The World Has Become Kinder to Her

「But I never wished for you to live a life where you couldn’t be at peace for even a single day, where you were hurt every day, longing only for death, unable to live or die, continuing this existence until your final breath.」

That single sentence pierced Lotus’s heart like a sharp needle.

The Marchioness, as if she could read minds, described the life Lotus had lived in the past.

「It’s still difficult for me to say that I like you. It will likely remain that way in the future as well.  

Of course, I am not a broad-hearted or kind person, so I cannot even wish for your happiness.  

However, I no longer wish for your misfortune or death. The unhappiness and sorrow I’ve experienced were not your fault.  

I’m sorry for taking so long to acknowledge that simple fact.  

P.S. The shoes I picked in a hurry aren’t of the finest quality, but I chose ones that are quite sturdy. Wherever you go, they won’t easily break or wear down.  

And there’s one item that isn’t new. The white shoes were given to me by my mother when I attended my first ball after my debut.  

I remember that ball as a rather successful first step.」

It felt strange. Drops of water, whose source was unknown, fell onto the letter in her hand, blurring the ink.

Drip, drop.

Since becoming aware of herself, Lotus had never shed tears in front of the people at the Marquisate. Except for that time recently in front of Hession.  

Whenever tears welled up in her eyes, she would bite her lip or pinch her thigh painfully to keep them from falling.  

That’s why these tears felt unfamiliar, as if they weren’t even hers.

“A-ah, my lady!”

“Fetch a handkerchief! Quickly!”

The maids and attendants, startled by Lotus’s tears, bustled around in a panic.  

Lotus bit her lip hard. Who here could understand her desire to rip her eyes out in this moment?  

It had been far too long since her heart had become too worn out to accept the Marchioness’s belated apology.  

But at the same time, Lotus couldn’t help but imagine the Marchioness’s feelings—reaching out first to a child she never wanted to see again. It left her unable to move in any direction.

“What remains after shaking me so much…?”

The world, suddenly gentle, had become cruel to her in a different way than before. No matter how hard she bit her lip, the tears kept falling as overwhelming despair flooded her.

“My lady, please don’t cry…”

Jane, as if crying alongside her, looked so unfamiliar.  

The faces of the maids and attendants, watching her with expressions of pity, also felt out of place. In this world, which had gone mad.

─ I wish to bind you to my side, both publicly and legally.  

─ I struggled because I wanted to see you again.  

─ I’m glad to see you again, Lotus.

The people who had persistently followed her from the past now wanted her to live. How suffocating this situation had become.

Lotus barely calmed herself as she recalled Theodore’s words about giving her a spear.  

His words were clever, but he wasn’t the type to lie carelessly.

Lotus wiped her eyes with the handkerchief Jane handed her.  

Her carefully applied makeup was now a mess, and the maids hastily moved to fix it. They applied an ice pack to prevent swelling and retouched her makeup.

This small commotion delayed them. The coachman would have to pick up the pace if they were to arrive at the Cabella Duchy on time.

“My lady, are you taking a maid with you? If you are, I’ll go with you.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. It’s a small gathering, so I think I can quietly attend alone.”

Lotus left behind the shoes sent by the Marchioness and instead put on a pair of dark green shoes.  

The maids wanted to ask what should be done with the Marchioness’s gift, but the memory of Lotus crying so sorrowfully moments ago kept them from saying anything.  

Just before leaving the room, Lotus spoke in a quiet voice.

“…Take care of the shoes properly and let her know I accepted them with gratitude.”

In truth, she didn’t particularly believe that people could change. However, it didn’t sit well with her to keep pushing away someone who had found the courage to try.

***

In front of the main gates of the Marquisate of Estelle, a modest carriage was waiting. It was newly prepared just a few days ago, hurriedly arranged by the Marquis for Lotus.  

It was her personal carriage, and the horses pulling it were dazzling white.

‘Ah, Lotus, you’ve really come a long way.’

Lotus smirked as she looked at the carriage. Surrounding it were three knights.

There was no time to waste. They needed to depart quickly. Today, she didn’t want to engage in any arguments about her escort, so she accepted the three knights who had been assigned to her without a word.  

However, all three faces were unfamiliar. The youngest, who appeared to be around Lotus’s age, stood at attention and reported.

“My name is Rutin. This is Sior and Millen. The three of us were stationed at the Estelle Marquisate until we were reassigned to the capital’s knights three days ago. From now on, we will be in charge of your personal protection. It is an honor to serve such a beautiful lady. We look forward to working with you!”

Personal protection? How absurd.  

She hadn’t realized Hession was this efficient. She should have expected something when he raised the issue of the knights with the Marquis five days ago.  

‘Could it be that, since there wasn’t enough time to find new knights, they swapped them with ones who were less tainted by the capital by pulling them from the Marquisate?’

Even changing horses along the way, it would have taken more than three days to travel from the Estelle Marquisate to the capital.  

Selecting knights and giving them time to get their affairs in order would’ve been impossible in just two days.

“…It would take at least three days to get from the Marquisate to the capital.”

“Thanks to the young Marquis’s arrangement, we were able to use the Tower’s teleportation portal, arriving much quicker.”

Ha, her brother was truly determined. Could it be that he had pressured Manores, who was staying at the estate, to secure a portal pass?

