“Oh.”
Count Joachim appeared, surrounded by the knights I had sent.
“This is truly… truly surprising. To think Baron Harwin was this kind of person…”
What’s so surprising? You already knew everything.
“As a neighboring lord of the central region, I will testify truthfully at the trial.”
“If nobles try to harm each other and get caught, they have to be judged by the law in court.”
This was a matter between nobles.
Kidnapping and threats were clearly crimes.
That meant a public trial and punishment were possible.
However, to do that, a witness was necessary.
I chose Count Joachim as that witness.
Because Baron Harwin’s territory lay between ours, we had been neighbors who couldn’t help each other while isolated.
“But now that Jezel Street has become Sayers’s land, our territories are now adjacent.”
As soon as we reclaimed Jezel Street, I ordered the knights to wipe out all the monsters on this hill. Thanks to that, contact between us became possible.
Philip hadn’t said this for nothing earlier.
“If they’re just monsters living on hills like this, we could wipe them all out and travel freely.”
If we eliminated the hill monsters for them, they had no reason to pretend not to know us.
On top of that, we were neighbors worth associating with.
[If you become a witness, we’ll give you five sacks of wheat.]
Count Joachim was somewhat selfish, but he wasn’t the type to fabricate lies.
And having accumulated the greatest wealth in the central region, he was a steady, grounded man.
“I swear this clearly, on the name of Joachim.”
“Thank you.”
Baron Harwin, the baroness, and even Dalia.
They were the same people who had kidnapped and sold me in my previous life.
Sure enough, in this life too, they made the same choice.
But unlike last time, I intended to make them pay for their crimes.
Count Joachim spoke firmly.
“Once the monster wave ends, the trial schedule will be set.”
That was when—
“My little sister, are you okay?”
Alpheus came running over, having tossed Baron Harwin aside.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Huh? You’ve really been through a lot, trapped in such a small territory. I mean, a child in her growth years, your face must’ve been half gone from the stress—oh? Guess not?”
I stared at him blankly.
“My little sister”? Wasn’t that far too familiar a way to address me?
I had no idea how to respond.
I’d never even heard my own mother call me “my daughter.”
“Uh… did you maybe hit your head?”
I finally asked, extremely cautiously.
“You do know this is only the second time we’ve met, right?”
“But we’re family.”
Alpheus blinked as if stating the obvious.
“Second time, third time—it doesn’t matter. Family being precious is something that’s decided the moment you’re born! That’s what our mother taught me.”
Our mother taught me, from the moment I was born, that Alpheus was my sworn enemy…
At that moment, Count Joachim explained from behind.
“Well, the warp gate broke… so he simply cut through monsters and crossed the continent to reach our territory.”
Huh? He fought through monsters and ran all the way from the east to the central region?
“I said I was going to meet Miss Brisa anyway, and he said he’d come along…”
Meanwhile, Philip had been diligently gagging the Harwin family.
Having finished his work thoroughly, he shuffled over and asked,
“Did you come alone, Captain?”
It seemed he had even forgotten to call him “Marquis.”
Alpheus suddenly scooped me up into his arms, winked, and answered,
“The others were too slow.”
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, unable to handle a fresh wink from a fully grown young man.
“They’re all following behind. Did you really think we’d just sit around waiting for the warp to be fixed? A child as fragile as a butterfly soaked in water, managing a territory without a guardian…”
A butterfly… what?
That baseless metaphor was so absurd that I opened my eyes again.
Alpheus cheerfully turned to Count Joachim and asked,
“So, Count, what should we do with these people?”
“From the moment a third party like myself became aware of this, legal charges are possible. I believe the young lady intends to have them imprisoned at the Central Court.”
“That’s right.”
I nodded.
The Central Court was also located within Count Joachim’s territory, so that would be sufficient.
Then Tom, who was tied up with them, hurriedly cut in.
“Then what happens to the barony?”
“Well, it’ll just live on without an owner.”
That might actually be better for the people. At least there wouldn’t be someone stealing their food while handing out salt.
“And if a prison sentence is handed down, the territory will be put up for auction.”
At that, the Harwin family screamed violently.
“Mmmph!”
“Mmph mmph!”
“Mmmmmph! Mmph mmph!”
At the same time, Alpheus glared fiercely.
“Who told you to kidnap my sister? You beat my blood-related niece and threatened her—are you even human?”
I, who had ordered Wendy the night before to “knock Baron Harwin out first if anything happens,” kept my mouth shut.
“Let’s go for now. Philip, it’s late, so you—hmm—escort the Count safely back to his territory.”
Alpheus gave his orders calmly.
“Wendy, you’re responsible for these people until the Central Court. I don’t want my sister to see anything more ugly.”
“Yes, Captain!”
Wendy, startled by the sudden appearance of a superior officer, used the wrong title but moved swiftly.
“Everyone else, follow on your own.”
Alpheus addressed the people hiding in the distance.
They were the intruders who had tried to burn the potato fields, Baron Harwin’s accomplices in the kidnapping, and now residents of Sayers’s territory.
Among them were even a few of Baron Harwin’s hastily appointed knights.
They switched sides immediately for a few potatoes.
‘They’re called knights, but really… they’re just young men from the village who happen to be a bit strong.’
So they were no match at all for the knights Alpheus had brought.
“Alpheus.”
I let out a sigh and spoke urgently.
“Put me down right now.”
I wasn’t a five-year-old child—I was twelve. This wasn’t the age to be carried around like this.
Since I learned to walk, I had never once been carried by someone else. This was a matter of dignity.
And Count Joachim was standing right here.
Of course, the imposing build of the war hero Alpheus was impressive, but still…
“It’s far to home. I mean to lend you Philip. And it’s not good for a child to be awake this late anyway…”
Alpheus smiled broadly, holding me tightly.
“Let’s go home now—to our home. You really worked hard, holding out on your own. So, would you tell me what’s happened in the meantime?”
“F-first, put me down…”
My voice trailed off.
It felt strange. Like earlier, when I saw Dalia and Aunt holding hands.
‘I was jealous back then…’
In that sense, Dalia had been right about one thing.
“Of course, I know you’re jealous of us.”
Yes, I was jealous.
So I did the meanest thing I could think of.
I carried out the act of “eating something delicious all by myself right in front of the guests.”
They were truly awful people—but I was so jealous of them it made my insides twist.
The fact that they could band together “for family.”
That they were unquestionably “on the same side.”
‘Get a grip, Brisa.’
I bit down hard on my lower lip.
‘If Mom, who’s in the afterlife, knew this, she’d jump out of her grave. This man is the one who eventually stole your position as heir.’
This was nothing like the situation my mother had warned me about.
To be honest, I still couldn’t believe that he was treating me so affectionately.
‘Is it because I saved his life?’
But if that were the case, why go so far as to rush all the way here?
‘Or did he come in a hurry because I took control of the territory immediately after Father’s death, and he’s worried it’ll be inconvenient later?’
I tried to think rationally.
The situation was unexpected and confusing, but my thoughts slowly began to clear.
‘And maybe he’s just pretending to care about his sister because Count Joachim is watching?’
That was probably the most likely explanation.
To prevent rumors later, he’d have to at least pretend to be on good terms with me for now.
Thinking that way, even Alpheus’s over-the-top behavior made sense.
And yet, despite everything, the warmth of his body as he held me felt good.
Because no one had held me like this until now…
Even if it was just an act, even just looking like I had a “precious family” in front of others felt nice.
