Actually, I was the Real One

“Of course, I have no doubt that Your Ladyship will one day manifest your abilities.
But if she tried to imitate that first, wouldn’t you be framed instead?”

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Keira: “That’s right.”

Just like what she’s been through in the past.

“Maybe Lady Cosette changed her strategy.
Rather than trying to take Your Ladyship’s place step by step… Once she wins, she can restore her reputation.”

“So, Your Ladyship will have to be careful as Cosette may use Beatrice’s spirit stone to deceive everyone.”

“Yes.”

Keira: “However, it’s really too early to conclude that one can mimic the skills using Beatrice’s spirit stone.
It was the same when I asked Great-Aunt about it.
She dismissed it as nonsense.”

“Maybe it’s a hidden feature.”

Keira: “Yes, it could be a hidden feature.
But how does Cosette know that? How does she know something that neither the previous elementalists of our family nor the Grand Duke, Great-Aunt, nor I know? It doesn’t make sense.”

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Joseph: “That…”

Joseph muttered.

According to Count Weinberg, Cosette grew up without education under an elderly herbalist couple in the mountains.

Joseph: “Maybe from Count Weinberg… No, that doesn’t make sense either.”

Keira: “It’s almost impossible to know more about the spirit stones than from our family.”

Not even from the temple or the Imperial family.

Keira: “The spirit stone only has one function–to symbolize the contract.
If it breaks, the contract that has lasted for hundreds of years will, too.”

Joseph: “…No way.”

Joseph’s face flushed with astonishment.

Fortunately, he seemed to have figured out what Keira tried to say without going into detail.

Joseph: “What if she’s trying to break the spirit stone…”

Keira: “That’s the only plausible answer so far.”

Joseph pondered for a moment before speaking again.

Joseph: “Is she going to make a new contract after breaking the current one? She’s not trying to destroy the world, is she?”

Keira shook her head. 

In the past, the contract was not broken until Cosette manifested. 

If such an accident had occurred, Johanna would not have stood still.

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Keira: “Just because the contract has been broken doesn’t mean anyone can renew it.”

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Joseph: “But if the contract with Beatrice is broken, the barrier is also broken.
Then, wouldn’t disaster be inevitable?”

Keira: “Maybe that’s what she wants.”

“…”

His expression changed to bewilderment when he heard that Cosette wanted the disaster.

Keira looked at him and continued.

Keira: “This is my hypothesis, but…”

The plan went smoothly.
No, she thought it did.

No one would think she had reason to destroy Johanna’s mansion.

So everyone would have thought it was just a coincidence.

When she heard that she had successfully recruited some of the workers involved in the construction, Cosette thought the plan had been successful.

However, things turned out differently than she expected.

Cosette: “What?” 

Thud–!

When she hurriedly got up from her seat, the chair fell to the floor.
However, she couldn’t afford to pay attention to something irrelevant.

Cosette: “You lost contact? How?”

Cosette’s hoarse voice echoed through the room.

The maid couldn’t help but tremble when she saw how angry her master was.

“I-I don’t know the details.
I’ve only been told to inform you…”

Cosette: “Tsk!”

The maid in front of her was nothing more than a messenger.
She didn’t know Cosette’s plans or who she had lost contact with.

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All she knew was one sentence–’We lost contact.’

Cosette knew it wasn’t the maid’s fault, but the flickering in front of her eyes couldn’t be more bothersome.

Cosette: “Haa…”

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Calm down. Cosette took a deep breath.
No matter how angry she was, it wasn’t good to show her temper to an innocent maid. 

Cosette: “Okay, go back then.”

“Y-yes, milady.” 

The maid rushed off without looking back, afraid to be the target of the lady’s wrath.

Cosette, alone in the room, moved to the sofa instead of righting the fallen chair.

Her head pounded at the thought that things had gone awry.

‘Where did it go wrong? I didn’t do anything that would raise suspicion.
Was it from when I tried to find it myself? They might have noticed… No, but if there’s an accident at a relative’s house, isn’t it natural to go and see how they’re doing?’

Looking back, she hadn’t done anything that would have left a trail.

‘Anyway, there’s no problem, because it’s just a feeling that it’s my fault.
However…’

What if they realized her ultimate goal was to destroy the spirit stone?

