COARV Chapter 27

I smiled faintly and pulled a handkerchief from my dress, extending it toward Abigail.

"I don't know about others, but won't the Knight Commander face aggravated punishment if he doesn't report a violation when he has a duty to enforce discipline? There's no need for you to commit such a crime for my sake."

I felt it every time, but Elliot truly had a generous heart. Of course, he'd had almost no direct confrontations with the original Seria. But he must have heard whispers of her violence and tyranny through the grapevine, and yet Elliot had opened his heart to me without much difficulty.

If Elliot hadn't been a nobleman who believed in giving second chances to those who repented, and if he hadn't been a Berke knight constitutionally incapable of resisting a Stern, he would have hated Seria for life, no question.

"But... thank you for saying that, Sir Elliot."

I spoke with slight bashfulness, and Elliot's lips curved into a gentle arc in response.

"Bibi. Let's go to your quarters. I'll escort you. Sir Elliot? I heard Bibi's lodging changed. Where is it?"

"I'll guide you personally, Lady Seria."

I nodded without declining. While watching Elliot perform the simple ceremony of returning Abigail's sword that he'd been holding for safekeeping, I fell into thought.

'Still, what Bibi said wasn't completely wrong.'

Abigail's words had been somewhat violent, but there would be times when her response was correct. Killing anyone who tried to harm me outright. There was no cleaner countermeasure than that. Of course, I didn't mean I would kill Lina or Kallis. I had no such intention whatsoever.

But still...

Over the past year, I'd overlooked something quite important. To be honest, yes. I'd believed everything would work out if I just acted differently from the original Seria Stern. Don't be cruel, don't hit people randomly, don't pick fights and beat them, don't pour wine on faces, don't abuse lower-ranking nobles while relying solely on being a Stern.

Don't torment the good, and if I earnestly repented for my wicked past (even though I wasn't the one who'd done it), I thought the miserable fate assigned to Seria in the original story would pass me by.

'But I learned that wasn't the case.'

It seemed I still unconsciously thought of this world as mere ink on pages. No, I'd been trying to think of it that way. Had I been that shocked by the fact that the world I stood on had suddenly flipped, and the role assigned to me was 'fixed'?

Since I was breathing here, this world was my reality. I needed to properly recognize that just as I was alive, the people around me—all the main characters in the original story—were living people too.

Lina, and Kallis.

And that man, Lesche Berke, as well.

They were all living people. My arrogance had been thinking I could make flat predictions: treat them kindly and get something beneficial in return, treat them badly and they'd throw something harmful back. I'd read the original story, but I hadn't read through every single detail of their lives...

So I changed my objective. I decided to grab the lifeline that would save me more securely.

'I need to buy an island.'

This Gleick Empire had an enormously vast landmass. Natural, since it was the continent's sole superpower. I'd heard that at the Empire's southernmost tip, there were countless beautiful resort islands surrounded by emerald seas with pretty coral.

'I'll pick one and buy it.'

I'd purchase an entire southern island and never leave it. More than anything, traveling to such a place had been my long-held wish.

Before possessing Seria, I'd been a poor graduate student. The monthly salary from the lab had been as meager as salt, and I'd barely scraped by covering tuition with research scholarships. Even if I'd just wanted to get a job, graduate school was practically mandatory in my field.

The past me had been a lab zombie. But even zombies have dreams, so sometimes I'd search for leisurely resort photos, flipping through them one by one with envy. I'd even saved a few in my gallery.

But now I was a Stern, and I knew the original story. So strictly speaking, didn't that mean my chances of getting my hands on a windfall were far higher than when I'd been that impoverished graduate student in my past life?

I would work hard and save up plenty.

Once Lina returns to the real world, it'll be a year before she comes back to this world.

In the meantime, I could steadily save money, build a foundation, secure funds, and then flee. Of course, even then, the damn original story might try to cut my throat somehow... but I'd already prepared countermeasures for that.

From now on, I absolutely must be the one to inspect the glacier.

The more diligently I worked on matters involving the frozen lake, the glacier, and Berke territory, the higher Seria Stern's reputation would rise. An elevated reputation sometimes preserved the life of a noble whose neck was destined for the chopping block. This was all I could do.

To do that, I'll need to go to the temple and get permission from the other Stern.

Of course, Seria and almost all past Sterns hadn't liked glacier inspections. Inspecting other places wasn't particularly difficult since the weather was at least good, but the glacier in the Grand Duke's territory bordering the north was far from the capital and in bone-cutting cold that everyone avoided.

