Translated: reireiss, MTLs-nim 

Edited: reireiss, Grammarly ssi 

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Translator Note: Hi, Umm... I'm sorry T_T

I've made a mistake, all this time I didn't realize that Novel Ophelia still has 1 more chapter that I haven't uploaded yet.

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Special Chapter

In the night when it snowed heavily, Alexander caught me leaving without a word. He asked me not to leave the Duchy until he become an adult. Maybe if it wasn't for the tears he shed, I would have left this place already.

Duke Arpad's Manor is still a place that makes me feel uneasy. But, I made a promise to Alexander, and for some reason, I don't want to break that promise.

'I am lonely. Sister. This is scary.'

That night.

Alexander's tearful appearance like a child didn't match his cold image, so it was imprinted deep in my heart. And because of that, I have taken on the role of Mistress of this Duke's Manor. Besides that, I also think about Alexander sometimes.

“……In other words, Honored Guest Miss Ophelia would like to replace all the curtains in the Hall with sapphire blue curtains. But, is that the right choice? These dark green curtains are still fine.”

I stood up holding the Manor's Book of Accounts and looked out the window for a while, then looked back at the Head Butler who was dissatisfied with my decision. He asked me with an unhappy face.

The Head Butler, Philip is an old man who was in charge of the management of the Duke's Manor, he had been the one who had taken on the role of Mistress of this Manor which had been vacant for a long time. Even after my Mother married my Stepfather, my Mother never focused on the role of Mistress of the Manor, and Philip did not like me and my Mother's presence, he felt we didn't fit in with the Arpad Family which was a Royal Family, he felt that his 'territory' was disturbed.

However, my Mother died about 1 month after she married my Stepfather. The Manor of Duke Arpad, who had suddenly lost their Master, was now in a series of chaos.

Suddenly, I thought of the red-haired old woman who was by Catherine's side. They are disappeared as if they were kicked out while trying to plan to live in this Manor.

If they were still here, would they clash with the Head Butler, Philip as I am right now?

“……The dark green color is so outdated. The sapphire blue color has been very popular in Napiliya, the Imperial Capital since last fall. Isn't the Arpad Family not lacking in economic power, so why not change it?”

"But as I just said, this curtain is still fine."

“I heard that my Father often holds a Ball gathering the Northern Nobles in the dead of winter. Since there was no Mistress here until now, then no one would complain if the Duke's Manor has an old-fashioned interior. Of course, now the Mistress is standing in front of you."

This old man, Philip frowned slightly when I addressed the late Duke Arpad as 'Father'. I was keenly aware of the fact that he was displeased by my presence as he still called me 'Honored Guest, Miss Ophelia' as if it was a matter of course.

But now, at the request of Alexander, I officially become the Mistress of this Manor.

To Philip, my existence was nothing but a thorn in the eye. I bit my lip briefly, feeling as if some new fact had stabbed sharply into my body. I don't want to back down.

"If the previous Duchess were still alive, these dark green curtains that were popular 10 years ago would no longer exist. If you go against my opinion again, I will summon Alexander and let him make the decision."

"……I'll order it right away. What else do you need?"

"I want to change the floor covering."

The gray-haired old man's white eyebrows twitched. I saw him, but I pretended not to see him. Always beautifully decorating the venue for Banquets and Ceremonies is the role of the Mistress of the Manor.

I had learned that from Baroness Blancier. Renovating the Hall was not just a luxury. If my Mother was alive, she would have done this too.

Even so, Philip's erratic attitude was so unreasonable. I don't like him either, but I don't want to have any further conflict with him. Consuming emotions is a tiring thing. After I finished my conversation with Philip, I left immediately.

"I want to drink Cybril Tea. Add a spoonful of honey."

With Henrietta waiting for me in a corner of the Hall, I sat down in the Living Room and buried my head. Cybril is a type of herbal tea supplied only in the South and has a calming effect on the mind and body.

Henrietta rolled her green eyes and saw my condition, then nodded awkwardly. Recently, Henrietta has been paying more and more attention to me. I also pretended not to know about it. Sometimes I always pretend to be indifferent because it's good for my life.

"Yes, Miss. Please wait a moment."