If that happened, the clever woman would hide the spirit stone in a place Cosette couldn’t find. 

And if that’s what they did, it would be a troublesome thing that couldn’t be compared to her reputation in society plummeting to the ground.

Cosette bit her lip.

‘No.
There’s no way they could have noticed my goal.
The only way they can do that is if they can read minds.’

She was probably getting paranoid. 

As she was about to distract herself to shake off her anxiety, someone arrived. 

It was Count Weinberg.

Cosette looked up in surprise at the butler who announced her uncle’s presence.

Cosette: “Uncle? Didn’t he say he’ll be late from work today?”

“Yes, I heard that, too, but milord just came back, looking sour.
It seems urgent, so you should see him.”

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Cosette: “Okay.”

As soon as the Count arrived home, he called Cosette to his office.

Most of the time, he would only do this to whine.

She was already getting annoyed, but she had no choice.
The Count was her important partner. 

Cosette reluctantly made her way toward the Count’s office.

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Cosette: “You called.”

Count: “Ah, Cosette.
Come here and sit down.”

The Count then dismissed the butler. 

As the butler and the maids left the office, the Count’s demeanor changed cautiously again.
He took a seat across from Cosette and said. 

Count: “I heard that the plan to find the spirit stone’s location isn’t going smoothly.”

Cosette: “I’ll take care of that, so don’t worry about it.”

Count: “How can I not worry! If there’s any evidence that this explosion was our fault…!”

Cosette: “It won’t happen, so stop panicking.
Watching you like this is making me go crazy.”

Count: “Keuk.”

Isaac Weinberg held his tongue and swallowed his displeasure. 

His partner in crime in front of him has always acted like this. 

He reluctantly joined forces with her, but there’s no way he could trust her, especially since he didn’t know what she’s thinking.

Count: “…Can you just answer one thing?”

Cosette: “What is it?”

Count: “Are you going to avenge my sister and father’s deaths?”

Cosette then responded with an annoyed bite on her lips.

Cosette: “How many times do I have to tell you until you believe me? I will definitely avenge them.
Because that’s my duty.”

Count: “Please do not betray my faith.
And one more thing.”

Cosette: “You just asked if I could only answer one thing.”

Usually, Cosette wouldn’t be easily annoyed. 

This was proof she was very nervous.
Isaac’s complexion darkened a little.

Count: “Isn’t it going to harm Johanna and Beatrice?”

Cosette: “Of course.”

Count: “…That’s a relief.”

He murmured to himself and looked away.

Cosette, who had been staring at him, opened her mouth as if anxious.

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Cosette: “I’m just saying this just in case, but don’t act alone in haste.
Do you understand?”

Count: “Yes, of course.”

Cosette still seemed uneasy despite the Count’s reassurance, because she went on to say.

Cosette: “I won’t forget to avenge your sister and father.
So don’t do things by yourself.”

Count: “I do not intend to act so carelessly.”

Cosette: “…I’ll believe that.”

She looked at Isaac in doubt, and then stood up.

‘He’s not a complete fool… I hope you don’t start working at a time like this.’

Cosette: “Then, I have other business to attend to.”

Count: “Go ahead.” 

Isaac answered without getting up. 

In the eyes of the employees, he was Cosette’s superior.
So it would be a strange sight for him to see his niece off.

Cosette didn’t comment on it, so she was also probably aware of it.

Tak–.

The door closed with a click.
He sat alone on the sofa and clenched his fists.

‘As expected, it’s just unbelievable.’

How could he trust her despite her promises of avenging his sister and father and assurances of not harming the human world?

Even now, she wasn’t interested in avenging the family and was focused on finding the location of the spirit stone.

Of course, it wasn’t like she was looking for the spirit stone without justifiable reason.

As Cosette mentioned, she needed the stone to manifest quickly.

But as long as he didn’t trust Cosette, her claim had no weight.

Could she have another intention in finding the spirit stone? The question that had been brewing inside him grew.

‘I can’t just trust that woman.
I’ll have to find my own way.’

He had just said he wouldn’t move on his own but it wasn’t like he broke his promise first.

He remembered his younger sister, who followed him often, and his father, whom he respected.

A past that couldn’t return…

His eyes gleamed darkly as he stared into the air.