“Why all of a sudden?”

“Just because.”

Was it because I had met the Duke of Sephra? I suddenly wondered what kind of man Camilla’s birth father—the father of this body—had been.

‘Was he a dog of a man like the so-called father in that other world?’

I had watched this place for a long time, yet I had never once heard a story about Camilla’s birth father.

Did they say he died the moment she was born, or that he vanished? No one ever told me anything proper about him.

“I don’t remember either.”

“Brother, you too?”

“Yeah.”

“Fair.”

Ravi had only been five or six then.

“That ring.”

After a brief hesitation, Ravi pointed at the red ruby ring on Camilla’s finger—the keepsake of her mother the servants had once hidden.

“Her birth father gave it to Mother.”

“Father ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) did?”

“Why are you curious about that all of a sudden?”

“I said just because.”

“It’s always ‘just because’ with you.”

Ravi clicked his tongue under his breath and turned his head again.

“Brother.”

“What now?”

“Busy?”

“You—! If you’ve got something to say, say it all at once! I’m busy!”

At last he raised his voice. Watching him, Camilla let out a small snort. Still, he wasn’t telling her to get out.

“Want me to make you busier?”

“What?”

“Catch.”

Thock.

“Hey, why are you throwing things all of a sudden?”

“A present.”

“A present? What is—hey, hey!”

Ravi sprang to his feet. What Camilla had tossed was a blue mineral.

Sensing the mana pouring off it, Ravi’s face froze in pure shock.

“Y-you! Where did you get this?!”

“Secret.”

“Hey! I asked where you got this!”

Crash!

Chair and all, Ravi lunged after her in a fluster, but Camilla left at an unhurried pace, leaving him behind.

‘One customer secured.’

****

“Persistent brat.”

He hounded me all night. By who? Ravi.

Having tasted a top-grade mana stone, Ravi dogged me all day, pestering me about where I’d gotten it. Saying it was still a secret did nothing.

Even at breakfast he glared in silence, so I had to bolt down my food without knowing whether it was going into my mouth or up my nose.

‘At least I don’t need to worry about publicity, huh?’

House Sephra would handle the Black Mages, and for the Magic Tower, one mana stone Ravi carried in would be plenty.

Last time too, the moment the Duke of Jevillan produced a mana stone, every mage went wild and came running. I’ll buy it first, I’ll add a sweetener under the table... it was a full-blown frenzy.

“Heh-heh.”

Just let the money pile up. I’ll really break out of this damned household, build a pretty house in a small village, and live like a queen.

‘First, finish the contract.’

Our competent butler, Derrin!

Back when Camilla knew nothing about the contract formats used here, the butler-ghost Derrin helped her closely at her side.

Thanks to him, I could draft an extremely thorough, flawless contract. All that remained was the Duke of Sephra’s signature.

‘I still need to keep it secret.’

I’d deliberately asked the Duke of Sephra to handle the sales because I didn’t want to reveal my cash source outright. If I fronted the business myself, the people of House Sorpel would know immediately.

Until I had a comfortable slush fund, I planned to hide strictly behind the Duke of Sephra.

Just in time, the Duke of Sorpel had lost interest in that mine. He told me to research the mineral to my heart’s content and promised not to interfere in any way until I asked for help.

“Hee-hee!”

Camilla couldn’t suppress the laughter leaking out before she knew it.

Of course, the students watching her from nearby all quietly shook their heads at the same time—thinking her personality seemed to be getting stranger by the day.

[Sister!]

“Huh?”

At that moment, someone appeared in front of Camilla.

Seeing the child on the verge of tears, Camilla was genuinely taken aback. Sier, Arsian’s younger brother, had come to her alone.

“Why are you—”

Camilla cut herself off. To others, it would look like she was talking to empty air.

[That kid is the one who stuck to Arsian.]

Before she knew it, the girl-ghost Amy drifted over and spoke to her. It seemed strange to her too that Sier, who was always by his brother’s side, had come here alone.

[Brother is—]

‘What about Arsian?’

[Please stop him!]

‘What?’

[Please, hurry!]

At the child’s urgent plea, Camilla had no choice but to rise from her seat. And where she followed him to—

“Grrrgh!”

Thud! Whack!

There was no need to ask where Arsian was.

A place crowded with people. But the only sounds there were pained groans and heavy blows.

No one even dared breathe properly. Intimidated by the other party’s presence, they could only watch what was happening in front of them with frightened eyes.

