Selling the Main Character’s Shares - Chapter 11

General Leonon accompanied me all the way to the County in Aurea, just like he had when I had come to the knights compound.

“Thank you so much, Commander. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you…”

I bowed down over and over again to express my deep gratitude. However, he didn’t seem to be relieved until the end. 

“No, please don’t say such things. And if there’s ever a problem… please feel free to contact me whenever.”

I laughed for no reason when I saw him rub his neck sheepishly after talking. It seemed to be a habit that came out whenever he felt shy. 

Leonon quickly added a few additional words, like someone who was trying to erase their embarrassment. 

“Although I might receive the letters a little late if I’m out handling something, it won’t go over a day’s time unless something extremely important has happened. And…”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“If I ask you how you’re doing from time to time… would that be alright?”

I was a little touched by his unexpected words. 

Leonon was the first ‘person I could rely on’ since I had come to possess this body. Since I didn’t have a friend I could trust and give my heart to when I had been trapped in the Duke’s mansion. 

Although it had been to sell shares, it was also true that I had gotten closer to him than anyone else during the time we had spent together. Apart from not being able to sell shares with him, I also felt that it was a shame for me to part with him already.

But from what he said, I now knew that I wasn’t the only one who felt the same way. There was a side of my heart that felt rather emotional. 

I responded with a bright smile and nodded vigorously.

“Yes, of course!”

A smile that seemed as if it had been drawn on appeared on the slightly flushed face of Leonon, who was standing there.

Even so, he hesitated for a long time, as if he still weren’t relieved, before finally managing to get back into the carriage. 

After watching the distant back view of the carriage for a while, I finally took a step forward after the carriage had disappeared around the corner. And stood in front of the flashy golden gate that towered high above me.

‘Is this really the Mayred Country…?’

I had no choice but to doubt my eyes. Was this imposing grand mansion really the right one?

The building, which could be seen at first glance peeking over the fence, was so large and splendid that it was even comparable to Duke Periot’s mansion. 

The mansion of Count Mayred which I had seen when I first opened my eyes when I possessed this body was so old that it seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Not only that, but the clothes of the maid who had served me were also extremely worn out and shabby.

I still couldn’t believe it, so I went to double check it, again and again, but it was definitely the name ‘Mayred’ which was engraved on the marble plaque. 

Leonon had been the one to guide me here in the first place, so I couldn’t have come anywhere else.

“I guess our family’s situation has improved.”

Not knowing how to get in, I ended up snooping in front of the door for no reason until two people who looked like gatekeepers came out. 

Did I perhaps look like a suspicious person? Even if I had been misunderstood like that, I couldn’t do anything but open my mouth to hurriedly make some sort of excuse.

“So, actually, I’m…”

“Y-Young Miss! Welcome back!”

They shouted loudly and bowed their heads hurriedly, even before I had started to consider how to make myself seem less suspicious to them. 

Instinctive… no. It was an action that seemed almost mechanical. 

Did they recognise my face right away? It would’ve been a little easier for me if I could also remember who this person was.

This seemed to be the first time I felt sorry for leaving the County too soon. 

As I entered under the guidance of the gatekeeper, I was able to see the state of the mansion at a single glance. 

The windows of the three-story mansion boasted beautiful patterns on the enormous-looking elaborate stained glass. Both large and small fountains were built in the beautiful garden which was filled to the brim with a variety of flowers.

‘That’s a bit weird?’

The sound of Periot’s voice as he laughed at the fact that the Mayred family wasn’t able to contribute anything more than the meager annual tax lingered in my ears. They moved to such a grand mansion, yet couldn’t afford to pay their taxes?

As I cut across the mansion through the garden, I could see a maid squatting down and snapping off a rose with her bare hands.

I nodded my head slightly and sent away the gatekeepers. Then, I carefully approached her from behind.

There was a lot of blood on her fingertips, as if she had been continuously stabbed by the thorns. However, the maid continued to move her hands diligently without resting. 

