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Chapter 23
“So, I went up to the study where Mother and I have so many memories together, and I happened to find this diary.”
According to the maids’ reports, Father had been visiting Mother’s empty bedroom quite often these days. With her birthday approaching, it seemed that he missed her terribly.
Since I felt the same way, he seemed to believe my words without the slightest suspicion.
“I thought I had sorted through everything in the study, but I see there was still something like this left behind… You did well.”
Father’s expression, which was usually frozen cold, briefly turned wistful.
I didn’t miss the opportunity and spoke carefully.
“But, Father… I think there’s something in here that you should look at.”
At my words, he lifted his eyes from the diary and looked at me.
“I read a little of the diary yesterday, and Mother…”
I stopped speaking for a moment, and Father’s brows drew together.
“What is it?”
“…I think it would be better if you saw it yourself rather than having me explain it. I folded the page slightly, so it should be easy for you to find.”
At my words, he quickly flipped through the diary. Just as I had intended, it opened to the exact page I had marked.
Father’s eyes began to tremble as he read it.
Well, Mother certainly did write her diary in a rather suggestive way.
Even I, who knew the whole story, found it suspicious. How much more significant would it seem to Father?
As I had expected, his voice began to tremble.
“A treasure?”
“It seems Mother left something behind in the North. Don’t you think we should find it?”
There was no need for us to search for it. That treasure would come to Father on its own.
But I added, pretending I knew nothing.
“I don’t know what the treasure is, but… I’m worried that someone else might get their hands on Mother’s treasure even as we speak.”
I rested my cheek against one hand and let out a small sigh.
“Can the Spirit of Snow really be trusted?”
“…Immediately.”
Father gave the order in a low voice.
“Bring Baron Riken and Rover here at once. We need to move the scheduled family meeting up to tomorrow.”
Looking into his eyes, I felt I could put aside my worries about ‘What if he decides not to go to the North?’
He looks ready to fly there this very instant.
The agenda for the scheduled family meeting was, of course, the exploration of the northern cave.
Father would definitely vote in favor of it. He needed to go to the North immediately, but simply saying he was going to search for Mother’s treasure wasn’t enough of an excuse.
But now that a cave has conveniently been discovered, what a perfect excuse!
Besides, the cave was almost certainly a mine containing magical gemstones, which meant it would be highly profitable for our family as well.
“Yes, Father.”
I left the study while maintaining a worried expression. Then I relayed Father’s orders to the servant who had been waiting outside.
“Bring Baron Riken and Rover. Immediately.”
“Yes, Lady Belladith!”
After watching the servant disappear, I leisurely headed toward my room.
Good. Everything is going exactly according to plan.
The time was drawing near.
And with that realization, my heart began to pound—not with the excitement I had felt at dawn, but for an entirely different reason.
Father’s sudden departure for the North threw the entire household into chaos.
They had to hastily assemble a knight escort and even pay extra to reserve a spot with the Magic Tower that managed the teleportation circles.
Upon hearing that Father himself was going to the North, the northern castle must have been thrown into an uproar as well.
After all the frantic preparations, this morning finally arrived.
“Meldor, you are the only heir of our Alton family and its eldest son. Always remember that you have a responsibility, and never forget the weight of your position.”
“Yes, Father! I will remember!”
“Belladith.”
“Yes, Father.”
“I’m not particularly worried about you.”
With those final words, Father departed for the North.
At last, Father was gone from the estate.
And what happened to Meldor, who had been left behind all alone?
“Si, Sis.”
“Hmm? Your voice is so quiet.”
“Fine! Sis! Sis, sis, sis! Is that enough now? You demon!”
Meldor sniffled and shouted angrily.
At his reaction, my hand casually moved toward the gramophone. The moment he saw it, Meldor was startled and frantically shook his head.
“Noona! Please don’t!”
“All right, Meldor. I suppose you don’t want to listen to the symphony you love so much today?”
Meldor wiped his tears and nodded.
“I hate symphonies now. I hate them so much.”
I patted Meldor firmly on the back.
“You have to keep calling me Noona from now on, okay? Otherwise, I might have to turn the gramophone on again.”
“I said I understand! Sob…”
Having finally restored the proper hierarchy within the household, I smiled in satisfaction.
Meldor’s angry footsteps carried him toward the greenhouse.
He was genuinely furious, his anger boiling over.
When he reached the greenhouse, he found several workers and servants already moving furniture around.
Seeing this, Meldor shouted.
“Move!”
He roughly shoved one of the workers by the shoulder and stormed inside the greenhouse.
It was even more chaotic inside than outside.
Amid the commotion, Meldor looked around and spotted a woman giving orders to the workers.
Long arms and legs. Black hair twisted up atop her head, contrasting sharply with her strikingly pale skin. A slender, straight neck.