‘What’s he doing.’

Arsian was throwing punches at a male student without stopping. The boy’s face was split open in several places, drenched in blood, and he was on the verge of blacking out.

But Arsian showed no sign of stopping.

[Sister! Please, my brother—]

And what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to stop a guy whose mind is already half gone?

His eyes were already rolled back. Would someone in that state listen if you tried to stop him?

[Sister...]

“Tsk.”

Sier’s earnest gaze finally made Camilla move.

****

Whack!

“Kh... ugh! S-sorry... please...”

Thud!

“Ah, Arsi—”

Belrac, son of Count Rebisel, was completely out of it. He never imagined a brief fit of bravado would bring such disaster.

“Isn’t the Duke of Sephra truly impressive? Fair and upright, and exceptionally capable...”

Just moments ago, he had made sure Arsian could hear him while he laid on the praise for the Duke of Sephra.

“If a man like that were my father, there’d be nothing more to wish for.”

Normally he would never have said such a thing in front of Arsian, but lately the mood around Arsian had oddly loosened, and Belrac took heart. He wanted to make a clear impression while he had the chance.

But—

“Shut up.”

Arsian’s low voice came.

“Don’t run your mouth when you don’t know anything.”

“N-no, I was just complimenting him, that’s all? I like that there’s a great man like your father in the Empire...”

“I said shut up.”

His voice dropped even lower.

That was where he should truly have stopped, but with others watching, Belrac couldn’t help putting on airs.

“Honestly, disgusting. How’s anyone supposed to live without envy if they don’t have a great father?”

What kind of courage was that, exactly.

“Because people coddle you, do you think it’s natural for others to hoist you up?”

“......”

“Do you think because your father is a duke, you’re a duke yourself—!”

Whack!

In that instant, Arsian’s fist came flying.

If only he’d passed out. But his mind refused to let go. Writhing in pain, Belrac flailed.

There was no hope of help. Who would dare stop that lunatic.

A moment earlier he’d seen professors slip away in a hurry—as if they hadn’t seen a thing.

The other students were in that familiar state of “Arsian’s snapped again,” taking it as a given.

SPLASH!

“...!”

Then it happened. A sheet of cold water poured down!

Through his blurred vision, Belrac saw Arsian soaked to the skin. He managed a breath and lifted his head a little to grasp the situation.

‘T-that woman!’

Someone stood behind Arsian. A woman holding an empty kettle with its lid off, letting out a short sigh.

“Cool your head.”

It was Camilla.

“......”

Soaked through, Arsian slowly turned to her.

“Are you going to do it, or should I haul him to the infirmary?”

Seeing Arsian still sitting there blank-eyed, Camilla sighed again. Then she strode up and took him by the arm, pulling him to his feet.

“Move. Unless you plan to kill him.”

Without much resistance, Arsian let himself be drawn up by her hand.

Camilla skimmed the onlookers and went to one person. She handed over the empty kettle.

“I’m sorry, but could you tidy up here?”

A familiar face—easy enough to bully.

“You, come with me.”

Camilla took Arsian’s hand again and led him. Arsian, limp, followed where she pulled.

Everyone stared blankly as the two left together.

“......”

Especially the one who’d received the kettle—Petro—watched them with an I-have-so-many-things-to-say look on his face, then burst into a laugh.

****

“Nicely done.”

The place Camilla brought Arsian was, before they knew it, their de facto hideout—the grounds of Spirit Lake.

“Feel good, taking it out on the wrong target?”

“None of your business.”

“I don’t want it to be my business either.”

As if I jumped in because I wanted to.

“Your little brother cried his eyes out, that’s why.”

Arsian lifted his head toward where Sier was, then turned it away at once.

“Well, look at you. Can’t even stand the sight of your own brother now?”

Camilla clicked her tongue. She could guess, to a point, why he’d come unstrung like this.

“It’s aggravating, huh.”

If you found out the person you’d hated and resented your whole life had their own circumstances? If, for a brief moment, you understood that person’s heart a little?

“That doesn’t mean you can forgive right away.”

Feelings you’ve piled up over years don’t vanish in an instant. You still hate and resent them, and yet on the other hand you understand... something like that.

“What do you know—!”

“I know someone who almost got strangled to death by the man called her father.”

“...What?”

Camilla paused, let out a short sigh. It surprised her a little, how calmly she could say such a thing.