EWGEW 10

Chapter 10

At Camilla’s words, Madam Desti’s eyes widened. Her pale violet eyes were filled with astonishment.

“I am the proof.”

Camilla looked straight into Madam Desti’s eyes and drove the point home.

As she skillfully moved the shadow flickering around her hand up to her wrist, she smiled brightly at Madam Desti.

“You know, don’t you? Originally, there wasn’t even the slightest sign that I possessed an ability.”

Madam Desti’s gaze changed as she looked at Camilla, whose eyes curved gently with her smile. Seeing that sharp gaze become even more piercing, Camilla smiled faintly to herself.

She was wary of Camilla, but at the same time, she clearly coveted this sudden piece of information Camilla had brought.

She had no choice. This was the information Madam Desti needed more than anything.

It was information so valuable that, despite knowing the protagonist’s proposal in the original novel would lead to her downfall, she had ultimately been forced to accept it.

Madam Desti would never be able to refuse Camilla’s proposal.

As if Camilla’s thoughts had hit the mark exactly, Madam Desti spoke after a brief silence.

“Camilla, my dear.”

Madam Desti sat lightly on the edge of Camilla’s bed as she spoke. The corners of her eyes curved affectionately, although the temperature in her gaze was somewhat cold.

“—Then, what is it that you want?”

If something was given, something had to be given in return.

Madam Desti understood that better than anyone. She had grown up painfully aware that there was nothing more frightening in this world than kindness without a reason.

‘Just as I thought.’

Camilla lifted the corners of her lips.

Madam Desti had been roughly her second-favorite character in the original novel.

The reason was precisely this side of her.

She was practically the embodiment of the belief that something had to be given in return for something received. It was a worldview that matched Camilla’s own values perfectly.

Looking at Madam Desti, Camilla smiled brightly. Her smile gradually became more radiant.

“It’s simple, Madam Desti.”

Camilla leaned her upper body toward Madam Desti as though she were about to whisper a secret.

“Let me live here, Madam Desti.”

“What?”

Madam Desti slightly narrowed her eyes.

It wasn’t difficult to roughly guess what kind of situation Camilla was in.

Had Herain and Yuslia Elkasist suddenly gone on a pilgrimage to the frontier territories?

Why hadn’t they taken Camilla with them, and why had Camilla been confined to bed with an illness all this time?

Anyone who thought about the circumstances could roughly figure it out.

However, that was not something Madam Desti needed to concern herself with.

After all, it had been Camilla Elkasist who had withdrawn the hand they had once held together.

And for the heir to a count’s family—especially an heir who had inherited the family’s ability—to stay in the household of another family that also possessed an inherited ability was no ordinary matter.

The whereabouts of an heir were tied to the will of their family.

Camilla staying in House Kaivelan meant something far more significant.

Since Camilla was the only legitimate daughter of House Elkasist, it would mean that House Elkasist was joining hands with Lukael.

At least, that was how the central nobility would see it.

Camilla lifted the corners of her lips.

“I want to correct the mistake I made, Madam Desti.”

Madam Desti’s eyes widened at those words.

Seeing her slightly parted lips, clearly surprised, Camilla drove the point home.

“If my staying here helps Lukael establish his position, then that would make me happy as well. As you know, I’m in quite a difficult situation myself right now.”

Camilla shrugged.

Then she smiled brightly at Madam Desti’s stunned expression. There wasn’t the slightest trace of pretense in her gentle smile.

“And I want to become close to you.”

Just as we were before.

Or even closer.

With those words, Camilla finished speaking.

And so, Camilla came to live in Madam Desti’s residence, the estate of House Kaivelan.

The very next day, news spread throughout high society that Camilla Elkasist, the legitimate daughter of House Elkasist, had begun staying at the Marquess’s residence of House Kaivelan.

Click.

Madam Desti gently closed the door.

Her chief maid immediately bowed deeply.

Normally, two or three attendants who served Madam Desti should have followed her.

That was proper noble etiquette.

However, Madam Desti had decided that there was no need to make such a fuss, so she had visited Camilla with only one person—the chief maid.

Even that chief maid had been left outside the room.

Perhaps Madam Desti had been a little irritable because of the lingering resentment from the past.

‘…I probably should have brought at least my chief maid inside.’

She felt a little regretful, but Madam Desti turned away without hesitation.

“…Let’s go.”

The luxurious carpet covering the hallway was so soft that it absorbed even the sound of Madam Desti’s footsteps.

The words Camilla had spoken moments ago came back to her.

‘At the very least, I want to stay here until His Majesty the Emperor recognizes my ability.’

At least several months.

And considering that Camilla might remain here until everything was settled, it could take several years.

It was quite a long period.

‘If she’s going to stay that long, I’ll need people who are convenient to have around.’

Madam Desti silently moved her lips.

“—Ratt.”

The chief maid following behind her, Ratt, slightly bowed her head and answered in an emotionless voice.

“Yes.”

“Ask Camilla what she wants, and assign her some maids. The most trustworthy and capable ones.”

“Understood.”

After Ratt answered, Madam Desti narrowed her eyes as she fell into thought.

