3

"Isn't this place far too shabby to welcome a lady?"

As I looked around the campsite set up in the forest and spoke, my younger brother furrowed his brows deeply.

"Weren't you the one who asked me to choose a place hidden from others?"

"Well, yes. Because I knew you'd come dressed so finely."

"Then you should have told me to wear rags from the start."

"The level of 'rags' a future marquis imagines, and the level of 'rags' the commoners of the estate imagine, are quite different."

I carefully sat on the chair my brother had prepared.

"Since when have you ever been so concerned about dirtying your clothes..?"

"Even a servant of a noble count's family must not appear disheveled."

....

"Why, do you feel like asking what kind of image the eldest son of the marquis family has shown so far, little brother?"

"You know it well, brother."

With a snort of disbelief, my brother perched casually on a tree stump in front of me and tossed a few logs onto the firewood pile beside him.

Normally, it's something one shouldn't do. Smoke is far too noticeable in a place like this.

But no one is here in the count's hunting grounds. Even the gamekeeper must have fled upon hearing that the count had disappeared. On the other hand, the commoners still don't know that all the count's servants have vanished. No one would boldly announce such a thing and flee, after all.

In an estate where peace has lasted so long, there isn't even a castle. Because there was no reason to build one. The count preferred investing money back into profitable ventures rather than building castles.

"What did the Marquis say?"

"Isn't it about time you started calling him 'Father'? He feels hurt every time he hears that."

My brother gave a bitter smile.

And summarized simply.

"First, he clutched the back of his neck and collapsed backward."

"Melodramatic. That old man's heart is tougher than a dragon's."

"...…Well, he got up immediately, so I suppose he was exaggerating a bit."

"And then?"

"He muttered a few crude curses and sat back down."

As always, it was an easy reaction to understand, and I nodded quietly.

"And? Did he finally vow to capture me and make me his vassal? Or perhaps he plans to hire me as a maid in the mansion?"

"No, he didn't say anything like that."

"Something cruder than that?"

"No, it's more like...…."

My brother put his hand under his chin and wore a serious expression, as if genuinely thinking.

"After a moment of deep thought, he suddenly said, 'Come to think of it, I've always wanted a daughter,' and then he smiled broadly."

....

I stared at my brother for a long while.

"That old man has finally gone senile."

"Well, you know exactly where your eccentricity comes from, don't you, brother?"

"Do you want to die, little brother?"

"With your current condition, do you think you could actually kill me?"

I had no response to that.

It had been a long time since I couldn't refute my brother's words, and I was a little surprised by it.

While I was still processing that, my brother shrugged again and spoke.

"So, what are you going to do now? Regardless of everything, you are still the Countess. Whether people acknowledge it or not, all those discussions of recognition and denial stem from the title that will be inherited, don't they?"

"Well, what else is there? The first plan failed, so I'll simply start over slowly with the second one. If escape isn't possible, then the next step must be defense."

...

"What are you looking at me like that for?"

"No, it's just… I can't quite tell what you were trying to do, brother."

"What I was trying to do—"

"Well, I understand that this wasn't something you wanted to happen in the first place."

With his arms crossed, my brother stared at me intently before speaking.

"The Gem that Breaks Fate. That's what it was, wasn't it?"

"That's what it was."

"A gem that twists someone's fate, turning them into someone else?"

"Precisely."

"And you knew that a fate twisted once could never be undone."

"Of course."

"The other person's appearance must have changed. They would have become 'someone else.'"

"Naturally."

....

My brother looked up at the sky for a moment and let out a deep sigh.

"My goodness, what a tragic love story this is."

"It's not a love story—it's just repaying a debt."

That's right.

The count is dead, so now all his assets belong to the Countess.

The 'debt' is heavy. In terms of pure wealth, the debt probably outweighs the assets of the count's family.

But the countless bonds and stocks the count acquired with his keen insight, the IOUs and information gathered from nobles and merchants alike, the hidden funds stored away in secret places, and the intangible power invisible to the eye—

All of it would now fall into the hands of Countess Ayla, safe from anyone daring to touch it.

"Let me ask you one thing."

"Go ahead, little brother."

"If, like you now, that young lady's gender had been reversed, how would you have acted?"

"My thoughts would remain unchanged."

....

"What are you thinking to make such an expression?"

"I'm just relieved that there weren't two of those gems in the world. Someone like you would have gladly used the other one as well."

What on earth does 'someone like me' even mean?

"Well, fine. This is such an absurd situation that our pleasantries went on a bit long. So, brother, why did you call me here?"

"Of course, because I need your help, little brother."

"As expected, it's about people, isn't it?"

"Yes. Preferably women, from reliable vassal families. People whose faces are not widely known."

"And it would be better if they were older. That way, the surrounding nobles won't get suspicious."