The sight of that made my eyebrows knit in a frown.

“A-Ahem.”

The busy hands finally stopped after I coughed for no reason in order to draw her attention. As she turned her head to look at me, the shock and astoundment that were spreading in her eyes that were wet with tears was extremely obvious.

“Y-Young Miss!”

An extremely urgent voice rang out.

“If Young Miss has come here…! N-No. W-Welcome back!”

She stuttered and almost lay flat on the floor. 

Seeing as she had recognised me at once, she seemed to know me well, but I couldn’t remember who she was at all. 

“I’m sorry, but who are you again…?”

No matter how much I thought over it, it was definitely my first time seeing her, so I asked her cautiously with my eyes squinted. 

“What are you talking about, Young Miss? It’s me! Joy!”

It was when the maid had spoken up and told me her name.

The front door suddenly opened, before someone appeared inside the mansion.

“Why is it so noisy in here?!”

Although I couldn’t see their face very well due to the dark shadows, I could definitely make out the red hair that was exactly the same as mine. 

That person was probably my older brother, Count Louis Mayred.

“Huh?”

Sure enough. 

The man who had come out shouting stood blankly in place for a moment and stared at me before soon shouting out a welcome. 

“Lorella! It’s really you!”

He ran toward me quickly and grabbed both my hands. Anyone could see at once that it was an attitude which was that of welcoming back a friend or family member one hadn’t seen for a long time.

I quickly bowed my head in greeting, afraid that I’d get caught making an awkward expression.

“…It’s been a while since I last saw you, Brother.”

“Just how long has it been, huh?! I’m glad you seem to be healthy too…”

The man even started to cry, as if he couldn’t control his happiness.

A slightly upturned nose, a particularly round chin, and even red eyes. He looked extremely similar to me. Even without having to check his name, anyone would be blue to tell that he was my brother. 

But… was our relationship ever close enough for you to welcome me like this? The letters he had occasionally sent to me didn’t give off that impression though.

I asked cautiously, looking into his eyes to probe his reaction just in case.

“You must be surprised that I’ve come to find you without contacting you beforehand all of a sudden, right?”

“This is your house too, so what’s this mention about contacting?!”

Louis Mayred jumped like a person who had just heard nonsense and started examining my face.

“Your face seems extremely haggard. It really breaks this older brother’s heart…! Wait, what’s this bandage on your foot? How did this happen?”

“I, actually, it’s a long story…”

“Let’s go inside first. We’ll talk more comfortably inside.”

The Count smiled brightly and took my hand before I could even finish speaking.

“Although I don’t know why you’ve come here without any prior notice beforehand, seeing as you’re safe and sound, I feel like I can let out a breath in relief.”

Honestly, I thought our relationship had been one that was like strangers, so it felt a little odd for him to treat me so affectionately.

Though, looking back on it now, there was nothing in his letters that indicated that our relationship was bad.

I followed him into the mansion, scratching the tip of my nose awkwardly.

*** 

As Louis led me into the drawing room, I couldn’t even think to close my mouth. Although the exterior already looked dazzling from the outside, the inside was far more luxurious. 

Though there were also expensive ornaments scattered everywhere in the hallway, it was not at all comparable to the drawing room. The expensive furniture and decorations here and there were so expensive to the point where I couldn’t even begin to imagine the price. Is the thing on this tapestry a pearl? No way, was that a jewel on the wall too?

“Since we moved, I changed all the decorations to ones that were brand new. Do you like them?”

He looked back at me with a smile, despite the answer already being obvious from my expression as I looked around the drawing room. 

I sat on the edge of a sofa and nodded quietly. The sofa which was decorated with satin was also adorned with jewels on its armrests, making me even more cautious as I sat down. 

“Now, tell me, Lorella. Just what on earth happened to you for you to suddenly appear without contacting me beforehand?”

Louis sat across from me and leaned forward toward me. It was an attitude that displayed that he couldn’t stand his curiosity. 

