Chapter 6.2

‘Ugh, I should have followed them.’

Staying behind in hopes of overhearing important information, I only felt like I was dragged to a big house during the holidays.

In fact, another reason I stayed was to find the friends to whom Mom had sent her last letters.

‘Duchess Chester, Marchioness Aimesworth, and Viscountess Langley…that was it.’

If they were close enough to receive hidden messages in pleas for help, they must have attended the funeral.

I could casually approach them to see if they had anticipated Mom’s death.

And if I could overhear other important conversations, it would be the icing on the cake.

‘But no matter how hard I looked, they weren’t there.’

I quietly moved towards Aunt Mabel, whom I had marked as a substitute since earlier.

Aunt Mabel, as I remembered as Edith, was a distant aunt, slightly oblivious but always up-to-date with recent news.

“Oh dear, our Edith, what will you do! How pitiable.”

As soon as she saw me, Madam Mabel’s eyes reddened.

‘Exactly, what should I do?’

I wanted to embrace her and cry, but I composed myself and briefly responded before bringing up my real intention.

“Um, I just want to ask. Did Mother’s friends not attend the funeral?”

“Friends? Who are you talking about?”

“Like Duchess Chester, Marchioness Aimesworth, and Viscountess Langley.”

“Ah, right. Elizabeth was indeed close to them all when she was younger.”

Aunt Mabel reminisced without much suspicion.

“But, you know, how could they have come?”

“Why… why not?!”

I leaned forward, sensing important information.

“Well, they could be close when they were still unmarried. But with the size of the Chester and Aimesworth households, how easy do you think it is for them to leave their estates?”

It was a more disappointing reason than I expected.

Thinking about it, Edith had no memory of meeting her mother’s friends during her seventeen years of life.

Her mother was also too busy to leave the estate.

“They must have sent condolences if they heard the news.”

“Can’t I personally visit them?”

I hoped direct conversation might provide some clue.

“Oh my, Edith! Such words could make your deceased mother turn in her grave!”

Aunt Mabel’s eyes widened as if I had spoken blasphemy.

Turns out, etiquette-wise, it was improper to visit without an invitation, and even sending a letter unannounced was considered rude.

‘Phew, no wonder Edith’s etiquette level is only 1.’

After nearly 30 minutes of Aunt Mabel’s complicated lesson in etiquette, which I half-listened to.

I finally heard something somewhat helpful.

“You’ll soon turn eighteen and go to the capital for your debutante ball. You might meet their daughters there. Lola Chester and Delia Aimesworth are about your age, right?”

It meant I had to endure another year under the same roof as that horrendous murderer to possibly get a lead.

***

‘Crazy, I’m too exhausted.’

When the funeral guests had all returned home, I felt like tearing off my ears after hearing too many stories.

I wanted to head straight to bed right away, but…

“Father, Brother, I’ll be heading back now.”

I heard Peter, my younger brother, saying his goodbyes.

The family was all in the underground laboratory, and I was in the upstairs drawing-room, so this was the effect of the [Perkily Perked] buff.

In my past life, I had heard that the academy in the capital was quite strict, and even if a mother had passed away, students couldn’t leave for long.

‘The academy… wait, why didn’t I think of that before?’

‘Why did I choose this story in the first place?

<I want it to be a world with magic.>

Why was I insistent on a world with magic?

It’s all because I dreamed of receiving an admission letter from a magic school ever since I was young!

If I can follow Peter to the academy, many problems will be solved.

Firstly, I can escape the clutches of the murderous Marquis Simon Dayton.

I may not be able to defeat the Marquis right away after learning magic, but I should be able to acquire some self-defense spells.

At least I won’t die helplessly like last time.

And in the capital, I can meet the daughters of my mother’s friends who are about my age.

Meaning, I can unravel the truth behind my mother’s death.

‘If it’s a matter of etiquette or whatever, I can become friends and get an invitation, right?’

Just as I was firming up my resolve to follow Peter, he suddenly appeared, climbing the stairs. Glancing at me, he headed towards the entrance without a word.

‘That brat, being so rude to his older sister!’

I wanted to hit him on the back of his head right there, but…

For now, I had to make a good impression on Peter, so I suppressed my rising anger and hurried after him.

I would have to vent my frustration at the academy.

“Peter! Wait a minute, please?”

With the sweetest and most insincere voice I could muster, I grabbed Peter’s shoulder.

But then, the brat even shook off my hand and ran out of the mansion!

After a chase across the garden, larger than a sports field, I finally caught up with Peter.

“Huff, hey, huff, why, haa, are you running like that.”

Panting, I tried to start a conversation with Peter again.

“…”

Turning to me, Peter’s eyes were red and watery.

Only then did I understand why he had run off without a word.

‘He was trying to hide his tears.’

He had not shed a single tear during the funeral.

The sudden death of our mother must have been shocking for Peter, who was still young.

“It’s going to be okay… Mom would want that for us, for both of us.”

I stumbled over my words of comfort.

But for some reason, Peter just smirked with one corner of his mouth, as if pitying my ignorance.

‘Huh…? Is he mocking me?’

While I sensed something was off, Peter wiped his tears with his sleeve and said brusquely,

“Enough, just tell me what you want. Why did you follow me?”

It was an opportunity I couldn’t miss, no matter what.

I promptly replied,

“Take me to the academy with you.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Peter burst into laughter. A laugh loud enough to fill the fields.

“Ha, haha, hahaha! Sister, are you crazy? Someone like you, going to the academy?”

This time, his mockery was unmistakable.