Chapter 9
But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t bring herself to ask them to break the curse on her body. If she did, she would have to reveal the source of the curse. If these filthy priests found out that the heir of the Byron family was trying to sever the proof of their alliance with the Lopetrefer family, they wouldn’t keep their mouths shut.
The Lopetrefer family already considered the Byron family a nuisance. If this truth came to light, she would be thrown into the Wastelands like Count Keron.
She hadn’t come here with much hope in the first place, but now she regretted coming at all.
“There’s no answer…”
Forget Halo, forget downfall, without getting rid of the two snakes attached to her waist, Sue Byron would never be free.
But right now, there was no solution in sight.
*At least a clue has to appear before I graduate from the academy…*
“Huh?”
She was massaging her aching head when she noticed something.
Unlike when she had arrived, the entrance to the temple, where the carriage was parked, was in a state of commotion.
Curious, she approached and saw a carriage bearing the emblem of a golden lion.
“That carriage…”
Sue muttered in surprise, instantly recognizing the owner of the carriage.
The carriage with the golden lion emblem.
It was the carriage of the Fritz grand duke family.
Sue froze involuntarily and watched as the carriage door opened.
Two men stepped out of the carriage, one after the other. Both were familiar faces to Sue. Shina Fritz and Woo Acrea.
Fritz was wearing a black cloak with gold epaulettes, which only members of the royal family were allowed to wear, while Acrea was wearing the standard silver-epaulette cloak given to Skias.
Fritz’s strong features and Acrea’s expressionless smile always seemed to complement each other.
With two sons of grand ducal families present, the temple was naturally in a frenzy. It was amusing to watch several priests rush out to greet them, bowing deeply.
Amidst the commotion, Sue couldn’t help but wonder.
*Should I just run?*
But the futile thought was quickly dismissed.
*Oh well, whatever.*
“…Master Fritz! Master Acrea!”
Closing her eyes, she ran towards them with the same artificial smile she always wore as ‘Sue’.
*Would it have been better to just watch from afar?*
…*No, let’s stick to acting like ‘Sue’ for now.*
She couldn’t afford to act recklessly because of an uncertain future, especially when she hadn’t found a solution yet.
“Glory to the empire. You two are here at the temple as well! It’s a bit late, did you come to pray?”
“……”
“……”
It was just like at the academy. Fritz and Acrea looked down at Sue silently. Once again, that familiar silence fell. An awkward, embarrassing silence.
If it were the original ‘Sue’, she would have started babbling about something nonsensical in this situation, but Sue couldn’t bring herself to do that.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. Have a good evening.”
Sue placed her right hand on her chest and bowed her head slightly.
Feeling that it would be more of a nuisance to wait for a response, she turned around immediately.
She felt a twinge of pity for ‘Sue’, who had wasted ten years acting like a fool. But in a way, those two were also pitiful. Being greeted by a stranger pretending to be familiar must be quite unpleasant.
She knew that.
But she still didn’t know how to act.
“Glory to the empire, Lady…”
Just then, a gentle voice called out to Sue as she was leaving. It was Acrea again. His voice, as emotionless as an automaton, trailed off before he could finish his sentence. Probably because he couldn’t remember Sue’s name.
A chuckle escaped her lips.
“Byron. Sue Byron. I would be delighted if you remembered.”
Sue smiled sweetly. Acrea smiled back. It was an empty, meaningless smile, plain for all to see.
*He probably thinks it’s not worth knowing.*
The thought of this situation repeating itself countless times in the future made her cringe.
After curtseying, Sue hurriedly got into the Byron carriage. She didn’t even want to look back and see what was happening.
She was just tired.
The carriage lurched into motion with the crack of the coachman’s whip.
Only when they reached the main street of the capital did Sue finally catch her breath and open the carriage window. The cool, damp breeze brushed against her face, bringing a refreshing chill.
Feeling the slight jolts of the carriage, Sue leaned into the breeze.
*What should I do?*
At this rate, ‘Sue Byron’ would die before she even graduated from the academy. And if she didn’t die, she would have to live in the monster-infested Wastelands, treated worse than an animal. She didn’t want that.
But even if she desperately tried to prevent Halo and Enzhe from crossing paths, the two snakes on her waist would never disappear.
She was trapped.
