indeed. I knew so much about Terdeo that it flowed out smoothly.
‘I love Terdeo….’
Just thinking about it made my heart ache. I pressed my hand against my heart and changed the subject as if nothing was wrong.
“By the way, Cethia, there was something I wanted to talk about when we were alone.”
“Yes, anything is fine. You can even badmouth Theo or me.”
Cethia wiped her eyes and chuckled playfully. I smiled back and then spoke in a low voice.
“Lady Arkman.”
“……Who?”
The atmosphere in the carriage suddenly turned cold.
“Did I hear wrong?”
“From your reaction, it seems I heard correctly. Harari Arkman, Theo’s ex-wife.”
“Shasha, how do you know about her?”
Terdeo doesn’t seem to talk about her, but… I can’t just stand by and watch Harari badmouth and vent her frustrations on Terdeo.
“Lady Arkman came to the mansion. She also came to see me personally.”
Crack. The armrest of the carriage broke as soon as I finished speaking. ……This has happened before.
I glanced at the shattered armrest and cleared my throat.
“The butler said that Lady Arkman has come to Theo many times and had a fit each time.”
“A fit?”
“I didn’t hear the details, but….”
I recalled what Harari had said to me.
“She seemed to regret being involved with the Laphireon family. She came to me and said she would help me escape….”
“What a crazy woman.”
“……It seemed to be for her own satisfaction. She did threaten me, but honestly, I don’t want Lady Arkman to come back to Theo or Selphy.”
Cethia took a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair.
“I understand what you mean, Shasha. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the problem. You won’t see that woman again, and you won’t even hear her name.”
It’s not just to reassure me; it’s probably the truth. That’s why Terdeo didn’t want to tell Cethia.
“I never liked her from the start. After she found out about the curse on our family, her attitude completely changed. She kept saying that the Laphireon family had to follow her every word because she was the victim and was putting up with it.”
Cethia clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“Even though she wanted him to run away. If he had run away, he might have lived well. Why is she still so fixated on the past?”
“…….”
“I’m being sentimental.”
Cethia sighed deeply. The cold air brushed against her nose.
“I’ll handle this, Shasha. Forget about it. Focus on today’s journey. Got it?”
“……Got it. I’ll trust you with it.”
“The Althwood Dukedom has agreed to cover all our expenses. From clothing to food, and even the cost of the mansion. While we’re staying, don’t think about the curse, the witch, or any complicated matters.”
I nodded, trying to erase Terdeo from my mind despite her considerate gesture. The scenery outside the window was incredibly beautiful.
‘I wish I could see this with Theo.’
I thought of Terdeo again without realizing it. I quickly shook my head and brought up another topic.
“Wow, but the Althwood Dukedom is covering all the expenses… Is that how business is usually done?”
“No way. The manager there apparently offered to buy wine in bulk at twice the market price and begged us to cover the cost of our stay. He said we should take our time and enjoy our stay.”
Cethia smiled brightly.
“Looks like he’s trying to bankrupt the dukedom. But it’s a good deal for us, so there’s no need to refuse.”
Yes, it was a good opportunity. I turned my head and looked at the beautiful scenery beyond the carriage, which kept changing. It was a good time to confirm my feelings while being away from Terdeo.
‘The Althwood Empire….’
I nodded with a serious expression. *** After several days, we finally arrived at the Althwood Empire. It took longer than expected, but we stayed in top-notch accommodations and received the best food and service every day, so it wasn’t tiring. Cethia said there was no rush, so we should enjoy the journey. After arriving in Althwood, we rested for a day at our lodging and then visited the Althwood Dukedom the next day. I heard that the manager was in charge of the wine for the autumn harvest festival, and the Duke had entrusted everything to him. Since all negotiations and decisions were to be made with the manager, we took a carriage to where he was staying. We got off the stopped carriage and casually looked around.
“This place is quite well-managed.”
“The manager is quite famous in Althwood for doing a good job. They also say he’s a bit eccentric….”
Cethia’s secretary, who had been riding behind us, handed her a thick file. Cethia took it and nodded, looking into the distance.
“He’s running over here.”
The manager, with his long brown hair flying, was running energetically.
“……He’s running while laughing creepily?”
“He’s known to be eccentric.”
Moreover, he’s running slowly despite his effort. The manager, Nelly Pepper, panted as he greeted us.
“Huff, Merchant, huff… Lord Laphireon! Welcome! I’m Nelly Pepper, the manager of this estate. Thank you for coming to help me with my burden….”
“Help with your burden…?”
“No, not a burden, but to lighten my heart! Shall we discuss the contract at the castle? I’ve completely renovated the annex with a huge investment!”
Nelly, who had been talking non-stop, turned and met my eyes.
“By the way… who is this lady?”
“She’s my family. She came with me. Is that okay?”
“Of course, I welcome her!”
Despite the increase in guests to entertain, Nelly didn’t hesitate and even clapped his hands.
‘The rumors about him being eccentric are true.’
Cethia, who found the manager amusing, turned to me.
“Shasha, we should move to a different place to discuss the contract. Do you want to come?”
“……No, I’ll just look around here. Go ahead, Cethia.”
“We’ll go eat something delicious after the contract discussion. Wait for me, Shasha.”
Cethia winked playfully. She smiled brightly, ran her hand through her hair, and turned her head. As soon as she turned, her smile vanished. Cethia, with her sharp gaze that could cut through anyone, entered the castle, discussing business with the manager, Nelly.
‘She’s amazing….’
I never realized how much she smiled, but… thinking about it, Cethia was known to be scary in society. She was called the Iron Lady for her ruthlessness and coldness. It was reassuring to have such a person on my side. I turned my head and looked at the vast, open plains.
‘Is Theo doing well?’
The layers of longing rose to my throat. I had reached my limit. I couldn’t stay still any longer.