It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 27

Erich’s strange gaze lingered in my mind, but there was something more urgent to deal with.

I emptied three teacups in quick succession, ending the useless tea time as fast as I could.

Then I rushed to my room and opened the diary I kept beside my bed.

The diary that helped me live as Arne. The diary that contained everything about Arne.

I flipped through the pages rapidly, searching once again for the name “Giskal.”

Despite their bond, the name Giskal von Edelheit appeared only a few times in the diary.

All I could gather was that Arne and Giskal were three years apart in age, that Giskal had shown talent in swordsmanship from a young age and left the capital to train, and that he returned to the family estate when their father—the former Marquis Edelheit—fell ill, to assume the role of family head. After that, he participated in the war against the Kingdom of Jaren and became a hero of victory.

Wait a minute.

As I recalled the details about Giskal, something struck me as odd.

If he trained outside the capital from a young age, how could he have built a close bond with Arne?

Louis had insisted that Arne and Giskal were close since childhood.

Could they have grown close by exchanging letters from a young age?

I asked myself whether my sibling and I ever exchanged letters in our original world.

Absolutely not.

We simply laughed and fought in the same space, naturally forming a bond. We never even sent a text message longer than a single line.

So could children really form such a close relationship through letters alone?

Arne, who was said to be headstrong from a young age, consistently wrote letters to her brother?

I scratched my cheek.

Of course, it wasn’t impossible. Giskal might have returned to the capital mansion occasionally during his training to spend time with her…

But the diary lacked enough information to make further guesses.

While the letters shared every detail of daily life, the diary only contained brief, encyclopedia-style descriptions.

Still, the letters revealed Giskal’s human side.

Though he was the Empire’s Sword Saint and a war hero, he cherished his younger sister, cared for his subordinates, and was considerate enough not to trample small flowers.

But I had only seen him through words.

Frustrated by that limitation, I slammed the diary shut and flopped onto the bed.

Sure, I had expected to meet him someday. But I didn’t think it would be so soon.

It was just ten days later.

“Your Highness, may I come in?”

I recognized Louis’s voice instantly. I lifted my head over the table.

“Louis, I told you to rest.”

I looked at Louis, who entered with crutches, with concern.

She had refused to recuperate and began attending to me as soon as she regained consciousness.

Though she could barely walk with crutches, I had gently urged her to rest and even scolded her, but her stubbornness wouldn’t budge.

Except for Louis, the other maids who had suffered in prison were still recovering.

Though I couldn’t compensate their nightmares with money, I planned to offer generous compensation and support those who wished to leave Arlin Palace.

“You really don’t need to worry. I’m almost healed.”

“I can see the state of your leg. Don’t say nonsense. You’re so stubborn.”

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t entrust Lord Giskal’s letter to anyone else.”

Louis bowed her head and pulled an envelope from her bosom.

There was only one envelope.

Meaning, since I last sent a letter, only one had arrived from Giskal.

“No matter how out of it I was, I would never fail to deliver Lord Giskal’s letter to Lady Arne. I’m truly sorry.”

Louis bowed again.

I approached her and helped her up.

It was never her fault. How could she have managed letters in her bruised and dazed state?

Right after leaving prison, Louis had fainted and regained consciousness multiple times a day.

“Don’t say that. I didn’t think of it either. And I’m the one who ordered you to focus on recovery. Don’t just stand there—sit here.”

I led Louis to the chair I had just been sitting in.

“Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly sit where Your Highness was seated…”

“If you stay standing like that, I’ll be the one uncomfortable. If you really care about me, just sit.”

I gently forced the hesitant Louis into the chair and called another maid to bring some light refreshments.

I pushed a beautifully decorated piece of cake in front of her and handed her a fork, then opened the envelope.

The long-awaited letter was rather short. He dismissed my concern that he was overexerting himself by writing.

He firmly stated that he would end the war soon and return to the capital. And indeed, the war ended quickly with the Empire’s victory.

“Oh, my brother is on his way to the capital now. His Majesty just informed me.”

“Yes…”

“You knew?”

“Well, the rumors are already spreading.”

Rumors traveled fast in the palace.

Even Louis, who had been bedridden, already knew what Erich had just told me.

“I’ll be seeing his face again after a long time.”

Louis had worked for the Edelheit family for a long time. She must know a lot about Giskal.

If she told me about him, I could understand him better than through letters alone.

“You’ve worked for the Edelheit family for a long time, right? What was my brother like, in your eyes?”

“Lord Edelheit?”

Louis’s expression looked strange, so I quickly offered an excuse.

“I’m just curious. He’s coming back to the capital after a long time, and I’m a bit nervous. Of course I’m happy and excited, but it also feels unfamiliar and awkward. So I just…”

Louis stared at me with a curious expression.

Well, to her, Arne and Giskal were high-ranking nobles.

Even if I prompted her, she wouldn’t easily speak.

“Since Your Highness asked, I’ll speak honestly.”

She began.

Louis calmly started explaining, and I nodded vigorously, sticking close to her.

“Because Lord Edelheit gained fame on the battlefield, there are many rumors that he’s ruthless or cruel. But that’s absolutely not true. Unlike those who treat servants as disposable, he respects even lowly maids.”

Louis gazed into the air as if recalling the past.

“Of course, we couldn’t know his good nature from the start. He was away training for a long time and was a quiet man with little expression. We worried he might be cold. And yes, he can be stern. He strictly punishes those who commit wrongs or immoral acts.”

Quiet? He wrote letters filled with cheerful, gentle daily life.

The image I had formed through our correspondence was of a kind, warm, and courteous young man.

But cold? Stern?

…Once again, I had forgotten he was a commander who wielded a sword on the battlefield.

Louis noticed my shifting expressions and added,

“But he was always soft toward his only sister. He always put her first. So there’s no need to be nervous. Just treat him comfortably—as family, as a brother. Lord Giskal will treat Your Highness the same.”

It felt like she knew exactly what I was worried about. Like advice given not to Arne, but to someone lost in a strange world.

Whether I was Arne or not, she was telling me I could treat Giskal comfortably.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I was truly grateful.

“Thank you, Louis.”

“It’s nothing. Please call me anytime if you have questions.”

Louis smiled so kindly it reminded me of my mother from the original world.

No—considering Louis’s age, maybe I should say she felt like an older sister?

I gently placed my hand on Louis’s bandaged leg.

“Really, Louis. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. You’re always helping me. But you got hurt because of me. I’m so sorry and grateful. I don’t know if I should say this, but if I had an older sister, I think she’d feel like you.”

I tried to express my feelings sincerely, but it felt incredibly embarrassing. I worried about how Louis would react.

I glanced up at her and saw tears welling in her wide eyes.

“L-Louis?”

I hadn’t expected her to cry, so I called her name in surprise.

Louis, flustered, quickly wiped her tears and turned her head away.

“S-sorry. Something got in my eye. No, that too, but Your Highness’s words… I’m just grateful… I-I’ll be going now…”

Louis tried to leave the room, abandoning her crutches and walking on her bandaged leg.

“Louis, calm down. If you push yourself, your leg will get worse.”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. Just sit and calm down, alright?”

Louis sat back down but couldn’t lift her head for a long time.

Even after nearly half an hour had passed and she finally left the room, tears still lingered in the corners of her eyes.

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