“…Argh, I don’t know!”
She stretched her arms and yawned.
The lack of any clear path forward brought a strange sense of calm.
Even under Nine’s suspicious gaze, a cheerful smile spread across her face.
*There’s no point in thinking about it anymore. Let’s just live for now and think about it later.*
*If I stay positive, things will work out somehow.*
One year of emptiness before Halo’s arrival.
She had to figure out how she was going to live as Sue Byron, at least within this year.
* * *
Spring had arrived, bringing with it a wave of warmth. It was a time when the nobles of the capital, without exception, fell into a state of languid routine.
As a way to combat the encroaching drowsiness, the esteemed nobles of the capital began to focus even more on socializing and gatherings. And their beloved children were no exception.
“About the tea party today, Molly from the fourth year said she wanted to come too. Is that alright?”
“Molly? You mean Molly Bates? Come to think of it, her brother is a year above us, right?”
“Yes. He’s in the same club as Olive. You met him once during the Blooming Festival, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes? He was very handsome…”
“Hehe. Then I’ll have Molly sit next to you at the party.”
“Oh, you!”
“Hahaha…”
The Black Eagle Class of Full Bloom. The students were heading to the music room, their arms full of textbooks, for their next class.
Among them, Sue was fidgeting, distracted by the conversation of two girls walking in front of her.
They were Lady Vercia, the viscount’s daughter, and Lady Tucker, the baron’s daughter. They were excitedly chatting about the tea party that was to be held at the Vercia viscount family’s residence after school.
“Lady Vercia.”
Sue, who had been eavesdropping, finally interrupted their conversation, mercilessly cutting through the blossoming scene like a knife through a flower.
“…Oh my, Lady Byron.”
Vercia knew who the voice belonged to without even looking. There was only one person in Full Bloom with such an unpleasant voice.
“What is it?”
When she reluctantly turned around, Sue was smiling rather shamelessly.
Vercia frowned, disgusted by the sight of that smile. She had no idea that Sue Byron’s insides were burning with a dark fire.
The fact that Sue was using polite language with Vercia, unlike with Lady Tucker, was a way of drawing a line. Who in Full Bloom would want to get close to Lady Byron? Only weirdos or perverts, probably.
“I told you a few days ago that I wanted to attend the tea party as well. You haven’t given me an answer yet. May I come today?”
“…Ah.”
Vercia was speechless for a moment. Then, as if she had finally remembered, she let out a small gasp. “She wasn’t joking?” she mumbled under her breath, too quietly for anyone to hear.
“…Wait a minute, Giona. What’s this about? I haven’t heard anything about Lady Byron attending the tea party…”
Tucker, who had been watching the exchange with worried eyes, couldn’t help but interject. Her face, which had been filled with excitement just moments ago, turned ashen.
“Huh? …Haha, no, it’s a misunderstanding.”
Vercia waved her hands frantically.
“A misunderstanding?”
Tucker tilted her head and asked.
“Yes. I must have miscalculated the number of guests. I guess Lady Byron misunderstood as well.”
Vercia smiled and nodded calmly.
“Lady Byron, I’m sorry. The tea party is already full.”
It was a lie.
Vercia had organized this tea party with the intention of socializing with as many young ladies as possible. There was no limit on the number of guests.
But if Byron attended the tea party, she could already imagine how the atmosphere would turn out. The other young ladies would react the same way Tucker had. Vercia simply didn’t want to ruin the tea party.
“Is that so? That’s a shame.”
And Sue knew that. She touched the back of her neck. Someone might have felt sorry for her, seeing her drooping eyebrows and slumped shoulders, but Vercia and Tucker, who had been in the same class with Sue for years, only felt contempt.
*It’s just an act.*
Their assessment wasn’t wrong. It was a perfectly normal conclusion anyone who had ever interacted with Sue Byron would reach.
But even if it was an act, it was the first time Sue had humbled herself in front of Vercia. Vercia let out a small chuckle, feeling a sense of superiority she had never experienced before.
*I don’t know what she’s thinking, but it’s refreshing this time.*
“Well, it’s not like this is the only tea party ever. Let’s do it next time. It’s not like we have anything against you, Lady Byron.”
With those words, Vercia took Tucker’s arm and disappeared from Sue’s sight.