“They can’t even get new bodies anymore.”

Only the leader had ever been able to use a divine artifact to steal someone’s flesh.

The reason the fake Rania had changed only her appearance with magic instead of seizing someone else’s body back then was because she herself had been incapable of taking a body.

At the time, Camilla had thought only the fake Rania lacked that ability, but in truth, it had been a unique power possessed by the leader alone.

“And now that the leader is dead.”

In other words, time would solve it.

She had told Crown Prince Edsen what she had heard from Aisla as well. She had even told him that if Eva Faith believers slipped into the imperial palace to steal back the divine artifacts of their religion, he should just let them take them.

They needed to learn for themselves. That without the leader, it did not matter if they held on to those damned divine artifacts for a hundred days straight. They would be utterly useless. Once they realized that, she was sure they would quiet down.

Hmm, or maybe not?

Maybe once they realized it was their end, they would struggle even harder in desperation. If they decided to go down taking everyone with them, that would be a headache too...

Whatever the case, without the leader, they no longer had any future.

As for the crime of invading the imperial palace, it would be more than enough to hold them accountable after word had spread widely among Eva Faith believers that the divine artifacts were useless. With Crown Prince Edsen’s personality, he would no doubt be gathering evidence with careful thoroughness.

“Someone, huh.”

The Duke of Sephra did not continue with further questions this time either. He merely let his gaze skim lightly past the space beside Camilla.

It must have come from one of those who always lingered around her.

“Oh, and this is a gift.”

Camilla promptly handed him one of the boxes she had brought. The Duke of Sephra recognized what it was at once.

“Wine?”

What she handed him was a wine case.

“Hm?”

But what was inside was no ordinary wine. The color of the liquid in the transparent glass bottle was far too unusual.

Gold and scarlet mixed together, like a sunset bottled whole.

“It’s 400-year-old liquor made from Aclea fruit.”

“...400 years?”

A trace of surprise appeared on the face of the Duke of Sephra, who was fairly knowledgeable about liquor himself.

“My father said he’d repay the 100-year-old liquor he drank with a 400-year-old one instead.”

“So it really was him.”

“And he told me to make sure I mentioned that half of it was drunk by the Duke of Jevillan too.”

“.......”

Clicking his tongue softly, the Duke of Sephra nodded with some satisfaction. If it was 400-year-old Aclea liquor, he could forgive it generously.

“So that idiot went to you the moment he arrived after all.”

Only after a long while did the Duke of Sephra’s gaze move to his son, who was sitting plastered right beside Camilla.

Arsian, who had sat there with an indifferent expression the entire time the two of them talked, did not even turn his head under the Duke of Sephra’s gaze.

KNOCK KNOCK.

Just then, the door opened and someone entered. It was Vaol, the butler of House Sephra.

Behind him, after his polite bow, came a child who looked about ten years old.

“And that child is?”

The Duke of Sephra’s eyes turned puzzled. It was a child he had never seen before. Why would a child like that be here?

“Well...”

“I brought her.”

It was Arsian who answered instead of the butler.

“She’ll be staying here for a while.”

The Duke of Sephra asked for further explanation with his eyes, but Arsian merely pressed his lips shut as though he had no intention of saying anything more.

“Arsian, is that the child you said you brought?”

“Yes, the one I told you about before.”

But to Camilla’s question, he answered diligently, even changing his expression as though nothing had happened.

As if they were already used to seeing that side of him, neither the Duke of Sephra nor Butler Vaol showed any notable reaction.

“So this is the child?”

But Camilla’s response was a little strange. She kept tilting her head as she looked at the child, then eventually sent Arsian a puzzled look.

“You said it was a boy.”

That was definitely what she had heard when they spoke through the communication orb before. He had said he was bringing one little boy.

“Yeah.”

“Then where is the boy?”

“What?”

Arsian, the Duke of Sephra, even the butler all looked at the child at the same time.

The child was standing right there in front of them, so what did she mean, where is the boy? None of the three immediately understood what she was saying.

Then, at the words that followed from Camilla, the three of them could do nothing but stand there with their mouths hanging open.

“She’s a girl.”

*****

“This is the room you’ll be using from now on.”

At Camilla’s words, the child lowered her head deeply, whether in acknowledgment or in thanks. Watching her, Camilla lightly shook her head. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

You’re really this tactless?