"The quill I used is out of ink."

"I'll take it. You can rest, Miss."

I turned my head to look at Henrietta's hair with an envious gaze. The weather in the North is very changeable, and the snow that had fallen until yesterday has now stopped.

Looks like the sun will be quite warm today. In the afternoon, I will take a walk in the park. If I stay indoors, I'll feel pressured.

While waiting for Henrietta, I picked up a dark blue pillow lying nearby. I put the pillow with gold tassels on all four sides under my head, then I closed my eyes to rest a bit.

The unexpected feud with Philip made my head hurt. I had to go through all this just because of changing the interior a bit, I don't know if I can manage the Duke's Manor properly in the future.

I am not sure. Why did Alexander entrust me with such a heavy responsibility? Suddenly there was hatred toward him. Even so, I've only known him for a short time, about 1 month. What is wrong with him……

"……Ah."

It's like I fell asleep in a sea of continuous thoughts. As soon as I lifted my tired eyelids, I found a great coat covering my body.

……It's warm. And comfortable. Slowly, I raised my upper body and held the black coat.

"You slept very well, Sis."

"Alexander."

"I drank the tea that Henrietta brought. As soon as she got here, I felt thirsty, and I thought you wouldn't wake up until the tea got cold."

His voice sounded low and smooth. Alexander sat on the end of the long sofa, watching the fireplace. His big white hand was supporting his chin. Come to think of it, I heard that today he left early in the morning. Ever since my Mother and the late Duke Arpad passed away, I've been wondering what happened to him to the extent that he's obsessed with watching me every moment.

"……You don't really like sweets, do you?"

"Yeah. I drank it for no reason."

Alexander smiled a little with his pale lips. His silver-gray eyes were fixed on the fire, looking quite serious. But, when he answered my question, he looked back at me, and I can't feel his seriousness when he looked at me.

Casually, Alexander touched my legs which were wrapped in stockings with his fingertips. I, who gasped in surprise, immediately bent my knees and hid my feet behind my dress.

"Your feet are cold. I want to warm them."

"You don't have to."

"I didn't mean to do anything."

“……Whatever it is, no thanks.”

I looked at Alexander carefully. Gently, Alexander shrugged his shoulders and leaned his upper body against the sofa. Large body that does not match his age. And his firm, smooth muscles were hidden under a dark shirt.

I've seen his naked upper body, and for a moment I didn't know where to put my gaze. I don't want him to realize that. But, why should I be like that?

"Please don't go, Sis. Right now, the only one I can rely on is you."

"Don't talk like that. You've chased away all your relatives who tried to take care of you……"

And, again like this. Alexander looked at me with an unreasonable look.

At a time like this, even if I want to keep playing dumb, I can't. At some point, I realized I was making eye contact with him.

I was acutely aware that he was touching the instep of my leg. Is it possible for Alexander to continue confronting me like this, even when he knows all the truths I'm hiding?

Having an eccentric Mother doesn't mean I don't have a moral heart. I have to pay the full price for what I have done.

Even so, I faced Alexander who did not take his eyes off me. How can you be so selfish? In the end, I averted my eyes first, pretending to be natural. In the corner of my eye, I could see Alexander clenching his fist tightly.

He clenched his fists so tightly I could see his veins. I chose to close my eyes to block my view of him.

"Sister."

"Are you deliberately distancing yourself from me? Are you still going to leave here?"

"……It is not like that."

"Don't say no. Every time I try to take a step to get to know you, you always draw the line and build walls like this."

Alexander's voice was very low. A warm feeling ran down my ankles. When I opened my eyes I saw his hand gripping my ankle. I tried hard to get out of his strong grip by twisting my leg. But it is in vain.

"Today, what happened to you?"

Then, I finally gave up on trying to escape from his grip, and I asked him helplessly. Since he had been gone since morning, for some reason Alexander seemed to be in a strange state. What happened when he left?

Usually, he was the type who knew how to keep to a certain extent.

"Why should I tell you? Besides you, you always act as if you're going to leave here at any moment."

"You sulk. Sorry, I'm wrong."

"Words that are not even from the heart."

