I glanced at Mio-sama with just my eyes. It was a small carriage prioritizing mobility, and she sat next to me on the seat, so close that our shoulders touched.
Mio-sama looked completely different from usual. Her hair, usually tied in a braid, was let down and flowed freely. She wore a bright sky-blue dress, probably her casual wear.
This was the first time I had seen her like this in the three years I had been employed at this castle. To put it simply, she looked cute. However, her expression was stern. As usual, her face was expressionless, and I hesitantly spoke to her.
"Um... Mio-sama..."
"Yes, what is it, Thomas?"
"Why did you bring me along?"
"To have someone to talk to."
She answered firmly but kept looking forward, not even giving me a glance.
The conversation didn't continue. In fact, this was the first time we had spoken since we set off. I wanted to say that it was I who needed someone to talk to.
But if she said so, it was probably fine to talk to her. I turned to face Mio-sama.
"But Mio-sama, I heard you're going to meet your lover. Isn't it bad that I'm a guy? I mean, objectively speaking."
"If it were a lover, it would be bad."
Huh? Is the person not her lover? What a misunderstanding. I glared at the tunic guy and pressed further.
"Then a friend? I didn't know Mio-sama had friends."
The moment I said that, my throat was grabbed with a "Gah!" The grip was just short of making it hard to breathe. Mio-sama, with her expressionless face, whispered.
"Thomas, you're seventeen, right? I believe the tradition of Rhubarb Island states that those who die before the age of eighteen go straight to paradise without question. Congratulations, have a good trip."
"I don't want to die, I'm sorry!"
I desperately apologized, but it turned out to be a joke. Mio-sama released my throat and sat back, adjusting her white hat.
"Sir was worried and said I should bring someone along. I am strong, but I can't deny that I look much weaker than Thomas. With you, it would be enough to deter bandits."
"Bandits... Is this road that dangerous?"
"It wasn't supposed to be, but about two months ago, an incident actually happened here."
I'm not that perceptive. I tilted my head, not understanding what she meant for a while.
But the moment I understood, I shouted loudly.
"Are we going to the Shadaran territory!?"
The head of the Granado Castle's attendants didn't nod but smiled with her eyes.
About two months ago, a carriage traveling from the capital to the Shadaran territory—no, from the Shadaran family to the Granado family—was involved in an accident. I only heard about it secondhand, but it fell into a canal after sliding off a cliff. This mountain road is definitely the one.
"... Wait, but wasn't it just the wheels that slipped and caused it to fall off the cliff?"
"No. The surviving driver corrected the story. ... There was a language barrier because he was a foreigner. 'Fell into the river' means from flat ground, not a cliff. They were attacked by bandits and fled along the river, eventually falling into the rapids."
That does make more sense. This mountain road is a street cut through the forest, not a rocky mountain. There are large trees along the road, and it's quite a distance from the edge of the cliff. It's unlikely that the wheels would just slip while driving normally.
"The police also recognized this as the truth. The damage to the carriage is completely different when it falls off a cliff compared to when it's just swept away by a river. The driver was also unharmed except for being wet."
"I see. But... if that's the case, Anastasia...!"
I leaned forward excitedly, but Mio-sama shook her head.
"Anastasia-sama's survival is impossible. While her body wasn't found, no living person was found either. A human can't survive in water for five days."
"Y-Yeah... I see..."
My voice betrayed my disappointment. Mio-sama frowned and pinched my side.
"Let me make it clear, Anastasia-sama is not like Marie-sama."
"What... What are you saying! I was just mourning the death of a person!"
"I see, I apologize. If that's the case, I agree."
She said that, but I sensed something deeper.
"Mio-sama, are you... glad that Anastasia is dead?"
"No."
She firmly denied it. Huh? Did I miss? But still...
"Actually, if Anastasia-sama had arrived as planned, the mistake could have been corrected immediately. We could have apologized and invited her sister, Marie-sama, again."
"Ah, right. Indeed."
"But the story has already moved forward. I think it ended up in a very good state. Now, if she were to suddenly appear alive, it would be a hindrance."
She said it so casually, in her usual indifferent tone, so casually that I couldn't react.
I was speechless.
Mio-sama took the day off today, telling Sir that she had personal matters and wanted to meet someone. In other words, she was moving on her own, without Sir's knowledge.
To the point of lying to Sir—
Mio-sama chuckled.
"Sir is kind, good, and sincere in his love. ... He cannot play the role of the villain in a fairy tale."
I looked away. I thought she was a scary, expressionless person. If she smiled, she would probably be cute.
But I couldn't look at her smile. It was far more unsettling than her expressionless face.
I wanted to get off the carriage and run away, but she didn't allow it. She thrust a piece of paper—like a scrap from a notebook—into my face. I read the words that came into my view.
'Sister has come back.
Sister is already back. From Cedric.'
"What is this...?"
"Several items have been delivered from the Shadaran family. This was hidden among them, taking advantage of the person who packed the items."
"But it doesn't make sense. The statements are contradictory."
"That's true. Unless there are two 'sisters' in the Shadaran family."
Two sisters? I knew the Shadaran family, Sir's partner, had two daughters: a twenty-year-old older sister and an eighteen-year-old younger sister.
"The lack of proper letter-writing etiquette is understandable. The sender is only six years old."
Mio-sama said this with a smile, beads of sweat on her forehead.
"I really did want someone to talk to, Thomas. I am about to do something very unrefined, something I shouldn't. I hope it ends there, but... I might be expelled from the Granado family."
How does that connect to her wanting someone to talk to?
Maybe she's thinking of taking someone down with her...
"Travel with a companion, life with compassion. It's a phrase I like."
"I don't really like it."
"Let's get along. How about a word game?"
"Absolutely not..."
Mio-sama laughed heartily at my scream.
Today, two chapters are being released consecutively.