TDFL 30

Chapter 30

“Then apologize and leave.”

As expected, the expression vanished from Alice’s face.

Realizing that Alice was hostile toward her, Alia nervously bit her lip.

I should change the flow.

“Miss Alia, are you truly sorry to me?”

At my sudden question, both of them turned to look at me.

I continued without hesitation.

“If you’re really sorry, then apologize. If I feel sincerity, I’ll forgive you.”

“…Is that really true?”

Unlike Alia, who stared at me in surprise, Alice looked completely baffled.

“Leonia, you…”

“I’m sorry, Miss Leonia. I made the wrong judgment… If only I had acted a little sooner, you wouldn’t have been put in such a difficult situation.”

Alice’s expression hardened at the hollow apology Alia blurted out just to escape the situation.

“Please… will you forgive me?”

Alia grabbed my hand tightly, her eyes shining.

I shook my head.

“No.”

Alia and Alice showed completely opposite expressions, as if their emotions had split in two.

“W-why not?”

“Because I don’t feel any sincerity in your apology.”

I pulled my hand away from hers and walked over to Alice.

“Let’s go, sis. We should file a complaint with the restaurant on our way out.”

We hadn’t just reserved any seat—we had rented a private room, and an outsider barging in was clearly something to protest.

“Wait!”

Unlike before, when she grabbed Alice, this time Alia grabbed me.

It seemed she had realized that I was the one who could turn this situation around.

“As an apology… I’ll treat you to tea!”

“The young lady of the Branto Marquis family is quite lacking in manners.”

“I know that, Miss Alice. But sometimes there are things more important than etiquette.”

Alice looked like she wanted to cut her off, but Alia didn’t back down.

“There’s something I want to ask of you, Miss Alice.”

“You didn’t seriously think I would grant a request from someone who tried to trap my sister, did you?”

“…Lives of innocent people are at stake.”

Even Alice couldn’t refuse after hearing that, and she fell silent.

* * *

In the end, we didn’t leave the restaurant and instead rented another room.

As a gesture of apology, Alia paid for everything.

“There’s a soundproof magic device installed, so you can speak freely.”

“It certainly seems that way.”

The new room felt far more isolated from the outside than the first one.

Alia must have deliberately chosen this place.

“Please keep what we discuss today a secret from my father.”

“I don’t intend to go around talking about it, but what will you do if the Marquis of Branto finds out we had tea together?”

“This restaurant belongs to me—I inherited it, and I manage it. There’s no risk of it being discovered.”

“…This is your restaurant?”

Alice looked surprised.

At the same time, she glanced at me suspiciously, so I shook my head to show I didn’t know either.

“There’s a facility I sponsor. Recently, people there have started disappearing.”

As soon as the staff finished setting the tea and left, Alia got to the point.

“I think my father is involved. If this continues, there will be even greater harm.”

“Wait, that explanation is far too vague.”

Alice calmly pointed it out.

“First, what exactly do you mean people are disappearing? And what is this facility you sponsor?”

“That’s…”

Alia bit her lip.

She probably thought a vague explanation would be enough for Alice, who has a strong sense of justice.

Maybe in the original story, it would have been.

But right now, Alice harbored resentment toward Alia. Without a clear explanation, she wouldn’t help.

“I have a lover.”

At last, Alia spoke resolutely.

“We’ve been together for a long time, but recently Marquis Rizen found out.”

“Is that why you were blackmailed?”

“That’s right. He told me to help corner Miss Leonia. But because I later testified the truth to His Majesty…”

Alia bit her lip again, looking gloomy.

For a moment, it almost seemed like she resented me.

“I think Marquis Rizen told my father about it.”

“…That’s plausible.”

Alice’s voice softened.

Realizing that the hostility toward her had disappeared, Alia began to cry silently.

“I haven’t been able to contact him for days. He’s not the kind of person to just disappear like this.”

Alice is weak when it comes to the tears of the vulnerable.

Even though Alia had helped trap me, knowing there were circumstances behind it made Alice waver.