Given these circumstances, if I said I wanted to inspect the glacier more, they would gladly grant permission. Even knowing this, there was a formality issue that required maintaining appearances, so I had to see the Stern at the temple personally to request permission.

The other Stern's name was probably Miyute. Has Seria met her before?

Sterns had always been distant with each other through the generations. What more could stars become when clustered together besides the Milky Way? It wasn't the stars that drew attention, but the path the stars traced. The arrogant Sterns preferred to shine alone.

Well, judging by the lack of wicked rumors comparable to Seria's, Miyute was probably the quiet arrogant type. I thought I should write Miyute a letter as I moved forward.

The knights' quarters was the largest building aside from the main castle.

"This way."

"The floor changed?"

"A large number of knights departed, didn't they? The rooms that had been claimed were all the good ones, so now that they're vacant, I had one assigned to Dame Abigail."

When I'd come to Berke Castle with Kallis for the wedding, there had been few guests at the castle, so I'd been able to use the finest annex.

Abigail hadn't been able to come with us then. Because we'd arrived at Berke territory somewhat later than expected, Abigail had to urgently join the holy knight demonic beast subjugation team that had been scheduled beforehand, without even stopping by the main castle.

Actually, I hadn't known back then. That so many noble houses would send only knights day and night for Berke Castle's year-end party... When over twenty houses sent knights as their household representatives, I'd thought, 'Ah, this isn't quite right,' and hurriedly secured a room for Abigail in the main castle's knight quarters, but the best floors were already full.

I'd grabbed a lower floor that was a step down in quality and regretted it so much. I'd never expected my consideration in letting Abigail choose quarters she liked would backfire like this.

Next time I'll just seize the room.

They were only sending knights in droves anyway because they were watching the eyes of my birth family, the Keliden Marquisate. I'd been too considerate. I wouldn't let myself be taken advantage of like that going forward.

"It's a high floor, so the sunlight comes in well."

A faint satisfaction seeped into Abigail's voice.

The mattress was new. The blankets were new. Good. The furnace was warm too. After telling Abigail not to come out but to rest, I asked Elliot, who'd followed me out.

"Sir, I heard from Sir Linon yesterday—is it true that knights are forbidden from entering Laurel Manor?"

I'd initially thought Linon was joking. I couldn't understand why entry would be forbidden to knights in that place, which was like the historic cradle of Berke.

"Yes, my lady. It's been several years since even I've been able to enter the manor."

"Why?"

Elliot made a troubled expression.

"Anything regarding the manor is difficult to disclose."

"Ah, I see. It would be hard to tell an outsider."

Elliot immediately denied this with a grave expression.

"That's not what I meant. You're no longer an outsider either, my lady."

Elliot spoke so solemnly that I felt rather awkward instead. When I gave an embarrassed smile, Elliot's expression relaxed slightly too.

"However, Lady Seria. It's a rule and unwritten law that we cannot disclose any matter concerning the manor to someone who has never visited Laurel Manor. You'll understand when you go there yourself today, my lady."

"I understand. Ah, you don't need to see me out. I'm just going back to my bedroom anyway."

"As you wish."

After Seria left the knights' quarters with leisurely steps, Elliot hesitated briefly before knocking on Abigail's door again and entering.

"Dame Abigail."

Abigail, who'd been clinging to the window basking in sunlight, glanced back. On her expressionless, cold face, a faint trace of questioning appeared—what is it?

"I came to caution you about earlier. The question you asked Lady Seria about whether you could kill the saint and the marquess was inappropriate. It could be misunderstood as conspiracy to commit murder if you're not careful."

"There was no one else there but us."

Abigail's eyebrow slowly lowered then rose.

"Are you planning to report me, Sir Elliot?"

"I have no intention of reporting you, but I knew your words weren't a joke—they were serious."

"Either way, nothing happened, did it?"

It was a perfunctory response. Abigail was about to dismiss Elliot's words out of habit when she remembered Seria giving her a look earlier. Come to think of it, this man watched her with sharp eyes trying to gauge her skill at every opportunity, and he was also the Knight Commander of this vast land.

Moreover, he was certainly strong. Knights this strong could be counted on one hand.

She should come on a bit stronger, she thought.

"My source of resentment is a knight's honor. Is the insult my lady received still not enough?"

"Dame Abigail, you're too strong. When you go up to the capital with Lady Seria, countless knights' eyes will focus on you."

"So?"

"I'm telling you to be careful. Berke's knights keep their mouths shut, but the capital doesn't."

Abigail raised one corner of her mouth.

"And why should I listen to you, Sir Elliot?"