Chapter 8

Thinking back, on that day—I was suddenly taken to the palace and had left almost all my personal belongings at home.

I had only brought a few essentials, like clothes.

"The work on setting up the barrier has reached a good point. You can go and get your belongings from your family home. I'm sorry for not giving you a break for over ten days."

Eric apologized for not giving me a break for over ten days. He looked as if he had committed a terrible blunder, which made me feel rather awkward.

"But, it might be better not to stay too long at home."

"Better not to stay too long...? Why is that?"

"Because... you’re hated by your mother and sister, aren’t you?"

"Lord Eric... please don’t ask such difficult questions..."

When he told me not to stay too long, I thought it might be because they were lonely or something, but I was taken aback when he clearly said that I was hated by my stepmother and sister.

Well, it’s true... but to hear it so clearly...

Eric’s serious expression made me want to laugh.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I can go with you..."

"No, there’s no need to worry. I’m used to it."

Eric assigned a trusted guard to accompany me and provided a royal carriage. He said that a guard like me didn’t need a guard, but it seems that wasn’t the case.

So, I returned to my family home, where I was supposedly hated, after a long time—

"Big Sister Lea, you’re back from the palace. Poor you, to be dismissed by Lord Eric after just ten days... But, I’m different. I know so many good things about Big Sister Lea."

When I got home, my sister Jill hugged me with shining eyes. It seems she thought I had been dismissed from the palace for some misconduct.

—She seemed very happy, but was she that unhappy about me living in the palace?

"Welcome back, Jill. I’m sorry about what happened with Lord Philip. Are you okay?"

From their recent interactions, I knew that Jill and Philip had broken their engagement. She had always said that he was handsome, even while we were engaged, so I thought she must have been shocked by the engagement break. But she seemed fine—

"Lord Philip? Nothing in particular. What are you talking about?"

"Huh? I heard that your engagement with Lord Philip was broken off..."

Jill tilted her head in confusion, making me wonder if I had misunderstood. Was the story about Philip breaking off the engagement with Jill a lie? It didn’t seem that way...

"He cried to Duke Gilbert. He said that if the world knew he had broken off the engagement with a good girl like Jill, it would be a disgrace to our family. He wanted the engagement to be treated as if it never happened. Honestly, what is he thinking? To say such hurtful things about dear Jill...!"

"Mother, I’m not upset. Lord Philip must have been under a lot of stress. I forgive him."

Could it be that Philip, who had made such a fuss to reconcile with me, had become Jill’s fiancé again?

It seems that Duke Gilbert was upset by Philip’s actions and cried to him. I was a bit surprised...

Is Philip okay with this...?

I don’t mind, and if Jill is fine with it, then it’s fine...

"Still, you—after boasting about going to the palace, you came back so soon. It’s only natural. For someone like you to become a queen is presumptuous."

"Mother, please stop blaming poor Big Sister. She must be hurt by the prince’s rejection. I’m sorry. I got married first, and now Big Sister is left behind..."

My stepmother Ekaterina, who was clearly delighted by my return, and my unusually talkative sister Jill.

If I explained why I was back, it would be troublesome, but I can’t just not say anything—

"Actually, I’m going back to the palace soon. I just came to get my belongings."

"Ha...?"

They said it in perfect unison.

Ekaterina showed her irritation, and Jill’s face was clearly disappointed as they looked at me.

"R-really! How wicked and malicious can you be!"

"H-how cruel, Big Sister...! To mock me in your heart while I was trying to comfort you...! That’s too much!"

Then, they both started to berate me. They said whatever they wanted.

—Is this my fault?

I think it’s more malicious to imagine that I was dismissed by the prince and treat me with such disdain...

As Eric said, it’s better for me to leave quickly...

"Big Sister is with the prince I admire... Compared to that, my partner is—sigh..."

Jill, who might say something about breaking the engagement again if Philip were nearby, sighed.

Gradually, her sighs turned into sniffles, and Ekaterina started to scold me for bullying Jill, so I quickly packed my important things into a bag and left the house.

But, from the looks of it, Jill and Philip might have some issues to work out. I hope they’ll be okay...