You shouldn’t be thanking me.

If you’re going to stay here, shouldn’t you be trying to make a good impression on the people who actually live here? Even so, this would be much better than an orphanage, wouldn’t it?

Or not?

Maybe an orphanage would be better. It wasn’t as though every orphanage was a bad place.

Still, wouldn’t it be better, at least while you’re here, to live being cherished? A warm and friendly child is the kind who gets one more snack.

“...Ha.”

What am I even doing here right now?

Camilla, who had been worrying about the silent child in her own way, was suddenly hit by a wave of self-awareness and let out a short sigh inwardly.

And understandably so, because Camilla herself, who was no more than a guest, was personally guiding the child around the mansion of House Sephra.

This is strange.

For some reason, the child followed her very closely. She had been that way from the moment she first walked into the office.

After staring straight at Camilla, the child had started trailing after her everywhere.

In the end, Camilla had wound up taking full responsibility for showing her the room as well.

Is this really okay?

She did wonder whether it was fine for someone who was not even the owner of the house to be acting this much.

As much as you want. For you, that’s perfectly fine.

What?

For the future mistress of the house, what wouldn’t be?

What?

Starting with the Duke of Sephra and even down to the butler, no one minded in the slightest.

If anything, Camilla could only force an awkward smile under the gaze of the older butler, who was looking at her with open fondness.

“Your name is Sena?”

Nod.

Sena. That was the child’s name.

And she’s thirteen?

Even Camilla had been surprised when she learned the child’s real age. Even being generous, she would never have guessed the girl was older than ten.

Good grief.

This is so frustrating I could die.

She simply could not leave this child behind in the hands of people who had failed to learn even her age, her name, and even her sex. She couldn’t speak either.

Still, even so, how could they not have even tried to communicate with her? Didn’t they know about writing things down? Writing?

I wasn’t worried at all with Rio.

When Rio, who had been much younger than this child, was sent to this house, she had not worried even a little.

If anything, she had felt relieved. She had been certain that Rio’s inborn brightness would be enough to win over both of them.

But this child... there was no answer.

Arsian, who felt no curiosity at all about other people, and the Duke of Sephra, who never knew how to ask anyone a question.

And between those two, a child who could not even voice her own opinion would be living with them?

Just thinking about it is bleak.

Silence, silence, silence.

What are they supposed to do with that kind of quiet atmosphere?

Shuddering at the thought, Camilla turned her gaze to the child.

She was the one who had learned the child’s name in the first place. She had handed her paper and told her to write down her age and name. Fortunately, the girl knew how to write.

“Sena.”

At Camilla’s call, the child, who had been keeping her head lowered, slowly lifted it. When Camilla met those dark green eyes, she let out another short sigh inwardly.

Arsian...

She thought she understood why he had brought this child here. Looking into those deep green eyes, someone came to mind.

A child so small and fragile that it made her want to pull out a piece of candy and hand it over.

And Camilla could also somewhat understand why the people of House Sephra had mistaken this child for a boy.

A short cropped haircut. A body thin to the point of frailty. Features that were far too sharply defined.

She does look a little boyish.

As for Camilla, because of her life as an actress, she had seen plenty of children performing with appearances like that, so she had recognized it right away. But in truth, it was an easy mistake to make.

But here’s the problem.

She knew the child’s name and age now, but the girl refused to tell them anything else.

Camilla had asked her to write down where she used to live, but there had been no response at all.

A thirteen-year-old child wouldn’t not know where she lived.

But the girl ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ had only given a slight shake of her head.

Could she have lost her memory?

It did not seem like that was the case. For someone with amnesia, her face was far too calm. Camilla could not sense the kind of anxiety that clung to someone who had lost their past.

Which meant the girl had shut herself off by her own will...

Camilla let out another sigh inwardly.

She did not know the reason, but if the girl had closed herself off of her own accord, then the answer was probably to wait until she opened up on her own.

“Rest. If you need anything, write it on that paper over there and give it to the butler... you saw him earlier, right? The older man. You can give it to him or someone else.”

Nod.

At the very end, Camilla looked at the clothes hanging loosely on the girl’s body.

Clothes Arsian had worn as a child. He had said they came from storage, but as expected, they were far too big.