Now This Family Belongs to My Mother

Author: alyalia

“Epirosa, I know you are hostile toward the Gale family. But do you really consider Stella to be such a dangerous opponent as well?” Hubert asked with eyes whose intentions were impossible to read.

Since Hubert didn’t know what had happened in my previous life, he might not understand why I even treated Stella like my sworn enemy. So I had to prove that I had no personal ulterior motives.

“The fact that Stella tried to take Kobel with her means that the two of them have already joined hands. Stella, too, has become someone just as dangerous to the family as Kobel. Besides…”

“…”

“His Majesty sent the two of them a congratulatory message. His intention is obvious. If Stella goes to the temple, His Majesty will use her as a saintess to attack Blanche. That’s when the real danger could strike.”

Hubert quietly exhaled and stared at me without saying a word. “Then are you saying we should send Stella and Kobel to the temple as they are and simply watch them run wild?”

“Cardinal Lenon Gianni is at the temple. He’ll be on our side.”

Hubert’s eyes narrowed. There was a shift in his demeanor, something different from before. “You seem to be quite close to the cardinal.”

“Yes. We’ve helped each other a lot. He’s someone you can trust.”

“I see. That’s good to hear. After all, cardinals can’t marry anyway…” Hubert suddenly muttered something cryptic. When I widened my eyes in surprise, he quickly spoke up. “But that alone isn’t enough. Do you have another reason why we shouldn’t use the imperial decree?” He asked sharply.

I nodded without hesitation. “Yes. There is someone who will interfere with Stella and Kobel at every turn.”

* * *

Hubert eventually promised not to use the imperial decree.

Kobel will survive and make it to the temple. It was all my fault. I had kept him alive because I wanted to make him suffer for a long time, since I wanted my own personal revenge. If I had simply killed him, none of this would have happened.

It’s alright. I can create another opportunity. Next time, I won’t leave him any room to escape.

It may look as though Kobel has joined hands with Stella, but Stella too will merely be a sacrifice, just like Gale. The only thing that had changed was the setting, from the Blanche Mansion to the temple.

Kobel, Stella. The temple will become your hell.

Resolving myself firmly, I moved deeper into the garden. For now, let’s just do what needs to be done. As I hid behind the dense trees, I soon sensed careless footsteps approaching.

“Ah, she was just here a moment ago. Where did she go?”

It was Nicholas’s voice.

After noticing Nicholas’s strange behavior during breakfast, I had someone keep an eye on him. Turns out, Nicholas had been tailing me. I decided to turn the tables and lured him to a secluded area. Slowly, I stepped out from behind a tree. Nicholas had his back to me, scanning the opposite direction.

“Brother Nicholas.”

At the low voice calling his name, Nicholas spun around, startled as though he might leap into the air.

“Is there a reason you felt the need to follow me before Stella leaves?”

He stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.

I approached him, who was too shocked to even respond. “Did Stella tell you to teach me a lesson?”

“W-What kind of nonsense is that…!”

“Or did she ask you to dig up some dirt on me?”

“…!” Nicholas merely opened and closed his mouth like a fish, seemingly at a loss for words.

It seemed I had hit the mark. So Stella really did tell Nicholas to find out my weakness.

When I gave him a sly smile, Nicholas seemed to lose his temper. He made a vicious expression and raised his hand toward me. It looked like he intended to hit me and run away. But Mizulin caught his wrist in midair.

“Lord Nicholas, please watch your behavior.”

Mizulin had been quietly keeping an eye on Nicholas under my orders.

“T-This…!” H-How did you…!” Nicholas shouted angrily while his wrist was held. But he could only struggle pathetically, unable to escape Mizulin’s grasp.

To think Stella sent this idiot to find my weakness. She probably wasn’t even half-serious about it. Perhaps Nicholas had kept pestering her. Now that she’s a saintess, he must have begged her for something in return. In exchange, Stella must have set a condition. To find out my weakness. If he found my weakness, that would be good. And even if he failed, it would still be good because she could get Nicholas off her back.

I asked the struggling Nicholas. “What did Stella promise to give you if you found out my weakness?”

“T-There’s no such thing! Tell her to let me go, hurry!”

I gave Mizulin a quick glance. In response, Mizulin tightened her grip and twisted his arm further.

“Ack, uaargh! I-It hurts! I said it hurts!”

“Stella won’t keep her promise. You know that, don’t you?”

“Bu-Bullshit! If I found out your weakness, there’s no way Stella won’t take me to the temple!”

Already dull-witted to begin with, Nicholas’s judgment was further clouded by the pain, and he spilled everything without hesitation. Yet he didn’t even show a hint of regret or realization. Seeing him glare at me with his flushed, beet-red face, I could barely hold back the laughter bubbling up inside me.

“W-Why are you, ugh! Laughing!” Nicholas shouted with a face full of frustration.

“Because I think I might be able to help you, Brother.”

“What?”

I signaled to Mizulin once again. She loosened the grip on Nicholas’s wrist. Only then did Nicholas let out a sigh of relief. Then I handed a piece of paper to Nicholas, who looked at me with a dazed expression.

“W-What is this?”

“My weakness.”

“What?”

Nicholas stared blankly at the paper. On the paper, written in my handwriting, were complex characters and magical formulas. At the very top, I had neatly written my name.

“Take it.”

“This is your weakness?”

“Yes. If you show it to Stella, she’ll figure out what it is.”

Nicholas’s eyes widened. “W-Why are you giving this to me?”

“To let you know, Brother.” I placed the paper directly into Nicholas’s other hand, the one Mizulin wasn’t holding. “That the Blanche Mansion suits you better than the temple does.”

“W-What… I don’t understand! Is this really a weakness? If you give me your weakness, then you…”

“Even if you give this to Stella, what you want won’t happen.”

“…You mean Stella won’t keep her promise?” Nicholas asked stupidly.

“She might pretend to keep it on the surface. But it won’t be in the way you hope for.”

Stella was skilled at using and deceiving others. On top of that, Nicholas was utterly useless, more of a nuisance than anything else. Even if he happened to discover my weakness once, that would be the end of his usefulness. He was not someone who could continue to help her in the future.

Stella will probably put Nicholas somewhere out of sight. In the worst place in the temple, at that. What Nicholas wanted was probably to enjoy glory alongside the saintess.

“I can overcome my own crisis. So it’s fine if you tell Stella my weakness. But I’m worried that you won’t be able to do the same, Brother.”

“Si-Since when did you ever worry about me…!”

“Even so, you’re still a Blanche, Brother.” I looked at Nicholas with a face full of feigned sincerity, as if I truly pitied him. “Stella has already abandoned the family and chosen the temple. But I hope you won’t do the same.”

“You mean…”

“I’m sacrificing myself a little so that you can come to a realization, Brother.”

“…”

“Brother, I hope you don’t lose your pride as a Blanche.”

I looked at Mizulin. She then let go of Nicholas’s hand.

“W-What kind of nonsense are you spouting!” Only then did Nicholas snap irritably and run away.

I smiled as I watched his retreating figure. Even so, I knew Nicholas would come back. Not because he had come to a realization, but because Stella had betrayed him. Of course, he won’t be able to return to Blanche. Nicholas will want to return, but he’ll end up going somewhere else.

Mizulin whispered to me, looking concerned. “Milady, are you really alright with revealing your weakness?”

I looked up at Mizulin and smiled sweetly. “It’s fine. That’s a fake weakness.”