8

"You pervert! Lowly! Vulgar.....!"

"I apologize, Lady Ayla. But it was you who made such a request of me."

"Obviously, I was being sarcastic! Who would actually strip just because they were told to!?"

"Lady Ayla, I have already pledged my loyalty to you. Both body and soul, I am prepared to dedicate myself to you."

"Creepy...…! What is that!? Isn't it a bit much to say something like that to someone you've just met!?"

Upon hearing the word 'creepy,' two emotions stirred within me.

One was a slight sting.

Well, I can't blame her. I've only ever watched Ayla from afar and never actually spoken to her.

It wasn't particularly because I was embarrassed, or afraid she wouldn't remember me. Well, maybe a little. After all, those memories were from such a young age.

Even though we spent a long time together, almost like siblings, Ayla asked me to forget her when she left.

So, it wasn't embarrassment or fear of not being remembered that stopped me. It was something more appropriate and rational.

It wasn't embarrassment or fear of not being remembered.

...…Above all, I was worried that if I, an illegitimate son of a Marquis, approached recklessly, it might entangle the Baron's and Marquis's families unnecessarily.

Moreover, Ayla was also an illegitimate child, and the Baron was an ambitious man.

In fact, he was not only ambitious but also someone whose mind often worked in twisted ways.

I don't know if he intended to marry Ayla and me off or keep us apart.

・・・・・・After all, because of my younger sibling's existence, it was often inconvenient for me to attend balls on behalf of or alongside them.

To the Baron, I must have seemed no more significant than a fly.

That's how I acted, too.

"The debt I owe is that great."

But at the same time, I felt a slight joy.

This 'slight' feeling was much bigger than the 'slight sting' of hurt.

The more we talk, the more varied Ayla's reactions become.

She doesn't trust me yet, but it doesn't seem like she truly believes I'm a dangerous person either.

Even if it's just vigilance, I'm satisfied. At least she didn't tell me to leave her side.

"The debt you owe isn't to me… Well, whatever."

Ayla let out a deep sigh.

"Well, to gain something, one might have to endure a certain level of humiliation."

In the end, it seems I haven't earned her trust yet.

"…So?"

Ayla looked at me.

"So, what is it you want to do now? Are you trying to restore the Count's house? If so, I've already told you that I'm the biggest obstacle to that."

"You've done well."

"...."

At my words, Ayla's eyes narrowed.

"So you can fill the remaining positions with people you want?"

"So I can fill them with trustworthy people."

"・・・・・・It seems you didn't hear me when I said I don't trust you."

Ayla sighed deeply.

"And if those protective walls you've built for yourself crumble, it could severely impact your survival, Lady Ayla."

"My 'survival'?"

"Because a wealthy widow makes an easy target in many ways."

At the word 'widow,' one of Ayla's eyebrows twitched.

It's probably hard for her to grasp. After all, the Count died before they could even have a proper relationship.

Ayla hated even being called the Countess.

"There's barely any wealth left in this estate now."

"There's one thing left. The name 'Count' itself. And the land."

"..."

Ayla stared at me intently.

Does she not know? The Baron was originally someone far removed from politics.

He schemed in many ways, but the results of those schemes were rarely impressive.

"If I were to simply disappear…."

"A cause can't be hastily used or discarded until it's been fully validated or disproved.

Whether you disappear or not, they'll still attempt to undermine your legitimacy."

I looked straight at Ayla and spoke firmly.

"Excommunication."

"Excommunication...."

"They'll pin any excuse on you. Because there's no one beside you to actively defend you."

"..."

"Or, perhaps someone might step forward, offering to become that 'active defender' themselves."

To nobles, Ayla is an excellent candidate for a wife.

Personal traits or personality don't matter much.

If they can suppress her with force after marriage, they can simply lock her away in an annex and abandon her.

Though she carries the stain of already being married, she still holds the title of Countess, the Count's daughter, and the estate.

Not to mention, she's beautiful, older than most first-time brides but still quite young for a widow.

And she never even truly met her husband, the Count.

In other words, she's still 'pure.'

However—

"In a situation where it wouldn't be strange for suitors to line up for marriage, the fact that not a single proposal has come yet means there's a rumor circulating among the nobles."

"What rumor?"

"The rumor about the cause of the Count's death."

The Count's corpse is still being used as a research subject in the Magic Tower.

Calling it a 'research subject' sounds a bit odd, but this autopsy method is quite popular among nobles.

Even if the body is cut apart in various ways, it will eventually return to an intact state without any visible wounds.

The mages of the Magic Tower study the body, and the nobles ensure they know the reason for their death.

If it was natural causes, there's no issue; if not, they can pursue revenge or uncover a crime.

Naturally, the ever-suspicious Count had signed such a contract.

It seems he didn't think about who would remain to avenge him afterward, though.

"Are you saying I killed the Count?"

"I don't think that."

I shook my head.

"But Lady Ayla, you cleaned up the surroundings right after the Count's death.

If you were to disappear suddenly, it could be interpreted as fleeing after killing the Count."

"...If I replace people, wouldn't it seem like I'm filling the house with the Count's opposition?"

"On the contrary, if it's framed as acting out of fear following the Count's death, it could serve as an excuse.

It's actually something that happens quite often."

If one were to empathize as a noble, they'd agree with the latter.

Even without assuming foul play, it's common for aging nobles suffering from senility, or heirs suddenly inheriting a house, to purge potential opposition within the family.

Even in cases of rightful inheritance, if the relationship between father and son was poor, such actions are taken.

"Still, Lady Ayla, when you dismissed the servants, you didn't drive them out without compensation."

"...."

"You have been part of the Count's family for six months now.

You lost your husband without even seeing his face just a month ago.

It wouldn't be strange if you found it hard to trust anyone."

I straightened my posture and spoke politely to Ayla.

"Just as you cannot trust me."

"No, that's just a normal reaction."

It's not getting through.

"..."

Ayla turned her steps back toward the mansion.

I followed her gently.

"Alright, then."

As if she finally understood my words, Ayla let out a deep sigh and spoke.

Even if she ran away, she would simply be stripped of her title as a 'noble lady' under the label of a criminal.

Ayla might not care about that.

She might even feel relieved, finally free...… Or so I hope.

However, being branded as the 'witch who killed her husband' also means becoming a fugitive.

Moreover, the deceased was a Count.

Though the Count was driven more by calculations than charisma, some nobles might still find Ayla herself necessary due to those same calculations.

And if Ayla runs away, the young lady will be left alone in that mansion.

Escaping with a dazzling blonde girl—one who knows little of the world—is an entirely different story.

Ayla must have been wrestling with this dilemma over the past month.

"..."

That's why I wanted to change Ayla's fate.

If Ayla herself didn't wish for it, there was nothing I could do.

But if it meant Ayla had to abandon herself, she could become someone entirely different.

However, the jewel was shattered.

Unfortunately, the one affected by the jewel's power was me.

It was a terrible mistake.

But I don't think it was merely misfortune.

The Count died.

Neither Ayla nor I had resorted to such measures.

There was the young lady, and Ayla pitied her in her heart.

That's why Ayla still remained in the mansion.

When I came here, I might have been greeted by an empty mansion with even Ayla gone.

But, so precariously, I was able to meet Ayla.

Should I say fate wasn't broken?

Or did breaking fate allow another fate to continue?

It doesn't matter either way.

Because I decided to accept the fact that I am here as fate.