+++

Having calmed down, Lady Juliette now laid on her bed asleep. All that was left in the room was Milin and Larc, quietly sitting on the chair.

The first to break the silence was Larc.

"So the reason for the frequent visits of the Master to the royal palace was because of Lady Juliette's and the Prince's engagement?"

The Duke and Duchess had accepted the King's proposal to have his son, the crown prince, be engaged to lady Juliette. That was the cause of the unusually lively atmosphere in the estate. Everyone was excited, well.. almost everyone.

"Yes, it is as you say. They announced it to lady Juliette at the tea party we attended. And they intend to make it official at the Prince's debut a month from now."

"And the young lady doesn't want that?"

"Obviously"

Milin replied at Larc's questions with a cold voice.

"I'm sure you know why, you don't have to play dumb."

Displeasure could clearly be felt from Milin's words. She really wasn't happy that lady Juliette was crying herself to sleep like this.

In response, Larc only hung his head down.

[I know, I'm painfully aware]

He was the cause of Lady Juliette's sadness. Larc had known for a long time that she fancied him, but he did nothing, he couldn't do anything, he was just a servant, and she was the daughter of the Duke. He knew that they had no future together, and that one day, she would be engaged to someone else.

But knowing all that didn't help at all when the time actually came.

[I was a fool for thinking that our little set-up would last forever] He cursed himself as he thought so.

"Well, my lady is strong, and she knows her responsibilities as a noble. I'm sure that she'll come to terms with it, given time."

This was Milin's real thoughts, she had complete trust that lady Juliette would get over it.. but that was wishful thinking.

+++

After that ordeal, the young lady locked herself up in her room, only ever allowing Milin and Larc to enter. She ate the very bare minimum of the food given to her, and refused any visitor, not even the Duke nor the Duchess.

This went on for a good two weeks, up until Lord Jorgé, Juliette's older brother, arrived.

"Lord father, I'm here"

The young man clad in silver armour with blue and gray eyes said so as he bowed to the Duke and Duchess.

"Umu.. I'm glad that you're here, Jorgé. How have things been going back in the territory?"

"I'm glad to be here, Lord father. If I would say, things there are far better than how things have played out here"

Jorgé gave a wry smile as he said so,

".. Can you talk to your sister? Please? She won't open the door for us"

"We'll that's just to be expected, lord father. I can guess without even looking at her, she hates you very much"

The Duke sighed at his son's remark. Jorgé's words rang truth, the Duke had accepted the Prince's proposal to be engaged to Juliette, without telling the person in question herself. So it was only to be expected that she would hate him.

"I have a general understanding of my little sister, I'll talk to her and see if I can get her to come out. No promises though, father"

"Please, and thank you."

With that finished the young lord walked towards Juliette's room.

+++

"Sister? This is your dear brother, would you open the door? Please?"

Jorgé calmly appealed to his sister as he knocked at the door.

Milin and Larc had welcomed him when he arrived at the room's hall, but he explicitly told them that he would speak to his sister alone. Against house Carmine's heir, the two servants could only obey.

"... Jorgé-nii?"

A quiet, timid voice answered,

"Yes, Juliette, I'm here."

He could hear a faint sound coming from the inside, as if someone was tidying things up.

The door slowly opened. What peeked from the inside was the face of a visibly tired Juliette. Her eyes that had once seen a  radiant sapphire blue was now dull and puffy, her silver blonde hair that had always exude an aura of elegance and beauty was now disheveled and unkept, frankly speaking, it was a pitiful sight.

"Oh my dear sister, what happened to you?

Jorgé was genuinely worried for his sister, This was the first time that he had seen her like this.. her eyes looked hollow and devoid of life, it was like speaking to a corpse.

"...why are you here, Jorgé-nii? Are you gonna force me to come out as well? Or are you.. also gonna tell me that marrying the prince is a great honour?"

Juliette answered with a question of her own in a low, cold voice.

"..would you please invite me inside first? I don't think I'm comfortable speaking with you like this"

He was still standing in the hallway, in full view of every maid and manservant walking around the estate.

Juliette looked around them for a bit, then sent a glance at her brother before walking back inside her room.

"I'm tired, Jorgé-nii, so please make it quick, I want to sleep"

"I will do so, dear sister."

As they entered the room, Jorgé noticed the closed blinders that kept the sun's shine from creeping in, the magic stones that lined the walls were the only source of light inside this dark room. Honestly speaking, Jorgé expected the room to be disordered and chaotic. But to his surprise, it was strangely well kept.

[Perhaps Larc and Milin maintained this room? Nevertheless, I'm fairly disappointed at them for letting her fall like this] He thought to himself as he followed his sister.

Juliette went and sat near the round table at a corner of the room. She then gestured at Jorgé to sit opposite to her.

"...so? What brought you here, Jorgé-nii" Juliette asked as she raised an eyebrow

At his sister's question, Jorgé only responded with a mischievous smile.

"Why, to help my troubled sister, of course."

Seeing that, Juliette's face couldn't help but turn sour, she glared at him as she violently stood up and slammed her hands on the table.

"Stop this nonsense of yours!! Did you come here only to mock me?!"

Juliette's outburst reverberated throughout the room and into the hallway. The young lord could clearly feel the moisture around them condense around Juliette. Her mana building up signified that she was readying a spell.

However, it only took one look from his left eye to disperse the gathered mana around them.

"My, my, were you always this aggressive, dear sister? I came here to help you, that much is true. You know I never lie"

He kept a calm composure as he leaned back the seat.

Juliette, feeling her mana disperse, grimaced as she sat back down.

"... How can you help me. Papa has already agreed to it, and so have Mama. I have no other choice, except maybe run away.. would you help me with that?"

"Sister, I implore you to not make any hasty decisions. I know that your feelings for that boy is strong. But please do listen to my request first."

Sensing his sister's resolve to runaway, Jorgé quickly put out that fire that was starting to smoulder.

"I have a plan, dear sister. That, if all goes well, would solve all of your problems"

"..why are you helping me? What's your aim?"

Juliette had always known that her older brother was a genius. Even at a young age, his martial might and intellect with regards to domestic affairs and warfare far surpassed that of their father's. That was why the Duke could rest easy here in the Capital while Jorgé took care of his territory in the west.

But with that intellect, came an abundant amount of mischief and indifference. Juliette realized  that her brother viewed the world differently from normal people. This was the reason why she couldn't just trust him blindly, even with her predicament.

"The winds of fate have started moving, my dear sister."

Jorgé only answered vaguely as he gave Juliette a mischievous smile.

"Would you trust this dear brother of yours?"

He leaned forward the table and interlocked his fingers as he said so.

Juliette contemplated for a while before answering, she stared at his eyes with the intent to discern his purpose.

".. what did you have in mind, Jorgé-nii?"