When I was asked by him, I told him what had happened until now in a calm and collected manner. Of course, excluding the things about shares and cookies, but simply a brief summary of what had happened thus far. 

When I finished speaking, Louis’s lips, which had been stuck together, finally started to move again after a long bout of silence, perhaps because he was so shocked.

“S-So the marriage vows have been completely burned to a crisp?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Huh… I can’t believe it. It clearly had the protection of divine power, so just how…”

He rubbed his face with a look of embarrassment on his face. 

It wasn’t unreasonable for Louis to be so surprised. Since the burning of marriage pledges was something which had never been heard of before.

“I know, right? I’m not sure what went wrong, but it seems like the divine power that protected it had somehow weakened.”

“No matter how much the master was away from his position, how could he be so negligent in taking care of things?”

It was a considerably sharp question. I quickly tried to search for the appropriate words to reply to him before I became even more suspicious.

“Come to think of it, I think I heard that the Duke was meant to call for the priests when he came back…”

While I was avoiding his gaze, I heard a knock from the door. 

When Louis told them to come in, the maid named Joy, who had been picking flowers in the garden earlier, and another maid came in with a tea set on a tray. 

“Pardon our intrusion.”

They began to set up the teacups with their hands trembling. The teacups clinked against each other and the sound of its clatter rang out loudly.

“Do you guys have to be this slow… tch.”

As Louis clicked his tongue at the sound, the maids lowered their heads even deeper. Their particularly rough fingertips along with their heads which were bent to the ground happened to catch my eye.

Both of them were full of so many untended wounds I felt my fingertips hurting just by looking at them. 

It was when I was overcome with pity and was about to ask Louis to call for a doctor for them.

‘Wait a minute.’

Suddenly, the appearances of the people in the Duchy flashed through my mind. 

My mother-in-law, Emma, who was stingy with everyone but herself, and the employees of the cold and dark mansion, who always had nothing but an insignificant cold and the like. 

They were also scared of Emma, but it wasn’t enough for them to avoid eye contact with her like this. Although Emma also wasn’t a great person who gave generous rewards to her servants, she also wasn’t vicious enough to pretend they weren’t sick or injured.

‘Sure enough… it’s weird.’

An unknown sense of incongruity had slowly been engulfing my body since earlier. I wasn’t sure why, but I even felt a sense of déjà vu, as if I had seen a similar scene somewhere else before.

“How long do you want me to wait for you? Just leave it and get out!”

Louis couldn’t stand it in the end and frowned while ordering fiercely, perhaps because the cautious movements of the maid made him feel suffocated. 

At his sharp shout, the maids quickly left the drawing room with their heads down. Louis continued to stare at the back of their figures with cold eyes.

“You must’ve suffered this whole time, Lorella. But you don’t have to worry about anything now”

When the maids finally fled the room and the door closed, a gentle voice rang out in the quiet drawing room, as if he had never lost his temper at all.

Though the voice was clearly one of affection, I strangely still felt goosebumps all over my body.

“From now on, this older brother will take care of everything.”

Louis got up from his seat and approached me, then held my shoulders and personally helped me to my feet. 

“N-No. Wait a minute. Now I need to file a petition to the imperial family…”

“Right, that’s quite urgent. But you’ve been on the road for a long time. You must be extremely tired, so don’t think of anything else and just get some rest first. I’ll give you the largest and most comfortable room.”

I ended up being pushed out of the drawing room by his hands. 

Without even having a chance to have a single sip of the freshly brewed black tea.

***

I was guided into a fairly spacious room.

However, the atmosphere inside was quite different from Louis’s words of promising me the largest and most comfortable room. 

Unlike the drawing room and hallways, which were full of a burdensome amount of ornaments, this room only had a bed, a small table, and chairs, making it a bleak and dreary sight. 

Thanks to this, I felt even more uneasy. The sense of incongruity that I felt as I entered the mansion continued to inflate in size.

