Chapter 11 Part 4

Thanks to that, my steps halted. It seemed Mattio hadn’t been interested in outside affairs lately, yet somehow he’d heard rumors about me.

“He told you to break off your engagement with the Crown Prince, but instead of doing that, you brought in Feros. Whatever you’re thinking… you must know this isn’t a good move, right?”

I kept my mouth shut.

I had felt it before, but Fergio and I didn’t get along well.

We weren’t close siblings. Consequently, I always felt tired after conversing with him.

But the most problematic part was that his words weren’t something I could simply ignore.

“Above all… it’s not like House Laté.”

At Fergio’s meaningful words, I felt my fingertips twitch.

I wanted to say something, but in this situation, anything I said would sound like an excuse.

“Dragging things out in such a pathetic way with a few boring men.”

His next words were deliberately laced with thorns.

He clearly disliked my actions quite a bit.

Really, he’s awfully interested in me. In the past, he was so infatuated with Hertiana that he wouldn’t even look my way.

Although it started with the intention of getting revenge on Abel through me, in the end, I wasn’t even on his radar.

Having already experienced his lowest point, this life’s Fergio was merely laughable to me.

To him, I was nothing more than his source of amusement.

Fergio had a useless and unpleasant habit of finding entertainment through me in his mundane daily life.

“Who’s pathetic?”

Finally, my mouth opened.

Who’s lecturing whom right now? Without hiding the laugh that was erupting, I turned my steps and met Fergio’s red eyes.

“Just focus on your own tasks. Don’t let your work spill over to me. I’m not generous enough to exchange words with incompetent blood relatives.”

“What? Hey, you’ve said enough—”

“Father knows too, right? Your incompetence. Perhaps the Marquis title would suit me better.”

After approaching him and delivering my answer without restraint, I turned my back.

Just as I was quickly moving away from him, Fergio’s unfinished words continued.

“Rosiel, don’t get close to Feros. Spiritual power and magic can never harmonize. You know that better than anyone, don’t you?”

His aggressive tone resonated vividly in my eardrums.

But I pretended not to hear and didn’t stop walking. It was a fact I was well aware of.

Black and white could never coexist. One had to be either black or white, necessarily one or the other.

If they somehow mixed, they would become neither here nor there.

There was no middle ground for House Laté. We had to be on the side of darkness.

Right until the final moment when demonic power resides in this black heart.

Ignoring Fergio’s words to the end, I headed straight to my room. Then I immediately immersed myself in the bath Lynn had prepared.

Thanks to the black and red rose petals floating on the water, the entire bathroom vibrated with a fragrant flower scent that almost numbed my nose.

“Sigh…”

After soaking in the appropriately hot water, the day’s fatigue melted away along with the tension.

Curled up with my body submerged, I slowly opened my eyes underwater.

Due to the floating rose petals, the slightly reddened water tinted my vision pink.

As I opened my clenched fist underwater, the moment when Hyle held my hand and intertwined our fingers suddenly flashed through my mind.

This hand still seemed hot from his vivid warmth.

Whether it was because the water’s temperature was quite hot, or because Hyle’s warmth had left a strange burn on me.

I couldn’t tell at all.

Knock knock-

While I had my face submerged for a long time, suddenly, a sound of someone knocking on the bathroom door was heard.

Raising my head in confusion, I saw an impatient foot peeking through the crack of the door.

“What is it?”

“Um… miss, excuse me. There’s something I want to show you.”

Lynn cautiously poked her head in, then slowly approached me and carefully held out something small and white.

Unfortunately, the bathroom was filled with hot steam.

Through the rising white mist, that something seemed to be squirming.

It didn’t look particularly appealing.

“What is that?”

“Oh, well. Hmm, how should I say… it was leaning against the windowsill with quite a nostalgic look. And I could faintly sense your magic from it… so I brought it in.”

What on earth is she talking about? What did she bring in…

…Oh.

Didn’t I receive a bird as a gift from Hyle…?

“E-Entrie…”

Only then did I see Entrie, trembling slightly amidst the rising white steam.

My goodness…! I had completely forgotten.

Raphla is a demon beast, so it disappears on its own when I don’t call it, but a real bird can’t just vanish!

I forgot to take care of Entrie, thinking it would disappear on its own like Raphla!!

“Is this a bird you don’t know? Should I send it back? How such a small bird came all the way here… its courage is admirable.”

Animals instinctively avoided Laté mansion because it was teeming with demon beasts. They wouldn’t even look at it.

This was because the intimidation felt from the different species was substantial even when approaching.

But Entrie, with its tiny body, had come all the way here…

“No, Lynn. It’s my bird. Give it to me.”

“What? Oh, yes…!”

Though she seemed not to believe that it was my bird, Lynn handed Entrie to me in a daze.

Entrie, now on my hand, slightly opened its half-closed eyes and looked at me.

Entrie’s beautiful pale green eyes, which had been sparkling before, were tightly closed in fear.

Perhaps because of that, it looked more pitiful than usual. Is it hungry?

It must have struggled to follow me all the way here without me taking care of it, so it might be hungry… Oh no, I’m the worst owner ever…

Since I feed Raphla magic rather than food, I’ve never worried about meals, but for Entrie…

Come to think of it, didn’t Hyle say to give something to the bird?

“Just give it some grains like oats or barley.”

“Lynn, could you bring some oats?”

Quickly remembering Hyle’s words, I immediately asked Lynn to bring some grain.

As expected, Lynn’s face filled with confusion.

“…Pardon?”

“Oats. Other grains like barley are fine too.”

“O-oats… Just a moment!”

Lynn seemed to have figured out that it was for Entrie to eat and quickly left the bathroom.

Fortunately, Entrie seemed to have found some stability in my hand, breathing more calmly than before with a soft wheeze.

“I’m sorry, I’ve never raised a real bird before. You need a home, right? And you need to eat.”

At my soft voice, Entrie’s eyes brightened as if it understood.

“Hmm, life forms are truly troublesome beings.”

At my cold words, Entrie instantly lost its sparkle.

I could feel its small body flinching in fear.

Seeing how it understood everything, Hyle’s statement about Entrie having decent intelligence seemed to be true.

“I don’t mean I dislike it. That kind of trouble will make me feel like I’m really raising you. From now on, stay here. With me.”

As I carefully stroked Entrie’s small head, its body, which had been trembling continuously, gradually calmed down.

“I won’t be able to take care of you as meticulously as Hyle did. But… I’ll do my best.”

Could it sense my sincere heart? Entrie’s wings fluttered slightly.

Moreover, seeing how it leaned into my stroking hand, it seemed to have understood my intention to some extent.

Fortunately, it’s a bird that likes people. Perhaps because it was raised by Hyle, its character is quite gentle…

“You really take after your owner. Forgiving me so easily even though I’ve made things difficult for you.”

I left the bathroom earlier than usual.

After carefully placing Entrie on the soft bed, I dried myself off and changed into a simple nightgown.

Knock knock-

Just then, a knock was heard at the door.

“Miss, I’ve brought the grains you mentioned.”