BPOTWC Chapter 29

A short while later, as Clarisse followed Maximilian ahead into the manor, she turned back, on a sudden impulse.

Her expression looked so much like worry that Brielle hastily forced a smile and lifted one hand to wave.

At that, Clarisse rose up on her tiptoes to say something to Maximilian, then quickly returned to Brielle's side.

She had likely asked, and received, a moment's leave.

"Ma'am."

The child who'd approached simply stood there, staring fixedly up at Brielle, unblinking.

Looking into those transparent eyes, Brielle felt as though every last one of her feelings had been caught out, every bit of it.

Perhaps the child had sharply caught some expression Brielle hadn't managed to control in time.

Children raised among adults tended to be sensitive to such things.

Brielle felt sorry for having made even a young child worry.

"A shame the trip's over, isn't it?"

Brielle asked, smiling brightly, in a friendly tone.

Probably that wasn't what the child meant at all…… Still, it was true enough that the trip was over, and something in that was sad, so guileless Clarisse just nodded.

"I don't know if it's really all right to call it a trip."

"Of course you may call it that."

Just then, Rosalie, who had come to fetch her, arrived at Clarisse's side.

"For now, it would be best if you went back to rest with Rosalie."

"But you, ma'am—"

At Clarisse's carefully offered words, Brielle answered once more with a cheerful smile.

"I'm going to show my friend around the manor properly. We'll talk again later, all right?"

"Ah, yes!"

Clarisse offered Brielle and Asella a polite parting greeting and returned into the manor together with Rosalie.

Even after the Duke and Clarisse had gone in ahead, Asella did not unlink her arm, pressed herself right up against Brielle, all cloying warmth.

"Say—can I ask you a favor?"

And on top of it, batted her eyes and turned on the charm, sickly-sweet.

"You'll do as I say. Understood?"

It was flat-out unnerving—the Miss, who used to be commanding enough to make your skin crawl, gone this sickly-sweet.

Must just be the Duke's household servants nearby. That has to be it.

Brielle answered carefully, forcing a smile.

"Yes… go ahead."

"Oh, come now, speak comfortably with me. Anyway—I'd love to see the duchess's room."

Judging by the way she blinked those charming eyes, it clearly hadn't occurred to her for a moment that Brielle might refuse.

Or perhaps Asella had simply never once experienced being refused in her life.

Her father, Count Darlington, was the sort of doting fool who granted his daughter's every whim without question.

"I'll show you the way."

"How kind of you."

"Thank you," she'd said. ...Thank you? It was the first time Brielle had ever heard those words out of Asella's mouth, and it left her feeling strangely off-balance.

She wondered—had the Miss perhaps grown up, even a little, over these past three years?

No. That couldn't possibly be.

Brielle kept her guard up.

Asella's true nature would only reveal itself once they reached somewhere no eyes or ears could follow.

They climbed the central staircase together and passed through a corridor left dim, its shutters drawn.

"Why don't you keep the windows open properly?"

Perhaps unsettled by the gloomy atmosphere, Asella asked, pulling a pouty, near-tears face.

"It's to protect the people of the household from the cold. Though when the sun is strong, we open every window to let the air through. You must be sure to keep yourself warm then, of cour—Miss, why are you looking at me so surprised all of a sudden?"

"You really do sound like a proper duchess. Impressive, aren't you—for you."

Asella gave Brielle's arm a light tap and smiled broadly, without a trace of malice anywhere in her expression.

"A-anyway, the room's this way, mi—"

Miss.

Brielle swallowed the honorific just in time and glanced around her, relieved to find no one close enough to have overheard.

"Phew."

She let out a breath, relieved, and stepped into her own room with Asella, closing the door behind them.

Then she leaned back against the closed door and let her head sink low, for a moment.

Asella's true self would surely show itself now. She had to brace her heart for it.

No doubt more words were coming that would scrape at her raw, scratch and scratch……

"I'm...... sorry."

……?

"I didn't even truly realize what I'd done… not until I came here and saw it for myself. Merciful heavens, Brielle."

At the astonishing words, Brielle startled and lifted her head.

Proud Asella Darlington was bowing her head before her.

"I'm sorry for showing up so suddenly, without any warning. You must have been so shocked. But… I wanted to apologize to you. As soon as I possibly could."

"……Miss?"

Brielle managed to say.

Asella shook her head.