His silver-gray eyes were slightly distorted. With his body half turned towards me, he held my ankles and slightly bent his upper body. His head was down, and without hesitation, Alexander buried his face into the hem of my dress.

The back of his long, stiff neck showed that he was really nervous right now. Since he prevented me from leaving the Duke's Manor, sometimes Alexander would try to narrow the gap with me this way.

"I'm sorry. I'm feeling irritated, but I can't tell you what happened today… Haa, sorry. Just let me be like this, just for a moment. I'm sorry."

"……Alexander, if someone saw you do this."

"In this Living Room, there are only the two of us, and I don't care even if anyone sees."

Now I can't do anything because he's being so stubborn. Actually, I could have let him go by force, but deep inside, I don't hate being close to Alexander like this.

I don't know if Alexander's tension has transferred to me. I looked at him gently with tensed shoulders. His matted black hair clung to the hem of my dress.

His hair looks soft. Would he hate me if I touched his hair?

I'm still wary of Alexander. He had been friendly to me since our parents' funeral, but he was still not to be trusted. My eyes filled with tears then I creased the hem of my dress with my fingers. Then, after a few moments of silence, I asked.

"You really won't tell me?"

“……Are you curious?”

"Of course."

“……Actually, it's not that big of a deal. I was just going out to have a look around the Duchy. Thinking that now I'm the one who has to rule over this vast territory as a Duke, my shoulders feel heavy.”

"Aahhh. You seem to be feeling some pressure."

If that was the case, then Alexander's strange state of affairs could be understood. I nodded quietly and listened to the gentle voice.

He was still 17 years old, but now he had to leave his world because he had to replace the previous Duke. But I guess, he's old enough to struggle.

Slowly, I raised my eyes and met his gaze. It was hard to resist the urge to wipe his slightly reddened eyes.

***

To be honest, Alexander lied. But he didn't feel the slightest regret. In fact, he did go out to do a territory inspection.

However, unlike what he had told Ophelia, he didn't feel the burden of having to become the next Duke. That was because Alexander had already fully realized that he was born into this world to inherit the honorable title of Duke Arpad.

Therefore, the reason he went out today was to clear the complicated thoughts in his head. Testimony from investigators which investigating the previous Duke and Duchess' accident, and an unspecified syringe found after the funeral.

What is she hiding? Alexander is very suspicious of Ophelia. No matter how hard I thought about it, she was the only suspicious person.

But in this world, what kind of cruel person would kill the Mother who gave birth to her? Besides, how could there be a woman who looks so thin and fragile like her?

Alexander's daily life is filled with chaos after Ophelia is not allowed to leave the Duke's Mansion. Amidst all that, what confused him the most was Ophelia's attitude toward him.

For example, when our eyes met like just now, I showed her my bright smile but she pretended not to notice it.

"……Yes, that's true. So please don't keep saying that you will leave here one day. I can only rely on you."

Don't leave me. Maybe you are a ruthless killer who has killed your own Mother. However, my eyes always follow those sapphire blue eyes. In other words, I've always been watching her.

She wasn't sure if I approached her with good intentions or not. However, I felt embarrassed because I kept getting close to her, but I couldn't get rid of this feeling and in the end, it became both cute and annoying……

Damn it. Alexander gulped.

As I stood in front of her, I felt like the thoughts that had been organized all along surfaced. I have to reveal my suspicions to Ophelia.

Alexander didn't think of himself as a fool who only looked at appearances. Of course, Ophelia had an objectively beautiful appearance, but those factors did not make her shine.

When my Father was alive, we would often gather in the Living Room after dinner to play cards or talk. Every time that happened, Ophelia looked into my eyes or my Father's eyes, was this kind of atmosphere foreign to her? She looked at her mother too, with that dark gaze as dark as the abyss —as if she was yearning for something.

'……Is that really normal?'

Alexander was always blinded by her unpredictable behavior. Now that I think about it, maybe the reason why I started paying close attention to Ophelia was because of something trivial like this.

'Why does she look so uncomfortable?'

At first, Alexander had a bad opinion of Ophelia. He was dissatisfied with the fact that he had to regard a woman who age not far from him as his Big Sister.