The way she confidently ordered everyone around made it look as though she were the mistress of the place, causing Meldor’s brows to furrow.
Out of habit, he called out to Belladith.
“Hey!”
Meldor immediately froze.
The same red eyes as their father were shining brilliantly as they stared at him.
“Si, Sis!”
At Meldor’s hurried correction, Belladith raised one eyebrow.
It was such a simple gesture, yet Meldor’s throat instantly went dry with tension.
Damn it. What am I reduced to?
Belladith had always been beneath him, so why did he feel so much pressure from her now?!
Meldor was the eldest son of the Alton family. He had always been confident and had never walked any path that required him to bow his head to someone else.
But lately, he had been enduring humiliating days unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
Intimidated by the pressure Belladith radiated, Meldor briefly wondered if he should run away.
Then he violently shook his head.
No! If I let myself be intimidated like this, I’ll never be able to stop that demon!
Belladith was carrying out an outrageous renovation right now.
She was trying to remodel Mother’s greenhouse however she pleased!
After deceitfully using him to ruin Mother’s greenhouse, she was now trying to lay her hands on it herself…!
No matter how much Father had given her permission, this was wrong.
I have to stop her!
Meldor recalled what Father had told him before leaving.
“You are the only heir of our Alton family and its eldest son. Always remember that you have a responsibility, and never forget the weight of your position.”
Just as Father had said, he was now the person responsible for this estate.
Repeating Father’s words like a mantra, Meldor summoned courage from the depths of his stomach and shouted.
“What are you doing?!”
In contrast to Meldor, who had deliberately raised his voice, Belladith’s tone was calm.
“Can’t you see?”
“Who said I couldn’t see?! I’m asking what you think you’re doing to Mother’s greenhouse!”
At those words, Belladith closed her mouth again and stared intently at Meldor.
That was all she did.
Yet the courage Meldor had painstakingly gathered instantly scattered.
“I believe I told you before that this greenhouse belongs to me.”
Belladith sighed as though she were already tired of the conversation.
At her reaction, Meldor stammered without realizing it.
“Th-that’s right.”
“Then do I really need to explain that I can do whatever I want with it?”
“No…”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Uh… Y-yeah.”
“Then go do whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing.”
“Okay…”
In the end, Meldor lowered his shoulders and left the greenhouse.
Thud, thud.
His listless footsteps soon turned into a run.
Damn it! This is so frustrating!
He wasn’t someone who deserved to be treated like this!
Just two weeks ago, Belladith hadn’t even been able to say a word to him. She hadn’t been able to project such an intimidating presence, nor had she ever given him a look that made his knees feel weak.
Everything had begun on the very day Father left for the North.
Meldor could still vividly remember that nightmare.
The moment the symphonies he loved had transformed into melodies from hell!
“Now, Meldor. What am I?”
“Si, Sis.”
“Is it okay to take your anger out on your sister?”
“How is that taking my anger out on you?! You don’t do anything anyway!”
“You?”
“U, uwaaaah! I mustn’t take my anger out on Sis! I mustn’t!”
“Uuuugh! Belladith Alton!”
Remembering that moment made Meldor burn with rage.
After reaching his room, Meldor threw himself onto the bed and began pounding his pillow.
“I’ll never forget this! This humiliation! This disgrace!”
Just what grudge did that demon have against him to torment him like this?!
Meldor felt terribly wronged.
Of course, he admitted that he hadn’t been particularly kind to Belladith.
But wasn’t that much acceptable?
She had been born before him, yet she had no responsibilities and did nothing but enjoy her freedom!
While Belladith went around playing with Fredo and the sons of the Aglan family, Meldor couldn’t even roam around freely. He had to train in swordsmanship.
Until his entire body was covered in bruises!
Then shouldn’t she have put up with at least that much complaining from me?!
Mother had taught him that, too!
Meldor missed his mother terribly.
She had always been on his side.
And he found Belladith incredibly, unbearably annoying for expecting to be treated like his older sister when she did nothing but play every day.
In truth, though, the person he was angriest with was himself.
Why couldn’t I say even one word to Belladith Alton?!
Belladith had been the easiest person in Meldor’s entire life to push around.
The Belladith he remembered had always been a child who stood one step behind him, gazing at him with envy as he nestled in their mother’s arms.
Or she was the child who always yielded to him, accommodated him, and, even when they fought, got scolded by their parents in his place.
A child with virtually no presence at all.
There had even been moments when he felt sorry for Belladith…
But whenever he looked toward the estate after practicing swordsmanship late into the night at the outdoor training grounds and saw the lights in Belladith’s room turned off, anger would surge through him first.
Perhaps that was why he had always thrown such cruel words at Belladith.
But those good old days were over now.
