Chapter 47

Mainly, Sara was talking about the things that happened to her every day, one-sidedly.

Marion listened with a nod.

Even though there were hardly any good things for Sara, who had been bullied, she only talked about the good things.

“Then, when I opened the window, a beautiful leaf came in.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“And then, I—”

After a while, Mother said to Sara,

“It’s about time we go back. Marion will get tired.”

“...Yes.”

Sara looked a little sad, then nodded obediently.

Considering Marion’s physical condition, she shouldn’t have been made to talk at all.

But considering her mental state, the conversation with Sara was necessary.

“Marion, rest well. I’ll make sure to arrange your meals, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Lady. Please convey my regards to Sir as well.”

Then, we placed the digestive-friendly snacks we brought in front of the house and headed for the carriage.

When we opened the carriage door, Daru, barking “bau,” tried to get in first.

“...Daru, consider your size.”

“Kyuun.”

Daru was enormous, so there was no way he could fit inside the carriage.

“Can Daru run alongside us?”

“Piii.”

“No whining.”

As soon as we left Daru behind and got into the carriage, it started moving.

Four attendants on horseback were guarding the carriage.

“Is one person missing?”

“They must have some work to do.”

Mother, with Sara on her lap, hugged her and gently stroked her head.

Sara’s ears twitched.

“Daru is so energetic.”

When Daru heard he couldn’t ride in the carriage, he looked sad, but now he was happily running around.

He ran alongside the carriage, sometimes leading and then returning, moving left and right, looking very happy.

It seemed to be hindering the carriage’s passage, but the driver was used to it and was giving instructions to the horses.

The attendants and their horses didn’t seem to mind Daru’s antics much.

“Still, the horses aren’t afraid of Daru?”

“They play together during walks, so they must think of him as a different kind of companion.”

“...So, that’s it.”

It was an unknown side of Daru.

Indeed, Daru was as big as a horse, so it wasn’t strange for the horses to think of him as a companion.

—Gurururu

At that moment, my stomach growled.

If I was hungry, Sara must be hungry too.

“Sara, you should eat some snacks.”

“Snacks...”

“Um. I’m sure...”

“Miss, please wait a moment.”

When I started rummaging through the luggage for snacks, a maid immediately brought them out.

She had brought snacks other than the ones for Marion’s digestion.

The maid opened the box of cookies and offered it to Sara.

It was a box full of delicious-looking cookies.

“Um...”

Sara looked at my face anxiously, then at Mother’s.

She was unsure if it was okay to eat them.

She must have been subjected to some kind of harassment related to snacks.

In my previous life, I was often starved for three days and had snacks waved in front of me as a form of harassment.

“These are delicious. Please eat them.”

“Yes!”

Sara happily took a cookie and started eating it.

She looked very cute.

“Eat as much as you can. You can eat all of them.”

“Will Luria not eat?”

“Luria had a big breakfast.”

I said this with a cool tone,

—Gurururu

but my stomach growled loudly again.

“...Luria, you should eat too.”

“I’m not that hungry?”

“It’s better to eat together. There are plenty.”

Saying this, Mother took a cookie and put it in her mouth.

“These are delicious. You should eat them too.”

“Thank you.”

The maid also ate a cookie and exclaimed, “Oh, they are delicious.”

“L, Luria will eat too.”

“Please.”

“...Delicious! More delicious than usual.”

Perhaps because the curse was lifted or because I used healing magic, or both.

I was very hungry.

Marion’s curse was successfully lifted.

Healing magic could be used on her body, which had been ravaged by the curse.

Although her physical strength has declined, if she eats and rests, Marion will definitely get better.

When she gets better, Sara can live with Marion.

“Sara, I’m looking forward to Marion getting better.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

Sara, sitting on Mother’s lap, hugged a stick doll tightly.

I want to ask Crow later why he didn’t tell me that Marion’s illness was a curse.

It must have something to do with what kind of curse it was.

“Hmm~”

I looked at the ceiling of the carriage. Two tails were wagging.

It seems Crow was on the ceiling.

I want to talk to him, but it’s difficult with Mother and the maid here.

When we get home, I’ll take a bath, eat dinner, and put Sara to bed.

I’ll hug Sara tightly in the same futon and sleep together.

I’m the older sister.

After that, I’ll talk to Crow. Crow will surely tell me many things.

◇◇

As we were all eating cookies, one of the attendants on horseback came chasing us.

“...Hm?”

One of the attendants rode alongside the carriage and knocked on the window.

It seemed to be an urgent matter.

“What’s the matter?”

Mother opened the small window and asked,

“The baron has developed red pox.”

“...”

Mother’s expression changed, and she gasped.

“We won’t return to the main house. We’re heading to the lakeside villa.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“You must not come into contact with anyone from the main house.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Let’s send letters. Stop the carriage. I’ll write them now.”

When the carriage stopped, Mother moved Sara from her lap to beside me, took out a portable writing desk, and wrote two letters. She wrote very quickly.

“Mother, you write so fast.”

“I usually have to write a lot.”

Despite her speed, the writing was incredibly beautiful.

“Give this to Graf. Of course—”

“We’ll deliver it without contact.”

As special guards, they must have various methods, such as those used to transmit military strategies.

“Please give this to the manager of the lakeside villa.”

“Yes, my lady.”

As one of the attendants ran off, Mother said to the remaining attendants and the driver through the window,

“If the baron has developed red pox, there’s a possibility we’ve been infected.”

“What...” “Wau!?”

The maid turned pale, and Daru, who had only his nose poking through the window, barked anxiously.

“We can’t infect Graf, Gilbert, Lydia, or anyone else. We’ll stay at the lakeside villa near the main house for a while.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The maid nodded with a worried expression.

“How long is the incubation period?”

“Five days. Luria, you know some difficult words.”

“Yeah. It’s surprisingly short.”

“Yes. Just five days. If we don’t develop symptoms, we can return to the main house immediately. Don’t worry. You’ll receive special compensation.”

“That’s something to look forward to.”

One of the attendants said with a brave smile.

At that moment,

‘You don’t need to reply.’

Crow, upside down on the ceiling, showed only his upper body.

‘I said it before, but the baron doesn’t have red pox; it’s a curse that looks like red pox, so don’t worry.’

“...I see.”

‘The curse that was on Marion has just transferred to the baron. It won’t spread to you, so don’t worry.’

“Hmm.”

‘I’ll report this for now!’

After saying that, Crow pulled his head back in.

If it doesn’t spread, that’s reassuring.

However, even if I say it’s okay, they might not believe me.

Besides, I’ve never been to the lakeside villa.

I’m looking forward to it.

“Sara, it’s okay.”

“...Yes.”

After that, instead of returning to our usual house, we headed for the lakeside villa of the Grand Duke’s family.