Because of that, I became harsh and outspoken with her. And Ophelia acted carefully like a very weak herbivorous animal as if she had recognized my intentions.

However, it could be a problem if my attitude attracted her attention.

On the day, when I lay sick with a terrible cold caused by diving into icy water practice in the cold winter.

Ophelia came to meet me with a stiff face and slightly trembling eyes. Late at night, in a deserted corridor with no one around, our eyes meet.

Ophelia focused her attention as if she was frightened, and I, who was standing before her, felt strange.

That's why, unintentionally, I said arrogant words to her.

I sighed as I closed the door, unable to contain the emotions that I couldn't even understand. Not long after, when I opened the door again, I saw Ophelia moving away with her head down.

And from that day on, as soon as I came to my senses, my eyes fixed on her with a new look —a look that I didn't understand.

And I could feel that she noticed my gaze.

Ophelia looked at her Mother who was smiling at my Father then I saw Ophelia's gaze getting deeper and darker as she stared at my Father. She was like a daughter who was jealous because she couldn't get happiness from her mother.

Therefore, Alexander suspects Ophelia because he has strong instincts, not physical evidence. And it was at that moment, he slowly realized that something inside him was quite twisted.

“……Em, I understand. I will be more careful with my words from now on.”

Breaking the silence that had lasted for a few moments, Ophelia answered in a low voice. Alexander who was looking at her with a sharp gaze blinked slowly. The light wasn't the only reason why that pale tinge appeared on her cheeks which had been pale from the start.

Alexander doubted it a lot, but as soon as he saw Ophelia like that, he couldn't understand why his heart started beating fast. At first, I just wanted to find out about this thing that was bothering me.

"……I think it's really, really late. I have to finish the rest of my work."

Alexander resisted the urge to touch Ophelia's pink cheeks with his fingertips. I stood up, struggling to ignore the woman's gaze.

Ophelia didn't try to stop me. Annoyed by that, Alexander sharpened his eyes again to look at Ophelia.

"Um, yes. That's right, you must be very busy."

Ophelia stretched out the black coat she was holding. She slung the black coat she was holding onto my tensed shoulders. In the middle of winter, the Duke's Mansion was almost isolated from the outside world, in this Mansion lived a beautiful woman who was not much different from me in age.

In the end, I became clueless. If all this was according to my expectations, Ophelia had killed the Duke and Duchess, then what would I do? I went out early in the morning to organize my thoughts, but I still haven't gotten an answer for that.

After leaving Ophelia, Alexander left the Living Room and stood leaning against the corridor, tilting his head back. The woman's scent wafted weakly in the hem of the still-warm coat.

I don't know why my heart is pounding just because of something like this.

Alexander couldn't resist the urge any longer, finally, Alexander buried his nose in the coat. His hands trembled slightly as he took a deep breath.

***

Why was Henrietta so late?

After Alexander left, I looked at the books I had compiled, and I suddenly realized that a long time had passed. So, I raised my head.

The back of my neck is quite stiff. The clock with gold trim hanging on the wall was already pointing at 6 pm.

Usually, after about 1 hour, Alexander would send someone to ask me out for dinner, but I don't think that will happen today. I bit my lip, remembering the strange tension I felt with Alexander.

Recently, when I think about it, I spend a lot of time blankly staring outside. I remember Alexander's big, strong hands, I remember the feeling that I felt when he squeezed my ankle. I know very well that it is meaningless and futile to repeat these things over and over again.

What if it turns out that I really fell in love with him? I was born with my Mother's blood. The blood of the one who had killed all the men who loved her with her own hands, even I, her only daughter, couldn't understand what she was thinking.

But I never thought of killing Alexander.

……That's why, I killed my Mother. Subconsciously, I had decided that one day I would have to stop my Mother's strange behavior with my own hands.

And the trigger was when I realized that my Mother was after Alexander.

But, do I really have feelings for Alexander, even if I turn my back on my mother whom I love? No matter how much I think about it, I can never find the answer.

Now I don't know anything. The more I think about it, the more I fall into the abyss. I wrestled with a deep sense of guilt and tried hard not to show it. I groaned softly and lowered my head. My long silver hair obscured my vision.

