“But they were so thorough that maybe they didn’t find any evidence of collusion with others...”
“I considered that, but there’s no one who would benefit from killing me. Even if I were gone, the number of the ability users wouldn’t decrease.”
Raymund shook his head. Since he had no claim to the throne anyway, killing him would only pass his powers to someone else. Except for the throne itself, no royal wanted to be cursed like this.
The incident had definitely happened, but no explanation fit perfectly. The only plausible reason was that the guards suddenly went mad and attacked.
Moreover, the captured guards died before they could be interrogated, abruptly cutting off all clues.
The count felt uneasy over such an unresolved ending.
“Cough!”
Raymund suddenly coughed violently. After coughing several more times, his breath ragged as if he was about to choke, he suddenly took off the robe he was wearing.
As the appearance hidden by the robe was revealed, the Count hastily averted his gaze.
His mood soured drastically, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
At the same time, he felt a surge of anger at why Raymund had suddenly taken off his robe to startle him.
However, this was something even Raymund couldn’t help.
“I apologize. Wearing this makes me feel unwell.”
Indeed, the color of Raymund’s skin, caught at the edge of his vision, was extremely pale.
He explained that he only wore the robe briefly when he couldn’t avoid being around people, which made the count feel a bit embarrassed.
He had assumed Raymund simply didn’t wear it because of a bad temperament, having thought too negatively.
Raymund sighed, glancing around the mansion. He wanted to talk with Seiana once more...
'Being pitied for weakness is fine, but if I worry her too often, she'll only see me as someone to protect.'
He decided it was better to leave for now.
“Count, I’ll take my leave for today. Please apologize to Seiana for me since I couldn’t say goodbye.”
“Of course!”
“...Seeing how openly happy you are, I’m starting to reconsider.”
“...”
“Anyway, please don’t burn my letters anymore. It only causes me to be rude when I get angry.”
* * *
They tried to form ties with the established noble families of the capital, but the other noble families merely smiled wryly and stepped back. The Saxon family was only tolerated thanks to the Estarotte family’s reputation.
Unable to break into the circle of capital nobility, they only made friends with similarly ambitious nobles who came seeking advancement—families like theirs.
Far short of even half their original plan, the Saxon family was very displeased.
Pedro openly threw tantrums at me, demanding to know why I didn’t help them despite their being snubbed by the capital nobles...
‘Actually, I did have people I could call friends.’
Though not ones I had chosen myself, but childhood acquaintances made through family connections.
We didn’t make appointments or meet alone, but during gatherings when the adults talked, we played together. If nothing had happened, we might have confidently called each other friends, if not best friends.
‘Pedro ruined that.’
Pedro, the embodiment of selfishness, couldn’t accept that he was insignificant in the capital. I’m not sure why, but he seemed to think that by befriending my contacts, he had succeeded in entering the capital.
The problem was that all my old acquaintances were girls. You might think gender doesn’t matter for friendship, but it really did.
If interests don’t align, conversation doesn’t flow.
Some girls liked outdoor activities like swordsmanship or horseback riding, but none were in my circle.
Most preferred quietly playing with dolls or sharing dreams they had the night before, but Pedro hated such things.
He mocked them, claiming they were pointless and that he was superior, boasting arrogantly. Eventually, even the quiet girls were fed up and left.
‘Foolish Seiana Lovely Estarotte chose love over shallow friendship.’
I recall friends advising me to distance myself from Pedro, and though I defended him as not a bad person, the friends turned their backs in disbelief.
Also, since Pedro always tagged along when someone befriended me, no one else sought to be friends.
As an adult, working in trade, friendships became more about mutual benefit than childhood innocence.
“…At this rate, it’s not ‘it all comes back to Pedro,’ but ‘it all comes back to my eyesight’?"
Looking back, the problem was simply that my eyesight wasn’t functioning properly, and I couldn’t see Pedro’s true nature.
Although I was shocked by the sudden realization, something else also flashed through my mind.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t gotten involved with Pedro in this life.”
All the complications in my life were because of that scoundrel, but this time, he wasn’t intertwined. In other words, this time, I didn’t have to lose my friendships.
‘Maybe in this life, I can make ‘best friends’.’
My body trembled with anticipation.
Yes, this time, I’m going to make 100 close friends! And have a huge slumber party at my house!
With that resolve, I pondered what to serve Ray, who would be my first friend, when we met.
‘Desserts made at our house are fine… but for the first meeting with my first friend, it would be better to prepare something proper.’
I thought I should go to the capital tomorrow and reserve desserts for the gathering, but…
The next day.
“Hello, Seiana?”
“…?”
I couldn’t understand why Ray had come when I hadn’t prepared anything.
***
‘Why are you here…?’
I thought, looking at Raymund’s face visible over the enormous bouquet of flowers.
I had finished eating breakfast and was resting when someone said a visitor had arrived, and I came down, assuming it was a reply to yesterday’s letter, only to encounter him.
Raymund greeted me with a cheerful face and then abruptly held out the bouquet he was holding.
The size of the bouquet was immense, and the size of the flower heads was considerable as well.
Without exaggeration, each flower head was as big as my second brother’s fist.
Perhaps because of the size, the weight was also substantial. I swayed, wondering if this was the weight a bouquet could have, and looked around.
My mother wasn’t there, perhaps tending to my younger sibling, and instead of my father who had gone to work and my second brother, my eldest brother, as the head of the family, greeted the Prince, Ray.
The other servants who weren’t busy were also present, all with their heads bowed to the ground.
‘Isn’t the etiquette too excessive?’
It was a natural sight within the imperial palace, but I wondered if it was necessary to act like this even outside the palace.
Since I had never met a member of the imperial family outside before, I was confused about whether it was excessive or not.
Looking at his smiling face, he didn’t seem to think much of it, but seeing even my eldest brother bowing, I thought it might be the formal etiquette.
Although we were friends, there was a difference in status, so I was about to greet him according to etiquette, but Ray was startled and grabbed my shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
“No… I thought I should greet you…?”
I had been speaking informally but quickly added ‘yo’ at the end, realizing someone else was present.
Seeing me bewildered, not understanding why Ray was stopping me, his expression darkened.
“Seiana doesn’t need to. Everyone, rise and go about your work.”
Even then, the servants didn’t move and looked hesitant, but when my eldest brother spoke again, they all scattered and disappeared.
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