I Was Happy to Be Dumped by My Fiancé, But Something Seems Off - Episode 38

“Father and Mother will be convalescing at the estate from now on. The Annaloro duchy should be fine for the time being with Brother here.”

“What about Bianco?”

“H-he’s stepped out for a moment.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say he’d left early this morning with Clarissa. If he knew his son was still close with Agnes’s daughter—the root of all their troubles—their current conversation would likely become impossible.

“I see.”

“…Uncle Luigi will likely face capital punishment for the attempted murder of Lady Inanna, and Aunt Agnes for using charm magic on His Majesty and for controlling Father and Mother with it for many years.”

“…I see.”

“May I ask one thing? You realized Aunt was abnormal since childhood, didn’t you? Why didn’t you consult Lady Inanna?”

“When I first consulted Father and Mother, I was punished for making Agnes cry. It kept happening after that too.”

No matter who he consulted whether relatives or close friends, starting with his parents everyone always affirmed Agnes. Nobody denied her. Had he maintained clear thinking, he might have realized that the high priest at the cathedral would listen sympathetically, but having been continuously rejected until exhausted, consulting Inanna never occurred to him.

“Thinking about it now if I’d consulted Lady Inanna, things wouldn’t have become this serious.”

“Why was Aunt so obsessed with Father? Was he special to her?”

“No, probably not. Agnes once told me, ‘Become my ideal older brother.'”

“Ideal…”

From what Inanna said, it seemed highly likely she possessed memories of a past life. In that life, she’d had an abnormal fixation on having a brother, and upon being reborn and finding an older brother in her father, she apparently couldn’t control her desires.

“This isn’t about ‘siblings getting along,’ is it?”

“Agnes wanted a romantic relationship between siblings. No matter how much I resisted, nobody stopped Agnes. Even if I found someone to love, or if someone appeared who could love Agnes… nothing—changed.”

“……”

It wasn’t that nobody did anything—whatever happened, everyone affirmed Agnes and continuously denied Father, who rejected her. In a situation with no allies, the more he tried to maintain his rationality, the more he lost sight of himself.

“I’m able to talk like this now, but how is Catarina doing?”

“Mother, has been in a state of delirium continuously.”

“I see…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say that Catarina kept spewing curses nonstop. The fact that she’d been forced to witness her husband and his sister’s behavior right before her eyes, combined with the long-term effects of the charm magic, had overwhelmed her at once. Even after hearing Bertina explain that she’d never recover, Father only quietly replied, “I see.”

“Why are you able to talk with Father?”

“I wonder why. It wouldn’t be strange if I’d ended up like Catarina too.”

Suddenly, that glowing sphere crossed her mind. After spinning around above Father’s face, it turned into particles and vanished; then Father woke up.

As she pondered how to explain, the glowing sphere appeared again.

It spun around near Father’s face. If Argent and the butler couldn’t see it, then surely Father couldn’t either.

That’s what she thought, but—

“Ah… You can see it too…?”

The glowing sphere that Argent and the butler couldn’t see was visible to Father’s eyes. His expression, as he gazed gently at the sphere spinning above his face, seemed—perhaps it was her imagination—to have improved.

“Father, do you know what this light is?”

“No, I don’t. But strangely, whenever I think of Milaria, it’s always there. It’s there when I write in my diary too.”

It seemed the glowing sphere had never been absent during the brief periods he regained his will. He said that when it was near, his heart—heavy and stained with despair—felt lighter and calmer. Slowly raising his arm, Father gently touched the glowing sphere.

“……”

The glowing sphere, now resting on Father’s finger, didn’t move about but stayed perfectly still. Almost as if it were watching him.

“Perhaps it came because it couldn’t bear to watch my pitiful state.”

Bertina cupped the offered glowing sphere in both hands. It didn’t flee, remaining perfectly still. Touching it felt very warm, and for some reason evoked an intense sense of nostalgia. It felt familiar, though it might just be her imagination.

If, just if, this being cradled in Bertina’s hands was—

“…Are you my older sister?”

If this was Milaria, her twin sister who died right after birth, it somehow made sense that she’d be near Father after his long exposure to charm magic. Father was the only blood relative who still remembered Milaria. Even in a different form, she must have wanted to help Father, who kept falling into despair each time he briefly regained his will.

There was no answer to Bertina’s question. Only the warmth in her hands grew stronger.

This must be the answer.

“Then, is it thanks to you that Aunt Agnes’s charm magic didn’t work on me?”

She explained to her wide-eyed Father how the charm magic hadn’t affected her alone. Even with Argent present, it would work if the target was human. When she mentioned Bianco hadn’t been charmed either, he seemed relieved. He probably misunderstood that Bianco was being protected like Bertina, but that was fine. She didn’t want to say unnecessary things and cause needless worry.