'This hurts, I want to leave right now.'

I have committed a grave sin. I must atone for it with my death. Those dark thoughts kept gnawing at me. To keep my promise to Alexander I had to live in this misery for 3 years.

I put down the Manor's Financial Book, then rubbed my hand over the area around my chest where it hurt. Whenever I'm alone, a terrible feeling of depression and boredom seems to overtake me.

Unable to endure this whirl of emotions any longer, I left the Living Room as if I was running away. Then, I headed to the former Duke Arpad's Study Room. If I read a book, if I enter another world, I feel like I can escape this confusing feeling.

"You bit#h. Who do you think you are? You're just an orphan."

Then I found it. Henrietta who was of more than average height, was surrounded by maids wearing the same maid uniform, and I looked at her from a distance with a face that was cold, or rather, expressionless.

"Just because the previous Duke took care of you, you think everything is still the same as before? What a shame. You should be grateful that the previous Duke accepted you. But now you're hanging out in a place like this while everyone else is busy working!? "

"An insolent and arrogant person like you, you should be the one to die instead of the Duke!"

Henrietta who always pretended to be expressionless, now her green eyes flickered. As her gaze drifted downwards, the maid who spoke those absurd words flinched.

The maid, who was some distance away from Henrietta, pointed at Henrietta with her finger.

"W-What! I didn't say anything! Why did you get mad at me and break my arm?"

"Who doesn't know herself?"

Hearing Henrietta's voice, I stepped into the room after sensing the gloomy aura she harbored. Henrietta was trying to cast a spell on a short, grumpy-looking maid.

"......Here you are. I've been looking for you for a long time."

I summoned Henrietta to awaken the magic power that was in me. The world of wizards is divided into a strict hierarchy. A weak wizard must bow her head before a wizard of higher talent than herself.

"...??"

Henrietta who belatedly noticed my energy took a quick breath and looked at me. It was an expression of fear. She rolled her eyes and stepped back as if she was a criminal who had been caught committing a crime.

Oh my god, she didn't have to do any of that. I came here to support you, Henrietta.

"Alexander was in the Living Room. I came here because you didn't come back —even when I rang the bell you didn't come."

"Miss Ophelia. I think you look very tired……"

"I know. But I didn't expect you to be relaxing here with the other maids. What are you guys doing here?"

I smiled gently and asked if they were playing a fun game. The maids looked at each other with pale and confused faces.

In fact, all this time, they had been acting as though they were ignoring me. They hated my Mother and me who had entered an aristocratic society and become members of the Arpad Family, even though we were just ordinary people without any pretensions.

However, after the funeral, when Alexander acted as if he was taking good care of me, the attitude of the servants changed. Even now, the maids feel burdened because I happen to have become Alexander's closest person.

I waved my hand in annoyance.

"I bet you guys haven't finished your shift either, have you."

"Yes, Miss… We came here to clean up the Study Room. We saw Henrietta hanging around and playing around here."

"That is a big problem. But, next time, if it happens again, just call me."

Alexander gave me the role of managing the servants. Of course, when there's a minor disturbance like this, I can simply leave it to the Head Butler to mediate for them.

However, just like them, the Head Butler Philip also doesn't like me…… Even he thinks that I have crossed my limits. Instead, I see this as an opportunity.

I want to emphasize that, even a Head Butler whose position is higher than you are one who is beneath me. Without hesitation, I approached them and grabbed the hand of the maid who had engaged Henrietta in a fight.

"Your name?"

"I-I'm Cynthia, Miss."

"Don't say harsh words. Maybe after this, starting tomorrow you will be bedridden for 3 days because of your grumpy nature."

"……Yes? Miss, what do you mean?"

"Your body feels hot, you will definitely feel dizzy from the fever. But after 3 days, you will be fine."

"Mi-Mi-Miss! What are you talking about? Why are you saying such unpleasant things……!"

Cynthia screamed at me and twisted her arm away from me. Right after that, I rubbed my arm in confusion —as if in shock. I had breathed a little bit of magic into her, and little by little, she would notice that there was a heat sinking into her body.

