After convincing Sara to come to the mansion,
“Shall we head back?”
With that, Mother began walking out of the room.
“Ah, Mother. Wait.”
I glanced back out the window at the detached building where Marion was.
That eerie feeling was gone now. It would surely be fine.
“Luria, what’s wrong?”
“Mm, it’s fine.”
I followed Mother out of the room.
Holding Sara’s right hand and carrying Carro on my shoulder, I walked along. Sara clung tightly to her stick doll with her left hand and followed closely.
Mother walked straight toward the front entrance after leaving the room.
In the entrance hall, the noblewoman who had earlier whispered about me was there.
Sara flinched, flattening her ears and tucking her tail between her legs.
“…It’s fine. Luria is here with you,” I whispered, squeezing Sara’s hand tightly.
“Your Highness.”
The woman smiled and addressed Mother.
“It is an honor to have you grace our humble home today—”
“This isn’t your home,” Mother cut her off in a cold tone without stopping. She continued walking toward the door.
“To think you would speak to me… don’t you know your manners?”
Mother muttered under her breath. The woman’s face twisted in fear, and she flinched. It was a breach of etiquette for those of lower status to address their superiors without invitation.
Earlier, she hadn’t dared speak to me. What changed? Was she just that happy about something?
Without looking back, Mother spoke to the attendant beside her.
“Could the baron not bother to come see us off?”
“…He must be quite busy.”
“Even the steward isn’t here to see us off?”
“…No doubt, they are terribly occupied.”
“Well, if that’s the case, it can’t be helped. There must be something far more important than seeing me off.”
Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.
The woman turned pale and flustered.
“Kyu!”
At that moment, Carro let out a warning cry.
“What’s wrong?”
Perched on my shoulder, Carro was staring intently toward the reception room where we had greeted the baron earlier. I followed her gaze.
“Huh?”
A strange sound escaped my lips.
“What’s wrong, Luria?”
“N-nothing.”
Black miasma was seeping out from under the door of the reception room. The room must be filled with that dark mist.
(What could have happened?)
I froze, staring at the reception room door.
I noticed Mother’s puzzled expression and Sara’s anxious gaze, but I couldn’t take my eyes off that door.
Was the baron using some sort of curse?
If so, I had to stop him.
But I was just a five-year-old, even if I had been learning swordsmanship. Could I rely on the attendants? No, they wouldn’t understand anything about curses.
If only Kuro were here… or maybe Carro and Daru, the guardian beasts, could manage somehow?
But while Carro was reliable, her small size limited her strength. Daru was large and strong but was outside the house.
I thought through my options but couldn’t come up with a good plan.
“…What should I do?”
“Luria? What are you talking about?”
Just then, the reception room door burst open violently, and the baron’s steward came rushing out.
Simultaneously, the black miasma spilled into the hallway.
“Ah!”
I let out a scream.
“What’s happening? Investigate,” Mother commanded, glancing at the attendant.
“At once.”
One of the Grand Duke family’s attendants ran over to the steward. After a brief exchange, they returned quickly.
“…It seems the baron has collapsed.”
“Is that so? Exhaustion, perhaps?”
Upon hearing this, the woman who had whispered about me earlier dashed frantically into the reception room.
“Luria, Sara. We’re leaving.”
I couldn’t help but wonder about the baron’s condition. Why had that miasma poured out of the room in the first place?
As I was lost in thought, a voice spoke from below me:
“Do not respond.”
Kuro emerged from the floor, his upper body visible as he addressed me.
“…”
I walked silently, staring at Kuro. He kept pace with me, explaining as he moved.
“The curse Marion cast has rebounded on the baron.”
“…Shouldn’t we do something?”
To my question, Mother answered,
“There’s nothing we can do for him. They’ll call for their own doctor.”
Kuro added,
“Luria-sama could dispel the curse, but since he brought it upon himself, it’s his own fault.”
“I see.”
I decided I’d have to ask Kuro about curses in detail later.
Following Mother out of the mansion, we reached the waiting carriage.
“The carriage is ready,” a maid informed us.
“Thank you. But there’s somewhere I need to go before we leave.”
With that, Mother headed not toward the carriage but toward the back of the mansion.
The garden was well-maintained, but there were no proper paths for someone in a dress to walk on. Mother ignored the fact that her dress got caught in the undergrowth and continued forward.
I followed her, along with Sara, the maid, and the attendants.
“Madam, what are you doing…?”
“Daru has come, so I need to go greet him.”
“Then let me fetch him for you.”
“No, I want to do it myself.”
Mother smiled warmly at the flustered maid.
“But walking here in your dress…”
“I’m sorry.”
Mother gave an impish smile, looking like a young girl.
“Mother is quite the tomboy, isn’t she?”
Mother had given birth to my brother at 18, and now, at 33, she still looked like a teenager at times.
“You resemble her greatly, Luria-sama.”
“Really? Hehe.”
Being told I resembled Mother made me happy and a little shy. While I giggled awkwardly, Sara patted my head.
“Hehehe.”
Feeling bashful, I followed Mother to the back of the mansion, where Daru awaited.
Daru, who had been told to “stay and wait,” was there patiently.
“Woof, woof!”
Daru came up to me, pressing his large head against me affectionately.
“…You really helped today. Thank you.”
I whispered into Daru’s ear and stroked him firmly.
“Kyuu.”
“We’ll get scolded together if that happens.”
“Pii.”
Daru flipped onto his back, rolling over. I rubbed his belly thoroughly.
“Sara, you should try petting him too.”
“Okay.”
Sara joined me in stroking Daru’s fluffy belly.
“He’s so soft.”
“Indeed. Daru is very fluffy. He prefers being petted on his belly rather than his nose.”
“Okay.”
Sara had been patting Daru’s nose earlier, so I gave her the tip.
As Sara and I petted Daru, Mother walked toward Marion’s detached building.
“Marion! It’s me, Amalia! You don’t need to reply!”
Mother called out loudly to Marion inside.
“You can rest easy about Sara. I’ll take full responsibility for her!”
“…Thank you…”
Marion’s voice came weakly. Mother started to say something—likely to reassure her not to speak, as even talking must exhaust her—but Sara suddenly ran up and shouted loudly,
“Mommy! It’s Sara!”
Clutching her stick doll tightly, Sara seemed worried Marion might forget her.
“Sara… You look well.”
“Yep!”
Hearing Marion’s voice, Sara smiled brightly.
“My sweet Sara. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you… couldn’t hold you close… I’m sorry.”
“Mommy, it’s not your fault! I love you!”
“Thank you. Mommy loves you too, my precious Sara. Listen to the madam, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll be good.”
“That’s my girl. You’re my treasure. Be happy, my darling.”
It sounded like a final farewell from Marion to Sara.
“Yep! I’m Mommy’s treasure!”
Tears spilled from Sara’s eyes as she scrubbed them away with her sleeve.
“Marion, you’ll get better soon. And Sara is my little sister now, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you… My dear young lady.”
Marion’s voice was faint, drained of strength.
“Mother, could you bring some food to Marion?”
“I will. Leave it to me. I won’t let things stay as they are.”
“Okay.”
For a while, Sara continued talking to Marion through the wall.