She decided that when her brother returned, she’d give him a stern talking-to. No matter who Bianco went with or where he went, she’d absolutely tell him to consider the time and circumstances.

“Because you were born to such a pathetic father, I’ve made you sisters unhappy. Bertina, don’t worry about the Annaloro family. Bianco is young, but he can function sufficiently as the Duke of Annaloro. Go wherever you like.”

Internally, she was nothing but anxious. That brother of hers.

“Bertina, tell the butler to have Bianco come to my room when he returns.”

“Understood. Father, can you stay awake?”

“Yes. I’ll stay awake even if it kills me. I want to convey everything necessary while I can still speak.”

His eyes reflected light, showing his firm resolve. The light, likely Milaria, spun around near his face as if to say it would help.

A soft knock sounded, and turning toward the door, she saw the butler enter. “Young Lady, it’s almost time for your examination,” he announced. Checking the clock, she realized they’d been talking for a long time. Nodding to the butler, she turned to Father.

“I’ll take my leave for today.”

“You don’t need to come again.”

“Whether I come or not is my decision. You have no right to tell me otherwise.”

“…I see.”

The Father of before would have yelled at her for speaking disrespectfully to a parent. But Father, having regained his true self, showed no anger, only a faint smile as he closed his eyes.

After a slight bow, she left the room and went to Argent, who was waiting outside.

“Did you get to talk a lot?”

“Yes. More than ever before.”

“Is that so.”

“Has Brother returned with Clarissa?”

“No. Should I look for them?”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t think they’d go so far as not to return. He should have a strong enough sense of responsibility as the next head.”

Asked about her plans, she thought, “Well then…”

“Regarding the interrogations of Uncle Luigi and Aunt Agnes, Lady Inanna said she’d at least inform us of the results. All we can do now is wait.”

“It’s not something you can watch. For a goddess’s incarnation, her interrogations are brutal.”

“…Are you watching them?”

“I’m a demon, after all.”

When she asked Argent, who apparently used magic to watch the interrogations in the cathedral’s interrogation room, if she could see too, he refused with a “No way.”

“If I told you Bertina would faint immediately upon seeing it.”

“…Well then, I’ll wait for the results.”

“That’s wiser.”

He added that any human who could conceive of such methods must be seriously deranged. Her vision swam at the thought of what kind of interrogation was happening, though she couldn’t muster any sympathy for Luigi and Agnes undergoing it.

Saying she wanted to return to her room to organize her belongings, she moved to her private chamber. She’d already sorted through them before, entrusting valuables and important items to Argent. She began checking if there was anything else.

—After a while, the butler came to call her for lunch preparations. When she asked if Bianco had returned, he shook his head. Wondering where on earth he could be gave her a headache, but she agreed with the butler’s words that he’d probably return by evening. Taking Argent with her, she moved to the dining hall.

But noon passed, and even when evening came, Bianco didn’t return. Clarissa was the same.

“Where on earth are those two and what are they doing?”

“Should we look for them after all?”

“Yes, please.”

She regretted not having Argent search earlier, since she’d assumed they’d return.

“Could you check if they went to the Moldio residence?”

“Understood!”

Perhaps the two were together at the Moldio residence. Bertina clung to that faint hope, but it was soon shattered. A flustered servant arrived, saying the Crown Prince was here. Bertina, clutching her head at the timing, headed to the entrance hall. Meeting Riet’s eyes, she was told something unbelievable.

“Bertina, Lord Bianco and Clarissa were attacked by thugs and injured. They’re receiving treatment at the hospital now.”

“What do you mean!?”

“I saw Lord Bianco and Clarissa being brought in with serious injuries while visiting a friend. When I asked the knights who transported them, they said the two had gone to the lake without any guards.”

They’d worn commoner clothes to avoid being identified as nobles, but the handsome and beautiful pair looked like nobles or wealthy commoners no matter how you looked at them. Unfortunately, several ruffians had apparently been lurking at the lake, scrutinizing and attacking visitors with valuables. Making matters worse, today was their first time carrying it out, and there were no knights on patrol.

“The lake? The one where the prince almost drowned before?”

“That one is managed by the royal family, and suspicious individuals are caught immediately. Most people in the kingdom know the daily patrols aren’t neglected. The lake where they were attacked is a different one.”

Their lives weren’t in danger, but full recovery would take considerable time.

Both the Annaloro and Moldio families now found themselves without their heads and without their heirs.

Bertina genuinely felt like saying her head hurt from the headache.

Having never received heir education, she’d struggle to manage the estate even temporarily. The Moldio family would likely manage if they quickly contacted Luigi’s relatives. As Bertina desperately pondered, a voice reached her ears.