“Make sure Camilla is comfortable. Take good care of her.”

Rain was falling steadily outside.

Madam Desti stopped for a moment as she looked at it and slowly closed her eyes.

Her long, beautiful dark green eyelashes trembled like waves before settling against her skin.

‘Fraila. Your child really does resemble you.’

The Camilla she had seen after such a long time had smiled brightly at her with her violet hair cascading down.

Even her pale pink eyes were exactly like those of the former Count of Elkasist, Fraila Elkasist.

On a rainy day just like the day Fraila had left, seeing Camilla, who looked so much like Fraila, gave Madam Desti a strange feeling.

Fearing that she might be swept away by that emotion, Madam Desti simply pressed her eyes closed in silence.

‘Come to think of it.’

Suppressing the brief reverie, Madam Desti opened her eyes clearly.

She straightened her back elegantly and walked toward her study.

Madam Desti opened the door to her study and entered.

Once inside, she sent away all the maids waiting there, then sat in her chair and tapped the desk with her fingers.

“—Ratt.”

“Yes?”

“Has Grand Duke Ethelreid Caliet ever shown that kind of behavior before?”

Speaking almost as though to herself, she fell into thought and recalled what had happened the previous night.

Grand Duke Ethelreid Caliet.

The person who had carried Camilla into House Kaivelan had been none other than Grand Duke Caliet.

Unlike his usual appearance, always dressed neatly and impeccably, his clothes had been somewhat dirty.

There had also been thick, dried blood clinging to his sword.

Perhaps because of that, the strong smell of blood coming from him had been particularly intense.

All of that was something Madam Desti could simply dismiss with an understanding of I see.

But the fact that he had appeared carrying Camilla in his arms was something she could not casually overlook.

‘Your Grace. Just what is Camilla, that child…?’

First, they had treated Camilla’s wounds while she was unconscious.

Then, as Madam Desti watched the Grand Duke silently looking down at Camilla, she had spoken to him.

The Grand Duke had briefly looked at Madam Desti.

Eyes of an icy, golden color.

A face so handsome that it seemed like a work of art.

His sharp nose gave his face perfect balance, while his sharp eyes carried a chilling light, tinged with red and possessing a strange allure.

He rarely appeared in high society, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that the reason the Grand Duke was always a topic of conversation was that face.

Yet the Grand Duke was cold and ruthless, allowing no one close to him.

No one even dared approach him.

And yet he had appeared carrying someone in his arms.

Madam Desti had felt something strange about it.

A definite feeling that something would be different from now on.

‘…I’m interested in her. So take care of the young lady.’

He had slowly turned his head away from Camilla and looked at Madam Desti.

There had been a deep interest in his eyes.

Most likely, it was interest in Camilla.

Madam Desti had bowed her head.

‘I understand. Then I’ll let her recover and send her back to the count’s estate.’

‘…We’ll see.’

The Grand Duke had slightly lifted the corners of his lips as he spoke.

‘We’ll decide what to do when the time comes.’

After saying that, he had stood up.

Then, as though he had suddenly remembered something, he continued.

‘But Madam, didn’t you say that there was absolutely no possibility that this young lady of House Elkasist could inherit the ability?’

‘Yes. That’s correct. There are countless rumors that she definitely failed to inherit the ability.’

At those words, the Grand Duke chuckled.

‘A false rumor.’

‘Pardon?’

Madam Desti had stared at him in surprise, narrowing her eyes.

The Grand Duke had lifted the corners of his lips as he looked at Madam Desti.

‘I just witnessed the moment her ability awakened. She originally had no ability at all, yet it awakened in an instant.’

‘…Then it seems she awakened it late.’

Suppressing her surprise, Madam Desti calmly replied.

But the Grand Duke shook his head.

‘No. There wasn’t a single sign of an ability before it manifested. Yes, it happened in an instant. An extremely sudden awakening.’

He turned his head toward Camilla and smiled more deeply.

‘As if she knew how to awaken it.’

After saying that, the Grand Duke left House Kaivelan, asking Madam Desti to take care of Camilla.

Thinking about the Grand Duke’s actions, Madam Desti once again tapped her fingers against the desk.

If not for the Grand Duke’s words, Madam Desti would have thought Camilla was talking nonsense even if she had proposed such a deal.

There was no way something like a method for awakening an ability could exist.

The Grand Duke’s strange attitude toward Camilla.

And Camilla, who knew how to awaken an ability.

Thinking about the combination of those two things gave Madam Desti a sudden headache.

She had a feeling that many things were about to change.

Whether those changes would be good or bad remained to be seen.

“What does that mean?”

Yuslia Elkasist set down her teacup at the sudden words.

Her chief maid lowered her head and repeated herself.

“L-Lady Camilla is staying at House Kaivelan.”

Crash!

The moment she finished speaking, Herain, who was sitting across from Yuslia, furiously grimaced and threw his teacup.

Yuslia calmly watched him as though she were accustomed to such behavior, then picked up her teacup again and spoke.

“Then we’ll go. If my sister has awakened, of course I should go see her.”

But her eyes were hardened with irritation.

“Isn’t that right, Father?”