‘Unless there was some sort of emergency in the capital, using such an expensive method to bring in just three knights is a complete waste of money.’

She had one more thing to subtly ask Manores about.

Lotus rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. With a sigh, she spoke.

“We don’t have much time, so I’ll accept your escort for today. Afterward, I’ll arrange a time to meet with my brother and you all to discuss matters.”

At that time, she would make it clear. She didn’t need this kind of protection. It was excessive and unnecessary.

“We will do our best to ensure you are not disappointed with our protection!”

Though she had clearly limited her permission to just “today,” Rutin answered energetically and with discipline. Sior and Millen also bowed politely.

The newly hired coachman was also highly skilled. Despite the poor condition of the roads due to the rain the night before, he expertly navigated the path and brought Lotus to the Cabella Duchy on time.

“Welcome, Lady Estelle. Thank you so much for coming to the tea party today.”

Lotus was surprised to be greeted by Asilia, the Lady of the Cabella Duchy, at the front gate.

“Hello, Lady Cabella. I should be the one thanking you for inviting me to your tea party. I was worried that I might have caused you trouble by arriving later than the other guests.”

“Not at all, my lady. Whenever we have a tea party, I make it a point to greet the ladies at the front gate. It seems like the proper courtesy for a hostess.”

“I see. That’s very considerate of you.”

“You’re too kind. Ah, and don’t worry, you’re not the last to arrive. Once you’re inside, the butler will guide you to the tea party venue.”

“Thank you, Lady Cabella. I’ll see you shortly then.”

The butler led Lotus not into the mansion, but to the garden. As the weather had grown quite chilly, Lotus wondered if it was a bit inappropriate to hold a tea party outside. However, soon her eyes caught sight of a small greenhouse.

She had been foolish to even question it. The host was none other than the only daughter of the Cabella Duchy, one of the four great duchies of the empire. Naturally, they had a glass greenhouse.

Inside the beautiful greenhouse, where roses were in full bloom, sat three finely dressed ladies: Lady Sylvia of the Soiren Viscountcy, Lady Lillian of the Izlet County, and Lady Charlotte of the Kashima County.  

These were women who closely followed Lady Asilia Cabella, and they had once hurled quite a few harsh words at Lotus in the past.

Unlike with Lady Asilia, Lotus still held considerable resentment towards these women. However, she had no intention of starting a quarrel over events that hadn’t even occurred in this timeline, as long as they didn’t provoke her first.

“Hello, ladies. I am Lotus of the Marquisate of Estelle. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

“Oh, hello, Lady Estelle. I am Sylvia of the Soiren Viscountcy.”

“We heard from Lady Asilia that you would be joining us. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Charlotte of the Kashima County.”

“I’m Lillian of the Izlet County. The roads must have been quite bad after the rain. Did you have any trouble getting here?”

Although they seemed slightly tense—as if they had been gossiping about her before she arrived—they welcomed Lotus with a more gracious and amicable demeanor than she had expected.

“My coachman is quite skilled, so I had no problems. It’s my first time attending, so thank you all for receiving me so warmly.”

Having exchanged the necessary pleasantries, Lotus intended to sit quietly like a doll until Lady Asilia arrived.  

Aside from Lady Asilia, she had no desire to engage in conversation with the other ladies.

‘No matter what topic we start with, it will inevitably end in mockery.’

At first, the thought of facing these women had made her consider refusing the invitation to the tea party.  

But personally requesting a private visit with Lady Asilia felt even more burdensome, so she had decided to accept this gathering.

“Lady Estelle, you looked truly beautiful during your debutante. If you were like a single rose then, today you have the pure and serene air of a lotus flower.”

The compliment came from Lady Lillian of the Izlet County, who was known for her eloquence. She spoke in a cautious voice, praising Lotus’s beauty.

Lotus’s eyes widened slightly. She couldn’t recall ever receiving such a calm and careful compliment about her appearance, especially from a fellow noblewoman.

‘…What is going on here? Has the mental illness that spread through the Estelle Marquisate during the Harvest Festival ball now affected the social circles of the Bahamur Empire?’

She could only think such absurd thoughts.

There had been so few noblewomen who had approached her with any kindness that Lotus hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

“That’s far too generous of you to say. In truth, I wasn’t in the best condition back then, and I ended up offending many people. Just thinking about it makes me embarrassed.”

“Oh, no, not at all, my lady. I heard that your health has always been rather delicate. Are you feeling better now?”

Lady Sylvia of the Soiren Viscountcy quietly joined in the conversation.

“Thanks to your concern, I’ve been doing much better.”

“Your brother, Lord Estelle, seems to be very considerate.”

“Yes, he is, to some extent.”

Lotus’s lips trembled slightly as she replied. Perhaps that was true in the past, but it certainly wasn’t the case anymore.  

Still, having recently recalled her childhood memories, she was at least able to offer such a half-hearted answer.

‘Could it be that they’re trying to get closer to my brother through me?’

In the past, there had been noblewomen who approached her in the hopes of getting closer to Hession or Frederick, so it was a plausible assumption.

‘But I doubt my brother would show interest in a lady just because she’s friendly with me…’

As Lotus mulled over these thoughts, Lady Asilia Cabella entered the greenhouse, accompanied by the last of the invited ladies.