I looked at Henrietta with a gentle smile. It was very easy for a truly skilled magician to control even a small amount of magic power. The fact that Henrietta couldn't hold back her anger and break someone's arm like this meant that her skills were still lacking.

"Let's go, Henrietta."

"……Yes, Miss. Sorry, I'm late."

Henrietta who was sandwiched between these maids now lowered her head. As my eyes fell down, she hastily hid a book behind her back. Henrietta's plan was obvious without me having to check what book it was.

I smiled a little and held out my hand to her. Shrugging, she avoided my touch.

"What are you afraid of?"

“I-It's fine……”

Henrietta hurriedly shook her head and lowered her eyes. Come to think of it, I heard that she has a strange relationship with Alexander. For a moment, an unpleasant feeling pierced me, but I tried to ignore it.

For the time being, I should stop doing useless things. No one is on my side here. Even Alexander who approached me kindly, who knows what will happen after he finds out everything about me.

I straightened the stiff corners of my mouth and exited the Study Room first. I could feel Henrietta's presence following hastily.

"You were the daughter of a landlord. So you are noble."

Judging from her status from birth, Henrietta was a person of high rank. I didn't know anything about her, but now she has become my personal maid. And I, who was an ordinary girl, have now become a Daughter of the Duke.

What did Henrietta think about this inevitable reality? What was she thinking as she read the magic book? I know the look in the eyes of someone in love. I know it. And the look in her eyes when she saw Alexander……

"Yes, Miss. But my family collapsed long ago. If the previous Duke had not accepted me, I would have been living the life of a commoner on the streets."

"……Your life is hard, huh."

I muttered while listening to her explanation with great interest. I discovered that Henrietta was looking down on me subconsciously. Yes, I don't think that's wrong. Even so, she wouldn't say anything to me that would have resolved the conflict she had with the maids just now.

Suddenly, I seem to understand why Alexander is annoyed by her presence. While lowering herself with words, she subtly emphasized that she was on a different level from ordinary people.

But that's still not enough to make you hang out with Alexander, right? Alexander probably won't be happy with you. I recently realized that what the maid named Cynthia said wasn't completely wrong, I closed my eyes and opened them.

What else am I talking about? I started speculating and guessing about Henrietta and Alexander's past that I didn't know about, and I started to get caught up in that bad feeling.

"It's getting late. I want to rest, so you can come back. You have to study hard, right? To beat me…?"

"Mi-Mi-Mi, Miss! It's…… I."

"I'm just kidding, so make your expression a bit more relaxed."

"Mi-Miss……!"

The contemplative Henrietta licked her own lips. Perhaps it was the same as Mother who was bothered by Baroness Blancier's existence. The thoughts got jumbled and stretched at will. I walked away from Henrietta who was standing in the hallway and I walked forward gently.

The sun was already setting outside, that was because the North had such short daylight hours. I walked around the corner, looked up at the setting sun, and walked towards the stairs, and at that moment, it was like fate.

"……Sister?"

When I saw Alexander emerging from behind his office door, his shocked expression showed deep awe, and I had to try to calm my racing heart.

I still don't know how I feel about Alexander. And why, when I saw him, did I have hope for him?

“……Looks like, the job is done.”

I muttered a bit and tried to climb up the stairs. Then, Alexander's face looked happy when he saw me, and now his face darkened in an instant. What is Alexander thinking right now?

I stopped moving because of the pain in my chest. I'm confused. He also looks confused. We were both confused. We still don't know how we feel about each other. Even so, we were too aware of each other.

Once again, I felt the stiff tension running down the back of my neck. I swallowed my saliva and bit my lip. Alexander's silver-gray eyes sank upon seeing my lips, I felt an inexplicable tremor, and carefully, I began to climb the stairs step by step.

Alexander was waiting for me at the top of the stairs. I wonder if we're going to spend the evening in the Living Room doing nothing?

'I don't know. But, I want to be near him.'

Hence, I pretended that I couldn't ignore Alexander's request, and chose to stay here. Finally, I must confess my greed. I feel a very serious thirst.

Then, I stuck out my tongue and wet my lower lip. In the end, I will enjoy the silver-gray eyes that keep looking at me.

——THE END


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