“I’m not asking for much. I just… want to know whether he’s alive or dead.”

“…So you want us to act without your father knowing?”

“Yes. It’s difficult for me to move people while avoiding his watch.”

In the original story, this deal ends up being entirely disadvantageous for Alice.

If things continued like this, it would likely follow the same path.

That wouldn’t do.

“I have a question for you, Miss Alia.”

As I, who had been silently listening, finally spoke, their attention shifted to me.

“Is the person you’re trying to save Sir Bain? Or—”

“It’s Sir Bain.”

Alia quickly cut me off.

She had no intention of revealing her real lover to Alice.

I also had no reason to increase the number of people who knew the truth.

That’s why I hadn’t stepped in—but Alia dug her own grave.

“Miss Leonia, you seem to know quite a lot… and take quite an interest in other people’s affairs.”

Her tone subtly criticized me, but it was phrased in a way that made it awkward to call out.

So I just replied lightly, “Is that so?” and let it pass.

But Alice didn’t intend to let it go.

“…Leonia takes too much interest in other people’s affairs?”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. If it offended you, I apologize.”

Alia smiled awkwardly.

Alice fell silent, unable to press further.

But one thing was certain—

‘Alice’s expression changed.’

It was subtle, but she no longer looked like she would give everything away like before.

She must have sensed something was off.

“I understand your explanation, Miss Alia. However, it’s difficult for us to give you an answer right away.”

“…What?”

“There’s a high risk this could harm us.”

A look of confusion crossed Alia’s face.

She hadn’t expected those words from Alice of all people.

“Considering what happened at the palace, we can’t be sure this isn’t a trap.”

I stared coldly at Alia, whose face was turning pale.

It seemed she had truly fallen out of favor.

“So I’d like you to cooperate with us as well. I don’t like taking losses unless absolutely necessary.”

Alice added, quoting what I had said before.

“Give Leonia what she wants. Then I’ll cooperate with you.”

* * *

That’s where the deal was concluded.

Though it was called a deal, from that point on, Alice completely took control of the negotiation.

‘There was no need for me to step in.’

In the original story, Alice was portrayed as someone soft toward the weak.

But I didn’t expect her to negotiate this thoroughly.

“You brought me here for this, didn’t you?”

The moment we got into the carriage, Alice pressed me.

I nodded.

It would be deceitful to deny it after getting what I wanted from Alia.

“I’m sorry, sis. But it was necessary.”

“To help the Branto Marquis’s daughter?”

I gave an awkward smile.

This wasn’t really helping—it was a transaction.

“Thanks to this, we can use Alia.”

“Because of that, my people will have to move. And possibly make an enemy of the Marquis of Branto.”

In the original story, Alice faced a similar situation.

Back then, she successfully rescued Alia’s lover from danger caused by the Marquis.

The problem was, it put her at odds with him.

“You don’t need to step in this time.”

Of course, I had no intention of letting things go that way.

“I already prepared everything before meeting Alia.”

“In a few days, you’ll receive a message of thanks from her. When that happens, just respond well.”

“…What do you mean?”

Alice asked, confused.

I absentmindedly touched my chin, then replied calmly.

“You know Alia’s lover?”

“…Yeah?”

“I’m the one who has him.”

Alice froze in shock.

“…What? Are you out of your mind?”

Her eyes shook violently.

She looked like she was about to grab me by the collar, but I just shrugged.

“I told you before—I don’t take losses without reason.”

Did she really think I brought her here just to help Alia?

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I go around harming people. I didn’t target her lover on purpose.”

“…Is that true?”

“Yes. If anything, I protected him.”

Alice seemed slightly relieved.

Since she looked at me as if to continue, I explained further.

“Some time ago, I found out Alia had a lover by chance. And I also realized that if the Marquis of Branto found out, that person would be in danger.”

“So you stepped in first to protect him?”

I nodded.

That part was the truth.

I wanted Alice to gain Alia’s favor—without suffering any loss.

‘So I placed Alia’s lover somewhere safe in advance.’