"Can you manage that?"

"Well, it's not impossible. There are plenty of retired old folks in the Marquis' household, men and women alike, who are itching to be useful again. If the pay is reasonable, many would agree to work."

"And people who can work out of sight as well."

...We'll need to dig into the Count's information. But that might be a bit difficult. I'd need Father's permission for that."

"Please, little brother."

My brother hesitated for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"Brother, wouldn't you like to have a duel with me just once? If you win this time, I'll follow your request."

"Are you planning to strike a lady? The Marquis wouldn't have taught you that way."

"And what exactly did the Marquis teach you for you to turn out like this?"

"To be fair, I didn't learn much from him. Until I was thirteen, I was wandering through back alleys."

"...When you say it like that, I really have nothing to say in response."

It seemed he wasn't entirely serious, as my brother stood up. His long robe swayed gently.

It certainly wasn't a 'rag.' It must have been one of the robes left behind in the Marquis' household, one that was neglected rather than discarded. Its hem was frayed, and stains had set in from long neglect. But those who truly wore 'rags' would know—

The price of that tattered thing alone would be enough to cost a street urchin his life.

"Well, after Father gives me an earful, he'll probably provide support. In return, brother, when you eventually return home, you must make yourself clear."

"Of course."

My brother shrugged once more and then poured water from a bucket he had prepared earlier onto the campfire. The fire, which wasn't that large to begin with, was extinguished in an instant.

"Oh, right."

Just as my brother was about to turn away, I stopped him with my words.

"What did Mother say?"

My brother turned back to me.

Then, infuriatingly, he placed a finger on his chin and spoke in a slightly higher-pitched voice.

"Now that I think about it, I always wanted a daughter… that's what she said."

....

"Well, she is the one who turned you into a proper person, isn't she? Don't be too upset."

"Do you think I could ever hold resentment toward her?"

My brother smirked.

"Well, thanks to those eyes, Mother will surely recognize you. Perhaps, when the time comes, she'll try to instill some 'lady-like' manners in you."

I shuddered.

Even when I went down to the villages where commoners lived, I wasn't overly suspected.

Ah, just another one of the Count's 'collectibles,' they must have thought.

At least in the village, the looks I received were more pitying than hostile.

For commoners, if the lord of the land changes, they simply follow the new one. It's rare for all the commoners to be purged just because a new lord takes over.

But if it's a body that belongs to the lord—that's a different story.

Those 'collectibles' must have come from villages like this one, and few of them ever returned.

Even those who fled wouldn't have come back to these villages.

When the next lord arrives, they will surely be captured again.

Thanks to that, I was able to return to the mansion with ingredients for tonight's dinner without being harassed or confronted by anyone.

On my way to the kitchen, I suddenly heard a rhythmic sound.

Tap, tap, tap—the sound of a knife striking a cutting board.

When I stepped into the inner part of the kitchen, I saw black hair.

Boiling water and evenly chopped vegetables floated in the pot.

"...Just call me by my name. There's no need to use titles like 'madam.'"

Before I could say anything, Ayla spoke first.

"Understood, Lady Ayla."

"Leave the cooking ingredients over there."

As if she didn't need my help, Ayla didn't even turn to look at me.

"And, once again, I must tell you, I have no money to repay you for buying those things."

Silently, I approached Ayla.

When I got closer, Ayla finally stopped chopping.

Of course.

If they had been living without servants for the past month, someone must have been cooking.

And that someone was Ayla.

"Lady Ayla, I have already told you."

With my hands politely clasped in front of me, I bowed my head slightly toward her.

"I, too, have a debt to repay. Until I have repaid it, please allow me to continue working for the two of you."

"...."

Ayla turned slightly toward me.

Her hands and the knife still rested on the cutting board.

Fortunately, there were no cuts on her hands. Perhaps it was because she was already familiar with handling knives.

The food… carried a nostalgic smell.

Yes. I had tasted this a few times in my childhood. Back then, it was Ayla who had cooked it herself.

Hmph.

But she was different from the Ayla of those days.

There was a will to survive.

But at the same time, she had an overwhelming inability to trust people.

There was no fear, but…

I suddenly remembered Ayla at the ballroom I had sneaked into.

She had been standing alone in a corner.

No men had asked her to dance.

The women were gossiping loudly enough for her to hear.

And I—

The knife began moving again.

"Lady Ayla."

"...."

Ayla glared at me again.

I bowed politely once more and said,

"In that case, I'll go and finish the cleaning I left unfinished."

"...Do as you wish."

Carefully stepping backward to keep my distance from Ayla, I turned and left the kitchen.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small shadow peeking into the room.

The small figure spun around in surprise and dashed away.

Trailing behind them was a cascade of beautiful golden hair.