“It’s weird. No matter how much I think about it, it’s so weird.”

After sitting in the chair and muttering to myself, I eventually jumped up from my seat.

“I’m sure Louis is hiding something.”

Once they swelled up, my doubts weren’t able to subside very easily. I couldn’t even rest comfortably like this now. 

In any case, I thought I should meet someone who would be familiar with the situation of the Count’s mansion in secret. Although it’d be a little more difficult to hear about more serious topics, it’d still be more helpful than not knowing anything at all. 

Naturally, the first person that came to mind was the maid named ‘Joy’. Since she seemed to know me quite well, and also seemed to have a sense of goodwill toward me. 

In addition to that, that strange reaction I saw when she had first seen me had constantly kept bothering me. 

I definitely needed to meet her. 

It was when I approached the door with that thought and grabbed onto the doorknob.

“…guard her. Don’t even let a single rat get in.”

“Yes, Count.”

The voice of Count Louis, which seemed to be giving orders to someone, sounded faintly beyond the door.

…What?

Again, an ominous foreboding made the back of my neck cold. 

I held my breath and turned the doorknob carefully. I made a small gap very slowly so that they couldn’t hear the sound of the door opening. 

An insidious voice flowed more clearly through the thin gap, like a thread.

“Don’t give any of the maids any access either until I give my permission. Do you understand? And just in case there’s someone who can help her waiting outside, we’ll post a guard right underneath the window too.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“She showed up on her own without me having to go and catch her, so I shouldn’t miss out on this opportunity.”

“Please rest your worries, Count.”

…There was no mistaking it. It was definitely about me.

 

I could feel my heart beating like crazy. The sound of my heart thumping was so loud that I couldn’t even hear what the two were saying very well. 

Are you locking me up? No way, don’t tell me, are you perhaps colluding with Periot too?

‘No matter what it is, I have to get out of here!’

It wouldn’t be too late for me to find out why they were doing this after I had gotten out anyway. 

I tried to relax and be as calm as possible by slapping both of my cheeks lightly.

And then I opened the door. 

I saw the shock on Louis’s face as he turned his head in my direction.

“Oh, Brother! What are you doing here?”

I pretended to be oblivious to everything and spoke in a bright voice.

“W-What’s the matter, Lorella?”

“The thing is…”

Louis couldn’t hide the fluster on his face and ended up stuttering. His eyes were darting here and there, as if trying to figure out whether or not I had heard him. 

I rolled my eyes inwardly and answered with a bright smile.

“I want to look around the mansion. There are also a few things I need…”

“I’ll order them next time. There are also quite a few messy and cluttered places since they haven’t been cleaned up yet. I can’t possibly show them to my younger sister who I haven’t seen in such a long time.”

Though both of his eyes were still shaking anxiously, his shameless answer still sounded out.

This bastard seemed to be a professional in feigning ignorance.

“And if you need anything else, just tell me.”

“But…”

He seemed to think that I’d just let it slide if he used his usual ways. 

I deliberately glanced at the soldier standing next to him, letting the end of my sentence trail off.

“I don’t mind telling this to you, Brother, but…”

“What?”

“It’s because I don’t want anyone else to hear it.”

When I hesitated and looked at my surroundings for a long time, Lewis finally reluctantly leaned in. With his forehead wrinkled, as if it were annoying. 

And as soon as his ears came close to my lips, I bit them as hard as I could.

“Argh!”

As soon as he screamed and wrapped both hands around his ear, I quickly turned around. And then began to run with all my might. 

“Catch that bitch right now!”

I raced down the hallway, leaving Louis, who was shouting raucously, behind. 

Whenever I breathed out raggedly, I got angry once again. 

I now knew why I kept getting that sense of déjà vu. That’s right, it’s a scene that I had seen countless times already.

To think that my ex-husband, the fucking psycho Duke of the North, and even the family that I had trusted were all nuclear waste!

Just what was this shitty cliche novel-like situation?!