"I don't deserve to be called that by you. 'Miss,' of all things."

"…….."

"A noble is meant to protect the people of her domain, and instead I made you protect me……."

I'm truly sorry, she whispered—and somewhere in that quiet whisper, the first traces of tears had already begun to creep in.

"If I could turn back time…… sniffle. I'd never have done such terrible things to you…… hic."

Her thin shoulders shook, a visible shudder running through them, and Brielle stepped closer toward her.

"Miss……"

"Brielle!"

Asella seized both of Brielle's hands and looked up.

Tears, gathered fully at the rims of her eyes, finally spilled over and ran down her cheeks.

"Thinking back on it, you were the only one I could ever call a friend."

"The Darlington name is just a name, isn't it—the family's really nothing much at all. And even so…… I did nothing but look down my nose at people, running my mouth off……"

Brielle didn't particularly refute this.

The Darlington family clung to its Countdom only by the strength of some ancestor's long-ago achievements—in truth, they were worse off than many a wealthy merchant.

With a child from such a twisted-tempered household, no noble family had ever bothered maintaining ties.

And given Asella's temperament, mingling with merchant or commoner children wouldn't have suited her either—so throughout her entire childhood, Brielle alone had been her only playmate.

Though in truth, this "playing" had amounted to little more than Asella tormenting her.

"Even when I was vicious to you, carrying on however I pleased, you were the only one who stayed by me."

"That's because I was a servant. It was only natural."

"No, that's not it."

She shook her head vigorously and gripped Brielle's hand tighter.

"I know your mother asked you, more than once, to go work in a different household—because it pained her, watching you suffer so…… And even so, you told me you'd stay by my side."

"That was……"

It hadn't been for Asella's sake. Not at all.

Cross the Count, leave the household—and there'd be no proper letter of recommendation. Without one, finding work anywhere else, for herself or her mother, would have been next to impossible. It had never been loyalty to Asella at all.

But before Brielle could set the record straight, Asella's story went on.

"You were the one person who mattered to me. And I never even realized it……"

Her trembling eyes swept slowly across the room around them.

"……hounding you into a place like this."

"It's not… such a terrible place, Miss."

"There's no way that's true. So cold and dark like this… and you've gone thin as a rail besides."

In truth, Brielle had actually gained a little weight recently, thanks to the new maid the Duke had assigned her. The woman kept bringing one delicious snack after another—so relentlessly that Brielle half suspected fattening her up was the woman's actual post.

But saying "actually, I've put on weight lately" felt strange given the mood, so Brielle only smiled.

"I was wrong. I did something unforgivable to you."

"…….."

"You don't have to accept my apology. But… I really wanted to say it to you."

"……Miss."

Brielle paused, deliberating.

Coming to Sheridan, she had, if she was honest, resented Asella somewhat—being separated from her mother because of her. But it was also Asella's own stubbornness that had let her mother's treatment properly begin in the first place.

And more than that—Brielle's eyes cut sideways, just for an instant, toward the door that led to Maximilian's chambers.

……And it was because of it, too—that she'd come to be with the Duke……

A nobody like her had no business so much as looking up at a man like that.

Brielle finally managed a genuinely sincere smile.

"No, Miss. I've actually had a great many special experiences here. It wasn't nearly as hard as you seem to be imagining."

"Truly?"

"Of course. But I'm glad you apologized, Miss."

"You must have resented me a great deal, didn't you? No—you don't need to answer that. Of course you did."

"I don't anymore. More importantly—what happened to you, Miss, that brought all this on?"

What could possibly have changed shameless, self-centered Asella into someone like this?

"It's just… I was so lonely. Abroad… without you there." A pause. "It's strange, isn't it—I found myself missing you more than my own father. So I tried to write you a letter, but……"

Tears welled up in her eyes once more, and Brielle drew a handkerchief from her pocket and offered it to her.

"……I couldn't bear the thought that I'd wronged you so badly… hiccup. I couldn't bring myself to send it……"

"It sounds like it was very hard for you."

"Mm, but coming here, I think it must have been harder for you." She dried her face with the offered handkerchief and clasped Brielle's hands once more. "Listen, Brielle."

"Let's set everything right."

For a moment, Brielle doubted her own ears.

The Asella she knew had never been the sort of person capable of a decision that brave.

"……Are you saying—we should reveal the truth?"